Author Topic: Losing Weight in 2016  (Read 459582 times)

financiallypossible

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1400 on: January 12, 2017, 11:09:58 AM »
As someone who lost and then gained weight multiple times through my teenage and early adult years, I'll post what finally worked for me to enable a reasonable and consistent weight range for the last near decade now.

Motivation; habits; mindset.

This is what it really takes. A clearly identified and strong motivation to make the necessary changes. A recognition that only changes in habit will deliver long lasting results. A positive mindset.

Here's the story I wrote in early 2008 while the changes I had made were still fresh in my mind:


On April 10th 2007, I weighed 272 pounds (5'9" male).  I remember that specific day, because it was the day I decided that I had to make several changes.  My body was talking to me and the things it was telling me were alarming.  I had joint pains, occasional back pain, minor shortness of breath, and severe heartburn whenever I ate anything remotely spicy or while trying to enjoy a nice glass of red wine.  Sometimes, I would even have heartburn just trying to go to sleep even though I hadn't had anything but water for the last few hours.  My diagnostic self-check had returned the results of utter fail and I didn't need a doctor to tell me what I already knew...I was killing myself.
   
With a sense of urgency, I stopped making excuses for why now wasn't the appropriate time to make changes and abandoned the thought process of "I can lose weight anytime I want."  Anytime had to become right now.  I gave up fast food entirely and still haven't had any.  I stopped consuming products with caffeine like diet sodas and coffee until, 4 months later, I eased it backed into my diet after I was convinced I had rid myself of the addiction.  I started drinking a lot of water.  I reduced my calorie intake and started thinking more critically about all of my food decisions including any drinks with calories.  I asked myself questions like "How am I going to get enough protein for today?", "How am I getting my vitamins and minerals?", and "How am I going to get enough fiber for today?".  These questions were in stark contrast to my former mode of operation..."What do I want to eat today that tastes good?"

I became more physically active with each passing month and slowly increased my calorie intake (though still reduced) to mirror the increasing levels of physical activity.  I started with walking, weight lifting, and mild jogging in the spring, canceled my cable in May, added tennis in June, started to run in July, and joined a gym in August.  In September, I began running longer distances (approximately 5k) and started cross-training with a stationary bike at the gym.  In late September, as an experiment, I cut out all meat other than fish and shellfish from my diet and have maintained this dietary change since.

In late October, I made the decision to train for and enter the 3M half marathon.  This was a big deal for me, because the longest continuous run I had ever done in my life was 4 miles and because I had arthoscopic knee surgery on my right knee in March 2005.  I convinced my best friend to train for it with me.  I set up a 12 week training program that involved 2 mid-week short runs, a weekend long run of increasing distances, occasional recovery weeks where the long run decreased in distance, and lower body weight resistance training.  My initial goal was to complete it in 2:15:00.  As the training progressed, I revised the goal to 2:10:00.  I entered a couple 5k races to get familiar with road racing format.  On the day of the race, my goal had become 2:05:00.  The weather was ideal that morning and I completed the race in 1:56:37.

I've had people ask me if I want to do a full marathon now.  It's not in my current plans, but I do want to do things to explore new levels of fitness that I've never been to.  I'm training now for the Texas Round-Up 10k with a goal time of less than 50 minutes.  I'm also training for a 26 mile hike through the Grand Canyon in May benefiting The Hunger Project.

I now weigh 160 pounds.  I feel more fit than I ever have before in my life.  Even while simply standing, sitting, or laying down, I reap the benefits of my new fitness level every time I take a breath and that breath feels easy.  The memories of the way my body felt when I was on the brink of morbid obesity are still fresh on my mind.  As more time passes, I'm certain those memories will fade, but I can never forget.  I'm much more interested in fitness now and that interest goes beyond just my own diet and exercise.  In early January, I had my first ever physical.  I enjoy seeing other people who are interested in fitness -- at the gym, at one of the Austin area's many parks, or wherever they happen to be.  When people ask me how I lost the weight, my response is diet and exercise.  More often than not, this response causes the other person to be dismayed.  Most Americans seem to prefer some miracle solution when it comes to weight loss and this saddens me.  One person's response to my diet and exercise story was, "There's hope for me yet.  I can do that too."  And that fills me with joy.


