Any Other Mustachians out there trying to lose weight?

[abuzzyisawesome]

I am female, 5'4 and overweight. Husband and I could both stand to lose some pounds. I am down 15, but am stuck and need to shake things up. I have a feeling my wine habit may be giving me some trouble. We eat mostly grain/wheat free. I think I am actually going to re-new that ole gym membership this month, simply because it makes it more likely that I will work out. Plus, my gym is 12 blocks from my office and $28 a month. No brainer, right? We are so stressed with money issues and a custody battle right now, it is so hard not to seek solace in food and drink.

[siralkaloid]

I am female, 5'4 and overweight. Husband and I could both stand to lose some pounds. I am down 15, but am stuck and need to shake things up. I have a feeling my wine habit may be giving me some trouble. We eat mostly grain/wheat free. I think I am actually going to re-new that ole gym membership this month, simply because it makes it more likely that I will work out. Plus, my gym is 12 blocks from my office and $28 a month. No brainer, right? We are so stressed with money issues and a custody battle right now, it is so hard not to seek solace in food and drink.

I am in a similar boat, there are a couple of things to remember though! Gravity is a gym, it's everywhere and it's free! Going for a walk everyday will not only start trimming the weight but will be relaxing enough to slowly substitute the wine habit. Cutting out fast-food, junk food and soda 100% will also quickly help you shed excess weight and keep your wallet heavy. Create a healthy, LOWER carb and balanced meal plan with the help of the internet. The goal is not to completely  cut out carbs and calories otherwise you end up yo-yo dieting because zero carbs is unsustainable and really unhealthy. Lastly, include a diet "cheat day" where you get to blow it and eat whatever you want. This really helps staying sane when changing to a lower carb diet. Lastly, pic a role-model be it a relative, friend or celebrity, keep their physique in mind and use it as a positive motivation for how you'd like to look as a result of diet and exercise.

[Ms Betterhome]

I am currently working on losing a couple of kilos ( ie about 5 pounds) using the same method I used to lose about 10kg last year. It's very, very slow ( i was recovering from surgery, so took it pretty easy at first) but it worked for me. I'm 46, 5 7, and now weigh 65kg or approx 140. I'm ever so slightly inbetween sizes right now, hence the desire to lose a litle more to fit smaller pants well, instead of swimming in larger sizes.

Anyway, I use MyFitnessPal to keep a food diary, and walk my dog for 40 mins a day, everyday. I take public transport to work, and do a bit of incidental walking to & from the station, and around my workplace campus during the day. I do an extra 30-60 minutes of yoga or swimming everyday, too ( we have a pool at work). I did yoga at home in front of DVDs or downloads for the first year, and have been going to Jivamukti classes twice a week since January. The classes are social time for me, plus I enjoy the sense of community, and the meditation/spiritual practice aspect.

In terms of eating, I was ( and am) mostly vegan. My downfall in terms of weight gain was portion size, and 'empty' carbs, including, yes, wine. Raising my protein & green veggie intake & dropping alcohol to an occasional treat helped a lot. On reflection, I think I sleep better when I'm not drinking, too.

We have lots of Biggest Loser style personal trainers here who insist you can't lose weight from walking etc, but it does work for me... The weight comes off very very slowly though, at about a kilo (or 2 pounds) a month. My body shape has changed pretty radically in terms of measurements and muscle definition, and I haven't gotten 'saggy' ( a real concern at my age, ahem).

I felt like I already ate pretty well, but overdid the wine & snacky food as a response to stress at work, so chose a 'stress management/habit shifting' approach, rather than boot camp, but ymmv. Given the situation you're in though, whatever you do should probably contribute to overall well being, not add extra aggravation in your life.

[olivia]

The wine habit can reallllly pack on the lbs.  (I speak from experience after gaining a ton of weight due to a medication I was taking and too much wine.)  I cut back on my wine with dinner habit, started biking to work and switched to a standing desk, and I've lost about 15 pounds in the last several months.  I would still like to lose 15 more pounds to be back to my fighting weight.  Could you bike more?  Sounds like you're in a city, perhaps you could start biking to work?

[SoftwareGoddess]

We are so stressed with money issues and a custody battle right now, it is so hard not to seek solace in food and drink.

In addition to eating for comfort, the stress hormones themselves can make it difficult for your body to give up extra weight. If you aren't already doing so, adding some stress relief (for instance, meditation) to your life might help a bit.

[hybrid]

The need to lose weight and get back in shape was part of what made MMM appealing to me in the first place.  I've lost 20 pounds in the past six months.  The biggest change?  Packing my lunch (calorie management) and biking home from work (nine miles).  Fatter wallet, thinner waistline.

All it does is work.

[Cinder]

Here are some sites that I've seen that I share with any females I meet who are looking into weight loss.  A good started is over at nerdfitness.com..

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

It's a pretty good read, and goes over some of the common myths/misconceptions.  The guy at Nerd Fitness does some really good, short youtube videos which show you how to do most of the bodyweight exercises. 

