Author Topic: Losing Weight in 2016  (Read 459600 times)

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1500 on: March 01, 2017, 08:08:28 AM »
The top about USDA is a good one. I basically search for either "ingredient raw USDA" or "ingredient cooked USDA" when I am logging.

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

So if I cooked 225 g of spaghetti squash but ate half, I would search "spaghetti squash USDA cooked g" and then log 125 g (after dinner, from the picture on my phone). Then when I eat the leftovers I copy the previous meal over - even easiser. Makes the whole process really quick!

I use a notepad in my kitchen that I scribble on. Leftovers are portioned and weighed out and labeled with masking tape, noting exact weights. If I am doing a stirfry with onions, eggplant, and tofu - this is my process for creating a recipe (everything is scribbled down on my notepad and then entered later after I am done cooking - otherwise I find it slows cooking down too much):
1. Prep each ingredient and weigh  - scribbling down individual weights
2. Weigh my pan (this really helps reduce dishes - but I often forget)
3. Cook, adding any additional notes as necessary (e.g. 1 tbsp oyster sauce)
4. Weigh the whole thing, pan and all, after it is all cooked. (Subtract the weight of the pan from this to get total food weight. This gets entered as the serving size in the recipe e.g. Servings = 1564 (instead of 4)
5. Weigh my plate/bowl and tare it out. Then serve my portion and weigh that. This gets entered as number of servings I actually ate e.g. 457 (instead of 1)

If I make the same recipe again, I will often re-use it, just editing the quantities and weight of each ingredient and the serving size.

I cook for a family. But when I cook just for myself and prep just 1 serving, I don't bother to create a recipe - just enter each ingredient separately into my log.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1501 on: March 01, 2017, 08:14:06 AM »
re: my day yesterday. My scale is proving annoyingly stubborn but I am still determined to stick to plan. Yesterday was OK - I accommodated the fatty paczki, restricting myself to just half and not going back to the office kitchen for more. I stuck to my plans for mealtimes. However, I had so many calories left over at the end of the day that I succumbed and bought a small chocolate bar and wolfed it down (in secret from DH *sigh*). On the good side, I was still nearly 100 cals under my allowed calories for the day.

Despite all my advocacy for using a kitchen scale on this thread, I am still only using mine intermittently. Have been faithfully logging though, so that is good. I feel confident that the weight will shift soon if I stick to the plan.

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1502 on: March 01, 2017, 08:21:28 AM »
elaine emj, I SO hear you on the wolfing-down-the-chocolate-in-secret thing. I was doing that a lot before. I encourage you to include the chocolate in your daily count, and then savor every bite right in front of your husband! If he asks if you've "fallen off the wagon," just say, "Nope, I planned for it, and wow is it delicious!"

I'm convinced that the reason for this particular stretch of steady weight loss/successes is because I've kept eating the thing I really do care about: dark chocolate. I can pretty easily decide not to have dessert because I know I've got dark chocolate waiting for me.

And I completely let go of the shame, which had snuck up on me and was messing with my head in a variety of unhelpful ways. I'm here. I'm working on being a healthier version of me. It's going to take a while, so my job is to be kind to myself as I go. I try to talk to myself the way I would talk to a friend in need.


elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1503 on: March 01, 2017, 09:17:57 AM »
elaine emj, I SO hear you on the wolfing-down-the-chocolate-in-secret thing. I was doing that a lot before. I encourage you to include the chocolate in your daily count, and then savor every bite right in front of your husband! If he asks if you've "fallen off the wagon," just say, "Nope, I planned for it, and wow is it delicious!"

I'm convinced that the reason for this particular stretch of steady weight loss/successes is because I've kept eating the thing I really do care about: dark chocolate. I can pretty easily decide not to have dessert because I know I've got dark chocolate waiting for me.

And I completely let go of the shame, which had snuck up on me and was messing with my head in a variety of unhelpful ways. I'm here. I'm working on being a healthier version of me. It's going to take a while, so my job is to be kind to myself as I go. I try to talk to myself the way I would talk to a friend in need.

I like this. And you're so very right. This is what worked for me last year and I need to get back to that. Wolfing down food in secret has been a very bad habit for me and has led to many a downward spiral. My DH is awesome and has been trying so very hard to be supportive. The shame part is rough for for me - I tend to feel so awful that I just go off an eat even more to drown my sorrows. This is where MFP really helped me last year as I planned for my indulgences and felt good about them instead. Thanks for the reminder!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1504 on: March 01, 2017, 10:45:35 AM »
I did pretty well yesterday, and had my last alcoholic drink until Easter, as I am giving it up for Lent. Besides alcohol, I don't drink anything other than water and tea/occasional espresso), so it should be a pretty healthy 40 days wrt liquids.

I successfully avoided free donuts this morning, by flipping the calendar to March and realizing that in a VERY short amount of time I will be in a bathing suit in Hawaii. Staying strong!

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1505 on: March 01, 2017, 07:07:21 PM »
I had a pretty annoying day at work today, and just felt drained when I came home. I knew I was going to want some treats, so I made sure to work them in on plan. I ate a really healthy dinner (changing what I would have eaten otherwise), in order to allow me to indulge in a small amount of ice cream and a cider. It was still very yummy. I can do this.