4/10/07  - start lifestyle change (272 pounds)
5/10/07  - 17 pounds lost (255 pounds)
6/10/07  - 33 pounds lost (239 pounds)
7/10/07  - 47 pounds lost (225 pounds)
8/10/07  - 60 pounds lost (212 pounds)
9/10/07  - 73 pounds lost (199 pounds)
10/10/07 - 87 pounds lost (185 pounds)
11/10/07 - 98 pounds lost (174 pounds)
12/10/07 - 105 pounds lost (167 pounds)
2/20/08 - 110 pounds lost (162 pounds)
5/1/08  - 116 pounds lost (156 pounds)

Ever since, I've kept my weight in the 152-167 range. Today, I weigh 161.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1401 on: January 13, 2017, 03:32:11 AM »
Original weight: 116.3kg
Last weigh-in's weight: 117.9kg
Current weight: 117.9kg
Goal weight: 90kg

Whilst I've been more active lately as the weather warms up and my ankle is almost fully healed, I haven't really changed my eating habits enough. Soon it'll be the silly season, uh oh.

I need to focus on not eating so damn much :)

I did another weigh in, and I'm still 117.9kg. A bit of a pattern emerging here...

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1402 on: January 13, 2017, 07:23:38 AM »
@financiallypossible I LOVE your story. Thank you.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1403 on: January 13, 2017, 07:31:20 AM »
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 0.4 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

Swung back upwards this week which is not surprising given how sedentary I have been (was sick for a while + bad weather). Today, even though it was -10 and I didn't sleep well last night, I pushed myself to walk to work (takes about 70-75 mins). It was a GREAT walk and I really enjoyed it. Bundled up VERY well (2 base layers + wool sweater + ski jacket and to layers of leggings) and was plenty warm (even hot). I like getting outdoors regularly....I am always in a better mood afterwards even though often its so tempting to stay indoors.

Given my results, I think i'm going back to logging on MyFitnessPal. I've been trying to avoid it since it is a minor hassle....but it really does work for me. Keeps me very mindful.

Yesterday, I ate well...was pleased with the nutritional quality of my food - a yummy spinach salad for lunch and then an eggplant/beancurd stirfry with zoodles. My zoodles turned out particularly delicious this time around as I tweaked my cooking methods to include the Instant Pot so both DH and I were pleased. PLUS, I played about 20 mins of badminton last night so at least I did a little something.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1404 on: January 13, 2017, 08:12:30 AM »
@financiallypossible I LOVE your story. Thank you.

+1  amazing

financiallypossible

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1405 on: January 13, 2017, 11:25:26 AM »
@financiallypossible I LOVE your story. Thank you.

+1  amazing

Excellent; I hope it's of help to many. Feel free to copy/paste and share with others that you feel may benefit from reading.

I was my own personal trainer. I was my own nutritionist. Like many in this community I took a DIY approach. I didn't outsource these responsibilities. If I didn't like the results, who was I going to fire? Myself?

I later ran one marathon in 2010 and was pleased with my time. I decided afterward that the human body is not constructed for such distances (at least mine and probably most others).

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1406 on: January 13, 2017, 11:46:20 AM »
I had big reasonable goals this week and hit exactly none of them. Weight remains the same at 150.

Workouts completed: 1/3
Smoothies for lunch: 2/5
no carbs for snacks: 0/5

The good news was that dinners were healthy and on point. Winter and darkness suck.

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1407 on: January 13, 2017, 12:44:35 PM »
I had big reasonable goals this week and hit exactly none of them. Weight remains the same at 150.

Workouts completed: 1/3
Smoothies for lunch: 2/5
no carbs for snacks: 0/5

The good news was that dinners were healthy and on point. Winter and darkness suck.

Winter and darkness DO suck. They suck massively. I feel you.

Things I'm doing to actively FIGHT the suckiness of winter and dark:

Light. Twinkle lights, floodlights, candles, a Happy Light in the morning for 30 minutes

Warmth: Walking on an indoor track for an hour in the morning keeps me warm pretty much all day. When I cool off (usually after lunch!), I make hot tea, pull a fleece blanket out, and when all else fails... I turn up the heat. Yup. Another 40 cents down the drain. WORTH IT.

I will not be this winter's bitch.

I weighed in today for the first time since the day the kid got out for winter break - Dec. 16. I'm down 1 lb, which I'll happily take because it's still trending in the right direction and it shows me the path forward. I ate ALL the things over the holidays. So now I'll eat LESS of the things, I'll move MORE than I got the chance to do during that busy time.

Starting weight: 189 (Sep 2016)
Current weight: 176 (Jan 2017)
Goal weight: 157

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1408 on: January 13, 2017, 02:21:04 PM »
I totally agree - being stuck indoors sucks.

I was so much happier when I forced myself to suck it up, face the cold weather, and walk to work today. It was a great walk and my mood has improved considerably :)

Back in early Dec, we had horrible frigid temperatures and between being stuck indoors, working a lot, having a ton of stuff to do at home...I was exhausted and miserable. Worse, I got insanely grumpy and cranky. I snapped at my poor husband constantly for almost 2 weeks. He was shocked and just couldn't process why I was so awful and mean. But I just couldn't find the patience I usually have in dealing with them. Finally, the weather broke and I started walking to work and like magic, I was my usual cheerful, positive and upbeat self again.  I'm not a patient person by nature (hot tempered and grumpy is more like it) but since my 20s, I have been cultivating patience. I did point out to my husband that he caught a glimpse of what I could really be like during those 2 weeks LOL! I think we're ALL glad that I choose to work on being patient :)

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1409 on: January 13, 2017, 05:37:15 PM »
I'm joining this for motivation.