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
http://tracker.dailyburn.com/workout_programs/351511-Nerd-Fitness-Beginner-Body-Weight-Circuits

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/17/advanced-body-weight-workout-warning-this-will-kick-your-ass/
http://tracker.dailyburn.com/workouts/137891-Nerd-Fitness-Advanced-Body-Weight-Circuits



Also, back on the female body specific posts..
http://sophieologie.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/strong-is-the-new-skinny/

Enjoy the read!

[Cromacster]

www.eattoperform.com
www.liftbigeatbig.com

Started my journey one year and a month ago.  5'10", started at 290.  Down 60lbs overall from a combination of eating a shit ton of (good) food.  A typical day for me consists of 3800 calories, which when eating healthy, is hard to reach.  Exercise has included a combination of crossfit, weightlifting, and powerlifting.

The biggest factor to losing weight is diet.  Exercise, mainly building muscle, will help speed along the process.  In the past year I have probably ran a total of 30 miles (so not much at all).  The old adage holds true, you are what you eat.  If you eat like shit and eat alot of shit it won't matter what you do.

Eating right and eating the correct amount for what you are doing is the key (see eat to perform and lift big eat big).

Run if you are training to run a race.

Lift heavy weights if you want to lose weight.

[jrs]

I've had really good results following the advice of this book:
  The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan
  by PhD Rolls Barbara, Robert A. Barnett

Some things about the book: 
1) glance at the acknowledgements, it's three pages of "thanks to this phd, and that phd".
2) it teaches how to think about calories.
    a) give or take, 3,500 calories is one lbs of weight gain or loss.
    b) how do we know how many calories to eat in a day (to lose weight or to maintain)?
    c) for the first few weeks, we obsessively calorie count.  but over time we learn to 
        estimate how many calories are in what we eat (by learning the "calories per gram
        ratio" of many different foods).
    d) for moderately active adults, 80% of our weight loss success is based on diet.  not
        exercise.  So the most effective path to success is to understand and be strict with
        following your diet.

Anyhow, by following this one book alone, I lost 45 lbs in a year (down to 155 lbs.) and
have kept if off for two years now.

[jba302]

Whatever advice is here needs to include a weight lifting plan. Lowering calories will lower your metabolic activity (BMR). Any cardio is a catabolic activity, which lowers your TDEE with muscle loss. When you refeed doing this you will end up re-loading with a higher bodyfat % than prior, even with a lower body weight!

The smartest approach here was laid out by Cromaster. Get on a good beginner lifting program (Starting Strength is one example of a good lifting program. A program being much more than a list of exercises!). Get your TDEE up so you can really burn calories, then when you cut you will be cutting fat and only a small amount of muscle instead of everything. Find a diet program that works for you and does not require you cut out xyz arbitrarily (keto works for some, a lot of women tend to go feral when you cut carbs though :) ).

[Nords]

My spouse and I are in our early 50s.  Every year a few more of our college classmates are waking up dead while most of the rest post horrifying portrait photos on Facebook.  (A few are still studs or major babes.  Too few.)  We're also watching our parents' lifestyles catch up with them, and many of us are their caregivers or financial managers. 

That type of survivor bias tends to induce plenty of personal motivation.  Toss in a 23andMe genetic profile to help show you where your anti-longevity gun is loaded, and that's even more motivation to keep your fingers away from the trigger(s).

I stopped drinking alcohol over two years ago, and I've cut out a lot of sugar & bread.  We've boosted protein, fiber, and veggies.  I broil a fish lunch 4-5x/week.  I've trained myself to actually enjoy broccoli.  Our daughter left for college in 2010, and since then we hardly cook dinner... portion control is a lot simpler when you're eating a frozen meal or fruits & veggies. 

Since January I've practiced pullups every day.  I've kept up with surfing & taekwondo, so over the last year I've lost 10 pounds and added several inches to my chest/shoulders.  For the last year spouse has been spending the evenings walking 2-3 miles ("low-intensity gossip") or doing water aerobics or Zumba.  She's also lost 10 pounds in all the right places-- she calls it losing the last of her pregnancy weight.

Awareness is key.  I log my physical activity, which helps me keep at it.  Maybe I'll start logging calories on MyFitnessPal.com or some other app, but I haven't made the time for that yet.  I've learned to take the fruits & veggies out of the refrigerator drawers (where they hide) and put them in plain view on the shelves.  That makes a big difference for the 3 PM and 7 PM snacks when you're suffering from willpower erosion and decision fatigue.

Over the next year or two I'll see if I can lose another 10 pounds.  A pound every month or two seems about right.

[Tami1982]

Just turning mustachian changed my life enough that it spilled into diet and exercise.  Cut my food bill - ate less.  Cut my gas bill - walked/biked more.  Grew my garden - ate healthier.  Took free elk/deer/moose from my dad instead of buying beef - free and healthier cuts. 