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1506 on: March 01, 2017, 07:56:01 PM »
I had a pretty annoying day at work today, and just felt drained when I came home. I knew I was going to want some treats, so I made sure to work them in on plan. I ate a really healthy dinner (changing what I would have eaten otherwise), in order to allow me to indulge in a small amount of ice cream and a cider. It was still very yummy. I can do this.

You totally can, Izybat! :)

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1507 on: March 02, 2017, 07:39:43 AM »
Izybat - that is awesome! It's an awesome feeling to enjoy your treats knowing that it's in your plans - no cheating and no shame!

I did well yesterday - we had super gusty winds yesterday evening and DH offered to drive to pick me up from work. I stayed strong and biked home instead, fighting the wind all the way. I then walked my daughter to church (only 5 mins away lol!) and picked her up on foot last night despite rapidly dropping temps and even crazier winds. Plus I even (I don't know how) resisted after-dinner treats. Ended up with 275 cals still left - woot! This morning, DH again suggested I drive to work because temps have dropped even lower (feels like 16F now!!) but I held on to my resolve, bundled up, and biked to work - the wind was rough but I made it in one piece :) I'm doing all this to prep for tomorrow night when the boss is ordering fish and chips. Plus the weekend where I typically eat more and move less.

On a more frustrating note...I actually gained weight this morning :( This week's weigh-ins have not been looking good despite my typically having about a 100 calories leftover every day AND only eating back half my exercise calories. Oh well - my guess is this is just my body hanging on to the previous norm and I'll drop the weight in a whoosh if I just stick to the plan that I KNOW works.

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1508 on: March 02, 2017, 07:44:07 AM »
elaine emj, the nutritionist I go to once a month suggested not including any "extra" calories from exercise in my daily count. My first reaction was, "WTF? I need those extra calories! I earned them! WTF?!?" But over time, I've come to separate out physical fitness from healthier eating. They work together like yin and yang, but I'm doing one to be stronger, more flexible, with better balance and stamina, and the other to lose weight by choosing to eat in a healthier way overall.

And I look forward to the dark chocolate, saying "yes" to things that I really want, and the occasional shot of reposado tequila. ;)

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1509 on: March 02, 2017, 07:49:46 AM »
You guys are inspiring.  The wind was crazy last night here too.
I wrote everything down yesterday. A number of treats - but better on the veggies.

Doing a daily weigh in starting yesterday:
2017-03-01   132pounds
still the same this morning and putting it on the top of page for the day in my eating book.

I am going to try and eat 10 full servings of fruit and veg per day for Lent.  Yesterday I did 6.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1510 on: March 02, 2017, 08:48:10 AM »
elaine emj, the nutritionist I go to once a month suggested not including any "extra" calories from exercise in my daily count. My first reaction was, "WTF? I need those extra calories! I earned them! WTF?!?" But over time, I've come to separate out physical fitness from healthier eating. They work together like yin and yang, but I'm doing one to be stronger, more flexible, with better balance and stamina, and the other to lose weight by choosing to eat in a healthier way overall.

And I look forward to the dark chocolate, saying "yes" to things that I really want, and the occasional shot of reposado tequila. ;)

I do worry that if I don't eat back ANY of my exercise calories, that I will be undereating by quite a bit. I'm only 5ft tall so I only get 1200 calories a day when trying to lose weight - and that's very little by any calculator. I have a 50 min round trip bike ride to work each day plus I go on a 30-45 min lunchtime walk. Last year, I ate half my exercise calories and after a month or two, hit a point where I was fatigued and had trouble concentrating to the point that my DH and my coworkers kept commenting on it. I had to bump it up to eating all my exercise calories. This time around, I have a strong feeling that MFP is giving me way too many calories for biking so I think going with half my exercise calories will work out well.

All that said - I agree that exercise is not a big part of weight loss. The times I exercised the most (riding 2hrs/day, 3-5 times a week) was typically when I gained weight. I find I eat a lot more to fuel me on intense exercise days, pretty much negating the calories lost.

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1511 on: March 02, 2017, 09:04:24 AM »
elaine emj, the nutritionist I go to once a month suggested not including any "extra" calories from exercise in my daily count. My first reaction was, "WTF? I need those extra calories! I earned them! WTF?!?" But over time, I've come to separate out physical fitness from healthier eating. They work together like yin and yang, but I'm doing one to be stronger, more flexible, with better balance and stamina, and the other to lose weight by choosing to eat in a healthier way overall.

And I look forward to the dark chocolate, saying "yes" to things that I really want, and the occasional shot of reposado tequila. ;)

I do worry that if I don't eat back ANY of my exercise calories, that I will be undereating by quite a bit. I'm only 5ft tall so I only get 1200 calories a day when trying to lose weight - and that's very little by any calculator. I have a 50 min round trip bike ride to work each day plus I go on a 30-45 min lunchtime walk. Last year, I ate half my exercise calories and after a month or two, hit a point where I was fatigued and had trouble concentrating to the point that my DH and my coworkers kept commenting on it. I had to bump it up to eating all my exercise calories. This time around, I have a strong feeling that MFP is giving me way too many calories for biking so I think going with half my exercise calories will work out well.

All that said - I agree that exercise is not a big part of weight loss. The times I exercised the most (riding 2hrs/day, 3-5 times a week) was typically when I gained weight. I find I eat a lot more to fuel me on intense exercise days, pretty much negating the calories lost.

You are working SO much harder than I am, elaine emj! Burning way more calories with your exercise. You are so smart to listen to your body and adjust as needed. Keep doing that!