In January of 2013 I joined Weight Watchers (for the third time or so), and over the next 18 months I lost 62 lbs. I maintained that for... 3 months. Then a little weight crept on, then a little more. Eventually a lot more. I have gained back close to 45 of the pounds I've lost. I quit going to WW almost a year ago to the week, because it was no longer working for me. Sadly, since quitting, I've just kept gaining.

As of tonight, I rejoined WW (I got a lovely $500 credit card for free from my health insurance for just such events). I'm going to head to my first meeting in over a year tomorrow morning. Hopefully this forum and those meetings can help me find the motivation and staying power that I'm sorely lacking.

sunnyca

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1410 on: January 14, 2017, 06:44:38 PM »
Logging regularly into MFP definitely helps- I need to start that again. I also resolved to start doing yoga, with the hopes that it'll reduce my stress eating a bit. I downloaded an app and started this morning. I'll let everyone know how it works...

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1411 on: January 15, 2017, 06:09:41 AM »
And I thought Sunday weigh in would be a good idea.
01-15 - 132.
01-08 - 132.

Goal:  120

Bright side is - could have been higher.
We had a holiday party to attend last night and I ate way too many treats.  My friend had purchased and made all these special gluten free treats especially for the celiac guest - yes - just me. I dutifully tried them all and washed them down with a couple of glasses of wine and accidentally sat beside a bowl of pistachios.  Before I know it someone brought  a bowl of artisinale potato chips to keep the pistachios company - which are gluten free too!  Next thing I know is that there is a pile of empty pistachio shells and some potato chip crumbs. Fortunately the spanokopita and baklava are not gluten free.
Bright side: we walked to and from the party.
Not so bright side:  it wasn't on the other side town, only three blocks.

Bought two pounds of spinach for 7 dollars.  Think I should eat it for the rest of week and nothing else.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2017, 04:02:34 PM by Frugal Lizard »

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1412 on: January 15, 2017, 11:33:00 AM »
I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in a year yesterday. I found out that I am 10-11 lbs away from the heaviest I've ever been. Also, that I've gained 23.4 lbs in the last year. Sigh. Since I got home from the meeting, however, I have tracked every bite of food that went into my mouth, which for me is awesome. I hate writing down what I eat, but I'm going to try to convince my mind that it's just like a budget but for food. I love my YNAB, so maybe I can convince myself  that food tracking is just like YNAB. We'll see how it goes. This week is going to be a challenge because I'm traveling across the country, so I'll get stuck with airport food for two days, and then I'll be at a conference for the other two days, which may have questionable food offerings. Fingers crossed.

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1413 on: January 15, 2017, 11:36:40 AM »
I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in a year yesterday. I found out that I am 10-11 lbs away from the heaviest I've ever been. Also, that I've gained 23.4 lbs in the last year. Sigh. Since I got home from the meeting, however, I have tracked every bite of food that went into my mouth, which for me is awesome. I hate writing down what I eat, but I'm going to try to convince my mind that it's just like a budget but for food. I love my YNAB, so maybe I can convince myself  that food tracking is just like YNAB. We'll see how it goes. This week is going to be a challenge because I'm traveling across the country, so I'll get stuck with airport food for two days, and then I'll be at a conference for the other two days, which may have questionable food offerings. Fingers crossed.

Good luck, Izybat! For your trip, maybe pack some grapes, almonds or other nuts, and an empty water bottle? That way you would have readily accessible snacks and can drink water instead of drinks with more calories.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1414 on: January 16, 2017, 07:05:14 AM »
I'm down 3.8 pounds this week! Whole30 is working so far. I think I had to go extreme to kick my sugar cravings. But now that I'm committed to 30 days I find it easy to say no. Hopefully after 30 days I can stick to moderation. That'll be the next challenge. I believe the weight loss successes will help keep me motivated.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1415 on: January 18, 2017, 09:43:04 AM »
@sunnyca I hear ya - logging into MFP every day really does help with mindfulness.

My scale is STILL not budging. And I know exactly why *sigh*. I am 10 lbs more than I prefer and it looks terrible on me. And AGAIN, I don't have anything to wear (I already got rid of many of my bigger clothes).