It all just sort of spilled into each other.  I learned to value walks and exercise.  I didn't used to do that.   I changed the way I thought about things.  Walking to the library accomplishes two things: exercise and the task of going to the library.  I used to think of it as wasteful because I could drive there so much faster.   

Since reading MMM and really jumping on the bandwagon I've lost 80lbs, got rid of my diabetes and changed a number of other things.  I've found that success and control in one aspect of life affects another aspect and so on. 

I started slowly giving up processed food about 2 years ago.  Switching from white bread to wheat. From wheat to whole wheat.  Whole wheat to daves.  Daves to home made and then I pretty much stopped eating bread.  And most grains.  Stopped eating fast food (that was HARD.)  But after a couple weeks of cold turkey I didn't want it anymore.  If you do one thing, I think it's getting rid of processed food.  It just makes you an addict.  I eat almost entirely whole foods with a few rare exceptions.  I do utilize protein powders and the occasional protein bar and a few things are more effort to make than I am willing to put in.  Tortilla chips for example.  I just buy the least processed, fewest ingredient brand I can. 

Best of luck to you all!

PS: Just a note - I grew up on processed food.  Kraft mac and cheese, hamburger helper, canned veggies and chicken.  I'd been overweight my entire life, and not a little bit, a lot.  I was 180lbs at 5'7" when I was 14.  220 by high school.  240 when I started college and a high of 300lbs when I left.  I was 268 last year when I began coming to this board.  I've lost over 80lbs and expect to continue to lose more just by virtue of my new lifestyle.  This wasn't a slight change for me, it was a lifestyle overhaul, but I did it a little at a time.  If you can change one thing, that's a start.

[Shandi76]

Also, back on the female body specific posts..
http://sophieologie.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/strong-is-the-new-skinny/

Enjoy the read!

Interesting read. Thanks for sharing :-)

[Storypage]

38 pounds off since April 24 of this year. I have reached 2 progress goals so far and am 1 pound away from a third. My weight when I met my wife 32 years ago. Ultimate goal is my top fighting weight as a boxer.

So yes, count me in.

[ender]

I eat too much and don't excercise enough.

So, while I really would like to lose weight, I'm not sure I'm really doing much to get myself there.

[DK]

http://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/

http://www.t-nation.com/

As far as books, the new rules of lifting (for women and for men) are pretty good basic guides.

[Roses]

I've found the best way for me is to have some kind of easy system that doesn't require a ton of work - like tedious calorie counting.  I subscribe to the idea that fat doesn't necessarily make you fat, but sugar does.  So I cut out sugar and wheat (bread/pasta/pizza were my faves) during the week, and also banned all processed foods all the time.  On the weekend I give myself a break and maybe have a couple slices of pizza for dinner, along with a salad, and a small dessert.  Or maybe pancakes for breakfast.  Or my favorite - a slice of good, hearty bread with pastured butter.  But I find myself automatically minimizing those occasions.  Having just those few simple no-no's means I don't have to be constantly worrying and analyzing what I'm putting in my mouth = less stress.  And cutting out the carbs naturally increases my portions of veggies.  I'm losing about a pound a week doing this and going for a nightly walk.  Maybe something like that would work for your wine habit?  You could only drink on certain days/occasions?

As for the anxiety, exercise will really help with that.  My nightly walks with my husband and son are not only good for exercise but also a great time for us to connect and de-stress.  I'm missing the strength training piece, which I need to add asap.

[Cromacster]

Yup. Down 17 pounds in two months, hubby is down 15.  We're using myfitnesspal to keep cals in the 1400-1500 range, limiting carbs to 100-200 cals per meal (whole wheat, low fat dairy, or fruit) and ramped the veggies way up.

Once you get off the sugar, it can be surprisingly easy and satisfying to eat real food in modest quantities. The hard part is patience. Consistency pays off but in the moment progress feels slow.

SIS

Ugh sounds horrible, are you tired all of the time?  (re calories, good job on reducing sugar)

[NinetyFour]

I would like to lose 10 - 15 pounds.  I live in Colorado, and there is a program called Weigh and Win, in which I am enrolled.  They actually pay people to lose weight (if they start with an unhealthy (high) BMI).  It is motivating me.  This month, I have decided to consume no sweets (baked goods, chocolate), no bread, and no chips.  (I am already a vegetarian, and I also eat very little in the way of processed food.  I also haven't had alcohol for the last 20 months.) I will also take no food with me when I go to bed.  (I often used to eat snacks while watching movies on my laptop, just before sleep.  This resulted in less than optimal sleep, and weight gain.)

If I lose just a few more pounds, I will have lost 5% of my body weight since first joining Weigh and Win, and they will send me a check for $15.  During the next three months, if I keep those pounds off, they will send me another $15.  (If I can lose a total of 10% of my body weight, they will send $30.)

