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General Discussion => Throw Down the Gauntlet => Topic started by: elaine amj on December 26, 2017, 08:38:52 AM

Title: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on December 26, 2017, 08:38:52 AM
Starting up a new thread for a new year. Our old one (https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/index.php?topic=48873.0) has been a considerable source of support for the past two years and I know this will be just as awesome!

Here's to a fresh year!!!!

Let's take a bit of time to wrap up 2017. What do you think worked for you this year and what didn't?  What challenges did you face and what is your plan for the year ahead?

What are your goals for 2018?

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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: frugalkristen on December 26, 2017, 08:44:31 AM
I want to lose 10 pounds.  I've wanted to for a while but haven't done anything about it.  This is the year.  :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on December 26, 2017, 09:07:05 AM
I am in. Having some accountability buddies will help me stay on track. I want to lose about 12 pounds (possibly more because I am at my Mom's house for Christmas with tons of cookies and no scale).  My baby is six weeks old and I would like to lose about five pounds before the end of maternity leave, which would put me at my pre-pregnancy weight. The other seven pounds will get me to the weight where I look and feel my best. We are travelling home tomorrow so I will post a weigh-in on Thursday morning.

 I am using My Fitness Pal to track calories (I told it I want to lose one pound per week, then added 300 to the calorie goal it gave me to account for breastfeeding),  and trying to work in as much exercise as I can while baby is napping.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on December 26, 2017, 09:13:14 AM
I would like to join for 2018. I actually started about a month ago and have lost 8 pounds so far but have a long way to go. My starting weight was about 253 pounds and my goal is 210 by the end of 2018 with a stretch goal of 200. For the record, my progress so far:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/03/2017     252.4
12/10/2017     250.2
12/17/2017     247.2
12/24/2017     245.4

Looking forward to hearing about everyone else's progress throughout the year!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alleykat on December 26, 2017, 09:50:37 AM
I tried joining in 2017 and failed miserably.  So, here I am again.  I am starting today and not waiting until the new year.

I am starting at 163, I think. I will weigh myself tomorrow morning to make sure this is my starting point. I fear it may be higher.

Nonetheless:

12/26/17 - 163

I would like to lose 23 -26 lbs. 
Title: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on December 26, 2017, 09:57:41 AM
I am in. Goal is to lose 12-15lbs. Stretch goal is to do so by April, which is doable if I stay on track. Physical gains should also increase my financial gains too, so I’m looking forward to making progress.

What hasn’t worked in the past:

• Sleeping in until 7 on workdays
• Sitting in front of a screen for 10+ hours with no breaks
• Being too exhausted by the end of the day to exercise
• Buying lunch at work ($$) and not planning out dinners
• Not actively managing my intake/food
• Not actively managing my depression
• Currently: 138.6lbs, ??BF%, lethargic and weak.

What has worked in the past:

• Working our daily around 11am
• Getting lots of rest
• Having a flexible schedule
• IIFYM intake management
• Meticulously planning meals
• Result: 17% BF and visible abs, strength and general badassery

A happy medium I am going to try to find in 2018:

• Planning meals and prepping lunches on Sundays
• Prepping and planning dinners for the week ahead of time
• Utilizing leftover-friendly recipes for dinner
• No buying lunch at work!
• Waking up at 6am
• Lifting in the mornings (30-45min)
• Regular fasting/IF
• Taking walks on my lunch hour (x3/wk)

12/25/2017 - 138.6lbs

Goal: 125lbs by 04/01/2018.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on December 26, 2017, 10:34:10 AM
So awesome to see so many familiar names along with so many new names! I love this group and find I do so much better when posting regularly here.

I successfully lost 25 lbs using My Fitness Pal ( and this group!) to count calories 2 years ago. I was mindful but did not deprive myself. I successfully stayed in maintenance without tracking for several months. Then at Christmas, I binged a lot and piled on 10 lbs in less than 2 months. I tried to get back on track in January but didn't start actually losing weight until the late spring when I lost the 10 lbs in a few months. I have to admit that this time, I used the starvation technique a bit more than is wise.

I piled on 7 lbs during my August vacation and have been adding weight ever since with a lot of comfort eating, ending up an alarming 14 lbs over my low weight and creeping way too close to my former borderline obese status.

A week ago, I was finally in the right emotional place to control my eating again. Amazingly enough, through Christmas, I have dropped a pound so far.

I have been enjoying wonderful meals but being careful not to gorge too much. I have been limiting my treats to just 1-2 small portions and amazingly enough not feeling deprived.

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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on December 26, 2017, 10:44:27 AM
PTF. I was doing so well, and then over the 3-day holiday weekend I ate more sugar and drank more wine than I've had in the past 2 months. I'm terrified to step on the scale. Honestly, I'm probably not going to do that until the new year; going to get back on track after the holiday sweets/booze orgy and then see where I am at.

I'd lost 10 lbs over the past 2 1/2 months and would like to lose another 5-10? Not sure. I guess it depends on at what weight I am able to fit back into my clothes and look good in them again.

I used to be one of those people whom everyone hates, who could eat what I wanted and not gain. Sadly, upon hitting my mid-40s, this is no longer the case. So part of my goal too is to figure out how my body works now. How many calories can I eat, do particular foods cause me to gain weight or is it straight calories-in calories-out, can I eat until I am satisfied (but not full) or should I always be a little bit hungry, etc. (I started using a personal trainer on occasion and he said that I should always feel a little bit hungry, which I am struggling with.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on December 26, 2017, 11:25:58 AM
I am in.

Even cutting back drastically on fast food a couple of months ago, I have not been able to shift this weight. I clearly need to start tracking. Eating less should also help with our grocery budget that we have agreed to cut for 2018.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: AmandaPanda on December 26, 2017, 12:32:35 PM
I am in, also.  My goal is to lose 40 pounds in 2018.  About 10 of that is holiday weight gain, so I'm hoping at least the first 10 come off easier than the rest.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: iris lily on December 26, 2017, 12:38:37 PM
In 2017 I lost about 30 lbs and have another 30 to go. I do the Weight Watchers program and always find it easier to start in November than jump in with the hoards that show up to WW meetings about
Mid January.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Jenny Wren on December 26, 2017, 12:44:54 PM
I'm in! I successfully lost 25 lbs last summer, using an Instagram account for accountability. I posted what I ate each day and a picture of the scale reading everyday, and a bunch of strangers cheered me on and it worked really, really well. School started and I quit trying (but I've maintained the weight loss, so still a win?)

My goal is to lose another 25 lbs this year.

Ideally, I think I'd like to lose 40 but having never weighed that little as an adult I'm not sure if that is realistic. I am much more fit than I was the last time I was at my lowest adult weight and I have a lot more muscle, so for now I will focus on the 25 lb loss and then reassess once I get there!
Title: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 26, 2017, 01:08:16 PM
I am confused. Is this a weight loss program or a thread for support?

Looked at the new Weight Watchers program that just rolled out. It looks pretty good. Anyone on it?

I need to lose at least 50 lbs. have not stepped on the scale in a long time...too scared but know it has to be very bad.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: AmandaPanda on December 26, 2017, 02:33:45 PM
Sun Hat, My problem is definitely food intake.  I already work out regularly and have for almost two years, but the scale doesn't move because of my eating habits.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: iris lily on December 26, 2017, 02:57:15 PM
I am confused. Is this a weight loss program or a thread for support?

Looked at the new Weight Watchers program that just rolled out. It looks pretty good. Anyone on it?

I need to lose at least 50 lbs. have not stepped on the scale in a long time...too scared but know it has to be very bad.

Sure, I am doing the “new” Weight watchers program. i guess it is ok. Fish, beans, chicken breast and other dood items are noe 0 points. They rejigger the program about every two years and I am skeptical that their research really suggests these improvements,  ut now I think it is useful to bring freshness to a tired program to reset attitudes.

I like Weight Watchers. But
I never forget it is a commercial program. I used to think The American Dairy Council must be paying off WW ffor WW to insist on all of the milk products they required. But that is no longer part of the WW program, maybe the payoff stopped? Haha.
Title: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 26, 2017, 03:44:36 PM
Do you join WW and pay for a month then drop out once you have the information?

I was on it once a bunch of years ago and I guess they do have good recipes. I kinda forgot what else they offer other than the program.

I like my wine and that is a problem for weight loss! I see WW is selling their own wine but it has to be expensive for a tiny bottle!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 26, 2017, 04:05:39 PM
I am in.
My goal is to go from hovering around 133.5 to hovering around 127.
I am going to:
use a food journal
eat more veg
snack less
eat more clear broth soup with veg as part of my meal
get up at the same time every day and get to bed early so that I have time for yoga or pilates in the morning
go for a walk after dinner or lunch
bring my lunch when I am working in the city
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: remizidae on December 26, 2017, 05:51:26 PM
I need to lose at least 50 lbs. have not stepped on the scale in a long time...too scared but know it has to be very bad.

Get on the scale! That's the first, unavoidable step. If you weigh yourself every day, it'll become a habit and the fear will disappear.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: remizidae on December 26, 2017, 05:59:18 PM
I'd like to join too. After starting an office job in 2016, I've ballooned from 146 pounds with shoes to 151 without. Would like to get to 140 pounds by July 1. What I plan to try:


So far, I'm at 1056 calories out of my goal of 1800, and it's already after dinner.



 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on December 26, 2017, 06:07:58 PM
I’m in - I’m not going to set a total pounds lost goal for the year. That’s just too long. And I have a LOT to lose.  Right now, I don’t want to focus on the weight loss per se, but on healthier eating.

I already started 11/27/17, but I didn’t weigh myself until a few days later, so there is a little disconnect in my data.

I am tracking what I am eating, and calories, and weight. I don’t weigh myself everyday (the daily fluctuations are disheartening). I do try to weigh myself at about the same time of the day.  Tracking calories has worked for me in the past. It helps me monitor my eating during the day, and be more mindful about deciding what and how much to eat.  Snacking is my usual nemesis - so no more of that right now.

I need to check my tracking spreadsheet for my numbers so far.  Once a month sounds like a reasonable update frequency.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Cgbg on December 26, 2017, 06:11:28 PM
I’m in. I’d like to lose 40 lbs in 2018. I do WW (free benefit at work) and lost a bunch of weight in the last 11 months, though really nothing since August. I recently joined my work gym. It’s $4/month and that’s the price it’s been at since it opened in the 80s. I’m still not going there consistently but I am walking 30 mins at lunch four days a week. I need better strength so I’m looking at the gym to help with that.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: clarkai on December 26, 2017, 07:58:55 PM
I am at the tail end of a really long and slow weight loss/health improvement process that began when I got a few pounds into the 'obese' category when I was a teen (I'm now almost 30). Since then, I've lost 40 pounds, and am so close to my goal weight/body fat percentage. I've also gained a lot of strength, flexibility, etc, but that's not the focus of this thread, so I'll leave most of that out.

I'm currently around 133, and my goal is to get to hold steady in a range between 120 and 127. I've been in that range before, but it's really easy to slip out of my healthiest routine and gain just that little bit of chub. My aim is not so much about the number on the scale, my focus is more on body fat percentage (estimated visually) and performance.

When I am in that range, I usually am not eating any sugar or refined grains. That's the big difference for me between "just slightly chubbier than I'd like" and "damn! I look good!" I also feel way better when I don't eat those things, probably due to the hypoglycemia and diabetes that runs in my family. It's probably relevant that my exercise habits are relatively worked into my lifestyle (eg, I bike 4.5 miles round trip to my work every day- except once or twice a year when there is a lot of snow, or flooding) so I don't have that much wiggle room there, although there is some.

So Things I'm going to do to accomplish my goals:

1. Stop eating sugar/refined grains (that will be much easier once the last of the holiday parties is over!).

2. Drink a cup of water when ever I feel hungry and it's not a meal time (I tend to be under-hydrated).

3. Do bodyweight workout 3x/week.

4. Train acro/aerial/handstands 3x/week.

5. Run every day that I'm not sick. (I'm a teacher in my first 3 years of teaching, so I'm still getting sick pretty often)

6. Practice chin ups/push ups/pistol squats/glute exercises/hamstring exercises every day until I get to 12 in a row with good form. Then reassess/aim for 20.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Apple_Tango on December 26, 2017, 08:12:57 PM
My weight journey is frustrating. When I was 12 years old I was chubby, weighing 130 pounds. But then I hit a growth spurt so when I was 16 I was a normal weight for my height. I then put on a few pounds and was about 150 at my high school graduation, and have never weighed any less since then. Even at that weight I thought I was the fattest person alive, but of course now I look at pictures and think I looked very slim. During college and then post grad, I bounced from 150 to 180, back to 150, then up to 200, and now I’m at 241. It’s taken 8 years to gain 91 pounds, that’s about 11.5 pounds a year on average. In between all that time I have started and ended several sports, diets, and work out programs.

I have a history of binge eating sweets and bread/crackers, problems with late night snacking, and too large of portion sizes.  I have been plant based for 3 years now and I love eating this way due to ethical reasons, but I have not lost any weight at all. Still gaining the 11.5 pounds per year. Ugh. (When does my adult growth spurt start? I would look awesome if I was 8 feet tall!) So far this month my win is that I have not done any baking. I have no desire to eat eggs or dairy so the holidays went pretty well in terms of not over eating since I didn’t want to  eat anything that my family cooked haha. I brought a variety of roasted veggies so that’s what I was chowing down on. I’m aiming for 2000 calories per day.

Starting weight: 241
Starting pushups: 0
Starting mile pace: 16 min
Starting bench press: 55 pounds

Short term goals:
Goal 1: work out 4 days a week, an hour per day.
Goal 2: drink 8 glasses of water per day
Goal 3: eat 50 grams of fiber per day (fruits and veggies)
Goal 4: 14 min mile by July 2018
Goal 5: 220 pounds by July 2018

Long Term Goals:
Goal 6: 199 pounds by Dec 2018
Goal 7: 12 min mile by Dec 2018
Goal 8: 10 push-ups by Dec 2018
Goal 9: 70 pound bench press by Dec 2018

Lifestyle Goals:
Goal 10: Get back into a dance class
Goal 11: 150 pounds by my 30th birthday
Goal 12: do one pull up (I have NEVER done one before)
Goal 13: wear a bikini to the beach
Goal 14: sign up for some kind of fun run/obstacle course thing TBD
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on December 26, 2017, 08:40:32 PM
I agree with everyone that exercise alone doesn't work for losing weight. Too easy to outeat exercise calories.

I think WW is pretty good and have seen many friends lose weight successfully on it. But keeping it off still is challenging. Which I have found to be the same with pretty much any weight loss method.

@iris lily You are right though. We do have to remember that at the end of the day, WW is a business.

For myself, I used My Fitness Pal successfully in the past. It was free and helped me learn portion sizes and how to count calories. Now I can estimate pretty well and do usually manage to  lose weight whenever I am mindful, pay attention and am sufficiently motivated.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: westtoeast on December 27, 2017, 12:55:58 AM
Joining! I also posted goals around this in the Badassity Resolutions thread, but this will help with specific motivation.

Goal: -12 lbs (this will get me back to where I've been most of my life)
Strategies:
* Sugar on weekends only (and not excessive)
* Fasting 1X per week
* Smaller portions (use smaller plates to help)
* Light on empty carbs
* No eating after 7:00pm (drink tea to curb cravings)
* Exercise minimum 3X per week (running & weights/kettlebells)

Some extra ideas (many taken from other's posts):
- Lemon water in the morning
- Lots of veggie soups w/ a lean protein
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Sailor Sam on December 27, 2017, 01:01:02 AM
Yup.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: soccerluvof4 on December 27, 2017, 03:44:09 AM
I was hoping someone would start a weightloss for 2018.

I lost 60lbs about 3 years ago and the last 3 months about 4 lbs have creeped on slowly. So my goal now that I have kept for the most part of it off is to lose 15 more. I am 6'3 200 on the head so I would like to be a lean mean 185.  I don't do diets. "Name called diets" like ww or low carb etc.. I just overall make better decisions, smaller portions and exercise. So technically since were all on a diet be it a good one or not that is mine. The last 3 months I believe the things that contributed the most to this slow gain is I have been traveling alot more and in fact am leaving tonight but then will be home on January 1st for two months so perfect timing. I have had a sweet tooth of late and sugar is obviously not a good thing. Also due to injury to my foot and my bad knees combined with just keep getting older I need to find ways to work around these things which I have. So thats my goal. 185 sometime this year! No pressure
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Slow road to freedom on December 27, 2017, 04:29:07 AM
I’m in.

Although I have no real idea of how much I weigh - probably c 100kg (sorry for the metric), and I probably need to be closer to 90kg. Scales broke (not because of me, I hasten to add).

My target is not directly weight-related: the first step is to be able to comfortably wear 36 inch waist trousers. I currently squeeze into them.

To do so, I will eat less sugary products (and salted peanuts mmmm...) and do a little more exercise. Simples. But I’ve not done it yet, so might need some help and accountability to change habits bit by bit.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on December 27, 2017, 05:17:47 AM
I agree with everyone that exercise alone doesn't work for losing weight. Too easy to outeat exercise calories.

I think WW is pretty good and have seen many friends lose weight successfully on it. But keeping it off still is challenging. Which I have found to be the same with pretty much any weight loss method.

@iris lily You are right though. We do have to remember that at the end of the day, WW is a business.

For myself, I used My Fitness Pal successfully in the past. It was free and helped me learn portion sizes and how to count calories. Now I can estimate pretty well and do usually manage to  lose weight whenever I am mindful, pay attention and am sufficiently motivated.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

A few years ago when I was beginning a mostly failed attempt to lose weight, one of my best friends, who is the fittest person I know, told me that it's a lot easier to lose weight by cutting calories than by exercising. Now, he was not saying that exercise is not important, just that a calorie deficit is more effective for weight loss.

So this time, I have decided on the weight that I want to be, and then used an online calculator to find the calories needed to maintain that weight (2000 per day in my case), and that is my daily calorie target. My only focus is now trying to change my eating habits so that I routinely hit that calorie target (with a modest increase in exercise) and then I should not need to change anything else. If I can do that, then eventually I will get to my desired weight. It may take two or three years, but it took longer than that for me to put on this weight, and this seems like a more sustainable way of doing it than "dieting".

Maybe all of this is obvious to everyone else, but it was a new idea for me and something that I think I can stay with in the long term.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wintertell on December 27, 2017, 07:10:07 AM
Last year on Dec 27th I was 261. Today I am 217. I got down to as low as 203 in early November but then hit a rough patch of weight gain due to a bunch of life - a death in the family, new job, moving, holidays, etc. I let the amount of life change I am going through get in the way of paying any semblance of attention to what I am eating. I am back with it today.

My ultimate goal weight is 175. Ideally I would like to hit a little below this weight this year, and then bounce back up a bit in maintenance. I want to hit it this year before my husband and I start trying for kids mid-year. What works for me is wearing a Fitbit to track activity, using MyFitnessPal to track my calorie intake. I will aim for 1900 calories and try to get my steps up in the 6K-10K range every day. Next year I am incorporating the gym and fitness more into my life. I know you cannot out eat exercise, but I want to / need to get more physically fit and build muscle so that I raise my resting metabolism.

To be honest, if I can maintain below 200, I would be happy. I was so close (at 203 in early November) but I let stress and anxiety get in the way. I learned a lot about myself though - It doesn't matter how well I have it together when things go smoothly, when life gets stressful I still have TERRIBLE coping habits. Previously I was wondering if I could lose the weight without dealing with the coping habits. Now I realize I really can't as they are the main source of weight gain for me. Can't maintain an ideal weight if you have a huge hole in your plan for success. This is another major focus for me.
Title: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 27, 2017, 07:38:13 AM
Can anyone post the new 0 point list (200 items) that Weight Watchers came out with recently?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on December 27, 2017, 08:55:57 AM
I'm in!  I know counting calories works for me, but for some reason over the past few years I haven't been able to stick with it.  This time I need to make a commitment to track ALL food that I eat - including the random parties with snacks and dinners out, since those add up.

I also just paid for a year's worth of Jazzercise classes, which is the most fun form of exercise I've yet to encounter.  Hopefully it'll help me stay on track and also increase my overall health.

Good luck, everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on December 27, 2017, 12:49:15 PM
Exercise that's fun is the best kind!

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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on December 27, 2017, 02:11:59 PM
The numbers:

11/30/17:  Starting weight
12/27/17: - 8.80 lb
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on December 27, 2017, 03:12:04 PM
I'll join the thread this year, though I'm not sure how it will go. I'm due to defend my PhD in a few months so life is a bit crazy. Also my holiday season isn't over until early January. My breaking point was crossing over 195 last March and realizing that "the 200 club" was a legitimate possibility if I kept up what I was doing. :/ I started tracking calories with MyNetDiary (augh stupid name, great app), and lost 10-12 pounds by September, then fluctuatingly kept it off the rest of the year, though I stopped regularly tracking calories. Past ~4 months bf and I have cut down our meat intake for non-weight-loss health reasons (not fully vegetarian but vegetarian-curious/meat-as-a-treat mindset), and I think I've lost a pound or two from that, though no other purported benefits of plant based eating have been noted.

So...I hope to start the year roughly where I am now (or better!) in spite of intervening festivities...186lbs this morning at 5'3". My first goal is to break through 170 (which gets me out of the obese range by BMI, yikes, and back to where I started grad school, also). Achievable best weight is probably around 130 but I'm not really looking that far. Aiming for losing 1lb/week and celebrating every one that stays off!

Good things/habits when they happen:
-Meal planning (trying new recipes!)
-Salads for lunch (Bagged salads are great in a pinch! Frugality be darned; take my Taylor Farms from my cold dead fingers.)
-Attractive/enticing homemade food for lunch (vs 3 day old soggy stir fry...)
-Listening to hunger cues, particularly not eating when not actually hungry (not "nibbling" esp caloric foods)
-Measuring/portion control
-Getting a run in even 1-2x/week
-Salsa class 1-2x/week

Bad things/habits:
-Sweets/stress snacking
-"Too busy" to exercise (the emotional effects of this actually make me less focused and productive anyway)
-Liquid calories (juice or ginger beer, mostly, and like 0-1x night, not a case of Coke per day...)

My approach is moderation rather than abstinence, FWIW. I am very susceptible to "thirst in the desert" syndrome. If I tell myself I will never have a pastry or french fry again I will crave one until I break down; but I can tell myself I might have one tomorrow for weeks. Procrastination is great sometimes.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: swiper on December 27, 2017, 05:40:49 PM
12/27/2017 - 22.5 lbs

Goal: Consistent sub 20 lbs by mid 2018

Diet: 1 cup 2x/day -> 3/4 cup 2x/day feeding (Costco Kirkland adult indoor formula; meal planning not an issue).

This hasn't worked in the past due to:

Exercise: sourcing ideas from youtube



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on December 27, 2017, 05:46:04 PM
12/27/2017 - 22.5 lbs

Goal: Consistent sub 20 lbs by mid 2018

Diet: 1 cup 2x/day -> 3/4 cup 2x/day feeding (Costco Kirkland adult indoor formula; meal planning not an issue).

This hasn't worked in the past due to:
  • reliance on children feeding (over-feeding) -> task falls to me
  • hard to measure 3/4 cup consistently -> new smaller cup will be used

Exercise: sourcing ideas from youtube

Poor kitty...

Remarkably, even though I am very overweight, our dogs are not! They self-regulate very well. I could learn some things from them.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on December 27, 2017, 07:53:11 PM
The numbers:

11/30/17:  Starting weight
12/27/17: - 8.80 lb

So, I just realized that this represents losing about 2 lbs/week - and yet it kind of feels like failure. I need to deal with developing more realistic views about the pace of weight loss.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Phillderness on December 28, 2017, 06:37:41 AM
I'm in!  I signed up for Weight Watchers last month (mostly to shut my mum up, but also since she's been at it for a year and is 10 lbs away from her goal so something must be working.) I did the 3-month plan since it is the best bang for the buck, no meetings. If you do not want to shell out the cash (and I think that would be wise) you could just track using MFP or better yet journal your food and eat off their zero point items. I have also tried Whole 30 in the past, and love it but find it very, very hard to maintain after day 30. I tend to slingshot right back to where I was after a few months. If you suspect any kind of food intolerances, I suggest you try doing a Whole 30.

I personally have the goal to lose and keep off at least 10lbs in 2018.  Our food budget for two is $400/month, and I would like some accountability for that as well, so I'll be reporting those numbers as well.  For me, there is a strong correlation with my expanding waistline and being over budget with food.

Starting weight: 175

Here's the link to all the zero point foods if you would like to save yourself some money and not sign up for Weight Watchers.  Whole 30 has all their food lists and rules for free on their website.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iPvVV6zrB7PXpYPQ93DcpXJlGzD-Ua_y/view?usp=sharing

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on December 28, 2017, 06:46:27 AM
So after sitting around at my mom's house for a week and eating all kinds of rich food, I have actually lost 1.2 pounds. Baby was cluster feeding constantly for the first three days so I'm sure that helped. My scale says my percent body fat went up a bit, so I am going to get back into doing a little strength training every day. I feel like I am still a bit flabby around the middle from the pregnancy. Also my back was killing me after sitting in the car all day yesterday, so I will try to work in some yoga.

12/28 10.8 lbs from goal
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Phillderness on December 28, 2017, 07:22:22 AM
Can anyone post the new 0 point list (200 items) that Weight Watchers came out with recently?

Here you go!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iPvVV6zrB7PXpYPQ93DcpXJlGzD-Ua_y/view?usp=sharing
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 28, 2017, 08:02:00 AM
Goals for 2018:
-Lose 20 lbs
-Eat more fruit & veggies
-Run a half marathon

What didn't work in 2017:
-I have lupus, so if I save working out for the afternoon/evening, it's just an epic fail. - > need to work out in the morning.
-I stopped eating treats at work. This worked well. I actually avoided treats with a 85-90% success rate all year.
-Business traveling. This sucks & I never do well. Jet lag, beer, no access to food that I'm familiar with. -> I started to get better about working out, but there's a lot more work to do on business trips.
-Assuming walking casually was going to yield the same results as running. Shockingly, it did not. ;-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 28, 2017, 08:22:39 AM
Thanks for the list!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on December 28, 2017, 08:28:16 AM
I did some bodyweight exercises AND yoga last night after work. Baby steps.

How do you all distract yourselves when you're hungry? I'm having a terrible time focusing at work when my stomach's growling. My job is really slow and boring at this time of year so the work itself is not a distraction; I am having to sit here and try and look busy as anyone who might be able to give us the go-ahead to work on something is on vacation. And all I can think about is FOOD.

I've been drinking coffee or herbal tea when I'm still hungry after eating breakfast and/or lunch, but I'm getting tired of the constant bathroom runs - bladder the size of a thimble! It is currently 5°F outside (and I feel like it's not much warmer in the office :() so I'm having a hard time getting myself to drink plain water. Trying to convince myself that plain hot water isn't disgusting, but so far have not succeeded, haha.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Davin on December 28, 2017, 08:45:44 AM
... Trying to convince myself that plain hot water isn't disgusting, but so far have not succeeded, haha.

try a little squeeze of lemon in it?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on December 28, 2017, 08:48:01 AM
So after sitting around at my mom's house for a week and eating all kinds of rich food, I have actually lost 1.2 pounds. Baby was cluster feeding constantly for the first three days so I'm sure that helped. My scale says my percent body fat went up a bit, so I am going to get back into doing a little strength training every day. I feel like I am still a bit flabby around the middle from the pregnancy. Also my back was killing me after sitting in the car all day yesterday, so I will try to work in some yoga.

12/28 10.8 lbs from goal

Way to go!

I noticed on Christmas day that jeans I was worded about fitting into didn't even pinch. Sure enough, stepped on MIL's scale to weigh the suitcase this morning and it showed 8 lbs. less than the last time I was at the gym. I doubt I lost that much on vacation, but it was certainly something.

I second the lemon water, or herbal teas.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 28, 2017, 10:24:10 AM

How do you all distract yourselves when you're hungry? I'm having a terrible time focusing at work when my stomach's growling. My job is really slow and boring at this time of year so the work itself is not a distraction; I am having to sit here and try and look busy as anyone who might be able to give us the go-ahead to work on something is on vacation. And all I can think about is FOOD.

What about eating something that has a lot of fibre so it takes a while to digest.  Celery is like negative calories by the time it is digested.  Or even something that is hard to eat - such as pomegranite or orange with thick skin or pistachios or walnuts that you have to shell first.  The length of time it takes to eat it might help you feel satiated.  The other thing that I was wondering about is are you getting enough protein to hold off the hunger pains longer?

I agree - there is only so much herbal tea I want to drink. But at least walking to the loo is burning some calories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: FireHiker on December 28, 2017, 12:40:12 PM
I would like to join in! I am 5'3" and in the low 160's, although I haven't been on the scale in a couple weeks. Will step on it 1/1 and make it a Monday habit for the year.

I turn 40 in August, and really want to get this weight thing sorted out for good. I was down in the 135-140 range in 2008 and have a closet full of clothes that fit then. Since then I got re-married, had a miscarriage, had two babies just under two years apart, and just haven't been able to prioritize my health. The youngest is now 6 and it's time to get it together! I don't care so much about what the final number is on the scale. I want my "skinny" clothes to fit again and I want to be healthy. That seems to be somewhere in the 135-140 range for me because I have a larger bone structure. I was down under 130 for awhile and looked unhealthy even though it is well within the "normal" BMI range.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on December 28, 2017, 12:45:57 PM

What about eating something that has a lot of fibre so it takes a while to digest.  Celery is like negative calories by the time it is digested.  Or even something that is hard to eat - such as pomegranite or orange with thick skin or pistachios or walnuts that you have to shell first.  The length of time it takes to eat it might help you feel satiated.  The other thing that I was wondering about is are you getting enough protein to hold off the hunger pains longer?


According to MFP, no, not enough protein. I'm veg (eggs and dairy but no meat/fish) and get most of my protein from beans - and holy shit, I had NO idea how high-calorie and carby beans were. If I get enough protein for them then I'm always over my calorie limit. I'm going to try eggs for breakfast - I have a new Instant Pot and I'm told it makes great hard-boiled eggs that are easy to peel - important as I eat breakfast at work and don't want to make a mess. Can't control myself around nuts. Not a big fan of dairy when it's this cold out, except for warm melty cheese..... which I cannot control myself around either!

I have a hard time eating raw fruit/veg when it's {checks temp} - oh hey, we are now up to TEN degrees F! Heat Wave!

I actually did drink plain hot water today because it's so cold in the office. Dear facilities manager, I realize that 75 percent of the company's on vacation this week but the 25% who are here need hands that are not too numb to type.


This might sound batsh*t crazy and feel free to ignore if it doesn't apply, but (assuming you're eating enough/getting enough protein), have you tried reframing the growling? I found that when I first got on an eating plan my stomach would growl like that before meals. I started thinking to myself, "OH, that's the sound of calories burning. My stomach would like to eat, but it is not time yet. Plenty of people skip eating for an entire day, surely I can wait another few hours." For me, it kind of helped, and generally I was able to deal with it - not ignore it exactly, but smile to myself when I thought of the calories burning off.* After a little while of eating less as a routine, my stomach did not growl like that very often anymore, or maybe I just didn't notice it as much.
 

You know, that is actually helpful! It is the feeling of fat coming off, not the feeling of starvation and I'm-gonna-die! The fat just walks away! (Anyone else a Whovian here? Haha.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: happy on December 28, 2017, 03:40:38 PM
I need to do this. I'm not good with accountability when it comes to weight loss, since I usually fail. However I really need to to this. I will post my weight on 1/1/18 , and henceforward on  the first day of the month. I'd like to lose 2kg (4.4lbs)/month but from experience that will be a stretch goal. My first goal is to have a BMI that is no longer in the obese range - that could take all year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Chavak on December 28, 2017, 04:05:36 PM
I'm too embarrassed to admit how overweight I am, but it's a lot. My first goal is to lose 60 pounds. Just signed up for a beginners yoga class for seniors so that is my first step. Also bought some free weights to start working out at home since driving to the gym is a major pain. Bought an Instant Pot to make healthy meals, already using it and enjoying it.
After I drop the first 60 pounds, I'll set a new goal. And on and on until I get where I want to be.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: amazinglyandrew on December 29, 2017, 03:27:19 PM
I’m in! I’ve always struggled with eating too many sweets, but since my son was born several years ago (and my sleep has been not so good since) it’s gotten out of control. My weight generally fluctuates somewhere in the 180’s, but lately has gotten up to 193. I think 173 would be a healthy number for me (I’m 5’10”) so I’m going to shoot for an ambitious goal of 20 pounds in 20 weeks. It’s a lot, but I’m going to kick it off with a Whole30 starting January 2nd, which I’ve done once before and I lost 10 pounds that month.

Goals:
-Lose 20 pounds in 20 weeks
-Complete a Whole30 on January 31st
-Go to bed by 10 4-5 nights per week
-Do p90x3 every weekday after work
-Play ultimate frisbee on Sundays
-Make a weekly menu every Sunday

I know that it’s a steep goal, but I have found that I work best when I’m under pressure, so I’m more likely to lose the weight if I set a challenging-but-feasible goal than if I set a reasonable goal of say, 20 pounds in 1 year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: frugalkristen on December 29, 2017, 03:34:40 PM
I need to lose 12 pounds.  I plan to lose 6 during January.  I'm doing a no alcohol month and also not eating after 6pm.  I'm 48 yrs old, 5'6" and 132 pounds.  Time to take off the few pounds that I put on the last few years.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: hegemony on December 29, 2017, 06:05:41 PM
I'd like to lose between 10 and 15 lbs, but I'm not sure how realistic that is - usually as I get fitter I get smaller, but don't drop a lot of weight.  Instead, I think I'm going to focus on some more activity-focused goals and hope that some positive changes follow.

With that in mind, I have a few goals:

Exercise 30 minutes per day
At least two strength and two cardio sessions per week
Run a 5K and a 10K in 2018
Continue with 16/8 intermittent fasting
Walk or bike for all local errands
Stand at least two hours per day at work
Eat at least eight servings of fruits and veggies daily
Drink eight glasses of water daily
No sugar/refined grains for January
Sleep 8 hours every night

If nothing else, this has proven to be a pretty good recipe for good health for me in the past, and any weight loss that comes along with it will be a bonus.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on December 30, 2017, 07:39:36 AM
I'm in for 2018! This thread is so helpful for me.

I lost 10 pounds in the 2016 thread, gained 15 pounds at the end of 2016, and spent 2017 slowly losing it again and hitting my maintenance weight.

I'm up 5 pounds from goal this morning. Thanks Christmas Cookies!

Last year several folks in the last thread encouraged me to try My Fitness Pal and I have found it incredibly helpful for maintaining and getting my food intake back on track when my weight starts to tick up.

I started logging my food again this morning :)

Start Weight: 145
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 30, 2017, 07:41:32 AM
I just installed my fitness pal on my phone.  Hopefully it works out for me as well as for others.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on December 30, 2017, 11:13:08 AM
OK, so, I think My Fitness Pal may be giving me too few calories. It told me I get 1,200 calories, given my weight. I have been logging every day since the day after Xmas, this week, and mostly staying within that limit - I was 100-150 calories over a couple days because I was just so ravenous I couldn't sleep so I had a small snack.

And even with the 4-day orgy of sweets and wine that was Christmas, I lost 3 lbs. this week. Which on one hand I'm happy about! But OTOH I know you're only supposed to lose a pound or 2 a week - and maybe I don't need to restrict myself so hard and be starving and miserable all the time if 1,200 calories results in rapid weight loss for me?

I did yoga a couple days, and strength training 1 day, but have not been doing hard workouts or anything.

So - how do I know how many calories my body really needs? Do I just bump it up by a couple hundred a day and see if I'm still losing? I am close to my goal and don't want to start gaining it all back.

Honestly, I have no idea what it is that my body wants, these days.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on December 30, 2017, 11:18:47 AM
OK, so, I think My Fitness Pal may be giving me too few calories. It told me I get 1,200 calories, given my weight. I have been logging every day since the day after Xmas, this week, and mostly staying within that limit - I was 100-150 calories over a couple days because I was just so ravenous I couldn't sleep so I had a small snack.

And even with the 4-day orgy of sweets and wine that was Christmas, I lost 3 lbs. this week. Which on one hand I'm happy about! But OTOH I know you're only supposed to lose a pound or 2 a week - and maybe I don't need to restrict myself so hard and be starving and miserable all the time if 1,200 calories results in rapid weight loss for me?

I did yoga a couple days, and strength training 1 day, but have not been doing hard workouts or anything.

So - how do I know how many calories my body really needs? Do I just bump it up by a couple hundred a day and see if I'm still losing? I am close to my goal and don't want to start gaining it all back.

Honestly, I have no idea what it is that my body wants, these days.

As long as you are satisfied, keep one goal for a few weeks before changing it up. Weight loss is not linear.

Maybe bump it up 100-200, then keep that goal at least through the end of January. Bumping the number up every few days won't really help you learn much.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on December 30, 2017, 11:25:01 AM
OK, so, I think My Fitness Pal may be giving me too few calories. It told me I get 1,200 calories, given my weight. I have been logging every day since the day after Xmas, this week, and mostly staying within that limit - I was 100-150 calories over a couple days because I was just so ravenous I couldn't sleep so I had a small snack.

And even with the 4-day orgy of sweets and wine that was Christmas, I lost 3 lbs. this week. Which on one hand I'm happy about! But OTOH I know you're only supposed to lose a pound or 2 a week - and maybe I don't need to restrict myself so hard and be starving and miserable all the time if 1,200 calories results in rapid weight loss for me?

I did yoga a couple days, and strength training 1 day, but have not been doing hard workouts or anything.

So - how do I know how many calories my body really needs? Do I just bump it up by a couple hundred a day and see if I'm still losing? I am close to my goal and don't want to start gaining it all back.

Honestly, I have no idea what it is that my body wants, these days.

As long as you are satisfied, keep one goal for a few weeks before changing it up. Weight loss is not linear.

Maybe bump it up 100-200, then keep that goal at least through the end of January. Bumping the number up every few days won't really help you learn much.

I agree. When I first started MFP I dropped several pounds a week for the first couple weeks (and I had mine set for a half pound a week). After that my weight slowed to .25-.5 pounds a week. Stay the course for a few weeks and see how it works.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on December 30, 2017, 12:24:45 PM
It only gave me 1260, I edited the goal to 1560, and it gives me extra calories if I exercise.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Futtee on December 30, 2017, 12:28:57 PM
I'm in!  I frequently binge on sweets, my downfall.  Tough to keep sweets out of the house as the other members of my family love them and don't have the same problem.

I am not sure my exact weight, but I think it's around 142.  I'm 5'6" and 47 y.o.  I've steadily gained weight in the last 10 years.  My lowest weight was an unhealthy 114 (in 2007, when I was very depressed), but I felt and looked my best at around 125.  I would love to get down to that weight.

I am going through late perimenopause or in the early stages of menopause, and my doctor told me to expect to gain weight around my middle as a result.  I know it will be an uphill battle, but I would like to prove her wrong.

I don't have any kind of plans or strategy at this point.  I don't envision myself changing my exercise routine, or exercising more than I already do (a combo of yoga and walking, daily), so diet will need to do most of the heavy lifting.  I am considering experimenting with eating meditation.  Setting rules/guidelines around how, when, and where I eat to ensure distractions are minimal, and that I can taste each bite of food.  I am curious to see if I can lose weight with this method, vs. sticking to an actual diet like WW, which I know I will not follow...

There.  I put it out there, and now I have some accountability.

So glad to have this supportive community!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on December 30, 2017, 12:29:21 PM
I agree. When I first started MFP I dropped several pounds a week for the first couple weeks (and I had mine set for a half pound a week). After that my weight slowed to .25-.5 pounds a week. Stay the course for a few weeks and see how it works.

I've been dieting since October, though, and losing pretty steadily at 1-2 lbs/week. But I wasn't tracking strictly. I decided to try it this week because I felt gross after overeating so much at Christmas. So I don't think this is the initial quick loss that a lot of people experience.

lhamo, I am around 5'9" and I did think it was too low, but as I've no idea what my body is doing these days (thanks perimenopause!), I decided to trust the experts and see what happened. Typically the women in my family start packing on weight quickly around my age; pretty much the entire dad's side of my family is morbidly obese, so I'm not sure whether I have that genetic predisposition as I'm not quite as old as them yet? I am starting to think, though, that despite all of the evangelists in the MFP forums who are all "calories in, calories out, you must ALWAYS track every morsel, accurately, and stick to your limit or else you are going to be FAT", it's not really a one-size-fits-all plan.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on December 30, 2017, 12:58:30 PM
I agree. When I first started MFP I dropped several pounds a week for the first couple weeks (and I had mine set for a half pound a week). After that my weight slowed to .25-.5 pounds a week. Stay the course for a few weeks and see how it works.

I've been dieting since October, though, and losing pretty steadily at 1-2 lbs/week. But I wasn't tracking strictly. I decided to try it this week because I felt gross after overeating so much at Christmas. So I don't think this is the initial quick loss that a lot of people experience.

lhamo, I am around 5'9" and I did think it was too low, but as I've no idea what my body is doing these days (thanks perimenopause!), I decided to trust the experts and see what happened. Typically the women in my family start packing on weight quickly around my age; pretty much the entire dad's side of my family is morbidly obese, so I'm not sure whether I have that genetic predisposition as I'm not quite as old as them yet? I am starting to think, though, that despite all of the evangelists in the MFP forums who are all "calories in, calories out, you must ALWAYS track every morsel, accurately, and stick to your limit or else you are going to be FAT", it's not really a one-size-fits-all plan.

That is really low! I'm 5'5" (and a half :)) and I get 1450 a day. Are you set for a half pound of weight loss a week? I think if you set for two pounds a week and sedentary it automatically gives you 1200 a day. 

I think it also depends what your current weight is. If your current weight is already at a healthy BMI for your height you are more likely to be given 1200 (or this is what I've gleaned from their forums). Their algorithm is definitely not perfect and I'd say it is weighted to people who have more weight to lose than people who are trying to drop 10 pounds.

I agree it is not one size fits all. I have adjusted the heck out of it and basically just use it as tool (but I do not use MRP's guidelines). I reset all the macros to what works best for me and don't utilize work out points because I don't think they are calculated correctly for my body.

Since you've been losing weight a while I would definitely try adjusting your settings a bit then. I'd either manually bump up your calories, adjust your weekly weight loss goal, or bump up your activity level in your settings.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on December 30, 2017, 02:14:18 PM
I'd like to play along. I'm currently 10lbs above a healthy weight and 15 above my ideal weight. I would *love* to be 10lbs lighter by my bday in June.

Someone posted this image elsewhere on the forum and of course I can't remember who or where, so I found it on the interwebs. I present the Weight Loss Trapezoid and the Happiness Paper Hat.
(https://i.imgur.com/XGu43hl.jpg)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on December 30, 2017, 03:00:22 PM
This article on keeping resolutions (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/opinion/sunday/the-only-way-to-keep-your-resolutions.html?action=click&contentCollection=opinion&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront) has some findings that might apply here. TLDR: cultivating feelings of compassion, gratitude and pride help us do good things for others and for our future selves.

Quote
The research on self-control shows that willpower, for all its benefits, wanes over time. As we try to make ourselves study, work, exercise or save money, the mental effort to keep focused and motivated increases until it seems too difficult to bear.

Worse, exerting willpower can take a psychological and physical toll. As recent work by the Northwestern University psychologist Greg Miller has shown, willing oneself to be “gritty” can be quite stressful. Studying about 300 teenagers from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, Professor Miller found that those who were better at using self-control did have more success when it came to resisting temptations, but at a cost to their health. Their bodies suffered not only from increased stress responses, but also from premature aging of their immune cells.

Quote
What these findings show is that pride, gratitude and compassion, whether we consciously realize it or not, reduce the human mind’s tendency to discount the value of the future. In so doing, they push us not only to cooperate with other people but also to help our own future selves. Feeling pride or compassion has been shown to increase perseverance on difficult tasks by over 30 percent. Likewise, gratitude and compassion have been tied to better academic performance, a greater willingness to exercise and eat healthily, and lower levels of consumerism, impulsivity and tobacco and alcohol use.

If using willpower causes stress, using these emotions actually heals: They slow heart rate, lower blood pressure and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. By making us value the future more, they ease the way to patience and perseverance.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on December 30, 2017, 03:57:20 PM
I agree. When I first started MFP I dropped several pounds a week for the first couple weeks (and I had mine set for a half pound a week). After that my weight slowed to .25-.5 pounds a week. Stay the course for a few weeks and see how it works.

I've been dieting since October, though, and losing pretty steadily at 1-2 lbs/week. But I wasn't tracking strictly. I decided to try it this week because I felt gross after overeating so much at Christmas. So I don't think this is the initial quick loss that a lot of people experience.

lhamo, I am around 5'9" and I did think it was too low, but as I've no idea what my body is doing these days (thanks perimenopause!), I decided to trust the experts and see what happened. Typically the women in my family start packing on weight quickly around my age; pretty much the entire dad's side of my family is morbidly obese, so I'm not sure whether I have that genetic predisposition as I'm not quite as old as them yet? I am starting to think, though, that despite all of the evangelists in the MFP forums who are all "calories in, calories out, you must ALWAYS track every morsel, accurately, and stick to your limit or else you are going to be FAT", it's not really a one-size-fits-all plan.

That is really low! I'm 5'5" (and a half :)) and I get 1450 a day. Are you set for a half pound of weight loss a week? I think if you set for two pounds a week and sedentary it automatically gives you 1200 a day. 

I think it also depends what your current weight is. If your current weight is already at a healthy BMI for your height you are more likely to be given 1200 (or this is what I've gleaned from their forums). Their algorithm is definitely not perfect and I'd say it is weighted to people who have more weight to lose than people who are trying to drop 10 pounds.

I agree it is not one size fits all. I have adjusted the heck out of it and basically just use it as tool (but I do not use MRP's guidelines). I reset all the macros to what works best for me and don't utilize work out points because I don't think they are calculated correctly for my body.

Since you've been losing weight a while I would definitely try adjusting your settings a bit then. I'd either manually bump up your calories, adjust your weekly weight loss goal, or bump up your activity level in your settings.


I'm only 5'4 and have successfully lost weight in the past eating 1600 calories a day.  I think if you're having trouble sleeping because you're hungry, it's set too low.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on December 30, 2017, 04:03:51 PM
I shared this in the 2016 thread, but in case it's helpful for anyone else, here's my favorite calorie-tracking site:

https://www.supertracker.usda.gov

I like it because it keeps track of your portions of the different food groups.  The last time I got serious about calorie tracking, I was pretty shocked by how many carbs I was eating vs. things like protein.  It can be fun to use the site to meal plan and make sure I'm getting plenty of veggies and protein, especially.

Downside is that it's not available as an app.  That mostly works fine for me though, because I track in the morning at home (breakfast and lunch) and then usually log on again at work to plan out my dinner to complement my first two meals.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on December 30, 2017, 05:07:25 PM

That is really low! I'm 5'5" (and a half :)) and I get 1450 a day. Are you set for a half pound of weight loss a week? I think if you set for two pounds a week and sedentary it automatically gives you 1200 a day. 

I think it also depends what your current weight is. If your current weight is already at a healthy BMI for your height you are more likely to be given 1200 (or this is what I've gleaned from their forums). Their algorithm is definitely not perfect and I'd say it is weighted to people who have more weight to lose than people who are trying to drop 10 pounds.

I agree it is not one size fits all. I have adjusted the heck out of it and basically just use it as tool (but I do not use MRP's guidelines). I reset all the macros to what works best for me and don't utilize work out points because I don't think they are calculated correctly for my body.

Since you've been losing weight a while I would definitely try adjusting your settings a bit then. I'd either manually bump up your calories, adjust your weekly weight loss goal, or bump up your activity level in your settings.

I was set at 1 lb/week. I just changed it to 0.5 lb/week and it gave me 1,350 - I'll see how that feels but it still strikes me as low so I may manually bump it up and see what happens.

It's good to hear that my instincts are right and that this might not be accurate for my body. I was reading the MFP forums, and MAN, those folks are intense re "OMG, log EVERY calorie and stick to your limit or else FAT FAT FATTY MCFATTERSON FAT." I think maybe I'll stick to this forum instead. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 30, 2017, 07:33:25 PM
^ ha ha ^ Tris Prior.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on December 31, 2017, 04:51:29 AM
I'd like to join for some accountability too!

I don't have to lose a lot of weight, but I try to get it off before it becomes a problem.

December 29 weight: 77,5 kg
Goal:                        72,0 kg


I don't have a very special strategy, I'm just going to eat less and exercise more.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on December 31, 2017, 07:10:51 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


Like the idea of goals - here are our goals for Jan:
1) 5000 steps per day
2) 6 stairs per day
3) one meal of veggies and fruits only per day
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: tightwaddy on December 31, 2017, 07:19:05 AM
Thank you for starting this thread--I'm on board.  Have lost and gained my whole adult life and I'd really like to get off the roller-coaster and there's so much pragmatism posted here already.

Will turn 47 next month, am currently right around 180 and 5'4".  Want to get back to the 140s.

PLAN:
MFP set to 1100 calories plus synched with my FitBit. This means I end up with around 1350 if I don't exercise and 1600 if I do. Shoot for 40-30-30 balance.
Weigh-in weekly on Mondays.

PITFALLS:
Beer
Stress eating
Very sedentary lifestyle
Mindful /= me

JANUARY GOALS:
5000 steps every day (this is actually a stretch goal, given sedentary lifestyle)
150 minutes of activity every week
Track in MFP every day
2 minute daily gratitude meditation (loved that NYT Resolutions article).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: frugalkristen on December 31, 2017, 07:27:37 AM
I planned to start in January but was not happy with the scale a few days ago so joined MFP and got serious.  I weighed 127 today - down from 132.  Very happy with the progress (and yes I'm eating!).  MFP is set for 1200 calories a day but I have gone over a few.  When I get down to 122, I'll up that to 1500 per day.  Today will be my last day with alcohol (giving that up for January), so I think that will help (even just a beer or two at night is not good!).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreams_and_discoveries on December 31, 2017, 07:50:25 AM
Count me in - I'm the heaviest I've been since losing weight a few years ago, and need to get back down to a good running weight (which does tend to be on the lower side of heathy).

I'm doing a dry January, and also going to log all my food - I find the effort of logging alone stop me snacking so much, and makes me much more careful about what I eat.  So cake and chocolate will also be banished for January.

Good luck everyone, I know we can do it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on December 31, 2017, 02:18:19 PM
Lost 2.8 lbs this week and 10.8 lbs since the start!

11/26/2017     253.4
12/03/2017     252.4
12/10/2017     250.2
12/17/2017     247.2
12/24/2017     245.4
12/31/2017     242.6

Good progress so far, just need to stick with it. Goal is 210 lbs one year from today which seems achievable, even accounting for the fact that my rate of weight loss will decrease over time.

From now on I will update at the end of each month.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: frugalkristen on December 31, 2017, 02:49:08 PM
Lost 2.8 lbs this week and 10.8 lbs since the start!

11/26/2017     253.4
12/03/2017     252.4
12/10/2017     250.2
12/17/2017     247.2
12/24/2017     245.4
12/31/2017     242.6

Good progress so far, just need to stick with it. Goal is 210 lbs one year from today which seems achievable, even accounting for the fact that my rate of weight loss will decrease over time.

From now on I will update at the end of each month.

That is awesome!!!  You can do this!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on December 31, 2017, 04:19:40 PM
Lost 2.8 lbs this week and 10.8 lbs since the start!

11/26/2017     253.4
12/03/2017     252.4
12/10/2017     250.2
12/17/2017     247.2
12/24/2017     245.4
12/31/2017     242.6

Good progress so far, just need to stick with it. Goal is 210 lbs one year from today which seems achievable, even accounting for the fact that my rate of weight loss will decrease over time.

From now on I will update at the end of each month.

That is awesome!!!  You can do this!!!

Thanks @frugalkristen! Happy New Year and good luck to all!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 01, 2018, 06:27:29 AM
1/1/18 - Weight 146.6, Waist 31 5/8"
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: tightwaddy on January 01, 2018, 06:51:32 AM
January 1: 176.6 (35% fat)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alleykat on January 01, 2018, 08:14:56 AM
1/1/18- 166

Would like to get down to 140.  26 lbs to lose.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: frugalkristen on January 01, 2018, 08:46:12 AM
Down to 126.5 (from 132).  I'm tracking calories on MFP.  I'm giving up alcohol for January so that should help as well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 01, 2018, 10:05:03 AM
Is anyone else new to measuring and weighing their food, and absolutely blown away at how small portion sizes are? It is really shocking to me. I'm using smaller plates, but still. I really miss being able to eat until satisfied.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 01, 2018, 10:09:31 AM
Is anyone else new to measuring and weighing their food, and absolutely blown away at how small portion sizes are? It is really shocking to me. I'm using smaller plates, but still. I really miss being able to eat until satisfied.

Yeah, especially carb servings - like how one bagel is 4/5 of the bread/grain products I was supposed to eat in one day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: socalwkr on January 01, 2018, 10:11:56 AM
I am in! Need to lose 8 pounds. Laying off drinking socially and the carbs are my focuses and working out at least 3x per week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on January 01, 2018, 11:04:38 AM
Happy New Year everyone. Just an FYI to anyone using an activity tracker or apps like MFP, Lose It, etc. you can link the app to your Walgreens loyalty card and get points for exercise and weigh-ins. You can also sign up for Achievemint and get cash rewards for selling your data (I know this works with Fitbit, not sure what other trackers).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 01, 2018, 11:30:34 AM
I agree. When I first started MFP I dropped several pounds a week for the first couple weeks (and I had mine set for a half pound a week). After that my weight slowed to .25-.5 pounds a week. Stay the course for a few weeks and see how it works.

I've been dieting since October, though, and losing pretty steadily at 1-2 lbs/week. But I wasn't tracking strictly. I decided to try it this week because I felt gross after overeating so much at Christmas. So I don't think this is the initial quick loss that a lot of people experience.

lhamo, I am around 5'9" and I did think it was too low, but as I've no idea what my body is doing these days (thanks perimenopause!), I decided to trust the experts and see what happened. Typically the women in my family start packing on weight quickly around my age; pretty much the entire dad's side of my family is morbidly obese, so I'm not sure whether I have that genetic predisposition as I'm not quite as old as them yet? I am starting to think, though, that despite all of the evangelists in the MFP forums who are all "calories in, calories out, you must ALWAYS track every morsel, accurately, and stick to your limit or else you are going to be FAT", it's not really a one-size-fits-all plan.
Are you including your exercise calories? Double check all your settings as 1200 Cals seems really low for 5ft 9. Also if u set yourself as sedentary,  make sure u add in any and all exercise you do and eat those exercise calories.

When I started MFP, I only ate half my exercise calories and was losing 2 lbs a week. It was moving quickly but I was eating so little that I was fatigued and cranky all the time. I adjusted my eating to the recommendations and my energy levels improved.
My goal is to *stop* losing weight this year.

I gained at least 65lbs over 4 years during my doctorate, I threw out my scale when I saw 199 on the scale, so I was somewhere over 200, but who knows exactly. My BMI was just into “obese” at 31.

I spent those 4 years gaining slowly at about a pound or two a month and I spent 4 years losing at the same pound or two a month pace. I then kept losing and am now down at least 72lbs, and down to a very slim 128lbs, at 5’7”, BMI 20.

I expect to keep losing down to my low-mid 120s, which means my weight loss will finally end, which I’m looking forward to. Anymore and I would be under weight.

How I lose weight:
Here is the interesting part.
I don’t diet. I can’t do it. It’s miserable.
I decided to eat the way a normal healthy lean person would eat because a healthy diet can’t sustain an obese weight. By not putting a timeline on it, it made the whole process stupid-easy. I like easy.

I also didn’t try to eat less, not until I was already at a healthy weight.
I actually tried to eat A LOT, I figured that if I flooded my diet with healthy foods, I wouldn’t have room for crap. Little by little, I made small, permanent, incremental, and enjoyable steps along the way. I just kept adding more and more veggies, whole grains, fish, etc until after a few years, my diet ended up ideal for maintaining a low weight.

This also means that I don’t have to go through the whole transition from loss to maintenance issue. I just keep on eating the way I enjoy and never worry about regaining.

It’s not a fast approach, but when you realize that the weight *will* come off, it’s actually quite easy to be patient. It’s not a question of if, it’s just a matter of when.
The time will pass regardless of what you do. It’s being in a rush that makes the whole thing so difficult.
I really like this. I am no longer tracking closely but having trouble figuring out how to eat like a thin person for the rest of my life. That one has been harder than expectedand I have slipped back into my old ways several times.
Is anyone else new to measuring and weighing their food, and absolutely blown away at how small portion sizes are? It is really shocking to me. I'm using smaller plates, but still. I really miss being able to eat until satisfied.
I hear ya. Everything I restart, I am hungry for at least a couple of weeks as my stomach shrinks to adjust to normal portion sizes. MFP and counting calories diligently for the first few months REALLY helped me learn portion sizes. I was very diligent about it, weighing everything down to the gram, including everything I cooked at home. I even brought my little food scale to work every day and weighed my yogurt and granola. Yes it was nitpicky but I really needed to learn.

I found MFP surprisingly accurate and it was funny to see my weight drop at practically exactly the rate the math said it would. Yes sometimes it would take a couple of weeks. Weight loss isn't linear. But funnily enough, my weight did indeed drop at my predicted amounts. In my case, the math was more correct than I had anticipated.

I haven't tracked as closely since then though.  It works but I have never mustered the energy and dedication to track to that level. Still, when I am mindful and motivated, I can do pretty well and lose weight.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on January 01, 2018, 11:32:45 AM
Starting off on the right foot: I put breakfast into MFP before I even ate it.

I can do my finances without close tracking, but I have rarely been able to lose weight without tracking.

DH watches me portion out my good, then tells me how many multiples of that he wants
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: pecunia on January 01, 2018, 11:58:24 AM
I had a comment written, but it somehow went into the bit bucket.

How do you folks feel about the juicing thing?  I saw the Joe Cross movies and was impressed.  Will a "reboot" really set you up to crave healthy food instead of fat food and sugary stuff?

I am hoping to retire this year and I am also considering fasting.  I've read it cleans a lot of poisons out of your system.  Many cultures think it is good for you spiritually.  I believe I will have better control of my eating after I retire.  OK - Better eating is good for all parts of the body.  However, one part that is rarely discussed is the brain.  Do you think better if you eat more healthy?

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

I'm going to try a different kind of diet.  I hope to just listen to my body.  When it tells me I am hungry I will eat.  I often eat by the clock today.  Has anyone tried this?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 01, 2018, 12:17:34 PM
He now uses a 1 cup measuring cup to approximate a small serving. Our meals are around 400 calories each, it’s a very small amount of food, but you get used to it and will eventually feel full with smaller amounts of food as your stomach learns to anticipate smaller volumes.