I've been....so-so this week so far. Logging on and off. Gave myself a good talking-to this morning and logged everything I could remember from yesterday. I am making good choices some meals...and then overeating at dinner. Thankfully I have stepped up activity levels so my MFP numbers aren't looking THAT bad this week. My goal is to be careful and minimize intake for the next few days. I am working at a food & wine show all day Saturday and intend to enjoy the food so have to save up some calories. If I can "save up" even a 100 calories from Wed-Fri, that will give me an extra 300 calories which will help make my Saturday balance out (Especially since I will be standing for 10 solid hours). It does help that I rarely drink and have already decided not to have any wine, etc.

I have planned out my dinner for tonight and will see how it goes. This morning, I was planning to sleep in a bit and drive to work (was up late last night). But DH made a lot of noise and I woke up early and was all ready to go. I shocked myself (and my DH) when I hopped on my bike to go to work despite the forecast of drizzly weather. It was a nice ride in and I was thrilled I didn't talk myself out of it. I don't know if I can manage to bike regularly in winter (nervous of ice), but will do my best to fit it in when possible. I am also determined to go on a nice lunch walk today. I do find when I incorporate (moderate) activity into my life, it helps me stick to my meal plans too.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1416 on: January 18, 2017, 06:55:22 PM »

@ elaine amj -- Do not be too hard on yourself.  You are doing the right things in being mindful of what you eat.

I've been fairly sick over the last two weeks which has limited exercise considerably and made it difficult to be as organized when it comes to eating. My weight has crept up by 2 pounds over the last couple weeks. But getting better slowly -- today I was on the exercise bike for 25+ mins at a low to moderate intensity. Hopefully I can increase the level slowly. Maybe I should resume logging with MFP once again.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1417 on: January 18, 2017, 08:13:41 PM »
I'm holding steady here, which is a success considering family stuff, unplanned travel, etc. I'm home now and getting into routine that should help.

Im eating reasonably well, just stocked up on fresh food today.  I'm back to oatmeal for breakfast. Carrots, humus, a baked good, fruit and popcorn for lunch/ snack and stir fry and rice/potatoes/sweet potato for supper. Lots of tea and a little black coffee.

Got to the gym twice last week but the weather is between 40s and 60s this week, so today I went on a 3.5 mile walk instead of the gym.  Aiming for 3 workouts a week plus extra weekend activities. Will sometimes count long walks as workouts

Got out my big ball and did some stretching.




elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1418 on: January 20, 2017, 01:44:49 PM »
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 1.6 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

The scale FINALLY budged!! I've been more committed this week and its paying off :) This morning, I woke up to light rain and temps of about 2°C. I spent a solid half hour debating with myself about biking to work, even deciding to drive and jumping back into bed twice for extra sleep. But at the very last minute, I finally decided that some stupid rain wasn't going to stop me.

I threw on a pair of nylon pants, bundled up warm and hopped on my bike. I quickly regretted not taking the extra minute to pack a change of clothes instead of counting on the nylon pants to keep me dry. I was pretty wet by the time I made it to work. My sleeves were wet (not enough insulation in the sleeves of my winter coat?) and my cotton leggings were soaked. I blasted my little space heater at myself and my leggings eventually dried after a few hours. Now I am working on my shoes and gloves - i'm impressed with how well my space heater is working - they're drying in a couple of hours.

I'm back to weighing and logging on MFP and its working pretty well. I'm finding it a bit harder right now as I have quickly gotten used to more snacking than I should be doing. One step at a time.

I have a big splurgy day planned for tomorrow as I am working at a Food & Wine Festival. So I have been "saving" calories. I will also skip breakfast on Saturday and start my noshing about 1pm. I plan to focus more on lighter veggie/seafood based options but we will see. Doubt I will have time to work out on Saturday (working from 12pm to 11:30pm) but plan to go on a good 2 hour hike on Sunday.

I still hope to end the week eating an average of 1200 calories a day (net).

financiallypossible

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1419 on: January 20, 2017, 02:20:48 PM »
I have a big splurgy day planned for tomorrow as I am working at a Food & Wine Festival. So I have been "saving" calories. I will also skip breakfast on Saturday and start my noshing about 1pm. I plan to focus more on lighter veggie/seafood based options but we will see. Doubt I will have time to work out on Saturday (working from 12pm to 11:30pm) but plan to go on a good 2 hour hike on Sunday.

I still hope to end the week eating an average of 1200 calories a day (net).

This is a very similar strategy that I used when I went VLCD back in '07. I'd do 600-800 calories a day M-F and then reward myself with 1200-1500 a day on Saturday and Sunday. It was also to confuse my body so that it didn't know what to expect.

Of course, once I started getting close to my goal weight and my physical exercise intensity increased significantly, I had to up my calorie intake. It was much easier to feel hunger close to goal weight as the body doesn't have as much body fat from which to "eat" from when running a calorie deficit.