[fallstoclimb]

I lost ~7 lbs (small frame, that's a lot for me) using myfitnesspal a year and a half ago, although since then it has crept back on.  Counting calories all day is a drag, especially when you make your own meals and like gourmet cooking (who measures all the ingredients/portions out leftovers??) but basically it was just effective for me because it made me keep my afternoon work snacks under control and made me honest about those alcohol calories.  I love ending a day with a beer or glass of wine, but when I'm hungry and I only have 200 calories left in the day I go for the less sad-sized dinner, rather than the drink!

I should probably get on the wagon again.  My biggest enemy is my activity level (bike commute to work, long bike rides on weekends, lots of walks....balanced out by a very sedentary job).  I'm active enough to rev up my appetite, and then I just sit at my desk all day and eat.  Plus, the booze.  Why oh why can there not be zero-calorie, still-delicious beer. 

Also, strength training for sure makes a huge difference.  Unfortunately I find it boring but I'm trying to add it back in. 

[Mr.Macinstache]

I've lost 25lbs by cutting out wheat and sugar. My wife has lost 35 by doing the same. Now my parents are other friends are doing it after seeing the weight we've lost.. its that simple. We don't workout either.

[Storypage]

Regarding energy output during exercise, I found this chart from the book I am currently reading helpful...



The May Clinic folks also note that strength training is good because increase muscle mass gives you a "more powerful engine" with which to burn calories. It does make sense that running would use more calories than lifting, considering the leg muscles are the largest and most powerful muscle group in the body.

[jba302]

Whoever decided that a 3.5 mph walk burns more calories than sheiko needs to be shot in the face.

[DK]

Whoever decided that a 3.5 mph walk burns more calories than sheiko needs to be shot in the face.

*like!

[olivia]

I lost ~7 lbs (small frame, that's a lot for me) using myfitnesspal a year and a half ago, although since then it has crept back on.  Counting calories all day is a drag, especially when you make your own meals and like gourmet cooking (who measures all the ingredients/portions out leftovers??) but basically it was just effective for me because it made me keep my afternoon work snacks under control and made me honest about those alcohol calories.  I love ending a day with a beer or glass of wine, but when I'm hungry and I only have 200 calories left in the day I go for the less sad-sized dinner, rather than the drink!

I should probably get on the wagon again.  My biggest enemy is my activity level (bike commute to work, long bike rides on weekends, lots of walks....balanced out by a very sedentary job).  I'm active enough to rev up my appetite, and then I just sit at my desk all day and eat.  Plus, the booze.  Why oh why can there not be zero-calorie, still-delicious beer. 

Also, strength training for sure makes a huge difference.  Unfortunately I find it boring but I'm trying to add it back in.

Have you considered a stand up desk?  I switched several months ago and I love it.  I used an Ikea hack: http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-for-22-dollars.html

I'm convinced that it's helped me lose weight and it's so nice to not sit all day.  My back (especially my upper back) feels a lot better.  I also wear Danskos (I leave them at work) and stand on an anti-fatigue mat.  It SUCKED before I sprung for those 2 items.  If I get tired of standing I switch to a stool for an hour or two and then go back to standing.

[Nords]

Have you considered a stand up desk?  I switched several months ago and I love it.  I used an Ikea hack: http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-for-22-dollars.html

Shucks, all you need now is a treadmill:

[olivia]

Have you considered a stand up desk?  I switched several months ago and I love it.  I used an Ikea hack: http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-for-22-dollars.html

Shucks, all you need now is a treadmill:

Ha I would TOTALLY do that if there was room in my office!  Walking is so much easier on my feet and legs than standing.  I used to work retail and my feet never hurt as much as they do from standing in one place at my desk!

[Cromacster]

Yup. Down 17 pounds in two months, hubby is down 15.  We're using myfitnesspal to keep cals in the 1400-1500 range, limiting carbs to 100-200 cals per meal (whole wheat, low fat dairy, or fruit) and ramped the veggies way up.

Once you get off the sugar, it can be surprisingly easy and satisfying to eat real food in modest quantities. The hard part is patience. Consistency pays off but in the moment progress feels slow.

SIS

Well, have fun starving yourself I guess, see how long you can take it.

Ugh sounds horrible, are you tired all of the time?  (re calories, good job on reducing sugar)

Not at all! I have plenty of energy.

Alright, sorry for my snarky comment.

But extreme deficit dieting is not a sustainable way to lose weight (and yes I consider 1400 calories an extreme deficit for an average adult).  It also does not help you understand how to eat in a real way once you have reached an ideal weight.  This is one of the reasons why people yo-yo diet.  And while being a lower weight can be healthier than carrying around a unnecessary amount of fat, just the fact that you are skinny does not a healthy person make.

I suggest you check out www.eattoperform.com and put your info into their BMR calculator (essentially calculates how many calories you burn by just being alive).  That, along with some of the other information will give you an idea how to lose weight in a healthy (physically and mentally) manner.

