Author Topic: Losing Weight in 2016  (Read 459459 times)

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1450 on: February 02, 2017, 01:31:27 PM »
@rockstache Good to see you check in! As we all know, eating is the main factor when it comes to weight and since you have been pretty decent there, I bet you're doing just fine.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1451 on: February 03, 2017, 08:29:55 AM »
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs...Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 1 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

And so I continue to yo-yo. I was in a bad mood yesterday and plotted to get takeout of my fave comfort food today. This morning, I was encouraged by the scale and packed my lunch instead.

I just haven't gotten my head in the game. This is such a mental thing!

wintertell

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1452 on: February 03, 2017, 08:42:29 AM »
I had a not-as-great eating week last week (ate out 4 times in the last 10 days!), and my weight loss has slowed because of it. But, I still had a calorie deficit (just not as much). I'm back on track now, and should experience another drop soon as I've stayed a couple of days at 251.6. I'm so close to the 240s!!

Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
1/22/17    252.8
2/3/17      251.6 (-1.2) 
Total: 13.4

Daily habits ebb and flow. I've got #1-3 down. Still working on #4, but I eat dinner at home most nights.

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

I have been stepping it up slightly on the exercise -- I've been walking 3 times a week as well as doing simple sit ups/planks most nights. I need to work on tracking my water intake and getting sufficient water. I think it really helps with the weight loss.

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)

Lastly, I am on a FB group for weight loss and there has been a ton of talk about the "whoosh" effect. See here: http://leanmuscleproject.com/how-whooshes-impact-your-weight-loss/

Do you see this in your weight loss? I think I'm seeing cycles of drops every 7-10 days for me. But I've only been at this for 2 months total!

« Last Edit: February 03, 2017, 08:46:47 AM by wintertell »

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1453 on: February 03, 2017, 10:15:12 AM »
Yep - last year, I noticed a whoosh about once a week. Its real.

LG in NYC

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1454 on: February 04, 2017, 07:10:15 AM »
First real post! I kept wanting to chime in, but feeling like I should wait until I was ready to be serious and focus. This year I decided to do monthly challenges so I can focus on one goal at a time and this months challenge is to track everything I eat/drink using myfitnesspal. So far so good... this is the strategy that works best for me but I've never focused enough on it to stay consistent.

Right now I'm just trying to record everything and develop the habit of "completing the entry" at the end of the day. In the past I would stop keeping track if I guessed that I had probably gone over my limit for the day. Now I've realized that even if I go over my limit, the estimation myfitnesspal makes of how much I would weigh in five weeks is still motivating.

Current weight: 142.6

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1455 on: February 04, 2017, 12:24:55 PM »
Fourth weigh-in, down another 3 pounds for 10 pounds total in three weeks! I'll take it happily.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1456 on: February 05, 2017, 08:15:15 AM »
I forgot to weigh in this morning so I won't be reporting today. I have been stepping onto the scale every morning right after I wake up so that I am tracking consistently.  I was doing great for the first half of the week.  Wednesday night I was taken out for a fancy dinner by a client.  Thursday and Friday my high school-er had no school so we decided that we would take our daughter out of school and take two days off and go skiing as a family.  In a few weeks Hubs gets bogged down with tax season so it is really nice to have some family time together before.  We had a small stretch of bickering Friday morning until we got out on the hill.  If you get overheated inside then you get cranky.  I got cranky and so did everyone else.  Then we got on the lift and got cooled down quickly.
We had a great time but we ate a lot of junk food in addition to the healthy snacks I brought with us. We got lots of fresh air and exercise.  We tried an outdoor hot tub. It was pretty with the steam and snowflakes on our heads.
I ate dessert on Thursday night, drank a coke on Friday and had chips a couple of times.  I wish I had weighed in yesterday or this morning because upon reflection, I maybe didn't overeat too badly.

Prairie Gal

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1457 on: February 05, 2017, 12:03:44 PM »
I would like to join you. I have yo-yoed all my adult life, and I have a lot of weight to lose. I am trying to solve my emotional eating so that this will be the final time I have to lose weight.

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1458 on: February 05, 2017, 02:05:25 PM »
I would like to join you. I have yo-yoed all my adult life, and I have a lot of weight to lose. I am trying to solve my emotional eating so that this will be the final time I have to lose weight.