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1420 on: January 20, 2017, 06:17:24 PM »
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1421 on: January 21, 2017, 06:44:47 PM »
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.

Apparently, it paid off. Down 4 lbs in one week. W00t!

sunnyca

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1422 on: January 21, 2017, 09:48:51 PM »
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.

Apparently, it paid off. Down 4 lbs in one week. W00t!

Woot!  That's awesome!

wintertell

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1423 on: January 22, 2017, 10:00:45 AM »
I had a period of about 10 days where I wasn't weighing due to moving, but I'm back on top of it now.

I mostly am focusing on keeping up with good habits every day. It's like a personal checklist. When I've done a habit for 10 days in a row it gets bumped up to the normal checklist. Then, I give myself 1 point for the daily habits and 2 points for the stretch habits, like kindergartners getting gold stars. Do what works right?? : )

Daily habits checklist
1) Track all food in MyFitness Pal
2) Wear Fitbit all day, every day
3) Breakfast, coffee and lunch at home
4) Dinner at home 5x/week

Bonus/stretch habits
- 5K steps/day (Miss this sometimes)
- Meal plan every weekend
- Track water intake
- Drink at least 64 oz of water
- Plank for at least 10 seconds - This is my daily fun challenge -- Going to do it every day and work my way up all year and see where I get!
- Take a walk (aiming for 3 times a week)

Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
1/22/17    252.8
Total: 12.2

financiallypossible

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1424 on: January 22, 2017, 11:57:54 AM »
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.

Apparently, it paid off. Down 4 lbs in one week. W00t!

Congrats! Keep it up.

Quote from: wintertell
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
1/22/17    252.8
Total: 12.2

Congrats! Keep it up.

Sometimes you'll notice a lagging effect. It may take a week after doing everything right for the results to show up on the scale. Likewise, if you "fall off course" with calorie intake/exercise levels, then it may also take close to a week before you start seeing a plateau on your weigh-ins.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1425 on: January 22, 2017, 04:06:53 PM »
01-22 - 130  - actually the line for 130 was completely visible beside the red needle of the scale so it is actually less!
01-15 - 132.
01-08 - 132.


Goal:  120

Strategies
Eating sitting down - good
Logging food - ok
soft drinks - only one this week
eating fruit and veg - excellent

Have a large fruit bowl on the table of oranges - amazing how often I eat an orange for dessert.

I am buoyed by an actual shift on the scale.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1426 on: January 23, 2017, 08:09:11 AM »
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.

Apparently, it paid off. Down 4 lbs in one week. W00t!

awesome!

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1427 on: January 23, 2017, 08:23:28 AM »
I have always been a person who side eyed those who did "cleanses" and "Juice Detoxes" etc but . . . . I'm having a really hard time breaking the comfort eating and drinking cycles that I've been in since November (not to mention that was about when I gave up exercise).

I'm going to partially do the Dr. Oz three day detox. Mostly "green" smoothies and detox teas but I am also going to have some solid food with dinner (just small portions). I'm hoping this will help break the sort of gross carb cycle I've been in for the last several months.

I'm also wondering if my constant hunger has to do with how low we keep our thermostat. I'm never hungry in the summer but come winter I want to eat all the food! (and never salads or smoothies because they are too cold).

Anyways - I'm on day one and have had one smoothie and several cups of hot detox tea and I'm starving.  Only two hours until I can have another smoothie :)
http://www.doctoroz.com/article/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-one-sheet

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1428 on: January 23, 2017, 08:56:38 PM »
okay, here we go, day one on this thread: 188.2 lbs.

best of luck to everyone!

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1429 on: January 25, 2017, 07:43:04 AM »
So I'm on morning 3 of the "detox" (I don't believe in detoxing per se - that is obviously what your liver, skin, kidneys, etc are for ).

The first two days were brutal - I was so hungry that I could not focus. I don't know who the magical people are that feel no hunger when they do these things. I'm not even doing it 100%. I've eaten v. small portions of solid foods for the last two nights at dinner.

But I've reached a turning point this morning - I'm not as hungry. Hopefully this means that my appetite is coming in check. Hopefully my carb cravings start to trail off as well.

This is supposed to be a three day thing but I may stretch it to four or five days if today goes well. I'm very impressed with the Dr. Oz smoothie recipes - they incorporate plenty of good fats and tons of different veggies/fruits so I'm getting lots of different nutrients.

financiallypossible

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1430 on: January 25, 2017, 08:40:00 AM »
The first two days were brutal - I was so hungry that I could not focus. I don't know who the magical people are that feel no hunger when they do these things. I'm not even doing it 100%. I've eaten v. small portions of solid foods for the last two nights at dinner.

But I've reached a turning point this morning - I'm not as hungry. Hopefully this means that my appetite is coming in check. Hopefully my carb cravings start to trail off as well.

