Author Topic: Losing Weight in 2016  (Read 459575 times)

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #350 on: March 29, 2016, 11:02:39 AM »
Lots of leftover chocolate at work today and I'm not even interested, much less tempted!! That's a first.

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #351 on: March 29, 2016, 12:15:45 PM »
@Geostache - Honestly, I don't see that as an excuse, but as an opportunity for strategizing, because I deal with the same thing. :) (And BTW, it sucks.)

Good luck to you -- this stuff is really hard.

Oh, I'm fully aware of it not being a valid excuse, hence the 'complainypants' part of the descriptor. :-) I've done the conveniently packaged food from a grocery store thing as a last resort, and that does help some. Before I started changing my eating habits, I got a lot of pre-made meals from Costco. But, they tend to be carb heavy and not really all that healthy. I essentially just have to suck it up and stick to my meal plans!

Lots of leftover chocolate at work today and I'm not even interested, much less tempted!! That's a first.

Nicely done!

@StarBright: Welcome! I noticed a distinct tick down in my metabolism when I hit 30. It's good that you're staying on top of it now!

Bee21

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #352 on: March 31, 2016, 09:56:31 PM »
Wow, some of you guys are doing so well.

I actually put on about 3 kilos since my back dramas. The physio guy sort of cleared me today, saying I can now get back to the gym if I take it easy, so I will give it a go tomorrow.

Easter holiday  was average, didn't eat any Easter eggs ( bought the type I hate), but drank a couple of glasses every day.and there were chips, grrrr.

I have to get my shit together as I reached a point where I don't want to see any of my photos.

brett2k07

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #353 on: April 01, 2016, 05:06:12 AM »
Friday weigh-in day. Managed to get the GI issues under control for now. Still not sure what was going on, but after a week of barely eating, it is nice to be eating real food again. I've also managed to somewhat maintain the weight loss, which is good since my wife and I haven't really worked out at all this week (again). We swore up and down we're going to get back into it tonight, so we'll see how this coming up week goes.

P.S. Thank you everyone for the well wishes!

Beginning: 226
3/18/16: 226.4 (+0.4)
3/25/16: 223.0 (-3.4)**
4/1/16: 224.0 (+1.0)

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #354 on: April 01, 2016, 06:13:23 AM »
Friday weigh-in day here. I'm down 1.4 this week. I also officially hit the 25 lb mark! I've gone below my official weigh-in weight, but I don't count it until it's weigh in day. My boss, whom has lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off, warned me that maintenance is difficult. Gee, thanks. I'm going to just go ahead and worry about that when I get there. I still have 17+ pounds to go!

@Brett, glad to hear the GI issues are under control!

@Bee21, don't be too hard on yourself. The most important thing is that you're in good health.


1/01/2016: 182.8
... (including a 3+ week plateau)
3/25/2016: 158.6
4/01/2016: 157.2

Total loss: 25.6
Goal weight: 140
Stretch goal: 135

RonMcCord

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #355 on: April 01, 2016, 09:39:24 AM »
Jan 4:175lbs.
Jan 28:169lbs.
Feb 27:162lbs.
Apr 1: 157lbs.

March was weird though.  I'd lose three pounds, then gain two, then lose one, despite not drastically changing my diet or exercise routine.  That said, zoomed out over a month I'm doing good. 

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #356 on: April 01, 2016, 09:50:14 AM »
Lots of folks rocking it this week!!

@Geostache Maybe maintenance won't be as hard for you? If you are settled into this new lifestyle, it just means being able to eat slightly more every day. And a constant watchfulness.

@starbright Good for you for noticing the creep and doing something about it before it gets too much worse! I think as we get older, we get more sedentary, which really affects the weight. I know the only reason my fairly sedentary teen daughter is still such a skinny minnie is because her body burns a lot of calories just growing. I'm glad she joined the track & field team at her high school. She's not as impressed about the regular workouts though lol!

@RonMcCord Depending how regularly you weigh in, bodies do pretty weird things. I weigh in daily and use a trending app and have noticed all kinds of regular ups and downs due to all kinds of things. It's nice to pay the bulk of the attention to the overall trend.

I'll be honest - this week has been much more challenging for me. I lost my battle with the chicken wings and pigged out on wings on Tuesday AND Wednesday. After eating ridiculous amounts each day, I topped it off with ice cream, Cheetos, and brownies. Even worse, I was a miserable grump. My poor family. Normally, I am an extraordinarily patient person but it felt like I lost all my filters and just fussed, grumbled, and yelled about anything and everything. I am typically grumpy for a day or two 1-2 weeks before my TOM, but this time I lost complete control. Finally, after a middle of the night rant, I let DH pray for me and I found the anchor of my soul again and calmed down. Without the crazy emotions rampaging through me, I was able to make good food choices again and have been eating pretty well since.

I have not really returned seriously to logging and have decided to give myself a pass for the rest of the week. I'll get back to logging next week. I have been much better about portion sizes and better food choices in general so my hope is that eventually I will be able to stop logging so intensively. I'm not sure if I am ready to stop logging yet (it has helped me so very much), but man, I'd love not to have to log all the time. I am going to have to be careful not to lose my focus though. I have gotten so much closer to my goal that now is not the time to stop. Being honest about the good and the bad on here is continuing to help me a lot.

RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #357 on: April 02, 2016, 08:53:39 AM »
Saturday check-in:

3/26: 159.6
4/2: 160.2

Not totally surprised; I was sick and not eating much a couple of weeks ago, but last week my appetite came back with a vengeance. This weight-control stuff really does get harder the older you get. I swear I used to be able to eat anything. Now I guess I should just appreciate the good run I had with junk food, sweets, soda, etc., back in the day. :)

Long-term goal is around 130. (It's actually more like 135-140, but they say the last 10 pounds are the hardest, right? So why not set a goal 10 pounds below what you actually want, and make things easier on yourself? Yeah, I do believe in tricking my own brain. Whatever works.)

Right now, I'm happy if I can get myself to log food and exercise, because even that is something I'm struggling with. I also had to cut back on exercise while I was sick, and am now slowly building back up. Baby steps.

@Elaine: Sounds like a rough week. It's funny how after you slip on one thing, everything else just slides into your stomach. That happened to me yesterday. Good luck to you.

@Ron: That's pretty darned impressive. I count it a good month when I lose .5 to 1 pound. :) Way to go!

@Geostache: Well done! Breaking a plateau is hard.

Onward....

marty998

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #358 on: April 02, 2016, 04:39:56 PM »
I'm not exactly participating in this (I'm a healthy 75kg, down from 77 at the start of the year), however I have been trying to convert softness into muscle in various middle areas over the past year which is proving to be challenging but slowly doable.

Just wanted to say well done and keep at it to everyone who is on their way to reaching their goals. Every kilo/pound dropped makes life that much better :)

Bee21

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #359 on: April 02, 2016, 05:05:19 PM »
We ate out last night (friend's farewell dinner at the pub) and I did not pig out. So proud. :) had the soup and the grilled salmon w boiled potato. With sparkling water! Somebody gotta drive.

And I am off to the gym in half an hour. The physio guy said to start gently and drop everything if it starts to hurt. I hope I can do 30 minutes of gentle cardio light weights without dramas. Planning to go swimming tomorrow in my lunch break.

Good luck guys, keep up the focus. We can do this, I am much more positive now.

Ps. A friend was complaining yesterday over his chicken parm, that he has 2 shakes + one meal a day and he put on 2.5 kilos.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #360 on: April 02, 2016, 11:33:36 PM »
@Bee21 That's awesome!!! Congrats on sticking to your plans when eating out. I find social eating my most challenging temptation.

I am thinking I need to get back to strict logging. I have been doing mostly ok...then just reaching for the brownie or too many slice of banana bread. It's like I have learned how to binge eat again :( I even snuck a treat after DH went to bed tonight...a dreadful habit I used to have.

Time to get back to my (new) real self!


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Cyaphas

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #361 on: April 03, 2016, 01:51:40 AM »
I think I'll jump on this bandwagon! I'm currently 6'2" 342lbs. I have some pretty broad shoulders so I wear it well. No matter how 'well' i think I wear the weight, the reality at the end of the day is: I have to lose this weight if I'm ever going to live healthily past the age of 40. Outside of the sheer physical damage to my joints and back; there are diabetes, longevity, quality of life, relationships, kids, grand kids.... Too many reasons to list why I have to shed this weight. It's one of those things that the longer I put off the more punishment I take, kind of like financial planning.

So, enough prattling! I will eat healthy tomorrow and exercise, then I will check back in. One day at a time.

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #362 on: April 04, 2016, 07:13:54 AM »
@Bee21: Way to keep the dining out in check! I know it can be hard when faced with so many tasty, yet unhealthy options.

@Redmondstash: Thanks. The plateaus are a pita. But, it was a good mental challenge (ie, to keep on and not give up).

@Elaine: Don't beat yourself up. Slip ups are bound to happen from time to time. The TOM always tries to derail me as well. Stupid hormones! You did so well with tracking - it even helped you have those treats guilt free, so get back to it!

@Cyaphas: Welcome to the thread!

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #363 on: April 04, 2016, 07:54:53 AM »

First Monday of the month check-in:

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8

I'm slowing down a little bit, but overall I'm still happy with the pace.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #364 on: April 04, 2016, 07:57:36 AM »
@Elaine and @Geostache - thanks for the welcome!

So impressed to see the awesome, regular weight loss that folks are having. I'm always wary about weight threads and groups because there are so many folks who generally look for a fast loss and that can trigger some bad habits I had from my early 20s. But I also like the mechanisms for accountability. People who are in it for slow and steady are the group for me!

Since I decided last week to watch my processed carb intake (a truly bad decision to make a couple of days after I had already done my weekly grocery shopping) I realized that all of my daily snacks are carb based!: Tortilla chips and salsa, toast with avocado, crackers with a piece of fruit, etc.