I sure hope so, because it's been 2 months and I am still so hungry all the time and sometimes I just can't stick to it. :(


Are you including your exercise calories? Double check all your settings as 1200 Cals seems really low for 5ft 9. Also if u set yourself as sedentary,  make sure u add in any and all exercise you do and eat those exercise calories.

Well, that's another thing that I need to figure out about MFP. I have been doing bodyweight strength training. When I log that, it doesn't tell me that I've burned any calories. Does that seem right?

I did set myself to sedentary as it said that's what you should put if you have a desk job. And I changed my goal to lose .5 lb/week, which gives me 1350 calories. I'll see how that goes and see if that is indeed the rate that I lose at.

Are you supposed to log any physical activity at all, or is it just formal workouts? Like, should I be putting in my 10-minute walk to and from the train on work days? That is just part of my regular daily routine so I don't consider that exercise.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 01, 2018, 01:14:52 PM
I had a comment written, but it somehow went into the bit bucket.

How do you folks feel about the juicing thing?  I saw the Joe Cross movies and was impressed.  Will a "reboot" really set you up to crave healthy food instead of fat food and sugary stuff?

I am hoping to retire this year and I am also considering fasting.  I've read it cleans a lot of poisons out of your system.  Many cultures think it is good for you spiritually.  I believe I will have better control of my eating after I retire.  OK - Better eating is good for all parts of the body.  However, one part that is rarely discussed is the brain.  Do you think better if you eat more healthy?

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

I'm going to try a different kind of diet.  I hope to just listen to my body.  When it tells me I am hungry I will eat.  I often eat by the clock today.  Has anyone tried this?

I did a juice/smoothie thing last January or so to help kick the sugar cravings. I did not lose weight but stopped wanting ice cream all the time.  This is the one I did:

http://www.doctoroz.com/article/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-one-sheet

I did the three days and then I think I had a smoothie for lunch every day.

My weight loss didn't start until I started counting calories (which I hate) but I was very primed for it with the healthy smoothies.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 01, 2018, 01:47:18 PM
Ok, here goes!  Logged my meals for the day and about to go do a little cardio.

2 challenges for myself for January:

1.  Log all food eaten, no excuses.
2.  Zero sugary treats - cookies, candy, cake, hot chocolate, etc.

I'm also not drinking right now because of a medication I'm on.  That's been about a month and has been easier than I expected.  That makes me feel encouraged about the zero sugary foods challenge.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Ms.BecomingFI on January 01, 2018, 01:50:21 PM
Also in! =)

My first goal is to lose 4 pounds, as this will bring me into the "ideal" weight range for my height.  Hoping to give myself the quick win with a small goal to stay motivated for the year and future goals. =)  I want to do this by the first week of March.  I think my exercise habits are actually pretty good and consistent, so I want to focus on my portion sizes.  So... what I will do is track my calories on MyFitnessPal and not eat any fast food in the month of January.  I have a lot more freezer space now (I share a freezer with roomies and we recently got a deep freezer!) so having ready made frozen soups and stuff (just by being able to make extra and freezing) will help with that aspect!  No more, I'm too busy tonight excuses!  Hoping this post will keep me on track!  The public declaration and all. =). So here is the summary for myself...

Goal 1: Lose 4 lbs by 3/3

Hanging this on a Post-It on my bathroom mirror!  Goal 2 to follow in March. =)
I have already been tracking for 7 days =) Happy accountability and motivation, everyone! =)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Bee21 on January 01, 2018, 02:00:49 PM
I am joining you guys. Last year I lost 10% of bodyweight with doing the 1200 cals for 12 weeks, but then work stress crept up and I put it back on.

The best thing last year was developing an exercise habit. I go 4 times a year plus swimming and I surprisingly enjoy it. I get cranky if I can't go.

Today I am fasting (veg+fruit for breakfast and soup for lunch). I have to get a jump start as I have around 20 kgs to lose. Being fat is depressing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: frugalkristen on January 01, 2018, 02:04:27 PM
Just finished food prepping for the week.  4 breakfasts and 4 lunches made and packed in the fridge.  For breakfast, I made 2 scrambled eggs and 1.5 slices of bacon.  For lunch, teriyaki cubed steak, asparagus and roasted rosemary potatoes (small portion).  If I'm hungry at dinner, I'll have a lean cuisine (I caved and bought some for those nights when I'm just too tired to cook).  Not having to think about what to eat during my work week really helps staying on track.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ChipmunkSavings on January 01, 2018, 02:06:23 PM
Thank you Elaine for starting this thread! I've been watching the weight loss threads, but I feel this is the perfect time to jump in. I've had a couple of false starts in 2017 to lose weight, but I am more motivated than ever. I have a huge hiking trip planned in three months for which I need to get in shape, and I also have a wedding in September.

I currently hover around the 190-192 lb mark, although I was slightly higher this morning post-NYE celebrations.
My goal is to reach sub-160lb, preferably before September (so 9 months), and ideally sub-175 in April (for the hiking). I will achieve this with a combination of meal planning, healthier grocery shopping (which will also help with my personal grocery budget challenge!) and exercising. I tend to lose weight very slowly, so I get discouraged easily when numbers don't cooperate quickly enough.

This month, I'll be doing Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred program. It's 30 days of exercise, and a good way to get back to exercising. Just plug in music and go. I'll also start on LoseIt, to track calories.

I've always been puzzled by the fact that I can track dollars and make budget cuts rather easily, but calories and food are a whole different ball game. Why is eating so much more emotionally-charged for me than making purchases? I've never had the ''rush'' of buying stuff, but getting some chocolate will definitely do the trick. I really want to figure out what makes me react this way to food, and how to re-organize my thinking in a healthier manner.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 01, 2018, 04:57:03 PM
I stumbled upon this 30 Days of Yoga challenge and am sharing it because 1) free! 2) I really like the Yoga with Adriene Youtube channel and have been doing some of her practices off and on for the past few weeks. I am hoping that this will not only help me form a habit of exercising daily, but also will help sort out my head and relieve stress.

http://yogawithadriene.com/true-30-day-yoga-journey/
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: tightwaddy on January 01, 2018, 05:20:13 PM
I've always been puzzled by the fact that I can track dollars and make budget cuts rather easily, but calories and food are a whole different ball game. Why is eating so much more emotionally-charged for me than making purchases? I've never had the ''rush'' of buying stuff, but getting some chocolate will definitely do the trick. I really want to figure out what makes me react this way to food, and how to re-organize my thinking in a healthier manner.

I've been reading about how some personalities (e.g.,kids & marshmallows psych experiments) are better at discounting present value in favor of greater future returns. I can do this with money until the cows come home. I can do this with education and career (powered through my dissertation) but have had such a problem with food. Not sure why the difference, so I'll be interested in hearing your insights as you have them.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lemonverbena on January 01, 2018, 09:22:10 PM
I stumbled upon this 30 Days of Yoga challenge and am sharing it because 1) free! 2) I really like the Yoga with Adriene Youtube channel and have been doing some of her practices off and on for the past few weeks. I am hoping that this will not only help me form a habit of exercising daily, but also will help sort out my head and relieve stress.

http://yogawithadriene.com/true-30-day-yoga-journey/

I'm joining in.
Thanks for the link! I'm going to give this video series a try. I like the 30 day aspect... I have a hard time creating an exercise habit on my own, but surely I should be able to do yoga for 30 days.
I'll also track with MyFitnessPal for a little while just to jump start my intentions, but in the past I've found measuring and calculating macros/calories makes me insane and it feels a bit like disordered eating to me. I'd rather just focus on trying to eat as much healthy stuff as I can (like a previous poster said as well).
I'd like to lose 16lbs, but just being more toned and less easily winded would be great, too.

Jan 1: 142lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SlowlyButSurely on January 01, 2018, 10:51:04 PM
I lurked last year, but it did not have the desired effect, so I'm joining in for real this time.

Starting weight: 192 lbs, 36" waist on 12/26/2017
Goal 1: 182 by 02/16/2018
Goal 2: 172 (167 stretch goal) by 05/13/2018
Goal 3: Maintain below 172 until 08/01/2018

The dates align with trips and family gatherings that will involve a lot of photos. One of the things that has bothered me as my weight has crept up is how puffy my face looks in pictures, so these deadlines will be motivating for me. It's been 2 years since I was at 182, 5.5 years since I was at 172, and 7 years since I was at 167. I've been trying to creep my weight back down all that time and have been largely unsuccessful, so I consider these ambitious goals. If I am able to hit the stretch goal of 167, that would put me right on the upper boundary of a "healthy" BMI.

The hard part is the how. For the moment, I am focusing on January and Goal 1. I'm going to try some stuff, see how it goes, and adjust accordingly.

(1) Tracking. I know from experience that counting calories is not going to happen. Having to do the math on every single thing I cook drives me insane, never mind having to figure out the difference between a "medium" banana and a "large" banana. But accountability is good, so I will commit to keeping a plain text food journal for January (e.g., "3:45 pm - handful of salted peanuts"). If I can't be bothered to type the details on my phone, I can't be that hungry.

(2) Fasting. I have been experimenting with IF, and really like the 16/8 schedule, so I will continue with it. My results have been mixed with longer fasts, but I will do some more experimenting to see if I can make periodic 24- or 36-hour fasts work for me.

(3) No wine. This is a significant source of discretionary calories (and $$$), so I need to re-set my habits. It's just so delicious. I've done months without alcohol before, but I am far less tempted by beer and almost never drink liquor, so I'm focusing just on wine this time. My goal is to make it to 02/16/2018.

(4) No added sugar. I've given up sweets before without too much trouble, but I've never tried rooting out added sugar in things that are not sweet,  Whole30-style. I think it is worth doing as an exercise in awareness of what I'm eating, so I'm going to do it for January. I don't eat a lot of processed foods, but I've already been surprised by what has sugar in it (mayonnaise! tofu hot dogs!). In February, I'll revert to just "no sweets".

(5) Vegan for January. This is not strictly a weight loss goal, though I think that disrupting my eating habits will help. I've been a vegetarian for a long time, and though I'm not ready to go full vegan, I would like to reduce my consumption of eggs and cheese. Like the sugar goal, this is about being aware of what I'm eating and making conscious choices rather than continuing on auto-pilot.

(6) No chips. I almost never buy them, but we have free food at work, including a basket of chips on prominent display that I have to look at every time I get tea or go to the bathroom. Everyone else considers it a perk, but I hate it. I know they are crap, but some afternoons they call to me. Prohibition has worked before, so I'm adding them to the list.

I have some additional wellness habits I'd like to cultivate around meditation and strength/stamina for hiking and backpacking, but I'm going to hold off on formalizing goals for them. I don't want to sabotage myself by attempting to boil the ocean. At the moment weight loss is my priority, so for now I'm leaving it at "I'll try to do better on those fronts", and will consider adding them as formal goals in phase 2 or 3.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 01, 2018, 10:52:52 PM
Quote
Are you supposed to log any physical activity at all, or is it just formal workouts? Like, should I be putting in my 10-minute walk to and from the train on work days? That is just part of my regular daily routine so I don't consider that exercise.

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

He now uses a 1 cup measuring cup to approximate a small serving. Our meals are around 400 calories each, it’s a very small amount of food, but you get used to it and will eventually feel full with smaller amounts of food as your stomach learns to anticipate smaller volumes.

I sure hope so, because it's been 2 months and I am still so hungry all the time and sometimes I just can't stick to it. :(

Then you are possibly dieting too aggressively and may need to eat more, or reduce your calories incrementally.

Small, easy, permanent changes will serve you better in the long run than sudden harsh drops in intake.

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

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


Thank you Elaine for starting this thread! I've been watching the weight loss threads, but I feel this is the perfect time to jump in. I've had a couple of false starts in 2017 to lose weight, but I am more motivated than ever. I have a huge hiking trip planned in three months for which I need to get in shape, and I also have a wedding in September.

I've always been puzzled by the fact that I can track dollars and make budget cuts rather easily, but calories and food are a whole different ball game. Why is eating so much more emotionally-charged for me than making purchases? I've never had the ''rush'' of buying stuff, but getting some chocolate will definitely do the trick. I really want to figure out what makes me react this way to food, and how to re-organize my thinking in a healthier manner.

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

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


Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Cookie78 on January 01, 2018, 11:13:19 PM
I'm in!

Again.

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

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

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

Also, portion control, limiting sugar, and considering intermittent fasting.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: okits on January 02, 2018, 12:06:22 AM
Joining this thread.  :)  I've actually been eating better since mid-Nov (which was great for no New Year's Day weight angst) and want to keep that going.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(https://i.imgur.com/XGu43hl.jpg)

Ha ha ha!  Thank you for sharing, @LifeHappens !  That is definitely my Happiness Paper Hat!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: cashmoney on January 02, 2018, 05:36:40 AM
I am committing to losing weight in 2018.  While not my fattest ever, I'm at my worst eating habits ever.  I have my wedding coming up in July so my motivation is to slim down for that.  Starting at 255.2, looking to get to about 220 or 230.

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

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

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

Solutions:
1. Ease back into exercise...not mainly for weight loss but because I love running. I would like to run 2 half marathons this year, one in May and the other in September/October but am unsure if I will have sufficient time to train for the May one. 
2. DH also wants to slim down a bit and we're trying intermittent fasting starting today. We'll still be able to eat dinner with the kids but will concentrate on mainly vegetables alternating days. I love veggies and never feel like I get enough of them. The other alternating days will need more portion control. I'm trying to make less food but with better quality ingredients. It probably won't result in reducing our food budget but is more appealing.
3. Find something besides chocolate or alcohol that cuts the anxiety. Exercise doesn't help as it just pops back to full levels the minute I stop. We don't drink much alcohol but are cutting back further to one glass of wine every month or so...too expensive + too many calories for our tastes.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 02, 2018, 08:15:41 AM
What @elaine amj and @Malkynn bring up is so key for me - weight loss is so much an emotional and psychological discipline for me, much more than a physical one. I've spent too many years eating when I am not hungry - from school lunch being at a set time, or meals at home being a set time, or being bored, sad, happy, stressed, cold, tired, celebrating, etc.  I've spent very little of my life eating when I was actually hungry. I no longer trust my impulse to eat is really hunger - I am not quite sure how to develop a reliable hunger signal.

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

Another work in progress is to stop eating once I have a feeling of satisfaction. I tend to keep eating (still food on the plate, or just available). While, if I am really aware, I am often 80% satisfied by a very small amount, and could stop there and be OK.  Eating more slowly helps.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: roystonea on January 02, 2018, 09:06:37 AM
Hi folks, I'm new to posting in the forums and thought I'd start here. 2017 was a stressful year for me and I let my diet and exercise habits slip. I'm looking forward to having a little bit of accountability here to keep me on track over the long-term.

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

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

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

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

Thanks for having me!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 02, 2018, 09:21:08 AM
I no longer trust my impulse to eat is really hunger - I am not quite sure how to develop a reliable hunger signal.

I also am working on being OK feeling what I think is hunger, and not necessarily eating. It's OK to feel hungry, I am not actually starving.
I think this is a skill that can be cultivated by short fasts. Last year for Lent I fasted from dinner Sunday to dinner Monday, so about 24 hours. I really only missed 2 meals and a snack. It was enough to cultivate genuine hunger. I'm planning to begin fasting again once DH and I are 100% healthy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 02, 2018, 09:46:34 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 02, 2018, 09:53:58 AM
I no longer trust my impulse to eat is really hunger - I am not quite sure how to develop a reliable hunger signal.

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

This is kind of what I am currently doing - I am using a short window of eating.  I am working on developing the skills to recognize the true feeling of hunger, versus something else. Apparently thirst is often confused as hunger.  Work in progress.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Pooperman on January 02, 2018, 09:54:31 AM
Height: 71"

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

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

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

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

Breakfast: 2 apples with cheese
Snack: a piece of candy someone gave me (it was delicious!)
Lunch: chicken parm with peas, carrots, and onions (sauteed)
Snack: apple + orange
Dinner: pulled pork sandwich with a salad
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: FireHiker on January 02, 2018, 10:50:36 AM
Checking in, since it's 2018 now and I got on the scale yesterday. 165.1, ugh. I haven't been able to exercise for almost two weeks, but get stitches out from a surgery on Thursday and can't wait to be active again. Right now I'm focusing on the diet end of things. I really want to get it handled for good this year! I'm going for sustainable overall lifestyle: more activity, moderation in food, nothing entirely cut out. I have done a good job maintaining the last couple years, but I'd like to make the push to get at least 25lbs off this year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 02, 2018, 11:23:10 AM
Joining.  I saw a photo of me taken on New Years and it was painful to see how bad I look.  Very painful.  I need to lose about 100 lbs. and at 5' tall, it just looks so bad. 

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

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

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

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

I just finished reading the thread and I'm motivated to move from feeling sorry for myself to taking action.  I'm going to set up the Fitness Pal today. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 02, 2018, 11:40:36 AM
@jane x - diet is the primary driver of weight losd, though exercise certainly plays a supporting role (physically and emotionally).

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

Lifting weights is good - and it can help build muscle, which helps burn calories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 02, 2018, 11:46:06 AM
Thanks G-dog.  You're right.  I recently joined a gym nearby that has a pool as well as exercise bikes which are actually good for my knee if I don't do the up/down thing.  I plan to do swimming and the bike for overall physical and mental health.  And I'll be adding in some strength work as well.  I need to create a workout playlist for myself!  That should be fun.

Question for those of you who use MyFitnessPal - do you use the regular or premium?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 02, 2018, 11:48:05 AM
A few issues that will make this a difficult challenge: I injured my knee and gave myself plantar fasciitis doing exercise that was too vigorous for my condition.  So now, I can't walk very much because it hurts my feet and knee and I can't do any exercises that include jumping or running. 

How about swimming? Most people with knee injuries are fine in the pool (just avoid the breaststroke) and it burns a ton of calories. Plus it's a great way to get into the moderate fat-burning intensity level of exercise :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 02, 2018, 11:49:13 AM

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With sticking with my plan and the accountability and support here, 2018 is the year to get it done!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 02, 2018, 11:55:05 AM
A few issues that will make this a difficult challenge: I injured my knee and gave myself plantar fasciitis doing exercise that was too vigorous for my condition.  So now, I can't walk very much because it hurts my feet and knee and I can't do any exercises that include jumping or running. 

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

Thanks Hirondelle.  I'm going to start swimming.  Though I've found that swimming makes me feel ravenous afterwards.  I'll need to plan on some high-protein snacks right after. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 02, 2018, 12:06:39 PM
Joining

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

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



Methods will be re-evaluated at the 3 month mark and adjusted accordingly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: slb59 on January 02, 2018, 01:50:08 PM
I'm in!

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

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

I'll do my best to stick to that until May, when I can hopefully kick things up again. I need to lose about 30 pounds, and that isn't going to do it, but I'll be healthier in May than I am now and hopefully will have lost 5-10. Just coming out of the holiday eating season should help, but I need to remember not to start stress eating when everything gets nuts again in a few weeks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 02, 2018, 02:40:05 PM
I'm kick starting my 2018 by doing a full round of the 21 Day Fix (a mix of cardio, strength, yoga & pilates workouts). It's a quick & easy work out, I've done it before & noticed a big difference in my energy level & overall muscle toning. I'm also working to get in at least 5 servings a day of fruit & vegetables, which is harder than I anticipated. And, keeping my calories in check.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: okits on January 02, 2018, 02:53:33 PM
@jane x , I am only 3cm taller than you, so I have the short-person thing going on, too. 

@slb59 , much respect for anything you can achieve with a baby, two other kids, FT job, spouse absent for school, AND doing an MBA!  The biggest factor in my making progress is that both my kids are now in FT daycare while I look for a job and do a small amount of volunteer work.  If all my time were sucked up by other things and I was stressed all the time, I would only be coping through ingesting many calories.  You are a star, IMO.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on January 02, 2018, 02:59:05 PM
I keep getting a network error on MFP, so I am mentally tracking for the day.

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

This does not seem like a good plan...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on January 02, 2018, 04:14:45 PM
I keep getting a network error on MFP, so I am mentally tracking for the day.

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

This does not seem like a good plan...

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

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

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

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 02, 2018, 04:20:28 PM
I keep getting a network error on MFP, so I am mentally tracking for the day.

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

This does not seem like a good plan...

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

Please consider writing down the info on paper, and inputting it to the software later.  It will help keep the habit of tracking, and you won’t forget anything.  Or, screw it.... you know, it’s OK either way.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 02, 2018, 05:32:54 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

I've lost two pounds - I'm sure it's more water weight than actual one but I'll take it :) I've cut out all carbs except for a tiny portion. Surprisingly it's not been that hard to switch. I've also noticed that I eat more sweets now (and ate some ice cream and sweets for new year). I usually hate sweets but developed a liking for them during my second pregnancy and am still holding on to it six months later. Time to kick the habit back to curb. My routine is crazy and I don't have much leeway into building in exercises. The only exercise I get is carrying a 17 lb baby. Has anyone lost weight only with diet changes? How important is exercise in a weight loss journey?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on January 02, 2018, 06:03:01 PM
I keep getting a network error on MFP, so I am mentally tracking for the day.

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

This does not seem like a good plan...

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

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

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

For some reason, I am not drinking quite enough, either. I am a water bottle in hand girl, but today I keep having to remind myself to take a sip.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 02, 2018, 09:08:57 PM



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Cookie78 on January 02, 2018, 09:28:26 PM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



I was pretty successful today. Had a piece of cake, but otherwise ate well. Drank lots of tea and water. Got a good exercise in this morning, but I may have to increase the intensity sooner than expected. I'm looking forward to it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on January 03, 2018, 03:01:23 AM
I'm at home today and doing really well. Had coffee, a banana and oatmeal (from water, not milk) for breakfast and I know this will keep me going for hours.

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

For that reason I always bring in loads of emergency food. I don't have a locker or desk drawer at work, so it's all stacked on my desk just in case and then I end up eating it. The 'emergency food' is also not the kind of food you need to eat for nutrition (quick carbs, like a can of regular soda or a piece of chocolate) I really need to get out of the habit of eating my emergency food when I'm bored at work, which is all the time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: AmandaPanda on January 03, 2018, 06:35:33 AM
Yesterday went pretty well - I stuck to my 1350 calories pretty easily.  I did still want to eat after dinner, so I sliced up a cucumber.  I also did terrible on the water.  I try to drink 4 30 oz servings, and yesterday I think I only had 3, but I also had a diet soda, which made me feel dehydrated.  Does anyone else drink diet soda, and do you try to drink even more water to compensate?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Mongoose on January 03, 2018, 06:57:48 AM
I'm at home today and doing really well. Had coffee, a banana and oatmeal (from water, not milk) for breakfast and I know this will keep me going for hours.

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

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

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

DH and I have successfully not eaten dessert and not missed it at all this year. We tried jumping straight into the intermittent fasting and I got hungry...but way too miserably hungry. Anyone else go straight from no hunger to gnaw off your own arm with zero in between steps? I think we'll ease into this by reducing portions before dropping meals. (We do fast occasionally and love it so going without food isn't a huge hardship.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 03, 2018, 07:17:10 AM
I'm in!  I started my second round of Whole30 yesterday.  On my first round (March 2017) I ate compliant for 59 days and lost 11 lbs, which got me to my prepregnancy weight.  I would like to will lose 14 lbs by June 1 .   I know Whole30 is not supposed to be a weight loss diet, but I have tried so many other programs and this is the only one that I have been able to stick to.

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

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

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

I really need to be able to limit myself to ONE cookie/candy/chocolate if I get offered some. I'm perfectly fine not buying anything myself, but somehow if someone else puts cookies on the table I can't resist to keep taking another one. Maybe it's my free food radar? Any advice?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 03, 2018, 07:51:37 AM
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

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

So I am terrible when it comes to things like that.  I absolutely have a free food radar and will help myself.  One thing that helps me is to chug a glass of water before eating anything sugary.  It helps fill me up so I don't eat as much.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 03, 2018, 07:57:50 AM
Day 3 of using MFP - I don't like it.  It takes forever to log my food.  And the calorie limit for me is so low I can eat it by 2pm.  I can report that the challenge with inputting an item has made me actually not bother to eat it.  Maybe that is the point.
Morning weigh in had more space below the 135lb line on the scale.
I do not want to go outside.  Yesterday I did shovel some snow and walk in the mall with daughter but it is too frigging cold.  Today it is also windy so I still don't want to go outside.
Last night I brushed and flossed my teeth right after dinner.  I am so lazy about flossing that I will avoid a snack and just drink water if I have already flossed.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: AmandaPanda on January 03, 2018, 08:19:39 AM
Yesterday went pretty well - I stuck to my 1350 calories pretty easily.  I did still want to eat after dinner, so I sliced up a cucumber.  I also did terrible on the water.  I try to drink 4 30 oz servings, and yesterday I think I only had 3, but I also had a diet soda, which made me feel dehydrated.  Does anyone else drink diet soda, and do you try to drink even more water to compensate?

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

Soda is a never-ending temptation for me.  I get bored or want to eat and let the fizz substitute food when I'm not actually hungry.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 03, 2018, 08:21:34 AM
I'm in!  I started my second round of Whole30 yesterday.  On my first round (March 2017) I ate compliant for 59 days and lost 11 lbs, which got me to my prepregnancy weight. I would like to will lose 14 lbs by June 1.

Great self-edit - this likely explains much of your great success!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 03, 2018, 08:30:14 AM
I'm in!  I started my second round of Whole30 yesterday.  On my first round (March 2017) I ate compliant for 59 days and lost 11 lbs, which got me to my prepregnancy weight. I would like to will lose 14 lbs by June 1.

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

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

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

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

Hmm, I actually had a big cup of tea (it requires three 'machine cup'-amounts to fill it up, I guess around 400-450 ml) on the side so that doesn't seem to work :(. Especially as I like dipping the cookies in the tea.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 03, 2018, 08:53:14 AM
Instead of focusing on “RAWR! I will NEVER FAIL” kind of thinking, why not instead aim to eat really well the vast majority of the time. I always say that my favourite thing about eating so healthy most of the time is that I don’t have to worry if I sometimes want to stuff my face with pizza or chocolate. When I pig out, I enjoy it, immediately regret and laugh at myself about the indegestion, and say “well that was fun but gross, and I’m glad I don’t eat that way normally”. I don’t feel like I’ve failed. What is there to fail at??

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

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

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


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

haha, yeah, maybe that is the point - tracking is too tedious, easier to just not eat!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 03, 2018, 09:25:44 AM
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

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

My employer provides free food (including desserts, snacks, etc). At first, I found this super challenging, and I actually gained 10 pounds. I now have a strict "no treats at work" policy. I find that it's easier not to have ANY. If I say, I can just have one or whatever, as soon as I have the first, my will power is gone.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 03, 2018, 09:35:33 AM
I started the year recovering from noroviris (thanks, family!) and am finally feeling recovered enough to plan my initial weight loss strategy. I've been fit and trim before, so I know what to do. I just have to get organized and follow through. I'm feeling positive because DH also wants to lose a few pounds. He's one of those annoying people who has been able to eat just about anything, but lately he's been having some health issues that point to him needing to clean up his diet. For January, I plan to do the following:
1) Eat 3 to 4 meals per day. Each meal will have a source of protein.
2) No cheese. I'm vegetarian, would like to eat more 100% vegan meals, and cheese is a source of concentrated calories.
3) Exercise in an intentional way 3-4 days per week. This can include running, biking, yoga and resistance training.

We got off to a good start yesterday with grocery shopping. I put all the fruit in a bowl on the counter so DH sees it. Our meal plan for the week includes a mix of easy to cook meals and more experimental items to keep things interesting. I did a 20 minute yoga video yesterday. Tried to do another one this morning, but I got shaky after 15 minutes. I'm still not 100% healthy, so I didn't want to push it too far.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: itchyfeet on January 03, 2018, 09:37:04 AM
Count me in. Enough is enough.

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

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

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

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Nightwatchman9270 on January 03, 2018, 09:43:21 AM
Add me in!

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

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

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

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

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

Anyway good luck all!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 03, 2018, 10:35:41 AM
Yesterday I set up MFP and plugged in all my goals and logged my food.  I also increased my low-impact exercise; I did 80 minutes of light gardening and added an extra 10 minutes of walking.

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

There's so much positive progress going on in the group.  Yay, group! 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 03, 2018, 10:41:40 AM
Joining

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

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



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

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

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

I'm going to have to figure out a time when I can use the gym. I'm frustrated by how hard it is to get my body to do the things it used to be able to do and I don't want to struggle in front of my co-workers. My choices then are to find somewhere else to workout, suck it up and go in at 6am before anyone else gets there, or just accept that its ok that they see me struggle.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: AmandaPanda on January 03, 2018, 11:01:39 AM
rockstache - the unsweetened versions of flavored sparkling waters would definitely take some getting used to.  But we actually already have some, so that's a great idea!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Cookie78 on January 03, 2018, 11:05:20 AM
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The mind is a wonderful thing!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on January 03, 2018, 11:18:05 AM
I'm at home today and doing really well. Had coffee, a banana and oatmeal (from water, not milk) for breakfast and I know this will keep me going for hours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dinner wasn't extremely healthy, but I track my food and I didn't go over my target of 1800 calories and I managed to eat 200g of vegetables and one piece of fruit.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on January 03, 2018, 11:44:12 AM
rockstache - the unsweetened versions of flavored sparkling waters would definitely take some getting used to.  But we actually already have some, so that's a great idea!

I love these! MIL had some La Croix on hand and I got two cans while visiting :)

I had forgotten how childish the MFP boards can be, with more X the above poster threads than actual nutrition and exercise. I still like the tracking interface.

Today is shaping up to be another good day, at least calorie wise. I really need to figure out how to get more protein without legumes or dairy, as I want to do an elimination diet. I know that bananas and spinach are not good for me, but I suspect there are some more subtle monsters out there messing with my system.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 03, 2018, 01:28:12 PM

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

Here's my tip for avoiding the office food! Is it cold/flu season where you are? All it takes to completely put me off everything that is lying around here (and there is a LOT), is watching my co-workers hack and snot all over the communal treats (or hack and snot on their hands and then touch everything). I am not generally a germophobe but that was completely disgusting - and last summer I shoved a breakroom cupcake into my mouth only to hear the cupcake bringer say a minute later, "oof, I feel terrible, I think I'm coming down with something." BAM - had a bad cold the next day, and I'm almost never sick.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on January 03, 2018, 01:57:44 PM
Haven't read through all the posts here yet (trying not to have completionist syndrome for much longer) but I'm excited to track my progress on here. Tracking the financial targets has made me commit harder to each month and goal, and I'm sure my DW and friends would rather I shout this on the internet to people that are of the same mindset.

I've done an excel sheet for a few years and myfitnesspal on and off until July last year where I started serious calorie counting along with staple meal replacements.

History

DateWeightBody Fat
May 2017190 lbs23.7%
June 2017183 lbs22.4%
July 2017180 lbs21.9%
Aug 2017176 lbs21.1%
Sept 2017171 lbs20.4%
Oct 2017165 lbs19.3%
Nov 2017161 lbs18.6%
Dec 2017160 lbs18.4%

Goal is to hit 15% body fat, currently measuring with a cheap scale so when I hit 155 lbs I planned on getting a dexa scan but will probably find a cheaper alternative.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: nessness on January 03, 2018, 02:16:08 PM
I'm in. I would like to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, which I think means I need to lose about 15-18 pounds. I don't want to restrict calories too much while I'm still breastfeeding, so for now my goals are less sugar, more vegetables, and more exercise.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Bee21 on January 03, 2018, 02:45:03 PM
I did extremely well the first 2 days. Under 1000 cals food + exercise. Yesterday was rest day (normal eating w smaller portions), today will be soup for lunch and 1 baked potato for dinner day. I am aiming for 1200 calories.

I am on track with the gym, though I chickened out yesterday - i did only 45 minutes of cardio as there were some weird looking guys at the back where the weights are and I decided to hang out at the front where the security cameras are. it is a 24/7 unattended gym, but I rarely felt unsafe. Once there was a super weird guy with a cockroach tattoo on his face, I officially complained about that one. He was constantly mumbling and beating his chest between sets, compIetely freaked me out. I know it is a business but I wish they were a bit more selective about members. He dissappeared after a while,  thanks god. Some of the big bulky islander guys are actually quite lovely, I always have a chat with them when we run into each other in the supermarket or the park.

  I can do gym in the evenings during the school hols, this will change once the kids are back to school. I love going after the school drop off. Mornings are a no go, husband leaves at 6.

I am contemplating doing a vegan/ vegetarian challenge in February. Can anyone recommend some resources? I will still have to cook for the man, but me and the kids should be able to eat a plant based diet for 4 weeks I think.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 03, 2018, 02:51:04 PM
I am contemplating doing a vegan/ vegetarian challenge in February. Can anyone recommend some resources? I will still have to cook for the man, but me and the kids should be able to eat a plant based diet for 4 weeks I think.
What sort of resources would you like? A great place to start looking for recipes are the "Vegetarian" or "Vegan" pages of BudgetBytes.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on January 03, 2018, 03:01:21 PM
Day 3: Doing well. Feeling mostly better and guaranteed to hit my goal steps by the time I walk home this evening. It seems like the Google Fit on my new phone is more consistent than the old phone. Perhaps there is a better accelerometer? It is mid afternoon and I have only eaten 1/3 of my calories. I did say "mostly better."
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SachaFiscal on January 03, 2018, 06:01:15 PM
Joining for accountability. Going to finally lose the extra 10-15 pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 10-15 years. I’d like to lose at least 10lbs by April when I plan to get my cholesterol checked.

My plan is:
- track calories in MFP (1200-1400 per day)
- walk for an hour every day
- Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and spin class each once a week.
- no alcohol until July 4 (doing this with my spouse)
- plant based diet
- no eating out unless invited out with friends until July 4

My spouse is also on board which makes this a lot easier this time.

Starting weight: 135lbs
Goal weight: 120-125lbs


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Cookie78 on January 03, 2018, 06:28:46 PM
Did great today. Got my exercise in before going for a long walk with my brother's family. Got home way later than expected, skipped lunch. I almost had cake with dinner, but skipped it. I'll be glad when that cake is gone! Started craving potato chips, but came to read this thread instead.

Evenings are the hardest for me by far when it comes to healthy eating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 03, 2018, 08:06:11 PM
Day 3, did well. Have been under 1500 calories each day so far, and have worked out every day as well. No sugar, no alcohol. 5+ servings of fruit & vegetables a day, which make it way easier to stick to my calorie limit. They are so much more filling than carbs.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 03, 2018, 08:09:50 PM
rockstache - the unsweetened versions of flavored sparkling waters would definitely take some getting used to.  But we actually already have some, so that's a great idea!
You can do this. Sparkling water is my favourite!  I hate paying more though so it is a rare treat for me :) It takes a while to train your taste buds... but it does work! I started watering down our juice when I had toddlers. Mostly half and half. Now I have teens and I still can't drink straight juice and much prefer it watered down. I also trained myself to drink my coffee / tea black. I used to take 3 sugars. Back in college, I decided to reduce  it and did it gradually - 2 sugars, the. 1 sugar, and quite quickly, completely black.

90% of the time though, I just drink plain water. Sometimes if I am craving a sweet drink, I add a squeeze of lemon or apple cider vinegar.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 03, 2018, 08:19:15 PM
rockstache - the unsweetened versions of flavored sparkling waters would definitely take some getting used to.  But we actually already have some, so that's a great idea!

I'm a success story of using sparkling water to kick a soda habit!  In my case, Diet Coke.  Now, while I still love Diet Coke, I restrict it to once a week or less.  I have fun trying new sparkling water flavors and usually have 4 or 5 flavors stashed in my office at work. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 03, 2018, 08:21:20 PM
Official weigh in on Jan 3 - 145lbs. I am pretty horrified that I gained 15 lbs over the last 6 months. I worked soooo hard to lose it from my high of 154lbs in Jan 2016. Second time to lose the same pounds :(

Oh well, I can do this! My strategy is to eat like a thin person (guesstimate portions based on previous MFP experience), plan on eating healthy, nutritious food 80% of the time and empty calorie treats for the other 20%, and occasionally going hungry when I have a big meal coming up or if I just ate a big meal.

Today went VERY well for food.

Breakfast - got busy so ended up skipping it. (I ate a ginormous ayce sushi buffet the afternoon before)

Lunch: Nutella and sliced banana on 2 slices of sprouted grains toast

Snack: 3 small Lindt chocolate (from the office holiday stash)

Dinner: a reasonable portion of homemade veggie curry with lentils and sweet potatoes

Dessert: Too much fresh mangoes lol. They were so good I ate at least 2 whole mangoes by myself. I was going to eat scones after that (my bad habit is that when I start eating, I cannot stop even if I am full) but had to leave to run errands.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Sailor Sam on January 03, 2018, 08:26:30 PM
Today was the first day of not eating like a total jerkface. It was somewhat successful. I am rewarding myself with P!nk. Videos on youtube, not the actual woman herself. Alas.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: okits on January 03, 2018, 08:34:14 PM
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

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

If someone physically offers you something and it has personal significance (food from their homeland, etc.) take one and tell them you'll save it for your "cheat day".  So you control when and where you eat it, and hopefully the quantity (have your cheat day when you feel disciplined, so you stop yourself from eating all the treats on hand).  If people give you grief, give a socially acceptable reason for wanting to lose weight.

I can't eat just one treat.  Once I start, it typically becomes a binge-fest.  I have to remind myself that free junk food isn't free, it has health effects that aren't good for me. 



I am grumpy because I want junk food and alcohol, and feel the urge to stuff myself full of food all the time (even when I'm full).  I think I'm getting my period in about a week, so suspect it's the effect of those fun hormones.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: mrmoolaman on January 03, 2018, 10:35:20 PM
Let's do it.

As people have said, workout alone doesn't do it so I'm really going to watch what I eat. I've been very accountable with this, so I think posting here will hopefully help. I am also eating fast food far too regularly (slowly fallen into this and now it's multiple times a week), which isn't good for health or money management.

My plan is to cut out fast food completely, the only thing I'm allowing myself is Tim Hortons coffee. ANYTHING other than that is getting posted here. Also going to make a habit of going to the gym 3 times a week. Will post weekly updates in the form of: 0 times eating fast food, 3 times to the gym, lbs lost this week, lbs lost total.

Wish me luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Bee21 on January 04, 2018, 04:12:39 AM
What sort of resources would you like? A great place to start looking for recipes are the "Vegetarian" or "Vegan" pages of BudgetBytes.
[/quote]

Thanks for reminding me of that site. I love her recipes!

I did my fourth exercise session today (no weird looking dudes in the gym tonight, so all good). Ate 2 peach muffins for morning tea 😶. The rest of meals were healthy and quite small, but I am a bit disappointed. Oh well.

For entertainment purposes: according to my kids, daddy has a sixpack, mummy has a fatpack and they have flatpacks.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 04, 2018, 04:25:43 AM
Okay, so I'm horribly failing today. Co-worker 1 came back from a 6 month placement in the US and brought small candybars, I took 3. Co-worker 2 came back from a trip to Norway and brought some Norwegian cookies, I took too many.

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

If someone physically offers you something and it has personal significance (food from their homeland, etc.) take one and tell them you'll save it for your "cheat day".  So you control when and where you eat it, and hopefully the quantity (have your cheat day when you feel disciplined, so you stop yourself from eating all the treats on hand).  If people give you grief, give a socially acceptable reason for wanting to lose weight.

I can't eat just one treat.  Once I start, it typically becomes a binge-fest.  I have to remind myself that free junk food isn't free, it has health effects that aren't good for me. 


That's a good one! Will also train the "muscle" of delayed gratification. Today she offered me again (the same cookies, she always brings in a LOT of food), but I decided to just eat a tangerine instead. There's gonna be cake for a birthday later though, sigh. Promise to self: only get a piece of cake if I really really like the flavor he brings in, otherwise hide in office till cake is finished.

Okay semi-fail. His home-made cake was pretty good. I took only a small piece but logged it as a 'normal' piece in the tracker that I use as I rather over- than underestimate. Had two small chocolates as well, but no cookies.

I do realize how helpful (and confronting!) it is to use the caloric tracker. I hadn't used it in many years so for many foods I have no clue anymore of how many calories/fat/sugars they contain. This will definitely scare me off for the next cake run (note to self: check calories before heading to the coffee room).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alleykat on January 04, 2018, 05:11:25 AM
I have two days down with no snacks at all.  Progress.  My goal is no snacks during the week and reasonably indulge on  the weekend, -or not.  I am starting to exercise as well, not much, but developing a habit, I hope. 

Looking forward to getting fit in 2018.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 04, 2018, 08:44:19 AM
3 days straight of tracking!  And my no-sweets rule is working well - there were free M&Ms in the kitchen at work yesterday and generally I probably would have grabbed some several times during the work day.  Instead I had a brief moment of feeling deprived and then moved on and was fine!

I definitely identify with the idea of free food being a slippery slope.  I manage to rarely buy treats at the grocery store, but if there's free goodies at work I always seem to end up eating a bunch.  Maybe it's because I'm only a few years out from being a grad student and still have that mentality ;)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on January 04, 2018, 08:49:11 AM
Today I am down 0.6 lbs from a week ago (had some even lower numbers during the week) still 10.2 lbs from goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 04, 2018, 10:08:59 AM
I did my fourth exercise session today (no weird looking dudes in the gym tonight, so all good). Ate 2 peach muffins for morning tea 😶. The rest of meals were healthy and quite small, but I am a bit disappointed. Oh well.

For entertainment purposes: according to my kids, daddy has a sixpack, mummy has a fatpack and they have flatpacks.

The MFP folks taught me not to stress about things like 2 peach muffins. You ate it, log it, move on. Plenty of room in your eating plans to accommodate something like that. If the rest of your meals were healthy and small , you'll be just fine :)

As for your kids' comment -my kids are smart alecks like that too. Thy LOVE to discuss my jiggly belly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on January 04, 2018, 10:18:18 AM
I bought granola bars for emergency food today. I don't like granola bars at all, so I won't be tempted to eat them just because they're on my desk, and I'm sure they contain enough sugar to bring me back to life.

Breakfast: oatmeal, banana, coffee
Lunch: two eggs, two slices of bread
Dinner: mashed potatoes and kale, applesauce
Snack:  apple fritter (last one left over from NYE)
            rice cakes

According to my phone, I'm still only at about 1400 calories (goal is 1800) but I'm not hungry. If I do get hungry, I might eat some leftovers from dinner or find a healthy snack.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 04, 2018, 10:25:54 AM
I've been making slow progress, very slow, in replacing carb bombs with moderate carb foods.  Oatmeal with banana instead of bagels and cookies type of thing.  It's also been helpful to add in some fat-rich low-carb foods to reduce the panic of giving up things like cookies.  Yesterday I bought some sharp cheddar, olives and salami and had that with a salad for lunch and it was very good. 

I've continued to log on MFP every day, even when the numbers are horrible.  It's been good to see how much extra calories and carbs I'm eating.  I'm hoping the brain will realize how much extra is being consumed that we don't need and will ease up on the panic response. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 04, 2018, 11:14:34 AM
My emergency food at work is popcorn. It's filling and low calorie and I don't like it that much so I only eat it when I'm legit hangry and shaky.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on January 04, 2018, 11:47:38 AM

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

I love this quote. I have similar health issues plus learned I had crossed over into prediabetes last year. I used a ketogenic diet and reversed the A1C back down to normal (lowest in 4 years).  I assumed that weight loss would follow once I was insulin sensitive, but I kept gaining and losing the same 8 lbs. Maybe I never became insulin sensitive? When I took Christmas off from keto (planned), I spent the past two weeks in pain as a lot of nerve pain and inflammatory symptoms came back.

So, I'm joining for accountability.  Starting weight 1/1/18 153.4lb, currently down to 152 which I'm assuming is water weight from being low carb again.

Weight goal: less than 140 lbs

Strategy:
Food:
Low carb (50g carb).

Cut dairy, eggs and nuts for 1 month. I leaned on these hard to maintain net carbs of 20g last year. I think the dairy and nuts stalled weight loss, and the eggs contributed to inflammation.

Fasting: I did a couple rounds of the fast mimicking diet last year. It was actually harder than just a plain water fast.  I'll try combining the two-2 days of water fast + 2-3 days of FMD once/month.

Movement:

Workout at least 3x/week. I'm starting with New Rules of Lifting for Women. I can either workout at home, at the regular or powerlifting gym at work. None of those places have all of the equipment I need, so I will decide in advance what exercise to substitute rather than use that as an excuse to not work out. For example if there is no squat rack, I can either do goblet squats or split squats with dumbbells, or use a leg press.

Find a sport kettlebell class or teach myself from youtube 1x/week

Yoga 1x/week

Swing dance class at least 1x/week.  Next session starts on the 8th.

>30 min walk at least 3x/week, regardless of weather.  I already do this, because I'll walk to the grocery store, library etc.  When it started getting really cold these past couple of weeks, I planned to substitute the elliptical for walking.  Nope. I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 04, 2018, 04:04:48 PM
One thing I've been thinking about a lot is how to handle conflicting goals and priorities.  Right now, my weight loss/health improvement goal can sometimes conflict with my financial goals (and my eat-down-the-pantry and eat local food goals).

When I take the time to think about it, of course my health is by far the most important of those things.  I need to keep that in mind and when I can't satisfy all my goals at once, remember that it's okay to spend a little more money or compromise in other ways to make sure I keep my healthy eating going.

Today, however, I was able to stick to them all!  Made a tasty veggie and tofu stir fry using veggies and tofu from the freezer, condiments from the fridge/pantry, and brown rice that needed to get used up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ChipmunkSavings on January 04, 2018, 04:43:39 PM
I've started doing 30 Day Shred from Jillian Michaels, which is a 26-minute workout with cardio + weights, daily for 30 days. I am currently on day 4, and I am feeling the burn. I used to do this workout back when I was active, and it was very effective in getting me in shape. I figure it's simple, it's quick and I know it works, so I don't have to wonder what workout I'll do today.

I've also signed up for a Dietbet, which is basically betting money that you will lose a certain amount of weight in x amount of weeks/months. I'm hoping this will give me the push I need to help me stick to my new habits at first, and then routine will kick in. Also, I am pretty loss-adverse, so it's extra motivation.


I told myself I would track calories, but I haven't done so so far. I know I've been eating better these past few days, so I'm choosing to concentrate on that, and start tracking in a few weeks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: usuallysleepy on January 04, 2018, 04:44:27 PM
I'm interested in joining!  Not sure of my current weight (so many layers of clothes on to keep warm), but goal BMI is 22.  I'm leaving on vacation next week, so I'm holding off on starting anything too strict/strenuous (want to be able to walk), and when I get back I think I'll do the whole30 again (this would be 4th time).  I've realized that when I give myself a little leeway, I tend to eat like crap, so my big plan is for excellent diet unless I'm on vacation.  This keeps me from eating out too (used to be a bigger problem before I started reading MMM), which is a nice benefit.  My other goal is to be able to do a pullup-I haven't done one since I was maybe 11, so 2018 is going to be a big year!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: seemsright on January 04, 2018, 05:17:43 PM
I am in. I have at least 50# to try to drop this year. But I know I cannot restrict calories...it will lead me to eat all of the things. So I am eating real food and watching my portions. I am also trying to learn how to workout at home. (we have a goal of long term world travel during FIRE and I must learn how to stay in shape without a gym) So I am doing very simple workouts. I have a kettle bell so I am doing 100 kettle bells swings a day, 100 push ups a day and yoga along with outside stuff...hiking and biking.

I know over training is not a good thing for me (learned that the HARD way after I got a Black Belt in Kenpo)  This is a complete experiment.

I would love to be able to buy a 50# kettle bell before June because the 35# one is too light and wear out running shoes.  Over all I think this is a keep it simple and quite over thinking everything I am doing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 04, 2018, 07:33:23 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on January 04, 2018, 08:08:25 PM
Today I ate all the things. Something about being sick just threw all caution to the wind.

Ah well, tomorrow is a new day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Cookie78 on January 04, 2018, 08:57:37 PM
Did pretty good today. I was pleasantly surprised by the scale this morning and tried not to let that be an excuse to indulge. My brother's kids came over so I gave away most of the cake! I wasn't hungry until around 2pm, but spent some time earlier cutting up veggies and a melon so they were ready to go when I was, and also some for the kids.

Need to bump up exercise intensity soon. 1 week of low intensity should be enough to get me started right? At least moving in the right direction. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on January 05, 2018, 03:10:19 AM
I'm in. Joined the previous thread a while ago, lost a tiny bit of weight, and have put it back on. I've been exhausted for months, but now I've had a bit of time off work and I'm slightly refreshed, time to focus that mental energy into taking in less energy in the form of food.

Started a bit yesterday, and properly today. Mostly I'll be focusing on improving/reducing what I eat for the meantime.

I'm getting to the stage where some slimmer-cut size 42 pants no longer fit. There's definitely a better way around this than buying larger pants. So my first goal is to not need to anymore.

I actually went on a cull of my wardrobe the other week and cleaned out some of my 'thin' clothes (from 2011-13 mainly). My thinking was 'if I get to that size again, I'll happily buy new clothes'. I kept the nicer stuff :) Admittedly, some of the clothes I'd no longer wear even if they did fit. The tshirts I'd wear at age 27-28 aren't what I'd wear at age 33.

As for target weight, my target is 85-90kg. I lost a bunch of weight in 2011 and found that was where I looked/felt best (I got down to 80kg last time). I'm 181cm/~5'11" tall.

Current (starting weight) is 120.7 kg (I actually expected higher). My phone's calculator says that's about 265.9 lbs in the old scale.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 05, 2018, 05:49:33 AM
One thing I've been thinking about a lot is how to handle conflicting goals and priorities.  Right now, my weight loss/health improvement goal can sometimes conflict with my financial goals (and my eat-down-the-pantry and eat local food goals).

When I take the time to think about it, of course my health is by far the most important of those things.  I need to keep that in mind and when I can't satisfy all my goals at once, remember that it's okay to spend a little more money or compromise in other ways to make sure I keep my healthy eating going.

Today, however, I was able to stick to them all!  Made a tasty veggie and tofu stir fry using veggies and tofu from the freezer, condiments from the fridge/pantry, and brown rice that needed to get used up.

You can still eat down your pantry and eat local without compromising health goals. You just might need to supplement the pantry staples a bit to optimize the healthfulness of it.
Unless of course your pantry is full of potato chips and coco puffs, in which case, that’s not actual food, so there’s no need to eat it.

I am working my way through some flavoured rice that DH bought, but it’s not exactly nutritious, so it’s a small part of recipes, but I’m prioritizing recipes that can use it up.

Yeah, I know that I can overall, but I'm talking about when things get too busy/hectic/stressful - on those days, I want to give myself permission to do things like buy a pre-made salad vs. just eating something carb-heavy and unhealthy I can make easily at home or getting cheaper but less healthy take-out.  Hopefully I'll be able to plan well and keep eating from my freezer (that's the main thing to tackle and is all fruits and veggies I froze last summer and local pork), but all of that takes a lot of planning ahead, so some days I'm guessing it's just not going to happen.  I just want my back-up plan to be healthy too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 05, 2018, 06:23:33 AM
Joining

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

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



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

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

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

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

Eating better has been surprisingly easy. My hunch is that it's because it's been consistently below zero here and I don't work in the sky way anymore so there's no easy way to get food beyond what I brought.

I've lifted a couple of times, but substituted a Barre class for the 3rd work out. I really liked it, but I'm always shocked at how sore I am the next day from those classes because during them they don't feel that strenuous and I can go back to work after a lunch class without showering (i don't really break a sweat they're so low impact). But holy moly Batman, everything hurts today.

@Sun Hat Thanks for the tip! That's a good way to frame things.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alleykat on January 05, 2018, 06:42:57 AM
I haven’t weighed myself yet but I have been successful with no junk food snacking of any kind for three days now and have exercised for at least 10-15 mins a day which isn’t much, but it is a start.

Sunday will be my weigh in day. This first week has been about reigning in my junk food and next week I will focus on portion control. I am looking forward to seeing the results of the week on Sunday. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 05, 2018, 07:52:39 AM
I usually weigh in "officially" on Fridays and log weekly until I hit my goal weight. Once I hit my goal I start logging monthly.

December 30: 145
January 5:      144

The thing I'm fighting right now are the sub-zero temps. When I'm cold, I'm hungry and a salad and a smoothie aren't cutting it right now. My daily walk is down to 20 minutes because of the temps.

I made a giant pot of sweet potato soup this week but it is not keeping me full. I'll switch to stock (or bone broth if I want to sound hip) this weekend. Animal fats totally keep me warmer and fuller.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 05, 2018, 08:06:34 AM
I realized I was struggling due to feeling cold too (and maybe knowing how cold it is outside). 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: itchyfeet on January 05, 2018, 08:16:06 AM
So 5 days into  the new year and the mission is under way.

I really look forward to fronting up at my friends wedding in June in great shape.

I have exercised an hour every day so far. Mostly just walking but with some body weight exercises mixed in. I Hit the weights at the day today for my first “hard” training session of the year. I’ll be sore tomorrow.

On the diet front. Zero alcohol so far, but it is only 5 days, and I have been very good with what I have been eating. Not perfect but close. Will aim for perfection tomorrow :-)

I have not got on the scales. I won’t. It will just play with my head.

I will just trust in the process.

Eat right and do a min of 1 hour walking a day. I’ll weigh myself in 3 months time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Nightwatchman9270 on January 05, 2018, 08:42:34 AM
Three days into Whole30....already went from 201.4 to 194!!!

I know that won't continue, but it's nice motivation!

No booze, no sugar, no bread or any grains, nothing with any artificial ingredients, no dairy.  Going out to dinner tonight should be interesting.

Only exercise is Power90 plus an ab routine.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: AmandaPanda on January 05, 2018, 08:44:29 AM
What are the sparkling water brands people can recommend? I'd like to try a few to see which one tastes best to me.

For the cold - yeah, I skipped all workouts this week because my small gym is not insulated, so working out in 15 degree weather is super unappealing.  Of course this morning I realized I have T25 I borrowed from a friend and could have just been working out at home. 

I stayed under 1400 calories every day this week, so I will take that as a success.  Concerned about tonight, though.  Friends are coming over and bringing dessert for my birthday.  We will drink wine, too.  Trying to have the tiniest serving of dessert possible, and maybe saying my calorie goals today are 1800, to give me some wiggle room? If I just say screw it, I'll end up with 2800 calories.  Or I could say my food still needs to be 1400, but I can drink wine.  What do you guys recommend? Because I am definitely going over 1400 today.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 05, 2018, 08:53:41 AM
Lots of plans have a free day each week. Psychologically, it is suppose to help you not feel deprived or trapped, and therefore help you continue longer term.  Today could be your free day.

Is either wine or dessert a “gateway” to escalated eating or drinking? That would inform my decision on how to proceed.

I’ve got La Croix sparkling water right now.  But I have gotten Klarbrunn from Costco in the past. I think I may like the flavorless ones more.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 05, 2018, 08:57:48 AM
What are the sparkling water brands people can recommend? I'd like to try a few to see which one tastes best to me.

For the cold - yeah, I skipped all workouts this week because my small gym is not insulated, so working out in 15 degree weather is super unappealing.  Of course this morning I realized I have T25 I borrowed from a friend and could have just been working out at home. 

I stayed under 1400 calories every day this week, so I will take that as a success.  Concerned about tonight, though.  Friends are coming over and bringing dessert for my birthday.  We will drink wine, too.  Trying to have the tiniest serving of dessert possible, and maybe saying my calorie goals today are 1800, to give me some wiggle room? If I just say screw it, I'll end up with 2800 calories.  Or I could say my food still needs to be 1400, but I can drink wine.  What do you guys recommend? Because I am definitely going over 1400 today.

I vote for eat/drink what you want and get back on track tomorrow. Birthday's should be celebratory and if that means dessert and wine to you then have at it! and Happy Birthday.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: itchyfeet on January 05, 2018, 09:05:47 AM
Lots of plans have a free day each week. Psychologically, it is suppose to help you not feel deprived or trapped, and therefore help you continue longer term.  Today could be your free day.

Is either wine or dessert a “gateway” to escalated eating or drinking? That would inform my decision on how to proceed.

I’ve got La Croix sparkling water right now.  But I have gotten Klarbrunn from Costco in the past. I think I may like the flavorless ones more.

Also, I know from reading bodybuilding diets that zigzagging calories is useful when you hit a plateau. Have a high cal day followed by a few low cal days. Apparently it tricks the metabolism.(this could be urban myth. plenty of the out there).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 05, 2018, 09:22:23 AM
I've lost half a pound, been getting all of my servings of fruit & vegetables, no alcohol/sugar & working out. I know it won't continue like this forever, but the core basics are in place & I can definitely keep that up!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 05, 2018, 09:42:49 AM
I like plain mineral water or club soda with a lime or lemon wedge. I feel very fancy when I drink this :)

I really think an occasional free meal or even a free day is vital for maintaining a long term healthy lifestyle. Eat cake on your birthday if you want it. Moderation in all things, including moderation.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 05, 2018, 09:50:36 AM
The thing I'm fighting right now are the sub-zero temps. When I'm cold, I'm hungry and a salad and a smoothie aren't cutting it right now. My daily walk is down to 20 minutes because of the temps.

I made a giant pot of sweet potato soup this week but it is not keeping me full. I'll switch to stock (or bone broth if I want to sound hip) this weekend. Animal fats totally keep me warmer and fuller.

I have the exact same problem and was actually just coming here to ask if anyone's having a hard time with hunger because of the extreme cold. I certainly am. This morning my commute was awful (thanks, random person, who chose this morning's rush to commit suicide on the train tracks; I am sorry for your depression but that was still shitty!). I take two trains to work every morning and had to wait outdoors with the wind blasting on me for about 20 minutes for each train. It was 1 above before the windchill. Arrived at work completely numb. I ate my morning serving of oatmeal - still STARVING. Just ate my daily snack - still STARVING.

I'd been doing better over the past couple of days with the incessant hunger that I've been fighting; I figured my body was FINALLY getting used to fewer calories. But today I am really struggling. The same amount of breakfast that was fine for me yesterday is like nothing today.

I don't eat animal fat (other than eggs and dairy). Usually what makes me feel full and warm is potatoes, but I've been trying to keep those to a minimum. There's only so much coffee and hot tea I can drink to keep warm.

I miss my daily lunchtime walks so much I could cry. I just can't do it in single digits. (On the plus side, I practically RUN to and from the train in the morning/evening so that I can get out of the cold faster - so, more calories burned? :) ) I have been doing daily yoga for more than a week, so at least I am getting some physical activity and strength training.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Izzs on January 05, 2018, 10:14:01 AM
I'm in! After mostly hibernating this winter and not doing nearly enough exercise. my clothes have started to get a bit tight.