Precisely my experience when I went VLCD. The first two days were rough and it's an exercise in mind over body. But after that the body figures out that that's all it's going to get. Fairly smooth sailing after that. Have a system and try not to fall off the kart.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1431 on: January 26, 2017, 07:18:08 AM »
Some good stuff happening here. I love reading everyone's stories! Do keep it coming :)

Yesterday, I was excited to FINALLY see some movement downwards in the scale. Of course, this morning I was back up again. Overall, I'm doing ok - biking to work every day, eating a reasonable amount of calories at every meal....where I'm struggling is with the snacking. For example, yesterday I ate very reasonably all day. Then in the afternoon, broke down and ate about 250 calories of popcorn. That would have been fine though. BUT...after dinner, a friend dropped by with a Chinese New Year treat - and I ate 2 pieces. So...up a pound this morning (I know - a bunch is water weight, but its still upwards instead of the other way).

I'm definitely struggling this year. Last year, it was all rather...easy. And the pounds kept dropping steadily each week. Its now almost the end of the month and I am only about 1 pound down. Then again, I look at what I'm eating and its obvious why. I was much stricter with myself last year and said no to a lot of things I say yes to now.

Ugh...can't get too down on myself. Beating myself up never helps me. Today is a new day! Plus, I am DOWN 1 pound since the beginning of the year...and NOT up, so I'll count that as a WIN! My new goal - log in here regularly reporting my wins, being honest about my downs and figure out some solutions. e.g. for yesterday, I should have put the treat aside for today and fit it into one of my meals.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1432 on: January 26, 2017, 09:15:27 AM »
I joined the lose 10% of your body weight gauntlet but enjoy reading everyone's successes here. I'm down 5-6 pounds this year with my 10% goal of 17-18 pounds. 30-40 pounds would be a better end goal but I thought an intermediate step might be helpful. Not sure about being on two gauntlets for the same thing but reading both is helpful.

financiallypossible

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1433 on: January 26, 2017, 09:36:04 AM »
I'm definitely struggling this year. Last year, it was all rather...easy. And the pounds kept dropping steadily each week. Its now almost the end of the month and I am only about 1 pound down. Then again, I look at what I'm eating and its obvious why. I was much stricter with myself last year and said no to a lot of things I say yes to now.

Ugh...can't get too down on myself. Beating myself up never helps me. Today is a new day! Plus, I am DOWN 1 pound since the beginning of the year...and NOT up, so I'll count that as a WIN! My new goal - log in here regularly reporting my wins, being honest about my downs and figure out some solutions. e.g. for yesterday, I should have put the treat aside for today and fit it into one of my meals.

How close are you to your target weight? If you're already quite close, then this is normal. It's much more difficult to lose weight when there is less excess than more. It's great that you're still losing this year. Weightlifting is really excellent for increasing metabolism -- it's like that dividend stock that just keeps on paying.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1434 on: January 26, 2017, 10:45:29 AM »
I'm definitely struggling this year. Last year, it was all rather...easy. And the pounds kept dropping steadily each week. Its now almost the end of the month and I am only about 1 pound down. Then again, I look at what I'm eating and its obvious why. I was much stricter with myself last year and said no to a lot of things I say yes to now.

Ugh...can't get too down on myself. Beating myself up never helps me. Today is a new day! Plus, I am DOWN 1 pound since the beginning of the year...and NOT up, so I'll count that as a WIN! My new goal - log in here regularly reporting my wins, being honest about my downs and figure out some solutions. e.g. for yesterday, I should have put the treat aside for today and fit it into one of my meals.

How close are you to your target weight? If you're already quite close, then this is normal. It's much more difficult to lose weight when there is less excess than more. It's great that you're still losing this year. Weightlifting is really excellent for increasing metabolism -- it's like that dividend stock that just keeps on paying.

I got down to my target last year - but in Nov/Dec, piled on another 10 pounds that is proving rather difficult to get off now. So far, the math is still about right for me - when I eat less, the weight starts dropping. The trouble is...I am still eating more than I should. Going to take this day by day.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1435 on: January 26, 2017, 12:31:53 PM »
@ elaine amj -- I'm in somewhat similar position. I feel that I'm close to target weight with maybe about 5-10 pounds more to lose. Last year I had gotten down to that weight but over the last 6 months, I have put it back on. I know that I'm eating more (increased calorie intake) along with somewhat reduced exercise with an injury. No wonder the weight slowly creeps back up. 

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1436 on: January 26, 2017, 01:22:35 PM »
@financiallypossible I'm now reading about VLCDs - very interesting! Good for you, I don't know if I'd be able to stick to it.

financiallypossible

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1437 on: January 26, 2017, 07:57:54 PM »
@financiallypossible I'm now reading about VLCDs - very interesting! Good for you, I don't know if I'd be able to stick to it.

