Author Topic: Losing Weight in 2018  (Read 240925 times)

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #100 on: January 01, 2018, 11:13:19 PM »
I'm in!

Again.

For real this time! I failed miserably last year and GAINED 20 pounds instead of losing them. My goal this year is to lose 40 pounds.

I've been hiking and walking a lot with the dogs the past few months to train for long distance treks. Today I started carrying a weighted backpack for added difficulty, but my plans for a longer hike with hills were thwarted by a coyote acting unpredictably.

Yesterday I started a short HIIT program. The plan is to start small and work my way up to something a little more substantial. Good thing too because I could already feel it in my legs today, because squats!

Also, portion control, limiting sugar, and considering intermittent fasting.

okits

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #101 on: January 02, 2018, 12:06:22 AM »
Joining this thread.  :)  I've actually been eating better since mid-Nov (which was great for no New Year's Day weight angst) and want to keep that going.

In the days before lots of Christmas indulgence the lowest scale reading I got was 172lbs.  This morning (after a ton of NYE treats and wine) I was 175lbs.  In 2018 I'd like to lose those three holiday pounds and another ten.  My doctor would like me at 135lbs but I'm going for achievable and realistic.

Eating plan is pretty simple: only occasional (weekly?) alcohol and sweets/junk food.  Try to choose non-processed foods and alternatives to white flour.

While I have medical reasons to lose weight (high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes is common on my maternal side), I'm substantially motivated by vanity.  It's been easier to make better choices as my pants get looser and I look in the mirror and think, "I look like I did before baby #2".

Are you tired of thin people giving you advice on losing weight?  It seems like the naturally thin all consider themselves experts.  Believe me, they do not realize how much people's metabolisms may differ.

I'm sure I'm judged all the time by my weight, but generally people are too polite to say anything.  Once I became a matron the tactless people in my life who would give me unsolicited weight loss advice/lectures stopped.  An unexpected pleasure of middle age, marriage, and motherhood.

I do sometimes think that if naturally-thin people had to fight their bodies as hard as I fight mine, they'd be walking around with a gut, too.  This reminds me to be compassionate towards people who have trouble with financial discipline.  Some things don't come easy to people and we could all use kindness and support in our efforts to do better.



Ha ha ha!  Thank you for sharing, @LifeHappens !  That is definitely my Happiness Paper Hat!!

cashmoney

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #102 on: January 02, 2018, 05:36:40 AM »
I am committing to losing weight in 2018.  While not my fattest ever, I'm at my worst eating habits ever.  I have my wedding coming up in July so my motivation is to slim down for that.  Starting at 255.2, looking to get to about 220 or 230.

I'm ready to begin.

Mongoose

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #103 on: January 02, 2018, 07:39:49 AM »
I'm in...currently at 172 after half a year of not having the bandwidth to take care of basic necessities. 2017 was a good year for self-care in some ways (started running, which I love and completed my first half marathon). I had lost 13 pounds during the first 6 months which is slow but it was very nice. The second half was a self-care disaster of treading water to keep up with an ongoing family emergency plus multiple bouts of respiratory illness culminating in 3/4 of the family with walking pneumonia. Phew!

Initial goal: lose 10% of body weight (to around 155)
Ultimate goal weight: somewhere around 140 (32 pounds, GULP!)

Main issues:
1. Eating when not hungry. We like to eat as a family but I rarely get hungry. In fact, I can remember actually being hungry maybe once in the last month. Clearly too many calories are being consumed because it is "time to eat".
2. Stress eating. This is mainly gooey chocolate junk. We have a small business that is fun and a crazy schedule that lends itself to getting anxious. Need a better coping mechanism than "eat chocolate".
3. Exercise dropped off. This is due to the aforementioned respiratory illnesses. I think we're finally over the worst and I can ease back in. The horrendous cold isn't helping. I have a treadmill so I can start there and run outside when it is warmer.

Solutions:
1. Ease back into exercise...not mainly for weight loss but because I love running. I would like to run 2 half marathons this year, one in May and the other in September/October but am unsure if I will have sufficient time to train for the May one. 
2. DH also wants to slim down a bit and we're trying intermittent fasting starting today. We'll still be able to eat dinner with the kids but will concentrate on mainly vegetables alternating days. I love veggies and never feel like I get enough of them. The other alternating days will need more portion control. I'm trying to make less food but with better quality ingredients. It probably won't result in reducing our food budget but is more appealing.
3. Find something besides chocolate or alcohol that cuts the anxiety. Exercise doesn't help as it just pops back to full levels the minute I stop. We don't drink much alcohol but are cutting back further to one glass of wine every month or so...too expensive + too many calories for our tastes.

G-dog

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #104 on: January 02, 2018, 08:15:41 AM »
What @elaine amj and @Malkynn bring up is so key for me - weight loss is so much an emotional and psychological discipline for me, much more than a physical one. I've spent too many years eating when I am not hungry - from school lunch being at a set time, or meals at home being a set time, or being bored, sad, happy, stressed, cold, tired, celebrating, etc.  I've spent very little of my life eating when I was actually hungry. I no longer trust my impulse to eat is really hunger - I am not quite sure how to develop a reliable hunger signal.

I also am working on being OK feeling what I think is hunger, and not necessarily eating. It's OK to feel hungry, I am not actually starving.

Another work in progress is to stop eating once I have a feeling of satisfaction. I tend to keep eating (still food on the plate, or just available). While, if I am really aware, I am often 80% satisfied by a very small amount, and could stop there and be OK.  Eating more slowly helps.

roystonea

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #105 on: January 02, 2018, 09:06:37 AM »
Hi folks, I'm new to posting in the forums and thought I'd start here. 2017 was a stressful year for me and I let my diet and exercise habits slip. I'm looking forward to having a little bit of accountability here to keep me on track over the long-term.

Height: almost 5'4"
Current weight (Jan-2-2018): 136 lbs - the phrase "skinny fat" describes me pretty well
Goal weight: around 120-125 lbs. The number isn't very important to me as I enjoy strength training and expect to build muscle as I (hopefully!) lose fat. In my next weekly update I'll post inches as well since that's a better indicator of what I'm trying to accomplish.