Starting weight: 70.3kg (I suspect this is a bit artificially high, but maybe not)
Goal weight: 63kg

I'll be using myfitnesspal and need to pick up the exercise again
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: nessness on January 05, 2018, 10:43:18 AM
What are the sparkling water brands people can recommend? I'd like to try a few to see which one tastes best to me.
La Croix curate (the kind that comes in small cans) is my favorite, but pricey. Sometimes they have it for a good price at Big Lots. All other brands, including the regular La Croix, are basically indistinguishable to me, so I generally go with what's cheapest.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: AmandaPanda on January 05, 2018, 10:51:01 AM
Thanks everyone! I did estimate out eating my normal dinner, dessert, and 5 drinks, and it clocked in at 2000 calories for the day, so not terrible.  Think I'll just go for it!

Also, never heard of La Croix Curate.  Will look for this!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 05, 2018, 10:57:40 AM
The thing I'm fighting right now are the sub-zero temps. When I'm cold, I'm hungry and a salad and a smoothie aren't cutting it right now. My daily walk is down to 20 minutes because of the temps.

I made a giant pot of sweet potato soup this week but it is not keeping me full. I'll switch to stock (or bone broth if I want to sound hip) this weekend. Animal fats totally keep me warmer and fuller.

I have the exact same problem and was actually just coming here to ask if anyone's having a hard time with hunger because of the extreme cold. I certainly am. This morning my commute was awful (thanks, random person, who chose this morning's rush to commit suicide on the train tracks; I am sorry for your depression but that was still shitty!). I take two trains to work every morning and had to wait outdoors with the wind blasting on me for about 20 minutes for each train. It was 1 above before the windchill. Arrived at work completely numb. I ate my morning serving of oatmeal - still STARVING. Just ate my daily snack - still STARVING.

I'd been doing better over the past couple of days with the incessant hunger that I've been fighting; I figured my body was FINALLY getting used to fewer calories. But today I am really struggling. The same amount of breakfast that was fine for me yesterday is like nothing today.

I don't eat animal fat (other than eggs and dairy). Usually what makes me feel full and warm is potatoes, but I've been trying to keep those to a minimum. There's only so much coffee and hot tea I can drink to keep warm.

I miss my daily lunchtime walks so much I could cry. I just can't do it in single digits. (On the plus side, I practically RUN to and from the train in the morning/evening so that I can get out of the cold faster - so, more calories burned? :) ) I have been doing daily yoga for more than a week, so at least I am getting some physical activity and strength training.

Tris - I have this problem every winter! And of course, because of mustachianism, I'm always trying to keep my thermostat low too.

Last feb or so I gave in and started using a space heater in my home office. I could either gain weight and save money or have a higher electric bill and lose the weight - I  chose the higher utilities.

I actually just got my space heater out of the basement this morning because I can't fight the cold and the food cravings anymore.

And since you are veggie - here is an awesome filling cold weather/healthy recipe:
http://heatheratwood.com/blog/tag/lentil-and-grain-chili-with-cucumber-raita/

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 05, 2018, 11:41:56 AM


Tris - I have this problem every winter! And of course, because of mustachianism, I'm always trying to keep my thermostat low too.

Last feb or so I gave in and started using a space heater in my home office. I could either gain weight and save money or have a higher electric bill and lose the weight - I  chose the higher utilities.

Pfffft, I've completely given up on mustachianism re heat, in these conditions. The space heater is on daily in the evenings, and in the morning to warm up the frigid bathroom. I don't care any more. I tell myself it's for my very elderly cat (who to be fair is noticeably suffering in this cold when we don't run it). We can't control the heat in our apartment and don't pay for it, so there's no furnace to blast.


And since you are veggie - here is an awesome filling cold weather/healthy recipe:
http://heatheratwood.com/blog/tag/lentil-and-grain-chili-with-cucumber-raita/

That looks yummy! I am not a huge fan of lentils but mixed with the chick peas I think it'd be good. I've got a bag of lentils in the pantry that I need to use up (bought for a failed soup recipe. Yuck.)


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on January 05, 2018, 11:53:46 AM
Being cold plus having a cold have me all topsy turvy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 05, 2018, 02:23:35 PM
For those of you wondering if you can lose weight with little or no exercise: Exercise Won't Help You Lose Much Weight. (https://www.vox.com/2018/1/3/16845438/exercise-weight-loss-myth-burn-calories)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreams_and_discoveries on January 05, 2018, 02:36:53 PM
Hi all  - I'm having fun staying on the plan, and have successfully got all my xmas weight off - put in on in a week, take it off in a week is going to be my Xmas motto. And for next year, I will not eat so much at Xmas!

Now onto the more serious business if losing the 5kg I've basically been carry all last year - no excuses.

And I find it really interesting how people are so different; I'm in the no cake, or all the cake camp. I just can't do moderation with sweet things, no matter how hard I try. Even the really dark chocolate I can eat loads of.  So hence January is no cake, no chocolate and no alcohol -  had more than my fair share of all three in December, so I can't complain.

I'm keeping to MFP and logging everything; logging is quite easy as what I eat tends to be repetitive and I know I need to log to truly understand what I eat, and to get me questioning why I want to eat things.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on January 05, 2018, 03:03:42 PM

Right now my plan of attack is to give up sweets (I'm the type that can't eat just one so I have to eat none or I'll eat them all) and aim for 1600-1800cals/day. I'm not particularly active. I have a desk job and if I'm not trying to get extra steps I get about 5k a day, but I can still lose eating at that range. I want to exercise consistently too, but my food goals are my main priority.

I think that's a good target. I see some people trying to eat 1200-1400 cals/day and if that works for them, that's great, but I think it's very hard/probably not healthy to eat like that for the long term. Short term diets don't work for a lot of people. What makes you lose weight and keep the weight off is consistently making the right food choices. I think 1600-1800 is a realistic target if you're in it for the long term.

I try to eat 1800 cals/day and I lose weight. Only 0,5 / 1 kg a week, but I'll get there without feeling hungry or getting fed up and binge eating. I cycle 10km/day plus I exercise with weights a few times a week, but other than that I'm not particularly active (desk job).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 05, 2018, 03:47:36 PM
What are the sparkling water brands people can recommend? I'd like to try a few to see which one tastes best to me.
La Croix curate (the kind that comes in small cans) is my favorite, but pricey. Sometimes they have it for a good price at Big Lots. All other brands, including the regular La Croix, are basically indistinguishable to me, so I generally go with what's cheapest.

I've had pretty much all the brands available in my area, and I agree that they are mostly indistinguishable.  The only one I ever really didn't like was the store brand's Mandarin Orange flavor.  Polar is my go-to brand for a compromise between lower cost and fun flavors.

Some favorites in case those can inspire you:

La Croix - passionfruit or mango flavors
Dasani - strawberry-guava or pineapple flavors
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Apple_Tango on January 05, 2018, 04:42:12 PM

Starting metrics in black, Last update in Green
Starting weight: 241 : 241
Starting pushups: 0
Starting mile pace: 16 min. : 15:35!
Starting bench press: 55 pounds : 60 pounds

Short term goals:
Goal 1: work out 4 days a week, an hour per day.   3 days per week
Goal 2: drink 8 glasses of water per day : around 4 glasses ;
Goal 3: eat 50 grams of fiber per day (fruits and veggies);
Goal 4: 14 min mile by July 2018
Goal 5: 220 pounds by July 2018

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 05, 2018, 10:31:46 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 06, 2018, 05:48:30 AM

[...]

I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.

I definitely figure out my meal plans ahead of time and then do my best to stick to them.  The way it works for me is to have my standard smoothie breakfast, pack a reasonable lunch of leftovers and a healthy snack or two, and then when I have a few minutes at work, record all of that stuff and then plan my dinner to balance out the rest of the meals in terms of food types/groups and also stay under my calorie limit.  If I have a big dinner to go to or something, then I might work backwards and record the less-healthy dinner meal first, then figure out what I should eat for lunch/snacks to help offset it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 06, 2018, 06:05:52 AM
So last night was a bit of a failure as I ended up going for Friday drinks with a bunch of co-workers. On the good (and more mustachian) side, I only  had 2 beers and got a sparkling water after. For food I just took a portion of fries while everyone else got large meals like burgers (with fries!). Calorie and health wise not the best day, but it was some good socialization.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: westtoeast on January 06, 2018, 07:18:36 AM
Goal: -12 lbs
Strategies:
* Sugar on weekends only (and not excessive)
* Fasting 1X per week
* Smaller portions (use smaller plates to help)
* Light on empty carbs
* No eating after 7:00pm (drink tea to curb cravings)
* Exercise minimum 3X per week (running & weights/kettlebells)

Some extra ideas (many taken from other's posts):
- Lemon water in the morning
- Lots of veggie soups w/ a lean protein

Update #1
* Food shifts are happening slowly, but eating up some items left in the cupboards first. I've made a list of healthy meals to inform my next trip to the grocery store.
* Didn't do my first "Fasting Thursday" because it was a snow day home from work (fasting is easier when I'm busy and distracted)
* Made an exercise schedule that includes 10 minutes of rigorous weight training (lots of squats) each weekday morning, running the 2 miles home from work 3X per week, and doing yoga in the evening 2X per week
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Sailor Sam on January 06, 2018, 11:00:57 AM
Yesterday was my leaving do at my current assignment. Donuts for breakfast, lunch out, and pizza for dinner. Not a vegetable in sight, but I still did really fucking great with portion sizes and waiting until I was hungry. Win.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wintertell on January 06, 2018, 11:34:28 AM
I'm down from my post-Christmas high of 217, and I am so relieved. I weighed in at 212.8. That's within 10lbs of my lowest in early Nov 2017.

I am aiming for a 1lb/week weight loss, so that means mid-March before I get back to my lowest, but then only another month until I get below 200 in April!

It's annoying to basically be where I was in September, but two weeks ago I hit weights I hadn't seen since August -- all about perspective.

This year I am concentrating on:
- Aiming for 1900 calories or less/daily
- Getting 6k-10k steps a day, getting a gym routine started.
- 100 oz of water
- Wearing my Fitbit
- Tracking all food in MFP
- Meal planning every week, going to the grocery store right after and avoiding eating out.

Another big thing for me is cutting out emotional/stress eating - It's just not conducive to being a normal weight.

One day at a time. I am so relieved to have turned the slide upward back down.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 06, 2018, 12:37:38 PM
Have people here experimented with fasting? I was curious to try (not particularly for weight loss, but mainly for both mental and physical benefits I've heard people talking about) so I did a little experiment today, but I got very shaky around 2 PM. Does this mean it's just not for me or is the skakiness a stage you have to go through for a moment before it gets comfortable again?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: brooklynmoney on January 06, 2018, 05:00:47 PM
So inspired by everyone's commitment! I lost 12 pounds last year, but a few crept back on. Want to lose those last 5-10 (10 is probably too much but a girl can dream). For those of you who are freezing like I am (65 on the thermostat and - degrees outside) some things that help me: Dance party in my house for an hour. I have an urban rebounder, so I do it on that, but you don't need one. For those with joint issues, the rebounder is amazing, fyi. It gives you a full cardio workout with zero impact. And it takes up v. little space (although not sure how my downstairs neighbors feel about it). Also, i drink a ton of herbal teas, but also hot water with lemon (and a little honey when I need something sweet).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 06, 2018, 08:58:03 PM
Finished Day 2 of low-carb and came in at 30 carbs for both days and I'm shocked at how much higher carbs cabbage is than romaine.  3 cups each = 15 for cabbage and 3 for romaine.  Wow.  I really like cabbage and find it so much more versatile: it's great sauteed with evoo, added to salads for crunch, sprinkled into soup, etc... But if I keep it there's no way I'm going to make it down to 20 carbs a day without feeling deprived or hungry.

I'll pick up a kitchen scale next week, maybe if I weigh my food I'll be able to gain some wiggle room.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: itchyfeet on January 07, 2018, 02:24:39 AM
Finished Day 2 of low-carb and came in at 30 carbs for both days and I'm shocked at how much higher carbs cabbage is than romaine.  3 cups each = 15 for cabbage and 3 for romaine.  Wow.  I really like cabbage and find it so much more versatile: it's great sauteed with evoo, added to salads for crunch, sprinkled into soup, etc... But if I keep it there's no way I'm going to make it down to 20 carbs a day without feeling deprived or hungry.

I'll pick up a kitchen scale next week, maybe if I weigh my food I'll be able to gain some wiggle room.

I am pretty certain I will never put myself on a diet where I am worried that eating cabbage will hinder my weight loss. Seems intense.

You’d have to eat 8kgs of cabbage for 2,000 cals. That’s a hellava lot of cabbage.

Or to put it another way, to lose 1 kg you need to have a calorie deficit of 7,700 cals or remove more than 30kgs (66lbs) of cabbage from your diet assuming a kilo of cabbage is 250cals.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 07, 2018, 05:12:21 AM
Have people here experimented with fasting? I was curious to try (not particularly for weight loss, but mainly for both mental and physical benefits I've heard people talking about) so I did a little experiment today, but I got very shaky around 2 PM. Does this mean it's just not for me or is the skakiness a stage you have to go through for a moment before it gets comfortable again?

I’ve done a ton of reading on fasting because I had ulcers last year that weren’t responding to medication and fasting was the only way to manage the pain. Which was highly effective btw.

From what I can tell, not everyone responds well to fasting, and the people who get really shaky and light headed often don’t adjust.
You could try, and maybe start with shorter fasts, try and work your way up to an entire day if you want to, but don’t be surprised if you are one of these people whose body needs food.

Me? I can skip a meal and not even notice as long as I’m hydrated and not doing anything too physical. Fasting for me is easy, and I still didn’t like it.

Personally, I got no benefit from fasting other than controlling my stomach acid pain.
It made me feel kind of stoned, not mentally clear and actually triggered a few months of intense cravings for sugar, which wasn’t fun since I had managed to get to a state for a few years where I no longer had non-hunger based food cravings.
It’s been about 5 months since I last faster and the stupid sugar cravings only dropped off about 8 weeks ago. That was frustrating because I had basically been sugar free and sugar craving free for several years.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend it.
I’m sure others have a different response and it might be great for some, but for me it just felt sickly.
I would DEFINITELY say that I think it’s probably a practice best waited on until the person has already excellent eating habits and a healthy relationship with food where there isn’t a sense of self deprivation already. I have a hard time fathoming how fasting could help someone have less food issues. Again, maybe some people do. Everyone is different.

Had I done it back in my early 20s when I was always starving myself on the latest fad diet, it could have been a very ugly psychological experience and caused a massive binge phase. I’m glad this trend didn’t become popular until I had already mended my relationship with my body and with food.

That’s just my personal experience and perspective. Feel free to ignore if it’s not applicable to you.

Thanks for the feedback. I usually can go without a meal fairly painless as well, but apparently not the whole day. I had decided on my little experiment quite spontaneously, so it might also be due to lack of preparation. For now I'll just keep it at healthy eating and leave the fasting experiment. If I wanna try again, I'll do some more research/preparation.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on January 07, 2018, 05:32:10 AM
I'll start keeping track by recording a weekly weigh-in on this thread.

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Current weight: 119.9kg

Obviously it's highly unlikely that I've lost 800g of bodyfat in two days (I've now got a glass of water that I'm sipping from that'll negate much of that anyway), but it's a start and a psychological boost to feel I'm on the way there :)

Previously I'd say my food choices were closer to 'eating on autopilot' regarding the nutrition/health of some dishes, and changing that to not be eating on autopilot is taking a bit of getting used to. This weekend there's been a couple of small transgressions, but not as bad as they would have been normally. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Cookie78 on January 07, 2018, 10:32:00 AM
Complete fail last night! I couldn't stop snacking! I was alternating with healthy snacks and I had another serving of dinner- stir fried veggies and beef at one point. I may need to start tracking with MFP again to convince snacky-brain that I have had enough!

I gained the 1.5 pounds back that I'd lost through the week, but I'm also busy reminding myself that 1.5 is within the realm of regular fluctuations! Tomorrow is weigh in day, which is incentive to eat well tonight. :)

On a good note, doubled the exercise intensity today. Found a HIIT workout that I should be able to do for a couple weeks or months before I will be able to keep up with the instructor!

Generally frustrated with my strength and fitness and how far I let myself slide over the past 5 years. Trying not to let that frustration turn into negative self-talk habits. Trying to use it as motivation instead.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 07, 2018, 12:23:45 PM
Finished Day 2 of low-carb and came in at 30 carbs for both days and I'm shocked at how much higher carbs cabbage is than romaine.  3 cups each = 15 for cabbage and 3 for romaine.  Wow.  I really like cabbage and find it so much more versatile: it's great sauteed with evoo, added to salads for crunch, sprinkled into soup, etc... But if I keep it there's no way I'm going to make it down to 20 carbs a day without feeling deprived or hungry.

I'll pick up a kitchen scale next week, maybe if I weigh my food I'll be able to gain some wiggle room.

I am pretty certain I will never put myself on a diet where I am worried that eating cabbage will hinder my weight loss. Seems intense.

You’d have to eat 8kgs of cabbage for 2,000 cals. That’s a hellava lot of cabbage.

Or to put it another way, to lose 1 kg you need to have a calorie deficit of 7,700 cals or remove more than 30kgs (66lbs) of cabbage from your diet assuming a kilo of cabbage is 250cals.

It sounds worse than it is.  A keto diet relies on a carb-deficit in order to work.  So for the last couple of days I've been eating eggs, sausage, cheddar cheese, salami, lots of cabbage, pork & hominy soup, olives, tea with heavy cream and splenda, and still being withing my calorie budget of 1780 set by MFP for 2 lbs a week weight loss.  And I haven't felt deprived or hungry at all.  Since most foods have carbs, it's just a matter of picking the foods that give you the best bang for your buck.

If I spend my carb budget on cabbage, that means I have to cut out all the carbs in the rest of my food, which is difficult.  Instead, I can just choose to spend my carb budget on less carby veggies like bok choy, romaine, mushrooms, peppers, escarole, endive, jicama, etc (there's a long list of low-carb veggies, these are just the ones I like best). 

Again, this is for the 20 carb limit to get into ketosis.  Later on I might add in more carbs if I find that I can still stay in keto.  But for now I'm working hard to get to the 20 carb limit so I'm happy to make the subs now that I'm aware of the cabbage carbiness.  I'll be quite happy with the other veggies, I just didn't know it made such a difference. 

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 07, 2018, 12:50:40 PM
I signed up for losing weight in 2017 and did a terrible job - I actually gained like 5 lbs.  So, I'm signing up again but with the caveat that we're going to try for another kid, and my weight will probably go back up toward the end of the year.  I'd prefer to be a little more in shape than I am now if/when I get pregnant, so I'm on the bandwagon for losing some weight, but more importantly for building up my strength and endurance so I can keep exercising after the doctor tells me to not start anything new.

Starting weight - 148 lbs in the morning in my underwear after I pee ;)

1) Try (again) to meal plan more effectively to reduce pizza and quesadilla nights.
2) Do my best to make it to crossfit 3x/week minimum, and take a long walk or a hike one other day per week.
3) Don't eat snacks at work!  People bring in all sorts of delicious things and I have no self control once I start.  I'm far better at not eating any cookies than at stopping with one.
4) Eat more vegetables!  Current toddler subsists mostly on yogurt, cheese, pasta, fruit, and cookies/crackers/cereal snacks - maybe if I eat more veggies, the next baby will like the flavor more?  Wishful thinking, probably, but good for me regardless.
5) Actually keep track of my intake on myfitnesspal.  I think I know what I'm eating, but I actually just scarfed 6 small Reeces Peanut Butter cups, and almost forgot about them until I saw the wrappers in my trash.  Not great.

I feel the best on a lower carb/paleo style diet, so if anyone has any recipes that fit that bill (especially crock pot recipes) that they especially love, could you pass them on?  I'm always looking for new things to try on DH :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hotstreak on January 07, 2018, 01:47:24 PM
Finished Day 2 of low-carb and came in at 30 carbs for both days and I'm shocked at how much higher carbs cabbage is than romaine.  3 cups each = 15 for cabbage and 3 for romaine.  Wow.  I really like cabbage and find it so much more versatile: it's great sauteed with evoo, added to salads for crunch, sprinkled into soup, etc... But if I keep it there's no way I'm going to make it down to 20 carbs a day without feeling deprived or hungry.

I'll pick up a kitchen scale next week, maybe if I weigh my food I'll be able to gain some wiggle room.

I am pretty certain I will never put myself on a diet where I am worried that eating cabbage will hinder my weight loss. Seems intense.

You’d have to eat 8kgs of cabbage for 2,000 cals. That’s a hellava lot of cabbage.

Or to put it another way, to lose 1 kg you need to have a calorie deficit of 7,700 cals or remove more than 30kgs (66lbs) of cabbage from your diet assuming a kilo of cabbage is 250cals.

It sounds worse than it is.  A keto diet relies on a carb-deficit in order to work.  So for the last couple of days I've been eating eggs, sausage, cheddar cheese, salami, lots of cabbage, pork & hominy soup, olives, tea with heavy cream and splenda, and still being withing my calorie budget of 1780 set by MFP for 2 lbs a week weight loss.  And I haven't felt deprived or hungry at all.  Since most foods have carbs, it's just a matter of picking the foods that give you the best bang for your buck.

If I spend my carb budget on cabbage, that means I have to cut out all the carbs in the rest of my food, which is difficult.  Instead, I can just choose to spend my carb budget on less carby veggies like bok choy, romaine, mushrooms, peppers, escarole, endive, jicama, etc (there's a long list of low-carb veggies, these are just the ones I like best). 

Again, this is for the 20 carb limit to get into ketosis.  Later on I might add in more carbs if I find that I can still stay in keto.  But for now I'm working hard to get to the 20 carb limit so I'm happy to make the subs now that I'm aware of the cabbage carbiness.  I'll be quite happy with the other veggies, I just didn't know it made such a difference.


You're counting total carbs on cabbage (5g/cup) which is the wrong measurement.  You should count net carbs (carbs minus fiber), since the fiber is not converted to glucose.  MFP shows cabbage at 5g total carbs with 2g fiber per cup, so your three cup example would actually be 9g instead of 15g.  Still 45% towards your daily goal obviously, but significantly different than 75% towards your daily goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 07, 2018, 02:22:30 PM
Finished Day 2 of low-carb and came in at 30 carbs for both days and I'm shocked at how much higher carbs cabbage is than romaine.  3 cups each = 15 for cabbage and 3 for romaine.  Wow.  I really like cabbage and find it so much more versatile: it's great sauteed with evoo, added to salads for crunch, sprinkled into soup, etc... But if I keep it there's no way I'm going to make it down to 20 carbs a day without feeling deprived or hungry.

I'll pick up a kitchen scale next week, maybe if I weigh my food I'll be able to gain some wiggle room.

I am pretty certain I will never put myself on a diet where I am worried that eating cabbage will hinder my weight loss. Seems intense.

You’d have to eat 8kgs of cabbage for 2,000 cals. That’s a hellava lot of cabbage.

Or to put it another way, to lose 1 kg you need to have a calorie deficit of 7,700 cals or remove more than 30kgs (66lbs) of cabbage from your diet assuming a kilo of cabbage is 250cals.

It sounds worse than it is.  A keto diet relies on a carb-deficit in order to work.  So for the last couple of days I've been eating eggs, sausage, cheddar cheese, salami, lots of cabbage, pork & hominy soup, olives, tea with heavy cream and splenda, and still being withing my calorie budget of 1780 set by MFP for 2 lbs a week weight loss.  And I haven't felt deprived or hungry at all.  Since most foods have carbs, it's just a matter of picking the foods that give you the best bang for your buck.

If I spend my carb budget on cabbage, that means I have to cut out all the carbs in the rest of my food, which is difficult.  Instead, I can just choose to spend my carb budget on less carby veggies like bok choy, romaine, mushrooms, peppers, escarole, endive, jicama, etc (there's a long list of low-carb veggies, these are just the ones I like best). 

Again, this is for the 20 carb limit to get into ketosis.  Later on I might add in more carbs if I find that I can still stay in keto.  But for now I'm working hard to get to the 20 carb limit so I'm happy to make the subs now that I'm aware of the cabbage carbiness.  I'll be quite happy with the other veggies, I just didn't know it made such a difference.


You're counting total carbs on cabbage (5g/cup) which is the wrong measurement.  You should count net carbs (carbs minus fiber), since the fiber is not converted to glucose.  MFP shows cabbage at 5g total carbs with 2g fiber per cup, so your three cup example would actually be 9g instead of 15g.  Still 45% towards your daily goal obviously, but significantly different than 75% towards your daily goal.

I'm using MFP to log but I don't see the breakdown for fiber and net carbs.  Is that part of the premium version? 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lemonverbena on January 07, 2018, 06:12:02 PM
Jan 1: 142lbs
Jan 7: 136lbs

I didn't do anything I said I would. I had a harder work week than usual and was so exhausted I just went to bed by 8:30pm most nights, so no exercise. I ate more than usual and also didn't track on MFP. I suspect I lost weight because sleeping well really helps and because I've recently given up caffeine. I think coffee (and also insufficient sleep) royally screw up my endocrine system and make me hold onto and gain weight. So the first 6lbs were effortless, but 136 is my usual weight. The next 10lbs I'll have to work for.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: cats on January 07, 2018, 06:13:07 PM
I'm in.  I still have about 5 lbs of baby weight I'd like to lose before we have a second (which is possibly happening this year...), hoping to lose it before my birthday in March.  I finally got myself into a good place with diet/exercise in late 2017: lots of walking, more formal workouts (e.g. something that requires a sports bra) 4-5x/week, more veggies and less sugar/junk carbs.  I've been tracking in MFP and finding it helpful.  I plug in everything I am planning to eat in the morning, then update in the evening with any deviations from plan.  I got a bit off track with MFP due to holiday travel and need to get myself back in the habit this week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 07, 2018, 08:50:49 PM
I ate like an adult today. It wasn't the worst thing ever. There was a lack of poutine and cookies

Hahaha. Loved this. Sometimes adulting is hard.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: itchyfeet on January 08, 2018, 01:58:00 AM
Pulled the belt one notch tighter today. It’s a start.

5 more notches would be a good outcome.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on January 08, 2018, 02:20:50 AM
December 29: 77,5
January 8:      77,1

I actually gained a bit over NYE + leftovers, then lost it again. I'm taking it slowly and don't weigh myself super regularly. I do track my food and since January 1 and that's going really well. I like to bake, but when I'm tracking my calories I hate to calculate the energetic value of the cake I've baked, so I just don't bake to avoid the hassle.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SachaFiscal on January 08, 2018, 06:19:50 AM
Joining for accountability. Going to finally lose the extra 10-15 pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 10-15 years. I’d like to lose at least 10lbs by April when I plan to get my cholesterol checked.

My plan is:
- track calories in MFP (1200-1400 per day)
- walk for an hour every day
- Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and spin class each once a week.
- no alcohol until July 4 (doing this with my spouse)
- plant based diet
- no eating out unless invited out with friends until July 4

My spouse is also on board which makes this a lot easier this time.

Starting weight: 135lbs
Goal weight: 120-125lbs

Week 1:
Weight - 134.0 lbs
Average Calories - 1294
Diet - mostly plant based (1 dairy meal), no alcohol consumed
Exercise - minimal (some walking)

I was recovering from the flu so didn’t exercise much. Hoping to increase the exercise this week and be 100% plant based with my diet.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Pooperman on January 08, 2018, 06:32:28 AM
Height: 71"

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

1/8/2018: 207lb
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 08, 2018, 07:03:24 AM
Week 1 Results:
-Lost 2 of 20 lbs.
-Averaged 5.7 servings of fruit & veggies/day
-No running as of yet, as I'm in the (hopefully) final stages of recovering from bronchitis
-Did one week of 21 day shred (7 of 21 days complete)
-Worked out every day: 3 cardio workouts, one arm focused day, one leg focused day, one combined strength day, and one pilates workout.

Things that worked:
-Buying pre-packaged salad with a few fun mix ins to drive my F&V up. Very helpful, and I ate the entire bag in 5 days.
-Making working out in the morning a priority
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 08, 2018, 07:32:38 AM
I'm in!  I started my second round of Whole30 yesterday.  On my first round (March 2017) I ate compliant for 59 days and lost 11 lbs, which got me to my prepregnancy weight.  I would like to will lose 14 lbs by June 1 .   I know Whole30 is not supposed to be a weight loss diet, but I have tried so many other programs and this is the only one that I have been able to stick to.

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

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

Today is Day 6 of my Whole30 round.  Even though it is breaking the whole30 rules, I stepped on the scale and was happy to see that my weight has gone down.  I'm not writing it down because I know a lot can change over the next 3 weeks of Whole30.

I'm pleasantly surprised that this food hangover was not even close to the food hangover I felt on my first round.  My first round I felt like I was going to die.  I was in bed sick by this point, but even after ending Round 1 my family made permanent changes to our diet, which is probably why I'm feeling pretty good right now.

I had planned to not work out until day 15 so I could focus on the food habits and hangover first, but this morning I woke up with a ton of energy decided to walk on the treadmill for 1.5 miles/30 miles. 

Here is what I ate during week 1.  I realize my meals are very boring and I ate the same thing most days, but for me that is key during the beginning of a Whole30.  It lets me focus on the foods and how I feel first.  When I hit the "Tiger Blood" stage I will start experimenting more with recipes.

Breakfast (every day):  Eggs with coconut milk with left over veggies.  I added either an avocado or banana depending on what I felt like.  Coffee was black with coconut oil stirred in.

Lunch:
Lunch 1&2: Chicken Sausage with baked potato drizzled with olive oil, and a leftover veg
Lunch 3&4:  Baked potato drizzled with olive oil topped with Sloppy Joes (ground turkey, sugar free tomato sauce, chopped carrots, & chopped green peppers)
Lunch 5&6: Chicken Sausage, Spaghetti squash.  I attempted to make Spaghetti squash fritters but I need to work on the recipe.
Lunch 7:  Chicken sausage, leftover veg

Dinner:
Dinner 1:  Steak, broccoli, zucchini, deviled eggs
Dinner 2: Pork Chops, broccoli, roasted potatoes
Dinner 3: Spaghetti squash, homemade spaghetti sauce, deviled eggs
Dinner 4: Spaghetti squash, homemade spaghetti sauce, deviled eggs
Dinner 5: Chicken thighs, broccoli, roasted potatoes
Dinner 6: Chicken, broccoli
Dinner 7:  Steak, Cauliflower, roasted peppers

There were 2 times during the week I needed a snack.  For snacks I had a banana and a hard boiled egg. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 08, 2018, 08:06:20 AM
1) Eat 3 to 4 meals per day. Each meal will have a source of protein.
2) No cheese. I'm vegetarian, would like to eat more 100% vegan meals, and cheese is a source of concentrated calories.
3) Exercise in an intentional way 3-4 days per week. This can include running, biking, yoga and resistance training.
I accomplished 1 and 2. A whole week without cheese!! I missed the mark on exercise, only completing 2 yoga videos. I'm *finally* feeling pretty healthy (it's been 3 weeks!), so I'll do better this week.

I've also been trying to stay mindful during meals and eating until I'm 80% full. It's a good habit for me, because I tend to be a quick eater. Overall I'm happy with my progress. I weighed myself this morning and was also happy. I'll only report weight 1x per month because it fluctuates so much with water retention, but I think I'm heading in a good direction.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SlowlyButSurely on January 08, 2018, 09:03:50 AM
So far (numbers are actually a 10 day average to smooth random ups and downs):

12/26/2017 - 192.1 lbs
01/01/2018 - 190.6 lbs (14% goal 1, 5% stretch goal)
01/08/2018 - 189.2 lbs (28% goal 1, 11% stretch goal)

I was able to stick to my plan this week. The vegan + sugar free combination is tough, but I do think it's disrupting my eating habits, which is the goal. Sugar is really everywhere. I didn't try anything longer than my daily 16/8 fast, but I'd like to try to fit in a 24 hour fast this coming week. I want to see if it's any easier when I make lunch my one meal of the day, rather than dinner.

I'm happy about the progress I've made, but I know from experience that this is where the rubber hits the road. I've lost the "easy" weight, and it's going to be slower from here, which is always discouraging. At the same time, the novelty is wearing off, and I'm likely to start getting bored. Checking in here every day to see what everyone else is doing does help with motivation, and I'm going to seek out some interesting-looking recipes that I'll look forward to experimenting with.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: FireHiker on January 08, 2018, 09:42:54 AM
Making it a habit this year to step on the scale each Monday. Today is 164.5, down 0.6 from last week. I've not been incredibly strict with my eating, but I've tried to be more mindful of portions and have only had one alcoholic drink in the entire week. I'm still waiting to be medically cleared to go back to full exercise pre-(minor)surgery, so I'm mostly walking and doing moderate yoga at this point. On to the next week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: roystonea on January 08, 2018, 10:28:31 AM
Height: almost 5'4"
Current weight (Jan-2-2018): 136 lbs
Goal weight: around 120-125 lbs.

Weighing in on Monday mornings from now on.

Starting weight (Jan-2-2018): 136 lbs
Current weight (Jan-8-2018): 134.2 lbs -1.8 lbs

Starting measurements (Jan-8-2018 - didn't take them last week)
Waist: 29"
Thigh: 21.5"

Off to a good start! Not snacking has been easy so far. The post-holiday office junk food isn't even appetizing... someone actually brought in a boxed fruitcake today, yuck. I haven't been dealing with much hunger, so I'm probably eating more calories than I need to, but I'm happy to just build the no-snacking habit for now and re-tune my meals later. If I start trying to tackle both at once, I'll fall off the horse.

I also cut the alcoholic drinks last week to 3. I'm always amazed at how much it improves my mood and motivation to avoid alcohol. It's not something I'm at all interested in cutting out completely, but I'm happy to be moderating my intake a bit.

My other personal goal is to cut the amount of time I spend watching Netflix by myself. I did well until Saturday afternoon, when I fell into an hours-long binge of a really terrible, not to be named show. It's an embarrassing waste of time and turns me into a cranky, sedentary blob.

Lastly, soup season is awesome. So many options for one-pot, balanced, healthy meals. I gotta figure out how to make myself want soup in summer. In Florida.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on January 08, 2018, 10:42:34 AM
Height: almost 5'4"
Current weight (Jan-2-2018): 136 lbs
Goal weight: around 120-125 lbs.

Lastly, soup season is awesome. So many options for one-pot, balanced, healthy meals. I gotta figure out how to make myself want soup in summer. In Florida.

Have you tried cold soups? I really love those in the summer. I live in a much more moderate climate and even I find it hard to eat certain hot soups in summer, but I still eat light, vegetable based soups like zucchini soup and chervil soup.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 08, 2018, 11:18:29 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on January 08, 2018, 11:44:21 AM
I had better join this challenge.  While I don't mind being pleasantly plump, I'm beginning to cross the line to something less pleasant and more importantly, unhealthy.  15 pounds less for me, or else I will have to buy all new clothes! No more storebought baked goods, and let's halve the amount of holiday candy the kids get (and I eat) before I have to change my handle from Poundwise to Plussize.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hotstreak on January 08, 2018, 12:01:37 PM
Finished Day 2 of low-carb and came in at 30 carbs for both days and I'm shocked at how much higher carbs cabbage is than romaine.  3 cups each = 15 for cabbage and 3 for romaine.  Wow.  I really like cabbage and find it so much more versatile: it's great sauteed with evoo, added to salads for crunch, sprinkled into soup, etc... But if I keep it there's no way I'm going to make it down to 20 carbs a day without feeling deprived or hungry.

I'll pick up a kitchen scale next week, maybe if I weigh my food I'll be able to gain some wiggle room.

I am pretty certain I will never put myself on a diet where I am worried that eating cabbage will hinder my weight loss. Seems intense.

You’d have to eat 8kgs of cabbage for 2,000 cals. That’s a hellava lot of cabbage.

Or to put it another way, to lose 1 kg you need to have a calorie deficit of 7,700 cals or remove more than 30kgs (66lbs) of cabbage from your diet assuming a kilo of cabbage is 250cals.

It sounds worse than it is.  A keto diet relies on a carb-deficit in order to work.  So for the last couple of days I've been eating eggs, sausage, cheddar cheese, salami, lots of cabbage, pork & hominy soup, olives, tea with heavy cream and splenda, and still being withing my calorie budget of 1780 set by MFP for 2 lbs a week weight loss.  And I haven't felt deprived or hungry at all.  Since most foods have carbs, it's just a matter of picking the foods that give you the best bang for your buck.

If I spend my carb budget on cabbage, that means I have to cut out all the carbs in the rest of my food, which is difficult.  Instead, I can just choose to spend my carb budget on less carby veggies like bok choy, romaine, mushrooms, peppers, escarole, endive, jicama, etc (there's a long list of low-carb veggies, these are just the ones I like best). 

Again, this is for the 20 carb limit to get into ketosis.  Later on I might add in more carbs if I find that I can still stay in keto.  But for now I'm working hard to get to the 20 carb limit so I'm happy to make the subs now that I'm aware of the cabbage carbiness.  I'll be quite happy with the other veggies, I just didn't know it made such a difference.


You're counting total carbs on cabbage (5g/cup) which is the wrong measurement.  You should count net carbs (carbs minus fiber), since the fiber is not converted to glucose.  MFP shows cabbage at 5g total carbs with 2g fiber per cup, so your three cup example would actually be 9g instead of 15g.  Still 45% towards your daily goal obviously, but significantly different than 75% towards your daily goal.

I'm using MFP to log but I don't see the breakdown for fiber and net carbs.  Is that part of the premium version?

Sorry Jane X, I don't use their app so I don't know!  I was looking at the nutrition fact table on their website, for shredded or chopped cabbage, which lists total carbs, fiber, and sugar, and subtracted.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 08, 2018, 12:22:41 PM
Finished Day 2 of low-carb and came in at 30 carbs for both days and I'm shocked at how much higher carbs cabbage is than romaine.  3 cups each = 15 for cabbage and 3 for romaine.  Wow.  I really like cabbage and find it so much more versatile: it's great sauteed with evoo, added to salads for crunch, sprinkled into soup, etc... But if I keep it there's no way I'm going to make it down to 20 carbs a day without feeling deprived or hungry.

I'll pick up a kitchen scale next week, maybe if I weigh my food I'll be able to gain some wiggle room.

I am pretty certain I will never put myself on a diet where I am worried that eating cabbage will hinder my weight loss. Seems intense.

You’d have to eat 8kgs of cabbage for 2,000 cals. That’s a hellava lot of cabbage.

Or to put it another way, to lose 1 kg you need to have a calorie deficit of 7,700 cals or remove more than 30kgs (66lbs) of cabbage from your diet assuming a kilo of cabbage is 250cals.

It sounds worse than it is.  A keto diet relies on a carb-deficit in order to work.  So for the last couple of days I've been eating eggs, sausage, cheddar cheese, salami, lots of cabbage, pork & hominy soup, olives, tea with heavy cream and splenda, and still being withing my calorie budget of 1780 set by MFP for 2 lbs a week weight loss.  And I haven't felt deprived or hungry at all.  Since most foods have carbs, it's just a matter of picking the foods that give you the best bang for your buck.

If I spend my carb budget on cabbage, that means I have to cut out all the carbs in the rest of my food, which is difficult.  Instead, I can just choose to spend my carb budget on less carby veggies like bok choy, romaine, mushrooms, peppers, escarole, endive, jicama, etc (there's a long list of low-carb veggies, these are just the ones I like best). 

Again, this is for the 20 carb limit to get into ketosis.  Later on I might add in more carbs if I find that I can still stay in keto.  But for now I'm working hard to get to the 20 carb limit so I'm happy to make the subs now that I'm aware of the cabbage carbiness.  I'll be quite happy with the other veggies, I just didn't know it made such a difference.


You're counting total carbs on cabbage (5g/cup) which is the wrong measurement.  You should count net carbs (carbs minus fiber), since the fiber is not converted to glucose.  MFP shows cabbage at 5g total carbs with 2g fiber per cup, so your three cup example would actually be 9g instead of 15g.  Still 45% towards your daily goal obviously, but significantly different than 75% towards your daily goal.

I'm using MFP to log but I don't see the breakdown for fiber and net carbs.  Is that part of the premium version?

Sorry Jane X, I don't use their app so I don't know!  I was looking at the nutrition fact table on their website, for shredded or chopped cabbage, which lists total carbs, fiber, and sugar, and subtracted.

Ah, okay.  I think I'll continue to count all grams for now to offset the fact that I'm not weighing or measuring my food yet.  It's all eyeball portions and I'm sure I'm being generous with myself.  Once I get a kitchen scale and start weighing, then I'll deduct the fiber.

Thanks for pointing that out!  It's made me feel lots better about being at 30 instead of 20.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: roystonea on January 08, 2018, 12:54:50 PM
Height: almost 5'4"
Current weight (Jan-2-2018): 136 lbs
Goal weight: around 120-125 lbs.

Lastly, soup season is awesome. So many options for one-pot, balanced, healthy meals. I gotta figure out how to make myself want soup in summer. In Florida.

Have you tried cold soups? I really love those in the summer. I live in a much more moderate climate and even I find it hard to eat certain hot soups in summer, but I still eat light, vegetable based soups like zucchini soup and chervil soup.

I've always shied away from cold soups for some reason. But it's high time to try a few recipes. Thank you for the suggestion!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 08, 2018, 06:28:27 PM
Finished day 4 of low carb!  I'm pretty sure I'm in keto, but since I just started my period, I haven't weighed and don't plan to until after.  Even with the increased cravings and cycle related stuff I've been able to stay the course so I'm pretty happy.

Has anyone used Carb Manager for tracking?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ChipmunkSavings on January 08, 2018, 08:12:07 PM
I've always been puzzled by the fact that I can track dollars and make budget cuts rather easily, but calories and food are a whole different ball game. Why is eating so much more emotionally-charged for me than making purchases? I've never had the ''rush'' of buying stuff, but getting some chocolate will definitely do the trick. I really want to figure out what makes me react this way to food, and how to re-organize my thinking in a healthier manner.

I've been reading about how some personalities (e.g.,kids & marshmallows psych experiments) are better at discounting present value in favor of greater future returns. I can do this with money until the cows come home. I can do this with education and career (powered through my dissertation) but have had such a problem with food. Not sure why the difference, so I'll be interested in hearing your insights as you have them.

No insights so far, but I have read that there is more to the marshmallow study than previously thought. A bit off-topic, but apparently it was a better indicator of the kids' level of trust in authority. I thought that was interesting to note.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/what-the-marshmallow-test-really-teaches-about-self-control/380673/


Also, this week was excellent as far as healthy habits go. I did not eat any dessert, exercised every day, and ate lots of fruits and veggies. I weighed myself on January 1st, but I was still pretty bloated from NYE food party, so weight was slightly higher than usual.

Jan 1 : 193.2 lb
Jan 8 : 187.8 lb (-5.4 lb)

I am continuing the 30-day shred, and I'm also taking measurements weekly throughout the month in order to track my progress.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 09, 2018, 01:21:56 AM
Home now! That kind of feels like out should be prefaced by "finally" but also I like visiting family and it's what's a bit sad to see the festivities end. :)

I'm at 186.9 this morning...I was hanging in there but we show off and splurge in a culinary sense when we get together, so some of the dinners last week did me in...could have been worse!

Now that we're back home and grocery shopped today, I'm tracking in MyNetDiary again. I aim for 1500-1600 kcal average; like others I've found that aiming lower and being RAVENOUS was counterproductive long term...but I can't comment on others' metabolisms. This past year I've been losing pretty comfortably, without serious hunger, if I stick to the limits, get enough protein and/or fats, and keep the carbs within reasonable limits (if starches start to dominate my caloric intake, I get hungry!)

Today's success: Dinner of vegetarian borsch(t) (pictured) which ended up running 1400 kcal for a 6-qt pot. Might help fill up and warm up some of you cold humans?

Peel, then julienne or shred: 1 lb raw beet, 8 oz carrot, 1 lb cabbage, med onion (6 oz?)
Heat up 3 qts prepared better than boullion (or other stock) w/ bay leaf and peppercorns to taste.
Add 2lb potatoes (~3/4 " cubes?) Simmer ~10 min, while you...
Sautee beets and carrots for 3-4 min, then add cabbage, and in 2-3 min add onion. Sautee another minute or two, then dump veg into soup.
Mix and bring to temp and enjoy.

If you want to be authentic, add lots of fresh or dried dill at any point. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180109/1d87235198c680aeff6533939dd734be.jpg)

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 09, 2018, 02:15:05 AM
I also wanted to respond to some of the ongoing conversations...

Kitchen scales are awesome! I like the unambuguity of it. It does get easier!Eventually, I learned what my typical ingredients came out to (we get 5 oz apples, 2.5 oz Persian cucumbers, etc). Probably more importantly, I learned which products were important to track and which were safe to eyeball. Oils, meat, nuts, cheese, carbs are either caloric (small qty error = large caloric error), or tempting, or both. Vegetables, I am far less concerned with tracking accurately. A cup of lettuce/greens is 5 kcal...that's well within the margin of error on these measurements (esp as applied to different bodies!)

If starving after snacktime is an issue, a nutritionist once told me, pair fruit/veg with fat/protein (cheese, nuts, dip, deli meat) for more lasting fullness. I don't have a habit of snacking, but when I have applied it, it's been true.

There was some discussion of why this control is harder than budgeting...I think it's twofold. One is along the lines of "everyone has their demons"...besides money, one might struggle with alcohol/substances or controlling emotions/esp anger or forgetfulness/lateness...or on the flip side, excessive control tendencies that damages well being and relationships. Basically I see it as normal to struggle to manage/control at least one aspect of life.

Second, the "losing weight is like budgeting" approach neglects the fact that your body is an animal, evolved to adapt to its environment. If you cut its sustenance, you don't get to control how it responds...maybe it burns fat, or maybe it makes you cold and cranky and unfocused (or, all of the above) by turning down other metabolic functions.  Your body is actually trying to be very frugal, and you're trying to get it to waste its "savings"! How would you feel? In contrast, if you're trying to save more money, your bank account  never starts spending more by itself! (Or, if it does, you can contest it as fraud!)

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on January 09, 2018, 04:07:10 AM
Add me in!

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

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

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

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

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

Anyway good luck all!
I forget if p90x3 has dedicated abs workouts (it’s been about 2 years since I completed the program) but I find that most of <that company>’s videos can be mixed and matched for a custom workout. If there are videos you can still do, I’d keep them in rotation. Especially the weekly X3 yoga video.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 09, 2018, 05:28:29 AM
I had a funny moment this morning - I've been super good with my calorie tracking and not going over, so was a little bummed when my weight was up half a pound since yesterday.  Logically, I know that's nothing to worry about, but it was still a little disappointed.  The funny part was what I said to myself right afterwards (out loud - living alone will do that):

"Just think of what Elaine (elaine amj) would tell you - just have to keep at it and you'll lose the weight." 

So, thank you Elaine and everyone else for all of your posts on here.  It's so nice to not feel like I'm doing this alone :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreams_and_discoveries on January 09, 2018, 06:16:16 AM
I also wanted to respond to some of the ongoing conversations...

There was some discussion of why this control is harder than budgeting...I think it's twofold. One is along the lines of "everyone has their demons"...besides money, one might struggle with alcohol/substances or controlling emotions/esp anger or forgetfulness/lateness...or on the flip side, excessive control tendencies that damages well being and relationships. Basically I see it as normal to struggle to manage/control at least one aspect of life.

Second, the "losing weight is like budgeting" approach neglects the fact that your body is an animal, evolved to adapt to its environment. If you cut its sustenance, you don't get to control how it responds...maybe it burns fat, or maybe it makes you cold and cranky and unfocused (or, all of the above) by turning down other metabolic functions.  Your body is actually trying to be very frugal, and you're trying to get it to waste its "savings"! How would you feel? In contrast, if you're trying to save more money, your bank account  never starts spending more by itself! (Or, if it does, you can contest it as fraud!)

Thanks galliver, this really resonates and helps me try to understand why I personally find money so much easier than food!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 09, 2018, 09:23:27 AM
Second, the "losing weight is like budgeting" approach neglects the fact that your body is an animal, evolved to adapt to its environment. If you cut its sustenance, you don't get to control how it responds...maybe it burns fat, or maybe it makes you cold and cranky and unfocused (or, all of the above) by turning down other metabolic functions.  Your body is actually trying to be very frugal, and you're trying to get it to waste its "savings"! How would you feel?



This makes a LOT of sense. I often get angry with my body for its reactions to my cutting calories - like, "How dare you have needs, body - we are DOING THIS and the brain is in control, not you!" I often feel like I'm fighting biology, which you can't really fight with logic (other than white knuckling through the hunger pangs or going to bed early when you're simply out of energy, which is one thing I've been doing lately.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alleykat on January 09, 2018, 10:56:23 AM
Well, I started the month at 165 and today I am 164.  And I am sure that lb is superficial.  Not much progress. One thing for sure, this is going to be hard. As I wrote on the healthy choices thread, this really takes dedication and looks like January will be my trial and error month. At least the first two weeks will be.

1/1  - 165
1/9 -  164

I need to regroup. One thing is for sure, I am an all or nothing person. I was doing so good with not snacking on the bad stuff and then that one thing sends me off the cliff.

I have been trying to lose 25 lbs for a number of years now. I have to find the right level that works for me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: itchyfeet on January 09, 2018, 10:57:37 AM
Today was my first 10/10 day for the year. Not that any other day has been particularly bad, but have been more like 8/10 or 9/10 days.

Maybe yesterday was the worst day of the year, as I ate my first chocolate bar of the year.... but I did go for a run too, and the rest of my eating was on point so I a, not too worried.

Today I ate exactly what I should be eating. I hit the gym early this morning and did a solid weights workout, and then this evening I cycled for 50 mins with a friend after work. It wasn’t an overly taxing ride as we were cycling at a pace comfortable for conversation, but it beats lying on the sofa.

More days like today, and I’ll shed the 25-30kgs I am looking to lose before the year is out.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 09, 2018, 11:03:55 AM
I've actually gotten to a place where I feel a lot of love and compassion for my body.  The extra weight I carry, and it's a lot, is a result of mental/emotional/psychological issues and my poor body has to carry the burden for all of that.  I'm an emotional eater and I've had to deal with a lot of difficult stuff in life and my coping mechanisms have been on a survival level.  Food has been one of those, and while not as destructive as some other choices like drugs and alcohol, there is still a price to be paid and my body is the one paying it.  So no, my body gets no anger or criticisms from me, just love, respect, gratitude and regret for making it carry such a large burden.

This year I'm devoting myself to making amends with my body and treating it with the kindness and consideration it deserves.  And that includes lessening this heavy burden that I'm forcing it to carry 24/7, everywhere we go.  It doesn't deserve this.  And it's time I take care of it.  And I have all of the resources I need to do so.  That's the best part.  How wonderful is that??!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 09, 2018, 11:23:12 AM
I've actually gotten to a place where I feel a lot of love and compassion for my body.  The extra weight I carry, and it's a lot, is a result of mental/emotional/psychological issues and my poor body has to carry the burden for all of that.  I'm an emotional eater and I've had to deal with a lot of difficult stuff in life and my coping mechanisms have been on a survival level.  Food has been one of those, and while not as destructive as some other choices like drugs and alcohol, there is still a price to be paid and my body is the one paying it.  So no, my body gets no anger or criticisms from me, just love, respect, gratitude and regret for making it carry such a large burden.

This year I'm devoting myself to making amends with my body and treating it with the kindness and consideration it deserves.  And that includes lessening this heavy burden that I'm forcing it to carry 24/7, everywhere we go.  It doesn't deserve this.  And it's time I take care of it.  And I have all of the resources I need to do so.  That's the best part.  How wonderful is that??!!

Love this!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alleykat on January 09, 2018, 11:31:43 AM
I've actually gotten to a place where I feel a lot of love and compassion for my body.  The extra weight I carry, and it's a lot, is a result of mental/emotional/psychological issues and my poor body has to carry the burden for all of that.  I'm an emotional eater and I've had to deal with a lot of difficult stuff in life and my coping mechanisms have been on a survival level.  Food has been one of those, and while not as destructive as some other choices like drugs and alcohol, there is still a price to be paid and my body is the one paying it.  So no, my body gets no anger or criticisms from me, just love, respect, gratitude and regret for making it carry such a large burden.

This year I'm devoting myself to making amends with my body and treating it with the kindness and consideration it deserves.  And that includes lessening this heavy burden that I'm forcing it to carry 24/7, everywhere we go.  It doesn't deserve this.  And it's time I take care of it.  And I have all of the resources I need to do so.  That's the best part.  How wonderful is that??!!

Love this!

Me too!!!  Great post. I am an emotional eater too and can totally relate.  It is what makes losing weight and making healthy choices doubly hard for me.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 09, 2018, 11:35:25 AM
I've actually gotten to a place where I feel a lot of love and compassion for my body.  The extra weight I carry, and it's a lot, is a result of mental/emotional/psychological issues and my poor body has to carry the burden for all of that.  I'm an emotional eater and I've had to deal with a lot of difficult stuff in life and my coping mechanisms have been on a survival level.  Food has been one of those, and while not as destructive as some other choices like drugs and alcohol, there is still a price to be paid and my body is the one paying it.  So no, my body gets no anger or criticisms from me, just love, respect, gratitude and regret for making it carry such a large burden.

This year I'm devoting myself to making amends with my body and treating it with the kindness and consideration it deserves.  And that includes lessening this heavy burden that I'm forcing it to carry 24/7, everywhere we go.  It doesn't deserve this.  And it's time I take care of it.  And I have all of the resources I need to do so.  That's the best part.  How wonderful is that??!!

<3 <3 <3
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: cats on January 09, 2018, 12:29:51 PM
Not doing so well at the moment.  We were out of town on vacation and honestly, I did a great job of getting in some exercising and not going crazy with holiday food.  Now we are back in town and the readjustment to the daily grind has been rough--and I've been choosing to deal with it by stress eating sugar/carbs/unhealthy fat.  NO MORE!

I just wrote out my planned meals for the rest of the week.  I have a little time to hit up the grocery store tomorrow so am going to restock on fresh veggies (we've been living off frozen since returning home, which is okay but not as satisfying as fresh, IMO).

Weight goal for the remainder of this week is to get rid of this post-holiday bloat weight and be back down to my current "normal" of 150 lbs.  I'd like to be down to 147 by end of January.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 09, 2018, 12:37:42 PM
Good parts: Ate well yesterday, went for a morning swim + evening fitness. Today started off good with healthy breakfast & lunch too.

Bad parts: New year's party at work. Lots of snacks and drinks. Had a beer, some deep-fried snacks, but kinda tried to focus on the healthy ones with kale and quinoa and such. Oh and tiramisu. Too much. I love tiramisu. At least I got so full that I decided the snacks had been my dinner.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Bee21 on January 09, 2018, 02:47:09 PM
Doing ok. Lost the 2 kg holiday weight.

snacking is getting much better. I ate a piece of chocolate at work mond and tuesday,  which was enough to get me through the morning. Actually, it was great- there were 2 lindor balls welcoming me (from the office fairy), and I ate 1 piece mid morning. Saved the other for tomorrow. And wasn't tempted to eat them all even though the past few days were about post vacation disaster management.  Reducing 1 to 0 is easier than 10 to 0. And I avoided the lollyshop like the plague.

also introduced a new type of breakfast. Tomato+cucumber+pepper + 2 tbs cottage cheese. I think I can do this 3 times a week.

We are doing a no sugar for a week challenge with my colleague next week. Also banned my (skinny) boss from eating his chips, burgers and sausage rolls in the office. He was kind enough to oblige.  Good to have supportive management 😎
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ixtap on January 09, 2018, 04:36:32 PM
Hi, I am out of bed finally. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of thing that makes you lose your appetite. And somehow the constant drinking of water and tea just seemed to stretch my stomach out and scream for more. Worse yet, I had no interest in raw vegetables, or indeed brocoli, which I had just stocked up on, in any form.

But today has already been better.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 09, 2018, 08:11:41 PM
Hi, I am out of bed finally. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of thing that makes you lose your appetite. And somehow the constant drinking of water and tea just seemed to stretch my stomach out and scream for more. Worse yet, I had no interest in raw vegetables, or indeed brocoli, which I had just stocked up on, in any form.

But today has already been better.

I like veg but not when I'm sick...especially fresh ones. I think some taste receptors get altered and they taste too acidic and watery (or just stuffy nose altering taste perception?). I do enjoy veggies that come in won-ton soup though (At different times/from different places that's included carrots, broccoli, napa cabbage, peas, zucchini, and mushrooms. And of course scallions.) (I give zero f*cks about frugality when I'm sick, I can't make the broth as well as they do, and also Chinese food is very cheap takeout, especially the soup.) Grilled cheese and tomato soup go over well, but I feel like that's a similar vegetable content to pizza ;) 

You're not alone! Good luck! Feel better!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 09, 2018, 10:14:27 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 10, 2018, 05:26:02 AM
Wednesday weigh-in:

Down 3.4 lbs from last week! (re-started my food tracking January 1, first weigh-in was last Wednesday)  My starting weight was probably artificially high from the holidays, but it's still a nice start.  Many more lbs to go.

As for the more directly under my control accomplishments:

- 2 Jazzercise classes
- 6 days straight of meditation
- 7/7 days of full food tracking


Now just need to keep this up for the next 51 weeks or so :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: tightwaddy on January 10, 2018, 06:00:31 AM
Dec 4: 179.6 (35.3% fat) ... the moment where I said: This needs to stop.

Jan 1: 176.6 (35.0% fat)
Jan 8: 175.5 (34.7% fat)

January Goals (Week 1):
    Tracking in MFP (4/7 days)
    Active minutes (141/150 minutes)
    5,000 steps (2/7 days) ... with a few 4,500+ days in there

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asosharp on January 10, 2018, 08:07:25 AM
Definitely want to lose weight this year. Unfortunately I have a knee injury and am still seeing the physio for it so my weight loss will probably be a lot slower than I'd like it to be.

I used a voucher access 28 days at the gym. I went almost every day but it was cut short by Christmas holidays and so on. I also tried to use the pool there but it was disgusting. I stopped the gym membership because ideally I'd like to be in the pool for some 'easy on the knee' exercises.

So my short term goal is to find another gym that I can join where I can do the exercises my physio has prescribed me and do it on a daily basis. I found a day voucher to a nearby gym I'm interested in so I plan to go there tomorrow to use it and see if I like the facilities. Hopefully the pool will actually be clean!

My long term goal for 2017 is for me knee to get back to normal. After that, I'd like to start going to fitness classes and resume my sports activities like dance. I am a bit wary about golf though since that's how my knee injury started!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on January 10, 2018, 09:12:44 AM
Checking in. I weigh every day, but I'm going to check in here on Mondays.

Jan 1 2018:  153.4 lb
Jan 8 2018:  150.7 lb

On Christmas eve, I was 146.9. Today, I'm at 149.1, so I'm still working through the holiday bloat. So far so good with lifting weights, yoga and walking.  I decided not to register for a dance class, so I'll have to find a different fun activity. I've registered for MFP and will start tracking carbs and calories today.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on January 10, 2018, 09:18:34 AM
Finished Day 2 of low-carb and came in at 30 carbs for both days and I'm shocked at how much higher carbs cabbage is than romaine.  3 cups each = 15 for cabbage and 3 for romaine.  Wow.  I really like cabbage and find it so much more versatile: it's great sauteed with evoo, added to salads for crunch, sprinkled into soup, etc... But if I keep it there's no way I'm going to make it down to 20 carbs a day without feeling deprived or hungry.