I'm not going to change my weekly meal planning too much as I have two small kids and don't want to mess with a relatively healthy plan that seems to work for my whole family, but I will banish carbs from my snacks and cut back to only 1-2 drinks a week from the current 3-4. Hopefully that will make the difference with these dreaded pounds I keep fighting.

I grocery shopped yesterday and set myself up for success by buying nuts and raisins, individual serving guac packages and baby carrots, and some lovely European style full fat yogurts to keep me full.

Dinner tonight is marinated tuna steaks, steamed broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes- all of that should set me up to stay on track through the week.

Best wishes to all for a healthy and happy week!

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #365 on: April 04, 2016, 08:25:56 AM »
All I have to my scale this morning is 'um, what?'

I was 148.something the day before, and I didn't eat very much at all yesterday. Pretty sure it's just a monthly cycle glitch, unless all the indulgences of the past 2 weeks caught up with me at once. Oh well.



Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Jan 25 weight: 156.8
Feb 1 weight: 155.2
Feb 8 weight: 153.2
Feb 15 weight: 151.6
Feb 22 weight 152.6
Feb 29 weight 152.2
Mar 7 weight 149.4
Mar 14 weight 149.4
Mar 21 weight 149.6
Mar 28 weight 149.2
Apr 4 weight 151.2
Goal weight: 130

RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #366 on: April 04, 2016, 08:27:49 AM »
Since I decided last week to watch my processed carb intake (a truly bad decision to make a couple of days after I had already done my weekly grocery shopping) I realized that all of my daily snacks are carb based!: Tortilla chips and salsa, toast with avocado, crackers with a piece of fruit, etc.

This is an interesting point. So: What snacks do you folks find work well for you? I tend toward cheese, yogurt, nuts, baby carrots, sometimes chips (yeah, I know), or occasionally a combo like egg on toast. For me, high-water-content snacks (like cottage cheese & yogurt) work better than more concentrated ones (like gouda cheese or nuts), but their flavor is blander and thus less satisfying.

Or do you folks avoid snacks altogether?

RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #367 on: April 04, 2016, 08:29:34 AM »
All I have to my scale this morning is 'um, what?'

I was 148.something the day before, and I didn't eat very much at all yesterday. Pretty sure it's just a monthly cycle glitch, unless all the indulgences of the past 2 weeks caught up with me at once. Oh well.

I have found that standard predictive mathematics do not apply to weight loss any more than they do to the short-term stock market. :) It balances out over time, but not over a span of days or weeks. Because bodies are weird.

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #368 on: April 04, 2016, 09:48:19 AM »
I have found that standard predictive mathematics do not apply to weight loss any more than they do to the short-term stock market. :) It balances out over time, but not over a span of days or weeks. Because bodies are weird.

I would give this a giant thumbs up if I could. I've seen my weight fluctuate as much as 5 pounds in a day!


This is an interesting point. So: What snacks do you folks find work well for you? I tend toward cheese, yogurt, nuts, baby carrots, sometimes chips (yeah, I know), or occasionally a combo like egg on toast. For me, high-water-content snacks (like cottage cheese & yogurt) work better than more concentrated ones (like gouda cheese or nuts), but their flavor is blander and thus less satisfying.

Or do you folks avoid snacks altogether?


I have two snacks a day, almost every day. My snacks are a combination of protein and complex carb. I've made refrigerator oatmeal, green smoothies and a protein like a boiled egg or nuts, guacamole and baby carrots, no-bake peanut butter balls, carrot and apple flax seed muffins, or a piece of fruit (the water helps keep me sated) with string cheese.

I'm happy to share the urls for any of the above recipes! I just didn't want to flood the post with urls.

@rockstache: Slow and steady wins the race!

@cookie78: Hang in there. Drink plenty of water, and I second RedmondStash's comment that bodies are weird.

thek1d

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #369 on: April 04, 2016, 10:15:10 AM »
5'10
195 (as of 3/7/16)
28/M
Goal = 150

I weight in at 186.6 this morning, averaging about 2 lbs lost per week.  I try to stay under 1,500 calories a day and I have a cheat meal about once a week. I typically lift weight M/W/F and lately I've been walking my 1-month old before bedtime to give Mom a break.

Outside of the occasional cravings for sweets (I have a big sweet tooth), this diet has been pretty easy for me.  Tracking everything I eat in MFP helps a ton and really puts in to perspective the calorie density of foods.  The only macro-nutrient I pay attention to is protein, I try to hit >100 g/day. I eat lots of carbs and fats - only care about calories at this point.

I peaked at almost 200 lbs this year and I was about 160 only a couple years ago. Had to buy all new clothes - looking forward to wearing what I used to wear in college pretty soon!

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #370 on: April 04, 2016, 07:35:19 PM »
Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs
Mar 7 - 138.2 lbs
Mar 14 - VACATION
Mar 21 - 140.2 lbs
Mar 28 - 137.8 lbs
April 4 - 138.4 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 15.6 lbs

Little spike upwards. Definitely seeing the effects of letting myself go last week. It also got me into the habit of binging. We had sugar cookies in the office today and although I resisted in the beginning, I ended up taking one. It was REALLY good and I ended up eating a 2nd one *sigh* Still, I managed to stay within my calorie counts so overall it was a win.