I have a sedentary 8-5 office job, but I bike to work most days and try to stay active outside of working hours. Exercise is important to me for mental health reasons, but I've learned that it doesn't do squat for fat loss unless I'm also paying attention to my eating habits.

I've had weight loss success in the past by following the "No S" diet - no sweets, no snacks, no seconds, except on days that start with S. It targets my worst habits while being totally sustainable. Plus, I always enjoy food more when I eat this way! If I go a few months and this isn't working for me, I'll take a closer look at my meals to cut back on refined carbs.

I also need to cut back on drinking. Craft beer probably accounts for 75% of my weight gain over the past 5 years. My plan is to cut it to 2-3 drinks/week. Also good for Mustachianism :)

Thanks for having me!

LifeHappens

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #106 on: January 02, 2018, 09:21:08 AM »
I no longer trust my impulse to eat is really hunger - I am not quite sure how to develop a reliable hunger signal.

I also am working on being OK feeling what I think is hunger, and not necessarily eating. It's OK to feel hungry, I am not actually starving.
I think this is a skill that can be cultivated by short fasts. Last year for Lent I fasted from dinner Sunday to dinner Monday, so about 24 hours. I really only missed 2 meals and a snack. It was enough to cultivate genuine hunger. I'm planning to begin fasting again once DH and I are 100% healthy.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #107 on: January 02, 2018, 09:46:34 AM »

Glad to have u here!! I hear ya on the budget vs diet thing. I totally have the same issues.

So many awesome stories in this thread so far! I am super excited to see what we will accomplish in the year ahead!! One thing I have learned about weightloss for me - it works when I am in the right emotional state. When I am hating my body or shaming myself, I have a hard time losing weight. Also, when things are working well, it feels like I flicked a switch in my brain. I do try to force it to flick on, but oftentimes it is just a matter of hanging on until the switch gets flicked. When it happens, it's like magic and losing weight is pretty easy. My brain is weird.

This is very important.
Losing weight started being easy for me when I started doing it from a place of self respect and self care. Hating your body is a terrible motivator. Negative feelings in general are terrible motivators for consistent change. If hating your body actually worked, most people would have an easy time losing weight. It is about being in the right head space, I’ve always said that the best diet program out there is finding a good therapist.

My diet and exercise aren’t a punishment that I put my body through because I’m mad at it for not looking good enough.That’s literally crazy. I feed and move my body properly because that’s what it needs to be it’s strongest and I care about taking care of it properly.

I look at my body and health as a resource, and a limited one at that. It’s also the single most valuable thing I own and it’s wearing out fast. Our bodies don’t have a great shelf life, their “best before” is at about 25 year’s old. It takes exceptional care to maintain them in decent condition for 50 years past that point. Neglecting it is the biggest and stupidest waste of resources well beyond any level of face punch worthy spending. (Especially for me, I have an auto immune disease that will rapidly damage my body if I don’t take care of myself, but it’s still true for everyone)

Just as a frugal lifestyle isn’t about self denial, a healthy lifestyle isn’t either. They’re both about building the richest life that you can and actually enjoying it.
DH and I are known for the incredible meals that we have every day, our coworkers are always wildly envious of what we bring for lunch. We do exercise that we enjoy, go for long walks together and talk about our life plans (great for connecting), listen to Ted Talks while doing physio exercises and then chat about it over tea, go for bike rides along the gorgeous paths of our neighbourhood, etc, etc
We make enjoying the process a priority.

I only eat amazing food that I love and I only do exercise that I enjoy (I hate gym or program type exercise, I find it unecessarily intense), and I am doing this to live my life to the fullest.
Aim for an amazing lifestyle and the weight loss will happen. The best looking body you can have is a healthy and happy one.
I LOVE this! And I totally agree :) :)

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk


G-dog

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #108 on: January 02, 2018, 09:53:58 AM »
I no longer trust my impulse to eat is really hunger - I am not quite sure how to develop a reliable hunger signal.

I also am working on being OK feeling what I think is hunger, and not necessarily eating. It's OK to feel hungry, I am not actually starving.
I think this is a skill that can be cultivated by short fasts. Last year for Lent I fasted from dinner Sunday to dinner Monday, so about 24 hours. I really only missed 2 meals and a snack. It was enough to cultivate genuine hunger. I'm planning to begin fasting again once DH and I are 100% healthy.

This is kind of what I am currently doing - I am using a short window of eating.  I am working on developing the skills to recognize the true feeling of hunger, versus something else. Apparently thirst is often confused as hunger.  Work in progress.

Pooperman

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #109 on: January 02, 2018, 09:54:31 AM »
Height: 71"

Weight history prior to this:
06/2008: ~175lb
11/2008: ~160lb (thanks, mono)
12/2009: ~195lb (stress eating + college food. yay)
12/2011: ~210lb (college graduation)
12/2016: ~230lb (my peak)
12/2017: 209lb

I've bounced up and down (but mostly up) over the years. I'd like to get down to 170lb over the next couple of years. What's been working is a low carb diet (not keto, but in the same vein). While on this diet, I've lost about 2lb/wk. I took a two month break and maintained my current weight through the holidays. I am now back to it and hope to drop another ~20lb this year (down to ~190lb). then in 2019, I can make it the rest of the way down to 170lb.

I'm still weak as hell and have no stamina, but that's another issue to tackle once the weight has been worked on :).

Here's a typical day of eating for me (today's as an example):

Breakfast: 2 apples with cheese
Snack: a piece of candy someone gave me (it was delicious!)
Lunch: chicken parm with peas, carrots, and onions (sauteed)
Snack: apple + orange
Dinner: pulled pork sandwich with a salad

FireHiker

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #110 on: January 02, 2018, 10:50:36 AM »
Checking in, since it's 2018 now and I got on the scale yesterday. 165.1, ugh. I haven't been able to exercise for almost two weeks, but get stitches out from a surgery on Thursday and can't wait to be active again. Right now I'm focusing on the diet end of things. I really want to get it handled for good this year! I'm going for sustainable overall lifestyle: more activity, moderation in food, nothing entirely cut out. I have done a good job maintaining the last couple years, but I'd like to make the push to get at least 25lbs off this year.

wildbeast

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #111 on: January 02, 2018, 11:23:10 AM »
Joining.  I saw a photo of me taken on New Years and it was painful to see how bad I look.  Very painful.  I need to lose about 100 lbs. and at 5' tall, it just looks so bad. 