I hear you on the yo-yo and the emotional eating. I lost 62 lbs about three years ago, and I proceeded to gain 52 of them back. I seem to eat my emotions regularly, so I'm working on changing that and focusing on being a healthier me.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1459 on: February 06, 2017, 07:39:12 AM »
For those of you who are new and perhaps haven't had time to read back through - I welcome you and would like to recommend two books that have been really helpful to me that I found last year on this very thread:  Foodist and Slim by Design. 

I jumped on the scales this morning and was happily surprised.  Not too bad considering that festivities and over-indulging of the past five days.

02-06  - 130.5
01-22 - 130 
01-15 - 132.
01-08 - 132.

Goal:  120

 I have been struggling with the lousy weather, lack of sunlight and being sick with headaches and colds. I am hoping that the pace speeds up just slightly once spring comes.   I feel that a slow shedding of weight will be evidence of solid habits and a lifestyle change.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1460 on: February 06, 2017, 08:00:37 AM »
Seconding Slim by Design- I also found out about it on this thread last year.

In other news - my new scale is a bust and I can't get a consistent reading. In one day it showed a five pound range.

I have found the smoothie thing has helped with some other issues I've had for a few years (side effects from gallbladder removal) so I think I'm going to keep the smoothies going for another week or two. They are also definitely helping with my sugar/carb cravings. I'll keep having 1 red or orange smoothie and 1 green each day so that I'm getting a nice diversity of micronutrients.

Welcome LG in NYC and Prairie Gal!

Wintertell - that is some solid weight loss there - well done!

Elaine amj and Frugal Lizard - Congrats on the drops. I'm always so impressed by people who continue to lose even when it is freezing out. Everything about our biology works against us losing weight in cold weather.

Which reminds me! I turned my thermostat up a few degrees and it has helped curb my constant desire for food. I guess I can be mustachian and a bit chubby or an energy spendthrift with fewer food cravings. Vanity leads me away from a mustachian energy policy :)

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1461 on: February 07, 2017, 06:47:48 AM »
First Tuesday of the month check in:

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8

I bumped up a bit during the holidays, but I seem to be back on track now, logging food on MFP and choosing my snacks for quality over quantity. The sunlight thing is really hard for me too. Does anyone have (and recommend) one of those sun lamps? I'm curious about how well they work.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1462 on: February 07, 2017, 02:44:55 PM »
Bravo Rockstache.  Looks like you have a solid lifestyle change with your gradual and sustained downward trend.

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1463 on: February 08, 2017, 02:11:03 PM »
Thanks Frugal Lizard. It hasn't been easy as you know, but the support here has helped a lot. I don't know if I'll really ever be able to quit logging my food though. If I do that I just gradually bounce back up.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1464 on: February 08, 2017, 05:27:30 PM »
Rockstache: I don't think I will ever be able to stop logging my food either. 

All: there was a really interesting article in yesterday's Globe and Mail by Leslie Beck, a regular nutrition columnist.  Apparently certain foods are associated with less belly fat.  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/want-to-stay-slim-up-your-flavonoid-intake/article33895368/
Since I actually like many of the foods with high flavonoids - I can get this!


wiredcat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1465 on: February 10, 2017, 06:03:05 PM »
Just posting to bookmark this inspiring thread!

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1466 on: February 10, 2017, 06:11:29 PM »
Well, I worked out three times this week, getting back into my C210k app (couch to 10k). Weigh-in is tomorrow. I don't feel like it will be as great as the last two weeks, and I'm actually braced to either not lose or even gain a little. There's no reason for it, I exercised and ate within my WW points, but it happens sometimes. We'll see how it actually goes tomorrow.

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1467 on: February 11, 2017, 06:53:02 PM »
Weigh-in was today. I had a pleasant surprise on the scale, an actually lost half a pound. Since all week my home scale was not showing a loss, I'll take the small victory.

Prairie Gal

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1468 on: February 11, 2017, 09:09:00 PM »
Weigh-in was today. I had a pleasant surprise on the scale, an actually lost half a pound. Since all week my home scale was not showing a loss, I'll take the small victory.