I'll pick up a kitchen scale next week, maybe if I weigh my food I'll be able to gain some wiggle room.

I am pretty certain I will never put myself on a diet where I am worried that eating cabbage will hinder my weight loss. Seems intense.

You’d have to eat 8kgs of cabbage for 2,000 cals. That’s a hellava lot of cabbage.

Or to put it another way, to lose 1 kg you need to have a calorie deficit of 7,700 cals or remove more than 30kgs (66lbs) of cabbage from your diet assuming a kilo of cabbage is 250cals.

It sounds worse than it is.  A keto diet relies on a carb-deficit in order to work.  So for the last couple of days I've been eating eggs, sausage, cheddar cheese, salami, lots of cabbage, pork & hominy soup, olives, tea with heavy cream and splenda, and still being withing my calorie budget of 1780 set by MFP for 2 lbs a week weight loss.  And I haven't felt deprived or hungry at all.  Since most foods have carbs, it's just a matter of picking the foods that give you the best bang for your buck.

If I spend my carb budget on cabbage, that means I have to cut out all the carbs in the rest of my food, which is difficult.  Instead, I can just choose to spend my carb budget on less carby veggies like bok choy, romaine, mushrooms, peppers, escarole, endive, jicama, etc (there's a long list of low-carb veggies, these are just the ones I like best). 

Again, this is for the 20 carb limit to get into ketosis.  Later on I might add in more carbs if I find that I can still stay in keto.  But for now I'm working hard to get to the 20 carb limit so I'm happy to make the subs now that I'm aware of the cabbage carbiness.  I'll be quite happy with the other veggies, I just didn't know it made such a difference.


You're counting total carbs on cabbage (5g/cup) which is the wrong measurement.  You should count net carbs (carbs minus fiber), since the fiber is not converted to glucose.  MFP shows cabbage at 5g total carbs with 2g fiber per cup, so your three cup example would actually be 9g instead of 15g.  Still 45% towards your daily goal obviously, but significantly different than 75% towards your daily goal.

I'm using MFP to log but I don't see the breakdown for fiber and net carbs.  Is that part of the premium version?

I'm confused about the focus on cabbage. Hominy has a lot of carbs (14g carb (11.5 net)/100g) compared to cabbage 6g carbs (3.5g net)/100g). I'd probably give up hominy over cabbage.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 10, 2018, 11:36:30 AM
Finished Day 2 of low-carb and came in at 30 carbs for both days and I'm shocked at how much higher carbs cabbage is than romaine.  3 cups each = 15 for cabbage and 3 for romaine.  Wow.  I really like cabbage and find it so much more versatile: it's great sauteed with evoo, added to salads for crunch, sprinkled into soup, etc... But if I keep it there's no way I'm going to make it down to 20 carbs a day without feeling deprived or hungry.

I'll pick up a kitchen scale next week, maybe if I weigh my food I'll be able to gain some wiggle room.

I am pretty certain I will never put myself on a diet where I am worried that eating cabbage will hinder my weight loss. Seems intense.

You’d have to eat 8kgs of cabbage for 2,000 cals. That’s a hellava lot of cabbage.

Or to put it another way, to lose 1 kg you need to have a calorie deficit of 7,700 cals or remove more than 30kgs (66lbs) of cabbage from your diet assuming a kilo of cabbage is 250cals.

It sounds worse than it is.  A keto diet relies on a carb-deficit in order to work.  So for the last couple of days I've been eating eggs, sausage, cheddar cheese, salami, lots of cabbage, pork & hominy soup, olives, tea with heavy cream and splenda, and still being withing my calorie budget of 1780 set by MFP for 2 lbs a week weight loss.  And I haven't felt deprived or hungry at all.  Since most foods have carbs, it's just a matter of picking the foods that give you the best bang for your buck.

If I spend my carb budget on cabbage, that means I have to cut out all the carbs in the rest of my food, which is difficult.  Instead, I can just choose to spend my carb budget on less carby veggies like bok choy, romaine, mushrooms, peppers, escarole, endive, jicama, etc (there's a long list of low-carb veggies, these are just the ones I like best). 

Again, this is for the 20 carb limit to get into ketosis.  Later on I might add in more carbs if I find that I can still stay in keto.  But for now I'm working hard to get to the 20 carb limit so I'm happy to make the subs now that I'm aware of the cabbage carbiness.  I'll be quite happy with the other veggies, I just didn't know it made such a difference.


You're counting total carbs on cabbage (5g/cup) which is the wrong measurement.  You should count net carbs (carbs minus fiber), since the fiber is not converted to glucose.  MFP shows cabbage at 5g total carbs with 2g fiber per cup, so your three cup example would actually be 9g instead of 15g.  Still 45% towards your daily goal obviously, but significantly different than 75% towards your daily goal.

I'm using MFP to log but I don't see the breakdown for fiber and net carbs.  Is that part of the premium version?

I'm confused about the focus on cabbage. Hominy has a lot of carbs (14g carb (11.5 net)/100g) compared to cabbage 6g carbs (3.5g net)/100g). I'd probably give up hominy over cabbage.

Yes, you're right about hominy being high carb.  I'm not eating that anymore.  The pork and hominy stew is a favorite dish that had already been cooked and I was just finishing up and the hominy amount was minimal and I knew that the hominy was high carb all along.  I was just really surprised at the high carb count of cabbage compared to romaine - I had assumed they were equal.  When I realized it wasn't, it led me to change up my veggies and include a wider variety of veggies that are either lower carb, like romaine and mushrooms, or more filling and nutritious, like broccoli. 

In that sense, I think MFP was doing what it's supposed to: presenting information that we might not be aware of that can lead to positive changes. 

I don't think cabbage is bad!  I could probably eat a ton of cabbage and still lose weight.  But if there are better choices available, why not take them?  I don't feel deprived eating less cabbage.  In fact, I feel the opposite.  But I do regret posting about it!  :)  I've never spent this much time talking about cabbage in my life!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on January 10, 2018, 11:41:35 AM
OK, got it.   I'm doing something similar - finishing up already prepared food with chickpeas - but when I'm done, I'd like to join your keto challenge.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 10, 2018, 11:52:36 AM
OK, got it.   I'm doing something similar - finishing up already prepared food with chickpeas - but when I'm done, I'd like to join your keto challenge.

It took me about 4 days to finally have a low-carb day that would qualify for keto.  You don't have to wait until you finish all your chickpeas!  Join now.  :) 

I wanted to have an outlet to post about making the switch but it didn't happen.  I tried to restart a low-carb thread (no takers),  I started the keto thread (no takers till today), so I made do with logging on MFP.  But I do think having a place to share is very helpful. 

And it looks like you are making great progress already!  Congratulations.  I haven't weighed since starting the keto because I'm also on my period so I'm learning to practice delayed gratification.  :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsW17 on January 10, 2018, 12:41:11 PM
Oh, I’m new but I would love to contribute to this conversation!!

My husband and I joined a boxing gym in February 2017, but canceled our memberships to save for our wedding and honeymoon in the summer. They offered us a great deal to come back (basically buy six months, get six months free) in December, so we rejoined and we’re SO happy to be back! It isn’t cheap, but our health is a top priority, so we’re happy to spend the money on it — especially since we got it for such a great price!

We actually do Whole30 every January to reset our bodies in the new year, especially after the crazy holiday season in America where everyone drowns in sugar. We’re on day 10, and while I can’t speak to weight loss as far as pounds are concerned — since neither of us weighed ourselves — I can say that I feel INCREDIBLE compared to how I felt at the end of December.

I had a pair of lounge pants — lounge pants! — that were too snug in November and December, so I stuffed them at the bottom of my drawer because it made me irritable to know I couldn’t happily lounge in them. I slipped them on two days ago and they feel normal again. My skin is clearer, which is lovely, and I don’t get tired in the afternoons anymore.

I think, when we did our life insurance physicals, I was at 135 — which is the most I’ve ever weighed. I’ve felt the most comfortable with my body when I was around 120. Granted, that was before I started working out so much. So I’m focusing less on the scale and more on how my clothes fit and how my stomach looks. I’m definitely not in a position where I’d happily dance around in a swimsuit, but, I’m getting there.

I’d love to feel comfortable in a swimsuit by April, so when we start traveling, I can feel my absolute best.

I’m thinking I’ll probably stick to Whole30 at least 80% of the time moving forward, since we’ve finally found some recipes we LOVE and enjoy eating whether we’re on Whole30 or not. I think our biggest shift in eating after we wrap this up on January 30 will be adding homemade bread back in (my husband loves to bake) and red wine (love). I’d love to be able to eat cheese, too, but it makes me feel horrible.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 10, 2018, 01:08:25 PM

And since you are veggie - here is an awesome filling cold weather/healthy recipe:
http://heatheratwood.com/blog/tag/lentil-and-grain-chili-with-cucumber-raita/

I made this the other day and it's very good - and filling! I made a few modifications: had no bulgur or barley so used brown rice. Had no chickpeas so used white beans. Used canned chipotle in adobo sauce instead of fresh chipotles and I think the smokiness really added a lot to the dish. Topped with a bit of greek yogurt but didn't have any cucumber. Yum!

My constant hanger vanished overnight the day that temperatures went into the double digits (ABOVE zero, haha.) Coincidence, or was my hanger due to the miserable cold? Unsure. At any rate, I'm having a lot less trouble staying within my calories now. We're headed for single digits again this weekend. So I guess that'll be a good test.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: yuka on January 10, 2018, 01:15:57 PM
I have a pretty bad track record of keeping up with this thread, but I'll join back in!

Last year was a success of sorts for me. It's probably the first year in 5 or 6 that I haven't gained weight. Well, in the start of the year I did, going from high 240s to mid 250s. Then at lent I cut all wheat and sugar (as in sugarcane, with very limited maple syrup and honey allowed, and fruit a non-issue), with the predictable effect that I lost 25 pounds. I proceeded to hover upward from 230 all around the 230s for the rest of the year. And looking back, I even revisited the 240s... yikes. Anyway, I was at 233.8 lb this morning at the end of an unhealthy 'weekend'. Unfortunately I made the critical error of allowing my biggest hobby in the past year to become baking... hmm.

Considering that I'm moving in a couple months, my plan is to not buy any more baking ingredients until after I've moved, as well as not until I'm below 210 lb. I think I have about 10-11 lb. total flour between AP, whole wheat, and bread, so that gives me a little to play with, but 5 lb. per month is certainly less than normal (600g per week is my absolute minimum because that's my weekly loaf of bread). I suppose I also have some rye... Anyway, just trust me when I say that this is an improvement.

So I'll cut all non-bread baking except a couple of times when I have company coming in the next couple months. I don't buy prepared snacks/desserts at the store, and I'll continue that. I'll stop accepting treats from coworkers. And as to exercise, I'll keep running 2-3x weekly, swimming once each week, and doing pull-ups and pushups each day. Between those things, I should be pretty good. Hopefully with all that, I'll be below 220 by the time I'm moving, which will be good skiing shape as I pass through the Rockies on my way across the country.

Here's a chart of my weight, as moving 5-day average, since July. I'm a perfect American stereotype with those holiday drop-then-rises.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Cookie78 on January 10, 2018, 03:13:56 PM
I only dropped half a pound the first week, but 2 days later I'm down 2 pounds! I was wondering why I felt more hungry than usual for the last couple days. I guess now I know why.

The HIIT things seems to be working out well so far. I had to modify one workout due to neck strain. I have an easily angered neck and I've been trying to take care of it! But I'm curious how next week will go, since I have a really cool opportunity which will involve winter camping in the north (59 degrees N). I can't see myself doing any exercise beyond what it will take for survival.... which may be a lot!

Pounds to lose
Jan 1  - 40.2
Jan 8 - 39.6

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 11, 2018, 04:43:37 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 11, 2018, 07:17:21 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.

Maybe try substituting sweets with fruits.  For example if you are about to reach for a some chocolate, eat an entire apple first.  Chances are after you finish the apple you won't be craving the sweets any more.  Over time it will become a more automatic habit rather than a forceful/willpower choice.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 11, 2018, 07:24:02 AM
Tricks to eat less:
Eat more slowly
Put your food on a smaller plate (portions look bigger)

Lots of body weight exercises you can do with no equipment:
Lunges
Jumping jacks
Push- ups (with modifications as you build strength)
Squats
Wall squat (static hold)
Planks
Crunches / sit-ups
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 11, 2018, 08:31:36 AM
@firelight The 7 Minute Workout app is a quick routine that can be done with just your bodyweight and a chair.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ChipmunkSavings on January 11, 2018, 11:49:04 AM
Exercise with minimal equipment : You can find videos online of 30-Day Shred by Jillian Michaels. There are 3 workouts (Level 1-3) which run about 25 min each. It's a combo of cardio, weights, abs. You have 3 x 6 min of active exercises + warm-up + cool-down. I find it goes by pretty quickly and you can easily find them free online. All you need is a yoga mat and some dumbbells, although a towel and heavy jugs of water could do the job.
I believe Amazon also sells the online video for 2$ each. Might not suit you if you have knee or back problems though, given the amount of jumping jacks, squats, lunges, etc.

Eating less : I try to front-load my plate with veggies, adding the meat/carbs in last. This allows me to get filled up on fiber and vitamins, and by the time I get to the meat/carbs, I am less hungry, which means I take more time to eat my meal. Also, drinking lots of water! We can sometimes mistake thirst for hunger. If it's a craving, try telling yourself that you will take some in 10 minutes. Most of the time this is enough to make the craving pass.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on January 12, 2018, 07:08:19 AM
My weight has been fluctuating by about 2 lbs per day. Yesterday I was 10.8 lbs above goal (a gain from previous week) and today I was 8.2 lbs above goal (a new low). So I think I am really somewhere in between there. I blasted my running goal yesterday though!!! Now to add some faster intervals.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 12, 2018, 07:19:21 AM
I jumped on the scale this morning with a bit of trepidation.  Yesterday was a travel day where I get out of the house by 7am, and take a commuter train to the big city for a consulting gig that I regret every evening after I am completely spent.  It is a minefield of poor eating choices at Yonge and Bloor at lunch and Union Station at 5pm.  I work intensely in an open office with no special place set aside so I feel like I am camping all day.  (And trying to be the expert at what feels like a six hour meeting essentially).  I can't even read on the train home - I am too tired. 
So this morning was absolutely delighted to see the scale needle read 133.  Lowest reading in months.  All psyched to hold it there at the minimum or possibly go lower still.

I have decided that BMI is a crock.  My BMI is normal.  But my tummy is pretty plump - in fact I don't really have a waist - except that I do because my thighs are a little plump too!  Do you all think that the BMI is assuming at whole bunch more muscle than I have so there is room for the belly fat in the weight?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on January 12, 2018, 07:29:55 AM
What helps me with portion control of sweets is buying expensive Belgian pralines. They were 50% off at the grocery store last week, so I bought two boxes. First of all this chocolate is much nicer than regular bars of chocolate, but I have the natural habit to only eat one piece of something at a time. One bar of chocolate ( :D ) or one praline. One praline after dinner feels like a good reward for a day of healthy eating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 12, 2018, 07:32:20 AM
I jumped on the scale this morning with a bit of trepidation.  Yesterday was a travel day where I get out of the house by 7am, and take a commuter train to the big city for a consulting gig that I regret every evening after I am completely spent.  It is a minefield of poor eating choices at Yonge and Bloor at lunch and Union Station at 5pm.  I work intensely in an open office with no special place set aside so I feel like I am camping all day.  (And trying to be the expert at what feels like a six hour meeting essentially).  I can't even read on the train home - I am too tired. 
So this morning was absolutely delighted to see the scale needle read 133.  Lowest reading in months.  All psyched to hold it there at the minimum or possibly go lower still.

I have decided that BMI is a crock.  My BMI is normal.  But my tummy is pretty plump - in fact I don't really have a waist - except that I do because my thighs are a little plump too!  Do you all think that the BMI is assuming at whole bunch more muscle than I have so there is room for the belly fat in the weight?

While I don't consider BMI a crock, I also don't consider it the gold standard.  I use BMI as simply another tool, like scales, tape measures, how I feel, how my clothes fit, etc.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 12, 2018, 07:32:43 AM
BMI is already known to be a poor metric, but it’s an easy metric.  It’s just a weight and height ratio.

 Many pro / elite athletes have high BMIs because they have high muscle content.  But that’s not an issue for most of us.

Another metric that can be used is waist:hip (waist circumference/hip circumference), with less than 0.8 being an indicator of normal weight for women (less than 0.9 for mean).  No underweight indicator level.  This is also tied to certain health risks associated with fat accumulation in your midsection.

ETA: But, maybe an issue here is you have a NORMAL BMI. it feels like you are looking for reasons to still be unhappy or hate your body.  I don’t see that mindset as a pathway to happiness.  While you cannot spot reduce per se, you can use exercise to tone and strengthen underlying muscle, which may affect your profile and measurements.  And there are cosmetic medical procedures....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 12, 2018, 07:52:41 AM
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.

firelight - try playing with your macros a bit.

For instance, I tend to gravitate towards carbs for snacks when I'm not paying attention and carbs do not keep me full. When I'm not focused I will eat about 60% carb, 20% fat and 20% protein.  But when I need to buckle down and get back to goal I focus on upping my protein - Then I try to eat 40% carb, 30% protein, and 30% fat and I feel less hungry and find weight loss easier.

Try playing with your carb/fat/protein rations to make you feel fuller. Different ratios work for different people.

If you find you are looking for high protein snacks with low cals, try some of high protein yogurts (I like Siggi's Skyr and Greek Whips for 100 cals and high protein).

Good luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 12, 2018, 07:59:01 AM
Updates
Goals for 2018:
-Lose 20 lbs - I lost 2 lbs sort of right away, but this has stopped. I'm okay with this, as I know I'm working out every day & focusing on good food choices.
-Eat more fruit & veggies - Yes! I'm averaging 6/day, and my previous average was around 3.5. I'm also forming my meals primarily around fruit & veggies, and greatly reducing carbs. Trying hard not to snack on empty carbs, which is going well.
-Run a half marathon - no progress has been made. I got bronchitis right before the holidays, and have been focused on strength training, with lighter cardio. However, I'm giving myself the "all clear" to start running again.

For January, I also wanted to do a full round of 21 Day Fix, and have completed 11/11. So, on track.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 12, 2018, 08:02:21 AM

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4

And now we reach my constant standstill. 3.4 pounds within goal and I never actually hit my goal weight. My life has been perpetual weight loss for the last several years :) But the good great news is that my holiday weight is essentially gone and I am in what I consider to be my acceptable range (140-143).

If I can hang to the low 140s through spring maybe I can finally attain 140 in the summer! Hope Springs Eternal!

Also I think I'm now the age where constant vigilance is required (almost 37) which is sort of a bummer but better to stay on top of it now.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 12, 2018, 08:12:35 AM

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4

And now we reach my constant standstill. 3.4 pounds within goal and I never actually hit my goal weight. My life has been perpetual weight loss for the last several years :) But the good great news is that my holiday weight is essentially gone and I am in what I consider to be my acceptable range (140-143).

If I can hang to the low 140s through spring maybe I can finally attain 140 in the summer! Hope Springs Eternal!

Also I think I'm now the age where constant vigilance is required (almost 37) which is sort of a bummer but better to stay on top of it now.

Oh, yes. Once I hit 40, it was pretty much impossible to drop a few pounds in a week through cutting back calories. That was more likely something I could accomplish over the course of a month. SO much vigilance required.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 12, 2018, 09:44:18 AM

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4

And now we reach my constant standstill. 3.4 pounds within goal and I never actually hit my goal weight. My life has been perpetual weight loss for the last several years :) But the good great news is that my holiday weight is essentially gone and I am in what I consider to be my acceptable range (140-143).

If I can hang to the low 140s through spring maybe I can finally attain 140 in the summer! Hope Springs Eternal!

Also I think I'm now the age where constant vigilance is required (almost 37) which is sort of a bummer but better to stay on top of it now.

Yep.  At 41 it is much harder to drop those few extra pounds.  Like you my body's natural weight is 140-143lbs.  I've only started to break past that by doing Whole30.  My plan to blast even further is to transform from a cardio queen to weight lifting beast. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 12, 2018, 11:46:33 AM
So, my pre-holiday low was 182.9, which I  might have also hit a few days in May before I got stressed out and stopped counting. It ticked up to 184.5 before departure (happens), and then...holidays and family :)

I was 183.6 this morning (and I'm still excited to see anything &lt;185!) I've been eating around 1200 without really being hungry. I didn't/don't expect that to last! Filling, low-cal veggie soup definitely helped though! Dare I hope that in 3 weeks I can break 180? Haven't been there in 3 years!

Got to the gym yesterday, ran 2 mi/24 min and did some shoulder exercises...it's more to maintain emotional stability and general health/fitness, but I've been told exercise helps activate my metabolism generally, so...seems relevant.  :D

A possible tip for @firelight: one thing that I think discouraged me from too many seconds at holiday dinners was that I wore shapewear...the abdominal pressure seemed to simulate fullness. Not sure if it can work for you!

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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: cats on January 12, 2018, 11:56:08 AM
I jumped on the scale this morning with a bit of trepidation.  Yesterday was a travel day where I get out of the house by 7am, and take a commuter train to the big city for a consulting gig that I regret every evening after I am completely spent.  It is a minefield of poor eating choices at Yonge and Bloor at lunch and Union Station at 5pm.  I work intensely in an open office with no special place set aside so I feel like I am camping all day.  (And trying to be the expert at what feels like a six hour meeting essentially).  I can't even read on the train home - I am too tired. 
So this morning was absolutely delighted to see the scale needle read 133.  Lowest reading in months.  All psyched to hold it there at the minimum or possibly go lower still.

I have decided that BMI is a crock.  My BMI is normal.  But my tummy is pretty plump - in fact I don't really have a waist - except that I do because my thighs are a little plump too!  Do you all think that the BMI is assuming at whole bunch more muscle than I have so there is room for the belly fat in the weight?

BMI is a start, but it's definitely possible to be "skinny fat", where you are at a "normal" weight but still have a high body fat percentage.  This is my problem--my BMI is totally fine and smack in the middle of the normal range but I see quite a bit of jiggle that I'd like to banish!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Pooperman on January 12, 2018, 03:36:27 PM
Height: 71"

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

1/8/2018: 207lb
1/12/2018: 206lb
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wildbeast on January 12, 2018, 06:08:54 PM
Week 1 of low-carb:  3.5 lbs down.  Since I had my period this week and I'm a 50 yo woman, I declare this a big success!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 12, 2018, 11:08:57 PM
Week 1 of low-carb:  3.5 lbs down.  Since I had my period this week and I'm a 50 yo woman, I declare this a big success!
Go you!!

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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on January 14, 2018, 04:31:29 AM
Time for a Sunday night weigh in.

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 119.9kg
Current weight: 121.3kg

Wait, what happened here? I was doing really well until Friday and had lost quite a bit (almost 1kg worth), but had a lot of beers on Saturday and ate a bit of fast food whilst at the cricket on the Sunday (although I wasn't as bad as I would have been previously, I skipped the chips, and had a chicken salad for lunch).

I'm guessing there's quite a bit of water weight there that will go during the week. Let's see by next Sunday. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: itchyfeet on January 14, 2018, 05:03:07 AM
Time for a Sunday night weigh in.

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 119.9kg
Current weight: 121.3kg

Wait, what happened here? I was doing really well until Friday and had lost quite a bit (almost 1kg worth), but had a lot of beers on Saturday and ate a bit of fast food whilst at the cricket on the Sunday (although I wasn't as bad as I would have been previously, I skipped the chips, and had a chicken salad for lunch).

I'm guessing there's quite a bit of water weight there that will go during the week. Let's see by next Sunday. :)

Lol, I also fell off the wagon with a thud on the weekend.

We went to a wine tasting event which evolved into a massive all night bender. The only good thing was that I really didn’t have much appetite yesterday with the hangover. I am not particularly happy with my lack of self control, but it is just one night amongst 2 weeks of exemplary dieting and exercising. I won’t write of the year yet. Back on the plan. It’s a long road ahead.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 14, 2018, 07:26:14 AM
Week 1 was not bad.

I'm down ~ 2 lbs, which will hopefully stick as a jump-start, but that rate will DEFINITELY not continue.  I think my biggest help is that I brush my teeth with our toddler before he goes to bed at 7:30, and I've decided not to eat after that, so no more snacking after dinner.

Goals
1) Crossfit 3 times, one long walk or a hike
2) Track on MyFitnessPal
3) Don't snack at work
4) Eat more veggies
5) Meal plan

Actual
1) Crossfit 1 time, one hike - I got so sore from Crossfit on Monday (after 3 weeks away) that I couldn't face another workout last week, lol.  We did a nice 3.5 mile/2000 ft elevation gain hike on Saturday, and that felt awesome.
2) MFP - tracked all last week, and it does make a difference when I'm thinking about it
3) Avoided desk snacks, ate snacks at our weekly meeting.  We have a meeting every week, though, so I plan a smaller lunch so I have room for snacks at 2 pm
4) More veggies - somewhat successful?  Salad for dinner one night, roast veggies another
5) Meal plan - went ok, except for one night when I was so so tired we got Chinese instead :(  I just got Spring Rolls, because I wasn't hungry, but we still spent too much money on it.  DH always wants dumplings and cheese rangoons.  They're delicious, but not always worth the money to me.

Plan - continue to track on MFP, go to Crossfit at least twice?  I have meals planned and groceries purchased for dinner tonight and Monday which both involve lots of vegetables, and I'm determined to continue to avoid snacking at work (except for our meeting).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 14, 2018, 12:20:45 PM
Time for a Sunday night weigh in.

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 119.9kg
Current weight: 121.3kg

Wait, what happened here? I was doing really well until Friday and had lost quite a bit (almost 1kg worth), but had a lot of beers on Saturday and ate a bit of fast food whilst at the cricket on the Sunday (although I wasn't as bad as I would have been previously, I skipped the chips, and had a chicken salad for lunch).

I'm guessing there's quite a bit of water weight there that will go during the week. Let's see by next Sunday. :)

Or change your weigh in to Friday mornings.

I've noticed with my body any sort of alcohol will lead me to bloat/retain water for a few days.  I don't know if this a normal thing, but it is my normal.  If you are going relax a bit on the weekend just change your weigh in date. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 14, 2018, 09:07:52 PM
Time for a Sunday night weigh in.

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 119.9kg
Current weight: 121.3kg

Wait, what happened here? I was doing really well until Friday and had lost quite a bit (almost 1kg worth), but had a lot of beers on Saturday and ate a bit of fast food whilst at the cricket on the Sunday (although I wasn't as bad as I would have been previously, I skipped the chips, and had a chicken salad for lunch).

I'm guessing there's quite a bit of water weight there that will go during the week. Let's see by next Sunday. :)

Or change your weigh in to Friday mornings.

I've noticed with my body any sort of alcohol will lead me to bloat/retain water for a few days.  I don't know if this a normal thing, but it is my normal.  If you are going relax a bit on the weekend just change your weigh in date.
I did that after some time and frustration. Worked like a charm! I do weigh every day (I used trend weight to smooth out the fluctuations). but I would report here on Fridays.

Haven't checked in for a little bit. Food intake is so - so and been slightly on the higher side but inching downwards now. Yesterday,  my mother came up with the brilliant idea of doing a virtual walk.

We queued up a Virtual Walk through the Redwoods on YouTube and completely cracked ourselves up hiking through the woods in my living room. Tonight, we did a Virtual Walk through Coastal Australia. I ended up jogging in place for half an hour. Wonder where we will travel tomorrow? It's injected some fun in exercise :)

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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: itchyfeet on January 14, 2018, 09:18:47 PM
It’s really annoying how a single instance of off plan behaviour can completely derail you.

After exercising 12 days straight to start the year, I am now on my 3rd straight day without exercise.

I ate ok yesterday but not how I’d want to. I ate some finger food at a work function last night (sliders, deep fried calamari etc) which was clearly not in the program. I did avoid alcohol though so that’s something, and I didn’t eat too much. Still!!!

I really must make today count and get back on track. There is still time tonight to make it only 2 days with no exercise. I have made a healthy lunch. I want this. I can’t just give in to bad habits. Hell, it’s only 2 weeks into the year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: tightwaddy on January 15, 2018, 05:22:53 AM
Dec 4: 179.6 (35.3% fat) ... the moment where I said: This needs to stop.

Jan 1: 176.6 (35.0% fat)
Jan 8: 175.5 (34.7% fat)
Jan 15: 175.6 (34.7% fat)

January Goals (Week 1):
    Tracking in MFP (4/7 days)
    Active minutes (141/150 minutes)
    5,000 steps (2/7 days) ... with a few 4,500+ days in there

January Goals (Week 2):
    Tracking in MFP (7/7 days)
    Active minutes (230/150 minutes)
    5,000 steps (5/7 days)

So, up 1/10th of a pound but nearly crushing the goals.  It is normal for me to to go up a bit and then down during this process, even when I'm right on track for calories, etc. So, I'm calling this week a success all things considered.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Wanttobehome on January 15, 2018, 05:38:10 AM
I've started healthy eating hope to lose 14 lb
Jan 8th = 185
Jan 5th = 183     -2lb

Cut down sugar, bread, alcohol
Eating fresh,  protein rich foods
Set up my fitness tracker
Started a food diary
Walking daily

Goal is to achieve this in twelve weeks

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ChipmunkSavings on January 15, 2018, 05:42:43 AM
Jan 1 : 193.2 lb
Jan 8 : 187.8 lb
Jan 15 : 187.0 lb

I've been exercising every day so far so it's a big improvement on the fitness side of things. Although the scale budged a bit less this week (0.8 lb, which is still good), I've been seeing a difference in terms of waist and hips in my measurements. I would really like to lose 4 pounds for the rest of the month. My plan is to keep exercising, get more protein at breakfast, and eat at least my BMR.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on January 15, 2018, 06:16:14 AM
Lol, I also fell off the wagon with a thud on the weekend.

We went to a wine tasting event which evolved into a massive all night bender. The only good thing was that I really didn’t have much appetite yesterday with the hangover. I am not particularly happy with my lack of self control, but it is just one night amongst 2 weeks of exemplary dieting and exercising. I won’t write of the year yet. Back on the plan. It’s a long road ahead.

They say it's what you do on the other six days that counts more, right?

My cricket match was cancelled due to rain, so I ended up at the pub drinking beer for four hours. Could have bought a chicken parma afterwards, but i'm trying to avoid chips so I went elsewhere and bought a giant bowl of chicken pho. It's got to be better than a burger/pizza/kebab, right? I'll save a parma as a reward for when I reach a target amount (even every 5 or 10kg) :)

Time for a Sunday night weigh in.

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 119.9kg
Current weight: 121.3kg

Wait, what happened here? I was doing really well until Friday and had lost quite a bit (almost 1kg worth), but had a lot of beers on Saturday and ate a bit of fast food whilst at the cricket on the Sunday (although I wasn't as bad as I would have been previously, I skipped the chips, and had a chicken salad for lunch).

I'm guessing there's quite a bit of water weight there that will go during the week. Let's see by next Sunday. :)

Or change your weigh in to Friday mornings.

I've noticed with my body any sort of alcohol will lead me to bloat/retain water for a few days.  I don't know if this a normal thing, but it is my normal.  If you are going relax a bit on the weekend just change your weigh in date.

That's probably not such a bad idea. I just thought I'd use Sunday nights as that's what I did last time. Saturday was probably a bit of an exception though. Over the last month or so I haven't been drinking all that much, so I slightly compensated for that on Saturday with cheap beers at the pub.

Within 24 hours I'm back to 119.7, so I think you might be on to something there. Although I was 118.9 on Friday night so we'll see how I am in a couple of days.

One big change I've been making is to significantly cut carbs and eat a lot more vegetables, along with avoiding a few impulse foods (ice cream being the main one given it's summer here). Even if it's resulted in me buying a few more lunches than I otherwise would have for the time being, if they're full of vegetables it's not so bad, right?

I got back on the bike today for the first time since probably early December (or even November). Do I have to hand in my Mustachian card? :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 15, 2018, 07:26:30 AM
Jan 1 : 193.2 lb
Jan 8 : 187.8 lb
Jan 15 : 187.0 lb

I've been exercising every day so far so it's a big improvement on the fitness side of things. Although the scale budged a bit less this week (0.8 lb, which is still good), I've been seeing a difference in terms of waist and hips in my measurements. I would really like to lose 4 pounds for the rest of the month. My plan is to keep exercising, get more protein at breakfast, and eat at least my BMR.

Are you targeting 2 lbs a week? That's on the aggressive side. One thing I would caution is that you typically see a large-ish drop in the beginning (usually a lot of water weight) and then the rate of loss slows down a bit after that. So don't get discouraged when things slow down. Remember this is a long term game. You've lost a lot already and I know you're going to rock this!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 15, 2018, 08:10:47 AM
Anybody have any weight loss tricks? Are there any pills that actually stop hunger? I have looked at the ingredients on some of these weight loss aids and they just seem to be caffeine and herbs. I have tried stuff like white bean pills and they did nothing. If they don't work, why are they allowed to sell them?

Cider Vinegar used to be touted as a fat melter. Drink lots of water. Lemon added to water.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Pooperman on January 15, 2018, 08:13:47 AM
Anybody have any weight loss tricks? Are there any pills that actually stop hunger? I have looked at the ingredients on some of these weight loss aids and they just seem to be caffeine and herbs. I have tried stuff like white bean pills and they did nothing. If they don't work, why are they allowed to sell them?

Cider Vinegar used to be touted as a fat melter. Drink lots of water. Lemon added to water.

Eating more protein and fiber while reducing carbs. Protein and fiber are harder to digest and so you'll feel fuller longer. Carbs go right through you and tend to be more 'empty' (lacking other nutrients) so you feel less full.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SachaFiscal on January 15, 2018, 08:39:57 AM
Joining for accountability. Going to finally lose the extra 10-15 pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 10-15 years. I’d like to lose at least 10lbs by April when I plan to get my cholesterol checked.

My plan is:
- track calories in MFP (1200-1400 per day)
- walk for an hour every day
- Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and spin class each once a week.
- no alcohol until July 4 (doing this with my spouse)
- plant based diet
- no eating out unless invited out with friends until July 4

My spouse is also on board which makes this a lot easier this time.

Starting weight: 135lbs
Goal weight: 120-125lbs

Week 1:
Weight - 134.0 lbs
Average Calories - 1294
Diet - mostly plant based (1 dairy meal), no alcohol consumed
Exercise - minimal (some walking)

Week 2:
Weight - 134.7 lbs
Average calories - 1423
Diet - good during the week but went off the deep end on weekend. Ate, drank and was merry.
Exercise - a little more than last week (Pilates and yoga)

Not much weight loss but my waist is slightly smaller and clothing fits looser.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 15, 2018, 08:41:23 AM
Anybody have any weight loss tricks? Are there any pills that actually stop hunger? I have looked at the ingredients on some of these weight loss aids and they just seem to be caffeine and herbs. I have tried stuff like white bean pills and they did nothing. If they don't work, why are they allowed to sell them?

Cider Vinegar used to be touted as a fat melter. Drink lots of water. Lemon added to water.

They sell them because people continue to buy them. And the govt can only protect us from some of our stupidity.

Garcinia Cambogia pills did actually help me with reducing hunger. I was on it for a month or two and yes, I felt less hungry. However, my weight continued to fluctuate. Turns out I happily eat even when I am not hungry.

The only weight loss trick that worked was getting in the right headspace.

A couple of other things that helped:
- protein leaves you feeling full for longer
- wonder of wonders, veggies have less calories! I can eat tons of veggies vs a tiny portion of steak for the same amount of calories! So...I ate more veggies.
- when you feel hungry, try drinking first. Many times, I was thirsty, not hungry. Hot herbal tea also gave my mouth something to do when I was feeling the munchies.
- a couple times when I was hangry, I did my workout first and amazingly enough, wasn't hungry afterwards.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Ms.BecomingFI on January 15, 2018, 09:24:03 AM
Also in! =)

My first goal is to lose 4 pounds, as this will bring me into the "ideal" weight range for my height.  Hoping to give myself the quick win with a small goal to stay motivated for the year and future goals. =)  I want to do this by the first week of March.  I think my exercise habits are actually pretty good and consistent, so I want to focus on my portion sizes.  So... what I will do is track my calories on MyFitnessPal and not eat any fast food in the month of January.  I have a lot more freezer space now (I share a freezer with roomies and we recently got a deep freezer!) so having ready made frozen soups and stuff (just by being able to make extra and freezing) will help with that aspect!  No more, I'm too busy tonight excuses!  Hoping this post will keep me on track!  The public declaration and all. =). So here is the summary for myself...

Goal 1: Lose 4 lbs by 3/3
  • Track calories every day
  • No fast food in Jan

Hanging this on a Post-It on my bathroom mirror!  Goal 2 to follow in March. =)
I have already been tracking for 7 days =) Happy accountability and motivation, everyone! =)

I am down 1.8 pounds in the last two weeks!!  The psychology of tracking is working for me!  I am pretty happy with my progress.  =)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 15, 2018, 10:09:16 AM
Anybody have any weight loss tricks? Are there any pills that actually stop hunger? I have looked at the ingredients on some of these weight loss aids and they just seem to be caffeine and herbs. I have tried stuff like white bean pills and they did nothing. If they don't work, why are they allowed to sell them?

Cider Vinegar used to be touted as a fat melter. Drink lots of water. Lemon added to water.

Eating more protein and fiber while reducing carbs. Protein and fiber are harder to digest and so you'll feel fuller longer. Carbs go right through you and tend to be more 'empty' (lacking other nutrients) so you feel less full.

Agreed.  More protein and veggies make a big difference in how hungry I feel, and how satisfied I am with a meal.  Also, this may sound weird for a weight loss thread, but fat helps you feel more satiated after eating, so don't cut it out entirely. 

I just got back from my yearly occupational health screening, and my HDL is way down from past years (43 mg/dL vs 79, with an increased risk of heart disease starting at <40 mg/dL).  My cholesterol has always been high, but usually my triglycerides are low and HDL is high, so my overall ratio is decent.  The PA said the biggest component to HDL, other than genetics, is exercise.  I've been incredibly inconsistent for the last two years (pregnancy and then baby), and I am sure that's to blame.  Before I got pregnant I was lifting weights, doing taekwondo, or hiking at least 3 or 4 days a week, and my HLD was awesome.  Yet another reason to try harder to be in the gym more often.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 15, 2018, 10:11:03 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 15, 2018, 10:25:38 AM
Anyone have canned salmon recipes? I ordered a case of it from Costco and it is very good salmon. I have eaten it right out of the can.

Kirkland Signature Sockeye Salmon 6 oz, 36-pack
 
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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SlowlyButSurely on January 15, 2018, 11:06:15 AM
My tracking stats were derailed this week by what seems to have been food poisoning. I lost a lot of weight quickly, but it mostly wasn't fat. I debated how to track, and finally decided I'm just going to take the numbers at face value and set the expectation with myself that they will plateau and/or go up a bit in the coming weeks, and that holding steady in this context still counts as progress.

12/26/2017 - 192.1 lbs
01/01/2018 - 190.6 lbs (14% goal 1, 5% stretch goal)
01/08/2018 - 189.2 lbs (28% goal 1, 11% stretch goal)
01/15/2018 - 184.3 lbs (77% goal 1, 31% stretch goal)

On the eating front, I was doing well before I got sick (on Thursday), and was even able to stick to the vegan and sugar-free part throughout. Prior to getting sick, I managed to do a 24 hour fast from lunch on Tuesday to lunch on Wednesday with relatively little difficulty. I've noticed before that I get significantly less hungry when I cut back on "fast carbs" and am generally eating better, so I'm going to try another 24 hour fast this week to see how it goes, with the aim of incorporating it into my weekly schedule. If I can get to the point where I'm doing two 24 hour fasts a week, that's basically the 5:2 diet, which some people say they find effective and easy to stick to. As with anything, your mileage will vary, so I have to find what works for me.

I also did pretty well on the exercise front, even though I'm not officially tracking that right now. I've mostly been able to go to the gym or go for a walk/hike each day. I don't think of exercise as a weight loss tool per se, but rather as something that helps me feel better and manage stress, both of which help me make better eating choices. I've done less well on the daily meditation front, but I'll keep trying. I've signed up for a class in a couple weeks, and I'm hoping it will help me kick-start a daily practice.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 15, 2018, 12:43:33 PM
Jan 15: 182.0
Jan   8: 186.9

There was deeefinitely some bloat in there from holiday overeating! But I'm below my early Dec measurements so I think this is real! And on my period to boot.

After being surprised how small proper portions were when I first started tracking, I'm currently being shocked by how large they are if you use lots of vegetables and little meat... and how filling it can be. Dammit, were the vegetarians right?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 15, 2018, 01:02:13 PM


Anybody have any weight loss tricks? Are there any pills that actually stop hunger? I have looked at the ingredients on some of these weight loss aids and they just seem to be caffeine and herbs. I have tried stuff like white bean pills and they did nothing. If they don't work, why are they allowed to sell them?

Cider Vinegar used to be touted as a fat melter. Drink lots of water. Lemon added to water.

Eating more protein and fiber while reducing carbs. Protein and fiber are harder to digest and so you'll feel fuller longer. Carbs go right through you and tend to be more 'empty' (lacking other nutrients) so you feel less full.

Agreed.  More protein and veggies make a big difference in how hungry I feel, and how satisfied I am with a meal.  Also, this may sound weird for a weight loss thread, but fat helps you feel more satiated after eating, so don't cut it out entirely. 

This. When I started tracking calories I pretty quickly realized what was actually filling and what was not. E.g. Cereal + milk has my stomach grumbling after an hour, but Greek yogurt with a little granola will get me to lunch. Oatmeal, contrary to public opinion, does not seem to stick to my ribs. Generally, the more filling meals/options had lots of vegetables or whole grains (fiber) and some fat or protein (cheese, yogurt, salad dressing, meat, etc). Generally, the less filling stuff was sugary (looking at you, delicious ginger beer...)

I'd also like to put a word in for "maybe you're trying too hard, too fast". When I started in the spring (and now), I knew I couldn't sustain constant hunger (I needed my focus at work). So if I was ravenous, I ate. But I ate apples and cheese, not a box of crackers. And tried to figure out if/how my previous meal was at fault. After an adjustment period I found that I could sustain eating 1500-1600 calories if I used them wisely, without hunger (or at least, without being ravenous...) Obviously, bodies are different, so YMMV. Just something to think about?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on January 15, 2018, 09:06:32 PM
Checking in. I weigh every day, but I'm going to check in here on Mondays.

Jan 1 2018:  153.4 lb
Jan 8 2018:  150.7 lb

On Christmas eve, I was 146.9. Today, I'm at 149.1, so I'm still working through the holiday bloat. So far so good with lifting weights, yoga and walking.  I decided not to register for a dance class, so I'll have to find a different fun activity. I've registered for MFP and will start tracking carbs and calories today.
Check in:
Jan 1 2018:  153.4 lb
Jan 8 2018:  150.7 lb
Jan 15, 2018: 147.6 lb

Food:

Exercise:

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on January 15, 2018, 09:58:21 PM
I wanted to describe my experience with the fast I mentioned in my check in.  Starting weight on Friday was 150.6. I was off work on Friday, not feeling well, and decided to delay eating.  As the day wore on, I decided to make it a water fasting day and only had either fresh water or salt water made from a mix of table salt and potassium chloride.  I felt a little tired and spacey, and kept wanting to eat at meal times, but it was more out of habit or boredom than real hunger.

I lifted weights because I wanted to keep the momentum going there.  I didn't try to increase weights over the last time, and had no issues .  In fact, when I was done I felt euphoric, and went for a long walk to the grocery store because I still had so much energy.  No issues with temptation to buy off plan foods

I slept fine, and woke up before my alarm on Saturday.  Weight Saturday morning was 148.4. The euphoria continued into that day, intermittently with some of the pain that I felt on Friday from being sick. A friend invited me to lift with him. I wasn't sure it was a good idea to do so fasted two days in a row, so I broke the fast with a light meal around 11am.  I wasn't hungry all day, and according to My FItness Pal, total calories were 725.

Sunday was great.  I woke up with lots of energy, 147.1 lbs and pain free from some chronic inflammatory conditions.  Had no prepared food so ended up IFing until about 2pm when I made a batch of meatballs and zoodles.  I decided to batch cook some soup for the rest of the week and went back to the grocery store (still not tempted to buy junk like I usually am). My mind felt clear and focused, and I had to restrain myself from strutting all the way to the store.  I've fasted before and heard about, but never felt this kind of euphoria. Calorie intake was low again, so I made some fat bombs which brought the days calories up to 1031.


This morning, I weighed in at 147.6.  I still had that bubbly, happy feeling all day.  Anyone who's ever met me knows me as an introvert and here I was making eye contact with strangers and laughing at corny jokes.  I got home around 1, and still hadn't broken my fast.  I got worried that I wasn't hungry, and made the mistake of eating the fat bombs. I ate a half of them and made myself sick.  I ended today at 1340 calories, 600 of which came from the stupid fat bombs. I'm doing ok, still full of energy and not ready to go to bed at almost midnight.

I had originally planned to do longer fasts once a month or so.  Based on this experience, I'd like to repeat the fast next week to see if I get the same changes in mood and appetite.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 16, 2018, 08:28:06 AM
1) Eat 3 to 4 meals per day. Each meal will have a source of protein.
2) No cheese. I'm vegetarian, would like to eat more 100% vegan meals, and cheese is a source of concentrated calories.
3) Exercise in an intentional way 3-4 days per week. This can include running, biking, yoga and resistance training.
I accomplished 1 and 2. A whole week without cheese!! I missed the mark on exercise, only completing 2 yoga videos. I'm *finally* feeling pretty healthy (it's been 3 weeks!), so I'll do better this week.

I've also been trying to stay mindful during meals and eating until I'm 80% full. It's a good habit for me, because I tend to be a quick eater. Overall I'm happy with my progress. I weighed myself this morning and was also happy. I'll only report weight 1x per month because it fluctuates so much with water retention, but I think I'm heading in a good direction.
Last week was great for exercise. I started lifting weights again, which I haven't done in over a year. I'm currently squatting 25lbs, so not exactly The Hulk, but it's good to get back into it. At one point I was squatting my bodyweight and deadlifting almost 200lbs. I'd like to get more balanced between cardio and strength this time.

I did have cheese at one meal last week. We went to a restaurant that makes great black bean burgers, so I had the California burger which includes a slice of pepper jack. It was... delicious. Other than that, I'm avoiding almost all dairy. I do have a little milk in my coffee, but that is all for now.

One thing I need to watch is alcohol consumption. Beer is my achille's heel. I've had a little too much in the past 7 days.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ChipmunkSavings on January 16, 2018, 09:14:57 AM
Jan 1 : 193.2 lb
Jan 8 : 187.8 lb
Jan 15 : 187.0 lb

I've been exercising every day so far so it's a big improvement on the fitness side of things. Although the scale budged a bit less this week (0.8 lb, which is still good), I've been seeing a difference in terms of waist and hips in my measurements. I would really like to lose 4 pounds for the rest of the month. My plan is to keep exercising, get more protein at breakfast, and eat at least my BMR.

Are you targeting 2 lbs a week? That's on the aggressive side. One thing I would caution is that you typically see a large-ish drop in the beginning (usually a lot of water weight) and then the rate of loss slows down a bit after that. So don't get discouraged when things slow down. Remember this is a long term game. You've lost a lot already and I know you're going to rock this!

Yes for the first 10 pounds, I am aiming for an average of 2 pounds per week, then I will reduce to 1 pound per week. I know it is on the upper range of the max weight loss per week, but I figure that the water weight (which went down quicker than expected) will amount for a good part of it. I know that the rate will go down, and I'm taking measurements as well to see the changes. In the past, I have sometimes slowed down in terms of weight, but waist/hips kept going down, so I am looking at that as well to stay on track.

For some unexplicable reason, I am very determined right now. I'm a self-confessed chocolate and sweets addict, and I've only had two small pieces of chocolate in the last two weeks (that would usually last me 1 day). It's not feeling as hard as I would have thought, I did not get any cravings. I'm having more of an issue with the meal planning, to make sure I get enough protein.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 16, 2018, 09:19:23 AM
Jan 1 : 193.2 lb
Jan 8 : 187.8 lb
Jan 15 : 187.0 lb

I've been exercising every day so far so it's a big improvement on the fitness side of things. Although the scale budged a bit less this week (0.8 lb, which is still good), I've been seeing a difference in terms of waist and hips in my measurements. I would really like to lose 4 pounds for the rest of the month. My plan is to keep exercising, get more protein at breakfast, and eat at least my BMR.

Are you targeting 2 lbs a week? That's on the aggressive side. One thing I would caution is that you typically see a large-ish drop in the beginning (usually a lot of water weight) and then the rate of loss slows down a bit after that. So don't get discouraged when things slow down. Remember this is a long term game. You've lost a lot already and I know you're going to rock this!

Yes for the first 10 pounds, I am aiming for an average of 2 pounds per week, then I will reduce to 1 pound per week. I know it is on the upper range of the max weight loss per week, but I figure that the water weight (which went down quicker than expected) will amount for a good part of it. I know that the rate will go down, and I'm taking measurements as well to see the changes. In the past, I have sometimes slowed down in terms of weight, but waist/hips kept going down, so I am looking at that as well to stay on track.

For some unexplicable reason, I am very determined right now. I'm a self-confessed chocolate and sweets addict, and I've only had two small pieces of chocolate in the last two weeks (that would usually last me 1 day). It's not feeling as hard as I would have thought, I did not get any cravings. I'm having more of an issue with the meal planning, to make sure I get enough protein.

I’m totally with you on the psychological / determination element. While I have spent a LOT of time wanting to lose weight - when the real determination is missing, it just never happens. I have never figured out what all things have to click into place for me to be in the right frame of mind. If I could figure that out....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alleykat on January 16, 2018, 10:12:06 AM
New total

1/1   - 165
1/9   - 164
1/16 - 162

Not sure if the 3 lbs are fluky but I will take them. Better than the number going up.  I was hoping for faster progress but I will take slow and steady. I haven't exactly been eating diet food so I cant complain.

I am just trying portion control as best I can. I don't do well when I try and eliminate foods so I stopped stressing myself out.  I do want to add in exercise at least 3 days a week.




Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 16, 2018, 11:25:24 AM
I've been happily avoiding all office snacks for the last two days. Only issue is that I've been eating A LOT for dinner the past two days. Like, waaay too much. Now I'm not snacking at work I get too hungry at night. Need to bring in some extra food for lunch or afternoon snacks to avoid that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 16, 2018, 11:29:02 AM
I've been happily avoiding all office snacks for the last two days. Only issue is that I've been eating A LOT for dinner the past two days. Like, waaay too much. Now I'm not snacking at work I get too hungry at night. Need to bring in some extra food for lunch or afternoon snacks to avoid that.

One thing I'm working on is my snacking.  I have always been a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacker.  What helps me is eating a larger meal to get me to the next one.  For example, my breakfast & lunch has increased about 1.5 times, but I'm not snacking or starving at the next mealtime.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 16, 2018, 11:51:49 AM



I’m totally with you on the psychological / determination element. While I have spent a LOT of time wanting to lose weight - when the real determination is missing, it just never happens. I have never figured out what all things have to click into place for me to be in the right frame of mind. If I could figure that out....

You and me both!! It's been impossible to figure it out but when it works, it's magic.



Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asosharp on January 16, 2018, 09:23:07 PM
Sadly I didn't really get to do much exercise yesterday as I was flat out from the morning until about 9!

I have been going to the gym though, another free trial at another place. This time the gym is far cleaner even though it's quite busy. The staff are also nice. I think I'll join this one! I'm tempted to do a trial at another place as I think I probably only need the basic gym equpiment. But at the same time it's just $3 more a month to get access to a swimming pool (which is nice and heated - have already used), and in the future when I get better I can attend fitness classes like Zumba and all that. So I think it's probably worth it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 17, 2018, 07:30:54 AM
Someone brought in doughnuts.  I have a 4 hour meeting starting in 30 minutes, and I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to bring a doughnut to snack on.  Instead I'm posting here so if I eat one, I have to tell you.  I'll have like 30 cups of work coffee, I guess, to keep myself awake :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 17, 2018, 08:10:42 AM
Someone brought in doughnuts.  I have a 4 hour meeting starting in 30 minutes, and I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to bring a doughnut to snack on.  Instead I'm posting here so if I eat one, I have to tell you.  I'll have like 30 cups of work coffee, I guess, to keep myself awake :(
Stay strong! You can do this!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: wintertell on January 17, 2018, 08:36:41 AM
Checking in  -- My monthly weigh-in is the 6th of each month.

Oct 2016 - 267 (Highest weight)
Dec 2016 - 265 (Starting weight)
Jan 2017 - 257.4
Feb 2017 - 250.2
Mar 2017 - 244
Apr 2017 - 236.6
May 2017 - 229.8
Jun 2017 - 228.4 (maintenance break)
Jul 2017 - 220.6
Aug 2017 - 215.4
Sept 2017 - 215.4 (maintenance break)
Oct 2017 - 208.8
Nov 2017 - 205.4
Dec 2017 - 209.4 (struggle struggle)
Jan 2017 - 212.8 (more struggle struggle)

Today - 211.4 - Finally headed in the right direction. I saw as high as 217 but have been on plan for about 2 weeks for the first time since early November. So thankful I turned it around. My next goal is to get down to my previous low (203), and then to get to 199.

Plan for this year:
Maintain tracking in MFP
Hit a deficit 6/7 days a week, 1 day at maintenance. Take maintenance breaks at least every 10-12 weeks.
Wear Fitbit
Walk a minimum of 6K steps, aim for 10K steps (new target habit)
Drink 100 oz water (new target habit)
Meal plan weekly, grocery shop weekly so there is always fresh, on plan food in the house.
Incorporate neighborhood gym into health routine - 1 day a week at a time until I hit a rhythm that feels right (haven't started yet but just got signed up for the gym on Monday)
Take metformin at night (need to be more consistent)
Start taking multivitamin in the morning (haven't started yet but will)

Right now my focus is consistency on the habits I already have in place and then my new target/stretch habits are the 100 oz water and 10K steps. Except today's a minimum day - 6K only - since it is a snow day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 17, 2018, 09:56:08 AM
I’m holding steady at ~130 (down 70lbs), which I’ve hovered around for a few months now. It’s a great weight for me. I love seeing that I can easily maintain, even though my eating has been off diet for a few weeks due to frequent events, dinner meetings, and more wine than usual.

that is amazing! Great job maintaining!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on January 17, 2018, 10:54:22 AM
I've just had the time of the month where I don't weigh and don't pay attention to what I eat, but I'm back on track now. Tonight we're eating chili, which is something that always really fills me up. Then tomorrow it will be eatmeal for breakfast, probably soup for lunch and something healthy with lots of veggies for dinner. I'm also going to the gym tomorrow night. Weather permitting I'm also going to play with my new bike this entire weekend. I'm going to pick it up Friday after work.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 17, 2018, 11:37:38 AM
I've lost almost no weight, but am taking the right steps. So, one day everything should come together. That's what I keep telling myself. :-)

-I've worked out every day of 2018. A mix of strength training, cardio, pilates & yoga.
-I'm getting more fruit & veggies. Averaging 5.5/day
-I'm paying more attention to my calories, & eating less. Average of 1505 calories/day

I'm noticing a difference in my toning (thanks to the strength training), but no noticeable difference on the scale.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 17, 2018, 11:39:50 AM
Someone brought in doughnuts.  I have a 4 hour meeting starting in 30 minutes, and I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to bring a doughnut to snack on.  Instead I'm posting here so if I eat one, I have to tell you.  I'll have like 30 cups of work coffee, I guess, to keep myself awake :(
Stay strong! You can do this!!

Woo, meeting complete with no doughnuts, and now it's time for lunch :) 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 17, 2018, 11:54:44 AM
Anyone on Weight Watchers and if so how are you doing on the new flex plan. Do you go to meetings or on line? I hate those stupid meetings and makes me feel uncomfortable weighing in.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on January 17, 2018, 12:12:02 PM
Woke up, lifted for the first time in a week, and have stuck to a breakfast and lunch shake in preparation for dinner tonight since my mom is coming over and bringing a pizza. 2 slices max and I will stay within my calories for the day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on January 18, 2018, 03:27:52 AM
I've lost almost no weight, but am taking the right steps. So, one day everything should come together. That's what I keep telling myself. :-)

-I've worked out every day of 2018. A mix of strength training, cardio, pilates & yoga.
-I'm getting more fruit & veggies. Averaging 5.5/day
-I'm paying more attention to my calories, & eating less. Average of 1505 calories/day

I'm noticing a difference in my toning (thanks to the strength training), but no noticeable difference on the scale.

In that case, maybe don't track your weight but track your measurements? I draft my own patterns for sewing so I get my measurements taken often. I don't see a difference in the mirror and only a small difference on the scales, but I have lost more than an inch on my waist and hips. That's one clothing size!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asosharp on January 18, 2018, 04:06:40 AM
I ended up finally joining the gym yesterday. It turned out to be more expensive than I thought it would be compared to the other place with no frills as I forgot about the additional membership fee that they charge. But that's okay, it wasn't a massive difference when I weigh up that in the future when my knee recovers from physio that I'll be able to join all the classes for free, it has a pool, jacuzzi, and steam room. The other one doesn't.

Also all the equipment is in ship shape even though it's an extremely busy leisure centre. I also got a complimentary water bottle, towel, and gym bag. lol

My physio reckons I'm doing quite well, but no news yet on when I'll be fully recovered which is the sucky part. At first he said 6 weeks but I think it might be longer. :-(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: westtoeast on January 18, 2018, 04:50:02 AM
I ended up finally joining the gym yesterday. It turned out to be more expensive than I thought it would be compared to the other place with no frills as I forgot about the additional membership fee that they charge.

Me too. I'm just not pushing myself enough without the motivation of classes. Mine costs $44 a month, including a wide range of weight and cardio classes. Like you, I forgot about the membership fee, so the real cost is closer to $50.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on January 18, 2018, 07:35:20 AM
My weight hit a new low today of 7.6 lbs above goal. I have lost 9.8 lbs since I started tracking in November at about 2 weeks postpartum. My weekly rolling average is about 8.7 lbs above goal, which is also lower than the previous week's average.  I love group fitness classes but for now I am just using my treadmill and weights at home. Besides the expense, I don't want to put baby in childcare until flu season is over.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: FLStache on January 18, 2018, 11:24:01 AM
First check-in since 1/2.