I still haven't gotten back into regular exercise so that will be the next step. My little 12 min strengthening routine was mild enough to be encouraging but did actually strengthen me in a very gradual way. I know I must have fallen several levels behind by now :(

Anyway, logged meticulously all day today and will push myself to get back into the routine and do what I know works. Got to also work on shrinking my stomach down again. I have noticed I am hungrier and can eat more now that I let myself get used to it again.




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elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #371 on: April 04, 2016, 07:44:20 PM »
@RedmondStash I don't snack every single day. I also don't really do the calorie dense snacks and have stayed away from cheese, nuts and seeds. I should add a little back in and not be so afraid of the calorie punch. It's got to be better than cookies!! To get the most bang for my buck though, I like snacking on fruit. 70-80 calories of apple cut up into teeny, wafer thin slices tricks my brain into thinking I am eating a lot of food. This also works with my efforts to up my fruit and veggie content. I also love chickpeas, cottage cheese or hard boiled eggs but haven't had them in a while.

I also do allow myself some measured out guilt-free empty calorie snacks when I have calories left over. My faves for these are caramel popcorn or ice cream.


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StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #372 on: April 04, 2016, 08:30:14 PM »
@remondstache - I'd rather not snack but I work from home and I'm 5 feet from my kitchen all day long. I've built frequent grazing into my lifestyle.

My favorite snack, several times a day, is 5 tortilla chips and a couple spoonfuls of salsa. Alas - that falls into exactly what I'm cutting out. For now I'll replace with frequent clementines/mandarins and bits of nuts and raisins measured out.

For me it is the act of getting up from my desk and walking that is most important, but I've accepted that half the time I'll reach for food and try to plan accordingly.

Tyn

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #373 on: April 05, 2016, 02:38:24 AM »
Start - 194
6th Feb - 192
28th Feb - 193
5th Apr - 192

I'm a bit surprised at my weight given my overindulgence in chocolate last month, I was a little worried I'd be back over 14st.  On the positive side I did some batch cooking (I'd been being really lazy about that and then scraping not so healthy meals together) and come up with a new plan to try and bribe myself away from sweet foods.  I'm putting £20/month aside (in a separate online account) and if I want to buy sweets/cakes/crisps it comes out of that money.  This money is ear-marked for buying new summer clothes (current ones are falling apart and hopefully will end up too big anyway), so I have the motivation of not cutting in to that money and it also appeals to my laziness as I'd need to log in and transfer the money over.

I'm substituting with fruit and yoghurt to satisfy my sweet-tooth, whilst that's still a lot of sugar I'm fairly confident I can't eat as many calories of that in one sitting as I could of cheesecake.

@RedmondStash:

I cut some snacks altogether, I used to have a mid-morning snack at work that really wasn't necessary that soon after breakfast and I try not to eat after 8pm (or I find I'm still full in the morning).

Usual snacks are nuts/seeds, dried fruit and fresh fruit.  I also have some popcorn kernels that I could really do with using up, as long as I don't load them up with butter and sugar that's a pretty healthy snack.

Sometimes having some fruit tea, squash or warm milk with ginger and honey works for me when I'm having cravings.


Bee21

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #374 on: April 05, 2016, 04:03:03 AM »
Stressful day at the cubicle. 'Somebody' ate a bag of pretzels. And there was cheescake after dinner. Damn.

And i look bloated and disgusting. I am blaming the pretzels and the very healthy bean salad i had for lunch.

In other news, i lasted for 40 minutes in the gym on sunday and i ran into my former pt who corrected some of my movements to avoid future injury.


Cyaphas

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #375 on: April 05, 2016, 04:28:42 AM »
Stressful day at the cubicle. 'Somebody' ate a bag of pretzels. And there was cheescake after dinner. Damn.

And i look bloated and disgusting. I am blaming the pretzels and the very healthy bean salad i had for lunch.

In other news, i lasted for 40 minutes in the gym on sunday and i ran into my former pt who corrected some of my movements to avoid future injury.

Keep it up. You can't win every battle but you can win the war!

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #376 on: April 05, 2016, 06:20:21 PM »
So... I'm a bit late to the party, but I'm going to jump in anyway...

5'7" F
In January I came in at almost 180 lbs.  Which is 20 lbs more than I was at the same time last year.  Lots of stress going on at work, and a badly sprained ankle led to both terrible food habits and very little physical activity.

This morning I weighed in at 171.8, so I'm making some progress there, at least.

My goal is 145 lbs.

As far as exercise, I've signed up to run a half marathon in July, so I'm doing 3-4 training runs/week right now.  I'd like to get closer before deciding if I'm going to go for marathon distance this fall, or sign up for a couple more halves.  I don't know if I'm the right brand of crazy for marathon distance, but I might be.  I'm also hiking once a week or so with a friend.  Today was a bigger day, but it ended up being a 6 mile run, followed by a 4 mile hike.  I usually try to not do those things on the same day...