A few issues that will make this a difficult challenge: I injured my knee and gave myself plantar fasciitis doing exercise that was too vigorous for my condition.  So now, I can't walk very much because it hurts my feet and knee and I can't do any exercises that include jumping or running.  Food-wise, I have a lifelong habit of emotional eating (I'm 50), so that will be another big challenge.  The only diet protocol that I've been successful with is low-carb (the Atkins diet was actually very helpful in finding food allergies and triggers).  Basically a keto diet is what works best.  And since I can't rely on exercise for any weight loss, diet will be critical if I'm to have any success at all.  The emotional eating aspect of it will be a challenge to work though.

I'm going to give myself a week to wean off of the carbs, otherwise I risk triggering a panic reaction that will have me eating more than ever.

I will also be adding in small doses of low-impact exercise.  Right now I walk 20 mins a day and do some gardening.

I hope you guys won't mind if I check in daily for accountability. 

I just finished reading the thread and I'm motivated to move from feeling sorry for myself to taking action.  I'm going to set up the Fitness Pal today. 
« Last Edit: January 02, 2018, 11:40:27 AM by jane x »

G-dog

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #112 on: January 02, 2018, 11:40:36 AM »
@jane x - diet is the primary driver of weight losd, though exercise certainly plays a supporting role (physically and emotionally).

If you swim, that’s great exercise. But even water aerobics or other water exercises will help avoid your knee and foot problem.

Lifting weights is good - and it can help build muscle, which helps burn calories.
« Last Edit: January 02, 2018, 04:11:11 PM by G-dog »

wildbeast

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #113 on: January 02, 2018, 11:46:06 AM »
Thanks G-dog.  You're right.  I recently joined a gym nearby that has a pool as well as exercise bikes which are actually good for my knee if I don't do the up/down thing.  I plan to do swimming and the bike for overall physical and mental health.  And I'll be adding in some strength work as well.  I need to create a workout playlist for myself!  That should be fun.

Question for those of you who use MyFitnessPal - do you use the regular or premium?

Hirondelle

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #114 on: January 02, 2018, 11:48:05 AM »
A few issues that will make this a difficult challenge: I injured my knee and gave myself plantar fasciitis doing exercise that was too vigorous for my condition.  So now, I can't walk very much because it hurts my feet and knee and I can't do any exercises that include jumping or running. 

How about swimming? Most people with knee injuries are fine in the pool (just avoid the breaststroke) and it burns a ton of calories. Plus it's a great way to get into the moderate fat-burning intensity level of exercise :)

Tris Prior

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #115 on: January 02, 2018, 11:49:13 AM »

I'll also track with MyFitnessPal for a little while just to jump start my intentions, but in the past I've found measuring and calculating macros/calories makes me insane and it feels a bit like disordered eating to me.

Yeah, I am starting to feel this way too. It's making me nuts and taking a lot of mental energy that I don't really have right now. But, I have no idea what my body wants from me now. I packed on 10 lbs this summer like nothing, without really changing my eating habits or activity level. I'm tracking so that hopefully I can learn how much I can eat without gaining, now that I'm older and hitting perimenopause when apparently all women start packing on weight. (It certainly happened to all the women in my family.)


If u don't input this as exercise, then u need to change your settings from sedentary. I like to put sedentary and then input every single bit of exercise or physical activity I do. If u have to walk around your building a lot, u are not as sedentary as u think.

Huh, good to know. I put "sedentary" because MPF said to put that if you have a desk job, and the next level up was for if you have a job where you're on your feet all day. Which is not me. OK, I will start adding in my walks to and from the train (and everywhere else) and see if that gives me more calories.

I  agree. While on the subject, how precise are you in counting your calories? If you are playing too much on the safe side with your guesstimates, u could be undereating by quite a bit without knowing it.

Alternatively,  your calories could be from a lot of non-satiating sources. Like juice or alcohol. I rarely drink my calories as they leave me feeling hungry. I find proteins satiate me so I concentrate a lot on that. Eg two plain hardboiled eggs for breakfast (140 Cals) vs bowl of cereal and milk (~200-250 Cals) leaves me more satisfied for longer. I also like plain yogurt and high protein, high fibre granola.

I'm not sure if I am tracking correctly, to be honest. I just learned that, like, I'm not supposed to log "1 apple," I'm actually supposed to weigh the apple. I have not been doing that. So honestly, I'm probably underestimating calories because all portions look so small to me. When I cook something, I portion it out into containers right away so that I know how to log it, and I input the recipe into MFP so it can calculate everything. And, man, the portions look SO TINY. I look at, like, 1/4 of the tofu curry I made the other night (because the recipe says it makes 4 servings) and it looks like next to no food to me at all. In the past I'd easily have eaten twice that to feel satisfied - not even full, just not hungry any more. Sigh. I really hope this gets better.

I do not drink anything with calories except for wine and I've cut that back to 1 glass per week (though I had 2 on NYE, FAIL). I've cut nearly all sugar and the only grains I am eating are oats and brown rice. I am struggling really hard to get enough protein. I am vegetarian and get most of my protein from beans and tofu, but I seem to be hitting my calorie limit before I reach the amount of protein I'm supposed to have - and I don't think it's a good idea to eat nothing but beans and tofu, you know? I have a really hard time getting eggs and plain yogurt down - yuck - but maybe I should just hold my nose and force myself if it's going to keep me from feeling so hungry.


FLStache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #116 on: January 02, 2018, 11:53:36 AM »
I'm in as well.  First I needed to lose 10 pounds, then 20 pounds, and now I'm to the point that I need to lose 30 pounds!

I'm at 170 with a goal to get to 140. 

Plans: 
No alcohol in January
Exercise 5 - 6 days each week (mostly running with 1 - 2 days of strength training)
Keep calories to 1500 - 1600 daily

I turn 50 on 4/15 so first goal is to lose 20 pounds by that date which is about 1.3 pounds a week

I don't like going to a gym, but plan to join one in April to train for a four day hike to Machu Picchu in May (will need to use a Stair Climber as Florida is too flat to train effectively for mountains).

I'm in the same place as a few other posters regarding why it is so easy to meet my financial goals, but when it comes to eating/drinking I just have not been able to get it done.