Some people purposely go on VLCDs not as a means to control or change weight, but as a means for extending the human lifespan. Not for me, I enjoy food too much.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1438 on: January 27, 2017, 09:17:38 AM »
@StarBright was thinking about you - how is the detox going?

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1439 on: January 28, 2017, 05:05:11 AM »
@elaine amj - how sweet! Thanks for asking.

I definitely feel better, but frustratingly my scale broke this week. My new one arrived yesterday and I hopped on hoping to see myself under 150. Sadly, new scale has me at 153. I know all scales run a bit different but that was not the result I was hoping for :). Honestly, 153 feels more correct.

I may continue to do smoothies on weekdays next week just to see if  can get a little movement on the new scale.

I also went back and checked my own posts in this thread just to see when I went off track. It took me 6 months last year to lose five pounds (through a very slow and steady method) - I maintained for about 3 months and then went off the rails in October.

I wonder if I'm fated to lose the same 5 pounds over and over again for the rest of my life? :)  Better than yoyoing 20 pounds every few years I guess.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1440 on: January 28, 2017, 07:46:08 AM »
@Starbright did u completely stick to your detox plan or were u off a bit? I'm curious as I have also been very sceptical about detoxes, etc although my husband and my mother are firm believers.

As for the yo-yo thing...((hugs)) When I lost the 20 lbs last year I thought I would NEVER put it back on again. It only took a couple of months of returning to old bad habits to pile on 10 lbs :(

I KNOW what works for me...just struggling to do it this time. Its very much a mental thing, I think. Last year, something clicked and it was easy. This year, it hasn't completely clicked. That said, I am pressing on - at least I am not GAINING weight!

I think it is also my picture of myself. Last year I was the person who turned down office cookies, who would nibble slowly on a couple of slices of pizza and call it enough, the person who carefully weighed out my food portions, who planned my treat days instead of going on a binge because I was upset.


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SquashingDebt

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1441 on: January 28, 2017, 08:42:40 AM »
Hi all!  Joining!  (and also glad to see this thread continue into 2017, compared to the other one)

I successfully lost 30 lbs about 4 years ago through calorie/food tracking.  Unfortunately, after about a year and a half of tracking, I gradually stopped and since then have gained all the weight back and then some.  This December I had kind of a rude awakening about how much weight I had gained and the need to get back on track.  Starting in the new year, I've been pretty good about my food tracking (every day except the 4 days I was traveling) and am down about 7.5 lbs.  I'm determined to make my food tracking and healthy eating stick, so I'm looking forward to the great support that this thread provides.

If anyone is interested, this is my preferred website for food tracking:

www.supertracker.usda.gov/

I really like it because it tracks how much you're eating from each food group, with goals for each food group based on your total calorie goal.  This has been really helpful for me to realize how I was eating way too many carbs and not nearly enough fruits, veggies, and protein.  It's fun now to get creative to make my food choices for the day fill up the categories correctly while staying under my calorie limit.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1442 on: January 28, 2017, 11:22:39 AM »
Weigh in number two and I'm down 3 lbs this week. That makes 7 lbs in the last two weeks. I love it, and would love for it to continue!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1443 on: January 28, 2017, 06:17:32 PM »
@financiallypossible - impressive achievement!

I am at 133 today, aiming for 120. In the past year I have been up and down between 120 and 130. I don't look like i need to lose the weight, but I feel like I need to. I feel my best at 120. I realized that last year my problem was focusing too much on losing the weight, getting discouraged when failing to lose it fast enough. So this year I am focusing on getting physically more fit and exercising more and  the weight will follow. Hoping that joining this thread will keep me accountable. 

financiallypossible

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1444 on: January 28, 2017, 11:50:24 PM »
@financiallypossible - impressive achievement!

I am at 133 today, aiming for 120. In the past year I have been up and down between 120 and 130. I don't look like i need to lose the weight, but I feel like I need to. I feel my best at 120. I realized that last year my problem was focusing too much on losing the weight, getting discouraged when failing to lose it fast enough. So this year I am focusing on getting physically more fit and exercising more and  the weight will follow. Hoping that joining this thread will keep me accountable.

Thanks! I think you're on the right track with making fitness the goal instead of a weight number.

Love your handle (Firefly). It's the name of my favorite sci-fi of all time (Lexx is a close second).

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1445 on: January 29, 2017, 07:27:27 AM »
@Starbright did u completely stick to your detox plan or were u off a bit? I'm curious as I have also been very sceptical about detoxes, etc although my husband and my mother are firm believers.

 . . . . . . . 