I'm 5'8" and Lose It currently gives me 1491 calories a day. I had to work through that psychologically too - it seems brutally unfair that the more weight I lose, the less I get to eat in a day. HATE THAT so much. The nutritionist (she totally has my number) said I should shoot for between 1200 and 1500 calories a day from this point on. I like having a range instead of a particular number. We eat dinner in a boarding school dining hall, so I don't have the luxury of weighing grams and measuring units. I just eyeball it and shoot for lots of protein and veggies/fruit and not so much carbs. *shrug* So far, so good.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1512 on: March 02, 2017, 09:17:10 AM »
I'm 5'8" and Lose It currently gives me 1491 calories a day. I had to work through that psychologically too - it seems brutally unfair that the more weight I lose, the less I get to eat in a day. HATE THAT so much. The nutritionist (she totally has my number) said I should shoot for between 1200 and 1500 calories a day from this point on. I like having a range instead of a particular number. We eat dinner in a boarding school dining hall, so I don't have the luxury of weighing grams and measuring units. I just eyeball it and shoot for lots of protein and veggies/fruit and not so much carbs. *shrug* So far, so good.

Given that you're stuck with eyeballing it, I think your nutritionist's guidance of 1200-1500/day is a great way to manage it. While I look at my daily numbers, I try to keep my focus on my weekly numbers in MFP. So I can "save up" my calories for social eating days when I eat more.

It does come down to logging for me though. Weirdly enough, its the only thing that has worked for me (and I have tried several different ways since I hit logging fatigue last June!).

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1513 on: March 03, 2017, 08:42:48 AM »
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs...Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs...Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight gained: 0.6 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

Ugh - was hoping I would get a whoosh before today's weigh in. Been following the plan all week and all my weight is doing is creeping upwards :( Keep reminding myself that I just need to stick to it and that most likely my body is just reluctant to change. It WILL happen - I know it. Just need patience.

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1514 on: March 03, 2017, 08:59:04 AM »
It will happen, elaine emj! Don't be discouraged. I think winter is super hard. We're supposed to be hibernating! I bet you will see bigger changes come spring.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1515 on: March 03, 2017, 09:23:44 AM »
Hang in there Elaine.  If it makes you feel better my scale went up this morning. 
I am hoping the hibernating theory is true as well.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1516 on: March 03, 2017, 09:31:26 AM »
I have to admit - I'm impressed with MFP! The last time I tried to journal/track online was probably 10 years ago and it is SO MUCH EASIER now.

But elaine emj is totally right about there being some janky foods pre-entered. My usual bread was listed at twice the calorie count and I didn't notice it for a couple of days. So I was trying to eat within 25 calories of goal and was accidentally coming in a couple hundred under (which did probably help with weight loss this week).

I also appreciate that it lets me reset my macros because I strive to eat higher fat to help with fat soluble vitamin absorption (thanks no gallbladder :)).

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
Weigh in March 3:    154 lbs



begood - mfp is also giving me 1490 for calories (to lose .5 a week) but I'm a solid two inches shorter than you! This is one of the reasons that I'm weird about on-line trackers?! What is correct?!

FrugalLizard - that is such a nice lenten goal!

elaine emj - you just have to make it a little longer through the weather! I have a feeling that the weight will right itself come spring (at least, that is how it always seems to work for me and my mom). Just keep hanging in there!

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1517 on: March 03, 2017, 09:35:20 AM »

begood - mfp is also giving me 1490 for calories (to lose .5 a week) but I'm a solid two inches shorter than you! This is one of the reasons that I'm weird about on-line trackers?! What is correct?!

StarBright, I don't know! I started at a higher weight than you - 189 lbs - and am now at 172 lbs. So with each drop in weight, I get fewer calories per day. I'm trying to lose 1 lb  a week. I started at 1700, if I recall correctly.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1518 on: March 03, 2017, 09:52:30 AM »

begood - mfp is also giving me 1490 for calories (to lose .5 a week) but I'm a solid two inches shorter than you! This is one of the reasons that I'm weird about on-line trackers?! What is correct?!

StarBright, I don't know! I started at a higher weight than you - 189 lbs - and am now at 172 lbs. So with each drop in weight, I get fewer calories per day. I'm trying to lose 1 lb  a week. I started at 1700, if I recall correctly.

It sounds like the difference is in how much weight you each want to lose each week. Begood is taller and should get more calories, but has hers set for a 1 lb/week loss. Starbright is shorter, but is only asking for 0.5 lbs a week. So unless my math is off - it sounds about right for both of you to have approx. the same number of calories.

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1519 on: March 04, 2017, 08:19:25 AM »
I lost another 2 lbs this week for 15.8 total. Happy that it's working, steadily coming off.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1520 on: March 04, 2017, 10:22:45 PM »
Hi There!  I posted here in December and then haven't been back (and haven't done much toward the goals I listed.)  BUT I am newly determined to finally do something about losing some weight.  I've been tracking what I eat with My Fitness Pal for almost two weeks and am seeing some progress.  I just read through the last couple of pages here since my first post and it sounds like a lot of you are having the most success when you track your eating too, so that's encouraging for me!  I did use MFP a few years ago but eventually got tired of the tracking and gave up and gained more weight. 