With sticking with my plan and the accountability and support here, 2018 is the year to get it done!

wildbeast

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #117 on: January 02, 2018, 11:55:05 AM »
A few issues that will make this a difficult challenge: I injured my knee and gave myself plantar fasciitis doing exercise that was too vigorous for my condition.  So now, I can't walk very much because it hurts my feet and knee and I can't do any exercises that include jumping or running. 

How about swimming? Most people with knee injuries are fine in the pool (just avoid the breaststroke) and it burns a ton of calories. Plus it's a great way to get into the moderate fat-burning intensity level of exercise :)

Thanks Hirondelle.  I'm going to start swimming.  Though I've found that swimming makes me feel ravenous afterwards.  I'll need to plan on some high-protein snacks right after. 
« Last Edit: January 02, 2018, 01:48:32 PM by jane x »

asiljoy

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #118 on: January 02, 2018, 12:06:39 PM »
Joining

About me: 193 lbs at 5'7". I was an athlete pre-pregnancy and weighed in between 150-160 depending on the season. Well, kid is 4 years old and I've lost zero of the baby weight while also losing all muscle mass and endurance through a via combination of health issues and emotional eating. My general pattern is to go yo-yo hard with different "hardcore" diets, so this time I'm going to try baby steps that prioritize creating patterns of healthy behavior instead. Instead of focusing on the week with a cleanse/X diet, I'm going to focus on things I know I can do for a whole quarter.

Goals: 1) Regain good weight lifting habits that will support weight loss and make my body feel less broken --> commit to lifting for a half hour 3 days a week for 3 months at the gym in my building
2) Lose 35 lbs at a rate of .5lb a week --> commit to using myDietCoach to log food BEFORE eating it and weigh in daily for 3 months



Methods will be re-evaluated at the 3 month mark and adjusted accordingly.

slb59

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #119 on: January 02, 2018, 01:50:08 PM »
I'm in!

I'm six months post C-section with kid #3, and weigh pretty much the same thing as I did when he was born. I haven't been stressing about it, but now I'm at six months and need my clothes to fit already.

This year is going to be insane (husband is finishing his doctorate and will also be gone 5-7 evenings a week for 2+ months this spring, possibly moving this summer, full-time job, trying to finish my MBA, not to mention the three kids). Logging my food, following carefully planned reduced-carb diets, and jogging every day worked in the past, but there's no way I have time for that shit now. So, keeping it simple: every day, I'm going to drink at least 4 glasses of water, exercise for 15 minutes, and eat at least 1 cup of fruits and 2 cups of veggies.

I'll do my best to stick to that until May, when I can hopefully kick things up again. I need to lose about 30 pounds, and that isn't going to do it, but I'll be healthier in May than I am now and hopefully will have lost 5-10. Just coming out of the holiday eating season should help, but I need to remember not to start stress eating when everything gets nuts again in a few weeks.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #120 on: January 02, 2018, 02:40:05 PM »
I'm kick starting my 2018 by doing a full round of the 21 Day Fix (a mix of cardio, strength, yoga & pilates workouts). It's a quick & easy work out, I've done it before & noticed a big difference in my energy level & overall muscle toning. I'm also working to get in at least 5 servings a day of fruit & vegetables, which is harder than I anticipated. And, keeping my calories in check.

okits

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #121 on: January 02, 2018, 02:53:33 PM »
@jane x , I am only 3cm taller than you, so I have the short-person thing going on, too. 

@slb59 , much respect for anything you can achieve with a baby, two other kids, FT job, spouse absent for school, AND doing an MBA!  The biggest factor in my making progress is that both my kids are now in FT daycare while I look for a job and do a small amount of volunteer work.  If all my time were sucked up by other things and I was stressed all the time, I would only be coping through ingesting many calories.  You are a star, IMO.

ixtap

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #122 on: January 02, 2018, 02:59:05 PM »
I keep getting a network error on MFP, so I am mentally tracking for the day.

Also, feel like crap, so taking a nap instead of working out.

This does not seem like a good plan...

Morning Glory

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #123 on: January 02, 2018, 04:14:45 PM »
I keep getting a network error on MFP, so I am mentally tracking for the day.

Also, feel like crap, so taking a nap instead of working out.

This does not seem like a good plan...

Me too. I was able to use the quick add calories though, and it is still importing my exercise data from Fitbit. For whoever asked up thread, I use the free version of the app.

I started running again on my treadmill a few days ago and it feels pretty good so far (I was not able to keep it up after about 20 weeks of pregnancy). I have set a goal of being able to run 3 miles at a 10- minute-mile pace with no walk breaks by the end of January. Once I can do that I will begin to increase speed, incline, etc. to prepare for pushing the double stroller in the spring.

I struggle with feeling very hungry and overeating right after  I exercise. The calorie tracking helps me to set limits and save some calories for later. I am also working on choosing foods with higher protein and fiber.

« Last Edit: January 02, 2018, 04:26:56 PM by MrsWolfeRN »

G-dog

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #124 on: January 02, 2018, 04:20:28 PM »
I keep getting a network error on MFP, so I am mentally tracking for the day.

Also, feel like crap, so taking a nap instead of working out.

This does not seem like a good plan...

Me too. I was able to use the quick add calories though, and it is still importing my exercise data from Fitbit. For whoever asked up thread, I use the free version of the app.

Please consider writing down the info on paper, and inputting it to the software later.  It will help keep the habit of tracking, and you won’t forget anything.  Or, screw it.... you know, it’s OK either way.

firelight

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #125 on: January 02, 2018, 05:32:54 PM »
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


Like the idea of goals - here are our goals for Jan:
1) 5000 steps per day
2) 6 stairs per day
3) one meal of veggies and fruits only per day
Updating after two days:

I've lost two pounds - I'm sure it's more water weight than actual one but I'll take it :) I've cut out all carbs except for a tiny portion. Surprisingly it's not been that hard to switch. I've also noticed that I eat more sweets now (and ate some ice cream and sweets for new year). I usually hate sweets but developed a liking for them during my second pregnancy and am still holding on to it six months later. Time to kick the habit back to curb. My routine is crazy and I don't have much leeway into building in exercises. The only exercise I get is carrying a 17 lb baby. Has anyone lost weight only with diet changes? How important is exercise in a weight loss journey?

ixtap

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #126 on: January 02, 2018, 06:03:01 PM »
I keep getting a network error on MFP, so I am mentally tracking for the day.