I think it is also my picture of myself. Last year I was the person who turned down office cookies, who would nibble slowly on a couple of slices of pizza and call it enough, the person who carefully weighed out my food portions, who planned my treat days instead of going on a binge because I was upset.


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I actually very purposefully modified the detox a bit. Mostly because I didn't want to skip dinner in front of my children. I don't want them (especially my daughter) to internalize unhealthy food habits. So while the plan called for only green smoothies and detox teas (plus multivitamins and fish oil) i did half the smoothie at night and ate a fist sized portion of food at dinner. I gave the other half of the smoothie to my kids so we were all eating/drinking the same things. I did make sure the dinners contained no gluten or dairy though, which would stick to the guidelines of the detox.

My biggest goal was to kick the carb/sugar cravings and that seems to have worked so I should be happy. I was honestly just so hungry the first couple of days that I was sure I had lost some weight.

I do feel better/less gross than a week ago so i guess that should be considered a success.


Regarding the second quoted part- I think that is so interesting! While I often think of healthy eating as mind over body, I've never quite thought of it the way you describe, as a an actual sense of self. I think that could be a very useful and powerful tool. V. cool.

@izybat- congrats! down three pounds!

@squashingdebt- Welcome! and thanks for that link - it looks interesting.

Hmm reading back over the last several posts it looks like there are a lots of us that are fighting winter/holiday weight creep. I really liked @begoods post upthread about getting through winter. I'm going to try some of that stuff and see if it helps me stay focused with eating and movement. I've been looking at a "happy light" and I'm thinking of pulling the trigger.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1446 on: January 29, 2017, 12:15:34 PM »
Sunday weigh-in
01-29 - 131
01-22 - 130  - actually the line for 130 was completely visible beside the red needle of the scale so it is actually less!
01-15 - 132.
01-08 - 132.


Goal:  120
It was a very hard week with ongoing headache, recovering from being sick week before and a sick kid at home all week with flu-like symptoms.  I think the dismal gray skies with no sunshine, fog and cold drizzle is really not helping with my frame of mind.  I had to drag myself out of the house.  Then the cold wind on the cold sore in my nose was just painful.
I had a number of eating fails this week.  Some sugar cravings (resulted in snarfing back a can of coke and half a bag of gummies).  There are so many treats around the house and willpower was weak this week.  I am thinking that if I can just hold the creep until the end of February, then hopefully more daylight and more outside time will make it all easier.  Did have some good moments though:  fruit and veg consumption was up and made some tasty family meals that kids and hubs were really keen on.
Yesterday I cooked up a bunch of low calorie super healthy dishes.  Lentils and celery, coleslaw and a spinach and chickpea curry.  No need for an unhealthy snacking this week.
I have to get a strategy in place for tax season.  My hubs works at an accounting firm and he disappears for six weeks.  I think I will be more motivated this year to cook dinner for just the kids and I because son is always hungry and is very encouraging about meals.  He eats like a cave man still but has more sophisticated tastes and really enjoys a home cooked meal.  But I still have to be aware that I will need a strategy.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1447 on: January 29, 2017, 09:08:04 PM »
Hmm reading back over the last several posts it looks like there are a lots of us that are fighting winter/holiday weight creep. I really liked @begoods post upthread about getting through winter. I'm going to try some of that stuff and see if it helps me stay focused with eating and movement. I've been looking at a "happy light" and I'm thinking of pulling the trigger.

Oooo...good point. I just got back on YNAB and have spent the whole weekend working on my budget. I was planning to go for walks both Sat & Sun...but didn't. I do regret that now - I always feel better with fresh air. Its getting super cold so I will skip biking to work (nervous about ice). I will force myself to go for a lunch walk though - no matter how cold it is!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1448 on: January 29, 2017, 10:40:57 PM »
I haven't weighed myself recently, but my clothes pretty much fit like they should. I'm taking that as a good sign. 

Regular yoga and keeping busy definitely helps with stress and boredom eating. On the few days I skipped yoga, I ate horribly (as in a whole bag of fun-size candy bars bad) due to stress, etc. but if I do yoga, especially around lunch and bedtime, it really seems to help. I'm not doing the hard stuff (my friend joined in on a session the other day and thought it wasn't worthwhile as a workout), but I think I'm toning up a bit regardless.


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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1449 on: February 02, 2017, 09:05:48 AM »
Hi Everyone, just checking in to say hello. I've been so crazy busy with school and homework and looking after my grandmother that I've barely been on the forums at all. I'm so behind in all my reading. I'm doing pretty well with my eating so I'm reasonably happy with my weight, but haven't been exercising at ALL. So bad! Hopefully when the weather warms up and it starts getting lighter in the evenings I will be more motivated to get moving. I'm glad to see you all stuck around (and some new faces yay!), and are continuing to support each other. We can do this!!

 

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