I'm 5'3" and have My Fitness Pal set to lose 1 pound a week, which means I can only eat 1220 calories a day.  That's basically nothing.  I had a hard time the first few days but have been trying to eat more protein and fat and less simple carbs and that's been helping me not feel so hungry.  Diabetes runs in my family and I have trouble with low blood sugar, so it's not surprising that my body feels better with this ratio.  1220 calories means very few snacks or treats!

2/20: 159.5- Starting weight
2/26: 158.5
3/4:   155 - I couldn't believe this!  I'm assuming it's a fluke or water weight or the "whoosh" someone linked to?

Here's part of my original post with updates:

I feel kind of silly jumping in at the end of this long thread, but didn't want to put it off any longer.  I'll jump over to a new thread for 2017 if one gets started!  I've only read the current page and first page, but I may skim through to get ideas of what is working for other people.

Current Stats:
I'm 5'3" and currently weigh 160 pounds, two years after having a baby.  When I got pregnant, I weighed 140 which is at the very top of the healthy BMI for my height.  While pregnant, I gained 33 pounds, so was up to 173 on the day I went into labor.  At one point after the baby was born, I was down to 150, but then climbed back up to 160.  (Hello, stress eating!) 

Goal:
Having a second child is under consideration and I'd like to at least be back down to my former pre-pregnancy weight before that happens.  So my minimum goal is to lose 20 lbs, stretch goal is 30, extra stretch goal is 35.  I'd like to lose the weight by June 2017.  So if my goal is 30 pounds in 6 months, that's 5 pounds a month or just a little more than 1 pound a week.  Seems within the realm of possibility. I procrastinated too long.  June 2017 is less than 20 weeks away so I would need to lose more than 1 pound  a week to hit my minimum goal.  I'm still aiming for 1 pound a week and will take what I can get at this point!

Challenges:
I'm not sure what my biggest challenge is.  Not exercising at all is a big one.  Too much stress eating is another one.  I did not exercise during my pregnancy and I really regret it now.  I also have exercised very little since having a baby.  It look about 15 months to even have the energy to seriously think about exercising and another few months to start trying.  And I'm not doing a great job of it now.  I am not athletic and have never really enjoyed exercise.  I'm a bookworm who would rather be curled up on a couch with a good book!  So that is a major hurdle to overcome.  I'm working on trying to find some kind of activity that I'll enjoy so as to make it sustainable.

Action Items:
-Set up treadmill desk - I scored a free treadmill sight unseen and didn't discover that the arms point down instead of out until it was in my garage.  So it won't work for a treadmill desk.  Also it's still sitting in my garage, not in my house. :/  Current goal is to clear space to get it in the house and start walking on it even if I can't work and walk.

-Start tracking what I eat - Finally started 2/20!  I'm weighing most of my food to keep myself honest and maximize every one of those 1220 calories!  I'm finding it less annoying this time, not sure why.

-Eat more veggies, fewer refined carbs - Not sure I've been eating more veggies but I have been eating fewer refined carbs. 

-Add weightlifting once I establish a walking routine - I just bought a book on weightlifting at home and will start putting it into practice. Haven't been walking or weightlifting but my dad gave me a fitness book that has some really basic exercise programs (3 "programs before the program" for people starting from zero.)  I've been doing the easiest level of "program before the program."  It's 10 minutes a day of a few stretches and then alternating days of 5 minutes weight lifting (just using your body) or 5 minutes of walking/movement.  It's such a small amount it's easy to work into my day, so I've actually been keeping it up and am hoping it will build into a more robust exercise habit.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1521 on: March 05, 2017, 05:11:36 AM »

Challenges:
I'm not sure what my biggest challenge is.  Not exercising at all is a big one.  Too much stress eating is another one.  I did not exercise during my pregnancy and I really regret it now.  I also have exercised very little since having a baby.  It look about 15 months to even have the energy to seriously think about exercising and another few months to start trying.  And I'm not doing a great job of it now.  I am not athletic and have never really enjoyed exercise.  I'm a bookworm who would rather be curled up on a couch with a good book!  So that is a major hurdle to overcome.  I'm working on trying to find some kind of activity that I'll enjoy so as to make it sustainable.


Welcome!  These are also my 2 biggest challenges.  If it makes you feel any better, we're the same height and I'm starting at a substantially higher weight than you.  160 is about my stretch goal weight right now, lol.  Anyhow, sounds like you're taking some great steps towards working exercise into your routine.  I'm working with a physical therapist for a knee issue right now, but am looking forward to starting up Jazzercise again when that's resolved.  So far, it's the only type of exercise that's left me excited to keep doing it.  The food tracking is also really helping with my stress/indulgence type eating.

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1522 on: March 05, 2017, 07:00:03 AM »

Challenges:
I'm not sure what my biggest challenge is.  Not exercising at all is a big one.  Too much stress eating is another one.  I did not exercise during my pregnancy and I really regret it now.  I also have exercised very little since having a baby.  It look about 15 months to even have the energy to seriously think about exercising and another few months to start trying.  And I'm not doing a great job of it now.  I am not athletic and have never really enjoyed exercise.  I'm a bookworm who would rather be curled up on a couch with a good book!  So that is a major hurdle to overcome.  I'm working on trying to find some kind of activity that I'll enjoy so as to make it sustainable.