Also, feel like crap, so taking a nap instead of working out.

This does not seem like a good plan...

Me too. I was able to use the quick add calories though, and it is still importing my exercise data from Fitbit. For whoever asked up thread, I use the free version of the app.

Please consider writing down the info on paper, and inputting it to the software later.  It will help keep the habit of tracking, and you won’t forget anything.  Or, screw it.... you know, it’s OK either way.

It was working shortly later. Feeling meh, I am not in much danger of eating too much today.

For some reason, I am not drinking quite enough, either. I am a water bottle in hand girl, but today I keep having to remind myself to take a sip.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #127 on: January 02, 2018, 09:08:57 PM »



I'm not sure if I am tracking correctly, to be honest. I just learned that, like, I'm not supposed to log "1 apple," I'm actually supposed to weigh the apple. I have not been doing that. So honestly, I'm probably underestimating calories because all portions look so small to me. When I cook something, I portion it out into containers right away so that I know how to log it, and I input the recipe into MFP so it can calculate everything. And, man, the portions look SO TINY. I look at, like, 1/4 of the tofu curry I made the other night (because the recipe says it makes 4 servings) and it looks like next to no food to me at all. In the past I'd easily have eaten twice that to feel satisfied - not even full, just not hungry any more. Sigh. I really hope this gets better.

I do not drink anything with calories except for wine and I've cut that back to 1 glass per week (though I had 2 on NYE, FAIL). I've cut nearly all sugar and the only grains I am eating are oats and brown rice. I am struggling really hard to get enough protein. I am vegetarian and get most of my protein from beans and tofu, but I seem to be hitting my calorie limit before I reach the amount of protein I'm supposed to have - and I don't think it's a good idea to eat nothing but beans and tofu, you know? I have a really hard time getting eggs and plain yogurt down - yuck - but maybe I should just hold my nose and force myself if it's going to keep me from feeling so hungry.

I'd suggest spending some time on the MFP community to learn the system correctly. Also reset it so that it is a 0.5-1 lb loss a week instead of a more aggressive strategy.

It's normal to be hungry for the first couple of weeks, but your level of hunger sounds excessive.

For me, what helped was to get a scale and start tracking meticulously. I was very detailed about it and as far as possible, used official food calories and often input them myself rather than relying on what other people input (hint - try to use only verified entries).

For something like your apple, I would have weighed it before eating, scribble down a note, and then weighed the core after eating. Subtract the weight of the core and I have more precise measurement of what I ate.

It was tedious but really helped me learn portion sizes. Also, the weight dropped with mathematical precision, which was pretty satisfying too. I am no longer so meticulous,  but I am really glad I did it that way to start.

Another thing is to bulk up your food with veggies. For example, you made a tofu curry. I would have used a lot of broth (next to no calories but helps to fill the tummy), cut way back on any oil/coconut milk in the recipe, and beefed it up with zucchini, carrots , etc. If it called for potatoes, no more than maybe one small one. I'd sub it with something like a butternut squash and more onions and carrots. And although I like to eat my curry with rice, I often skipped the rice or ate only a small portion. I also changed the tofu I used. I love fried tofu balls but nowadays, I use dried beancurd sticks or regular cubed extra firm tofu that has been lightly panfried with barely any oil.

Also, Malkynn had some very, very good advice. This has to be a positive journey or you'll burn out. Whenever I am in the right zone mentally, the weight peels off so easily it always surprises me. It's just getting into that zone and staying in it that's hard for me.



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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #128 on: January 02, 2018, 09:28:26 PM »

I've lost two pounds - I'm sure it's more water weight than actual one but I'll take it :) I've cut out all carbs except for a tiny portion. Surprisingly it's not been that hard to switch. I've also noticed that I eat more sweets now (and ate some ice cream and sweets for new year). I usually hate sweets but developed a liking for them during my second pregnancy and am still holding on to it six months later. Time to kick the habit back to curb. My routine is crazy and I don't have much leeway into building in exercises. The only exercise I get is carrying a 17 lb baby. Has anyone lost weight only with diet changes? How important is exercise in a weight loss journey?

You absolutely do not need exercise for weight loss.
I lost my first 30lbs with no more exercise than walking my 16 year old dog slowly halfway down the block.

Once I did start exercising, my weight loss actually slowed because my appetite went up and exercise burns a shockingly small amount of calories, so even a small snack is usually enough to eat back exercise calories.

I actually often recommend to people that they focus on eating habits first and then take on exercise because it’s usually too much to do both. Plus exercise is much easier when you do it for health and joy and not as some brutal penance for having a lumpy bum.

That, and I found starting exercise to be a lot easier once I had lost some fat. Moving was easier and more comfortable.

Also, having your diet well in hand is great because it means you won’t suddenly regain if you go through a period where you can exercise as much (injury, too busy with work, etc).

I took this advice last year and it was a HUGE failure for me. I do WAY better when I'm exercising* and improving eating habits at the same time. For me each aspect feeds into the other in terms of motivation. Obviously YMMV

Everybody has to do what works for them based on time, motivation, and needs. :) I'm thoroughly impressed with these threads and everyone's progress each year.

*Generally lots of strength training with a dash of cardio. Too much cardio and my appetite starts to go up!



I was pretty successful today. Had a piece of cake, but otherwise ate well. Drank lots of tea and water. Got a good exercise in this morning, but I may have to increase the intensity sooner than expected. I'm looking forward to it!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #129 on: January 03, 2018, 03:01:23 AM »
I'm at home today and doing really well. Had coffee, a banana and oatmeal (from water, not milk) for breakfast and I know this will keep me going for hours.

My biggest problem is eating at work. We don't have lunch breaks, we eat at our desks while we're working. You can't buy food anywhere on the premises and nowhere on the business park where our office is located. I bike to work (about 5k one way, not a very long trip) and when I don't eat enough, I get very sudden dizzy spells and feel very tired. Once or twice a year, I'll even faint. I'm always a bit scared I'll hit the wall at work and have a difficult time getting back home - we don't have a car and there's no bus.