[GuitarStv]

Some simple dietary advice in the vein of MMM's financial recommendations that might help people lose weight more easily without being particularly difficult or time consuming:
- Don't drink calories.  No cream/sugar in coffee, no soda, no juice, no milk, no booze.  Have water with every meal.  Yes, you get used to it.  No you will not die without regular blasts of flavoured liquid.
- Eat at about an equal mass of vegetables with each meal as starchy carbs/meat.  Veggies have the nutrients that you need, and fiber will keep you full longer.
- Eat your vegetables first.  Usually people prefer the flavour of starchy stuff and the meat.  Eating the veggies first will take the edge off so you don't wolf down too much of the tasty stuff in a wild orgy of joy.  It also makes sure that you actually eat all the veggies.
- Keep healthy food and snacks in your house.  Just stop buying junk food (have a big meal before you go shopping to the grocery store so you don't break down and buy bad stuff).  If you don't have that box of twinkies and cookies in the house, you won't break down and gorge on it.
- Don't eat out if you can avoid it.  When you cook your own foods you control the ingredients.  There are tons of healthy substitutions that you can make that don't hurt the flavour of your food (Put greek yogurt on a baked potato instead of butter/sourcream, put cottage cheese in place of ricotta, substitute quinoa in place of rice, etc.).  Restaurant food is ALWAYS high in salt, and they tend to make things in the least healthy way possible by default for some reason.  Also, portion sizes are out of control in most restaurants, and they never give enough vegetables.

[Storypage]

Well, have fun starving yourself I guess, see how long you can take it.

Well, that's helpful.

;)

[Storypage]

Some simple dietary advice in the vein of MMM's financial recommendations that might help people lose weight more easily without being particularly difficult or time consuming:
- Don't drink calories.  No cream/sugar in coffee, no soda, no juice, no milk, no booze.  Have water with every meal.  Yes, you get used to it.  No you will not die without regular blasts of flavoured liquid.
- Eat at about an equal mass of vegetables with each meal as starchy carbs/meat.  Veggies have the nutrients that you need, and fiber will keep you full longer.
- Eat your vegetables first.  Usually people prefer the flavour of starchy stuff and the meat.  Eating the veggies first will take the edge off so you don't wolf down too much of the tasty stuff in a wild orgy of joy.  It also makes sure that you actually eat all the veggies.
- Keep healthy food and snacks in your house.  Just stop buying junk food (have a big meal before you go shopping to the grocery store so you don't break down and buy bad stuff).  If you don't have that box of twinkies and cookies in the house, you won't break down and gorge on it.
- Don't eat out if you can avoid it.  When you cook your own foods you control the ingredients.  There are tons of healthy substitutions that you can make that don't hurt the flavour of your food (Put greek yogurt on a baked potato instead of butter/sourcream, put cottage cheese in place of ricotta, substitute quinoa in place of rice, etc.).  Restaurant food is ALWAYS high in salt, and they tend to make things in the least healthy way possible by default for some reason.  Also, portion sizes are out of control in most restaurants, and they never give enough vegetables.

I think that is great advice. The only part I quibble with (at least for me) is proportion of veggie to meat/starch. I eat 2 or 3 to 1, but that's just my own preference. Most of my meals have no meat at all.

But again, that's just me.

[Mr. Minsc]

I've always been slim so watching what I eat was never a big priority for me.  Still, I've made steps over the years to improve my diet.  I don't expect to keep the pounds off with no effort for ever (plus even slim people have to be mindful of their heart).

Things I've done over the years:

  - Virtually eliminated the consumption of pop and other sugar drinks.  For me water and eating go hand in hand.  I'll have the odd tea here and that and maybe a beer a week.  Fast food was never a big deal for me, when I was younger we only had that stuff as a treat on Sundays because mom wanted a break preparing a meal.  Otherwise it wasn't in the budget.   I've more or less phased fast food out over the past few years.  My biggest dietly sin is my sweet tooth.  I mostly stay away from anything which comes individually wrapped but home baked sweets or ice cream, watch out.  I could easily stuff down a large bowl of ice cream every night if I wanted too, getting better with that nasty habit.

- I've never been one for the gym.  Much of my work does involve manual labour so I can get a lot of walking in.

- Take the stairs.  As somebody said, gravity is your friend. ;)

[Storypage]

Oh, and one more thing...

Like someone earlier in the thread, I have cut out all preprocessed foods. I recently read the book  Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, by Michael Moss, and learned just how much of this stuff is pumped into processed foods, just to get us to eat more, whether the salt or sugar or fat is needed in the product or not. They have whole teams of brilliant people who research just how much of it you need to reach a "bliss point", where less of the item will make you crave it less, and more of it will be overkill. Of course, as all of the food giants are doing this, that bliss point keeps moving, so it takes more sugar or more salt or more fat to have the same effect. That's why if you swear it off for a while, you can't stand it when you do eat it because it is full of so much crap. And why your taste buds become more sensitive so you appreciate REAL food more, the longer you are off the junk.

You cut out an awful lot of bad, fattening stuff just by cooking your own food from scratch or eating it raw.

[olivia]

Well, have fun starving yourself I guess, see how long you can take it.