Great!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1469 on: February 12, 2017, 06:07:49 PM »
Still holding steady just below 130.
The weather has been down right miserable so I haven't been getting any exercise so I am pretty pleased to see no gain despite my hibernation.
Today I did get some exercise shoveling the driveway first thing this morning but then got waylaid from losing weight by cooking a hardy lunch for my family plus my four year old niece and nephew.  Next thing, having my stepbrother and family for supper and had to get a gourmet meal on the table again because - well it is Sunday night and it snowed all day.  Did great on the snacking and soft drink avoidance though.


StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1470 on: February 17, 2017, 07:53:47 AM »
Good Morning All-

I just went to the doctor this morning and was 155lbs on their scale. Other than pregnancy that is my highest weight of my life. I'm using it as my official start weight.

I had been doing a great job with the smoothies and what not and then had some work related set backs last week.

My office does a lot of work for different departments in the Federal Government and the turmoil and uncertainty there right now is threatening to really hurt us this year. This has created a vicious cycle of me watching the news for updates that might affect me and then getting so stressed out that I eat. Starting about halfway through yesterday's press conference I went and got myself a piece of cake so I could eat my feelings :)

Am starting over TODAY!

2/17 start weight 155 pounds


I'm planning on being outside a lot this weekend with the semi-nice weather.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1471 on: February 17, 2017, 09:51:48 AM »
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs...Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs...Feb 17: 141.2 lbs

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

UGH - I've definitely been on an awful yo-yo since January. Down a little, up a little - but overall, the trend is up, NOT down. I need this to click. I refuse to let this be the new me. I'm so mad with myself for letting these 10 pounds to creep back on. Its SO much harder to peel it off again!

On the good side, I've been doing much better the last couple of days saying no to stuff. It's time to get back to serious logging. It's obvious that logging is the only thing that works for me. I also need to get back to healthier food. I'm pretty sure my nutritional intake is rather abysmal right now. My favorite low cal meal is vermicelli noodles in broth with an egg and a tiny bit of shredded chicken. It's not bad - but certainly not packed with veggies. In fact, I've been doing terrible with eating veggies lately. I don't naturally like vegetables so I do tend to avoid it. On the good side, I have a bunch of veggie-heavy recipes that I really like so I just need to get out of my rut and pull them out again.

@rockstache I'm so amazed with how well you've done! Congrats on getting it off and KEEPING it off!

@StarBright I hear ya on eating your feelings. That's my downfall too. When I get into a crappy mood, I eat. And I don't just eat a little...I eat a lot. Somehow (and I don't know how) logging on MFP kept this emotional eating under control.

rockstache

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Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1472 on: February 17, 2017, 10:51:54 AM »
Thanks elaineamj, I needed to hear that. I've actually been eating A LOT this week and I need to curb it. After tonight, in which I am going out for a burger*. Sigh. I need to increase my veggie intake too. And stop snacking on chocolate. It's fancy chocolate, so it's almost worth it, but....not.

But there is hope, you/we CAN do this! We've done it before!

Good job starting over with a clean slate StarBright! Be patient with yourself and enjoy your outdoor weekend.


ETA: * and also this weekend which is my 7th anniversary for which I will eat a large and delicious dinner.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2017, 03:43:50 PM by rockstache »

LG in NYC

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1473 on: February 18, 2017, 07:47:34 AM »
I have been completing my MFP entries every day for over a week now! I am starting to work on focusing on what I eat more--for the first half of the week I was more thoughtful about packing healthy snacks to bring to work but then office parties and leftover Valentine's Day treats weakened my resolve...
Also trying to up my exercise level. My office has a treadmill desk on each floor that you can reserve. I really enjoy using them but work had gotten very busy and I fell out of the habit. Now I'm going to try and use it at least a half hour each day.

Starting weight 2/4: 142.6
2/15: 142.4

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1474 on: February 18, 2017, 08:15:30 AM »
I have been completing my MFP entries every day for over a week now! I am starting to work on focusing on what I eat more--for the first half of the week I was more thoughtful about packing healthy snacks to bring to work but then office parties and leftover Valentine's Day treats weakened my resolve...
Also trying to up my exercise level. My office has a treadmill desk on each floor that you can reserve. I really enjoy using them but work had gotten very busy and I fell out of the habit. Now I'm going to try and use it at least a half hour each day.