Food is bigger issue.  I am another person who has issues with binge eating.  Self-control when it comes to food is difficult for me.  I know, for instance, that if I purchase a bag of chips, chances are good that I will eat it in just one or two sittings.  I'm fine if I keep from buying unhealthy items.  Most of my home cooked meals are pretty damn healthy.  But if there is junk around, I'll just eat that instead.  I also end up eating out a lot with work lunches and friends.  And I don't always order the salad...  I need to start using myFitnessPal again.  I have an on-again-off-again relationship with the app, but when I'm using it, I end up making healthier food choices.  You know, just like research says I will.

All in all, I am moving the right direction.  I just need another way to be accountable for my actions. 

RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #377 on: April 05, 2016, 08:16:19 PM »
Thanks for the snack info, all. Some days I'm just starving for snacks; others, my appetite doesn't really kick in. Weird.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #378 on: April 06, 2016, 07:24:59 AM »
@10dollarsatatime: I hear ya about the binge eating. That's where I struggle the most. Folks on the MFP boards say that it is a matter of getting into a healthier relationship with food. Not considering that food is "bad" or "good", but that it is neutral. Some have higher nutritional value than others, but by and large, we can eat about 20% of empty calories and still get enough nutrition for a healthy body. So when you indulge on empty calories, that's OK. Log it, and subtract elsewhere another day.

I'm not ENTIRELY sold on this thought process, but I can see it being very helpful for us binge eaters. When I binge on something I go through this entire guilt process and then keep binging. The thought of course is that well, I've fallen...I might as well give up. Also, the whole "eat good food only" just isn't all that practical for daily living. There's social situations, etc etc where it just becomes a huge hassle for everyone. It's not easy to do it for the long term, rest of your life, type thing.

I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to end up at the end of this whole process, but for now, I'm going with the MFP method. I've felt really good in the few months I've been following it and not felt too deprived or hungry or anything like that. I've paired it up with learning to cook nutritious food that gives me the most bang for my calorie buck. It's awesome that I can feel stuffed after a 300-400 calorie meal (that also tastes super yummy). I've discovered that I am miserable eating blah-tasting food (DH doesn't care). When I eat yummy food, everything is just so much better. And yes, knowing I have to log it on the app (hate seeing those red numbers!) and report honestly on here has helped me a lot. Last week, I tried not logging - it didn't go very well for me. Looks like I'm the type of person who needs the external controls (on the other hand, my DH has no need of it).

@RedmondStash Have you tried analyzing what is happening on days when you feel more hungry/snacky? Is it the type of meals you are eating (some keep you fuller than others), things you are doing, old habits that are dying hard? Keeping some low cal snacks (that you like) on hand could be a big help.

RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #379 on: April 06, 2016, 08:24:10 AM »
@RedmondStash Have you tried analyzing what is happening on days when you feel more hungry/snacky? Is it the type of meals you are eating (some keep you fuller than others), things you are doing, old habits that are dying hard? Keeping some low cal snacks (that you like) on hand could be a big help.

I have, Elaine, and it varies. Often, it's about the type of snack: eating nuts, chips, or sweets makes me want to eat lots more, but I can eat a little cheese and then stop. Sometimes, it's about soothing life stressors with food. What I'm learning is that I have to make friends with being hungry; it's a lesson I used to understand but forgot along the way somewhere. I can be hungry for a while without eating and without suffering any ill effects. That's how I'm going to get where I want to go.

Counterintuitively, when I eat a larger, more protein-focused breakfast (like eggs on whole-grain toast), I get hungry faster than when I eat a bowl of oatmeal, which, I know, is mostly carbs. Go figure.

I can also get into a good binge pretty easily. Let's just say we have substantially less whipped cream (to go with berries) than we had yesterday. :)

Glad the MFP is working for you. Best of luck.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #380 on: April 06, 2016, 11:42:14 AM »

I have, Elaine, and it varies. Often, it's about the type of snack: eating nuts, chips, or sweets makes me want to eat lots more, but I can eat a little cheese and then stop. Sometimes, it's about soothing life stressors with food. What I'm learning is that I have to make friends with being hungry; it's a lesson I used to understand but forgot along the way somewhere. I can be hungry for a while without eating and without suffering any ill effects. That's how I'm going to get where I want to go.

Counterintuitively, when I eat a larger, more protein-focused breakfast (like eggs on whole-grain toast), I get hungry faster than when I eat a bowl of oatmeal, which, I know, is mostly carbs. Go figure.

I can also get into a good binge pretty easily. Let's just say we have substantially less whipped cream (to go with berries) than we had yesterday. :)

Glad the MFP is working for you. Best of luck.

I think there is something to be said about some foods that once you start eating, it's hard to stop. Today I was just about to eat my healthy, brought from home lunch (a VERY yummy curried spaghetti squash) when my boss announced that he had ordered pizza. I ended up deciding to go with the pizza. After 3 slices and a portion of caesar salad, I still REALLY wanted to keep eating but forced myself to stop and grabbed a mint instead.