1/2  170 lbs
1/18  166 lbs

Have made progress despite myself!  Has been too cold to run as consistently as I'd planned (yes, I'm a wimp in Florida and won't run unless I can wear shorts) and as for the eating it's been all over the place.

Will focus on maintaining this 4 lb loss and losing another 2 - 3 by months end.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ChipmunkSavings on January 18, 2018, 08:33:57 PM
I have exercised every day of this month (as opposed to my average of couch potato-ing), and I am starting to notice small changes. Also, I have done my workout at 9.45 pm today because I am too stubborn to break my record so far! Motivation gets you started, determination and stubbornness does the rest. Spirits are high, I'm very glad to be on this journey with all of you.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 18, 2018, 08:36:19 PM
I have exercised every day of this month (as opposed to my average of couch potato-ing), and I am starting to notice small changes. Also, I have done my workout at 9.45 pm today because I am too stubborn to break my record so far! Motivation gets you started, determination and stubbornness does the rest. Spirits are high, I'm very glad to be on this journey with all of you.
High five, that is really awesome!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 19, 2018, 02:45:08 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 19, 2018, 05:23:23 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 19, 2018, 06:13:03 AM
Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8

Nothing new to report here. Maintenence/last 3 pounds are boring! I've effectively been working on the same five pounds since June 2016.

But I know that if I don't track I'll start to creep up again. I may not ever hit 140 at this stage of my life (lack of time and long hours at desk job make me sedentary to the sloth level) but I can keep it under 145 with careful eating.

Hope everyone has great weeks!


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Apple_Tango on January 19, 2018, 09:06:44 AM

Starting metrics in black, Last update in Green, New update in RED
Starting weight (Dec 26, 2017): 241 : 241 ; 236
Starting pushups: 0
Starting mile pace: 16 min. : 15:35!
Starting bench press: 55 pounds : 60 pounds

Short term goals:
Goal 1: work out 4 days a week, an hour per day.   3 days per week
Goal 2: drink 8 glasses of water per day : around 4 glasses ; up to 8 glasses!
Goal 3: eat 50 grams of fiber per day (fruits and veggies);  crushing this goal, 50 g achieved! on average this week
Goal 4: 14 min mile by July 2018
Goal 5: 220 pounds by July 2018


Updates on metrics are in the quote in RED
Have started tracking calories. I resisted this for a while but now I've just started to think about it as a budget similar to my financial budget. I'm trying to find foods that are the most nutrition, and most filling, for the least amount of calories and aiming to average around 2000 calories per day. I'm finding that my previous portion sizes were far too big, and I am just as full on 2000 calories as I was before I was tracking (I was probably eating 3000-4000 calories some days before). I've lost about 5 pounds since the end of December which makes me happy :)

I've put a sample meal down below. i'm vegan so you'll notice no meat, dairy, or eggs

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with maple syrup, almonds, and blueberries along with a fruit/veggie smoothie of banana, strawberries, and spinach (total meal is around 750 calories), plus a glass of water

Snack: Rice cake with some peanut butter and a glass of water (150 calories)

Lunch: Veggie Soup and some crackers (total meal is around 400 calories) and a glass of water

Dinner: Burrito Bowl with base of lettuce topped with 1 cup rice, 1 cup potatoes, 1 cup black beans, 1 cup roasted corn, 1 avocado, and salsa (total meal is around 700 calories), plus glass of water

After dinner snack: Cup of tea with tsp of splenda

The remaining four glasses of water are spread throughout the day, or concentrated during a workout when I drink like a fish.

Some days are better, some days are worse, but I'm actually enjoying the calorie counting ??? that's weird.
Fiber tends to end up around 50-60 grams, protein around 60-70 grams, fat around 40 grams, carbs around 300 grams. Those numbers are off the top of my head as my journal isn't in front of me at the moment. I use the Cronometer app and website to track calories, nutrition, and fitness.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on January 21, 2018, 02:04:32 AM
Time for another weigh-in. :)

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 121.3kg
Current weight: 118.7kg

Slight asterisk against this one because I haven't had dinner yet (chicken and vegetables are cooking in the oven as we speak).

I've been better the last week (basically been reducing carbs and increasing vegetables, save for the bowl of laksa and two beers on Friday night). Portion sizes could come down a bit, but it's not so bad if it's mostly veg, right? :)

Haven't noticed anything different with how my clothes fit just yet.

The weather is dry and not too hot this week (highest temp is high 20s), so I'll try and ride my bike all week. Last week I only rode one day (although there were two 40 degree days, and that's a bit too warm for comfort on the bike).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on January 21, 2018, 09:06:32 AM
Posting early because I hit one of my goals today, which is the weight I was last year at this time, or about 7 lbs above my final goal. I also got my 10 pound weight loss badge from Fitbit. I am not going to get too excited until my weekly average stays below this number, as it could just be a fluctuation. My % body fat is also at a new post-pregnancy low, but still higher than it was last year (using my scale so not sure how accurate this is). The weather hit a balmy 43 degrees yesterday so I went for a nice bike ride in the country while DH watched the kiddies.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lemonverbena on January 21, 2018, 04:22:30 PM
Jan 1: 142lbs
Jan 7: 136lbs

Jan 21: 132lbs

Still haven't started exercising. I did have the flu, so that dropped me a few pounds. And for dinner last night and breakfast this morning, I did a mini Fasting Mimicking Diet as a little kick-start to my intentions of eating low-carb. I INTEND to get some exercise tomorrow after work... we shall see if I actually manage to do it.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asosharp on January 22, 2018, 03:31:10 AM
I have been doing a bit poorly the past few days. I did manage to go to the gym on Thursday night and met some lovely people there.

On the weekend I went on a church retreat so I didn't go to the gym as the retreat was in the middle of nowhere. I did a walking trail and stuff so I did 'keep fit' but not as much as I would have liked to. The food was out of my control as it was supplied by the organisers. I admit to having a few cakes.. couldn't resist it. lol That plus one of the cakes was for a celebration so I joined in with everyone else.

Will have to get back into the gym this week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 22, 2018, 06:13:50 AM
I made it to Crossfit 3x last week, which was part of my goal, but failed to get in a long hike/walk.  I waited until too late in the afternoon on Saturday, and it got much colder than I expected, so I chickened out because I was afraid it would start snowing.

My diet over the weekend was AWFUL.  I got started on sweet things somehow, and it devolved into eating a normal day's worth of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) plus two tortillas with melted chocolate chips and peanut butter, and then some more peanut butter, then some more chocolate chips, etc.  Blech.  I put everything in MFP, though!  It was mildly terrifying.  I'm getting back on track now that I'm at work and I have more limited access to snacks.  Consequently, no weight loss, but that's ok. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 22, 2018, 06:47:06 AM
The past week was quite good, especially in terms of exercise. I'm enjoying resistance training. I did 4 sessions from Monday-Sunday last week. I did have pizza one evening, so that's 2 meals that included cheese this month. Beer consumption was higher than it needs to be, so I'm abstaining from Saturday until Thursday. This weekend includes a 3 night trip to a town which features several breweries. I don't expect to abstain from alcohol then.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: tightwaddy on January 22, 2018, 06:58:57 AM
Dec 4: 179.6 (35.3% fat) ... the moment where I said: This needs to stop.

Jan 1: 176.6 (35.0% fat)
Jan 8: 175.5 (34.7% fat)
Jan 15: 175.6 (34.7% fat)
Jan 22: 174.4 (34.6% fat)

January Goals (Week 1):
    Tracking in MFP (4/7 days)
    Active minutes (141/150 minutes)
    5,000 steps (2/7 days) ... with a few 4,500+ days in there

January Goals (Week 2):
    Tracking in MFP (7/7 days)
    Active minutes (230/150 minutes)
    5,000 steps (5/7 days)

January Goals (Week 3):
    Tracking in MFP (7/7 days)
    Active minutes (184/150 minutes)
    5,000 steps (4/7 days)

Doing well on goals except for consistent steps--office job with too many meetings is killing me.

Down 2.2# in three weeks, which feels great. Fancy scale told me that I'm now 30.1 BMI--getting under 30 and no longer being "obese" is a fun motivator for the week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 22, 2018, 08:24:57 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.

Ate my sadness watching the Vikings last night. It was enough to gain 2 pounds back. Forgot how easy that is.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 22, 2018, 08:30:59 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.

Ate my sadness watching the Vikings last night. It was enough to gain 2 pounds back. Forgot how easy that is.
I was also sad about the Vikings! Those 2 pounds are likely water weight/bloat from eating salty food. They'll go away :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 22, 2018, 08:56:41 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.

Ate my sadness watching the Vikings last night. It was enough to gain 2 pounds back. Forgot how easy that is.
I was also sad about the Vikings! Those 2 pounds are likely water weight/bloat from eating salty food. They'll go away :)

I was about to respond with the same thing!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 22, 2018, 09:33:52 AM
I made it to Crossfit 3x last week, which was part of my goal, but failed to get in a long hike/walk.  I waited until too late in the afternoon on Saturday, and it got much colder than I expected, so I chickened out because I was afraid it would start snowing.

My diet over the weekend was AWFUL.  I got started on sweet things somehow, and it devolved into eating a normal day's worth of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) plus two tortillas with melted chocolate chips and peanut butter, and then some more peanut butter, then some more chocolate chips, etc.  Blech.  I put everything in MFP, though!  It was mildly terrifying.  I'm getting back on track now that I'm at work and I have more limited access to snacks.  Consequently, no weight loss, but that's ok.

Do you have a sense of what sets you off on that path? (Been there myself, so super sympathetic). Aside from hormone changes, which are hard to predict & near impossible to regulate, I find that disagreements with my spouse/kids and/or carryover work stress to be the big causes. I try to immediately make myself a cup of hot tea, grab a book, go outside for a few minutes to breathe in fresh air, etc really helps. I also ask myself (like, literally ask myself), what would it look like if you didn't binge eat? How will you feel a) in the moment and b) after? Will you regret this, or enjoy it? Sometimes even thinking it through helps me. Doing the above has helped me cut down so that it's a rare occasion & I can usually pull myself back even when I start to get off track.

And like you, too much sugar results in too much sugar & it's a vicious cycle for me. I find almost none helps the most.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SlowlyButSurely on January 22, 2018, 09:43:28 AM
Surprisingly enough, I'm almost to my first milestone in half the time I had allotted for it. My weight didn't bounce back as much as I'd expected after the food poisoning, but I was also having my period, so that probably depressed the numbers a bit. I'm expecting to hit a local maximum this week before (hopefully) starting to trend downward again.

12/26/2017 - 192.1 lbs
01/01/2018 - 190.6 lbs (14% goal 1, 5% stretch goal)
01/08/2018 - 189.2 lbs (28% goal 1, 11% stretch goal)
01/15/2018 - 184.3 lbs (77% goal 1, 31% stretch goal)
01/22/2018 - 182.1 lbs (99% goal 1, 71% goal 1.5, 40% stretch goal)

Given that I made such quick progress, I'm adding Goal 1.5 to my timeline, namely reaching 178 by 02/16. That's a pound a week, which is not crazy given my progress so far, but it will be confounded by work travel. I have three 3-day trips in the next four weeks, and keeping my eating in check is a real challenge on the road, especially with catered events. I'm going to try to include 24-hour fasts where possible, and otherwise just do the best I can. I'm also going to try to keep up the daily exercise in hotel gyms, something I haven't really attempted before. We'll see how it goes.

So far, I haven't found it too hard to stick to my eating plan when I'm home, but I'm getting to the stage where I'm bored with the restrictions, and there have been days where I really wanted comfort food (pizza and wine, mostly). I'm becoming more aware of the impulse to eat because I'm sad or bored, and I'm doing better about managing those impulses. I do sometimes give in partially (no pizza or wine, but other things that I'm trying to eat less of), but at least I'm aware I'm doing it and making a conscious decision. I figure that's the place to start.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 22, 2018, 09:50:03 AM
I made it to Crossfit 3x last week, which was part of my goal, but failed to get in a long hike/walk.  I waited until too late in the afternoon on Saturday, and it got much colder than I expected, so I chickened out because I was afraid it would start snowing.

My diet over the weekend was AWFUL.  I got started on sweet things somehow, and it devolved into eating a normal day's worth of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) plus two tortillas with melted chocolate chips and peanut butter, and then some more peanut butter, then some more chocolate chips, etc.  Blech.  I put everything in MFP, though!  It was mildly terrifying.  I'm getting back on track now that I'm at work and I have more limited access to snacks.  Consequently, no weight loss, but that's ok.

Do you have a sense of what sets you off on that path? (Been there myself, so super sympathetic). Aside from hormone changes, which are hard to predict & near impossible to regulate, I find that disagreements with my spouse/kids and/or carryover work stress to be the big causes. I try to immediately make myself a cup of hot tea, grab a book, go outside for a few minutes to breathe in fresh air, etc really helps. I also ask myself (like, literally ask myself), what would it look like if you didn't binge eat? How will you feel a) in the moment and b) after? Will you regret this, or enjoy it? Sometimes even thinking it through helps me. Doing the above has helped me cut down so that it's a rare occasion & I can usually pull myself back even when I start to get off track.

And like you, too much sugar results in too much sugar & it's a vicious cycle for me. I find almost none helps the most.

Sometimes it is boredom eating.  I am home 3 days a week with our toddler, which isn't bad at all, but sometimes he just wants to stand at the sink and hold his spoon under the water for 30 minutes, and there I am in the kitchen, right next to all the food, eating his leftover goldfish.  I've also noticed that I eat mindlessly when I sit on the couch and read or watch TV, especially during the day.  If I go up to the bedroom and read, it's fine, but if I'm downstairs I often end up with a snack, which leads to more snacks. 

There is additional eating when I'm stressed, and especially when I don't get enough sleep.  I really crave sweet things after I toss and turn all night, or when the toddler is sick and wakes me up a lot. 

I think getting in the habit of asking myself how I'll feel if I do eat all this crap is the best option, and of realizing when I can physically remove myself from the situation.  I really do feel awful if I eat a lot of carbs and sugar, especially if I haven't been for a few days/weeks - I get lethargic, I break out, my stomach and GI system are all gurgley and sad and uncomfortable - it's totally not worth three days of feeling bad. 

You'd think after living in my own house and dealing with things like this for 15 years I would have a better handle on how to abstain.  I'll just keep working on it, I guess :)  The most important step you can take is the next one.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 22, 2018, 10:56:11 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.

Ate my sadness watching the Vikings last night. It was enough to gain 2 pounds back. Forgot how easy that is.
I was also sad about the Vikings! Those 2 pounds are likely water weight/bloat from eating salty food. They'll go away :)

I was about to respond with the same thing!

Ya I know, it's just silly looking back on it. No reason to eat all that! Didn't solve any problems and now I feel a little gross/greasy today since I haven't been eating any of that stuff lately.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 22, 2018, 11:05:42 AM
Ya I know, it's just silly looking back on it. No reason to eat all that! Didn't solve any problems and now I feel a little gross/greasy today since I haven't been eating any of that stuff lately.
That's good biofeedback. I personally am a big believer in a cheat meal (someone on this thread called them Joy Meals, I think) once every week or two. They are a staple of many, many fat reduction diets and are used by lots of fitness and bodybuilding competitors. In the long run they don't do any harm, and in the short run they can help your psychology.*

*And possibly keep your metabolism revved, but this is controversial in the literature.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 22, 2018, 11:08:02 AM
I made it to Crossfit 3x last week, which was part of my goal, but failed to get in a long hike/walk.  I waited until too late in the afternoon on Saturday, and it got much colder than I expected, so I chickened out because I was afraid it would start snowing.

My diet over the weekend was AWFUL.  I got started on sweet things somehow, and it devolved into eating a normal day's worth of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) plus two tortillas with melted chocolate chips and peanut butter, and then some more peanut butter, then some more chocolate chips, etc.  Blech.  I put everything in MFP, though!  It was mildly terrifying.  I'm getting back on track now that I'm at work and I have more limited access to snacks.  Consequently, no weight loss, but that's ok.

Do you have a sense of what sets you off on that path? (Been there myself, so super sympathetic). Aside from hormone changes, which are hard to predict & near impossible to regulate, I find that disagreements with my spouse/kids and/or carryover work stress to be the big causes. I try to immediately make myself a cup of hot tea, grab a book, go outside for a few minutes to breathe in fresh air, etc really helps. I also ask myself (like, literally ask myself), what would it look like if you didn't binge eat? How will you feel a) in the moment and b) after? Will you regret this, or enjoy it? Sometimes even thinking it through helps me. Doing the above has helped me cut down so that it's a rare occasion & I can usually pull myself back even when I start to get off track.

And like you, too much sugar results in too much sugar & it's a vicious cycle for me. I find almost none helps the most.

Sometimes it is boredom eating.  I am home 3 days a week with our toddler, which isn't bad at all, but sometimes he just wants to stand at the sink and hold his spoon under the water for 30 minutes, and there I am in the kitchen, right next to all the food, eating his leftover goldfish.  I've also noticed that I eat mindlessly when I sit on the couch and read or watch TV, especially during the day.  If I go up to the bedroom and read, it's fine, but if I'm downstairs I often end up with a snack, which leads to more snacks. 

There is additional eating when I'm stressed, and especially when I don't get enough sleep.  I really crave sweet things after I toss and turn all night, or when the toddler is sick and wakes me up a lot. 

I think getting in the habit of asking myself how I'll feel if I do eat all this crap is the best option, and of realizing when I can physically remove myself from the situation.  I really do feel awful if I eat a lot of carbs and sugar, especially if I haven't been for a few days/weeks - I get lethargic, I break out, my stomach and GI system are all gurgley and sad and uncomfortable - it's totally not worth three days of feeling bad. 

You'd think after living in my own house and dealing with things like this for 15 years I would have a better handle on how to abstain.  I'll just keep working on it, I guess :)  The most important step you can take is the next one.

I could have written all of this. Tricks I use(d) for boredom eating when home with the kids. Take the kids outside, work on a puzzle together, anything to get out of the kitchen. I also challenge myself to do 30 situps or pushups or whatever. I brush my teeth. And, when I was home with small toddlers & struggled the most, I would chew gum and/or buy those lifesaver mints & eat those. The fresh minty taste would make it a deterrent to eat.

I personally found the toddler phases to be hard. The lack of sleep combined with not having your own schedule was challenging. You've got this!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 22, 2018, 12:23:45 PM
I made it to Crossfit 3x last week, which was part of my goal, but failed to get in a long hike/walk.  I waited until too late in the afternoon on Saturday, and it got much colder than I expected, so I chickened out because I was afraid it would start snowing.

My diet over the weekend was AWFUL.  I got started on sweet things somehow, and it devolved into eating a normal day's worth of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) plus two tortillas with melted chocolate chips and peanut butter, and then some more peanut butter, then some more chocolate chips, etc.  Blech.  I put everything in MFP, though!  It was mildly terrifying.  I'm getting back on track now that I'm at work and I have more limited access to snacks.  Consequently, no weight loss, but that's ok.

Do you have a sense of what sets you off on that path? (Been there myself, so super sympathetic). Aside from hormone changes, which are hard to predict & near impossible to regulate, I find that disagreements with my spouse/kids and/or carryover work stress to be the big causes. I try to immediately make myself a cup of hot tea, grab a book, go outside for a few minutes to breathe in fresh air, etc really helps. I also ask myself (like, literally ask myself), what would it look like if you didn't binge eat? How will you feel a) in the moment and b) after? Will you regret this, or enjoy it? Sometimes even thinking it through helps me. Doing the above has helped me cut down so that it's a rare occasion & I can usually pull myself back even when I start to get off track.

And like you, too much sugar results in too much sugar & it's a vicious cycle for me. I find almost none helps the most.

Sometimes it is boredom eating.  I am home 3 days a week with our toddler, which isn't bad at all, but sometimes he just wants to stand at the sink and hold his spoon under the water for 30 minutes, and there I am in the kitchen, right next to all the food, eating his leftover goldfish.  I've also noticed that I eat mindlessly when I sit on the couch and read or watch TV, especially during the day.  If I go up to the bedroom and read, it's fine, but if I'm downstairs I often end up with a snack, which leads to more snacks. 

There is additional eating when I'm stressed, and especially when I don't get enough sleep.  I really crave sweet things after I toss and turn all night, or when the toddler is sick and wakes me up a lot. 

I think getting in the habit of asking myself how I'll feel if I do eat all this crap is the best option, and of realizing when I can physically remove myself from the situation.  I really do feel awful if I eat a lot of carbs and sugar, especially if I haven't been for a few days/weeks - I get lethargic, I break out, my stomach and GI system are all gurgley and sad and uncomfortable - it's totally not worth three days of feeling bad. 

You'd think after living in my own house and dealing with things like this for 15 years I would have a better handle on how to abstain.  I'll just keep working on it, I guess :)  The most important step you can take is the next one.

I could have written all of this. Tricks I use(d) for boredom eating when home with the kids. Take the kids outside, work on a puzzle together, anything to get out of the kitchen. I also challenge myself to do 30 situps or pushups or whatever. I brush my teeth. And, when I was home with small toddlers & struggled the most, I would chew gum and/or buy those lifesaver mints & eat those. The fresh minty taste would make it a deterrent to eat.

I personally found the toddler phases to be hard. The lack of sleep combined with not having your own schedule was challenging. You've got this!

Thanks for the encouragement :) 

I did start brushing my teeth with him before he goes to bed, and deciding not to eat after that makes a big difference in how much I snack.  Quick little workouts are a good idea, too.  I'll need to buy some gum, though...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 22, 2018, 03:39:39 PM
Jan 21: 183.2

I dipped down to 181.4 this week but then popped back up. It's fine; I know I oscillate at least 3 lbs and it's exciting to consider my former low my new high! I also remind myself it's *only been a week* since I hit that again.

 I tried finding an article for you guys this morning but it's gone. But, to summarize: within the last 3 years, a friend of mine shared an article along the lines of "why the scale isn't moving" that was humorous and light and among other things mentioned that it's very common to gain/store water as you lose fat, which balance each other out and result in "no change" on the scale even though you're changing internally. Looking it up today I discovered it's termed "The Whoosh Effect" and is probably somewhat controversial medically, but a lot of people in fitness/personal training circles report experiencing it...and in fact, that the "whoosh" (i.e. when you eventually lose the water weight!) can be triggered by a "joy meal" (I like that!) or alcohol.  Didn't quite work out for me that way; relaxed my eating this weekend with a fair bit of socializing, got back on track yesterday (I guess I kind of did a fast because I wasn't hungry until like 3 or 4PM, and figured my body was still working on the previous day's lunch and dinner?) Ended up making up for it with some after-dinner snacks to get to the ~1250 kcal that's been filling me up most days lately, but I still consider very low food intake...

Jan 15: 182.0
Jan   8: 186.9
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 22, 2018, 03:48:47 PM
Sometimes it is boredom eating.  I am home 3 days a week with our toddler, which isn't bad at all, but sometimes he just wants to stand at the sink and hold his spoon under the water for 30 minutes, and there I am in the kitchen, right next to all the food, eating his leftover goldfish.  I've also noticed that I eat mindlessly when I sit on the couch and read or watch TV, especially during the day.  If I go up to the bedroom and read, it's fine, but if I'm downstairs I often end up with a snack, which leads to more snacks. 

I've heard for some people, doing something with hands while watching TV helps (knitting, folding laundry, playing a stupid phone game?, etc).

I've been trying to substitute tea for snacking in the TV/reading situations you've mentioned. There *is* definitely a pleasure to nibbling+media but I think sipping+media works almost as well! So far a slight pitfall in this plan has been that we have holiday chocolate out and I like tea with chocolate! But I'm not a chocoholic so I tend to just have one or two, and all things considered I'd rather eat the tasty chocolate gradually than waste it! But I know that doesn't hold for everyone...there's some snacks that we just make a rule not to get. E.g. potato chips. (We sometimes break the rule. As an exception.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 22, 2018, 06:35:54 PM
Ya I know, it's just silly looking back on it. No reason to eat all that! Didn't solve any problems and now I feel a little gross/greasy today since I haven't been eating any of that stuff lately.
That's good biofeedback. I personally am a big believer in a cheat meal (someone on this thread called them Joy Meals, I think) once every week or two. They are a staple of many, many fat reduction diets and are used by lots of fitness and bodybuilding competitors. In the long run they don't do any harm, and in the short run they can help your psychology.*

*And possibly keep your metabolism revved, but this is controversial in the literature.
Interesting! Thanks for the heads up. I'll try to figure out how I can integrate that in a more organized/less bingey manner.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on January 23, 2018, 12:10:31 PM
I made it to Crossfit 3x last week, which was part of my goal, but failed to get in a long hike/walk.  I waited until too late in the afternoon on Saturday, and it got much colder than I expected, so I chickened out because I was afraid it would start snowing.

My diet over the weekend was AWFUL.  I got started on sweet things somehow, and it devolved into eating a normal day's worth of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) plus two tortillas with melted chocolate chips and peanut butter, and then some more peanut butter, then some more chocolate chips, etc.  Blech.  I put everything in MFP, though!  It was mildly terrifying.  I'm getting back on track now that I'm at work and I have more limited access to snacks.  Consequently, no weight loss, but that's ok.

Do you have a sense of what sets you off on that path? (Been there myself, so super sympathetic). Aside from hormone changes, which are hard to predict & near impossible to regulate, I find that disagreements with my spouse/kids and/or carryover work stress to be the big causes. I try to immediately make myself a cup of hot tea, grab a book, go outside for a few minutes to breathe in fresh air, etc really helps. I also ask myself (like, literally ask myself), what would it look like if you didn't binge eat? How will you feel a) in the moment and b) after? Will you regret this, or enjoy it? Sometimes even thinking it through helps me. Doing the above has helped me cut down so that it's a rare occasion & I can usually pull myself back even when I start to get off track.

And like you, too much sugar results in too much sugar & it's a vicious cycle for me. I find almost none helps the most.

Sometimes it is boredom eating.  I am home 3 days a week with our toddler, which isn't bad at all, but sometimes he just wants to stand at the sink and hold his spoon under the water for 30 minutes, and there I am in the kitchen, right next to all the food, eating his leftover goldfish.  I've also noticed that I eat mindlessly when I sit on the couch and read or watch TV, especially during the day.  If I go up to the bedroom and read, it's fine, but if I'm downstairs I often end up with a snack, which leads to more snacks. 

There is additional eating when I'm stressed, and especially when I don't get enough sleep.  I really crave sweet things after I toss and turn all night, or when the toddler is sick and wakes me up a lot. 

I think getting in the habit of asking myself how I'll feel if I do eat all this crap is the best option, and of realizing when I can physically remove myself from the situation.  I really do feel awful if I eat a lot of carbs and sugar, especially if I haven't been for a few days/weeks - I get lethargic, I break out, my stomach and GI system are all gurgley and sad and uncomfortable - it's totally not worth three days of feeling bad. 

You'd think after living in my own house and dealing with things like this for 15 years I would have a better handle on how to abstain.  I'll just keep working on it, I guess :)  The most important step you can take is the next one.

I could have written all of this. Tricks I use(d) for boredom eating when home with the kids. Take the kids outside, work on a puzzle together, anything to get out of the kitchen. I also challenge myself to do 30 situps or pushups or whatever. I brush my teeth. And, when I was home with small toddlers & struggled the most, I would chew gum and/or buy those lifesaver mints & eat those. The fresh minty taste would make it a deterrent to eat.

I personally found the toddler phases to be hard. The lack of sleep combined with not having your own schedule was challenging. You've got this!

Thanks for the encouragement :) 

I did start brushing my teeth with him before he goes to bed, and deciding not to eat after that makes a big difference in how much I snack.  Quick little workouts are a good idea, too.  I'll need to buy some gum, though...

I did the same thing yesterday after a poor night's sleep (trying to transition baby out of Rock n Play), no alone time/exercise time, and toddler just generally being loud and annoying. I decided "fuck it, I am having some cheese, and then some wine, and then some pretzels with Nutella, etc). Made me feel better temporarily but ended up 500 Cal above my goal when I logged it later. Best to just log it and move on.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 23, 2018, 10:29:36 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Nightwatchman9270 on January 24, 2018, 06:31:04 AM
Checking in.....January 2nd I was 201.6..........This morning weighed 186.8!  Still a ways to go but it's encouraging!

The best part is I'm spending less of my busy day going to the gym (it's kinda free but not in a mustchian way) and working out.  And I quit running altogether (I was training for a half-marathon last summer and realized I hated it).

My only workout is P90 (AKA Power90) which I got for $30 on craigslist (actually was less because I went ahead and sold the 5 other DVDs that were included in the deal). In the time it takes me to go to the gym, my workout is finished!

I've been doing Whole30.  It has also eliminated my heartburn: I had graduated from antacids to Tagamet to Zantac to Prilosec over the course of 25 years and now I'm on nothing but Apple Cider Vinegar.

The rest of my life is a shitty mess but my weight loss has been a bright spot!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Sassociate on January 24, 2018, 06:42:53 AM
So, I'm super late to the party, but can I join y'all?

I had a baby six months ago, and although most of what I gained during pregnancy has come off, I still have somewhere around 20 lbs I'd like to lose. I'm currently at 145 lbs and am shooting for somewhere around 125. (I'm not married to that specific number, we'll see how my body feels as I get closer to that, but 122-127 is a range I've been comfortable at in the past, so it seems like as good a place as any to start.)

Because I'm still breastfeeding, I'm going to have to take it slowly - my doctor recommends I not lose more than 1 lb a week while I still breastfeed (apparently most of us have accumulated quite a lot of of PCB, DDT etc in our fat tissue over the years, and if you lose fat too quickly while breastfeeding you risk transferring higher doses than what is considered safe to your baby through the milk). On the other hand breastfeeding supposedly burns an extra 300-500 kcal/day, so that might help ;)

My main issue is I have a serious sugar problem. Our baby was colicky and the first few months were all about surviving, so when I didn't have any time to prepare healthy food or didn't have any in the house (and couldn't face carrying the stroller down two flights of stairs to go buy some), I got in the habit of just grabbing some chocolate or whatever cookies or candy we had lying around. I have a history of being terrrrrible at controlling my sugar intake, and predictably got stuck right back into the habit of eating a ton of sugar. I want to quit this not only because it's obviously not great for my health, but it's also killing our grocery budget in a very un-mustachian way (candy is comparatively expensive here, and we also just got a separate "sugar tax", so it's just going to keep getting more pricey). I just did my first day without candy, cookies etc yesterday and it was WAY harder than I remember it being the last few times, probably because I let the sugar habit get so out of hand.

Anyway, I'm super impressed with how many of you have already made amazing progress and looking forward to getting to know you all!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 24, 2018, 07:05:09 AM
So, I'm super late to the party, but can I join y'all?

I had a baby six months ago, and although most of what I gained during pregnancy has come off, I still have somewhere around 20 lbs I'd like to lose. I'm currently at 145 lbs and am shooting for somewhere around 125. (I'm not married to that specific number, we'll see how my body feels as I get closer to that, but 122-127 is a range I've been comfortable at in the past, so it seems like as good a place as any to start.)

Because I'm still breastfeeding, I'm going to have to take it slowly - my doctor recommends I not lose more than 1 lb a week while I still breastfeed (apparently most of us have accumulated quite a lot of of PCB, DDT etc in our fat tissue over the years, and if you lose fat too quickly while breastfeeding you risk transferring higher doses than what is considered safe to your baby through the milk). On the other hand breastfeeding supposedly burns an extra 300-500 kcal/day, so that might help ;)

My main issue is I have a serious sugar problem. Our baby was colicky and the first few months were all about surviving, so when I didn't have any time to prepare healthy food or didn't have any in the house (and couldn't face carrying the stroller down two flights of stairs to go buy some), I got in the habit of just grabbing some chocolate or whatever cookies or candy we had lying around. I have a history of being terrrrrible at controlling my sugar intake, and predictably got stuck right back into the habit of eating a ton of sugar. I want to quit this not only because it's obviously not great for my health, but it's also killing our grocery budget in a very un-mustachian way (candy is comparatively expensive here, and we also just got a separate "sugar tax", so it's just going to keep getting more pricey). I just did my first day without candy, cookies etc yesterday and it was WAY harder than I remember it being the last few times, probably because I let the sugar habit get so out of hand.

Anyway, I'm super impressed with how many of you have already made amazing progress and looking forward to getting to know you all!

A couple of notes:

1) "The Internet" says it takes 20 calories to make an oz of breast milk.  At 6 months, my kid was having two 5 oz bottles at daycare, and nursing 4-5 more times when I was home.  Conservatively, that really is like 500-600 calories burned just feeding another person, not to mention carrying them around.  Once they start eating real food it obviously goes down, but it's still a nice big window of extra calories :)

2)  Do you have a baby carrier?  Having a soft structured carrier like a Lillebaby (my favorite) or Ergo/Baby Bjorn, etc., makes getting out of the house SO much easier.  You don't have to throw a stroller in your car, or wrangle it down the stairs, and you can comfortably carry your baby at the grocery store (or any store), and still have both hands!  And you get a little bit of exercise carrying around baby, especially if you go for walks in it :)  I'd highly recommend one.

I absolutely understand the sugar cravings, and I'm working on that myself right now, so I don't have a lot of advice :)  I have to keep it out of the house, generally.  I've also been eating whipped cream or coconut butter with berries for dessert.  Whipped cream is low-ish calorie, and gives you a little bit of sweetness with the berries to fill you up.  Coconut butter is kind of expensive, but it's a little bit sweet and full of fat.  For me, it counts as a dessert flavor, but makes me much more satisfied and full feeling.  You've got to be careful, though, because 14g is a single 100 calorie serving.  I have to weigh it out, otherwise I have no idea how much I'm eating.

Good luck! 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on January 24, 2018, 08:13:59 AM
Check in:
Weight:
Jan 1 2018:    153.4 lb
Jan 8 2018:    150.7 lb
Jan 15, 2018: 147.6 lb
Jan 22, 2018:  146.3

Between the 15th and the 22nd, weight fluctuated a lot, going as high as 148.1 and as low as 145.

Food:
Still low carb, but not ketogenic, until I finish off some fruit and butternut squash. I did another 36 hour fast.  It wasn't as weird as the first. I'm tempted to add more days a week, but I'm holding off for now so I don't burn out.

Exercise:
Met most of my fitness goals: 4 long walks, 2 strength training (gym was closed one day for the holiday), 1 yoga. I still haven't found a "fun" activity yet to replace swing dancing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Nightwatchman9270 on January 24, 2018, 08:50:26 AM
Wow! that's impressive!  I think I'd have trouble with a 36hr fast!  The best I can do is I skip dinner if it means eating after 7pm.  There's no point in eating that late for me when I usually have to go to bed by 930.

Skipped dinner yesterday because I have a Meditation calss from 600 until 830pm
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on January 24, 2018, 11:01:58 AM
So, I'm super late to the party, but can I join y'all?

I had a baby six months ago, and although most of what I gained during pregnancy has come off, I still have somewhere around 20 lbs I'd like to lose. I'm currently at 145 lbs and am shooting for somewhere around 125. (I'm not married to that specific number, we'll see how my body feels as I get closer to that, but 122-127 is a range I've been comfortable at in the past, so it seems like as good a place as any to start.)

Because I'm still breastfeeding, I'm going to have to take it slowly - my doctor recommends I not lose more than 1 lb a week while I still breastfeed (apparently most of us have accumulated quite a lot of of PCB, DDT etc in our fat tissue over the years, and if you lose fat too quickly while breastfeeding you risk transferring higher doses than what is considered safe to your baby through the milk). On the other hand breastfeeding supposedly burns an extra 300-500 kcal/day, so that might help ;)

My main issue is I have a serious sugar problem. Our baby was colicky and the first few months were all about surviving, so when I didn't have any time to prepare healthy food or didn't have any in the house (and couldn't face carrying the stroller down two flights of stairs to go buy some), I got in the habit of just grabbing some chocolate or whatever cookies or candy we had lying around. I have a history of being terrrrrible at controlling my sugar intake, and predictably got stuck right back into the habit of eating a ton of sugar. I want to quit this not only because it's obviously not great for my health, but it's also killing our grocery budget in a very un-mustachian way (candy is comparatively expensive here, and we also just got a separate "sugar tax", so it's just going to keep getting more pricey). I just did my first day without candy, cookies etc yesterday and it was WAY harder than I remember it being the last few times, probably because I let the sugar habit get so out of hand.

Anyway, I'm super impressed with how many of you have already made amazing progress and looking forward to getting to know you all!

Welcome, I am a new mom too, with a 2 month old and an almost-three-year-old. I am sorry your baby had colic, I never had to deal with that. I find that breastfeeding really helps with the weight loss, even though I am also supplementing my baby due to poor weight gain. I have just reached my pre-pregnancy weight but have about seven more pounds to reach my ideal weight. Those stairs sound like built-in exercise to me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Sassociate on January 24, 2018, 03:17:38 PM
A couple of notes:

1) "The Internet" says it takes 20 calories to make an oz of breast milk.  At 6 months, my kid was having two 5 oz bottles at daycare, and nursing 4-5 more times when I was home.  Conservatively, that really is like 500-600 calories burned just feeding another person, not to mention carrying them around.  Once they start eating real food it obviously goes down, but it's still a nice big window of extra calories :)

2)  Do you have a baby carrier?  Having a soft structured carrier like a Lillebaby (my favorite) or Ergo/Baby Bjorn, etc., makes getting out of the house SO much easier.  You don't have to throw a stroller in your car, or wrangle it down the stairs, and you can comfortably carry your baby at the grocery store (or any store), and still have both hands!  And you get a little bit of exercise carrying around baby, especially if you go for walks in it :)  I'd highly recommend one.

I absolutely understand the sugar cravings, and I'm working on that myself right now, so I don't have a lot of advice :)  I have to keep it out of the house, generally.  I've also been eating whipped cream or coconut butter with berries for dessert.  Whipped cream is low-ish calorie, and gives you a little bit of sweetness with the berries to fill you up.  Coconut butter is kind of expensive, but it's a little bit sweet and full of fat.  For me, it counts as a dessert flavor, but makes me much more satisfied and full feeling.  You've got to be careful, though, because 14g is a single 100 calorie serving.  I have to weigh it out, otherwise I have no idea how much I'm eating.

Good luck!

Thanks for the encouragement, and if you're right about bf'ing burning an extra 500-600 kcal, all the better. I got the 300-500 number from my doctor, but she may have low balled me for fear I would take it as license to keep up the sugar consumption, haha!

I did get a baby carrier for my birthday at the end of October, so I don't have that excuse for not getting to the store anymore (honestly at this point it was just bad habits and a refusal to put in the work to turn them around). I mainly use it for shorter trips though, because she is getting impatient with the inward facing position and is too young to be in the outward facing one for long. I'm making an effort to take daily walks with her in the stroller, though, so I get plenty of exercise that way. :)

I also totally agree with you on keeping sweets out of the house. My other thing I have to do is not go to the store when I'm hungry and I have to minimize the number of times I need to go to the store in a week. I try to do a weekly shop, but if that hasn't happened (and let's be realistic, it's not always going to happen) and I have to go to the store down the street, I try to at least buy dinner for three days so I don't have to be back there doing the whole "conspicuously averting my eyes from the candy bars while waiting in line" thing the next day. :P

I also happened to read this today, and thought he had a lot of useful tips for tactics to reduce calories in (although a few of the list items are a bit... easier said than done - after all, if I could just consistently eat until just satisfied rather than stuffed, I probably wouldn't be reading this article): http://www.bodyforwife.com/the-caloric-deficit-cheat-sheet/

Welcome, I am a new mom too, with a 2 month old and an almost-three-year-old. I am sorry your baby had colic, I never had to deal with that. I find that breastfeeding really helps with the weight loss, even though I am also supplementing my baby due to poor weight gain. I have just reached my pre-pregnancy weight but have about seven more pounds to reach my ideal weight. Those stairs sound like built-in exercise to me.

Thanks for the encouragement! You seem to be doing great so far, congrats on making your 10 lbs goal early! (I also love your attitude towards the nutella/wine/cheese mishap - I really wish I was able to let it go and not keep beating myself up over it when things don't go according to plan, good for you for being so sensible and constructive about it!)

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 24, 2018, 04:53:40 PM
Weigh-in Wednesday (covering the last 2 weeks):

1/0/18:   -3.4 lbs
1/17/18:  -3.4 lbs
1/24/18:  -4.6 lbs

Making progress, slowly but surely!  I've also done well with my other goals - tracked my food 14/14 days, meditated 13/14 days, and am up to 3 Jazzercise classes a week and haven't missed any in the past 2 weeks.

I'm also tracking body measurements, but need to figure out a way to do them accurately and consistently.  I made a few notes this time so I can feel more certain next time about whether I'm losing inches or just measuring differently.

My first goal is to hit 11.5 lbs lost by mid-March.  That's when I'm going on a trip and I know that at that weight, my warm-weather clothes will fit okay (since that's what I weighed last year right before my vacation, haha).

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Wanttobehome on January 25, 2018, 02:36:51 AM
I've started healthy eating hope to lose 14 lb
Jan 8th = 185
Jan 15th = 183     -2lb
Jan  25th = 180    -3lb

5 down
9 to go

Reduced sugary snacks
Reduced alcohol
Meal planning
More fresh foods and lean proteins
Relaxing more to reduce stress eating
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SachaFiscal on January 25, 2018, 08:57:28 AM
Joining for accountability. Going to finally lose the extra 10-15 pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 10-15 years. I’d like to lose at least 10lbs by April when I plan to get my cholesterol checked.

My plan is:
- track calories in MFP (1200-1400 per day)
- walk for an hour every day
- Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and spin class each once a week.
- no alcohol until July 4 (doing this with my spouse)
- plant based diet
- no eating out unless invited out with friends until July 4

My spouse is also on board which makes this a lot easier this time.

Starting weight: 135lbs
Goal weight: 120-125lbs

1/8/2018:
Weight - 134.0 lbs
Average Calories - 1294
Diet - mostly plant based (1 dairy meal), no alcohol consumed
Exercise - minimal (some walking)

1/15/2018:
Weight - 134.7 lbs
Average calories - 1423
Diet - good during the week but went off the deep end on weekend. Ate, drank and was merry.
Exercise - a little more than last week (Pilates and yoga)

1/25/2018:
Weight - 133.0 lbs
I've been eating around 1200 calories most days but had a couple of days that were closer to 1500.  I've been reading about weight loss plateau's and I'm wondering if I need to eat at maintenance (around 1500) sometimes to prevent long plateaus.  For now I will incorporate one or two days of eating at maintenance per week and see how that goes. I've finally got my workout and walking routine down. And I've been sticking to my plant based diet and no alcohol.  Feeling pretty good.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ChipmunkSavings on January 25, 2018, 08:01:21 PM
I haven't been checking in lately because I was a bit discouraged by the weight not moving. I'm keeping my head down, doing the workouts (going strong on 25 consecutive days!) and being mindful of my eating habits, so I am not letting it stop me. I can definitely see an improvement as far as general well-being goes and not feeling bloated all the time. If only the scale could cooperate a bit more, ya know? Hopefully I'll be able to report a lower weight on Monday!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Cookie78 on January 26, 2018, 12:26:33 AM
I haven't been checking in lately because I was a bit discouraged by the weight not moving. I'm keeping my head down, doing the workouts (going strong on 25 consecutive days!) and being mindful of my eating habits, so I am not letting it stop me. I can definitely see an improvement as far as general well-being goes and not feeling bloated all the time. If only the scale could cooperate a bit more, ya know? Hopefully I'll be able to report a lower weight on Monday!

I'm there too. Same weight, but pants are loose. Mostly avoiding crap food and eating mindfully, exercising is a bit random, but ongoing. Waiting for the scale to drop! Trying to remember that it shouldn't matter. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 26, 2018, 07:14:57 AM
I forgot to weigh myself this morning again. I am pretty sure all is good though.  Eating has been good and weigh-ins earlier in the week have been on the lower side of late. Yesterday and today I am eating with my daughter who is recovering from dental surgery.  Except that I skipped the ice cream and ginger-ale - and stuck with the soup, tea and yogurt and applesauce.
Pants are fitting well.
I have also been finding opportunities to add some exercise into my life more.  Squats while brushing teeth, sit ups as I wake up - getting out of bed 9 almost times before the 10th attempt and actually getting up.  Carrying all the groceries at once into the house.  Not getting a cart and making do with two baskets.  Walking to the farmers market.  Small and doable and more calorie burning than my usual habit.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on January 26, 2018, 07:59:55 AM
May I join?

I'm 51, female, mostly sedentary, and 150 pounds. Goal weight is 138 presently.

Since puberty, I've been fighting this battle, even when I was a lot more active. I'm the only one in my immediate (blood-relative) family who weighs under 200 pounds, and the only one who is thin at least part of the time. My weight has bounced between 135 (where I was for about 20 minutes) to over 180 when I had neck problems and couldn't move much. Most of the time I'm between 145 and 160.

I joined MyFitnessPal so I can log my food. But I find the discussion over there to be unfocused.

To help with discipline when I feel like giving up, I make bets with my lovely husband. If I don't reach a certain weight by a certain date, I have to do something I don't want to do. (No, not that, I like doing that.) In this case it's play board games, which I find annoying.

We do work out together in the mornings four days a week, and walk at least ten miles together a week. So I have a decent base level of fitness, but if I'm honest I spend most of my time not moving all that much.

I know it will be a slow process and require the discipline I lacked last fall when I ate all the Thanksgiving leftovers and so went from 145 to 153 in about eight weeks. Looking forward to the camaraderie here.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 26, 2018, 08:03:02 AM

Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2

Slog Slog Slog.  I've been eating a lot of veggie noodles lately, just to have a new texture of veggie :) Zucchini noodles are gross (to me) but butternut and beet are pretty awesome.

Huel continues to be a good snack deterrent. I've been having a small smoothie with a single scoop of huel and some fresh spinach and a few chunks of frozen pineapple in the afternoons and it is filling me up.

I'm ready for longer, warmer days. It's going to be a long February and March.

Welcome new folks!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on January 26, 2018, 08:12:46 AM

Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2

Slog Slog Slog.  I've been eating a lot of veggie noodles lately, just to have a new texture of veggie :) Zucchini noodles are gross (to me) but butternut and beet are pretty awesome.

Huel continues to be a good snack deterrent. I've been having a small smoothie with a single scoop of huel and some fresh spinach and a few chunks of frozen pineapple in the afternoons and it is filling me up.

I'm ready for longer, warmer days. It's going to be a long February and March.

Welcome new folks!!!

Congratulations for keeping things moving in the right direction!

Do you make beet noodles or buy them somewhere? Beets are yummy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 26, 2018, 08:14:48 AM
I haven't been checking in lately because I was a bit discouraged by the weight not moving. I'm keeping my head down, doing the workouts (going strong on 25 consecutive days!) and being mindful of my eating habits, so I am not letting it stop me. I can definitely see an improvement as far as general well-being goes and not feeling bloated all the time. If only the scale could cooperate a bit more, ya know? Hopefully I'll be able to report a lower weight on Monday!

I'm there too. Same weight, but pants are loose. Mostly avoiding crap food and eating mindfully, exercising is a bit random, but ongoing. Waiting for the scale to drop! Trying to remember that it shouldn't matter. :)

If you can get your hands on a Fitbit scale, they're rather terrible in terms of accuracy with their promise of +/- 2 pounds, but one thing I like is that they give you a general body fat %. My weight has been stagnant too, but body fat has been pretty steady on the decline so again, just gonna stay the course :D.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 26, 2018, 08:34:29 AM

Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2

Slog Slog Slog.  I've been eating a lot of veggie noodles lately, just to have a new texture of veggie :) Zucchini noodles are gross (to me) but butternut and beet are pretty awesome.

Huel continues to be a good snack deterrent. I've been having a small smoothie with a single scoop of huel and some fresh spinach and a few chunks of frozen pineapple in the afternoons and it is filling me up.

I'm ready for longer, warmer days. It's going to be a long February and March.

Welcome new folks!!!

Congratulations for keeping things moving in the right direction!

Do you make beet noodles or buy them somewhere? Beets are yummy.

Thanks!

I've been buying them at the grocery store and the brand is "Veggie Noodle Co". I've been eating them enough that I'm going to get myself a good spiralizer next month.

I've been sauteing the beet noodles then tossing them with goat cheese, chopped chicken and shredded apple - yummy!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 26, 2018, 09:03:46 AM
Beet noodles sound amazing! Will definitely have to check that out.

As for me, I've worked out every day in January (minus one), and have made significantly better eating choices. I have noticed some sloppiness in the past week, as my snacks started to increase, and my fruit/vegetable intake shrank. I'm back to stronger focus.

I have more strength/toning, but still no major weight loss progress. I've lost 2 lbs since the first of the year. My goal was 3 for January, so I'll stay focused.

I have an international trip coming up (leave on Sunday) & that always throws me for a major loop. The jet lag makes it hard to work out, the plane travel alone means two pretty much full days of sitting still. .. it's rough.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 26, 2018, 11:40:52 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 28, 2018, 10:58:22 AM
I'm legit considering signing up for a 5:30 am crossfit class.  I usually get to work at 6, so I'd be about 40 minutes late, but that can be adjusted for by taking a short lunch.  I might be completely insane, but otherwise I end up pushing it later and later in the day, and half the time I end up not going. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 28, 2018, 12:31:29 PM
I'm legit considering signing up for a 5:30 am crossfit class.  I usually get to work at 6, so I'd be about 40 minutes late, but that can be adjusted for by taking a short lunch.  I might be completely insane, but otherwise I end up pushing it later and later in the day, and half the time I end up not going.

Morning workouts are the best! It's so empowering for the rest of the day. 5.30 AM is an advanced level of early though.

They have quite a number of classes available, but unless I go at lunch (noon), I end up going to the 4:20 pm class.  Those ones are easy to push off, since I'm at work already and there's always something else to do or a question to answer or a paper to sign.  I'd only be getting up a little bit earlier - my current morning schedule is to roll out of bed at around 5:35, leave at 5:55, and get to work at 6 am, where I drink my work coffee and eat my overnight oats while reading email.  I'm mostly scared of the hardcore people who work out at 5:30 in the morning, lol.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 28, 2018, 12:34:36 PM
I'm legit considering signing up for a 5:30 am crossfit class.  I usually get to work at 6, so I'd be about 40 minutes late, but that can be adjusted for by taking a short lunch.  I might be completely insane, but otherwise I end up pushing it later and later in the day, and half the time I end up not going.

Morning workouts are the best! It's so empowering for the rest of the day. 5.30 AM is an advanced level of early though.

They have quite a number of classes available, but unless I go at lunch (noon), I end up going to the 4:20 pm class.  Those ones are easy to push off, since I'm at work already and there's always something else to do or a question to answer or a paper to sign.  I'd only be getting up a little bit earlier - my current morning schedule is to roll out of bed at around 5:35, leave at 5:55, and get to work at 6 am, where I drink my work coffee and eat my overnight oats while reading email.  I'm mostly scared of the hardcore people who work out at 5:30 in the morning, lol.

Most of them are probably just like you - people who like to work out in the morning but have to start work early. Don't be scared of people you haven't even met yet!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 28, 2018, 12:39:02 PM
I'm legit considering signing up for a 5:30 am crossfit class.  I usually get to work at 6, so I'd be about 40 minutes late, but that can be adjusted for by taking a short lunch.  I might be completely insane, but otherwise I end up pushing it later and later in the day, and half the time I end up not going.

Morning workouts are the best! It's so empowering for the rest of the day. 5.30 AM is an advanced level of early though.

They have quite a number of classes available, but unless I go at lunch (noon), I end up going to the 4:20 pm class.  Those ones are easy to push off, since I'm at work already and there's always something else to do or a question to answer or a paper to sign.  I'd only be getting up a little bit earlier - my current morning schedule is to roll out of bed at around 5:35, leave at 5:55, and get to work at 6 am, where I drink my work coffee and eat my overnight oats while reading email.  I'm mostly scared of the hardcore people who work out at 5:30 in the morning, lol.

Most of them are probably just like you - people who like to work out in the morning but have to start work early. Don't be scared of people you haven't even met yet!

You're probably right!  Thanks for the encouragement :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Bee21 on January 28, 2018, 01:33:55 PM
So, January was not the most succesfull month, i lost a total of 1 kg. 😅

Back to the studio now, school holiday are over, I am back to work. I hope to manage work stress better this year, I already said no to a project and asked for a more manageable workload. Waiting for the gym next to the office to have the february campain, with very cheap membership, I would pay approx the same as for just the swimmjng alone, so I am contemplating joining it for the classes. Having 2 different gym memberships is not mustachian, but I am desperate.

This week I already prepped my lunches  for 3 days (rice noodles and veggies w a spicy peanut sauce. I used a tbs of peanut butter for the dressing for 3 bowls, so I hope it is not too calorie heavy). I need the carbs at lunch or else I am ravenous by 4pm. I am also planning to go to the gym every morning before work, today I managed to get there by 5.15 am, so it is a good start.

basically, I am planning to cut out 500 calories every day, and see how the scale goes by the end of the week.

NO SNACKING BEFORE LUNCH.

So that's the plan for the week.
 
Being fat is depressing. And embarrassing. I don't buy into this loveyourbody movement as it is just not healthy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 28, 2018, 04:47:51 PM
Ok - I feel like there’s some misinformation getting posted here.  This thread is meant to be supportive, and these kind of statements may hurt and/or drive some folks away.

I don’t understand how “loveyourbody” can be unhealthy, and I disagree that obesity cannot be supported by a healthy lifestyle.  I’m not going to go look up supporting documents now (though that seems to be an SOP on the forum in general). 

These but feel like very judgemental statements to me, even if that’s not what was intended. I think there is plenty of hate and judgement out in society, especially directed to how women look (and men are judged too). 

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 29, 2018, 02:29:46 AM
So, January was not the most successfull month, i lost a total of 1 kg. 😅

I wouldn't consider that as not successfull. I think 1 kg/month is perfect. I feel like a lot of people here are trying to loose weight really quickly, which is hard to sustain in the long run. If you can maintain 1 kg/month, you'll have lost 12 kg by the end of the year which is huge!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 29, 2018, 05:26:37 AM
Ok - I feel like there’s some misinformation getting posted here.  This thread is meant to be supportive, and these kind of statements may hurt and/or drive some folks away.

I don’t understand how “loveyourbody” can be unhealthy, and I disagree that obesity cannot be supported by a healthy lifestyle.  I’m not going to go look up supporting documents now (though that seems to be an SOP on the forum in general). 

These but feel like very judgemental statements to me, even if that’s not what was intended. I think there is plenty of hate and judgement out in society, especially directed to how women look (and men are judged too).

Thanks for saying this.  I know this thread is specifically about losing weight, but what I liked so much about the 2016 thread, and hope to continue in here, is the overall supportive nature.  It's important to remember that everyone's body is different.  Losing weight might be easy and natural for some people, but it certainly isn't for everyone.  Some people struggle mentally with it, some people have health conditions that affect weight gain, and there are plenty of people living healthy lifestyles that might still weigh more than they might like or than is "healthy".
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ChipmunkSavings on January 29, 2018, 06:28:02 AM
I also find that if you go into this hating your body, there might never be a place where you will be able to say ''enough, I look good at this point''. There will always be something to be critical of, perfection isn't realistic.

In other news, weigh in today.
Jan 1 : 193.2 lb
Jan 8 : 187.8 lb
Jan 15 : 187.0 lb
Jan 29 : 185.2 lb
Not understanding how I went down today considering I did not exercise this weekend (went on a road trip to go wedding dress shopping!) and did not eat as well as usual (although still no dessert, did not finish my plates in restaurant which is a first for me), but I'll take it! Hopefully it doesn't bounce back up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 29, 2018, 07:05:42 AM
I did great on the weekend with eating.  And the scale is holding steady.
The only problem is this:  I woke up at 3am to use the bathroom and could not get back to sleep easily.  I finally realized around 5 am that I was hungry.  Then I got my brain around to hunger is good for me.  And I was able to fall back into a deep sleep.  My partner didn't wake me. Kids pounding around looking for food woke me up at 7:44.  So I don't feel useless like a typical sleepless night and I am ready to deal with the sugar cravings that come for me after a poor sleep.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 29, 2018, 08:04:44 AM
Can someone please talk me down and reassure me that the 2 lbs I gained after a week of staying below my calorie limit and off white carbs - except for ONE day when I ate a (normal-sized) sandwich and drank 1 alcoholic beverage - is not fat gain? I know I didn't eat an extra 7,000 calories. It's not the right time of the month for me to be having a PMS gain. Feeling very disheartened. I was SO hungry all week and on ONE day I ate to satisfaction (not even fullness, really), and that was enough to undo the past month where I struggled to get those 2 pounds off? :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on January 29, 2018, 09:01:31 AM
January 14th: 153
January 26th: 150
January 29th: 149

Goal: 138

Good progress so far. I'm happy that I'm finally back below 150, though I never should have been above there in the first place. Yesterday DH and I went out to breakfast, which we enjoy doing on the weekends. We have separate finances and I can't get him to give up the idea of going out. He pays, so I've made my peace with that. We went to First Watch, which helpfully (?) has their meal calorie counts on the menu. After blanching at the high calorie counts in the "healthy" meal options, I ordered a custom egg scramble with spinach and tomatoes while DH chowed down on his 1,100 calorie waffle. With syrup, his waffle was surely more like 1,300 calories -- almost my entire day's worth.

Tris Prior, I'm sorry to hear about your frustration. I've definitely been there. You do everything right and the scale goes in the wrong direction or doesn't move. Perhaps a few hundred extra calories combined with a long walk or other exercise session would jog your metabolism? If you're restricting calories TOO much, your body may hold onto its fat because it thinks it's starving. Or, just persevere because you KNOW you're doing what you're supposed to do, and have faith that the scale will follow suit. You can easily gain two pounds of water weight if you eat something high in salt or if you're just retaining water for another reason, even besides PMS. I know when something like that happens, it seems like nothing you can do will help. But if you're eating healthy food and not too much, and not literally starving yourself, you should lose weight.

Maybe use a running average of your weight to smooth out the bumps? That can make the numbers work out better if you tend to retain water sometimes. Best of everything going forward.

ETA: I love how a "healthy" meal can have coconut milk listed as the first ingredient. Holy calories, Batman. Real coconut milk from a coconut might be healthy, but the stuff you get in cans is quite heavy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 29, 2018, 09:07:38 AM
The numbers:

11/30/17:  Starting weight
12/27/17: -8.80 lb

1/28/18: -11.6 lb

Hit burn out on tracking everything. I'll go back to it, as it helps me be mindful or portions, etc. but a break from it is OK too.  As I noted earlier - I'm trying to establish healthier habits for long-term benefits, not just a temporary diet change.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 29, 2018, 09:14:11 AM
Tris Prior:  I don't think you can take one weigh in as a for sure thing.  My weight jumps all over the place at the moment.  I try to get on the scale at exactly the same time every day wearing exactly the same amount of clothing (birthday suit).  I will weigh two pounds more showered, dressed post breakfast and even more with some hormonal fluctuations.  It is the longer term game.  It took me 12 years to put all this weight on so I am going to give myself at least that to take it off.
So yes, please calm down.  You are developing better eating habits and over time you will get to your destination. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 29, 2018, 09:30:09 AM
Tris Prior:  I don't think you can take one weigh in as a for sure thing.  My weight jumps all over the place at the moment.  I try to get on the scale at exactly the same time every day wearing exactly the same amount of clothing (birthday suit).  I will weigh two pounds more showered, dressed post breakfast and even more with some hormonal fluctuations.  It is the longer term game.  It took me 12 years to put all this weight on so I am going to give myself at least that to take it off.
So yes, please calm down.  You are developing better eating habits and over time you will get to your destination.