For that reason I always bring in loads of emergency food. I don't have a locker or desk drawer at work, so it's all stacked on my desk just in case and then I end up eating it. The 'emergency food' is also not the kind of food you need to eat for nutrition (quick carbs, like a can of regular soda or a piece of chocolate) I really need to get out of the habit of eating my emergency food when I'm bored at work, which is all the time.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #130 on: January 03, 2018, 06:35:33 AM »
Yesterday went pretty well - I stuck to my 1350 calories pretty easily.  I did still want to eat after dinner, so I sliced up a cucumber.  I also did terrible on the water.  I try to drink 4 30 oz servings, and yesterday I think I only had 3, but I also had a diet soda, which made me feel dehydrated.  Does anyone else drink diet soda, and do you try to drink even more water to compensate?

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #131 on: January 03, 2018, 06:57:48 AM »
I'm at home today and doing really well. Had coffee, a banana and oatmeal (from water, not milk) for breakfast and I know this will keep me going for hours.

My biggest problem is eating at work. We don't have lunch breaks, we eat at our desks while we're working. You can't buy food anywhere on the premises and nowhere on the business park where our office is located. I bike to work (about 5k one way, not a very long trip) and when I don't eat enough, I get very sudden dizzy spells and feel very tired. Once or twice a year, I'll even faint. I'm always a bit scared I'll hit the wall at work and have a difficult time getting back home - we don't have a car and there's no bus.

For that reason I always bring in loads of emergency food. I don't have a locker or desk drawer at work, so it's all stacked on my desk just in case and then I end up eating it. The 'emergency food' is also not the kind of food you need to eat for nutrition (quick carbs, like a can of regular soda or a piece of chocolate) I really need to get out of the habit of eating my emergency food when I'm bored at work, which is all the time.

Could you put your emergency food in a small box on your desk and tape it shut? Maybe put a note on it saying "are you bored or shaky hungry?" That way it wouldn't just be staring at you all day.

DH and I have successfully not eaten dessert and not missed it at all this year. We tried jumping straight into the intermittent fasting and I got hungry...but way too miserably hungry. Anyone else go straight from no hunger to gnaw off your own arm with zero in between steps? I think we'll ease into this by reducing portions before dropping meals. (We do fast occasionally and love it so going without food isn't a huge hardship.)

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #132 on: January 03, 2018, 07:17:10 AM »
I'm in!  I started my second round of Whole30 yesterday.  On my first round (March 2017) I ate compliant for 59 days and lost 11 lbs, which got me to my prepregnancy weight.  I would like to will lose 14 lbs by June 1 .   I know Whole30 is not supposed to be a weight loss diet, but I have tried so many other programs and this is the only one that I have been able to stick to.

My stats:
4/27/2017 (The last day of Whole30 Round 1)
Weight: 144 lbs
Arms: 11"
Waist: 33.9
Hips: 39.6"
Thighs: 21.9"

1/2/2018 (Whole30 Round 2 Day 1)
Weight: 142.4 lbs
Neck: 13.5"
Arms: 10.5
Waist: 34.5"
Hips: 39.5
Thighs: 21."


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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #133 on: January 03, 2018, 07:27:15 AM »
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

I really need to be able to limit myself to ONE cookie/candy/chocolate if I get offered some. I'm perfectly fine not buying anything myself, but somehow if someone else puts cookies on the table I can't resist to keep taking another one. Maybe it's my free food radar? Any advice?

MrsDinero

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #134 on: January 03, 2018, 07:51:37 AM »
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

I really need to be able to limit myself to ONE cookie/candy/chocolate if I get offered some. I'm perfectly fine not buying anything myself, but somehow if someone else puts cookies on the table I can't resist to keep taking another one. Maybe it's my free food radar? Any advice?

So I am terrible when it comes to things like that.  I absolutely have a free food radar and will help myself.  One thing that helps me is to chug a glass of water before eating anything sugary.  It helps fill me up so I don't eat as much.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #135 on: January 03, 2018, 07:57:50 AM »
Day 3 of using MFP - I don't like it.  It takes forever to log my food.  And the calorie limit for me is so low I can eat it by 2pm.  I can report that the challenge with inputting an item has made me actually not bother to eat it.  Maybe that is the point.
Morning weigh in had more space below the 135lb line on the scale.
I do not want to go outside.  Yesterday I did shovel some snow and walk in the mall with daughter but it is too frigging cold.  Today it is also windy so I still don't want to go outside.
Last night I brushed and flossed my teeth right after dinner.  I am so lazy about flossing that I will avoid a snack and just drink water if I have already flossed.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #136 on: January 03, 2018, 08:19:39 AM »
Yesterday went pretty well - I stuck to my 1350 calories pretty easily.  I did still want to eat after dinner, so I sliced up a cucumber.  I also did terrible on the water.  I try to drink 4 30 oz servings, and yesterday I think I only had 3, but I also had a diet soda, which made me feel dehydrated.  Does anyone else drink diet soda, and do you try to drink even more water to compensate?

I recommend cutting soda entirely if you can stand it. I used to drink soda (a long time ago), and now when I sip one it tastes gross to me (which is awesome, because it has no redeeming health qualities). I'm not sure what sort of job you have, but I have a water bottle on my desk (750ml), and I just go to the watercooler and fill it several times a day. When I first started, I set an alarm for myself to fill it every two hours. When the alarm went off, if I hadn't emptied it, I would drink the whole thing down and refill. Now I don't need the alarm anymore, I just get thirsty and finish it. Great job with the cucumber, that is a really good snack! I like to dip mine in hummus or salsa to get a little extra flavor sometimes, but you do have to watch the calories on the hummus. Fresh salsa is very low in calories though.

Soda is a never-ending temptation for me.  I get bored or want to eat and let the fizz substitute food when I'm not actually hungry.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #137 on: January 03, 2018, 08:21:34 AM »
I'm in!  I started my second round of Whole30 yesterday.  On my first round (March 2017) I ate compliant for 59 days and lost 11 lbs, which got me to my prepregnancy weight. I would like to will lose 14 lbs by June 1.

Great self-edit - this likely explains much of your great success!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #138 on: January 03, 2018, 08:30:14 AM »
I'm in!  I started my second round of Whole30 yesterday.  On my first round (March 2017) I ate compliant for 59 days and lost 11 lbs, which got me to my prepregnancy weight. I would like to will lose 14 lbs by June 1.