Well, that's helpful.

;)

SNORT.  If you eat a lot of protein and veggies it's really not hard at all to be full in the 1300-1500 calorie range.  I eat somewhat paleo and this is a typical day. If I work out a lot (go to CrossFit) I'll eat more than this of course:

Breakfast: 2 eggs sunny side up, 2 slices of bacon (222 calories)
Lunch: Arugula and veggie salad with a can of tuna on top and balsamic vinaigrette (350 calories)
Dinner: Grassfed hamburger and asparagus (301 calories)
Snacks: Fruit salad (not in sugar, just fresh fruit)/baby carrots/yogurt/sweet potato/etc. (50-220 calories)

I don't eat a lot of carbs (will have cereal occasionally, pasta even less occasionally) and I try to avoid sugar in beverages.  I do drink plenty of wine though-it's good for the heart!  :P

[Cromacster]

Well, have fun starving yourself I guess, see how long you can take it.

Well, that's helpful.

;)

SNORT.  If you eat a lot of protein and veggies it's really not hard at all to be full in the 1300-1500 calorie range.  I eat somewhat paleo and this is a typical day. If I work out a lot (go to CrossFit) I'll eat more than this of course:

Breakfast: 2 eggs sunny side up, 2 slices of bacon (222 calories)
Lunch: Arugula and veggie salad with a can of tuna on top and balsamic vinaigrette (350 calories)
Dinner: Grassfed hamburger and asparagus (301 calories)
Snacks: Fruit salad (not in sugar, just fresh fruit)/baby carrots/yogurt/sweet potato/etc. (50-220 calories)

I don't eat a lot of carbs (will have cereal occasionally, pasta even less occasionally) and I try to avoid sugar in beverages.  I do drink plenty of wine though-it's good for the heart!  :P

I understand its different for everybody (I feel starved on 2,500 calories a day and I shoot for 3,500 eating paleoish).  But for your average women (5'4" 130 30%BF) who is crossfitting regularly, 1300-1500 calories truly does not provide enough energy to reach your full potential.  Its even more crazy if you are doing strength work alongside crossfit.

[olivia]

Yeah everyone is different!  I can only get that many calories in if I'm eating something junky (mmmm McDonald's breakfast) or if I try super hard to snack on high calorie stuff like avocados, smoked salmon, sardines, etc. But if I'm not working out heavily I just don't get that hungry. And I don't have the willpower to starve myself, so no worries there! ;)

[Shandi76]

SNORT.  If you eat a lot of protein and veggies it's really not hard at all to be full in the 1300-1500 calorie range.  I eat somewhat paleo and this is a typical day. If I work out a lot (go to CrossFit) I'll eat more than this of course:

Breakfast: 2 eggs sunny side up, 2 slices of bacon (222 calories)
Lunch: Arugula and veggie salad with a can of tuna on top and balsamic vinaigrette (350 calories)
Dinner: Grassfed hamburger and asparagus (301 calories)
Snacks: Fruit salad (not in sugar, just fresh fruit)/baby carrots/yogurt/sweet potato/etc. (50-220 calories)

I don't eat a lot of carbs (will have cereal occasionally, pasta even less occasionally) and I try to avoid sugar in beverages.  I do drink plenty of wine though-it's good for the heart!  :P

I think you might be eating 200 - 300 more calories a day than you think (which is probably a good thing). I use myFitnessPal and my breakfast of 2 eggs (over easy) and 3 slices of bacon comes in around 435 calories including a bit of butter for cooking in. The eggs alone are 220 Kcals for large eggs. But even if you are eating the smallest possible eggs and tiny rashers of bacon that still sounds like an underestimate to me.

[Cromacster]

Yeah everyone is different!  I can only get that many calories in if I'm eating something junky (mmmm McDonald's breakfast) or if I try super hard to snack on high calorie stuff like avocados, smoked salmon, sardines, etc. But if I'm not working out heavily I just don't get that hungry. And I don't have the willpower to starve myself, so no worries there! ;)

It can be hard to get that high while eating healthy foods.  My daily intake usually includes an avacado, 6 eggs, 1lb of grassfed beef or 1lb of chicken, bunch of veggies, usually some sort of oil used in cooking (coconut or olive), along with some rice or quinoa.  Sundays I usually do a beer can chicken on the grill and devour the whole thing after a good lifting session mmmmm I love sundays.

[jba302]

SNORT.  If you eat a lot of protein and veggies it's really not hard at all to be full in the 1300-1500 calorie range.

Are you referring to breakfast specifically here?