Welcome!  These are also my 2 biggest challenges.  If it makes you feel any better, we're the same height and I'm starting at a substantially higher weight than you.  160 is about my stretch goal weight right now, lol.  Anyhow, sounds like you're taking some great steps towards working exercise into your routine.  I'm working with a physical therapist for a knee issue right now, but am looking forward to starting up Jazzercise again when that's resolved.  So far, it's the only type of exercise that's left me excited to keep doing it.  The food tracking is also really helping with my stress/indulgence type eating.

I started from a very sedentary place too, and I really don't *enjoy* exercise, per se. I'm always sure I'm going to hurt myself! I have a series of mantras or affirmations that I keep repeating to myself, and one of them "Doing something is better than doing nothing". And "More activity is better than less activity."

Celebrate your small successes and use them as encouragement to work toward the next one. :)

QueenV

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1523 on: March 05, 2017, 02:15:23 PM »
Thanks you guys. I keep running across the advice to find an exercise you love and then you'll enjoy exercising. So far, hasn't happened. But I do feel good about the current book I'm using. SquashingDebt, that's cool that you've found that you like Jazzercise, I hope you'll get to start it again soon. Begood, I've been using similar mantras. I figure any type of movement is better than my current routine of no movement so I can worry about optimizing later. I don't want to get bogged down trying to decide whether cardio or weights are better right now. I just need to do something and make it into a habit for now!

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1524 on: March 06, 2017, 09:32:07 PM »
@QueenV glad to see u back on here! Looks like u are developing some great new habits :)

As for me, I followed plan all week - then went bananas on the weekend. DH and I started arguing about stupid stuff on Sunday night and I stormed off to drown my sorrows in cookies :( :(  Stress eating is my worst enemy.

To top it off, I am going to a work conference for the next 2 days and we all know what conference food is like. I'm not feeling strong right now.

On a positive note, I am continuing to stay active, biking 50 mins roundtrip to work. On Sunday, we went to a friend's house for dinner and I opted to walk 1.5 hours (5 miles) there instead of hopping in the car with my family. I have an 7-8hr adventure race coming up in June and I really need to start training. Planning to start up walking or biking for 2+ hour stretches most weekends. Motivation can be a wee bit hard for me which is why I opted to walk to my friend's place. A couple of weeks ago, I got DH to drop me off about an hour's walk away from home (so I would have no choice but to walk all the way). This really doesn't have much to do with weight loss itself - but helps in general activity level. Although believe me, it sounds much more impressive than it is - the walking and the light biking I am doing is all pretty mild...certainly nothing I would consider intense exercise.


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use2betrix

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1525 on: March 06, 2017, 10:02:41 PM »
Can this thread work for those trying to gain weight as well? Due to my workouts/bodybuilding I'm constantly in a bulking/cutting state. One of the catches in the bulking phase is getting all the calories I need to gain weight from HEALTHY food. 3000 calories of garbage is a breeze. 3000 calories of chicken, rice, potatoes, eggs, etc, is very challenging. I find it far more miserable than going  to 1800 calories when I start cutting. Nothing worse than sitting down to a meal, still stuffed from your last meal, and knowing you have to eat the huge plate of food in front of you that's holding you from your goals.

I spent November 15th - February 13th primarily overseas on vacation which made monitoring a strict diet challenging. I've been back about 3 weeks and have gained around 5-6 lbs so far. I started around 195, now at about 201. Hope to get to around 215 over the next couple months, then hope to drop down to 180-185 over the summer.

For preserving muscle while cutting and also a good pace of gaining, I find both to be around 2-3 lbs a week.

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1526 on: March 07, 2017, 07:54:22 AM »
First Tuesday of the month check in:

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

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8
March 7: 123.0

No loss, but not much of a gain either, so I'm ok with it. I'm tracking again, so I should see results this month. My revised goal is basically to get to around 115-120 and maintain right around that area.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1527 on: March 07, 2017, 12:07:59 PM »
Guys- My Fitness Pal is working well - so well that I'm dubious and worried that I'm doing something wrong :)

I've been at it for a week and a half, have been eating within 50 calories of my goal (set to lose half a pound a week), but have dropped almost 4 pounds (this is after two months of stagnant weight). Do I need to go in and adjust things? give it another week to see how it shakes out and if it slows down? I just don't want to lose too fast (that sounds ridiculous right?).

MFP is definitely helping me stay on top of my macros better than I usually do. Perhaps that is what is making the difference? I aim to hit around 40-30-30 but am  not ever strict about it. I never hit the protein goal and usually inch over the fat goal but not by too much so I don't worry about. MFP is keeping me on top of my carbs though.

rockstache - your steady and consistent weight loss is a total inspiration!

use2betrix - hi! welcome.

elaine amj - I am in awe of you biking to work - I'm terrified of biking with traffic!


rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1528 on: March 07, 2017, 12:22:55 PM »
Guys- My Fitness Pal is working well - so well that I'm dubious and worried that I'm doing something wrong :)

I've been at it for a week and a half, have been eating within 50 calories of my goal (set to lose half a pound a week), but have dropped almost 4 pounds (this is after two months of stagnant weight). Do I need to go in and adjust things? give it another week to see how it shakes out and if it slows down? I just don't want to lose too fast (that sounds ridiculous right?).

MFP is definitely helping me stay on top of my macros better than I usually do. Perhaps that is what is making the difference? I aim to hit around 40-30-30 but am  not ever strict about it. I never hit the protein goal and usually inch over the fat goal but not by too much so I don't worry about. MFP is keeping me on top of my carbs though.

rockstache - your steady and consistent weight loss is a total inspiration!

use2betrix - hi! welcome.

elaine amj - I am in awe of you biking to work - I'm terrified of biking with traffic!