And I agree, it's good to learn that it is OK to be hungry occasionally. After binging for a week, I am having to return to my old habit hacks to stave off my hunger. Mints, hot teas, etc etc. I'm still tempted but I know from past experience that eventually I'll adapt and stop being so hungry/munchy.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #381 on: April 06, 2016, 11:46:52 AM »
Speaking of binges.. the struggle is real, y'all!

I just ate a bag of microwave popcorn and a pack of ho-hos from the vending machine. I have no idea what is going on today, or why I just lost control. I was tired all morning and then starving after eating my lunch. *Sigh* I'm tracking it...  Aaaand, I have 3 calories left for today.

Of course, this morning the scale showed its lowest weight (155.8) so far. Oof. It's a good thing that weigh in day isn't until Friday! I haven't binged like that since I started this journey back in January. Small miracles?

So, that happened.

RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #382 on: April 06, 2016, 09:59:57 PM »
And I agree, it's good to learn that it is OK to be hungry occasionally. After binging for a week, I am having to return to my old habit hacks to stave off my hunger. Mints, hot teas, etc etc. I'm still tempted but I know from past experience that eventually I'll adapt and stop being so hungry/munchy.

It's hard. I think I'm on the right track now, but it's so easy to get derailed. Fingers crossed that I stay railed. :)

Speaking of binges.. the struggle is real, y'all!

I just ate a bag of microwave popcorn and a pack of ho-hos from the vending machine. I have no idea what is going on today, or why I just lost control. I was tired all morning and then starving after eating my lunch. *Sigh* I'm tracking it...  Aaaand, I have 3 calories left for today.

Of course, this morning the scale showed its lowest weight (155.8) so far. Oof. It's a good thing that weigh in day isn't until Friday! I haven't binged like that since I started this journey back in January. Small miracles?

So, that happened.

Yeah, that happens. It's frustrating and a bit baffling sometimes. I always just try to make each day a new day, regardless of what I did the day before. Because over time, even with occasional binges, you can get where you want to go if you stick to it as much as possible.

But yeah. This is difficult stuff.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #383 on: April 07, 2016, 03:57:50 AM »
Yeah, I have little self control around food.

I eat when I'm bored,stressed, frustrated etc. every excuse.

The main meals are healthy, just have to reduce the portions.my problem is the snacking. That's my focus for the rest of the week. I am planning not to eat between breakfast and lunch, an have a piece of fruit or veggies as an afternoon snack.

I just have to navigate this weekend, we have been invited to  afternoon drinks/ dinner and a picnic/ sausage sizzle. I already volunteered the veggie platter and dips for the former and bought chicken sausages for the later.

Willpower!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #384 on: April 07, 2016, 12:34:34 PM »
Well, I am bummed that a lot of you are having a hard time, but glad to know I'm not alone! I don't know what is with me lately, either - it almost feels like I'm sabotaging myself. Like, "Oh, I fit into these pants now, no need to keep going." Even though I need to keep going.

To top it off, I am going out of town for almost a week. The first leg of the trip will be with some girlfriends from high school and I KNOW we are going to have too good of a time, but I'm going to try really hard to keep it within reason. No entire desserts to myself or french fries at every meal. And I will drink LOTS of water to stave off bloat. The second leg is a conference for work, so I don't have a lot of control over the food being served, but I am a lot better at making good food choices now, so I'm fairly confident that won't derail me.

So, the scale went up a bit, as a result of my laissez faire attitude. But I'm still under 125, which is a mental win for me. I'm just going to keep on going, instead of beating myself up and throwing in the towel like I normally do. I have to trust the process!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/7: 126.4 pounds
- 3/12: 125.2 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/7: 124.8 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds

RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #385 on: April 07, 2016, 08:25:00 PM »
So, the scale went up a bit, as a result of my laissez faire attitude. But I'm still under 125, which is a mental win for me. I'm just going to keep on going, instead of beating myself up and throwing in the towel like I normally do. I have to trust the process!

It's hard not to just chuck it all in when you get results you don't like. Good for you for sticking with the plan.

It's weird; I've had on-and-off work stress for a couple of weeks, and it has just killed my appetite. Kind of useful for weight loss, but not so much for sleep. :) I am struck by how different it feels just not to be hungry all the time. Portion control and snack control are much easier when you don't feel like you're starving.

Which basically means that most of the time, we are all amazingly strong for resisting the call of food enough to make progress toward our goals.

Bee21

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #386 on: April 08, 2016, 01:11:32 AM »
This no snacking thing is going well. I'll have to break this habit before concentrating on the portions. Had porridge for breakfast, mushroom an spinach omelette for lunch and there will be baked crumbed chicken w sweat potatoes and peas for dinner.snack was a plum yogurt and 2 slices of pear.

Did a ton of housework and gardening. My back was playing up towards the end though :(

Refused to bake cupcakes for the kids. Poor things.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #387 on: April 08, 2016, 05:01:27 AM »
Speaking of binges.. the struggle is real, y'all!

I just ate a bag of microwave popcorn and a pack of ho-hos from the vending machine. I have no idea what is going on today, or why I just lost control. I was tired all morning and then starving after eating my lunch. *Sigh* I'm tracking it...  Aaaand, I have 3 calories left for today.