Exactly.

Your body isn't the Internet - you can't expect immediate results.  The fluctuations are frustrating, but so normal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 29, 2018, 09:37:35 AM
My weight can vary 3 or 4 pounds from day to day for no apparent reason. That's why some people use rolling averages.

This week featured a 4 day getaway with many, many adult beverages. Fortunately, there was also a lot of walking and a bike ride with a killer headwind. I brought my exercise bands and used them to workout by the hotel pool. Plenty of activity.

I've realized a logistical issue with the "no cheese" rule. I'm vegetarian, so if I'm not eating cheese that effectively makes me vegan at many restaurants. Lots of restaurants might have nothing I eat, aside from a small salad. Three times this past week, I ordered a meal with cheese just so I could eat something substantial.

I'm fasting until dinner today. It's time to start implementing that tool.

Edited for typo
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on January 29, 2018, 10:51:35 AM
Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2

Mid Week weigh in here: 141.8

I don't know if it will last until Friday for my usual weigh in (I have a very hard time getting below 143) so I wanted to post it for posterity :)


I agree with Squashing Debt that the loveliest thing about the old thread was the general supportiveness of it. We'll all use different methods and have different successes but the most important part of the thread is that we are cheering each other on!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 29, 2018, 11:26:08 AM
Tris Prior:  I don't think you can take one weigh in as a for sure thing.  My weight jumps all over the place at the moment.  I try to get on the scale at exactly the same time every day wearing exactly the same amount of clothing (birthday suit).  I will weigh two pounds more showered, dressed post breakfast and even more with some hormonal fluctuations.  It is the longer term game.  It took me 12 years to put all this weight on so I am going to give myself at least that to take it off.
So yes, please calm down.  You are developing better eating habits and over time you will get to your destination.

Exactly.

Your body isn't the Internet - you can't expect immediate results.  The fluctuations are frustrating, but so normal.

"Your body isn't the Internet - you can't expect immediate results. "

this is great and I'm stealing it!

So true.  I'm honestly not a fan of weekly weigh-in, I prefer monthly weight and tape measurements.  While weekly weight loss can be motivating,  the ups would mess with my head.  Monthly check-ins are far more, to me, indicative of actual progress.   

Very much like finances and investing.  Ups and Downs will happen, all that matters is the overall progress towards your goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 29, 2018, 01:34:51 PM
Jan 29: 184.5 today, after hovering in the 182.5-183.5 range the past week (so hopefully a bit of a fluke?)

Wasn't a great week weight loss/tracking wise; I do know that's how it goes.
-A best friend from far away unexpectedly visited mid-week on a work trip, so we got some burgers and drinks
-Felt sick to my stomach the next evening, not sure if infection, food poisoning, or stress. It was aggravated by movement so I stayed home Fri and ate simple carbs when hungry to avoid hunger-nausea (it's a thing).
-Felt better by evening/the next day but a different bff came to town; went out for Indian with them.
-Yesterday just ended up in a mental funk/low energy/"the blahs". Bf and his friend made homemade pesto (with pasta and veg) for dinner so we all just shared that and I didn't feel like being difficult

Gotta get back to tracking mostly because it keeps me honest! And encourages me to make more veggie-licious meals. :)

Jan 21: 183.2
Jan 15: 182.0
Jan   8: 186.9
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Pooperman on January 29, 2018, 01:37:29 PM
Height: 71"

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

1/8/2018: 207lb
1/12/2018: 206lb
1/28/2018: 204.6lb
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on January 29, 2018, 01:45:15 PM
Ok - I feel like there’s some misinformation getting posted here.  This thread is meant to be supportive, and these kind of statements may hurt and/or drive some folks away.

I don’t understand how “loveyourbody” can be unhealthy, and I disagree that obesity cannot be supported by a healthy lifestyle.  I’m not going to go look up supporting documents now (though that seems to be an SOP on the forum in general). 

These but feel like very judgemental statements to me, even if that’s not what was intended. I think there is plenty of hate and judgement out in society, especially directed to how women look (and men are judged too).

I did not mean to offend with stating that obesity could not be supported by a healthy lifestyle. I should have said that *my* obesity could not be supported by a healthy lifestyle.

*My* obesity was the result of living poorly. I could not maintain it going back to a healthy lifestyle.

The whole point of my post was to encourage self respect and say that body positivity can be very healthy, but you are right that I should be careful writing about my own particular health situation in general terms.

I'm glad you are on track for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

It's easy to type things into the little box and then learn that the tone was not what you intended.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 29, 2018, 02:03:18 PM
Thanks for the reality check. I wish I had started tape-measuring when I first started dieting in October. Alas, I did not. I'm also doing strength training and was warned that I might see gains due to building muscle. I do notice that my waist, stomach, and boobs got smaller, based on clothing fit. Those were NOT the areas where I needed it to come off; all my body fat is in my thighs and I do not see a difference there at all. This may be genetics, I suspect. :(

Anyone want to commiserate about weight coming off boobs when that was the one part of your body you actually liked and didn't want to be smaller? :/
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 29, 2018, 02:22:11 PM
Thanks for the reality check. I wish I had started tape-measuring when I first started dieting in October. Alas, I did not. I'm also doing strength training and was warned that I might see gains due to building muscle. I do notice that my waist, stomach, and boobs got smaller, based on clothing fit. Those were NOT the areas where I needed it to come off; all my body fat is in my thighs and I do not see a difference there at all. This may be genetics, I suspect. :(

Anyone want to commiserate about weight coming off boobs when that was the one part of your body you actually liked and didn't want to be smaller? :/

Take this with all the weight of a stranger's word on the internet, but I've read that thigh fat is quite different than stomach/organ fat, and as a result not bad to have on you as a woman. For one thing, thighs/butt are where women's bodies store DHA and Omega3's to build baby brains. Of course, baby brains might not be in your life plan, and there's no way to tell your body that :/ But if it worries you from a health standpoint, perhaps you don't need to sweat it? Just grow muscles :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 29, 2018, 02:52:04 PM
I'm also doing strength training and was warned that I might see gains due to building muscle.
A hard workout can result in extra water retention. Your muscle cells need it for repair, which results in stronger muscles.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on January 29, 2018, 02:57:17 PM
I'm also doing strength training and was warned that I might see gains due to building muscle.
Whenever I start doing more strength training or anything that makes me really sore (i.e. that builds more muscle) I almost always gain weight right away. Pretty annoying, but I try to remember that I should be losing fat and gaining muscle in that case. And feeling strong makes me feel good. I hope it does you too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 29, 2018, 04:41:33 PM

Anyone want to commiserate about weight coming off boobs when that was the one part of your body you actually liked and didn't want to be smaller? :/

I hear you.  And bras are not cheap.  And wearing that bra with two sizes too big cups looks really weird.  I have to say that the back and neck do feel better.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 29, 2018, 05:06:48 PM
I'm also doing strength training and was warned that I might see gains due to building muscle.
Whenever I start doing more strength training or anything that makes me really sore (i.e. that builds more muscle) I almost always gain weight right away. Pretty annoying, but I try to remember that I should be losing fat and gaining muscle in that case. And feeling strong makes me feel good. I hope it does you too.

Interesting - I recently started using a pullup bar which left me Sore As F***, like I haven't been since I first started working out. OK, so, that makes sense that weight gain would follow that.

(still can't quite use my arms properly.....)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 29, 2018, 05:13:22 PM

Anyone want to commiserate about weight coming off boobs when that was the one part of your body you actually liked and didn't want to be smaller? :/

I hear you.  And bras are not cheap.  And wearing that bra with two sizes too big cups looks really weird.  I have to say that the back and neck do feel better.

So far in my life I have had the opposite problem... my chest gets bigger every time I gain weight, but I don't think it's ever gotten smaller when I've lost weight.  I don't recall ever having a bra that was too big - they always get too small.  If I'm successful on this weight loss journey, it'll be interesting to see if they ever do get smaller (which would be ok in my case, to stay proportional and maybe be able to do things like run and jump and wear button-down shirts)... I'll report back ;)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SlowlyButSurely on January 29, 2018, 09:43:22 PM
Five weeks in and I've hit a plateau. I'm disappointed, but not surprised. I had expected it to be a lot harder than it was to get as far as I have, so I'm not going to complain.

12/26/2017 - 192.1 lbs
01/01/2018 - 190.6 lbs (14% goal 1, 5% stretch goal)
01/08/2018 - 189.2 lbs (28% goal 1, 11% stretch goal)
01/15/2018 - 184.3 lbs (77% goal 1, 31% stretch goal)
01/22/2018 - 182.1 lbs (99% goal 1, 71% goal 1.5, 40% stretch goal)
01/29/2018 - 181.5 lbs (105% goal 1, 75% goal 1.5, 42% stretch goal)

I've realized a logistical issue with the "no cheese" rule. I'm vegetarian, so if I'm not eating cheese that effectively makes me vegan at many restaurants. Lots of restaurants might have nothing I eat, aside from a small salad. Three times this past week, I ordered a meal with cheese just so I could eat something substantial.

Right there with you. I'm usually vegetarian but trying to do vegan January, which is totally fine at home, but restaurants are tough, especially when I'm travelling for work or eating at a catered event. I ended up cheating a couple times in the past week just because of the logistics. I'm sure there are more options out there than I'm aware of. I just haven't learned how to assess restaurants for vegan options the way I do for vegetarian options. It's a skill that takes more than a month to build.

I also cheated on my no wine resolution on my work trip. That part was about being frazzled and tired and out of my routine, wanting a treat for not sleeping in my own bed. I think I need to work on both habit change and self-care on the road.

I'm actually home all this week (!), so I'm going to do what I can to make progress. I'm going to stick with my plan (except maybe with pizza on Saturday when vegan January is over), and shoot for two 24 hour fasts. On the whole, I've done pretty well with exercise when I'm at home, so I'm going to keep that up. And I did a meditation class last weekend that has me pumped up about starting a daily practice. My hope is that sitting once or twice a day will make me feel more grounded, and help me be more mindful when it comes to making food choices.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on January 30, 2018, 03:42:20 AM
I'm doing a weigh-in on a Tuesday night instead of my 'usual' Sunday night, as I had a weekend of 'cheat' food and plenty of alcohol so I decided to wait for things to calm down a bit :)

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 118.7kg
Current weight: 118.2kg

I've fluctuated from about 117 to 120 (the day after a big night on the beers). Today and yesterday I've been a little bit better.

Two and a half kilos in three and a half weeks isn't all that bad, really :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on January 30, 2018, 06:25:11 AM
Thanks for the reality check. I wish I had started tape-measuring when I first started dieting in October. Alas, I did not. I'm also doing strength training and was warned that I might see gains due to building muscle. I do notice that my waist, stomach, and boobs got smaller, based on clothing fit. Those were NOT the areas where I needed it to come off; all my body fat is in my thighs and I do not see a difference there at all. This may be genetics, I suspect. :(

Anyone want to commiserate about weight coming off boobs when that was the one part of your body you actually liked and didn't want to be smaller? :/

Ha! I can join on you on the thighs thing. When I'm in good shape/the weight that's healthy for me my jeans just gape at the waistband while staying fitted through the thighs; basically means I'm besties with my tailor.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on January 30, 2018, 07:01:43 AM
Thanks for the reality check. I wish I had started tape-measuring when I first started dieting in October. Alas, I did not. I'm also doing strength training and was warned that I might see gains due to building muscle. I do notice that my waist, stomach, and boobs got smaller, based on clothing fit. Those were NOT the areas where I needed it to come off; all my body fat is in my thighs and I do not see a difference there at all. This may be genetics, I suspect. :(

Anyone want to commiserate about weight coming off boobs when that was the one part of your body you actually liked and didn't want to be smaller? :/

Ha! I can join on you on the thighs thing. When I'm in good shape/the weight that's healthy for me my jeans just gape at the waistband while staying fitted through the thighs; basically means I'm besties with my tailor.

Haha.  My sister bodybuilds and powerlifts, and I'm pretty sure she's worn nothing but leggings for the past 3 years.  She can't find jeans with thighs that fit that will also stay up without a ridiculous amount of gathering at the waist. 

As a family, we're definitely built to gain wait in the thighs, so I have a similar problem, but it's not because of my giant quads, unfortunately.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 30, 2018, 08:15:21 AM

I've realized a logistical issue with the "no cheese" rule. I'm vegetarian, so if I'm not eating cheese that effectively makes me vegan at many restaurants. Lots of restaurants might have nothing I eat, aside from a small salad. Three times this past week, I ordered a meal with cheese just so I could eat something substantial.


You're in FL, right? I had a hard time finding vegetarian food in FL that wasn't loaded with cheese. If I even found anything at all?  Come to Chicago, we've got amazing vegan restaurants! (I'm not vegan but eat that way often.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on January 30, 2018, 10:04:36 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 30, 2018, 11:08:40 AM

I've realized a logistical issue with the "no cheese" rule. I'm vegetarian, so if I'm not eating cheese that effectively makes me vegan at many restaurants. Lots of restaurants might have nothing I eat, aside from a small salad. Three times this past week, I ordered a meal with cheese just so I could eat something substantial.


You're in FL, right? I had a hard time finding vegetarian food in FL that wasn't loaded with cheese. If I even found anything at all?  Come to Chicago, we've got amazing vegan restaurants! (I'm not vegan but eat that way often.)
I am in FL. The culture hasn't quite caught up. Also, I don't know about dragging my DH to a vegan restaurant ;)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 30, 2018, 11:59:50 AM


I am in FL. The culture hasn't quite caught up. Also, I don't know about dragging my DH to a vegan restaurant ;)

As an avowed carnivore...vegan restaurants made me consider vegan food in a different light. He should go with you and try it. Why should you always make the concession of eating someplace with limited or no options of the food you prefer to eat.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 30, 2018, 12:22:24 PM


I am in FL. The culture hasn't quite caught up. Also, I don't know about dragging my DH to a vegan restaurant ;)

As an avowed carnivore...vegan restaurants made me consider vegan food in a different light. He should go with you and try it. Why should you always make the concession of eating someplace with limited or no options of the food you prefer to eat.

Boyfriend is the same way. He's tried vegan restaurants with me and was completely grossed out every time. He wants meat at every meal - which used to really piss me off, but as he needs to lose around 50 lbs and now paleo/keto is a thing, I'm in favor of him eating it as it keeps him full and isn't loaded with white carbs.

I mean, to be fair, I find some vegan restaurant food gross!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on January 30, 2018, 01:07:01 PM
Dammit, I'm in!  I need some accountability.  I'm 5'7" and 178 as of this morning.  I'd been obese since childhood and several years ago I topped out at 220, but then I got serious and got down to 155.  It was honestly the most difficult thing I have done in my life.  Stabilized around 160 for a couple years, but over the last 3 years it's been gradually creeping up.  Time to get serious again.  My realistic goal is 160 and my "I'd love to get there some day, but I don't know if I really ever will" goal is 140ish.  My enemies are emotional eating, carbs, and laziness. My friends are vegetables, fish, hiking, and reggaeton.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 30, 2018, 01:47:51 PM
This is an interesting podcast on the history of dieting. Trigger warning: there is some pretty extreme and messed up behavior explored in a historical context. The Ancient Origins of Dieting (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/01/the-ancient-origins-of-dieting/551828/)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 30, 2018, 02:34:18 PM


I am in FL. The culture hasn't quite caught up. Also, I don't know about dragging my DH to a vegan restaurant ;)

As an avowed carnivore...vegan restaurants made me consider vegan food in a different light. He should go with you and try it. Why should you always make the concession of eating someplace with limited or no options of the food you prefer to eat.

Boyfriend is the same way. He's tried vegan restaurants with me and was completely grossed out every time. He wants meat at every meal - which used to really piss me off, but as he needs to lose around 50 lbs and now paleo/keto is a thing, I'm in favor of him eating it as it keeps him full and isn't loaded with white carbs.

I mean, to be fair, I find some vegan restaurant food gross!

I actually meant that in spite of no intentions doing a vegan diet exclusively, I find vegan-restaurant food quite tasty (at least the two we have nearby do a wonderful job). One does not have to be a vegan to enjoy it as a cuisine and possibly learn tricks from it.  It *does* help to enjoy flavors besides "steak and potatoes" (and I guess cheese) though. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 30, 2018, 02:45:39 PM
Ah, sorry, quote nesting fail, I meant Boyfriend was like LifeHappens' DH who will not step food in a vegan restaurant, not like you as you sound far more adventurous and open minded than him. He's a picky eater. Has come a LONG way since he's been with me (i.e., he now will eat at least some vegetables now and then). But it does limit where we can eat out. To be fair, my vegetarianism also does that, to an extent, though less so in a big liberal city.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on January 30, 2018, 02:53:18 PM
Ah, sorry, quote nesting fail, I meant Boyfriend was like LifeHappens' DH who will not step food in a vegan restaurant, not like you as you sound far more adventurous and open minded than him. He's a picky eater. Has come a LONG way since he's been with me (i.e., he now will eat at least some vegetables now and then). But it does limit where we can eat out. To be fair, my vegetarianism also does that, to an extent, though less so in a big liberal city.
Yeah, it's tricky navigating different diet preferences in one house. And the "not dragging my DH to a vegan restaurant" is MY thing. He doesn't cook much, and I don't cook meat, so at home he is effectively vegetarian. When we go out, I feel like he deserves a chance to be a little carnivorous. I always tell him, "I won't cook you a meatloaf, but I'll take you to a diner so you can order one." :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on January 30, 2018, 03:00:20 PM
Fair enough! The rule in our house is: He can have meat, but he must cook it and clean it up himself and not leave meat byproducts all over the kitchen. And pick it out from the store himself as I became veg at 19 before I was on my own and thus have no experience selecting quality meat from a store (it all looks like it's gone off to me, honestly.)

Also, nothing comes into the house alive (i.e., lobster). Also, nothing with a head still on it, please (this rule was made after an incident with my ex-husband involving a whole fish that was LOOKING at me). This all seems reasonable to both of us. :) He was a bachelor for many years so is fairly competent, if not terribly adventurous, at cooking.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on January 30, 2018, 03:00:58 PM
Check in:
Weight:
Jan 1 2018:    153.4 lb
Jan 8 2018:    150.7 lb
Jan 15, 2018: 147.6 lb
Jan 22, 2018:  146.3

Between the 15th and the 22nd, weight fluctuated a lot, going as high as 148.1 and as low as 145.

Food:
Still low carb, but not ketogenic, until I finish off some fruit and butternut squash. I did another 36 hour fast.  It wasn't as weird as the first. I'm tempted to add more days a week, but I'm holding off for now so I don't burn out.

Exercise:
Met most of my fitness goals: 4 long walks, 2 strength training (gym was closed one day for the holiday), 1 yoga. I still haven't found a "fun" activity yet to replace swing dancing.

Jan 29: 148.7
I messed up this weekend. I planned to fast on Friday, but my dad made me muffins and guava jelly! So I had those, then had rice and beans as a side to my chicken.  On Saturday, I made chickpea blondies to use up the last of my honey, and finished off the rice and beans. On Sunday, I managed to rein in the carbs, but was still having lowish carb treats which I finished yesterday.  My weight peaked over 150 lb on Sunday, but  dropped by down to the 140s by Monday.   Plus some of the health issues that plague me on HC eating came back. So just a reminder that I can't handle high levels of carbs without sabotaging myself.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 30, 2018, 04:29:52 PM
Small victory: I just put on a pair of underwear that has been borderline too-small for quite awhile.  A few minutes later, I realized that they're fitting better than usual!  (This is the first time since starting my weight loss that I've noticed clothing fitting differently!)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Sassociate on January 31, 2018, 01:15:38 AM
I did not mean to offend with stating that obesity could not be supported by a healthy lifestyle. I should have said that *my* obesity could not be supported by a healthy lifestyle.

*My* obesity was the result of living poorly. I could not maintain it going back to a healthy lifestyle.

The whole point of my post was to encourage self respect and say that body positivity can be very healthy, but you are right that I should be careful writing about my own particular health situation in general terms.

I got what you were saying, and have found some of the same to be true for me - when I appreciate my body, I treat it better (eating when I'm hungry, actually picking up satiety cues, doing fun, easygoing activities often instead of punishing workouts I hate once in a blue moon) and do so much more effortlessly.

Small victory: I just put on a pair of underwear that has been borderline too-small for quite awhile.  A few minutes later, I realized that they're fitting better than usual!  (This is the first time since starting my weight loss that I've noticed clothing fitting differently!)

Nice! I'm all about the small victories, makes it so much easier to keep making better choices!

I'm legit considering signing up for a 5:30 am crossfit class.  I usually get to work at 6, so I'd be about 40 minutes late, but that can be adjusted for by taking a short lunch.  I might be completely insane, but otherwise I end up pushing it later and later in the day, and half the time I end up not going.

Got it, so what you're saying is you're insane?? Nah, just kidding, if you can make early morning workouts work for you, more power to you! I used to work out before classes when I was a student, and you're right that it's easer not to come up with excuses for missing morning workouts, but I personally don't know if I could do something as intense as crossfit that early in the morning. Did you end up going to a 5.30 am class? How did you like it?

My Wednesday update:

Starting weight (24 Jan): 145
Current weight (31 Jan): 143

I've had a pretty decent first week! My main focus for January and February is on cutting back on sugary treats and getting in some daily activity, and I'm happy to report I've been doing pretty well on both counts! I've gotten at least 30 min of activity in every day except Saturday when the weather was especially foul and I just couldn't face going out. And as far as sugar, I had some home made cookies on Saturday and a can of San Pelegrino Aranciata yesterday, and that's it! Compared to the mountain of sugar I had the week before, I'm really really happy with that. I'm especially proud that I didn't go nuts yesterday. I was having the most intense cravings and had already had the can of soda, so it already wasn't a zero sugar day, and it would have been soooo easy to just say fuck it and have some chocolate, but instead I went for a walk and then ate some yoghurt and the craving passed!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on January 31, 2018, 01:59:08 AM
Well, today is my first day back at work and I am 1.2 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight, so mini-goal crushed. I have lost over 11lbs in the last 10 weeks. I am still 5.8 lbs above the weight I would like to be. New challenges ahead as I won't be able to get in as many workouts per week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on January 31, 2018, 06:11:51 AM
Well, today is my first day back at work and I am 1.2 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight, so mini-goal crushed. I have lost over 11lbs in the last 10 weeks. I am still 5.8 lbs above the weight I would like to be. New challenges ahead as I won't be able to get in as many workouts per week.

Congrats on that achievement! Getting below your pre-pregnancy weight is awesome. And 11 lbs in 10 weeks is also a great pace. The last few lbs' will be the hardest, but you'll get there :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MrsDinero on January 31, 2018, 07:33:04 AM
Today is Day30 of my Whole30 Challenge.  I have to say the last week or so was rough on me.  It was hard to keep my mind on Whole30 when all I wanted was a bowl of oatmeal!  Still I pushed through.  So glad I did! 

I like to set up challenges for myself so the next 30 days will be to exercise every day.  It doesn't matter what, I'm just going to do some sort of physical activity every day. 

Food wise, I'm going to practice "Food Freedom" which for me is probably Whole30/Paleo with breaks if I feel like it.  Basically I'm not going to self-flagellate if I eat some chickpeas or have some wine.

Now for the stats!!!

4/27/17 (End of my first Whole30 Round)
Weight: 144 lbs
Arms: 11"
Waist: 33.9
Hips: 39.6
Thighs: 21.9
BMI: 28

1/2/2018 (Day 1 Whole30 Round 2)
Weight: 142.4 lbs
Neck: 13.5"
Arms: 10.5"
Waist: 34.5
Hips: 39.5"
Thighs: 21"
BMI: 28

1/31/2018 (Day 30 Whole30 Round 2)
Weight: 133.4
Neck: 13"
Arms: 10"
Waist: 32"  <--I measured this 4 times because I could not believe it.  I even pushed out my stomach.
Hips:  37.5
Thighs: 20.5
BMI 26


All total I lost 9 lbs and 6" total in 30 days. I'm honestly floored by this.  I feel amazing and I wasn't hungry at all.  I ate large meals to get me through to the next one.  I did snack a few times, but really tried to keep that in check. 

 I will say that on week 3 a stomach bug hit our house, while I wasn't throwing up, my stomach was very sour for days.  I couldn't eat food for at least 24 hours without feeling like I was going to be sick.  I drank a lot of chicken stock, but for about 3 days I wasn't eating 3 full meals a day.  Day 4 after the bug hit, I was ravenous and ate until content.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on January 31, 2018, 03:34:23 PM
Time for my monthly weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8

So 18.6 pounds in 2 months! I'm into a pretty good eating routine now, so sticking to my 2000 calorie per day limit seems to be getting easier, and I'm on track to blow through even my stretch goal of 200 by the end of the year. New long term goal is 175 (but no timetable for that yet) which would bring my BMI to 25 (top end of the normal range).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: frugalkristen on January 31, 2018, 04:47:10 PM
I wanted to lose 10 pounds in the month of January.  I put on weight in the last 3-4 years and I needed to do something about it.  I'm a 48 yr old female, 5'6" and started at 129 (I was 133 the day after Christmas - ugh).  Tried to count calories but found myself hungry all the time and I couldn't stick to it.   Decided to try a low carb diet due to some people posting here - which I've never tried before.  In 10 days, I'm down to 123.   My clothes fit better, my stomach is flatter and I feel better!  There has already been a big change.  I am not hungry all the time and the weight is coming off.  I'd like to get down to 118 - which I haven't been for years.  Everyone on this thread have been so helpful to stay motivated!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 31, 2018, 08:21:10 PM
I need help!  My food tracker website that I've been using on and off for 6 years, have all my recipes programmed into, etc. is now being shut down by the UDSA (who hosted it).

So, now I need to find a new one to migrate to.  I don't want this to derail what has become a good tracking habit.

It seems like most people who track their food/count calories on here use MyFitnessPal.  Is that because it's the best?  Have people tried other apps, or does anyone use other apps?

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 31, 2018, 08:47:24 PM


It seems like most people who track their food/count calories on here use MyFitnessPal.  Is that because it's the best?  Have people tried other apps, or does anyone use other apps?
I just couldn't get into using it.  It was just too much work for me and I am not actually counting calories so it was overkill.  I find just writing down every thing I eat in my notebook beside the fridge is enough to keep my accountable.
Well except for today.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on January 31, 2018, 09:15:45 PM
I need help!  My food tracker website that I've been using on and off for 6 years, have all my recipes programmed into, etc. is now being shut down by the UDSA (who hosted it).

So, now I need to find a new one to migrate to.  I don't want this to derail what has become a good tracking habit.

It seems like most people who track their food/count calories on here use MyFitnessPal.  Is that because it's the best?  Have people tried other apps, or does anyone use other apps?
I really like MyNetDiary, especially the phone version. I think it's designed by nutritionists? The biggest sell was I found it the easiest to log improvised recipes (with a food scale) and a huge database of prepared food, too. It has some nutrient tracking features, which I found cool: eating well is about more than calories and macros!

Most of the functionality is free but I paid $40/yr for the critical (to me) feature of editing recipes. Connecting to Fitbit is a perk (but I would have done without it). I consider it well worth out overall for an app I enjoy using, but I definitely used the free one for a while to make sure!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on February 01, 2018, 03:24:40 AM
I need help!  My food tracker website that I've been using on and off for 6 years, have all my recipes programmed into, etc. is now being shut down by the UDSA (who hosted it).

So, now I need to find a new one to migrate to.  I don't want this to derail what has become a good tracking habit.

It seems like most people who track their food/count calories on here use MyFitnessPal.  Is that because it's the best?  Have people tried other apps, or does anyone use other apps?

I used to use Lose it but they stopped supporting Fitbit integration in the free version, so I switched to MFP. I had tried MFP years ago and hated it but it has improved a lot since then. A long time ago I liked Noom but they have really stripped down their free version.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on February 01, 2018, 03:52:05 AM
I'm getting better at improving what is in my meals (I've ditched most of the potato/bread/rice, and eating more vegetables/salad), but I'm still filling the plate and eating largish meals.

Maybe I'll need to address how much is on my plate rather than just the composition of it :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on February 01, 2018, 05:34:08 AM
I need help!  My food tracker website that I've been using on and off for 6 years, have all my recipes programmed into, etc. is now being shut down by the UDSA (who hosted it).

So, now I need to find a new one to migrate to.  I don't want this to derail what has become a good tracking habit.

It seems like most people who track their food/count calories on here use MyFitnessPal.  Is that because it's the best?  Have people tried other apps, or does anyone use other apps?

I've gone through a bunch. My current is My Diet Pal and Happy Scale.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on February 01, 2018, 08:09:57 AM
1/1/18 - Weight 146.6, Waist 31 5/8"
2/1/18 - Weight 145.6, Waist 31 9/16"

Notes: It's a start. The "no cheese" rule has been good. I'm going to stick with "minimal cheese" this month - probably no more than 1 meal per week. I've made a good start on weight training, which has been really fun. Other behaviors:
1) Incorporate some cardio. I've fallen off the cardio train pretty hard. I will start by putting my bike on the trainer stand today so I can do some even when it's cold. (I'm a wimp!!) Aiming for 3 morning cardio sessions per week.
2) One fasting day per week.
3) At least one dinner salad per week. We found a great Asian salad mix DH and I both enjoy, which makes it easy.
4) Meal plan for colorful, healthy meals. Lots of veggies and seasonings for flavor. I want to cultivate a feeling of abundance. My crisper drawers will look like this:
(https://media.apnarm.net.au/media/images/2017/06/23/b88825411z1_20170623111935_000g59lum3o5-0-xean61hg7lxkoehigo2_fct1511x1123x202x94_ct620x465.jpg)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on February 01, 2018, 11:03:50 AM
Random: bf and I remembered a mindblowing fact today that I thought I'd share: most of your weight loss happens through breathing out (because CO2 molecules are heavier than O2). Breathe vigorously!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on February 01, 2018, 11:43:51 AM
DateWeightBody Fat
May 2017190 lbs23.7%
June 2017183 lbs22.4%
July 2017180 lbs21.9%
Aug 2017176 lbs21.1%
Sept 2017171 lbs20.4%
Oct 2017165 lbs19.3%
Nov 2017161 lbs18.6%
Dec 2017160 lbs18.4%
Jan 2017155 lbs17.5%35 lbs down

Currently eating 1800 calories per day, maintenance is around 2200. I'm hoping to switch to 2500 calories in a month or so now and keep my every second day weightlifting routine (4 months now so hopefully it's a habit).

I measure body fat with a cheap impedance scale so I'm sure it's way off but the trend is helpful.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Sassociate on February 01, 2018, 10:36:29 PM
Does anyone else experience this thing where when you cut down on junk food and eat healthier, suddenly you’re thirsty all the time? I had to get up two times last night to refill the (large!) mug of water by my bed! I mean, I would have thought the healthy foods I’ve substituted for the junk has more water in them, so what gives? 🤔
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 02, 2018, 04:59:10 AM
I’ve been active in the keto specific thread but I’ll join in here as well. My weight has been all over the place as an adult, but generally heavy. My heaviest was 295 around 2008-9. My lowest was 205 when biking thousands of miles a year in 2015. My natural weight when eating carbs (but mostly whole grains, some sweets, beer) and getting moderate exercise is about 230-245.

Last year I started doing keto/low carb at 240. I am “lazy” keto in that I don’t track macros to verify I’m below 20g carbs. Had a lot of setbacks/failures of willpower but in general as long as I stay strict with what I eat it’s a very satisfying diet, very hard to overeat on it and you’re rarely hungry between meals. I have not had any cheat days in four months now, and also dropped even low-carb alcohol like whiskey from regular consumption, which is improving my subjective perception of health.

Upped my exercise recently not so much to speed up losing weight but to improve health. Right now just cardio but I’m seeing a chiropractor for chronic neck/shoulder/back issues and I’m hoping I can do some basic strength exercises soon. I get a decent amount of weight lifting in just taking care of my homestead though.

At the lean muscle mass I need, I’m guessing my ideal trimmed down weight is about 190 but I’ve never been below 200 since age 13 so I don’t honestly know. I’m 6 feet tall and very stocky frame (often described as built like an NFL linebacker).

Weighed in this morning at 210.6.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 02, 2018, 05:00:20 AM
Does anyone else experience this thing where when you cut down on junk food and eat healthier, suddenly you’re thirsty all the time? I had to get up two times last night to refill the (large!) mug of water by my bed! I mean, I would have thought the healthy foods I’ve substituted for the junk has more water in them, so what gives? 🤔

Maybe you need some electrolytes? I personally have to supplement sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on February 02, 2018, 06:02:20 AM
Does anyone else experience this thing where when you cut down on junk food and eat healthier, suddenly you’re thirsty all the time? I had to get up two times last night to refill the (large!) mug of water by my bed! I mean, I would have thought the healthy foods I’ve substituted for the junk has more water in them, so what gives? 🤔

This time of year it's just dry in our house. I wake up with cotton mouth and my eyelids welded shut if I forget to turn on the humidifier. Maybe that's part of it?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on February 02, 2018, 07:04:15 AM
2/1/17: 140.2. Going for 5lbs this month.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on February 02, 2018, 08:03:53 AM

Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142

And we have movement! The holiday weight is officially gone and if I can hang out right around this number through spring I'll be thrilled.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 02, 2018, 08:13:17 AM
I remembered to step on the scale this morning - a nice sight - closer to 132 than 133. 
I have a couple of bad days this past week but interspersed with good days.  I had not realized how much stress I was under until I got it lifted and then this morning woke up and saw that I have not succumbed to the stress with all that chocolate and sugar that I accidentally bought on super stress day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 02, 2018, 12:25:49 PM
January 14th: 153
January 26th: 150
January 29th: 149
February 2nd: 149 (maybe 148.5)

Goal: 138
5'6" female, 51 y.o.

This morning was my weigh-in for the "bet" I have with my husband. Since I set the goal at losing only one pound over three weeks, it's enough to keep me honest and not let my guard down. Since my mind set is then somewhat serious, I do better. In three weeks I lost four pounds, which is a lot for me.

Now, my new "bet" is to be at 148 or below in another three weeks (2/23). I certainly hope to do better than that, but the bet keeps me going. If I lose, I have to play board games. I don't like playing board games.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 02, 2018, 12:26:49 PM

Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142

And we have movement! The holiday weight is officially gone and if I can hang out right around this number through spring I'll be thrilled.
Congratulations! Love hearing success stories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on February 02, 2018, 02:49:43 PM

Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142

And we have movement! The holiday weight is officially gone and if I can hang out right around this number through spring I'll be thrilled.
Congratulations! Love hearing success stories.

Thanks Candace! I started last January on the 2016 thread at 155 and have been battling down to 140 ever since (but consider myself at maintenance at this point). I'm also the same height as you! You can do it!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Clara Smith on February 03, 2018, 01:22:10 AM
I'm not fat but I don't have a proper figure. I believe by exercise we can not only lose weight but also maintain the shape of our body. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on February 03, 2018, 02:03:48 AM
I have two similar looking pairs of dark grey trousers I've been wearing to work. One is a size larger than the other, and that's the one i've been wearing lately (as it fits). Took both pairs out today to take them to the dry cleaners, and I realised that I'd been wearing the smaller ones all week and they were fitting just fine. My jeans I bought recently that were a perfect fit not so long ago are now starting to feel a tiny bit looser.

That's a good sign. :)

On the other hand, I've been saving some 'cheat' foods for when I reach goals in increments of 5kg. I'm very tempted to get an ice cream tonight (it's a very nice summer's evening here now), even though I'm still a couple of kilos from the goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: frugalkristen on February 03, 2018, 06:21:05 AM
Beginning weight (Dec 27)  133
Started dieting (Jan 1) 132
Started low carb diet (Jan 21) 129
Today (Feb 3) 122

I can't tell you how much better I feel in the last 2 weeks of low carb dieting.  I'm always full, never feel bloated and don't crave snacks.  I'm 48 and losing weight seemed like such a struggle until I tried this.  Finally close to my goal (118-120)!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 03, 2018, 07:24:41 AM
Beginning weight (Dec 27)  133
Started dieting (Jan 1) 132
Started low carb diet (Jan 21) 129
Today (Feb 3) 122

I can't tell you how much better I feel in the last 2 weeks of low carb dieting.  I'm always full, never feel bloated and don't crave snacks.  I'm 48 and losing weight seemed like such a struggle until I tried this.  Finally close to my goal (118-120)!

Awesome! I’ve really liked going low-carb too. My only real challenge has been figuring out how many electrolytes I personally need to supplement.

Out of curiosity, how are you planning to approach maintenance when you get there?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: frugalkristen on February 03, 2018, 08:08:39 AM
Beginning weight (Dec 27)  133
Started dieting (Jan 1) 132
Started low carb diet (Jan 21) 129
Today (Feb 3) 122

I can't tell you how much better I feel in the last 2 weeks of low carb dieting.  I'm always full, never feel bloated and don't crave snacks.  I'm 48 and losing weight seemed like such a struggle until I tried this.  Finally close to my goal (118-120)!

Awesome! I’ve really liked going low-carb too. My only real challenge has been figuring out how many electrolytes I personally need to supplement.

Out of curiosity, how are you planning to approach maintenance when you get there?

I was just talking to my boyfriend this morning about switching to maintaining.  I plan to stick with what I'm doing for a few more days (maybe a week tops) but then will up my carbs.  I haven't counted my carbs perfectly - just making better choices.  The first week, I was trying to stay under 30 but the second week, stayed under 20.  And I can't believe how easy it's been!  I have failed diet after diet the last few years (a divorce and new job 4 yrs ago caused me to stop paying attention to my weight.  Thus the 14 lb weight gain.).  This is the first time I tried a low carb diet and it worked great for me.  I'm almost nervous to add carbs back in but I know I need to soon.  I'll pay close attention as I figure out the sweet spot for maintenance. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on February 05, 2018, 11:12:48 AM
Feb 5: 182.9 today after hanging around at 182.0 all week.

On the other hand, I seem to have lost 1.5 inches (as of this morning) since early in the month when I first hit 182-ish! So I guess something is happening. Also feeling extra-soft so maybe I'm due for a water-weight "whoosh"? Eventually, I must be! I'm definitely operating on a deficit most days (and week-to-week).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 05, 2018, 11:48:18 AM
I feel like I'm wavering & need to get my motivation going again. Background, had a strong first 3 weeks in January & lost 2 pounds. Then went on an international business trip, which screws with my routine, eating plans & the jet lag leads to a lack of energy/motivation. Need to get right back on it. I'd like to do another full round of 21 Day Fix (HIIT workout DVDs) + mix in some running. As for calories, I'm still holding pretty strong with sweets, but my birthday is coming up this weekend, so will likely give myself a pass for a few treats.

Went to the doctor this morning, & the scale was a very real reminder that I need to continue & find my focus again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on February 05, 2018, 12:47:31 PM
I feel like I'm wavering & need to get my motivation going again. Background, had a strong first 3 weeks in January & lost 2 pounds. Then went on an international business trip, which screws with my routine, eating plans & the jet lag leads to a lack of energy/motivation. Need to get right back on it. I'd like to do another full round of 21 Day Fix (HIIT workout DVDs) + mix in some running. As for calories, I'm still holding pretty strong with sweets, but my birthday is coming up this weekend, so will likely give myself a pass for a few treats.

Went to the doctor this morning, & the scale was a very real reminder that I need to continue & find my focus again.

I think the most important skill on this journey (and others) is getting back on the proverbial horse; because Life Happens and things go off track.

YOU CAN DO IT! *cheers*
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 05, 2018, 12:56:59 PM

Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142

And we have movement! The holiday weight is officially gone and if I can hang out right around this number through spring I'll be thrilled.
Congratulations! Love hearing success stories.

Thanks Candace! I started last January on the 2016 thread at 155 and have been battling down to 140 ever since (but consider myself at maintenance at this point). I'm also the same height as you! You can do it!!!

Yes, looks like we're the same height and have similar weight loss (maintenance in your case) goals. Cool!

I went to a friends' place for the Superbowl last night and overdid it. This morning I've gained a pound, back up to 150. Ugh. Trying my best to keep things under control. I read in Stephen Gullo's books that after a binge, the most important thing to do is maintain control for the rest of that day and the day after. So today, I'm being very careful.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on February 05, 2018, 01:12:34 PM
I've been wavering on my tracking and eating well, but I have at least been making it to crossfit 3x per week.  My weight is staying the same (due to terrible tracking and cookies), but I'm feeling stronger, and slightly more cardiovascularly fit. 

Now on to making my food better!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: infogoon on February 05, 2018, 02:03:57 PM
Posting to follow. I lost about twenty-five pounds last year, but put about ten back on over the holidays -- ALL THE COOKIES, ALL THE NOG, ALL THE BOOZE. Working it back off now, and hopefully a bit more besides.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 05, 2018, 02:45:29 PM
I feel like I'm wavering & need to get my motivation going again. Background, had a strong first 3 weeks in January & lost 2 pounds. Then went on an international business trip, which screws with my routine, eating plans & the jet lag leads to a lack of energy/motivation. Need to get right back on it. I'd like to do another full round of 21 Day Fix (HIIT workout DVDs) + mix in some running. As for calories, I'm still holding pretty strong with sweets, but my birthday is coming up this weekend, so will likely give myself a pass for a few treats.

Went to the doctor this morning, & the scale was a very real reminder that I need to continue & find my focus again.

I think the most important skill on this journey (and others) is getting back on the proverbial horse; because Life Happens and things go off track.

YOU CAN DO IT! *cheers*

Thank you! I needed this. It's super hard to get back on, but you are correct. Life will happen, things will come up, & getting yourself dusted off & back on track is the only path to success.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on February 05, 2018, 07:11:09 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on February 06, 2018, 06:24:04 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.
Down 5 pounds in 30 days, but on the bright side I've also lost 1% fat. These changes are sustainable for me, BUT SO SLOW.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on February 06, 2018, 08:25:15 AM
5.4 lbs from goal, and I am starting to see some abs!!!
I think these will be the most difficult. I am back to work now so sleeping less (12 hour shifts + baby sleep regression), which makes me hungrier. On the plus side I have been finding it easier to get up and work out before everyone wakes up on my day off. We have also put a moratorium on break room treats at work because of flu season.
I ran 4 miles this morning at a pace of 9:18 per mile (still on the treadmill because it is below zero outside). By next month I would like to run 5 miles at a 9 minute mile pace.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on February 06, 2018, 01:42:04 PM
Last week was hard. My monthly insomnia kicked in, which means I did not get out of bed early enough to do cardio. I did complete 2 strength training workouts, joined February Push Up gauntlet and fasted one day.

I am fasting today and have a good meal plan for the rest of the week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on February 07, 2018, 12:01:41 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.
Down 5 pounds in 30 days, but on the bright side I've also lost 1% fat. These changes are sustainable for me, BUT SO SLOW.

5 pounds in 30 days IS the bright side! If you'd assume that 1 pound equals a 3500 calory deficit (though this is somewhat controversial) that's about a 500/day deficit. A perfectly healthy pace to lose weight and sustainable enough. I get how you'd like it to go faster, but your pace isn't slow at all! Keep going this pace and you'll be down another 3 by the end of February :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on February 07, 2018, 01:56:11 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 118.2kg
Current weight: 118.4kg

Blah. It fluctuates quite a bit over the course of the day. Haven't been too bad lately.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on February 07, 2018, 05:38:28 AM
2/1/18: 140.2. Going for 5lbs this month.
2/7/18: 138.6 (-1.6). I have been doing unplanned IF and really only eating dinners because of stress at work. Worked out Monday and Tuesday, too, and I’ll try to get a workout in tonight as well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on February 08, 2018, 03:44:15 AM
I need to get back to healthy eating. I started this year at 77,8 and now I'm 78,4 ... Could have been worse, after all the unhealthy food I've been eating last month. I need to get back on track with healthy eating. The main problem is I've been so busy I hardly have time for food prep. When I get back home, totally exhausted and without any food prepared, it's so easy to eat something unhealthy. Thankfully the busy days are almost over now. I'm hosting a dinner party on Saturday, after that I'll be back to normal for a while.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Bee21 on February 08, 2018, 01:29:56 PM
3 gym sessions this week and counting. Food was not stellar (my boss who kindly eats his sausage rolls in the kitchen brought in some wonderful swiss chocolates).

My pt left the gym, which I think is a good thing (i can't afford her the next few months anyway), I have plenty of training plans to get me going.

I am reducing snacking with the aim to eliminate it completely by the end of the month. That will be the biggest win of all.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on February 08, 2018, 02:27:00 PM
What are people using to set their goals? I've got a few ideal weight calculators and estimates on body fat but just wondering if most people shoot for a weight they feel best at, abs showing, lowest they've ever been, etc?

Personally I've wanted to hit below 15% body fat for a few years but never took it seriously until last summer (unfortunately for the photos this was post-wedding). My main motivation has been that my dw is in much better shape and eating less rolls into spending less pretty appropriately.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on February 08, 2018, 08:48:29 PM
For my first set of goals, I'm using:
(1) Fit into the clothes I was wearing last year
(2) Stop feeling sluggish

I've lost only a pound since I started, but at least I've stopped GAINING weight!  I nearly broke down this evening and began snacking after dinner.  But now I'm safely in bed and I think I'm going to make it through another day...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on February 08, 2018, 10:12:13 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on February 09, 2018, 12:43:06 AM
What are people using to set their goals? I've got a few ideal weight calculators and estimates on body fat but just wondering if most people shoot for a weight they feel best at, abs showing, lowest they've ever been, etc?


I use my "old" weight and usually just a round number as you know, 55 kg sounds more logical than 53 or 56 :p.


It seems like a pattern that every time I visit my parents (they have a scale, I don't) I screw up the week before. This week I've been eating out and drinking a ton of alcohol twice. The other days I ended up eating too much chocolate. I also skipped the yoga the whole week as my wrist felt bad after giving pole dancing workshops for 3h last Sunday. Did do my other regular workouts though and the two weeks prior to this one were okay. Let's see how the scale judges my efforts.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Sassociate on February 09, 2018, 01:23:17 AM
One day late, here is my check in for this week:

Starting weight: 145
Last week: 143
This week: 143

I shouldn’t be disappointed that I’m holding steady at 143 - my parents came to visit this weekend and ended up buying some not-so-healthy snacks, and I definitely enjoyed some - but I still feel a little bummed. I’ve been walking a lot and eating healthy the rest of the time, so I guess this just shows how easy it is to undo that with some chocolate.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on February 09, 2018, 07:57:47 AM
What are people using to set their goals? I've got a few ideal weight calculators and estimates on body fat but just wondering if most people shoot for a weight they feel best at, abs showing, lowest they've ever been, etc?
I am aiming for right in the middle of the healthy weight range on the BMI chart for my height. I'm currently at a 26 BMI, which is just into the overweight range. Losing 10lbs puts me at 22 or 23. BMI isn't a perfect indicator, but it's good enough for my purposes.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Imma on February 09, 2018, 08:05:08 AM
What are people using to set their goals? I've got a few ideal weight calculators and estimates on body fat but just wondering if most people shoot for a weight they feel best at, abs showing, lowest they've ever been, etc?

Personally I've wanted to hit below 15% body fat for a few years but never took it seriously until last summer (unfortunately for the photos this was post-wedding). My main motivation has been that my dw is in much better shape and eating less rolls into spending less pretty appropriately.

My target is 72 kg, which according to my BMI is a healthy weight for my height (1.70m). I'm 78 kg now, which is a bit more than I weigh usually. Last time I had my body fat checked in hospital I was told it was already in the healthy range and I don't have fat around my organs and I've been told I should take that more seriously than BMI, but I think it will be good to lose a few more kg.

For me, health is the most important part. I've been a bit of a slacker when it comes to exercise lately, but used to do some weight training. I get more toned after sticking to that for a while, but my goal is to be healthy, not to look a certain way. I like doing weights because it's the only form of exercise I'm actually good at, so I make progress, which keeps me motivated.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 09, 2018, 08:10:55 AM
I have finally made some progress, and lost a total of 2 lbs in 2018. I know, I know. I'm not exactly on fire. However, I've been working out consistently, and making much better food choices. And, had an international trip in there that always screws with my plans. Big goals are to stay focused this weekend. I'm okay with a few splurges (birthday), but not too undo all of my efforts, now that I'm finally making progress.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 09, 2018, 08:48:18 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.

Go firelight! I'm struggling this week after derailing myself last weekend. I was at 149, went back up to 150 and am now at 149 again. I've got a bet to be at 148 by 2/23, so that should be enough to keep me inching in the right direction, even if I don't do as well as I really should. I have at least three excuses for what has happened, but they're just bullshit when it comes down to it. My ultimate goal is about 138, having never been as slim as 130 since before puberty. It must feel amazing to be that slim.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on February 09, 2018, 08:04:46 PM
Still struggling to not go to the kitchen and snack on some of the amazing food I have been cooking this week. :~( But I've had a pretty disciplined week so I am determined not to ruin what was a productive day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 09, 2018, 08:33:28 PM
Still struggling to not go to the kitchen and snack on some of the amazing food I have been cooking this week. :~( But I've had a pretty disciplined week so I am determined not to ruin what was a productive day.

You've got this! Visualize standing on the scale in a few days & see all of that progress realized into a reflection in terms of weight shed.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 10, 2018, 07:34:06 AM
Still struggling to not go to the kitchen and snack on some of the amazing food I have been cooking this week. :~( But I've had a pretty disciplined week so I am determined not to ruin what was a productive day.

You've got this! Visualize standing on the scale in a few days & see all of that progress realized into a reflection in terms of weight shed.

Look at ways to increase satiety in what you’re eating. Higher amounts of protein and fat do it for me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on February 10, 2018, 09:08:08 PM
Thank you all for the encouragement! I was strong and did not snack last night.  Tonight I'll try to go to bed earlier again instead of noshing.

I actually do eat lots of protein and fat, but I probably should eat more fresh fruit and vegetables and sleep more. But mainly I need to find a way to lower stress; I am running around all day and after putting the kids to bed I feel like I deserve to slump and have a little treat. 

I am actually experiencing a reward in that my clothes are not so uncomfortable as they were earlier this year.  I'm hoping that soon I will feel lighter and more energetic as the pounds drop away.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 11, 2018, 04:57:27 PM
I've definitely indulged this weekend (my birthday - cupcakes & cookies), but have kept the rest of my eating in check, and  went for a nice run yesterday. Back on track tomorrow with no sweets again. I've enjoyed it, but I'm definitely no longer in the habit of eating sweets anymore, so a little goes a long way!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: clarkfan1979 on February 12, 2018, 12:27:56 AM
Jan 8th: 220

Jan 15th: 218

Jan 22nd: 216

Jan 29th: 214

Feb 4th: 216

Feb 11th: 215

I'm going to skip alcohol this week and see what happens. Goal weight is 199 pounds by May 19th.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on February 12, 2018, 04:49:21 AM
Time for another weekly weigh-in (five days after the last one)

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 118.4kg
Current weight: 117.5kg

That's more like it! :)

Had a few cakes etc yesterday, but aside from that haven't been too bad. Back on the bike a bit more often too (two days last week, and the weather forecast looks comfortable enough that I should be able to get at least four days in this week). Loaded up the dinner plate tonight with salads/veg and some lean meat. Not really feeling hungry that much anymore (I was at first for a while). Probably need to have more of a breakfast as I'm a bit sluggish until lunch. Even just a banana with my morning coffee(s) to kickstart me for the day.

Aiming to be near or under 115kg by the end of Feb. Probably a bit of a stretch, but we'll see :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on February 12, 2018, 05:36:55 AM
My weight has been bouncing between five to seven pounds above goal for the last 2 weeks. I am finding it more difficult to stick to my calories now that I am back to work. I do ok during the day because I bring my own breakfast and lunch, but in the evening I just don't have the energy to stick to my plan.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on February 12, 2018, 08:21:05 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174

I just started, so this will probably slow down soon, but at least I'm settling in to my diet and getting comfortable with feeling hungry. The "OMG I'm STARVING!" Feelings of the first few days are gone.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: galliver on February 12, 2018, 09:32:09 PM
Not going to weigh in today because between traveling, going to a wedding, and socializing generally in the last week, and it being That Time, I know I have extra numbers on the scale that should fall off in a day or two...I hope!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on February 12, 2018, 10:31:07 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on February 13, 2018, 07:01:06 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.
Down 5 pounds in 30 days, but on the bright side I've also lost 1% fat. These changes are sustainable for me, BUT SO SLOW.
Half pound change, but that means I broke 190 for the first time in 8 months. I'm not sure why hitting the those kind of numbers feels like such a big milestone, but they do!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: cats on February 13, 2018, 09:35:18 AM
Ugh.  I was all excited to join in this thread, then had two very terrible weeks in January.  Some shit news at work+that time of the month+no tracking on MFP==two weeks of terrible eating.  I did at least keep up with some exercise.  So rather than getting down under 150 by the end of January, I went up, briefly hitting 155 even, grr!  I've been doing much better in February but it's such slow progress...basically now back to 150-151, right where I started the year.  My ability to lose weight has really gone off a cliff post-baby.  I don't know how much is just getting older and how much is being a bit more prone to stress eating and having a bit less time to exercise (no half-marathon training in my life now, for example.  I have gotten more efficient with exercise, but at the same time...20-30 min of going all out is still not the same caloric burn as an 8-10 mile run).  I also find I have a much lower tolerance for calorie deficits now, I guess because I don't so often have the option of going and holing up with a book or similar for 2-3 hours instead of eating lunch or dinner.  Damn family obligations ;)

My goal at the moment is to manage 6 consecutive weeks of "good" eating (currently on week 3, whoo!), which means maintaining the habit through at least one menstrual cycle, which is where I think I am most prone to having things fall apart.  I have resumed a habit of drinking raspberry leaf tea daily, which I did religiously 5+ years ago and found very effective at reducing PMS symptoms.  I let it drop when I started my current job and started relying 100% on advil instead, which is also effective but I think not in quite the same way.  So will be interesting to see if adding it back into the mix helps at all.  If nothing else I suppose it will keep me slightly more hydrated.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SachaFiscal on February 13, 2018, 04:54:12 PM
Joining for accountability. Going to finally lose the extra 10-15 pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 10-15 years. I’d like to lose at least 10lbs by April when I plan to get my cholesterol checked.

My plan is:
- track calories in MFP (1200-1400 per day)
- walk for an hour every day
- Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and spin class each once a week.
- no alcohol until July 4 (doing this with my spouse)
- plant based diet
- no eating out unless invited out with friends until July 4

My spouse is also on board which makes this a lot easier this time.

Starting weight: 135lbs
Goal weight: 120-125lbs

1/1/2018: 135 lbs
1/8/2018: 134.0 lbs
1/15/2018: 134.7 lbs
1/25/2018: 133.0 lbs
2/13/2018: 131.7 lbs

Yay! Still losing!  I had a couple weeks where I ate a lot more but now I'm back to the 1200-1400 cals per day. I've been off and on with exercise.  Trying to get back into the groove. I've mostly stayed away from alcohol except a couple of happy hours this month. Hope I can make it to 125 lbs by the end of April.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: cats on February 14, 2018, 11:01:02 AM
Joining for accountability. Going to finally lose the extra 10-15 pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 10-15 years. I’d like to lose at least 10lbs by April when I plan to get my cholesterol checked.

My plan is:
- track calories in MFP (1200-1400 per day)
- walk for an hour every day
- Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and spin class each once a week.
- no alcohol until July 4 (doing this with my spouse)
- plant based diet
- no eating out unless invited out with friends until July 4

My spouse is also on board which makes this a lot easier this time.

Starting weight: 135lbs
Goal weight: 120-125lbs

1/1/2018: 135 lbs
1/8/2018: 134.0 lbs
1/15/2018: 134.7 lbs
1/25/2018: 133.0 lbs
2/13/2018: 131.7 lbs

Yay! Still losing!  I had a couple weeks where I ate a lot more but now I'm back to the 1200-1400 cals per day. I've been off and on with exercise.  Trying to get back into the groove. I've mostly stayed away from alcohol except a couple of happy hours this month. Hope I can make it to 125 lbs by the end of April.

Nice work!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: happy on February 15, 2018, 04:26:57 AM
I need to do this. I'm not good with accountability when it comes to weight loss, since I usually fail. However I really need to to this. I will post my weight on 1/1/18 , and henceforward on  the first day of the month. I'd like to lose 2kg (4.4lbs)/month but from experience that will be a stretch goal. My first goal is to have a BMI that is no longer in the obese range - that could take all year.

Hmmm, since then I 've steadfastly ignored this thread, and put on a couple more kg. I'm unsettled in my new kitchen, disorganised at meal planning and have lost my cooking mojo - I am completely uninspired ATM. Usually I like cooking and cook from scratch.

But today is a new start and I've started some diet shakes today. I've never done shakes before. They don't taste too bad, and filled me up.Also reasonably frugal at $2.25/shake. Will try to stay the course and post updates.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on February 15, 2018, 02:43:55 PM


Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142
February 15:   145

GRRR - vast amounts of stress (family illness, work deadlines and overtime, child in trouble at school, personal illness) had me doing pure comfort eating the last two weeks. Back to Christmas weight this morning.

Starting the Huel regime again for  a few days as I need to both feel full right now but also cut the sugar/carb cravings. Planning on two-three days of Huel for lunch and then back to my regularly scheduled programming.

Exciting to see the successes around here while I've been gorging on carbs :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on February 15, 2018, 10:09:22 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Title: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on February 16, 2018, 05:36:50 AM
2/1/18: 140.2. Going for 5lbs this month.
2/7/18: 138.6 (-1.6). I have been doing unplanned IF and really only eating dinners because of stress at work. Worked out Monday and Tuesday, too, and I’ll try to get a workout in tonight as well.
2/16/18: 137.8 (-0.8 ) 2.4lbs down this month so far and on track to hit my 5lb goal!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 16, 2018, 08:50:40 AM
I've definitely indulged this weekend (my birthday - cupcakes & cookies), but have kept the rest of my eating in check, and  went for a nice run yesterday. Back on track tomorrow with no sweets again. I've enjoyed it, but I'm definitely no longer in the habit of eating sweets anymore, so a little goes a long way!

I'm recovered from my birthday indulgences, and I've officially lost 3.3 lbs since the first of the year. It's going slower than I'd like, but I had a week long international business trip (the jet lag really screws me up) + my birthday. So, I'm hoping I can pick up the pace a bit. I'm reporting my actual weight - 157.3. My comfortable weight is 135, so I've got some work to do.