Thanks Starbright! Good job to you too! With regards to the tracking/losing quickly, you can see from my numbers that when I first started tracking (Jan 1, 2016), I was losing rather quickly, but then it sort of plateaued to a reasonable steady decline. FWIW, elaine amj who is almost my height and weight had VERY similar results to me, we tracked together almost all the way through 2016. I think MFP is pretty on point. You might lose weight really fast at first, but it will slow down after the first couple of weeks, and then you'll see more along the lines of a 1/2 lb or pound per week depending on how you set it.

QueenV

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1529 on: March 07, 2017, 08:37:56 PM »
elaine amj, thanks for the welcome back!  Thanks also for pointing out that only the foods in MFP with a green check mark have had their numbers verified.  I had no idea, and am now looking for green check marks whenever I can!

Today I had a really frustrating afternoon, the sort of day where I end up stress eating.  I've been resisting so far and trying other ways to relax - deep breathing and reminding myself that I won't feel this way forever, this is just a temporary mood.  It's helped, but I still really want dessert.

Does anyone have tips on what works for them to avoid stress eating?

use2betrix

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1530 on: March 07, 2017, 08:47:10 PM »
elaine amj, thanks for the welcome back!  Thanks also for pointing out that only the foods in MFP with a green check mark have had their numbers verified.  I had no idea, and am now looking for green check marks whenever I can!

Today I had a really frustrating afternoon, the sort of day where I end up stress eating.  I've been resisting so far and trying other ways to relax - deep breathing and reminding myself that I won't feel this way forever, this is just a temporary mood.  It's helped, but I still really want dessert.

Does anyone have tips on what works for them to avoid stress eating?

Drinking a good amount of water tends to curb those immediate urges.

Do you not feel worse after you stress eat? Personally while the immediate gratification of cheating on my diet is is ok, I find it hard not to feel worse after knowing I didnt even have the self control to not stuff shit in my mouth I don't need.

The key is to not get on a diet so miserable that you have zero enjoyment. Eating isn't meant to be some magical enjoyable experience. It's meant to have tons and tons of benefits of health, focus, energy, etc. if you love ice cream, plan a small bowl once a week or every other week and plan for it.

Also... if you don't keep "cheat food" readily available, you won't eat it. If you have to make a special trip to the store to eat crap not in your diet plan, I'd say the problem is beyond self control. My wife makes one grocery trip a week, buys exactly enough food for every day and every meal of the following week, and does it again. If something isn't in our meal plan, we don't have it in the house.

Runrooster

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1531 on: March 08, 2017, 08:19:04 PM »
I concur with drinking something, be it broth, coffee with splenda, or hot cocoa. 

That said, I feel great when I binge, and usually I'm still under my maintenance calories.  I like to make lists of food I really want, and only eat off that list.  In other words, no binging on mediocre junk, but get that croissant or five guys burger and fries, or the best pizza.  Well, sometimes I have to wait for the best foods, and by then I'm not as stressed.  Or giving myself permission means I'm okay with half a burger and no fries.

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1532 on: March 09, 2017, 06:13:10 AM »
I concur with drinking something, be it broth, coffee with splenda, or hot cocoa. 

That said, I feel great when I binge, and usually I'm still under my maintenance calories.  I like to make lists of food I really want, and only eat off that list.  In other words, no binging on mediocre junk, but get that croissant or five guys burger and fries, or the best pizza.  Well, sometimes I have to wait for the best foods, and by then I'm not as stressed.  Or giving myself permission means I'm okay with half a burger and no fries.

That's a great idea - to make lists of things you really want and choose from that! It would definitely limit the "crap factor".

I have a horrendous head cold, and it makes me want to eat ALL the food ALL day long. And my energy level is really low, I think because, hello, my brain is not getting enough oxygen through my clogged nostrils! I did a qi gong routine from YouTube for energy yesterday and it was amazingly effective. I'm going to do it again today:

Morning Qi Gong 10 Minute Exercise

wintertell

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1533 on: March 09, 2017, 09:04:21 AM »
elaine amj, thanks for the welcome back!  Thanks also for pointing out that only the foods in MFP with a green check mark have had their numbers verified.  I had no idea, and am now looking for green check marks whenever I can!

Today I had a really frustrating afternoon, the sort of day where I end up stress eating.  I've been resisting so far and trying other ways to relax - deep breathing and reminding myself that I won't feel this way forever, this is just a temporary mood.  It's helped, but I still really want dessert.

Does anyone have tips on what works for them to avoid stress eating?

When I'm stress eating, I'm normally snacking throughout the day non stop. I like the feeling of eating and crunching. So, I'm trying to just provide myself with a healthier, satisfying alternative. This normally means pairing some sort of protein with whatever I eat so I feel full, as well as having crunchy health options.

A couple of examples of how I'm fulfilling that need in a healthier way:
- Putting slivered almonds in my Greek yogurt.
- I made tuna salad, subbing avocado/greek yogurt for the mayo (more protein and healthy fat!). I also put a whole bunch of cruncy cucumber, celery, carrots in as well with the tuna. Then I ate that with celery/baby carrots most of the after noon.

Basically I've found that protein + healthy fat + crunchy = no eating a bag of chips or a whole bowl of popcorn.