Starting weight 2/4: 142.6
2/15: 142.4

Keep it up with the logging!!! It really does work :)


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Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1475 on: February 18, 2017, 02:30:38 PM »
So after being convinced I wasn't going to lose much this week, I lost another 1.6 lbs. I'm down 12 lbs since January 14th!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1476 on: February 19, 2017, 08:03:47 AM »
The jump on the scales this morning was a disappointing 131. 
But I am not surprised.  I ate a LOT of sugar this week.  I just have been feeling so down about stuff.
Then yesterday the weather was unbelievable.  I did a whole bunch of outside activities and soaked in the sunshine.  I have to confess one of those activities involved lighting a potato chip on fire with just the sun.  Completely unintentionally.  The chips were in a very shiny bowl and in direct sunlight.  I have never been able to light a fire without matches before and here I go starting a fire with a potato chip.  My neighbour brought the bag of chips.  I brought the bowl out to ration how many chips I ate.  Pretty cool way to burn calories?
New week today and another sunny day...onward and upward.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1477 on: February 21, 2017, 09:44:02 AM »
@Izybat WOW - that's awesome!!! One thing I have discovered - if you've been on track and doing well for a bit of time, falling off the wagon for a day or two really doesn't derail you much. It's like your body has all the momentum going behind it and just keeps chugging along for a bit.

As for me, I battled my over-eating self all weekend long...and emerged 2 pounds lighter. I clocked in at 139 lbs this morning (from 141.2 lbs on Friday). I did some extra eating over the weekend (including cooking an impromptu bbq ribs dinner on Saturday) but overall, I did pretty good. I struggled a LOT with the snacking and every night when I went to bed, I was starving and was so insanely tempted to get out of bed to eat a whole other meal. But I managed to force myself to STAY IN BED and I didn't eat more. Also, I took advantage of the glorious weather and spent some time hiking outdoors (although not as much as I would have liked).

I've started logging again - and it works like magic for me.

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1478 on: February 21, 2017, 11:15:11 AM »
Ugh...free pizza strikes again. I ate THREE slices. What the heck??

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1479 on: February 22, 2017, 03:50:49 PM »
Yeah, I'm tracking everything that I'm eating and it appears to be working for me. Ironically, I'm mentally comparing it to budgeting (using YNAB). Ever since starting YNAB I have more money in the bank than every before, because I know where every penny comes and goes. I'm just using the same logic for food.

wintertell

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1480 on: February 22, 2017, 09:05:53 PM »
Yeah, I'm tracking everything that I'm eating and it appears to be working for me. Ironically, I'm mentally comparing it to budgeting (using YNAB). Ever since starting YNAB I have more money in the bank than every before, because I know where every penny comes and goes. I'm just using the same logic for food.

I think of it the same way. Dare I say I even enjoy YNAB because it gives me data about our behavior that I can crunch and analyze? I hoping to get to that point with MyFitnessPal.

LG in NYC

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1481 on: February 23, 2017, 06:47:29 AM »
For the first time, I am seeing how well tracking really does work! I am so glad that I gave myself that first week to only track (with no judgement and no attempt to change my eating) and complete the entry each day. I am realizing that every time I've tried MFP, I thought I was tracking and that it didn't work well for me, but really I wasn't actually tracking. I was just inputting data for most of the day and then falling off at night or on weekends. Actually tracking and completing the entry, even when I'm not happy with the food choices I've made, is already making a difference!

2/4: 142.6
2/15: 142.4
2/23: 140.6

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1482 on: February 25, 2017, 10:08:16 AM »
I'm down another 1.8 lbs for a total of 13.8. It's working and I love it!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1483 on: February 25, 2017, 10:39:40 AM »
I'm maintaining.  A little frustrated with myself for not putting work into it. But also pleased to be able to maintain.  I'm within healthy bmi range. I think this maintenance and slow progress will help ensure long term success. Soon I'll get over my funk and get more proactive again. I'm still learning so much.

Two weeks ago I forced myself to eat a cutie (those mini oranges, I don't know what they are really called) and I enjoyed it!  I was shocked. I have never enjoyed the texture of citrus. So I decided instead of letting this fluke pass I would take advantage of it. I'm on my second bag of cuties now.

What I crave has been changing.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1484 on: February 27, 2017, 12:08:52 PM »
@izybat @wintertell @ LG SO glad to hear MFP has been working for you! It worked amazingly well for me last year and I'm trying to get back into it again this year. After a little bit, you may want to consider getting even more precise and using a kitchen scale. I am still fighting with myself a bit about getting back into using the scale - but will admit it worked for me last year. Mind you, it was a bit of a pain. But REALLY great for number crunching! I even weighed and measured every recipe. A pain, but also nice not to be guessing all the time.