Great self-edit - this likely explains much of your great success!

+1

Hirondelle

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #139 on: January 03, 2018, 08:43:11 AM »
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

I really need to be able to limit myself to ONE cookie/candy/chocolate if I get offered some. I'm perfectly fine not buying anything myself, but somehow if someone else puts cookies on the table I can't resist to keep taking another one. Maybe it's my free food radar? Any advice?

So I am terrible when it comes to things like that.  I absolutely have a free food radar and will help myself.  One thing that helps me is to chug a glass of water before eating anything sugary.  It helps fill me up so I don't eat as much.

Hmm, I actually had a big cup of tea (it requires three 'machine cup'-amounts to fill it up, I guess around 400-450 ml) on the side so that doesn't seem to work :(. Especially as I like dipping the cookies in the tea.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #140 on: January 03, 2018, 08:53:14 AM »
Instead of focusing on “RAWR! I will NEVER FAIL” kind of thinking, why not instead aim to eat really well the vast majority of the time. I always say that my favourite thing about eating so healthy most of the time is that I don’t have to worry if I sometimes want to stuff my face with pizza or chocolate. When I pig out, I enjoy it, immediately regret and laugh at myself about the indegestion, and say “well that was fun but gross, and I’m glad I don’t eat that way normally”. I don’t feel like I’ve failed. What is there to fail at??

This is basically how I've lived my life for the past..... 15 years or so? Mostly eaten really well. Not counted calories. Ate when I'm hungry, stopped when I'm satisfied. Didn't stuff myself. Mostly didn't eat my feelings. Went overboard now and then at a restaurant meal, but went back to pretty-healthy eating the next day. This resulted in a sudden 10-lb weight gain this summer. So I worry that my body can't handle that sort of eating any more, since I'm getting older and approaching menopause.

You've got a point though about attitude. I am pretty disgusted and angry with myself for gaining back weight I've kept off for decades. Keep hearing all the things the kids at school used to taunt me with (I was bullied horribly for my weight all through childhood and high school until I lost weight). I am not sure how to be nicer to myself around this.

Day 3 of using MFP - I don't like it.  It takes forever to log my food.  And the calorie limit for me is so low I can eat it by 2pm.  I can report that the challenge with inputting an item has made me actually not bother to eat it.  Maybe that is the point.


I feel exactly the same way. My calorie limit too is low enough (even after changing my weight loss goal to 0.5 lbs/week) that I can easily blow through it by lunch unless I am seriously white-knuckling it and constantly fighting the urge to eat. elaine's suggestion upthread of weighing the apple before and after eating it - while yes, I realize, is necessary if I'm going to be accurate - makes me want to cry and just give up on this entire thing. Just the tracking that I am doing is taking up so much of my mental energy. I can't eat anything Boyfriend cooks if I want to track accurately, because he doesn't measure ingredients, he just tosses stuff in a pan (though I asked him to measure everything the last time he cooked for both of us and he complained, but did do it.).

haha, yeah, maybe that is the point - tracking is too tedious, easier to just not eat!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #141 on: January 03, 2018, 09:25:44 AM »
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

I really need to be able to limit myself to ONE cookie/candy/chocolate if I get offered some. I'm perfectly fine not buying anything myself, but somehow if someone else puts cookies on the table I can't resist to keep taking another one. Maybe it's my free food radar? Any advice?

My employer provides free food (including desserts, snacks, etc). At first, I found this super challenging, and I actually gained 10 pounds. I now have a strict "no treats at work" policy. I find that it's easier not to have ANY. If I say, I can just have one or whatever, as soon as I have the first, my will power is gone.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #142 on: January 03, 2018, 09:35:33 AM »
I started the year recovering from noroviris (thanks, family!) and am finally feeling recovered enough to plan my initial weight loss strategy. I've been fit and trim before, so I know what to do. I just have to get organized and follow through. I'm feeling positive because DH also wants to lose a few pounds. He's one of those annoying people who has been able to eat just about anything, but lately he's been having some health issues that point to him needing to clean up his diet. For January, I plan to do the following:
1) Eat 3 to 4 meals per day. Each meal will have a source of protein.
2) No cheese. I'm vegetarian, would like to eat more 100% vegan meals, and cheese is a source of concentrated calories.
3) Exercise in an intentional way 3-4 days per week. This can include running, biking, yoga and resistance training.

We got off to a good start yesterday with grocery shopping. I put all the fruit in a bowl on the counter so DH sees it. Our meal plan for the week includes a mix of easy to cook meals and more experimental items to keep things interesting. I did a 20 minute yoga video yesterday. Tried to do another one this morning, but I got shaky after 15 minutes. I'm still not 100% healthy, so I didn't want to push it too far.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #143 on: January 03, 2018, 09:37:04 AM »
Count me in. Enough is enough.

I have put on about 25kgs (55lbs) over the past 4years and am now about 30kgs (66lbs) above my ideal weight. I can’t keep piling on the weight so need to overhaul my current lifestyle.

Up until 4 years ago I exercised intensely around 5 days a week, plus walked our dog daily. Then I moved overseas, stopped exercising and adopted a completely sedentary life with lots of eating hotel buffet breakfasts and room service meals (due to massive work travel). I also developed a habit of eating a pastry with my morning coffee several days a week when not travelling for work and having fast food lunches due to a lack of other options near my office, and being too lazy to pre-make lunch. Yes, none of these poor habits are moustachian in any way, so this is an issue too. I also go back for seconds at dinner most nights, as DW is a great cook and always makes far more than we can eat.

In June I will be a groomsman at my friends wedding. These days I avoid being photographed as I am pretty embarrassed with how I’ve let myself go, but won’t be able to avoid the wedding photographer, so will use this as motivation. I want to look sharp in my tux 😁.


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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #144 on: January 03, 2018, 09:43:21 AM »
Add me in!

I'm 47yo 5'10 and now 201.4 yesterday!

i'm starting Whole30.  This is day 2 and I'm down to 196!

This probably has to do with the fact that I pigged out the day before I started and went to a steak place AND Taco Bell for lunch.  I was hoping overindulging would make me feel like crap and would motivate me for the VERY restrictive Whole30 diet.