If I can't get the crunch element from whatever food is around, I'll have a protein bar with a glass of milk so at least I feel really full and won't want to keep eating.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1534 on: March 10, 2017, 04:56:16 AM »
Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6


Apparently when I'm stressed I can have A quesadilla or a seven and seven - but not both or more than one of each! Who knew ?! ;)
« Last Edit: March 10, 2017, 05:26:59 AM by StarBright »

LG in NYC

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1535 on: March 10, 2017, 06:45:00 AM »
I like that idea to identify the texture that you're craving (crunchy) and then find a healthy food that fulfills the craving.

I struggled last week because I was sick with a cold. I don't understand how being sick kills my appetite, and yet somehow I end up eating more because I'm feeling sorry for myself! Ah well.

I am better now, and I am working on breaking my habit of going to the office candy bowl every day. So far I have three days in a row of not eating any candy. I didn't realize my habit had gotten so bad, but looking at MFP I was eating about 250 calories a day in candy. Yikes. I'm starting to see some weight loss, which has been very encouraging!


2/4: 142.6
2/15: 142.4
3/2: 142.2
3/10: 140.8



rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1536 on: March 10, 2017, 07:30:31 AM »

I struggled last week because I was sick with a cold. I don't understand how being sick kills my appetite, and yet somehow I end up eating more because I'm feeling sorry for myself! Ah well.


LOL! I don't mean to laugh at you, but I know this one so well. I will have a sore throat that literally hurts to eat, and still want to eat because of the comfort factor. So silly!

wintertell

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1537 on: March 10, 2017, 08:28:11 AM »
I am sorry to hear that you were sick LG!

I like that idea to identify the texture that you're craving (crunchy) and then find a healthy food that fulfills the craving.

I learned this from my weight loss support group. I heard someone call them "buffer foods". Basically, they are healthier substitutes that still really hit the spot in terms of satisfying a craving.

For folks that really like sweets, for example, might like this recipe: http://www.hollyscheatday.com/protein-pumpkin-pie/ (I'd do it without the whipped cream so no crazy sugar cravings).

I also will do Greek yogurt with 1 tsp honey, strawberries and almond slivers (crunch!)  for a nighttime snack as well.

elaine  amj -- I've switched my tracking while cooking to your method and it is much easier. I just jot down everything while I'm cooking then record later. It really speeds up the cooking process. So thanks!

Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2 (-9.4)
Total: 22.8

I'm at 242.2 - I've been bouncing around for the last 3 weeks between 241-249. 

Once I hit a 20lb loss, I started to struggle. I maintained at 245-250 for many years. It's nice that all my clothes fit again : ).

Mentally pushing pass that 20lb number that was a hurdle, plus I guess my habits (mainly poor food choices when eating out) keep me in that range. So, long-term, I need to stay consistent with eating well and continue to change up things and try new things to see new numbers.

This Monday I got back on track. My mind is back is the right space again. I expect it will be another week or so before I start to dip into new territory below 241 since I've been fluctuating so much lately. I was at 249 on Monday, for example. 

begood

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1538 on: March 10, 2017, 01:20:03 PM »
Visited the nutritionist today and I'm down 3 lbs from last month, so:

September 2016: 189
February 2017: 172
March 2017: 169
Goal weight: 157

It's very motivating to get into the 160s and to reach the 20 lb mark. Just 12 more to go!

She asked what I attribute the steady loss to, and I told her in all seriousness: chocolate and tequila.

Runrooster

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1539 on: March 11, 2017, 09:52:43 AM »
I feel like I'm in the zone this week, hitting some good numbers for food and exercise.  I often finish a meal still a little hungry, which fades in half an hour.  Hopefully my body is just asking for what its used to, not setting myself up for a binge. 

The cold weather this week is putting a damper on my exercise, but I did half. 

Two pitfalls coming up: birthday event and pizza at work.  I feel about pizza the way Elaine feels about cake, so I might restrict to one piece but I doubt zero.  I make sure to have a healthy meal to distract me, and I've been trying to see pizza as bad as cake, donuts, or bagels, which I could turn down easily.  The donuts have more sugar obviously, but theyre both basically white flour and fat.  Right?

Izybat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1540 on: March 11, 2017, 07:08:00 PM »
Lost another 1.4 today, which came as a surprise. I was expecting a smaller loss or to maintain, but I'll happily take it. Down 17.2 since January 14th.

QueenV

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1541 on: March 13, 2017, 09:41:00 AM »
Weigh-in:

2/20: 159.5
2/26: 158.5
3/4:   155
3/7:   154.5
3/12: 153.5

I'm really encouraged to be seeing progress.  I definitely have days where it feels easy and days where it's a struggle not to eat whatever I want.  I do feel like I've somewhat "reset" how many calories my body expects and that's encouraging too.

Thanks everyone for the ideas for avoiding stress eating.  I will give some of them a try.  When I stress eat, I'm mostly looking for a dopamine rush (is that the right chemical?) ie a mood lift.  So yeah, I almost always feel better after eating a piece of chocolate cake or some fried food or pizza.  I do feel like my general mood is improving overall, so I'm not experiencing those cravings as often lately.  I'll have to think about other ways to get a similar mood lift.  I know exercise is supposed to help, so maybe more of that.