[olivia]

SNORT.  If you eat a lot of protein and veggies it's really not hard at all to be full in the 1300-1500 calorie range.  I eat somewhat paleo and this is a typical day. If I work out a lot (go to CrossFit) I'll eat more than this of course:

Breakfast: 2 eggs sunny side up, 2 slices of bacon (222 calories)
Lunch: Arugula and veggie salad with a can of tuna on top and balsamic vinaigrette (350 calories)
Dinner: Grassfed hamburger and asparagus (301 calories)
Snacks: Fruit salad (not in sugar, just fresh fruit)/baby carrots/yogurt/sweet potato/etc. (50-220 calories)

I don't eat a lot of carbs (will have cereal occasionally, pasta even less occasionally) and I try to avoid sugar in beverages.  I do drink plenty of wine though-it's good for the heart!  :P

I think you might be eating 200 - 300 more calories a day than you think (which is probably a good thing). I use myFitnessPal and my breakfast of 2 eggs (over easy) and 3 slices of bacon comes in around 435 calories including a bit of butter for cooking in. The eggs alone are 220 Kcals for large eggs. But even if you are eating the smallest possible eggs and tiny rashers of bacon that still sounds like an underestimate to me.

Could be, I'm sure My Fitness Pal is not exact.  I do enter in the exact brand of bacon, but eggs definitely vary I'm sure.  I'm not really worried about the exact calories to be honest.  I started tracking for a 30 day paleo challenge at my gym and still do occasionally just to see where I'm at. 

[olivia]

Yeah everyone is different!  I can only get that many calories in if I'm eating something junky (mmmm McDonald's breakfast) or if I try super hard to snack on high calorie stuff like avocados, smoked salmon, sardines, etc. But if I'm not working out heavily I just don't get that hungry. And I don't have the willpower to starve myself, so no worries there! ;)

It can be hard to get that high while eating healthy foods.  My daily intake usually includes an avacado, 6 eggs, 1lb of grassfed beef or 1lb of chicken, bunch of veggies, usually some sort of oil used in cooking (coconut or olive), along with some rice or quinoa.  Sundays I usually do a beer can chicken on the grill and devour the whole thing after a good lifting session mmmmm I love sundays.

Yeah, it really is-I learned that when I was STARVING the first week of a 30 day paleo challenge at my gym.  And yeah, I definitely could not eat the amount of food you eat!  I just don't get hungry enough-when I'm full I'm full and I can't eat anymore.  I do up my protein when I'm going to CrossFit regularly (unfortunately I haven't been much lately, grad school and studying for a professional certification have been taking up my free time), and will make sure to have a pretty high protein/high calorie afternoon snack.

[sleepyguy]

I know my optimum fit b/w is about 175-180lbs, i'm 6ft tall.  I'm currently hovering around 190lbs so I'd like to shed that by year end.  I'm not one to count calories or have a very rigid schedule.  Playing tennis 3hrs+ x5/wk is out of the question now as I have 2 young kids.  I'll mostly like cut out late night eating and daily snacking.  Fit in 3x per week workouts at home also when I take my son to the park there is a jungle jim at I can do pullups and hanging leg raises.  Either than that diet will be the same.  175lb fit weight would be ideal.  Heres hoping the 6pack comes back :)

[GuitarStv]

I know my optimum fit b/w is about 175-180lbs, i'm 6ft tall.  I'm currently hovering around 190lbs so I'd like to shed that by year end.  I'm not one to count calories or have a very rigid schedule.  Playing tennis 3hrs+ x5/wk is out of the question now as I have 2 young kids.  I'll mostly like cut out late night eating and daily snacking.  Fit in 3x per week workouts at home also when I take my son to the park there is a jungle jim at I can do pullups and hanging leg raises.  Either than that diet will be the same.  175lb fit weight would be ideal.  Heres hoping the 6pack comes back :)

I'm not sure that there's such a thing as an optimum fit body weight.  Six pack abs have nothing to do with body weight.  I'm six foot, and have been at about 180 with no visible abs.  I'm currently 205 and have very visible abs.  Don't judge the efficacy of a workout by the amount of weight you lose.  If fat loss is your goal you should be checking body fat, not overall weight.

[Cromacster]

I know my optimum fit b/w is about 175-180lbs, i'm 6ft tall.  I'm currently hovering around 190lbs so I'd like to shed that by year end.  I'm not one to count calories or have a very rigid schedule.  Playing tennis 3hrs+ x5/wk is out of the question now as I have 2 young kids.  I'll mostly like cut out late night eating and daily snacking.  Fit in 3x per week workouts at home also when I take my son to the park there is a jungle jim at I can do pullups and hanging leg raises.  Either than that diet will be the same.  175lb fit weight would be ideal.  Heres hoping the 6pack comes back :)

Strength is made in a gym, Six packs are made in the kitchen.

Although fit in some good strength work and that should help drop some weight.