@PMG isn't that an amazing feeling? Who would have known I would become so obsessed about eggplant?! Congrats on expanding your tastebuds!

As for me, I am still battling snacking and chocolate cravings and crawling my way back on the logging bandwagon. This week, I am focusing more on nutrition (instead of low calorie junk) and increasing my vegetable intake. Also, I have been eating back all my exercise calories and things are moving much slower than I like. I'm going to switch to 50-75% of my exercise calories. And LOGGING.
« Last Edit: February 27, 2017, 12:10:24 PM by elaine amj »

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1485 on: February 27, 2017, 01:00:06 PM »


As for me, I am still battling snacking and chocolate cravings and crawling my way back on the logging bandwagon. ..... Also, I have been eating back all my exercise calories and things are moving much slower than I like. I'm going to switch to 50-75% of my exercise calories. And LOGGING.

I pretty much could have written the same. It's all about the logging, and I'm just not doing it. Back again to start over. My next Tuesday weigh in is not going to be good, but I have a week to minimize the damage. lol.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1486 on: February 27, 2017, 01:04:36 PM »
You guys almost have me convinced to log my food (something I've always avoided because of the time commitment).

How long do you guys think you spend on it daily when you are doing it correctly?

rockstache

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Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1487 on: February 27, 2017, 02:07:19 PM »
It only takes me a couple of minutes a day, unless I'm loading a new recipe or food. I eat a lot of the same meals over and over, so it's super simple for me. A lot of times I even estimate and (at least for me) it still works because I try to be honest. So I'll put in "pasta and sauce" and it comes up automatically as 1 cup, but I knowww I ate more than that, so I change the serving size. It's shocking to see how much things are, especially fruit.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1488 on: February 27, 2017, 02:20:31 PM »
You guys almost have me convinced to log my food (something I've always avoided because of the time commitment).

How long do you guys think you spend on it daily when you are doing it correctly?

I'll chime in to say that logging my food is the only thing that's really worked for me.

On most days, I don't think it takes more than 5 minutes, or even 10 minutes on days with new recipes, etc.

Here are the things that tend to trip me up when trying to log consistently:

1. Restaurant meals that are complicated and hard to log.
2. Parties or other situations where I have a lot of small amounts of different things that are a pain to log.
3. Days where I know I'm going over so I log breakfast and lunch and give up for the rest of the day.

I've found when I can push past these issues and really stay consistent, I'm most successful with my weight loss.  A big part of the success is using the logging as meal planning.  Mid-day I'll log my breakfast and lunch and then use that to plan what to eat for dinner to stay under my calorie amount and keep things well-balanced.  It's also key for keeping portion sizes reasonable.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1489 on: February 27, 2017, 02:29:52 PM »
I am having a major failing month.
Been working really hard on the money side of changes and just haven't had the energy to focus on the food as well.  And there has been too many snacks and junk in the house. 
And there still is.  Major leftovers from my birthday party.
I was successful only when logging consistently.
It takes about a minute to write down everything after each meal in the book I keep beside the fridge.  I forget to write it down if I am not working at home.  Then there are periods when I just am too lazy - or don't want the notebook on the counter for all to see or away from home when eating. 
I don't weigh or measure everything - only eye ball stuff or list the size of the bowl (our green bowls are two cups, glass bowls are one cup).  A meat serving is the size of a deck of cards so I will eyeball the size that I put on my plate (1.5 decks of cards) and write down 1.5S for serving.
I think the effectiveness is working a couple of ways.  I measure when I am serving the food so I am honestly evaluating how much is going into my mouth.  Secondly, I am reminded of my goals very regularly.  If I know that I am going to write it down, I make a better choice or don't take a second helping.  It is just a way to be mindful.  I see that I haven't had enough veg or variety.
I don't count calories, which may explain my limited success. 
I have to find a way back to being committed.  But at this point in time I am just holding steady.