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1542 on: March 13, 2017, 08:04:20 PM »
Urggggg. I ate really well today, all day. Then I got home from my class at 8pm ish and was feeling emotional. You know what happened next. 1 slice of pizza, 3 squares of chocolate, AND a pile of cheese and crackers later....I have  a stomach ache. Really wish I was over the emotional eating thing. I didn't even enjoy it.

swick

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1543 on: March 13, 2017, 08:44:16 PM »
When I stress eat, I'm mostly looking for a dopamine rush (is that the right chemical?) ie a mood lift. 

A lightbulb went off for me a while ago when I realized that I wasn't getting most of the dopamine hits I was used to and thus feeling more prone to SAD and just general sadness. If you change the way you are eating a lot of the different ways you get dopamine tend to go, the ritual and habits around food, the excitement of cooking and eating certain foods, the addictive and chemical responses to some foods. So if you take away most of the different ways you get dopamine kicks from food, what are you left with?

I googled and came across a couple of strategies I am working through:
https://bebrainfit.com/increase-dopamine/
http://www.chatelaine.com/health/wellness/addicted-to-food-sex-stress-it-may-be-a-dopamine-imbalance/

Quote from above I found interesting:"Researchers at Princeton University found dopamine decreased in rats when they lost weight on restricted eating programs. With this drop in weight, the rats’ appetites increased and they began to eat more in an attempt to naturally restore dopamine levels."




QueenV

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1544 on: March 13, 2017, 10:26:04 PM »
Swick, those articles were really interesting, thanks for sharing the links. I'm going to spend some time thinking about the suggestions. The description of how people feel with low dopamine levels matches how I've been feeling for the last few years. I've been trying to counteract those feelings with food, but it would be nice to try something else.

swick

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1545 on: March 13, 2017, 10:50:53 PM »
I've been trying to counteract those feelings with food, but it would be nice to try something else.

I think it is a big challenge, and I mean, you can lose all the weight you want, but if you don't come up with a replacement for eating as a source of dopamine, your chance of gaining it all (and then some!) back is very real.

I have found that dancing has worked well for me. I've found some good electro swing mixes and I stick em on when I'm cleaning up. It takes longer, but it is hard not to feel good :) I've been liking this one lately: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFh9ebba2BI


SquashingDebt

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1546 on: March 14, 2017, 04:48:43 PM »
Funny dilemma just now - I was on my food tracking website, and had just finished entering what I've eaten so far today.  Then suddenly, it had an error message saying the site is temporarily down.  I exclaimed (to myself), "Now how am I going to figure out what to eat?!"

It's become pretty ingrained to check in at this point of the day and plan my dinner to fit in my total calorie allotment.  I guess that's a good sign.  Now to figure out what to eat.  Luckily, I'm pretty sure I had 600 calories left, so it should be easy to stay under my goal.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1547 on: March 15, 2017, 08:03:45 AM »
So my DH has the metabolism of a humming bird and I've realized one of the things that makes losing/maintaining difficult for me is making sure he's getting enough while I'm not getting too much. He goes through at least two bags of chips every week, usually a pint or two of Ben and Jerry's, and trail mix and energy bars out the wazoo- in addition to the three meals that I prepare for him each day.

I'm thinking about buying him a mini-fridge to keep at work so he can keep a lot of the the snack foods there. He's a professor so he has his own office - but is snacking on chips and guac at work totally unprofessional? I just want it out of my house. I work from home and his delicious food just sits and taunts me all day. But he eats all that food and maintains a very healthy weight with no effort - so he clearly needs the calories that he's eating.

Will have to do some thinking about this.

Also, I always get sad and jealous (and lose my will power) when he is devouring entire pints of Ice Cream in one sitting. So I bought myself a pint of Halo Top this week. I gave myself a couple of scoops while Hus had his Cherry Garcia last night and it was pretty darn good. I usually try not to eat "diet" foods - but man - the Halo Top was totally palatable (I had the salted caramel flavor)!

SquashingDebt - your post made me giggle.

Swick - thanks for the introduction to electro swing - that should help me get through the work day in a peppy mood :)




rpr

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1548 on: March 16, 2017, 02:51:45 PM »
@StarBright -- I agree it is a challenge, if you have lots of snacks at home. It requires a lot of will power to stay away from those.

From my end, the weight is finally trending down.

Date          Weight
1/1/2017    130
2/28/2017  133.6
3/10/2017  132.2
3/16/2017  131.0

Being more aware of what I eat (plus logging) and stopping before getting fully stuffed seems to help. Have decreased my calorie intake to some extent (5-10%). For example, I used to add peanut butter, maple syrup, and nuts to my morning oatmeal. Now I just have it with fruit only. I still enjoy my breakfast and do not need the extra calories. Every little bit helps. Those oatmeal toppings were almost adding up to 200 calories.

Also been doing regular walk/jog/run about 5 times a week. Weekdays, I do about 2 miles and on weekends, up to 4 miles.

For weight related issues, consistency is the key. Hopefully I should at least aim to get to the starting weight at the beginning of the year. 

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #1549 on: March 17, 2017, 05:37:18 AM »
Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6

Snacks are my killer - If I can keep them in control (like I have for the last few weeks) Then my regular meals (which I haven't really changed from my usual) will keep me well within my maintenance calorie range.

My goal for this week is to investigate snacks that keep me full but aren't carb and calorically dense. Right now I'm relying heavily on apples with a tablespoon of peanut butter, and while that is great for now, I know I'll lose interest eventually.