[cats]

I lost ~25 lbs five years ago through couch to 5k, bodyweight exercises, and overhauling my diet.  I was pretty happy with that and wasn't having much trouble maintaining, so I figured it was all good--BMI was decent (~22.5), as were BP and cholesterol.  Fast forward to last year, when I finally finished my PhD program.  I lost about 5 lbs in the first month after graduating, and have lost almost 10 lbs total in the past year, without a whole lot of effort.  I am walking a lot more (my daily commute is now about 5 miles round trip), but a lot of it is just that I'm so much less stressed and that makes it way easier to eat well consistently.  I used to eat reasonably well but still wound up eating cookies or a croissant or a mammoth burrito most days, now those things are much more occasional foods, not part of my daily routine.  I don't miss them at all.  Also, I moved in with my boyfriend, who is a bit of a health nut, and he's pushed me to start doing some more intense workouts.  I've been taking good advantage of the pullup bars at the park near our apartment and although I can't do a pullup yet, I'm getting there.  I would kind of like to see if I can peel off another 5 lbs but I'm trying not to be neurotic about it--I think if I just keep on with the new and improved lifestyle, it will happen.

I have no gym membership, we don't buy particularly fancy foods (a lot of produce, but not a lot of meat, no crazy supplements or pills), and we don't subscribe to any sort of commercial weight loss programs.  Just staying active and eat less processed stuff, and it seems to kind of work itself out!

[NinetyFour]

I think I have lost about 10 pounds this month.  My mustachianism in other areas finally kicked in as far as my diet is concerned.  This month, I have purchased no processed food (unless you count soy milk).  I have eaten no bread and no dairy.  I am a vegetarian anyway, so no meat/meat products.  I have eaten only veggies and gluten free grains and some fruit.  I have not brought food to bed (for snacks while watching movies on my laptop) all month.  I have also increased exercise somewhat (bike to work, 2 sets of 25 "girl" pushups daily, and medicine ball exercises). Side benefit:  my grocery bill will probably end up being about $160 this month, which is $40 - 50 less than usual!

My only transgression was having pizza for lunch with a couple of friends.  As pizza goes, it was small and relatively healthy.  I will also be having breakfast with a friend at a restaurant this Tuesday--I am considering allowing myself to have blueberry pancakes.

How is everyone else doing?

[Storypage]

How is everyone else doing?

Fantastic! Thanks for asking! :)

My goal for September was 180, and for October 178. I see my cardiologist on the 24th and wanted to be no longer overweight according to the CDC BMI charts. Today, I weighed in at 178, which means I have already reached my October goal. So, I need a new one. I'm thinking 173? That will put my weight loss at a nice, round 50 pounds lost since the last time he saw me in April.

My ultimate goal weight is 165, what I weighed as a boxer in the Marine Corps some 40 years ago. But my ultimate ultimate goal is a little more complicated than a simple number on the scales.

From my reading, the hardest part of losing weight is keeping it off. So, my new ultimate goal is to maintain my weight for a year, once I get to my goal weight of 165. I think it would be prudent to allow for a 10 pound fluctuation, so basically I want to maintain a weight of 165 to 175 (or 10 pounds more than whatever weight turns out to be my 61 year old ideal weight).

As the little reward for that effort, I want to sign up for the National Weight Control Registry. To belong to this elite club (;)), you must maintain a documented weight loss of 30 pounds or more for at least a year. So, here's how I document that...

I visited my cardiologist in April weighing 223. I now weigh less than than 180, so I've lost a little over 40 pounds so far. When I visit the cardiologist next month, I can take copies of the report that show my weight and the weight from April to prove I have lost 30 pounds or more. Then, hold on to those records until next October, and get another checkup to prove my status.

Goals really help for me. By having a goal, and then a reward (besides feeling GREAT!) at the end, I then have something to work for. I'm not sure what new goals I will have after that, but I figure if I can maintain my weight for a year, mostly through diet and moderate exercise, then it will be a well ingrained habit that I can keep up pretty much forever.

I'm participating in another weight loss thread on another forum, and there some of us run a progress report. Here is my latest one...

Start/now/next goal/ultimate goal
223/178/173/165

[olivia]

Going well, I'm down about 20 lbs since June.  (Lost 8 on an 8 day trip where I walked about 10-15 miles/day.)  I still have 10 lbs more to go to get into my fighting weight range.  I need to step up my workouts but have been super busy lately with work and finishing my thesis (finally).  I've been walking home from work a few times a week which is about 3 miles, plus biking to work some, so I'm getting a little exercise.  I've mostly lost the weight from not eating out and cutting back on delicious, delicious wine. 

[happy]

Yup I'm trying to lose weight. Always very slow but down 7.5kg so far this year (16.5lbs). Given the previously argumentative tone of this thread I won't post more detail. If it turns out that we are into being supportive and sharing experiences without judgement then I may reconsider.

[NinetyFour]

Yesterday, I biked a little over 3 miles to a chiropractor's office to get officially weighed (in the Colorado Weigh and Win program).  I will a little disappointed that I had not lost more weight (about 5 pounds this month--was hoping for 8 or so).  We I got back on my bike for the quick ride home, I realized that my front tire was flat as a pancake.  I was not prepared for a flat.  I think the universe was saying, "You want to lose more weight?  How about a 3.2 mile walk, while pushing your bike and wearing your bike shoes?"  An hour later, I got home and had a well earned breakfast!