Plan for today  - go for a run & perhaps either pilates or yoga as well. It's my son's birthday, so need to figure out an eating option that's not crazy. (We'll be having a pizza party for him at a bowling alley.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 16, 2018, 09:18:52 AM
I'm one week out from needing to be at 148 pounds or below to avoid losing a bet with DH. The bet ends Friday morning 2/23. I hit that number today, but had gone jogging yesterday which usually results in short-term weight loss. Also, of course there's the element of random weight fluctuations, so I like to have a couple of pounds of margin.

I've been struggling for the past two weeks. There was birthday cake, there was the Superbowl, and there were free cookies at an event. I made bad decisions. Also, DH and I hadn't been doing our normal walking, since he was having knee problems, and I hadn't picked up the slack for myself. Now it's go time to avoid losing the bet. If I lose, I have to play board games, and I hate board games. It's enough to give me that extra motivation when the usual motivations don't rise to the level of my weakness.

DH went to the orthopedist to address the knee issue. He was told it's arthritis, and to wear a knee brace and take pain reliever. So far, that seems to be working, so I think we'll be back in the swing of doing our walking. On a side note, the relative lack of exercise and fresh air definitely affected my mood. I'm happy we'll be back to normal.

Start: 153
Current: 148

It's been a lot more difficult over the last three weeks to lose anything. To ensure success, I'm taking extra steps with the eating restrictions this week. No white carbs. Pretty much nothing but good proteins, veggies and fruits. One protein bar a day to act as what amounts to a treat. I'm one of those people who's got to have protein at almost every meal or I get crashy, which makes me useless and volatile. So I have to manage calories carefully since I don't have too much discretionary calorie budget.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 16, 2018, 12:35:02 PM
@Candace - I'm really chuckling at your punishment for losing the bet. I actually don't mind board games in general, but throw in a day long game of Monopoly against the kids, and I am OUT. Why does that game take so long?!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 16, 2018, 12:49:45 PM
@Candace - I'm really chuckling at your punishment for losing the bet. I actually don't mind board games in general, but throw in a day long game of Monopoly against the kids, and I am OUT. Why does that game take so long?!
Glad I could help you chuckle. ;-)

Before I FIRE'd, I would find a co-worker with a sense of humor and opposing political beliefs, and make a bet with them. Lose the weight or turn over some amount of money to be given to their candidate. You can imagine I never lost one of those. Now, with no more co-workers, I had to find something else. I can't explain why I don't like board games. I guess I just prefer talking to people. DH and his kids, who absolutely love playing poker, Katan and Ticket To Ride, are all competitive and apparently enjoy limiting their conversation to the depth possible while playing poker. I feel like it's a waste of together time. In any case, this becomes fodder for weight loss motivation.

Do others use inducements or punishments, or is it just me?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on February 16, 2018, 01:01:24 PM
God, I hate Settlers of Cataan!  I have friends that loved the game, and I’ll admit that part of my dislike comes from not fading well any of the times I’ve played. It’s kind of passé now for them, so they don’t bring that game out anymore.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 16, 2018, 01:11:49 PM
God, I hate Settlers of Cataan!  I have friends that loved the game, and I’ll admit that part of my dislike comes from not fading well any of the times I’ve played. It’s kind of passé now for them, so they don’t bring that game out anymore.
Maybe a game-related wager would be going motivation for you too, then, if you find yourself needing an extra push. When I look at that slice of cake, I imagine to myself having to sit down to a game of Ticket To Ride, my personal anti-favorite. Even my DH's kids get stressed out when they play that one. There's a family story about one person getting so upset they swept the board off the table in the middle of a game. WTF? I thought being together was supposed to be enjoyable?!

Anyway, this bet works for me when the usual inducements of vanity and health concerns fail.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 16, 2018, 01:42:36 PM
God, I hate Settlers of Cataan!  I have friends that loved the game, and I’ll admit that part of my dislike comes from not fading well any of the times I’ve played. It’s kind of passé now for them, so they don’t bring that game out anymore.

That’s an old favorite, haven’t played much recently but I’ve quite possibly played more than 1,000 times.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 16, 2018, 05:13:10 PM
@Candace - I'm really chuckling at your punishment for losing the bet. I actually don't mind board games in general, but throw in a day long game of Monopoly against the kids, and I am OUT. Why does that game take so long?!
Glad I could help you chuckle. ;-)

Before I FIRE'd, I would find a co-worker with a sense of humor and opposing political beliefs, and make a bet with them. Lose the weight or turn over some amount of money to be given to their candidate. You can imagine I never lost one of those. Now, with no more co-workers, I had to find something else. I can't explain why I don't like board games. I guess I just prefer talking to people. DH and his kids, who absolutely love playing poker, Katan and Ticket To Ride, are all competitive and apparently enjoy limiting their conversation to the depth possible while playing poker. I feel like it's a waste of together time. In any case, this becomes fodder for weight loss motivation.

Do others use inducements or punishments, or is it just me?

Sweet mercy, I may have found my motivation. If I could find a coworker with a political belief opposite enough of mine, and the threat of having to donate to his/her candidate. . . yes, that absolutely do it.

I do a walking relay with my family every summer (my parents, nephew, sister, bestie, aunts, uncles, etc.) Ages range from 15-66. It's awesome. Anyway, we now have a group chat where we all posts are workouts, and there's always lots of motivation & funny commentary. I've been really enjoying the support.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 17, 2018, 07:03:07 AM
@MaybeBabyMustache my brother is a very driven businessman and very conservative politically. His professional development coach did that tack with him, he had to donate $50 to the Hilary Clinton campaign every time he failed to meet one of his goals.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on February 17, 2018, 03:48:23 PM
My weightloss peoples - A question:

Anyone super close to goal/maintaining and still hungry all the time? I have not hit my goal (and might not ever) but I've been within a couple of pounds for almost 6 months (other than a few weeks where I stop logging/stress eat and I creep back up to 145).

I'd say I go to bed hungry 5/7 nights a week. I'm hitting my macros and am generally eating satiating foods.

The MFP community is basically saying I'm doing something wrong but is it just possible that I have to be ALWAYS hungry to be around my goal weight?

This morning I was 142 and I'm almost 5'6" (so not too skinny - perfectly average but healthy).  I eat between 1400-1500 calories a day and am lightly active (walk a couple of miles most days, hike and swim on weekends, etc). I do not eat my exercise calories back - but I'm not losing so I feel like I must be at the correct CICO level for maintenance.

I am legit HUNGRY guys. I am basically typing this post to stop myself from eating. Dinner is 45 minutes away.

I like my body at this weight (as opposed to 150 which is what my body wants to weigh post babies) but I'm just not sure if I can deal with being hungry like this for the next 50 years (I know that sounds dramatic, but I want to be healthy all the way to old age- right?).

Ugh, thanks for letting me vent and I welcome any and all thoughts.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 17, 2018, 09:01:01 PM
My weightloss peoples - A question:

Anyone super close to goal/maintaining and still hungry all the time? I have not hit my goal (and might not ever) but I've been within a couple of pounds for almost 6 months (other than a few weeks where I stop logging/stress eat and I creep back up to 145).

I'd say I go to bed hungry 5/7 nights a week. I'm hitting my macros and am generally eating satiating foods.

The MFP community is basically saying I'm doing something wrong but is it just possible that I have to be ALWAYS hungry to be around my goal weight?

This morning I was 142 and I'm almost 5'6" (so not too skinny - perfectly average but healthy).  I eat between 1400-1500 calories a day and am lightly active (walk a couple of miles most days, hike and swim on weekends, etc). I do not eat my exercise calories back - but I'm not losing so I feel like I must be at the correct CICO level for maintenance.

I am legit HUNGRY guys. I am basically typing this post to stop myself from eating. Dinner is 45 minutes away.

I like my body at this weight (as opposed to 150 which is what my body wants to weigh post babies) but I'm just not sure if I can deal with being hungry like this for the next 50 years (I know that sounds dramatic, but I want to be healthy all the way to old age- right?).

Ugh, thanks for letting me vent and I welcome any and all thoughts.
I can sympathize. I'm 5'6", 51 years old, and have gone through what you're going through. The only times I've been thin and not hungry were when I was playing sports at least three days a week, and I was a lot younger and could eat a lot more.

Honestly, the best I feel I can do is to find the combinations of foods that work best for making me feel satisfied, and snack in between on "free" foods like green veggies and raw fruit. For me, protein and fat in the right proportions, and avoiding most other carbs, is the only way to feel good. Even tonight, I had beans with quinoa and tomatoes with an egg on top, and am hungry a couple of hours later.

Sometimes being really busy helps me forget about food for a while. But mostly I'm hungry, in spite of eating three decent meals a day plus snacks. It's depressing. I thought about trying keto, but I don't want to give up eating apples and oranges. It's a screwed up world when you have to think of those as bad.

Sometimes I feel like being older and female means you have to be hungry if you want to be thin. Sorry to be a downer. There's probably a better way.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 18, 2018, 04:59:42 AM
@StarBright What are you eating? I’ll beat the high protein, high fat drum if you haven’t tried it already. If you’re eating a lot of carbs (even veg, fruit, or whole grains) the resulting blood sugar and insulin swings could be causing the hunger pangs.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on February 18, 2018, 05:13:24 AM
@starbright — what does a typical day of food look like for you? CICO is the primary indicator for weight loss but there are also several other factors that affect satiety and overall success.

Can you eat a salad before dinner? Just some greens dressed in  a little olive oil and lemon juice? Or is that not what your body wants? If so you may need to work your macros around to include more fat.

I’m doing keto but even when I wasn’t, I made “fat bombs” (google has a million recipes) that are coconut-oil based. I’d have one when I was hungry (maybe 60-120 calories, nearly pure fat from the oil) and that would shut down hunger and cravings faster than anything else I’d ever tried. Maybe give that a go?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 18, 2018, 05:25:30 AM
Anyone do wacky stuff to lose weight like drinking apple cider vinegar, prunes, water and lemon, canned pumpkin?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on February 18, 2018, 05:39:43 AM
@StarBright What are you eating? I’ll beat the high protein, high fat drum if you haven’t tried it already. If you’re eating a lot of carbs (even veg, fruit, or whole grains) the resulting blood sugar and insulin swings could be causing the hunger pangs.

Thanks HarbingerofBunnies (is that a BtVS reference?) - I'm eating moderately high protein and fat. I try to keep my macros at 40 (carb)-30 (fat)-30 (protein). I usually go a little over on both fat and protein and am generally a little under goal on carbs.

Candace - ugh - that is my fear. My MIL is 65 and a very fit woman and one of the things I've always noticed about her are the tiny portions she eats and how she always "I'm ravenous" before she eats a meal.

lexde - dinners, lunches, and snacks are generally healthy and I attempt to eat my macros. Due to some digestion issues from a gallbladder I had removed a couple of years ago I need to limit my roughage to no more than 1 salad a day but I still get other fruits and veg.

Dinners are usually protein, salad and either another veg or a v. small carb serving. We try to limit pasta/riced based meals to one a week.

Snacks are usually an apple and a piece of cheese, or Tbl of PB or something like a clementine with a half piece of toast with either goat cheese or avocado, carrot sticks w/ hummus, a high protein yogurt - stuff like that.

Lunches are generally dinner left overs or something like a can of tuna mixed with olive oil and seasonings and 6-9 crackers and some carrot sticks.

Right now I've also been incorporating Huel as a snack and/or lunch because it is supposed to be perfectly nutritionally balanced and it is close to my macro goals and the constant hunger seems to be worse right now.

I try to not eat breakfast because otherwise I often seem to run out of calories before dinner and I'm always starving at 10am whether I eat breakfast or not.


re: fat bombs - I'm not a coconut person but I'll have to see if I can find similar recipes. I do love fat (and feel full when I eat it) but I lean towards cheese for fat and that knocks out my calories for the day really quickly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 18, 2018, 05:55:41 AM
@StarBright I personally would back off on the fruit and yoghurt, snack on more fatty things like cheese or sausage or nut butters. Also, the best fruit from a glycemic perspective are berries. See if that helps :)

My username and current pic is from a meme I found silly. What’s BtVS?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on February 18, 2018, 05:57:33 AM
@HarbingerofBunnies cute meme! BtVS = Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there is a character that is a demon that is deathly afraid of bunnies.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 18, 2018, 06:00:45 AM
@HarbingerofBunnies cute meme! BtVS = Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there is a character that is a demon that is deathly afraid of bunnies.

Ah, okay,  it’s been ages since I’ve seen that show.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 18, 2018, 06:08:19 AM
@StarBright - I hear you.  I am starving all the time.  My body just seems to want to weigh more than my 133-135 at this point in my life.  I will be interested to see what others have to say - although I have to confess I haven't been trying very hard in the last six weeks to lose weight because I have had too much other stuff going on.

This morning I asked Hubs to show me how to use our damn treadmill.  I can't seem to get enough exercise into my life.  Yesterday we walked to the market in a bitter damp cold and slowly over the icy patches everywhere.  We got home and were both feeling starved and thinking it was a small bit of torture.  I think there is something happening that is preventing me from feeling the benefits of exercise at the scale but at the same time I am working really hard on replacing calories "not" burned.

I think there might be a bit of boredom impulse eating (I work at home most of the time and a very small amount of time I have to think really hard and then there are long gabs of filler)
I then make a dinner for four - and two of them are growing sporty teenagers that pack in the calories.  We always eat together and have a great time at the table so I am sitting there, surrounded by eating and having a good time.
I think about taste sensations all the time - wouldn't it be nice to have ....sweet, sour, salty, spice...at this moment or would the family enjoy this....And I am often cooking things while I work and making the house smell fantastic.  I have to say I live for eating, growing, finding, learning about and making food.  It is probably astonishing that my family is not morbidly obese with how much I focus on food. 
Now I will wrap it up because...I am going to make myself some delish English breakfast tea and possibly eat....yogurt with raspberry or mulberry jam - with only enough jam to make the yogurt a beautiful colour. My daughter's eyes twinkle when she discovers the dark blue bowl has plain yogurt with a swirling pattern of homemade jam on the counter.   And then some grapefruit and blood orange and clementine cocktail - my son loves to wake up to a medley of chopped citrus.  Or I could eat some smoked Gouda that hubs bought me for valentine's day....But maybe daughter would like to make me apple pancakes with homemade syrup. 
Maybe this afternoon I should get the gear ready for tapping the trees - the squirrels are getting amorous, it is about time to get ready for sugaring...this is my mind at 8am on Sunday morning.  Not thinking about anything that would help with weight loss.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 18, 2018, 06:29:34 AM
Another strategy folks struggling with that final poundage might try would be resistance training to increase your lean mass. Maybe your body wants to be heavier, but does it have to be fat? Plus, increased lean mass will also raise your base metabolic rate while (in most people’s experence) not giving you quite the same ravenous hunger cardio workouts typically do.

Just a thought.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: chaskavitch on February 18, 2018, 06:39:37 AM
For those of you who are super hungry, and especially @Frugal Lizard, have you tried Walden farms dressings/sauces?  They're somehow completely calorie free, but they have a HUGE range of sauces, dressings, creamers, etc.  I'm guessing it's mostly xantham gum for thickener + spices or stevia.  I've honestly never tried them.  My sister bodybuilds, though, and she eats a ridiculous amount of their products when she's cutting before a show.  It might help with your flavor boredom, at least. 

I'm also going to second @HarbingerofBunnies about eating more fat.  I have had zero success this year with losing weight, because I haven't been trying hard enough, but in the past I've had significantly less desire to snack when I'm eating a lot of fat and ALSO fewer carbs.  More fat doesn't help for me otherwise.  On a 2000 calorie diet, keeping my carbs around or under 125g seems to be the sweet spot for satiety.  I'm 5'5" and 148 lbs right now, but I've maintained well on that around 140 lbs (before I had a kid, of course - I do wonder how that will affect everything long term).  Also, lifting heavy things or even doing bodyweight calisthenic-style exercises has always helped me with my shape and body image more than cardio, because you're increasing your lean mass.  Even if you don't lose weight, you may lose fat and gain muscle, and you'll be stronger and slightly firmer for every pound.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 18, 2018, 08:13:51 AM
For those of you who are super hungry, and especially @Frugal Lizard, have you tried Walden farms dressings/sauces?  They're somehow completely calorie free, but they have a HUGE range of sauces, dressings, creamers, etc.  I'm guessing it's mostly xantham gum for thickener + spices or stevia.  I've honestly never tried them.  My sister bodybuilds, though, and she eats a ridiculous amount of their products when she's cutting before a show.  It might help with your flavor boredom, at least. 

I'm also going to second @HarbingerofBunnies about eating more fat.  I have had zero success this year with losing weight, because I haven't been trying hard enough, but in the past I've had significantly less desire to snack when I'm eating a lot of fat and ALSO fewer carbs.  More fat doesn't help for me otherwise.  On a 2000 calorie diet, keeping my carbs around or under 125g seems to be the sweet spot for satiety.  I'm 5'5" and 148 lbs right now, but I've maintained well on that around 140 lbs (before I had a kid, of course - I do wonder how that will affect everything long term).  Also, lifting heavy things or even doing bodyweight calisthenic-style exercises has always helped me with my shape and body image more than cardio, because you're increasing your lean mass.  Even if you don't lose weight, you may lose fat and gain muscle, and you'll be stronger and slightly firmer for every pound.

I haven't even heard of that line of products.  Maybe they are not here in Canada.  I am also celiac so I rarely use a commercially prepared products.  The limit of the condiments that I regularly buy are soy sauce, mayo, ketchup (I have kids), mustard.  I make most everything from scratch including my maple syrup, bbq sauce and salsa. 
I really should get on a fitness / strength building program because I believe that you folks are probably correct about lean mass and I am a woman of a certain age so I should be focusing on maintaining bone mass. And I like to be able to pull my weight on the landscaping and house reno jobs.  And muscles help prevent injuries.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on February 18, 2018, 09:04:04 AM
I really should get on a fitness / strength building program because I believe that you folks are probably correct about lean mass and I am a woman of a certain age so I should be focusing on maintaining bone mass.
Yes! Resistance training is sooo important as we age. It increases metabolism, bone mass and strength and reduces chance of injury from falls and ADLs (activities of daily living). EVERYONE can benefit from sensible training.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 18, 2018, 09:35:23 AM
Thanks, everyone. I have been ramping up the resistance and high intensity parts of my normal routine to build muscle mass, hoping that will help move the needle down after the initial phase where I usually gain weight from building. Come to think of it, that could partially account for why I'm having such difficulty losing weight right now. I will also try the fat bomb snacks. Thanks to you all for making me aware of those. Looking forward to making the lemon bar ones. I just ordered a new hand-held mixer to make them with. I had the mixer but not the beaters. Couldn't find those puppies anywhere. Looking online, it was almost as cheap to order a new mixer with beaters as it was to order a pair of beaters that I wasn't sure would fit my old mixer. Sigh.

Meanwhile, it's a good thing that my challenge bet with DH only requires me to lose a pound every three weeks. I made it a goal that should be easily achievable, on purpose. Friday will mark the end of my second three-week challenge this year. During the first one, I lost three pounds in three weeks. This time, I'm struggling to get one pound off. Again, hopefully I'm building enough muscle to be good in the longer run. I'm certainly sore enough -- but that is a good thing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 18, 2018, 11:34:59 AM
Yeah, I can’t wait until my chiro clears me to start doing resistance exercises again. I’m feeling great getting regular cardio in for past few weeks but I can’t do more than my normal homestead chore weight lifting (20-30lbs multiple times a day, 50lbs several times a week) until I get my spine a bit more straightened out.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on February 18, 2018, 03:27:17 PM
Add me to the always-starving, go-to-bed-hungry club. It sucks and honestly is driving me insane. I tried adding more fat but that sent my calories through the roof and I was out of calories before dinner. I drink what feels like gallons of water and herbal tea to try and fill myself up without calories.

NOTHING makes me feel full and I'm truly worried that this is going to be the rest of my life now that I'm getting older - eating pitifully small portions and constantly wanting to chew my own arm off from hunger, just so that I don't gain weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 18, 2018, 03:49:00 PM
Add me to the always-starving, go-to-bed-hungry club. It sucks and honestly is driving me insane. I tried adding more fat but that sent my calories through the roof and I was out of calories before dinner. I drink what feels like gallons of water and herbal tea to try and fill myself up without calories.

NOTHING makes me feel full and I'm truly worried that this is going to be the rest of my life now that I'm getting older - eating pitifully small portions and constantly wanting to chew my own arm off from hunger, just so that I don't gain weight.
Hey there Miss Dauntless. I never read the books, but enjoyed the mainstream movie "Divergent". I was amused by how a few of my friends were impressed that I knew what "erudite" meant without having to look it up. I ended up putting on my best deer in the headlights look at that one to avoid making a comment that wouldn't have endeared me to anyone ;-). Yes, I'm a snob.

I just clicked over to your Journal and browsed part of the first page. In your initial post from 2016, it says you could stand to gain some weight. Has that changed since then? Were you always hungry at that time, or has it become that way since?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 18, 2018, 03:50:46 PM
Add me to the always-starving, go-to-bed-hungry club. It sucks and honestly is driving me insane. I tried adding more fat but that sent my calories through the roof and I was out of calories before dinner. I drink what feels like gallons of water and herbal tea to try and fill myself up without calories.

NOTHING makes me feel full and I'm truly worried that this is going to be the rest of my life now that I'm getting older - eating pitifully small portions and constantly wanting to chew my own arm off from hunger, just so that I don't gain weight.

I am no expert and am overweight but try eating apples they have fiber. Try eating some beans or hard boiled eggs. Pumpkin has lots of fiber. You could mix the canned pumpkin with oatmeal and cinnamon and Splenda. There are probably lots of things you can mix the pumpkin with. Buy some spaghetti squash, acorn squash and sweet potatoes. Lots of fiber. You can make soups out of this stuff too with chicken broth. Frozen fruit with yogurt. I just started making yogurt in my Instant Pot. I made a yogurt pie with yogurt, cool whip, frozen cherries and a chocolate graham cracker crust. I am always hungry too. I have no answers. Bean soups are filling. I made a rosemary navy bean soup today and it is very tasty and filling. Also, you can roast veggies like parsnips, carrots, potatoes, onions, peppers and others. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. They are low calorie and delicious! Poach up chicken breasts in chicken broth. Cook them low and slow and take the internal temperature to make sure they are cooked. You can slice them up and eat them as lunch on a salad or eat as snacks. Eat as dinner. I wish there was a magic pill! I have been waiting for that my whole life!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on February 18, 2018, 04:00:19 PM
Hey there Miss Dauntless. I never read the books, but enjoyed the mainstream movie. I was amused by how a few of my friends were impressed that I knew what "erudite" meant without having to look it up. I ended up putting on my best deer in the headlights look at that one to avoid making a comment that wouldn't have endeared me to anyone ;-). Yes, I'm a snob.

Haha, I HATED the movies. Enjoyed the books a lot though. You should toss "abnegation" into a sentence next and really impress them! ;)

I just clicked over to your Journal and browsed part of the first page. In your initial post from 2016, it says you could stand to gain some weight. Has that changed since then? Were you always hungry at that time, or has it become that way since?

Ah.... I remember those days. That sure was nice. Yes, it has changed. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted, in whatever quantities I wanted, and not gain weight - in fact, I struggled to keep weight on. Aging and hormonal changes are a bitch. I'm having perimenopause symptoms so I assume that's to blame. This past summer/fall, without changing my eating habits or activity levels, I packed on 15 lbs like nothing.

Went to the doctor who made me get on the scale, saw a number I have not seen since I was an overweight college student, promptly freaked out. A few days later put on some pants that I hadn't put on since spring (I hate pants and will only wear them when it's too cold out for skirts). Could barely get into them. Tried another, same thing - NOTHING fit and with winter coming I was going to have to buy all new pants. Freaked out again because I literally had not had to think about calories or dieting in decades. (I was an overweight kid and teen but around age 30 I suddenly grew a metabolism and found I could eat what I wanted.)

I've since taken off most of the weight I gained, I'm within a couple pounds of my goal.... but I'm just not sure how much longer I can handle always feeling hungry and how hard I should push myself to get those last few pounds off. Is it worth it?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on February 18, 2018, 04:12:51 PM
To those that are starving:
There are lots of things that can make us crave food
1. Are you getting enough sleep? If you are tired, you will seek energy via food.
2. Are you stressed?  I think stress has a similar effect as lack of sleep, but maybe from a more emotional or distraction angle
3. Are you getting enough exercise? Exercise can be an appetite suppressant (particularly if you are more overweight IIRC)
4. Also, emotion, depression, nutrition, etc. can make us want to eat.
5. How are you structuring your meals and snacks? Maybe try adjusting the timing of when and what you eat. Some people eat their biggest meal at breakfast, some people eat one meal a day, some people eat 6-8 times a day....  but you see where this is going.
6. How fast do you eat? If you can slow down, it might help.

There just isn’t a simple one-size-fits all answer for this.  I know for myself - some strategy will work for a long time, but then it stops working.  This is probably more psychological than physical for me many times (but, hormones are definitely in play), but it’s not exclusively one or the other.

So, you may need to try some new foods, timing, meal sizes, etc.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on February 18, 2018, 04:31:51 PM
I'll add "weather" to that list. I have a WAY harder time controlling my appetite on days that are colder.

G-dog, those are all really good points. I sleep poorly (thanks, perimenopause, go away and take your night sweats and middle-of-the-night hot flashes with you!). Yes, I am stressed. I started exercising regularly for the first time in many years this fall, at the same time I started dieting. I don't *think* that emotional eating or depression is the issue because I'm talking about literal stomach-growling spacey-headed shaky hunger. But maybe depression does that too? Our minds and bodies can be very connected.

And I certainly can work on eating slower; usually I am so starving by the time I let myself eat that I have a hard time controlling myself and it goes down pretty quickly. :(

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on February 18, 2018, 04:50:58 PM
It starts early in school that we are all trained to wolf down food quickly at a specific time, instead of eating slowly because you are hungry.  I know I kept it up for all my working life.  Also eating while distracted (at my desk, while watching TV) instead of really paying attention and experiencing my meal. Some claim eating with no distractions helps - I’ve never tested it. But more mindfulness about whatever we are doing is probably better on average.

I don’t know that depression would have physical hunger symptoms, but can certainly relate to the pleasure of distraction from eating.  Depression just makes so many things harder, including sticking to an eating or exercise plan (why bother...). 

I am trying to get myself to the headspace of losing weight as a side effect of healthier choices, not the absolute goal. Because, i will tend to obsess and make worse choices for short-term benefits (or escapes).

Yes, feeling physically cold can definitely make you want to eat to warm up! I had that this winter.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on February 19, 2018, 07:09:57 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174

*sigh* there were 2 birthdays last week and junk food at work every day. I guess I'll take it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on February 19, 2018, 08:26:30 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174

*sigh* there were 2 birthdays last week and junk food at work every day. I guess I'll take it.
On weeks with lots of obstacles, you gotta take maintenance as a win.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on February 19, 2018, 08:57:54 AM
To those that are starving:
There are lots of things that can make us crave food
1. Are you getting enough sleep? If you are tired, you will seek energy via food.
2. Are you stressed?  I think stress has a similar effect as lack of sleep, but maybe from a more emotional or distraction angle
3. Are you getting enough exercise? Exercise can be an appetite suppressant (particularly if you are more overweight IIRC)
4. Also, emotion, depression, nutrition, etc. can make us want to eat.
5. How are you structuring your meals and snacks? Maybe try adjusting the timing of when and what you eat. Some people eat their biggest meal at breakfast, some people eat one meal a day, some people eat 6-8 times a day....  but you see where this is going.
6. How fast do you eat? If you can slow down, it might help.

There just isn’t a simple one-size-fits all answer for this.  I know for myself - some strategy will work for a long time, but then it stops working.  This is probably more psychological than physical for me many times (but, hormones are definitely in play), but it’s not exclusively one or the other.

So, you may need to try some new foods, timing, meal sizes, etc.
This post explains a lot for me.
I have definitely been struggling since returning to work. #1 is probably my biggest issue, followed by #2. My baby seems to wake up more  on nights when I have to work the next day. He was up at least 3 times last night, with the last being one hour before the alarm was supposed to ring.  Some nights he will do a nice six hour stretch but that only happens about  twice per week. 5, 6, also have an impact because I have to take breaks at certain times and usually shovel in food while pumping.

I am doing ok with exercise as I can usually get in a good workout on non-work days, and I always get my 10k steps when I work. I probably need to do more strength training but I get a mental health boost when I run, plus it doesn't require any planning.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 19, 2018, 09:05:07 AM
I'll add "weather" to that list. I have a WAY harder time controlling my appetite on days that are colder.

G-dog, those are all really good points. I sleep poorly (thanks, perimenopause, go away and take your night sweats and middle-of-the-night hot flashes with you!). Yes, I am stressed. I started exercising regularly for the first time in many years this fall, at the same time I started dieting. I don't *think* that emotional eating or depression is the issue because I'm talking about literal stomach-growling spacey-headed shaky hunger. But maybe depression does that too? Our minds and bodies can be very connected.

And I certainly can work on eating slower; usually I am so starving by the time I let myself eat that I have a hard time controlling myself and it goes down pretty quickly. :(
Have you tried varying *what* you eat for protein and fat? I know you're a vegetarian, and don't intend to try to get anyone to change their ways, especially non-meat eaters. Personally I eat a less than average amount of meat, but when I'm trying to lose weight I find I can feel the most satisfied by eating eggs and non-lean meaty dishes. It sucks, because I hate animal suffering and would rather eat rice and beans etc. more than I do, but it just doesn't do the job for me. Please don't flame me -- I'm really trying. Since I know that for me, it matters what kind of protein I eat, I'm wondering if it might make a difference for you too, within whatever rules you feel best following for yourself.

Also, I'm starting to accept that as much as I like eating apples, and as much as I feel like I should be able to eat them, they end up making me feel hungry. So I'm going to try making some fat bombs and see what happens when I eat approximately 100 calories of that for a snack rather than an apple. Stuff like that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 19, 2018, 09:29:56 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174

*sigh* there were 2 birthdays last week and junk food at work every day. I guess I'll take it.
On weeks with lots of obstacles, you gotta take maintenance as a win.

My weight regularly fluctuates 3-4 pounds or more within a week. Don’t stress the numbers. Subjective feeling of health and objective measurements like waist size, resting HR, etc are better indicators of progress than the scale anyways :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on February 19, 2018, 09:42:47 AM

Also, I'm starting to accept that as much as I like eating apples, and as much as I feel like I should be able to eat them, they end up making me feel hungry. So I'm going to try making some fat bombs and see what happens when I eat approximately 100 calories of that for a snack rather than an apple. Stuff like that.

Apples also make me hungry as do cucumbers. I try to never ear apples without also eating a piece of cheese or PB (because I love apples!).

To those that are starving:
There are lots of things that can make us crave food
1. Are you getting enough sleep? If you are tired, you will seek energy via food.
2. Are you stressed?  I think stress has a similar effect as lack of sleep, but maybe from a more emotional or distraction angle
3. Are you getting enough exercise? Exercise can be an appetite suppressant (particularly if you are more overweight IIRC)
4. Also, emotion, depression, nutrition, etc. can make us want to eat.
5. How are you structuring your meals and snacks? Maybe try adjusting the timing of when and what you eat. Some people eat their biggest meal at breakfast, some people eat one meal a day, some people eat 6-8 times a day....  but you see where this is going.
6. How fast do you eat? If you can slow down, it might help.

There just isn’t a simple one-size-fits all answer for this.  I know for myself - some strategy will work for a long time, but then it stops working. 

G-Dog, these are great questions and ones that we should constantly be asking ourselves. I think my personal frustrations are that 1 and 2 are a constant in my life (stressful job, husband's job keeps me in low level stress because he has to reapply every year which also means that he is trying to go above and beyond all year, every year, and children that aren't natural sleepers). I have given up trying to exercise due to factors 1 and 2 and factors 4-6 are thing that I am constantly tweaking anyways.

I'd say on factors 4-6 I have them as optimized as possible and I'm still hungry.  The bolded above is probably where I'm at right now but I just don't feel like I have the bandwidth to try something new, yet again.

I'm feeling like a bummer right now guys. I need to FIRE faster so that I no longer have my stressful job and can then focus on  optimizing eating and exercise :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on February 19, 2018, 10:14:34 AM
@StarBright - sleep and stress have been struggles for me for much of my life.  For me, stress leads to negativity as well.

At university I specifically targeted improving my sleep (insomnia from a mind I could not quiet). I took a relaxation techniques class, yoga, and followed the sleep hygiene practices recommended at that time.  Of course, it was easier since I had more time (full-time school, part-time work), no kids or partner.  I lapsed on a lot of that stuff (doh!), but did establish several practices that still improve my sleep now (quality and quantity).

There are some simple things that help me, even when I don't practice them regularly - breathing exercises from relaxation techniques / meditation practice, gratitude observations or journal (could be fun to do at the dinner table with the kids if they are old enough), both of these help me stay more focussed on the moment instead of obsessing over the past or worrying about the future. 

Sleep and stress can both be devastating to overall health, so it is worth it to me to try to keep tackling these in my life. It's a constant struggle.  Sometimes all I can do in hang on at status quo, sometimes I can work on it, sometimes there is improvement.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on February 19, 2018, 11:00:18 AM

Have you tried varying *what* you eat for protein and fat? I know you're a vegetarian, and don't intend to try to get anyone to change their ways, especially non-meat eaters. Personally I eat a less than average amount of meat, but when I'm trying to lose weight I find I can feel the most satisfied by eating eggs and non-lean meaty dishes. It sucks, because I hate animal suffering and would rather eat rice and beans etc. more than I do, but it just doesn't do the job for me. Please don't flame me -- I'm really trying. Since I know that for me, it matters what kind of protein I eat, I'm wondering if it might make a difference for you too, within whatever rules you feel best following for yourself.

I haven't eaten meat in nearly 30 years for ethical reasons, and that's not going to change. But I did accidentally find something filling, I think - I made avocado egg salad the other day and that was very filling. (Hard boiled eggs, an entire avocado, a little mayo, and lemon juice.) I don't allow myself avocadoes because they're expensive, the ones at Aldi where I do most of my shopping are always terrible, and I hate how they immediately go from unripe to gross and brown and mushy in my house. This time I successfully hit the window of ripe-but-not-gross, though, and maybe I can budget for a decent avocado now and then at a pricier store. I love them but rarely buy them for the aforementioned reasons.

Also, I'm starting to accept that as much as I like eating apples, and as much as I feel like I should be able to eat them, they end up making me feel hungry. So I'm going to try making some fat bombs and see what happens when I eat approximately 100 calories of that for a snack rather than an apple. Stuff like that.

That's interesting because apples actually DO help me feel full. I haven't bought them in a while because when they're out of season they just don't taste as good. Have been subbing citrus but that doesn't keep me full at all.

The more I think about it, I think it has a lot to do with sleep and cold weather. Like, I have today off for President's Day. I haven't had to freeze my rear off on the walk to the train, and I slept until around 9:30. It's nearly noon, I've only had coffee, and I am not ravenous. I'm a little hungry but not starving and weak. The same thing happened yesterday - I got up around 10, went to a protest so I made myself eat some breakfast to avoid crashing mid-march, but honestly wasn't that hungry. If this were a workday, my stomach would be growling loudly at 8 a.m. as I haul myself to the train, and I'd be shaky. I get 7-8 hours' sleep a night but early mornings are tough on me. My body does not want to be up at 7 a.m., but that's what my job requires, so I guess it is what it is.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 19, 2018, 11:25:24 AM
(snip)
The more I think about it, I think it has a lot to do with sleep and cold weather. Like, I have today off for President's Day. I haven't had to freeze my rear off on the walk to the train, and I slept until around 9:30. It's nearly noon, I've only had coffee, and I am not ravenous. I'm a little hungry but not starving and weak. The same thing happened yesterday - I got up around 10, went to a protest so I made myself eat some breakfast to avoid crashing mid-march, but honestly wasn't that hungry. If this were a workday, my stomach would be growling loudly at 8 a.m. as I haul myself to the train, and I'd be shaky. I get 7-8 hours' sleep a night but early mornings are tough on me. My body does not want to be up at 7 a.m., but that's what my job requires, so I guess it is what it is.
Very interesting that when you're able to sleep in, you feel less hungry in the morning. Also interesting about the cold weather. I know being outside in the cold takes a lot of energy out of me and lowers my resistance to things I shouldn't do, like eat for comfort. Sounds like you are zeroing in on some things that could help you. Do you have an extra layer you can wear in the morning? Keeping my core warm and having a hat and gloves really helps me when I'm outside in the cold. About sleep, I'm FIRE'd, so theoretically I can get all the sleep I want. But we get up at 7 to work out anyway. We go to bed 8 hours before we get up, but I get up to pee 3x/night which makes me feel like I haven't gotten the sleep the clock says I have. I can't remember the last time I slept all the way through the night, but it has to have been months ago.

About apples, yep, everyone is different.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on February 20, 2018, 03:21:50 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 117.5kg
Current weight: 116.6kg

I'm cheating slightly, as I have only had a sandwich for dinner and went to cricket training earlier on this evening (had plenty of water afterwards). Last night (after a big dinner but mostly meat and veg) I was 117.7.

Slow and steady does it :)

I'm having far less carbs with my meals, and surprisingly I rarely feel hungry, even on (usually) two (big) meals a day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on February 20, 2018, 06:29:04 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 117.5kg
Current weight: 116.6kg

I'm cheating slightly, as I have only had a sandwich for dinner and went to cricket training earlier on this evening (had plenty of water afterwards). Last night (after a big dinner but mostly meat and veg) I was 117.7.

Slow and steady does it :)

I'm having far less carbs with my meals, and surprisingly I rarely feel hungry, even on (usually) two (big) meals a day.

Are you swapping with more protein or just leaving off those calories entirely?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: brute on February 20, 2018, 07:40:07 AM
Doing a little better this year than last year in terms of pace. I lost 40, kept 30 pounds off in 2017. Here's to 30 more.

Date           Weight
1/9/2018   311.4
1/15/2018   310.2
1/23           315.4
2/12           308
2/20           300

My squat is back up to 475, and deadlift closing in on 600. I'd like to see 500/350/600 on squat/bench/deadlift at a bodyweight of 275 this year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Tris Prior on February 20, 2018, 08:47:03 AM
Very interesting that when you're able to sleep in, you feel less hungry in the morning. Also interesting about the cold weather. I know being outside in the cold takes a lot of energy out of me and lowers my resistance to things I shouldn't do, like eat for comfort. Sounds like you are zeroing in on some things that could help you. Do you have an extra layer you can wear in the morning? Keeping my core warm and having a hat and gloves really helps me when I'm outside in the cold.

Hahaha, you know the kid in A Christmas Story who can't put his arms down because he's so bundled up? That is me. I wear a RIDICULOUS amount of layers on layers on layers, topped off by a huge puffy coat, hat, scarf, gloves, handwarmers heated up in the microwave and shoved into my pockets. STILL cold all the time.

Today's going to be a rough day; rain was POUNDING on our bedroom window all night so I got barely any sleep at all. I am going to have to work really hard at not using food to keep from faceplanting on my keyboard at work. I can only drink so much coffee before the constant runs to the loo start ruining my productivity.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 20, 2018, 09:38:43 AM
Very interesting that when you're able to sleep in, you feel less hungry in the morning. Also interesting about the cold weather. I know being outside in the cold takes a lot of energy out of me and lowers my resistance to things I shouldn't do, like eat for comfort. Sounds like you are zeroing in on some things that could help you. Do you have an extra layer you can wear in the morning? Keeping my core warm and having a hat and gloves really helps me when I'm outside in the cold.

Hahaha, you know the kid in A Christmas Story who can't put his arms down because he's so bundled up? That is me. I wear a RIDICULOUS amount of layers on layers on layers, topped off by a huge puffy coat, hat, scarf, gloves, handwarmers heated up in the microwave and shoved into my pockets. STILL cold all the time.

Today's going to be a rough day; rain was POUNDING on our bedroom window all night so I got barely any sleep at all. I am going to have to work really hard at not using food to keep from faceplanting on my keyboard at work. I can only drink so much coffee before the constant runs to the loo start ruining my productivity.

Good luck, Tris! I hate those nights of little sleep. They make it tough to make good food choices -- as well as generally making me feel craptastic. You have my sympathy.

I'm still holding steady at 148. I plan to go for a jog this afternoon, which will sometimes result in a downward move on the scale. I hope so, because I have to be at or below 148 on Friday for my bet (three days) and I'm planning on eating pho with a friend tomorrow. I always get an appetizer-sized bowl, which is a reasonable portion, but it's salty. That sometimes makes me hold water. If necessary I'll go jogging again on Thursday. Meanwhile, DH wanted to go out for beer last night and my reaction was negative because of the diet and the bet. I'm going to have to learn to say yes, and then just drink a few sips of his beer when we go out. No being a killjoy allowed.

Yesterday I did something different-- made protein balls made of peanut butter, protein powder, rolled oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, honey and milk. They're pretty darn good, and I will substitute them as snacks for things that don't fill me up as well. I'll have to make sure not to eat too many calories. Replacing an apple with a couple of these should be a good switch. I'll also have to make sure my husband doesn't eat them all before I get some! Next time I make them I'll cut down on the honey, because they're more than sweet enough and I'm trying to cut out most added sugar. I also don't want them to be that much of a temptation.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: happy on February 20, 2018, 02:39:47 PM
Week 1 loss 0.8kg. (1lb 12 oz)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on February 20, 2018, 07:19:25 PM


Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 117.5kg
Current weight: 116.6kg

I'm cheating slightly, as I have only had a sandwich for dinner and went to cricket training earlier on this evening (had plenty of water afterwards). Last night (after a big dinner but mostly meat and veg) I was 117.7.

Slow and steady does it :)

I'm having far less carbs with my meals, and surprisingly I rarely feel hungry, even on (usually) two (big) meals a day.

Are you swapping with more protein or just leaving off those calories entirely?

Well generally I'm trying to add more vegetables in place of the rice/bread/noodles/chips. I tend to have plenty of protein anyway. Replacing x grams of chips with x (or even 1.5x) grams of vegetables is going to result in a dramatically lower calorie intake :)

Had a blood test a couple of weeks ago and everything was good, so I mustn't be doing too badly.

I might try and see if I can get away with smaller dinners. I had a sandwich for dinner last night and managed fine with a coffee and a banana for breakfast until lunch today.

Sent from my HTC 2PS6200 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on February 20, 2018, 08:41:16 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 21, 2018, 07:14:58 AM
@Tris Prior - I am just wondering if you have had a thyroid function check up lately.  I am not a doctor but I have had one friend mention that maybe I should get my thyroid function tested when I was complaining about stuff not unlike some of your issues.  My turned out to run of the mill perimenopause symptoms.  My family doctor was totally on board with the mention of testing. 

I had a horrible eating day yesterday.  Super stressed. Today I am getting back on track.  Scales have started to creep back up with me morning weighins all over 135 for the past five days. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on February 21, 2018, 07:38:47 AM
I've been sick with a cold since Sunday and have had no appetite. Monday and Tuesday I lived mostly on hot water with honey and lemon, with a very small dinner. I saw 143 on the scale this morning.

I don't recommend illness as a weight loss strategy, and I know the loss won't stick around.

This did get me thinking. The last time I was under 138 I was super busy with work and was not doing any exercise except walks. After a while I just did not have an appetite, so I must have naturally eaten fewer calories. That's not a healthy way to live, so I don't want to repeat that, but it does bring up the relationship between activity, hunger and calories consumed. Trying to balance those three elements is tricky.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 21, 2018, 07:43:29 AM
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hi Firelight! I hope your special diet isn't for something serious.

A diet guru named Stephen Gullo ("The Thin Commandments Diet", "Thin Tastes Better") wrote that when you fall off the wagon, the most important thing is to pull it together for the rest of that day and the entire next day. That is supposed to prevent one splurge turning into a series of them, which often turns into giving up. I've found this "commandment" to be right on point. When I fall off the wagon, it turns on the cravings, and the next day or so is really tough. So good luck.

Frugal Lizard just posted about getting a thyroid check. Good idea. Has yours been checked? I'm on thyroid medicine for hypothyroidism. My doctor runs tests every six months. It's all a giant PITA and always costs me money, but the medicine keeps me functional. I once was off it for a week, when I ran out and didn't think it was a big deal. Now I know better. After that week, it was tough to drag myself out of bed until I started back on the medicine again. If we ever have a major event like an EMP strike, the first thing I'm doing is raiding the pharmacy. I don't know if I could live a decent life without that medicine.

In general, I'm with you. It's so easy to gain the weight, and soooo hard to peel it off. I finally lost another pound, down to about 147. That was after yesterday being a day of excellent eating choices, plus a "triple shift" of exercise: our normal 4x/week morning workout, plus a jog in the afternoon which was probably about two or two and a half miles, plus a three mile walk in the evening. Whew. It's a slog. It increases my resolve not to let things go again once I make it down to whatever my best weight turns out to be. I let myself eat holiday food, about one extra portion a day, all through December and part of January, and gained about six pounds. Right now I'm back down to where I was at Thanksgiving, but I had already let myself gain five pounds before that as compared to where I was during the summer.

So in general, it is much easier to be vigilant about not gaining in the first place than it is to try and lose, not that you didn't know that already! Another mental trick I use, whenever I feel mentally tired from thinking about food and calories so much, is to tell myself that I'm going to be focused on food whether I'm fat or thin. It's a lot nicer to be that way while I'm thin.

Please let us know how it goes with the soft food diet.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on February 21, 2018, 10:06:46 AM


Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hi Firelight! I hope your special diet isn't for something serious.

A diet guru named Stephen Gullo ("The Thin Commandments Diet", "Thin Tastes Better") wrote that when you fall off the wagon, the most important thing is to pull it together for the rest of that day and the entire next day. That is supposed to prevent one splurge turning into a series of them, which often turns into giving up. I've found this "commandment" to be right on point. When I fall off the wagon, it turns on the cravings, and the next day or so is really tough. So good luck.

Frugal Lizard just posted about getting a thyroid check. Good idea. Has yours been checked? I'm on thyroid medicine for hypothyroidism. My doctor runs tests every six months. It's all a giant PITA and always costs me money, but the medicine keeps me functional. I once was off it for a week, when I ran out and didn't think it was a big deal. Now I know better. After that week, it was tough to drag myself out of bed until I started back on the medicine again. If we ever have a major event like an EMP strike, the first thing I'm doing is raiding the pharmacy. I don't know if I could live a decent life without that medicine.

In general, I'm with you. It's so easy to gain the weight, and soooo hard to peel it off. I finally lost another pound, down to about 147. That was after yesterday being a day of excellent eating choices, plus a "triple shift" of exercise: our normal 4x/week morning workout, plus a jog in the afternoon which was probably about two or two and a half miles, plus a three mile walk in the evening. Whew. It's a slog. It increases my resolve not to let things go again once I make it down to whatever my best weight turns out to be. I let myself eat holiday food, about one extra portion a day, all through December and part of January, and gained about six pounds. Right now I'm back down to where I was at Thanksgiving, but I had already let myself gain five pounds before that as compared to where I was during the summer.

So in general, it is much easier to be vigilant about not gaining in the first place than it is to try and lose, not that you didn't know that already! Another mental trick I use, whenever I feel mentally tired from thinking about food and calories so much, is to tell myself that I'm going to be focused on food whether I'm fat or thin. It's a lot nicer to be that way while I'm thin.

Please let us know how it goes with the soft food diet.

Candace thanks for your suggestions. I love the idea of getting back on track even if I let it slip for one day.

My special diet is for a small surgery I had in my mouth which makes it necessary for me to eat liquid diet or soft food diet for some time till the incision is healed.

I like the idea of getting thyroid tested. It's been more than a year since I checked last and I can make sure things are in order there. I also have insulin resistance (thanks PCOS) so weight loss is harder.

Congrats on hitting below 147. And the amount of activity is awesome! Keep going!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on February 21, 2018, 10:28:29 AM
The numbers:

11/30/17:  Starting weight
12/27/17: -8.80 lb

1/28/18: -11.6 lb

Hit burn out on tracking everything. I'll go back to it, as it helps me be mindful or portions, etc. but a break from it is OK too.  As I noted earlier - I'm trying to establish healthier habits for long-term benefits, not just a temporary diet change.

2/21/18: -11.6 lb

I am really happy to be steady since I haven't been tracking what I've been eating since I burned out on that.  I had a week where I was really hungry, so I did eat more (including snacking).  I feel like I am ready to start tracking again after having a reprieve and loosening my grip for a bit.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Herk on February 21, 2018, 12:31:16 PM
I'm in as well!

I started counting calories 10th of januari, and also started exercise more at the same time.

Aming for 3 times weight lifting per week.
Walking regularly. Every lunch break and a longer walk on the weekend.
Doing daily short yoga passes and once a week a longer one ( I am also very inflexible and this will help with that).

All in all, I don't do everything I intend, but i do enough it seems (and feels).
I don't count calories anymore, I have gotten a good grasp on how much I should eat per day.
 
I have started to adapt a stoic mindset on life, and it has helped immensely this far. Especially with not overeating and getting my ass to the gym!

I started out at 120 kg and want to get down to 80 kg in the future. First goal is to get to 100 kg in August.
So far I've lost 4,3 kg and already feel a lot more energized at work and at home.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Wanttobehome on February 23, 2018, 04:58:06 AM
I've started healthy eating hope to lose 14 lb
Jan 8th = 185
Jan 15th = 183     -2lb
Jan  25th = 180    -3lb
Feb.  22nd =  176.   -4lb

9lb down
5lb to go
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 23, 2018, 05:59:58 AM
Curious how many in here have been overweight their whole lives and so have no real idea what their final weight will look like. I’m in that camp myself. I’m close enough at this point (6 feet, 209, very stocky body type). I can sort of guess but a lot depends on how much lean mass I end up with and my body type really skews the BMI because I’m not lanky at all.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on February 23, 2018, 06:16:09 AM
2/1/18: 140.2. Going for 5lbs this month.
2/7/18: 138.6 (-1.6)
2/16/18: 137.8 (-0.8 ) 2.4lbs down total.
2/23/18: 136.2 (-1.6) 4.0lbs down this month, on track to hit my 5lb goal!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on February 23, 2018, 08:14:32 AM
I am going to try to get back on track starting today. No more going over the calorie goal or waiting to log until the next day. I love the mini-workouts idea too. I spent 15 minutes doing ab exercises and squats before leaving for work this morning. Today I weighed in at 7 lbs above goal, but my weight has been bouncing around all month with no real progress.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 23, 2018, 09:38:13 AM
I won my bet this morning, which was to be at 148 lbs or below. I'm at 147. I haven't made much progress on the scale for the past two weeks, but at least I don't have to play Katan!

The last week has been pretty tough. The thought of having to play board games if I missed my goal was very motivating. I've been really good, and not much happened until I went for a jog the other day. I don't like to do that more than once a week, but may end up going twice a week in the coming weeks and months. I've cut out almost all bread, rice, potatoes and such, and my portions are pretty small, at least I think so. I even cut down on apples, substituting a protein ball or two for a snack. The protein ball makes me feel a lot better than the apple.

We'll do another three-week bet, and I guess I'll set the goal at 146, but intend to lose two pounds (145).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dogboyslim on February 23, 2018, 10:01:39 AM
I've been a rollercoaster with weight.  Right now I'm at the top.  In 2016 I got down to around 200, but right now I'm at 243.  My goal is consistent exercise, limit fast food, bring lunch.  I just found a gym that offers the class type that I enjoy, so I'm optimistic right now.  I don't really have a goal weight, but the BMI scale says I should be about 175 at the top end.  I'm going to set my goals like this:

End of March, drop a pants size.
End of April, can run 6 miles
End of May, can run a 10k at/under an hour.
End of July, <200 lbs
End of December: <190.

As mentioned above, first weigh-in:
2/23: 243
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on February 23, 2018, 05:09:20 PM
Curious how many in here have been overweight their whole lives and so have no real idea what their final weight will look like. I’m in that camp myself. I’m close enough at this point (6 feet, 209, very stocky body type). I can sort of guess but a lot depends on how much lean mass I end up with and my body type really skews the BMI because I’m not lanky at all.

This is the case for me.  The lowest weight I can really remember (in junior high, when I was already fully-grown height-wise) is still 25 lbs above a "healthy" BMI.  The lowest I've gotten to as an adult was very briefly 10 lbs under that.

Based on that, I have my "realistic goal" which is that junior high/lowest weight, and my stretch goal, which is at the top of my healthy BMI range.  It's really weird to imagine what that would be like.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on February 24, 2018, 03:54:51 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on February 24, 2018, 07:22:17 AM
Doing a little better this year than last year in terms of pace. I lost 40, kept 30 pounds off in 2017. Here's to 30 more.

Date           Weight
1/9/2018   311.4
1/15/2018   310.2
1/23           315.4
2/12           308
2/20           300

My squat is back up to 475, and deadlift closing in on 600. I'd like to see 500/350/600 on squat/bench/deadlift at a bodyweight of 275 this year.

awesome job @brute !
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on February 24, 2018, 07:41:27 AM
Weekly Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142
February 15:   145
February 24:  143

Between work and kids my day starts around 5 am (6 if I am lucky) and ends between 11-12 pm. I really just can't fit exercise into my day at this time (other than my prescheduled walks with my older kid) but I need to constantly remind myself to not feel guilty about it.

This week I began to look at other weapons in my healthy life arsenal. I had a leftover gift certificate from Christmas so I bought a light therapy lamp to use in the mornings. Apparently one of the hallmarks of low level seasonal depression is craving simple carbs. Let's see if the lamp helps!

And this is not mustachian at all, but I bought a float therapy membership. I've done it several times as a gift and have found it to be such an amazing, stress reducing, and refreshing experience. I cancelled a monthly food service membership (like dream dinners, but premade and ready to pick up) to make room in the budget for the floating.

I'm maintaining but it is such a fight and takes up so much mental energy for me that I'm going to focus on supporting my mental health. Who knows? Maybe it will help. In any case, it is good to keep trying things.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 24, 2018, 08:06:20 AM
I'm on the super slow & steady train, but have done a good job of increasing my workouts quite a bit, & slowly whittling down my calories. I'm now down 3.6 lbs from the first of the year. My goal is to lose 4 lbs in March, which I think is reasonable now that I'm (a bit) more toned & have my eating in check
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 24, 2018, 02:43:35 PM
Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Go firelight! Happy for your success so far.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 26, 2018, 07:03:19 AM
Lost enough weight since last year (the last time I tried it) that I can appendix carry my CCW pistol pretty comfortably now. It was super uncomfortable when I tried it previously. (Appendix carry puts the holster inside the waist band in the front with the sights of the gun lined up with your belly button.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on February 26, 2018, 07:37:42 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174

I was seeing 173-172.something most of the week so I'm assuming the 174 again this week is a temporary bump from going out last night to celebrate my friend's 30th. I'm feeling much more optimistic about it opposed to the last week which was fueled by sugar and alcohol all week.  I also walked 6 miles yesterday (normal commute is only 4) and started getting back into doing body weight exercises. I expect it'll be back down within a day or two of keeping to my calorie goals. Now if I'm not down next week I'll really have to eat crow and buckle down!

I've signed up for the March weight loss challange with a goal of 5 lbs. although I'm actually hoping for more. I've also promised myself I'll spring for Botox once I hit 160. Non-mustachian, but I've been wanting it for a few years now.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on February 27, 2018, 04:06:38 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 116.6kg
Current weight: 116.1kg

Hooray, progress! My original goal was to get below 115kg by the end of February, which is unlikely to happen now, but that's OK. I'm going to set another goal and try and get down to 110 by mid-April.

Already noticing that a couple of pairs of pants are getting looser.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: happy on February 28, 2018, 03:16:46 AM
Week 1 loss 0.8kg. (1lb 12 oz)
Week 2 loss 0.8 kg .................total 1.6kg
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on February 28, 2018, 05:29:38 AM
2/1/18: 140.2. Going for 5lbs this month.
2/7/18: 138.6 (-1.6)
2/16/18: 137.8 (-0.8 ) 2.4lbs down total.
2/23/18: 136.2 (-1.6) 4.0lbs down this month, on track to hit my 5lb goal!
2/28/18: 135.0 (-1.2) 5.2lbs down this month, met my goal of 5lbs. Next goal is 4lbs for March.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on February 28, 2018, 06:43:08 AM
So far this year I'm down 0.4lbs. After great progress Nov-Dec, I was irregular with my diet and exercise for most of Jan and Feb, and gained 2lbs which I've since lost again. Now I'm struggling with impatience to see progress beyond what I had already lost. I'm back to getting tons of exercise and know that so long as I'm diligent with my diet that the weight will come off, but being less than 4 lbs above my next milestone (healthy BMI range), I want it now! Any tips on how to be more patient with the slow progress would be welcome!

I'm having similar troubles. Any thoughts help would be appreciated! 

Right now I think my big problem is focus since it can take a couple weeks to lose a pound and one bad day can throw me off so much, so I'm testing out an app meant to help you form habits. My thought being it'll help me stay focused if I see that I've hit my workout goal or skipped sugar for X days in a row or whatever. So those will be my 'wins' vs whatever is on the scale.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on February 28, 2018, 06:51:44 AM
@asiljoy — what app are you using if you don’t mind sharing?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on February 28, 2018, 07:48:47 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on February 28, 2018, 08:17:49 AM
{snip}
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
firelight, you and I are similar in weight, height and activity level, so I feel a kinship. I don't have the kids to deal with, though, so my hat is doubly off to you. You are almost at normal BMI! You'll be there soon! I love the idea of going into your closet and finding the next clothes you want to fit into. Talk about incentive. I bet the mini-exercise sessions you're doing are building muscle, which will in turn help you in keeping the weight loss going as you get closer to your goal.

I'm hovering at about 146 lb now. My next milestone will be breaking 145. Can't wait to get back on that side of the line. I plan to go for a jog this afternoon, which seems to be what it takes for me to get the scale to move more than infinitesimally in one day. DH and I did our third workout of the week today (of four that we do each week), and we walked three miles last night, three the night before, and four the day before that. We're on track to complete our goals for the week, which are four workouts and ten miles walking, starting from Monday.

We're having friends over for dinner tonight, which is a fun thing I love to do, but it means I have to be conscious of any "extra" food I eat since it's a semi-special occasion with more food than normal. I'm trying to get into the mindset of eating like a person who's already thin. That means that even though I'm cooking up a semi-special dinner tonight, and we'll have a pretty nice and calorie-rich cocktail made too, my strategy will be to keep portions small. Our cocktail is called a Painkiller. I made a big batch for a social I hosted back in December, and we still have some ingredients left over, looking for an occasion. There's a specialty item called cream of coconut, which has been sitting in my fridge waiting for an excuse since then, plus cans of pineapple juice. The other ingredients are rum, orange juice and a sprinkle of nutmeg. So as you can tell, these are not diet-friendly. I will allow myself ONE as a treat.