Of course, this morning the scale showed its lowest weight (155.8) so far. Oof. It's a good thing that weigh in day isn't until Friday! I haven't binged like that since I started this journey back in January. Small miracles?




Yes, the struggle is certainly real.  I had a binge day yesterday and I only started curbing it back a few days ago.  And I think it is because I had pasta for dinner.  it was a big plate too but for some reason it makes me want to eat  all night.  This happens too when I have a high fat content day.  So weird.  But today is a new day.

I hesitate to say I am down 2 lbs because it is such a temporary thing sometimes in the beginning, but, I need to state it to keep me motivated.

alleykat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #388 on: April 08, 2016, 05:08:06 AM »
Losing weight definitely tests the willpower.  I also started exercising.  At least it will help me stay consistent and not gain more as I work on portion control, which isn't easy as it sounds.

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #389 on: April 08, 2016, 06:49:58 AM »
@alleykat: When I eat refined carbs, I have found that it really messes with my blood sugar. White bread, pasta, and even white rice wreaks havoc on my blood sugar. I try to just avoid it at all costs. YMMV, but try cutting it way back and see what happens. And being down two pounds is nothing to sneeze at! I have been using my weight trend to help me see past the daily fluctuations. It helps to know that even if it appears that I magically gained 5 pounds overnight, the trend is going in the right direction!

@Microspice: Hang in there! You are getting closer to your goal weight, so some small gains are to be expected from time to time. Your plan is obviously working for you, so stick with it!

@Bee21: Nice job on the snacking! Your brain and body will definitely adjust to the way you are eating - it just may take some time.

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #390 on: April 08, 2016, 06:53:37 AM »
Friday weigh-in day! I'm down 2 lbs this week, for a total of 27.6 for the year. The clothes I feel like I just bought are starting to feel loose. I don't want to buy the next size down for awhile, so I might have to invest in some belts. I'm also glad to know that my binges (yes, plural) this week didn't derail my progress. I'm still working through the binge guilt, though. Clearly, some more work is needed in my relationship with food!

Stats:
1/1/2016: 182.8
4/8/2016: 155.2

Total loss: 27.6
Goal: 140

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #391 on: April 08, 2016, 07:54:17 AM »
I am in Month 4 of this journey - and like you all said, the struggle with binging is SO real! It's so helpful to hear all your stories. The good and the bad. Having a place where we can all be honest AND accountable has made a huge difference in my journey, and I hope in all yours too.

@Bee21 You're doing awesome tackling the snacking habit. I found habit hacking really useful. Drinking hot herbal tea/water, mints/gum, finding alternate activities during typical snacky moments. And when a couple of times when I got HANGRY, a workout did the trick to improve my mood AND kill the cravings.

@alleykat I think it's important from a mental perspective to celebrate every small win. 2 pounds is fabulous! (and so much better than doing nothing and GAINING 2 pounds in the same period of time. Time is going to pass anyway!)

@Geostache You are doing absolutely amazing :) I agree - now that you've done so much hard work and learned so much about your body, it's time to consider your feelings towards food. What about planning for some controlled binges? Pre-plan some treats into your week in a way that works and that might reduce your guilt and help with overall sustainability. Plus, if they are planned for, they won't be binges anymore, but completely under your control.

For me, binging comes in phases. I agree with you. It does seem to matter what type of food we eat. My boss ordered pizza a couple of days ago. I ended up eating 3 slices plus a serving of Caesar Salad. That's a TON of calories. And all I wanted to do was keep chewing. That extended into the evening and my attempts at a low cal dinner ballooned, leaving me about 300 cals over my daily limit.

Despite that, I have been making good choices all week and I KNOW it will pay off - eventually I will get past this initial hunger hurdle and feel full on my usual meals and my urge to binge will decrease. It worked for me in the past few months and I know it will work again. What I did learn then was that it was helpful for me to plan for some splurges. It decreased any sense of deprivation. I want this to be my way of eating for the rest of my life. If I don't intend to cut out cakes, cookies, etc forever, then I am not going to cut them out now. Or it's highly likely that I will yo-yo and regain the weight. 

On the good side, I dropped a pound (mostly bloat weight) on the scale this morning, hitting a new low for the first time since my mid-March vacation! Logging WORKS for me. I have learned that when a craving comes, I do have a hard time saying an absolute no. So it's often better to just eat a small portion of it. Was still munchy after dinner last night and reached for DH's yummy organic energy bars. He handed me 2 delicious oranges instead. After guzzling those, I still ended up consuming the energy bar and it was SO GOOD. Next time, if it works out in my calorie counts, I'm just going to let myself eat a small portion of whatever I am craving (if i'm not craving anything too horrendous).

RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #392 on: April 09, 2016, 11:08:29 AM »
Weigh-in day for me. Stats:

3/12: 162.6
3/19: 161.8
3/26: 159.6
4/2: 160.2
4/9: 158.4

I'm pretty pleased. Slow and steady works best for me; I don't care about how much the scale changes as long as the trend is downward. I'm actually a little concerned that my body will balk at this current pace and go into starvation mode. 1-2 pounds a month is what I typically aim for.