I got down to 167 with just a tracker and p90x3.

My knees are shot and the last round of p90x3 left me in pain in my knees AND hips.  It's a shame because it is a good series.  Esp for abs!

Anyway good luck all!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #145 on: January 03, 2018, 10:35:41 AM »
Yesterday I set up MFP and plugged in all my goals and logged my food.  I also increased my low-impact exercise; I did 80 minutes of light gardening and added an extra 10 minutes of walking.

The food side is hard.  Even though I'm giving myself a week to wean off carbs, I'm still experiencing some panic about it and yesterday I ate more carbs, and food in general, than normal.  Completely emotional response.  I might join the Whole30 group to help me with it. 

There's so much positive progress going on in the group.  Yay, group! 

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #146 on: January 03, 2018, 10:41:40 AM »
Joining

About me: 193 lbs at 5'7". I was an athlete pre-pregnancy and weighed in between 150-160 depending on the season. Well, kid is 4 years old and I've lost zero of the baby weight while also losing all muscle mass and endurance through a via combination of health issues and emotional eating. My general pattern is to go yo-yo hard with different "hardcore" diets, so this time I'm going to try baby steps that prioritize creating patterns of healthy behavior instead. Instead of focusing on the week with a cleanse/X diet, I'm going to focus on things I know I can do for a whole quarter.

Goals: 1) Regain good weight lifting habits that will support weight loss and make my body feel less broken --> commit to lifting for a half hour 3 days a week for 3 months at the gym in my building
2) Lose 35 lbs at a rate of .5lb a week --> commit to using myDietCoach to log food BEFORE eating it and weigh in daily for 3 months



Methods will be re-evaluated at the 3 month mark and adjusted accordingly.

I started using the My Diet Coach App to log food and Happy Scale to log weight. These are my 4/5 attempts at using a logging software. My most recent was myFitness Pal, but wasn't a huge fan of it and it wasn't working for me for whatever reason so I thought I'd try again with something new. I like that My Diet Coach lets you get to the barcode scanner pretty quickly and has a 'motivational' section to help you remember why you're doing this. The gameification is nice, but I wish it was for something a little less... I don't know, silly? The getting points to get clothes for your avatar thing is odd. 

Happy Scale makes getting on the scale less terrifying for me by using moving averages to smooth out fluctuations and gives me an indicator that I'm still moving in the right direction.

I'm going to have to figure out a time when I can use the gym. I'm frustrated by how hard it is to get my body to do the things it used to be able to do and I don't want to struggle in front of my co-workers. My choices then are to find somewhere else to workout, suck it up and go in at 6am before anyone else gets there, or just accept that its ok that they see me struggle.

AmandaPanda

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #147 on: January 03, 2018, 11:01:39 AM »
rockstache - the unsweetened versions of flavored sparkling waters would definitely take some getting used to.  But we actually already have some, so that's a great idea!

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #148 on: January 03, 2018, 11:05:20 AM »
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

I really need to be able to limit myself to ONE cookie/candy/chocolate if I get offered some. I'm perfectly fine not buying anything myself, but somehow if someone else puts cookies on the table I can't resist to keep taking another one. Maybe it's my free food radar? Any advice?

My employer provides free food (including desserts, snacks, etc). At first, I found this super challenging, and I actually gained 10 pounds. I now have a strict "no treats at work" policy. I find that it's easier not to have ANY. If I say, I can just have one or whatever, as soon as I have the first, my will power is gone.

It is super challenging! I don't want to completely refuse all treats, I do like to try stuff especially if people bring in foods/snacks from their home country. But I'm gonna start a 'just one' policy starting TODAY. Total calory intake today wasn't even that bad, but getting 1/3rd of my calories from treats is really really really shitty. Those calories should come from nutritional sources providing me with vitamins instead of saturated fats and sugar. Wost part, I actually work in a lab that studies diabetes, how hypocritical is that?!

On the good side, I didn't get tempted to get a hot chocolate from the coffee machine, so that at least compensates a tiny bit.

Just one, or none at all, what a dilemma! I understand this struggle so much. Either way, what I did find for myself was that the more you prove to yourself you can stick within your self-imposed limits, the easier it gets.

When I am letting myself go over those limits regularly it encourages me to continue to do so because 'that's just the type of person I am, one who can't stick within the limits'. But after a few days or weeks of sticking with it I become 'that person who has the strength to stick with the goal' and I can keep within the self-imposed limits WITH A SMILE, not with a struggle.

The mind is a wonderful thing!

Imma

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #149 on: January 03, 2018, 11:18:05 AM »
I'm at home today and doing really well. Had coffee, a banana and oatmeal (from water, not milk) for breakfast and I know this will keep me going for hours.

My biggest problem is eating at work. We don't have lunch breaks, we eat at our desks while we're working. You can't buy food anywhere on the premises and nowhere on the business park where our office is located. I bike to work (about 5k one way, not a very long trip) and when I don't eat enough, I get very sudden dizzy spells and feel very tired. Once or twice a year, I'll even faint. I'm always a bit scared I'll hit the wall at work and have a difficult time getting back home - we don't have a car and there's no bus.

For that reason I always bring in loads of emergency food. I don't have a locker or desk drawer at work, so it's all stacked on my desk just in case and then I end up eating it. The 'emergency food' is also not the kind of food you need to eat for nutrition (quick carbs, like a can of regular soda or a piece of chocolate) I really need to get out of the habit of eating my emergency food when I'm bored at work, which is all the time.

Why not stock healthier emergency food? Or at least less tempting foods?
I keep Vega One meal replacement shake at my office. It's filling, high in nutrition, and doesn't taste very good, so I will never drink it unless I need to.

Things high in sugar seem to work best for me, but it's a good idea to find an emergency food that I don't really like.

I managed to not eat anything unplanned at work today. I was very hungry when I got home, but I made it!

Breakfast: oatmeal (with water, not milk) a banana and coffee
Lunch: salad with vegetables (brocolli, cauliflower) and nuts
Snack: rice cakes
Dinner: pizza

Dinner wasn't extremely healthy, but I track my food and I didn't go over my target of 1800 calories and I managed to eat 200g of vegetables and one piece of fruit.

 

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