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1490 on: February 27, 2017, 03:52:57 PM »
I used to be super resistant to logging food. My reasoning was that I didn't want to have to track what I ate for the rest of my life, so I wanted to figure out how to lose weight without it, hoping that it would stick. Well, it didn't. I lost 62 lbs that way, and gained 52 of them back. Now I'm tracking everything I eat. It takes me less than five minutes a day, and I do it on my smart phone. I don't know yet if I'll have to track for the rest of my life, but it's really working for now. Maybe, someday, I'll have learned it well enough to be ingrained and I won't have to track. We shall see.

wintertell

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1491 on: February 28, 2017, 07:27:38 AM »
One thing about logging for restaurants or parties .... I just take a photo of my meal and log it later, if I'm around folks where it would be awkward and conspicuous to log it. I also will look at the menu for a restaurant, choose what I want to eat and then pre-log it in my tracker. That method has the bonus of choosing whether you stay within your calorie range or not before you leave the house.

Logging doesn't bother me, so I do it. I like the data on my behavior and would miss being able to look back and see trends without it. Like I said before, this comes from my habit of logging purchases in YNAB. I know it has been super useful for me in the past, and I expect this data will hold the same benefits. I'm telling myself to get used to it, because if I want to keep the weight off, I will have to do it for the rest of my life to stay mindful. And that's not depressing, because I'm planning on keeping the weight off : )

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1492 on: February 28, 2017, 08:04:15 AM »
Starting weight: 189 (Sep 2016)
Current weight: 172 (Feb 2017)
Goal weight: 157

Hi, all! So I have been doing a great program at a local fitness center where your doctor prescribes 60 days of fitness education and supervised workouts. Of course the goal for the fitness center is to gain members, and I have to say... it's WORKING. Yes, I'm going to join for a year today. It will be $69/month with a 12-month commitment.

Why? Because I have discovered that it's not enough to exercise: I need people, light, warmth, connection, positive reinforcement, and accountability. We have a small fitness center where I live that I can access for free, but it's empty, and dark, and quiet, and there's no JOY in it.

I'm doing strength training twice a week, and that could easily be replicated elsewhere, or even at home, but the real revelation has been the mind-body classes that the center offers. The ones I go to are specifically designed for older, fatter, less fit people. I do a chair yoga class twice a week where I never have to get down on the floor. The teacher incorporates a session of qi gong (energy practice) meditation, and it has been incredibly affirming. I can't replicate those things easily somewhere else.

I realize joining a gym is face-punch-worthy. But this month I've done the special program has given me a whole 'nother gear in my determination to succeed in changing habits, helped me get through winter, meet people, move my whole body. The thought of it ending in another month made me so sad I decided to just go for it.

Please be gentle with me!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1493 on: February 28, 2017, 09:24:26 AM »
@Frugal Lizard: me too, but the month is over today! I am giving up alcohol for the Lent (Lenten?) period, so that might help to refresh my diet and kick back into gear.

@begood: no face punches from me. Taking care of your health is hugely important. The best place to exercise is the place where you will actually exercise, IMO.

@wintertell: good tip about the photo. I'm going to steal that.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1494 on: February 28, 2017, 10:02:56 AM »
okay you awesome people - I've created a my fitness pal account.  We'll see if I can stick with this enough to make a difference.

I'm aiming to lose half a pound a week and 15 pounds total (though I'd be happy with a 10 pound loss as well).

The smoothies aren't helping me lose but I do feel better :)

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1495 on: February 28, 2017, 02:12:58 PM »
You guys almost have me convinced to log my food (something I've always avoided because of the time commitment). How long do you guys think you spend on it daily when you are doing it correctly?

Glad you set up an account - I was also very resistant - but if you actually do it, it somehow works.

I'll chime in to say that logging my food is the only thing that's really worked for me.

On most days, I don't think it takes more than 5 minutes, or even 10 minutes on days with new recipes, etc.

Here are the things that tend to trip me up when trying to log consistently:

1. Restaurant meals that are complicated and hard to log.
2. Parties or other situations where I have a lot of small amounts of different things that are a pain to log.
3. Days where I know I'm going over so I log breakfast and lunch and give up for the rest of the day.

I've found when I can push past these issues and really stay consistent, I'm most successful with my weight loss.  A big part of the success is using the logging as meal planning.  Mid-day I'll log my breakfast and lunch and then use that to plan what to eat for dinner to stay under my calorie amount and keep things well-balanced.  It's also key for keeping portion sizes reasonable.