Funny how work stress has aided in my weight-loss efforts the last few weeks. Maybe instead of working to resolve it, I should just keep it going until I hit my target weight. :D

Yeah, I'm kidding. Work stress has way too many other repercussions, including inefficiency at work. I just wish my appetite was always so quiet and craving-free.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #393 on: April 09, 2016, 11:44:34 AM »
Have been weighing in for a month or two now, just whenever I remember to (always mornings).  I've seen the scale fluctuate a lot from day to day, anywhere from 1-3#.  This morning's weight was down 5# from the highest number I've seen in that time.  Gonna give it another couple days before I declare any weight officially lost...stay tuned!

Well that was more than a couple days!  I have made an effort to weigh myself every day to see trends.  Today I saw X-7 on the scale!  That is still 1# more than my previous heaviest weight, however, it's the lowest since Dec 2015.  I really do like the every-day-weigh.  I've done WW before & they only let you weigh weekly.   The more frequent feedback has helped with day to day decisions.  Weekly, I just let myself off the hook after a few days, then the dread sets in when the next weigh-in arrives.

For example, I had 2 alcoholic drinks last weekend.  The next morning, my weight was up 2 (or was it 3) pounds from the day before.  And it stayed up for about 4 days.  Then on the 5th day, dropped back to what it was before.  Due to all the variables involved, I can't be sure that it was the drinks, but it makes a good case for me to avoid drinking, and also know that it will be a few days before the body gets back to normal.  Good feedback!

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #394 on: April 09, 2016, 02:33:35 PM »
@oneday I love daily weighing too. I feel it gives me better stats to work with and helps me understand my body better. And just like u said - helps me make better decisions day by day.

@RedmondStash Good job on the slow and steady progress. That's typically the most sustainable.

As for me, I grocery shopped through lunchtime. Started fantasizing about Chinese buffet. Got home and had some strawberries. Bought 2 lbs and DD finished them all in one sitting (with some help from me). Tonight, we r having grilled veggies for dinner. I have eggplant, zukes, tomatoes...debating adding some butternut squash or taro root? I also bought a rutabaga that I have to cook this week (no clue how to cook it lol!)



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Evgenia

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #395 on: April 09, 2016, 04:28:47 PM »
Late to the party (due to less time online of late) but am joining in. I've learned a lot from this thread already. I am 5'11" tall, 165 lbs, age 39. My weight loss goal for 2016 is to lose 15 lbs (150 lbs) with a stretch goal of 20 lbs.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #396 on: April 09, 2016, 04:33:39 PM »
I also bought a rutabaga that I have to cook this week (no clue how to cook it lol!)


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Sometimes I eat it raw but it may not be fresh enough at this time of year.  I like it in stews, cubed like potato or boiled and mashed with pepper or roasted along with other veggies.  It needs to be cut thinner as it takes a lot longer than carrots or sweet potato. My neighbour made a fall slaw recipe with it grated. I couldn't figure out what it was but it was super tasty.  I think it was a Foodland Ontario recipe as she is a recipe developer.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #397 on: April 09, 2016, 05:14:41 PM »
I am in Month 4 of this journey - and like you all said, the struggle with binging is SO real! It's so helpful to hear all your stories. The good and the bad. Having a place where we can all be honest AND accountable has made a huge difference in my journey, and I hope in all yours too.

I just want to second this, y'all.  I have been reading, just no time to post.  Hearing that others are falling to cravings, getting back up again & going on to lose more weight is inspiring.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #398 on: April 10, 2016, 08:26:14 AM »
Hi all, jumping in here even though I'm at goal weight and not interested in losing more. I lost 40lb a few years back and maintaining is still a constant struggle.

I just got back from a vacation with friends and was happy to see I had not gained any weight for a change. It was an active, hiking vacation but my friends tend to live large when it comes to drinking and eating out. As if one strenuous hike will wipe out a weeks-worth of binging. I was a fight all week long to eat and drink in moderation (limiting myself to 2 beers and one glass of wine apparently makes me a nun) and I earned many sarcastic comments along the way, but I stood up to it and triumphed!

Still couldn't travel with them and stick to the financial budget, but that's a goal for the next vacation.

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #399 on: April 11, 2016, 07:38:13 AM »
Seriously I think my scale has a problem with Monday mornings now, lol. It jumps up a few pounds on weigh in day. No matter, I haven't earned any weight loss with the amount I've been eating this week. Quality of food has been pretty good. Quantity, not so much. I've been blaming the medication, but I might just be using that as an excuse.

Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Jan 25 weight: 156.8
Feb 1 weight: 155.2
Feb 8 weight: 153.2
Feb 15 weight: 151.6
Feb 22 weight 152.6
Feb 29 weight 152.2
Mar 7 weight 149.4
Mar 14 weight 149.4
Mar 21 weight 149.6
Mar 28 weight 149.2
Apr 4 weight 151.2
Apr 11 weight 151.4
Goal weight: 130