I agree completely that these have been and continue to be challenges. What I do:
1. For restaurant food, I find equivalent meals, erring on the higher calorie side. I use a lot of Sodexo meals. Applebees is another go-to for me.
2. @wintertell's photo idea is great especially for buffets and parties. Another thing I have done is keep a mental list in my head and as soon as I can, add some quick notes on my phone - eg 1pc sushi, 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, 1 serving roast beef, 2 lemon tarts. Then later that night (or the next day even), I sit and log it into MFP.
3. Dragging myself out of ostrich mode has to be the hardest to do. Sometimes I will just do a quick add of some high calorie count like 1500-2000 cals and work with it. Sometimes, I just have to let it go and do a clean sweep.

One thing about logging for restaurants or parties .... I just take a photo of my meal and log it later, if I'm around folks where it would be awkward and conspicuous to log it. I also will look at the menu for a restaurant, choose what I want to eat and then pre-log it in my tracker. That method has the bonus of choosing whether you stay within your calorie range or not before you leave the house.

Logging doesn't bother me, so I do it. I like the data on my behavior and would miss being able to look back and see trends without it. Like I said before, this comes from my habit of logging purchases in YNAB. I know it has been super useful for me in the past, and I expect this data will hold the same benefits. I'm telling myself to get used to it, because if I want to keep the weight off, I will have to do it for the rest of my life to stay mindful. And that's not depressing, because I'm planning on keeping the weight off : )

I've done the choosing what I want to eat before I go to the restaurant too. It DOES work!

As for permanently logging, I'm still hopeful I can stop eventually. Last summer, I stopped logging and was able to keep the weight off for months (staying mindful, counting cals in my head, and weighing myself daily). Then I let myself go for just 2 short months from Nov - Dec and piled 10 pounds on quickly :(

Anyway, all in all, I am a big fan of My Fitness Pal. Some of my favorite tricks:
- recent food and my meals are very helpful
- try to only choose food with a green checkmark next to it. This means it has been verified. There are a LOT of inaccurate food in the database.
- crosscheck ingredients you are not sure of. I use the USDA database (this also helps you learn how food from the database is listed in MFP - I trust these the most) as well as other calorie counting websites.
- Break your meals down to the individual ingredients whenever possible for more accuracy. I will often create a recipe but if it is something like a sandwich or a salad, I just input each ingredient separately. e.g. 1 egg, 70 calories, 2 slices bread, 100 calories, 1 tbsp mayo, 94 calories = 264 calories
- use a food scale. Many people do well without - but if you are stalled or like number crunching or simply feel your goal is to eat as much as possible while still losing weight, a food scale was a game changer.
- create recipes. Its an extra step but it is worth it if you want accuracy - especially if you learn how to use a food scale in conjunction with this.

I'm getting strict about logging again and boy it has helped me today. Especially since it is Paczki Day. I limited myself to half of one, skipped breakfast and had a low cal lunch to make up for it. Plus last night I was dying to continue snacking after having a good dinner but rather than giving in, told my DH, whined for a while, and DIDN'T EAT!

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1496 on: February 28, 2017, 03:49:24 PM »
Lol elaine amj, I do #3 also. I have an entry in MFP that's just titled "bad" for 1600 calories.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1497 on: February 28, 2017, 06:45:08 PM »
Lol elaine amj, I do #3 also. I have an entry in MFP that's just titled "bad" for 1600 calories.

LOL - I love it - especially the title!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

rpr

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1498 on: February 28, 2017, 06:58:16 PM »
Things have not been good so far.

Date          Weight
1/1/2017    130
2/28/2017  133.6

I've not been at this weight in a long time. It is clear that I'm not in equilibrium given the weight gain. The one thing that has worked in the past has been regular logging. It is time to go back to that with MFP.

wintertell

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1499 on: February 28, 2017, 08:41:43 PM »
The tip about USDA is a good one. I basically search for either "ingredient raw USDA" or "ingredient cooked USDA" when I am logging.

Oftentimes I will take pictures of the tared food scale as I cooking. This means I don't burn anything, plus I can estimate how much of the meal I ate when logging.

So if I cooked 225 g of spaghetti squash but ate half, I would search "spaghetti squash USDA cooked g" and then log 113 g (after dinner, from the picture on my phone). Then when I eat the leftovers I copy the previous meal over - even easier. Makes the whole process really quick!

* fixed all the typing errors
« Last Edit: March 01, 2017, 08:57:40 AM by wintertell »