I'm making whole wheat sourdough fermented bread, which is rising as we speak, and pork loin with sweet potatoes and pineapples. Our friends are bringing roasted Brussels sprouts. It will be good and relatively healthy with no white bread, no white potatoes, and no white rice. So I just have to not over-serve myself. If I keep the portions small, I should be able to eat a little of everything. I'm hoping to go for a jog this afternoon, which is kind of an extra exercise session for me, to help me not gain weight from this dinner.

Next bet ending date is March 16th, when I have to be at 146 or below. I do hope to beat that by a pound or two since I'm there now But the bet puts a floor on how badly I can screw up. At this point, it means I can't *gain* weight. So, it's not so stressful, but it serves a purpose.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on February 28, 2018, 08:29:46 AM
@asiljoy — what app are you using if you don’t mind sharing?

Momentum. I've only been using it a couple weeks, so I don't feel comfortable giving it a standing ovation, but it is working for me right now. The free version only lets you have 3 habits, which is enough for me to focus on.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on February 28, 2018, 03:01:58 PM
Time for my monthly weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8

Another 10 pounds this month (with an assist from a mild case of the flu) and 28.6 pounds overall. I've been surprised that my rate of weight loss hasn't slowed down yet, but I'm not complaining!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on March 01, 2018, 05:56:29 AM
1/1/18 - Weight 146.6, Waist 31 5/8"
2/1/18 - Weight 145.6, Waist 31 9/16"
3/1/18 - Weight 144.4, Waist 31 9/16"

Notes: this was a bad month. The first half was going well, then I got a cold/flu thing which has been persisting for almost two weeks. I lost a slight amount of weight, but in every other way I am less healthy than I was a month ago. My strength and stamina are down, my nutrition has been poor and I'm still sleeping 9-10 hours every night. March needs to be a rebuilding month. I'm going to focus on nutrition and getting some cardio and strength back... if I'm ever healthy again!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on March 01, 2018, 12:03:21 PM
DateWeightBody Fat
May 2017190 lbs23.7%
June 2017183 lbs22.4%
July 2017180 lbs21.9%
Aug 2017176 lbs21.1%
Sept 2017171 lbs20.4%
Oct 2017165 lbs19.3%
Nov 2017161 lbs18.6%
Dec 2017160 lbs18.4%
Jan 2017155 lbs17.5%
Jan 2017152 lbs17.4%38 lbs down

Currently at 1800 calories a day (adjusted for activity), been bumping against my target weight of ~150 and then I'm switching 2500 calories and keeping my weight-lifting habit of 5 months every second day. So soon I will be tracking my weight on an increasing count and may be disqualified from the thread.

I track body fat with a cheap impedance scale so I'm sure it's way off but the trend seemed helpful at the start, less so as I move forward here.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on March 02, 2018, 08:23:56 AM
Well, in the last week I've gone from 146 lb to 147.5. Hmmph. Frustrating. I've hit all my exercise goals, which is a morning workout 4x/week, walking ten miles, and going for one jog. I've also been very good in my eating except for Wednesday night when we had friends over. I had a couple of cocktails and ate more than usual. But that's the extent of my sin. I don't think I ate 1.5 x 3500 extra calories! I'm carrying some extra, er, "stuff" right now, so hopefully that accounts for most of it. But it's times like this that I start to get frustrated, because I'm doing everything pretty much right, and yet the scale goes in the wrong direction. When I get frustrated and feel hopeless, that's when I tend to throw up my hands and eat chocolate. I actually don't feel tempted by that right now, because I haven't been eating (almost) any added sugar for weeks. Yesterday I felt like I was eating some extra food in the afternoon, but it was an extra apple and some broccoli and tofu soup. These things are supposed to be almost free. Then I ate half a cantelope for dinner, which seems like a low-calorie and healthy thing to eat. The only thing I had after dinner was a shot glass of Sambuca that I sipped over half an hour.

I have to tell myself that this is a temporary setback, and that I'm doing things right, so if I continue to do things right, I should continue to lose weight. I've gone from 153 to my current 147.5 since about January 15th, which on the whole, is very good for a mostly sedentary 51-year-old female who's within about 10 pounds of my goal weight.

What kinds of workouts is everyone doing? My goals are just to keep a good level of strength and flexibility as I get older, and to have a decent amount of muscle to burn fat. My morning workout consists of:

stretching and warmup
20 military-style pushups

First set (of two) of 16 compound squats with 30-pound kettlebell
First set (of two) of 16 two-arm swings with 30-pound kettlebell  (these two exercises is a pretty good interval for me)
Walk around and pant

First set (of two) of 12 overhead two-arm tricep extensions with 25-pound kettlebell
First set (of two) of 12 two-arm bicep curls with 25-pound kettlebell

16 lat pulls on each side with 20-pound kettlebell

Second set (of two) of 16 compound squats with 30-pound kettlebell
Second set (of two) of 16 two-arm swings with 30-pound kettlebell
Walk around and pant

Second set (of two) of 12 overhead two-arm tricep extensions with 25-pound kettlebell
Second set (of two) of 12 two-arm bicep curls with 25-pound kettlebell

45-second plank

Short yoga sequence, two times through

Let's hear from some of my fellow over-50 ladies here. Commiseration is welcome.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on March 02, 2018, 08:44:13 AM
@Candace, water weight can really mess with your mind. 1.5lbs is well within normal water weight fluctuations. I know it's frustrating, but try to stick with your plan (and maybe have a piece of chocolate a couple times a week :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on March 02, 2018, 09:26:53 AM
@Candace, water weight can really mess with your mind. 1.5lbs is well within normal water weight fluctuations. I know it's frustrating, but try to stick with your plan (and maybe have a piece of chocolate a couple times a week :)
Thank you, @LifeHappens! I know you're right about the fluctuations. About chocolate, the only kind I'm eating right now is a daily protein bar from Costco (Kirkland brand). Chocolate is my downfall, and aside from the protein bars, a big trigger food. As in, once I eat a little, it just snowballs and then I have to deal with cravings for days. So I pretty much stay away from it. Somehow the Kirkland protein bars make me feel like I'm having chocolate without triggering cravings. I usually eat one per day in the late afternoon as a snack.

I'm literally munching raw broccoli right now. It's left over from the broccoli and tofu soup I made the other day. I feel virtuous, and it's tiding me over between breakfast and lunch. That, plus the latte I drank. That obviously has milk, but no added sugar. Breakfast was two scrambled eggs. So my eating plan is mostly protein and veggies, with some "good" carbs. Trying to cut out almost all white bread/white potatoes/pasta types of foods.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on March 02, 2018, 10:09:29 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.
Down 5 pounds in 30 days, but on the bright side I've also lost 1% fat. These changes are sustainable for me, BUT SO SLOW.
February was meh. Down another 1.5 that's permanent /non water related, but 28 to go.

Bright side? I think I found a routine that's sustainable workout wise and I'm starting to feel in control again. So yay! The habit app is stupid simple but apparently wanting to increase that bright green bar is enough to get me off my butt and the yoga app's 20 min sessions are really easy enough that I have no excuses.

Goal for March is 3.5 lbs, which will put me at 185, and to complete 18 yoga sessions. 1 down, 17 to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on March 02, 2018, 02:06:54 PM
@candace — weightloss is not linear. Make that your mantra. Say it. Feel it. Love it. Chart your weight and only concern yourself with the overall trend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on March 02, 2018, 07:37:40 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on March 02, 2018, 09:00:47 PM
Ok, I'm declaring this week "Back to the Basics" for myself.

It's been 2 months of working on my healthy habits (meditation, physical therapy exercises, food tracking, and exercise classes) and I'm starting to get a little too lax.  I think it's because I'm a little bored and also because it's been extra-stressful at work.

This is the point where I will often keep backsliding until I'm not doing any food tracking, etc. and have totally derailed.  That means I need to consciously work to prevent it by going back to the basics.  This is especially important because I'm going on vacation in less than 2 weeks and am dangerously close to not fitting into some of the clothes I need for the warmer weather.

Here goes!  I'll report back next Saturday.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Apple_Tango on March 03, 2018, 10:53:25 AM

Starting metrics in black, Last update in Green, New update in RED
Starting weight (Dec 26, 2017): 241 : 236 ; 230
Starting pushups: 0
Starting mile pace: 16 min. : 15:35!
Starting bench press: 55 pounds : 60 pounds

Short term goals:
Goal 1: work out 4 days a week, an hour per day.   3 days per week
Goal 2: drink 8 glasses of water per day : 8 glasses, goal met
Goal 3: eat 50 grams of fiber per day (fruits and veggies);  crushing this goal, 50 g achieved as a daily average for past month
Goal 4: 14 min mile by July 2018
Goal 5: 220 pounds by July 2018

Nothing's really changed in my fitness...because I haven't been working out. The most I've been doing is walking 2 or 3 miles a few times a week and I want to change that. My rotator cuff in my right arm has been bothering me, so I haven't been doing pushups or bench press right now, but I might try to follow along with some at home workout internet videos for cardio. I am down to 230 though! So I have lost 11 pounds since December. Mostly because I'm sticking with counting calories.  Also because cheap, unhealthy food is not really in the budget. If being in between jobs has a silver lining, it's that I've been learning to coupon and look for sales, and not waste so much money on food that was making me sick. All the prepackaged foods...even the vegan stuff. They taste great but boy are they unhealthy.

I hope that when my new job starts I can keep up with cooking my own food, because it's really helping my waistline.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Candace on March 03, 2018, 01:59:48 PM
Thank you to everyone who chimed in with encouragement. It actually does a lot of good to see people speaking reason on here when I'm frustrated.

Last night, after being really good all day, we went out to a Mexican restaurant. Chips, salsa, and white sauce. I abstained for most of the time we were there, but after I took the first one, well, you know. I also had about half a beer. For food, I ordered a chicken, cheese and onion appetizer in a cream sauce. Very filling, and I only ate half of it. While it was a larger than normal dinner, it was pretty good for the occasion. I left feeling more satisfied than a normal dinner, but not full.

Then, I gained another pound on the scale this morning. {Face palm} Back up to 148. I was 146 a week ago.

What's ironic is that I feel thinner than a couple of weeks ago, even though the scale doesn't indicate it. So I'm thinking of that as a win, and trying not to let go of the discipline I need at this time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on March 03, 2018, 02:14:56 PM
Thank you to everyone who chimed in with encouragement. It actually does a lot of good to see people speaking reason on here when I'm frustrated.

Last night, after being really good all day, we went out to a Mexican restaurant. Chips, salsa, and white sauce. I abstained for most of the time we were there, but after I took the first one, well, you know. I also had about half a beer. For food, I ordered a chicken, cheese and onion appetizer in a cream sauce. Very filling, and I only ate half of it. While it was a larger than normal dinner, it was pretty good for the occasion. I left feeling more satisfied than a normal dinner, but not full.

Then, I gained another pound on the scale this morning. {Face palm} Back up to 148. I was 146 a week ago.

What's ironic is that I feel thinner than a couple of weeks ago, even though the scale doesn't indicate it. So I'm thinking of that as a win, and trying not to let go of the discipline I need at this time.

You probably are actually thinner now.  Lots of things can make you retain water weight and the like.  The day-to-day scale numbers are just one, imperfect measure.  Keep making mostly good choices, and you will be fine.  Last night choices were fine.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on March 04, 2018, 04:40:20 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 116.1kg
Current weight: 115.9kg

Considering I've been eating some 'naughty' foods over the last few days (this weekend I've had a biryani with curry, a big burger and chips, and ice cream), I'm surprised.

Back on the horse on Monday. I have some ingredients for a nice bowl of chicken and vegetable soup that I'm preparing after work. Not sure how appealing soup will be in a few days when it's warm and sunny here, but we'll see. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on March 04, 2018, 05:44:06 AM
I looked at my weekly averages in the Fitbit app and I am still making progress, just more slowly than I was at first. I lost 2 lbs during the month of February, currently 4.2 lbs above goal, which I would like to achieve by the end of March. I'm focusing most of my effort on cooking healthy meals.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on March 04, 2018, 06:50:39 AM
2/1/18: 140.2. Going for 5lbs this month.
2/7/18: 138.6 (-1.6)
2/16/18: 137.8 (-0.8 ) 2.4lbs down total.
2/23/18: 136.2 (-1.6) 4.0lbs down this month, on track to hit my 5lb goal!
2/28/18: 135.0 (-1.2) 5.2lbs down this month, met my goal of 5lbs. Next goal is 4lbs for March.
3/4/2018: 135.2 (+.2). 4.2lbs to hit my March goal. “Weight loss isn’t linear” is my mantra right now. The gain could be from a number of things, but I can’t expect those big consistent losses every week so I’m okay with it. Plus, it’s the weekend and I had a very lazy day yesterday. I am going on vacation at the end of this month so I would like to weigh in at 131 when I go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on March 04, 2018, 07:27:48 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2

Finally the needle moved again! Finally! Hallelujah. Also, I'm changing my weigh-in day to Sunday. I'm basically 5 lbs down from starting in late January, so if I'm going to meet my 5 lb goal for March I'm going to have to be more dedicated.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 04, 2018, 07:41:32 PM
I lost 2.7 lbs in February. My goal is 4 lbs in March. I have increase my fitness & strength level quite a bit, but haven't noticed a big change in my weight. My clothes are fitting a bit more comfortably. I know that I also need to do a better job of reducing portion size at lunch. I get free lunch at work, and my guess is that the food has more calories than I think it does.

Goals for March are to do another round of 21 Day Fix, run 8 times, and keep my average daily calories 100 /day lower.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on March 05, 2018, 03:21:16 AM
February was horrible for me. No exercise + a 10 day trip to Italy which was awesome but definitely not good for a diet (but with exercise). The week after the trip I felt lazy and a lot of sports classes were canceled due to spring holidays.

Now I'm trying to get back into good eating habits and I dragged myself to the pool for an 800 m swim this morning. Let's start all over again :). Haven't weighed myself in a month as I didn't dare to step on the scale last weekend.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 05, 2018, 06:37:33 AM
I have been on a bit of a roller coaster.  The scales in January were occasionally dipping down to 132.5 pounds after mostly hovering around 134.  Then February went back up with one day hitting 138.5.  I fell into funkland.
This past weekend was sunny and I got outside and started garden dreaming and painting.
The scale this morning was back to 134.  I have determined that I do want to weigh less than I do right now.  I also really need to be more fit to enjoy the summer holiday plans with the family.  So I am going to be more intentional again.

So for accountability:
I want to get to 130 by the July 15. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on March 05, 2018, 09:30:40 AM
I'm trying for my first fasting day in almost a month. Yesterday I had a light dinner and have only had coffee so far (it's 11:30am as I type). I find a little activity actually suppresses hunger. I went for a walk first thing this morning and just finished some weed pulling. Feeling good so far.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: FamilyGuy on March 05, 2018, 03:58:58 PM
I want to lose around 20 pounds before 2019 starts.
Right now I average about 188. Should be 168 by Dec 2019.

Action items:
Walking 10k steps every day.
Calorie restrictions to 1500 for most of the days.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SachaFiscal on March 05, 2018, 08:31:36 PM

Joining for accountability. Going to finally lose the extra 10-15 pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 10-15 years. I’d like to lose at least 10lbs by April when I plan to get my cholesterol checked.

My plan is:
- track calories in MFP (1200-1400 per day)
- walk for an hour every day
- Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and spin class each once a week.
- no alcohol until July 4 (doing this with my spouse)
- plant based diet
- no eating out unless invited out with friends until July 4

My spouse is also on board which makes this a lot easier this time.

Starting weight: 135lbs
Goal weight: 120-125lbs

1/1/2018: 135 lbs
1/8/2018: 134.0 lbs
1/15/2018: 134.7 lbs
1/25/2018: 133.0 lbs
2/13/2018: 131.7 lbs
3/5/2018: 129.8 lbs

Haven’t seen 129 in a long time! On the downside I just got my body composition tested with the Bod Pod and apparently I am 45% fat. I’ll get it checked again when I get down to 120.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on March 05, 2018, 11:42:20 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on March 06, 2018, 08:00:33 AM
Weekly-ish Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142
February 15:   145
February 24:  143
March 6:        142.8

Spring is just around the corner everyone! It will be easier to exercise, we won't crave comfort food, more sunlight will help sleep and stress - hurray!

On feb 28th I received an email I had set up through futureme.org that reminded me that Feb and March are hard and to just hang on to spring. It was the reminder I needed.

I sent myself a new email to be delivered Feb 1 2019 - reminding myself that February is particularly hard on me, that self care is vital, and not to make any decisions about anything important until mid-April.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on March 06, 2018, 08:40:09 AM
Spring is just around the corner everyone! It will be easier to exercise, we won't crave comfort food, more sunlight will help sleep and stress - hurray!


This is sooooo true! I already feel so different now compared to December (which was also a depressingly cloudy month in my country). Way less cravings for coffee and hot chocolate already. And easier to do morning workouts as I don't have to bike through the darkness.

Good job on the weight loss the past 3 weeks btw! Feb has been hard on you but you're back on track :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on March 06, 2018, 10:50:01 AM
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?

The DW and I toyed with these concepts a lot last year (what are our ideal weights so we don't just diet forever).

I found it depends a lot on what you're losing weight for. If you want to look a certain way then the best option I found was to try and figure out body fat percentage (excellent guide here: http://www.kingofthegym.com/body-fat-percentage/ (http://www.kingofthegym.com/body-fat-percentage/)) but if you want a general "what weight is good for me" there has been some study in the area leading to the formulas / calcultor here: http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html (http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html)

At those weights you can still change how you look by losing fat / gaining muscle, but you can at least consider those weights "healthy" and work forward from there.

For the record I've always been heavier than I should be and my wife leaner than she should be, so we have countless discussions about this topic from both sides.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: happy on March 06, 2018, 03:58:46 PM
Starting weight 96.5kg
Week 1 loss 0.8kg. (1lb 12 oz)....95.7kg
Week 2 loss 0.8 kg .................  94.9 kg......total 1.6kg
Week 3 gain 0.3kg ...................95.2 kg..............1.3kg

Sigh, this is what usually happens and about now I give up. I stick to the plan and  I don't lose weight.

I am so overweight I really have no option but to keep going. So I will. Hopefully its just a minor aberration.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on March 06, 2018, 07:31:25 PM
Didn't do so well last month. Don't want to weigh myself but even my "fat pants" won't close!  Need to check in here whenever I feel the urge to snack, and I will have to put in some exercise.  Must stop driving the clown car to school and get back to walking the kids. If there is school tomorrow (snow day anticipated) we will walk!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on March 07, 2018, 05:23:23 AM
2/1/18: 140.2. Going for 5lbs this month.
2/7/18: 138.6 (-1.6)
2/16/18: 137.8 (-0.8 ) 2.4lbs down total.
2/23/18: 136.2 (-1.6) 4.0lbs down this month, on track to hit my 5lb goal!
2/28/18: 135.0 (-1.2) 5.2lbs down this month, met my goal of 5lbs. Next goal is 4lbs for March.
3/7/18: 132.8 (-2.2) 2.2lbs down this month already and 7.4lbs down total. I was really surprised this morning that I had another “woosh” on the scale since I feel like I’ve been overeating and my body seems to be in a bit of a funk lately. But I guess not, so I’m going to stay the course.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180307/ec56dcd888fd044dae24061525434017.jpg)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on March 07, 2018, 06:51:43 AM
How cool @lexde !  Sorry your body has been in a funk, I know that feeling. Great to get good results regardless.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on March 07, 2018, 11:47:25 AM
Starting weight 96.5kg
Week 1 loss 0.8kg. (1lb 12 oz)....95.7kg
Week 2 loss 0.8 kg .................  94.9 kg......total 1.6kg
Week 3 gain 0.3kg ...................95.2 kg..............1.3kg

Sigh, this is what usually happens and about now I give up. I stick to the plan and  I don't lose weight.

I am so overweight I really have no option but to keep going. So I will. Hopefully its just a minor aberration.

This is totally normal! Stay the course generally, but maybe try switching out something so the routine doesn't get stale? doesn't have to be a big switch, like if you usually walk by a lake, try indoors? just something that will keep your attention.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on March 09, 2018, 04:45:41 AM
Weighed in at 207. If this isn’t a temporary blip it’s just 2 pounds more than my lowest ever adult weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on March 09, 2018, 07:36:20 AM
Weighed in at 207. If this isn’t a temporary blip it’s just 2 pounds more than my lowest ever adult weight.

Wohooo, that's awesome!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on March 09, 2018, 08:27:43 AM
Weighed in at 207. If this isn’t a temporary blip it’s just 2 pounds more than my lowest ever adult weight.

Awesome!  Getting past that benchmark feels great doesn't it?  I'm really struggling with my lack of progress, but I'm trying to temper my desire to consol myself with sugar by remembering that I still weigh less than I did in high school.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on March 09, 2018, 08:40:08 AM
Weighed in at 207. If this isn’t a temporary blip it’s just 2 pounds more than my lowest ever adult weight.

Awesome!  Getting past that benchmark feels great doesn't it?  I'm really struggling with my lack of progress, but I'm trying to temper my desire to consol myself with sugar by remembering that I still weigh less than I did in high school.

Well, assuming the 207 sticks and it’s not a water weight blip like I’ve experienced in the past, it’s taken me six months to lose the last 8 pounds I’ve lost, so progress can be quite slow :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: G-dog on March 09, 2018, 08:59:37 AM
Weighed in at 207. If this isn’t a temporary blip it’s just 2 pounds more than my lowest ever adult weight.

Awesome!  Getting past that benchmark feels great doesn't it?  I'm really struggling with my lack of progress, but I'm trying to temper my desire to consol myself with sugar by remembering that I still weigh less than I did in high school.

That’s pretty major! It can be hard to remember past success as you move to the next goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on March 09, 2018, 05:47:42 PM
I'm back! I'm back!

I've been rather absent since I started this thread. I started January at 145lbs.

Unfortunately,  after a few attempts here and there, I ended up gaining weight instead. When I finally worked up the nerve to weigh myself this past weekend, I was a whopping 148 (I likely hit 150lbs at some point)

A very, very far cry from my low of 130 lbs last summer.

So frustrating.  Anyway, I have spent the past 2 weeks getting in 30-120mins of cardio almost every day (my body is aching lol) and being much more careful about portion sizes. This morning, I weighed in at 146.8lbs.

I'm on a mission to get back to 130lbs by the summer. While I was still a touch overweight (only 5ft tall), I felt great and had plenty of energy for all the outdoor activities I love so much. Plus it was nice to feel good in clothes :)

I plan to eat moderate portion sizes and make sure I do some cardio for at least 30 mins every day. Preferably longer.

The only problem is I am checking in here right before March Break. And while we have several sensible meals, we also have a few indulgences planned (my mom is baking lots of biscuits tonight and will bake brownies tomorrow!). I better get a lot of hiking in to make up for that.

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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on March 09, 2018, 07:47:16 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?
Finally!!! Hit 145 today (25 pounds lost since Jan). Achieved my third goal of hitting normal BMI. I can't stop smiling everytime I think of it.

I have been oscillating between 146-148 and feeling heavy in general despite being careful in diet and doing mini exercises. I was feeling very dejected and thankfully the scales moved in the right direction today. Next goal is to hit 138 (goal#4) but I'm not really sure how long it'll take since I think I'm past my rapid weight loss stage (I've lost all my pregnancy weight and then some, usually it's super hard to lose weight once I hit my normal BMI). Now for a slow and steady journey towards next goal.

Dreadmoose, thank you so much for the links. According to the BMI link, I still have a long way to go (122 lbs, I don't even remember when I was that weight the last time :( ) and my body fat shows I'm in a healthy range. I have to do more digging to figure out if my weight loss goals are accurate.

ETA: thinking further, I do best if I'm close enough to a goal but not too close. The next goal (138#) intimidates me since I know the weight loss is going to slow down a lot and I don't want lose the motivation in the meantime. I'm going to add three mini goals (first at 144, second at 142 and third at 140) to keep the motivation intact while I attempt the next one. Wish me luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on March 10, 2018, 06:02:37 AM
Weekly-ish Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142
February 15:   145
February 24:  143
March 6:        142.8
March 10:       142

Back to regular posting schedule.

@elaine amj  - I'm so glad you are back! I was going to tag you last week and see how you were doing but then thought you might not want to be bothered. Welcome home :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on March 11, 2018, 08:05:24 AM
@firelight Don't worry too much of the weight is a bit off from week to week. I found weight tends to hold steady for a bit (sometimes for 2-3 weeks) and then you'll get a big whoosh. If you know you're doing the right things, the main thing is to hang in there.

@Starbright awwww....thanks for thinking of me! We've been at this journey for a while now, haven't we?

I've regained a chunk of weight not once, but twice now! I think I really need to work at maintenance - and always and forever eating like a healthy person.  All this emotional binging is terrible for me. I'm currently actively working on eating more vegetables regularly.

The other night, I made a hamburger stroganoff from my fave Skinnytaste. Replaced half the ground beef with grated carrots (it tricks my brain!), the sour cream with plain yogurt, and the noodles with spiralized Butternut squash and spiralized daikon. Also added plenty of mushrooms. It was soooo good!! My daughter said it tasted cheesy :) :)

Hopped on my bike for the first time since December for an hour's bike ride only to find it's having problems beyond our ability to solve. Time to take it this guy I know who fixes up clunkers in his basement. Was too sore to do anything else other than a gentle walk with my mom and dog so there went yesterday's workout :(

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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on March 11, 2018, 08:28:44 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174

God dammit!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 11, 2018, 09:30:25 AM
@elaine amj  - so glad you are back here.  Things are quiet in my forum world. 
I got myself back on track and have been eating quite well this past week.  I have been bringing the apples up from the cold cellar and putting them in the fruit bowl on the counter and using them as my snack of first choice.
I think the length of time it takes to eat an apple helps me feel more full.

I have gotten back down to 135 this past week but have been waking up in the night because I am hungry.  So the three pounds came off - but with some personal discomfort.
I wrote in my food journal for three days and then stopped. 
I have not had a soft drink this week.
I have had huge salads and lots of veg and fruit.
I did two big walks.
I did not stock the house with candy - but Easter is coming....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on March 11, 2018, 10:38:48 AM
@elaine amj I like shredded zucchini/summer squash as a replacement/add in with ground meat, give it a try sometime.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on March 11, 2018, 06:13:27 PM
2/1/18: 140.2. Going for 5lbs this month.
2/7/18: 138.6 (-1.6)
2/16/18: 137.8 (-0.8 ) 2.4lbs down total.
2/23/18: 136.2 (-1.6) 4.0lbs down this month, on track to hit my 5lb goal!
2/28/18: 135.0 (-1.2) 5.2lbs down this month, met my goal of 5lbs. Next goal is 4lbs for March.
3/7/18: 132.8 (-2.2)
3/11/2018: 135.2 (+2.4) - weight loss is not linear. This is temporary so I’m looking forward to the next loss. :-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on March 12, 2018, 03:49:49 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 115.9kg
Current weight: 115.5kg

Happy with the continuing progress. Big weekend last weekend with sport (and next weekend), and I've been good today with food. Had five beers last night and some ice cream on Saturday night, but I've otherwise not been too bad.

I made a nice satay chicken and vegetable stir fry tonight, and had it without any noodles or rice. Nice and filling and of course getting more vegetables into my diet than I would if it was mostly noodles.

So that now makes 5kg down from the beginning of January. The jeans I bought in December that were feeling comfortable at the time are now a bit loose. I'll have to check if I'm on a different notch on the belt.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on March 12, 2018, 10:07:25 AM
This is going to be a tough week. I dumped a bunch of feelings talk in my own journal, but basically I have a lot tasks to juggle, some of them are emotional and I'm not sleeping well at all. I'm going to skip fasting today and I doubt I'll get any formal exercise this week.

There are some positives:
1) I made a huge pot of veggie soup yesterday, so I have that for lunch.
2) The refrigerator is stocked with lots of produce. Our shopping cart yesterday was awesome. Lots of produce and other single ingredient foods. The meal plan is solid, with the veggie soup and crockpot full of chili. Buddha bowls are also on the menu.
3) I'll be getting a lot of movement in working on my house.
4) I'm taking at least this week off alcohol. It just hurts my sleep and is not helping my mood, so it needs to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on March 13, 2018, 06:46:10 AM
@frugal lizard I like the idea of "snacks of first choice"! Congrats on 135!!

@Harbingerofbunnies shredded zucchini / squash is a great idea for mixing up with ground meat. We go through a ton of carrots here so having an alternate veggie as a sub is much welcomed.

I still don't naturally eat enough veggies without pushing myself harder. The last two days of vacation, I've barely eaten any veggies other than sweet potato fries and a chickpea curry. I have plenty of salad greens in the fridge, but so far have refused to eat any.

I have been eating a bit a more (vacation after all!) but still getting in some walks every day so that helps. Also not completely overdoing snacks and treats. Hopefully will stay at maintenance this week.

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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: itchyfeet on March 15, 2018, 10:00:30 PM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 115.9kg
Current weight: 115.5kg

Happy with the continuing progress. Big weekend last weekend with sport (and next weekend), and I've been good today with food. Had five beers last night and some ice cream on Saturday night, but I've otherwise not been too bad.

I made a nice satay chicken and vegetable stir fry tonight, and had it without any noodles or rice. Nice and filling and of course getting more vegetables into my diet than I would if it was mostly noodles.

So that now makes 5kg down from the beginning of January. The jeans I bought in December that were feeling comfortable at the time are now a bit loose. I'll have to check if I'm on a different notch on the belt.

Well done.

I am down a notch and a half (sometimes 1notch sometimes 2). And some pants I bought late  last year are a bit baggy now. People are commenting my face looks like I’ve lost a little weight too. So I suppose I have.

I refused to get on the scales the 2nd half of last year as I was getting so fat, so I don’t know how much I’ve lost. Maybe 4 or 5kgs like you.

I finally got on the scales last week. Pretty depressing, but at least ts a line in the sand. I’ll weigh myself again in a month or so. I am just trying to eat fairly healthy and exercise 3 or 4 days a week. I don’t want my yo-yoing weight when I eat/ drink out to play with my head. Stick to the process and the results will come.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on March 16, 2018, 06:58:10 AM
Per Happy Scale I've lost 2 pounds. Logging food before I eat it seems to be an effective way to get myself to evaluate if I really need that blizzard. I didn't get to the gym 3 times last week, but I did do a class, lift twice, and did the walking desk enough so that beat my calorie burn goal each day. So gonna say yay for that.

Part of me wants to get really aggressive with this, but past habits tell me that's when I yo-yo. Yes 2 isn't a lot. Yes this is going to take time. It's about building a sustainable lifestyle and just making it a habit I don't even think about. I can do this. Stay the course!
Down 4 pounds in 18 days. So close to under 190. It's been slower than I'd like, but frankly it hasn't been that hard either. I think the forced logging before eating has been a good change for me. Usually when I have a crazy week at work, like this one, I would have gained a couple pounds through stress eating. While this week I didn't get the exercise I'd like, at least that stopped me from gaining weight.
Down 5 pounds in 30 days, but on the bright side I've also lost 1% fat. These changes are sustainable for me, BUT SO SLOW.
February was meh. Down another 1.5 that's permanent /non water related, but 28 to go.

Bright side? I think I found a routine that's sustainable workout wise and I'm starting to feel in control again. So yay! The habit app is stupid simple but apparently wanting to increase that bright green bar is enough to get me off my butt and the yoga app's 20 min sessions are really easy enough that I have no excuses.

Goal for March is 3.5 lbs, which will put me at 185, and to complete 18 yoga sessions. 1 down, 17 to go.
Half poundish down? Hard to tell. But my body is starting to feel less foreign/more like it did pre-baby. Yoga is getting less frustrating and that's been something I've been able to keep up with. I'd have to go count, but I think I'm at 10-11 sessions for the month; I haven't missed many days at all. I was finally brave enough to try the yoga class at work yesterday. Not gonna lie, doing yoga in front of co-workers was weird, but the teacher was great and I didn't embarrass myself.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on March 16, 2018, 07:10:40 AM
@itchyfeet @asiljoy That’s fantastic that the both of you are feeling like the weight is going down a bit. Even without precise measurements, obviously your healthy habits are paying off!

@asiljoy I know just how you feel with your body being slightly less foreign. I put on so much weight in such a short amount of time! But now I am taking very slow steps back to my “normal“ self.

I was pretty active yesterday - but for the first time in the last few weeks, didn’t end up with a super sore body. That was my exciting win for the day :)


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Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 16, 2018, 11:48:12 AM
Weigh in was ok - still at 135 But at least the increasing has been halted.

Habits are not going well.  I think because it is March break and the kids are home and my partner started working through the dinner hour because it is now tax season, I am finding it hard to have a rhythm. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: use2betrix on March 16, 2018, 04:13:44 PM
Was hovering around 190 lbs and maybe 12% body fat over the winter. Slowly cut down to 180 and probably around 8% BF. Now aiming for around 5-6% BF at around 173-175ish.

Losing weight can be a bit of a challenge but it’s not even remotely as miserable as trying to gain it (by putting on muscle, not fat)

Eating 1800 calories of healthy, balanced, timed foods a day is 1000x easier than eating 4000-5000 calories of the same foods. Sitting down to every meal still stuffed from the last one, knowing you HAVE to eat t. That’s what is miserable.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on March 16, 2018, 04:19:49 PM
Was hovering around 190 lbs and maybe 12% body fat over the winter. Slowly cut down to 180 and probably around 8% BF. Now aiming for around 5-6% BF at around 173-175ish.

Losing weight can be a bit of a challenge but it’s not even remotely as miserable as trying to gain it (by putting on muscle, not fat)

Eating 1800 calories of healthy, balanced, timed foods a day is 1000x easier than eating 4000-5000 calories of the same foods. Sitting down to every meal still stuffed from the last one, knowing you HAVE to eat t. That’s what is miserable.

Why are you trying to be so low in BF? That’s not considered optimal for men or women, even elite athletes.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: use2betrix on March 16, 2018, 05:41:54 PM
Was hovering around 190 lbs and maybe 12% body fat over the winter. Slowly cut down to 180 and probably around 8% BF. Now aiming for around 5-6% BF at around 173-175ish.

Losing weight can be a bit of a challenge but it’s not even remotely as miserable as trying to gain it (by putting on muscle, not fat)

Eating 1800 calories of healthy, balanced, timed foods a day is 1000x easier than eating 4000-5000 calories of the same foods. Sitting down to every meal still stuffed from the last one, knowing you HAVE to eat t. That’s what is miserable.

Why are you trying to be so low in BF? That’s not considered optimal for men or women, even elite athletes.

There are definitely some elite male athletes in probably the 6% range. Bodybuilders get down to 2-3%. I just look at it as a personal goal for aesthetic reasons and just a challenge. It’s not maintainable unless someone does an insane amount of exercise or hardly eats. I’m doing it more for bodybuilding reasons (though I don’t compete). Maintaining 180-185 and around 8-10% BF isn’t bad though. I’m just shy of 5’10.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on March 16, 2018, 08:04:37 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?
Finally!!! Hit 145 today (25 pounds lost since Jan). Achieved my third goal of hitting normal BMI. I can't stop smiling everytime I think of it.

I have been oscillating between 146-148 and feeling heavy in general despite being careful in diet and doing mini exercises. I was feeling very dejected and thankfully the scales moved in the right direction today. Next goal is to hit 138 (goal#4) but I'm not really sure how long it'll take since I think I'm past my rapid weight loss stage (I've lost all my pregnancy weight and then some, usually it's super hard to lose weight once I hit my normal BMI). Now for a slow and steady journey towards next goal.

Dreadmoose, thank you so much for the links. According to the BMI link, I still have a long way to go (122 lbs, I don't even remember when I was that weight the last time :( ) and my body fat shows I'm in a healthy range. I have to do more digging to figure out if my weight loss goals are accurate.

ETA: thinking further, I do best if I'm close enough to a goal but not too close. The next goal (138#) intimidates me since I know the weight loss is going to slow down a lot and I don't want lose the motivation in the meantime. I'm going to add three mini goals (first at 144, second at 142 and third at 140) to keep the motivation intact while I attempt the next one. Wish me luck!
Checking in at 144 (26 pounds lost since Jan 1)! My first minigoal reached. Definitely harder to lose this one pound compared to a pound lost in Jan. But I'm pumped to hit my first mini goal! Next on list is 142. Onward and upward!

elaine_amj, welcome back! Missed you here!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on March 17, 2018, 05:47:47 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?
Finally!!! Hit 145 today (25 pounds lost since Jan). Achieved my third goal of hitting normal BMI. I can't stop smiling everytime I think of it.

I have been oscillating between 146-148 and feeling heavy in general despite being careful in diet and doing mini exercises. I was feeling very dejected and thankfully the scales moved in the right direction today. Next goal is to hit 138 (goal#4) but I'm not really sure how long it'll take since I think I'm past my rapid weight loss stage (I've lost all my pregnancy weight and then some, usually it's super hard to lose weight once I hit my normal BMI). Now for a slow and steady journey towards next goal.

Dreadmoose, thank you so much for the links. According to the BMI link, I still have a long way to go (122 lbs, I don't even remember when I was that weight the last time :( ) and my body fat shows I'm in a healthy range. I have to do more digging to figure out if my weight loss goals are accurate.

ETA: thinking further, I do best if I'm close enough to a goal but not too close. The next goal (138#) intimidates me since I know the weight loss is going to slow down a lot and I don't want lose the motivation in the meantime. I'm going to add three mini goals (first at 144, second at 142 and third at 140) to keep the motivation intact while I attempt the next one. Wish me luck!
Checking in at 144 (26 pounds lost since Jan 1)! My first minigoal reached. Definitely harder to lose this one pound compared to a pound lost in Jan. But I'm pumped to hit my first mini goal! Next on list is 142. Onward and upward!

elaine_amj, welcome back! Missed you here!
That is hugely impressive!!! 

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: nnls on March 18, 2018, 01:49:20 AM
I have lost about 5kg since mid January, with my goal to lose another 7 (and get down to about 55kg)

I am going on holiday to Europe for 5 weeks from next week so I think I may undo my progress, but we will see.

I am posting for motivation :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on March 18, 2018, 03:55:22 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?
Finally!!! Hit 145 today (25 pounds lost since Jan). Achieved my third goal of hitting normal BMI. I can't stop smiling everytime I think of it.

I have been oscillating between 146-148 and feeling heavy in general despite being careful in diet and doing mini exercises. I was feeling very dejected and thankfully the scales moved in the right direction today. Next goal is to hit 138 (goal#4) but I'm not really sure how long it'll take since I think I'm past my rapid weight loss stage (I've lost all my pregnancy weight and then some, usually it's super hard to lose weight once I hit my normal BMI). Now for a slow and steady journey towards next goal.

Dreadmoose, thank you so much for the links. According to the BMI link, I still have a long way to go (122 lbs, I don't even remember when I was that weight the last time :( ) and my body fat shows I'm in a healthy range. I have to do more digging to figure out if my weight loss goals are accurate.

ETA: thinking further, I do best if I'm close enough to a goal but not too close. The next goal (138#) intimidates me since I know the weight loss is going to slow down a lot and I don't want lose the motivation in the meantime. I'm going to add three mini goals (first at 144, second at 142 and third at 140) to keep the motivation intact while I attempt the next one. Wish me luck!
Checking in at 144 (26 pounds lost since Jan 1)! My first minigoal reached. Definitely harder to lose this one pound compared to a pound lost in Jan. But I'm pumped to hit my first mini goal! Next on list is 142. Onward and upward!

elaine_amj, welcome back! Missed you here!
Ok, I think I've found the secret of rapid weight loss (for me anyways). Have both kids be sick for more than a week --&gt; run on low sleep (2/3 hours a day) --&gt; don't have much energy to junk on food --&gt; weight loss. Down to 142 pounds (second mini goal and 28 pounds down from Jan 1). I know I've not lost two pounds in two days! It should be more a mix of fatigued muscles, less food overall, loss of water weight, etc. Next in line is my third minigoal (140 pounds). But I'm expecting a rebound once kids start sleeping through. I just hope I don't go up too much and am able to maintain it here.

Elaine_amj, thank you so much! To be fair, almost all of it was my pregnancy weight, so clean eating coupled with light but regular exercise helped drop the pounds fast. I usually oscillate between 140 and 150 easily so anything below 145 are the pounds I really need to work hard to lose.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: jimsteets on March 18, 2018, 04:05:44 AM
The less meat, diary, oils, processed foods you eat the more weight your will lose and the more health you will gain.

Also look the cost of a head of broccoli vrs a box of pop tarts next time your at the grocery store.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on March 18, 2018, 11:08:40 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4

I'm not happy with my progress, but I've gotten religious about tracking calories (tracking, not meeting goals yet though), workouts, and a few other things and I'm getting good data.  I wanted to just throw in the towel this morning, but data collection is my main motivator at this point.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 19, 2018, 07:15:44 AM
I had a rough couple of weeks, but I'm back & committing to weighing in regularly. After evaluating my progress, eating, etc, it's clear that I do well on "regular days". I eat within my calorie range, & work out. However, the number of "non-regular days" have been much higher than I'd expected, and when you average the total calories, the number of "non-regular days" erases the progress of regular days. I'd expected "non-regular days" to maybe be 10% of my total. For March, at least, they are about 1/2 of the total. March has been totally crazy, but I'm now clear on what's going on & why I'm making no progress.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on March 21, 2018, 06:05:25 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4

I'm not happy with my progress, but I've gotten religious about tracking calories (tracking, not meeting goals yet though), workouts, and a few other things and I'm getting good data.  I wanted to just throw in the towel this morning, but data collection is my main motivator at this point.

@neophyte you are doing great! If I recall, slow loss is more likely to be permanent loss and data collection is a very worthy goal! I'm in year 3 of data collection and I know so much more about my body, my metabolism, my cravings, etc. than when I started this process.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on March 22, 2018, 11:11:49 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?
Finally!!! Hit 145 today (25 pounds lost since Jan). Achieved my third goal of hitting normal BMI. I can't stop smiling everytime I think of it.

I have been oscillating between 146-148 and feeling heavy in general despite being careful in diet and doing mini exercises. I was feeling very dejected and thankfully the scales moved in the right direction today. Next goal is to hit 138 (goal#4) but I'm not really sure how long it'll take since I think I'm past my rapid weight loss stage (I've lost all my pregnancy weight and then some, usually it's super hard to lose weight once I hit my normal BMI). Now for a slow and steady journey towards next goal.

Dreadmoose, thank you so much for the links. According to the BMI link, I still have a long way to go (122 lbs, I don't even remember when I was that weight the last time :( ) and my body fat shows I'm in a healthy range. I have to do more digging to figure out if my weight loss goals are accurate.

ETA: thinking further, I do best if I'm close enough to a goal but not too close. The next goal (138#) intimidates me since I know the weight loss is going to slow down a lot and I don't want lose the motivation in the meantime. I'm going to add three mini goals (first at 144, second at 142 and third at 140) to keep the motivation intact while I attempt the next one. Wish me luck!
Checking in at 144 (26 pounds lost since Jan 1)! My first minigoal reached. Definitely harder to lose this one pound compared to a pound lost in Jan. But I'm pumped to hit my first mini goal! Next on list is 142. Onward and upward!

elaine_amj, welcome back! Missed you here!
Ok, I think I've found the secret of rapid weight loss (for me anyways). Have both kids be sick for more than a week --&gt; run on low sleep (2/3 hours a day) --&gt; don't have much energy to junk on food --&gt; weight loss. Down to 142 pounds (second mini goal and 28 pounds down from Jan 1). I know I've not lost two pounds in two days! It should be more a mix of fatigued muscles, less food overall, loss of water weight, etc. Next in line is my third minigoal (140 pounds). But I'm expecting a rebound once kids start sleeping through. I just hope I don't go up too much and am able to maintain it here.

Elaine_amj, thank you so much! To be fair, almost all of it was my pregnancy weight, so clean eating coupled with light but regular exercise helped drop the pounds fast. I usually oscillate between 140 and 150 easily so anything below 145 are the pounds I really need to work hard to lose.
Still holding onto 142 pounds and I think I'm at a plateau again. Still clean eating and doing exercises but haven't upped the intensity yet.

@neophyte, +1 to slow but sure weight loss sticking better. You're doing great! Keep at it. Maybe mini goals would help? I find I get motivated when I'm super close to a goal than a far off one.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on March 23, 2018, 02:22:59 AM
Checking in at 2.6 lbs above goal for 2 days in a row now. I'm down about 3 lbs since the beginning of March. I haven't had much chance to go running but I think it is easier to lose weight if I don't run.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on March 23, 2018, 05:06:49 AM
Wed + Thu were poor days for me due to no exercise and lots of food (goodbye party of co-worker + conference in other city). Tonight I have another party to attend, so this morning I had a vegetable breakfast (Broccoli) and went for a short swim. Trying to keep the good things up regardless of the bad influences.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 23, 2018, 06:13:00 AM
Not doing much better.
Scales: 136.5 this morning.
Exercise:  Walked downtown two evenings this week.  One other after dinner walks.  Walked home from the market on Saturday with a huge buggie of fresh fruit and veg.
Cooking: Not the best -
Snacking: Horrible
One can of coke consumed.  Hubs brought six cans of pop up from the basement on Sunday and I drank one yesterday.  I really should just carry them back down to the cold cellar.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on March 23, 2018, 07:38:11 AM
Weekly-ish Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142
February 15:   145
February 24:  143
March 6:        142.8
March 10:       142
March 23:       142.8


Still hanging in there! I need spring so that I can spend more time outside and have the desire to eat salads again (I just cannot eat cold lunches when temps are below 50 degrees F).

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on March 23, 2018, 09:29:37 AM
2/1/18: 140.2. Going for 5lbs this month.
2/7/18: 138.6 (-1.6)
2/16/18: 137.8 (-0.8 ) 2.4lbs down total.
2/23/18: 136.2 (-1.6) 4.0lbs down this month, on track to hit my 5lb goal!
2/28/18: 135.0 (-1.2) 5.2lbs down this month, met my goal of 5lbs. Next goal is 4lbs for March.
3/7/18: 132.8 (-2.2)
3/11/2018: 135.2 (+2.4)
3/23/2018: 134.8 (-0.4) not great progress this month but I’m still down overall so I will take it as a win. I don’t think I’ll hit my goal by next week (131.0, so 3.8lbs) but I’m happy with the progress so far. I feel better overall and coming off of meds means my body was feeling a little crazy earlier this month.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on March 23, 2018, 02:36:02 PM
I had been wondering how I managed to gain so much weight last year until I went to a conference in the part of town where I used to work. Because of how parking works, you end up walking. A LOT. I clocked 11,000 ish steps yesterday without trying following my old route. At my new job I only walk about 5-6000 a day and that's when I make the extra effort to go to a walking desk.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on March 23, 2018, 03:24:43 PM
@neophyte, +1 to slow but sure weight loss sticking better. You're doing great! Keep at it. Maybe mini goals would help? I find I get motivated when I'm super close to a goal than a far off one.

True, true! Partly I'm down about it cause in my mind I'm only counting the last 2 lbs as "real;" weight loss, the other 6 lbs I've lost so far this year was just getting rid of the annual Christmas weight so I'm telling myself that doesn't count. But that was also an accomplishment.

I also joined the monthly challenge with a goal of 5 lbs.  That's a nice for setting short range goals.  My first mid-range goal is 160 which is a "normal" BMI for me, I should be able to do that by summer with some effort!  Ultimately I'd love to hit 140 someday, but I'm not close enough yet to know if that is really a realistic goal for me.


I had been wondering how I managed to gain so much weight last year until I went to a conference in the part of town where I used to work. Because of how parking works, you end up walking. A LOT. I clocked 11,000 ish steps yesterday without trying following my old route. At my new job I only walk about 5-6000 a day and that's when I make the extra effort to go to a walking desk.

Surprising how much that helps, isn't it?  I'm really lucky to have a walking commute!  Even if I don't get any other exercise, I'm at least getting that in most days.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on March 23, 2018, 08:28:59 PM
I'm still up 10 pounds from last year.  But right now I'm fighting the knowledge that there's a strawberry Pop-Tart in the pantry. I'm going to make my list of things to do tomorrow, then go to bed.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: use2betrix on March 24, 2018, 06:35:00 AM
The less meat, diary, oils, processed foods you eat the more weight your will lose and the more health you will gain.

Also look the cost of a head of broccoli vrs a box of pop tarts next time your at the grocery store.

Weight has nothing to do with eating less of any type of food. It has to do with calories. Where they come from impacts a lot of things, but weight is not one of them.

Eating “less meat” is also a terrible suggestion for the most part. Most people’s problem is actually eating far too many carbs/fats and not enough protein (meat). It’s far easier to eat 1000 calories worth of carbs than it is meat. I could sit down and eat 1000 calories of pizza in one sitting with zero issue, for any meal. Eating the equivalent calories in chicken breast (20 oz)? Not so easy. Not to mention all the muscle building and maintaining factors with meat.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on March 24, 2018, 11:31:57 AM
The less meat, diary, oils, processed foods you eat the more weight your will lose and the more health you will gain.

Also look the cost of a head of broccoli vrs a box of pop tarts next time your at the grocery store.

Weight has nothing to do with eating less of any type of food. It has to do with calories. Where they come from impacts a lot of things, but weight is not one of them.

Eating “less meat” is also a terrible suggestion for the most part. Most people’s problem is actually eating far too many carbs/fats and not enough protein (meat). It’s far easier to eat 1000 calories worth of carbs than it is meat. I could sit down and eat 1000 calories of pizza in one sitting with zero issue, for any meal. Eating the equivalent calories in chicken breast (20 oz)? Not so easy. Not to mention all the muscle building and maintaining factors with meat.

I agree with you on the first part, but I heavily disagree that people should eat more meat. You are right that it's harder to overeat on carbs compared to protein, however there you assume that people would replace their meat by more carbs. If you'd replace meat using veggies, it will get a lot harder to overeat. I'm pretty sure you'll have an easier job eating 1000 kcal on chicken breast vs eating 1000 kcal of broccoli (that's about 9.5 lbs).
Most people actually eat too much meat, in particular processed and red meat, which also has many adverse effects on health. Besides that, you need about 1g protein/kg bodyweight per day, which isn't that hard to achieve, even on a vegan or vegetarian diet. Sure, meat will make it a bit easier, but to get back to the broccoli vs. chicken: chicken contains 16 g protein per 100 kcal while broccoli has 14 g per 100 kcal. So that's not too far apart if you look at the % of calories coming from protein in both foods. Plus you'll get to eat a larger volume of the vegetables that will keep you full (or get you multiple portions throughout the day).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: use2betrix on March 24, 2018, 02:53:41 PM
The less meat, diary, oils, processed foods you eat the more weight your will lose and the more health you will gain.

Also look the cost of a head of broccoli vrs a box of pop tarts next time your at the grocery store.

Weight has nothing to do with eating less of any type of food. It has to do with calories. Where they come from impacts a lot of things, but weight is not one of them.

Eating “less meat” is also a terrible suggestion for the most part. Most people’s problem is actually eating far too many carbs/fats and not enough protein (meat). It’s far easier to eat 1000 calories worth of carbs than it is meat. I could sit down and eat 1000 calories of pizza in one sitting with zero issue, for any meal. Eating the equivalent calories in chicken breast (20 oz)? Not so easy. Not to mention all the muscle building and maintaining factors with meat.

I agree with you on the first part, but I heavily disagree that people should eat more meat. You are right that it's harder to overeat on carbs compared to protein, however there you assume that people would replace their meat by more carbs. If you'd replace meat using veggies, it will get a lot harder to overeat. I'm pretty sure you'll have an easier job eating 1000 kcal on chicken breast vs eating 1000 kcal of broccoli (that's about 9.5 lbs).
Most people actually eat too much meat, in particular processed and red meat, which also has many adverse effects on health. Besides that, you need about 1g protein/kg bodyweight per day, which isn't that hard to achieve, even on a vegan or vegetarian diet. Sure, meat will make it a bit easier, but to get back to the broccoli vs. chicken: chicken contains 16 g protein per 100 kcal while broccoli has 14 g per 100 kcal. So that's not too far apart if you look at the % of calories coming from protein in both foods. Plus you'll get to eat a larger volume of the vegetables that will keep you full (or get you multiple portions throughout the day).

That is great advice for people who lack self control and are more concerned with the number on the scale than maintaining/building muscle while having a low body fat.

My advice is more for people where self control isn’t really part of the equation any more, and they have active lifestyles with heavy resistance training and work to build muscle and lose fat. You don’t get that off high carbs and low protein.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on March 25, 2018, 02:05:33 AM
Time to update the numbers.

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 115.5kg
Current weight: 114.4kg

Yes, it's actually been almost two weeks since the last weigh-in, but I was sick for much of last week.

The trousers and jeans are definitely starting to feel loose now. Fortunately I have a big stash of 'clothes that are slightly too small' stored at my parents' place. I'll be paying them a visit next weekend.

I've seen it fluctuate to as low as low 113s. My goal is to get under 110 by the end of April.

Sent from my HTC 2PS6200 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on March 25, 2018, 05:08:42 AM
Consistently weighing in around 206. My lowest ever adult weight was 205 before I quit my out of the house job three years ago, but based on belts and clothing I am at a lower BF% than I was then.

If I can keep progressing with chiro in healing my back I’ll really be feeling great, as my ability to exercise is somewhat limited. I was getting a lot of cardio in on the bike but reaggravated something in my upper back so I’m back to just walking mainly while I continue to heal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on March 25, 2018, 05:12:04 AM
The less meat, diary, oils, processed foods you eat the more weight your will lose and the more health you will gain.

Also look the cost of a head of broccoli vrs a box of pop tarts next time your at the grocery store.

Weight has nothing to do with eating less of any type of food. It has to do with calories. Where they come from impacts a lot of things, but weight is not one of them.

Eating “less meat” is also a terrible suggestion for the most part. Most people’s problem is actually eating far too many carbs/fats and not enough protein (meat). It’s far easier to eat 1000 calories worth of carbs than it is meat. I could sit down and eat 1000 calories of pizza in one sitting with zero issue, for any meal. Eating the equivalent calories in chicken breast (20 oz)? Not so easy. Not to mention all the muscle building and maintaining factors with meat.

I agree with you on the first part, but I heavily disagree that people should eat more meat. You are right that it's harder to overeat on carbs compared to protein, however there you assume that people would replace their meat by more carbs. If you'd replace meat using veggies, it will get a lot harder to overeat. I'm pretty sure you'll have an easier job eating 1000 kcal on chicken breast vs eating 1000 kcal of broccoli (that's about 9.5 lbs).
Most people actually eat too much meat, in particular processed and red meat, which also has many adverse effects on health. Besides that, you need about 1g protein/kg bodyweight per day, which isn't that hard to achieve, even on a vegan or vegetarian diet. Sure, meat will make it a bit easier, but to get back to the broccoli vs. chicken: chicken contains 16 g protein per 100 kcal while broccoli has 14 g per 100 kcal. So that's not too far apart if you look at the % of calories coming from protein in both foods. Plus you'll get to eat a larger volume of the vegetables that will keep you full (or get you multiple portions throughout the day).

That is great advice for people who lack self control and are more concerned with the number on the scale than maintaining/building muscle while having a low body fat.

My advice is more for people where self control isn’t really part of the equation any more, and they have active lifestyles with heavy resistance training and work to build muscle and lose fat. You don’t get that off high carbs and low protein.

In your first reply you talked about "most people" and I think that that group is more composed of people lacking self control with an inactive lifestyle than people actively trying to build muscle mass ;). However, again you talk about high carb/low protein while I never said that that was a good thing to do. Meat just isn't the only way to get protein into your body and most people now eat amounts at which they have more adverse health effects vs the benefits.
For people actively trying to build a lot of muscle (e.g. body building) it will be hard to reach the same amounts of protein intake without meat, but that's only a minority of the population.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alleykat on March 25, 2018, 06:10:08 AM
Alright, I finally can report on some lbs lost.

Started at 165 Jan 1st, I am now 162, so 3 lbs lost.  I wasn’t able to stick with anything so early March, I started intermittent fasting and while expected more of a drop, I will take it.  It is the start I am hoping.  And these 3 lbs are real, I tested them for a few days.  So, it looks like 1 lb a week so far.

 22 lbs to go. I like intermittent fasting because it controls my eating window and saves me from really snacking at night.

1/1  -  165
3/26 - 162
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on March 25, 2018, 08:00:30 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4
March 25:  171.6

Slooooowly making progress. But I'm impatient!


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on March 25, 2018, 09:23:55 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4
March 25:  171.6

Slooooowly making progress. But I'm impatient!

Looks like you broke through the 174 plateau definitively, great job!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: teamzissou00 on March 26, 2018, 09:00:21 AM
So - I'm starting late, but I'm ready!  I'm weighing in at 193.5.  37/m.  I've been down to 160, but not since 23.  My first milestone is 185. 

Question - how are you all handling diet sodas?  It's definitely my crutch/morning addiction.  I don't drink coffee, and I struggle on tea.  In the past I've been able to do OK on unsweetened iced tea from the grocery store.  Do you think there is a strong correlation to diet soda and weight gain? 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on March 26, 2018, 09:12:01 AM
So - I'm starting late, but I'm ready!  I'm weighing in at 193.5.  37/m.  I've been down to 160, but not since 23.  My first milestone is 185. 

Question - how are you all handling diet sodas?  It's definitely my crutch/morning addiction.  I don't drink coffee, and I struggle on tea. In the past I've been able to do OK on unsweetened iced tea from the grocery store.  Do you think there is a strong correlation to diet soda and weight gain?

How about water? ;)
I've grown up not drinking soda at all so I've been lucky on that. Nowadays, I sometimes drink soda (but usually as a replacement for alcohol if I'm out) and alternate between the diet and the regular version. There is generally no strong correlation between diet soda and weight gain as far as I'm aware of but studies on this topic give very conflicting results and differ greatly in their set-up.

Ask yourself where you addiction to soda comes from, that might help you finding a solution. Are there no other drinks you like? Do you "need" the sweet taste?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: teamzissou00 on March 26, 2018, 09:31:12 AM
So - I'm starting late, but I'm ready!  I'm weighing in at 193.5.  37/m.  I've been down to 160, but not since 23.  My first milestone is 185. 

Question - how are you all handling diet sodas?  It's definitely my crutch/morning addiction.  I don't drink coffee, and I struggle on tea. In the past I've been able to do OK on unsweetened iced tea from the grocery store.  Do you think there is a strong correlation to diet soda and weight gain?

How about water? ;)
I've grown up not drinking soda at all so I've been lucky on that. Nowadays, I sometimes drink soda (but usually as a replacement for alcohol if I'm out) and alternate between the diet and the regular version. There is generally no strong correlation between diet soda and weight gain as far as I'm aware of but studies on this topic give very conflicting results and differ greatly in their set-up.

Ask yourself where you addiction to soda comes from, that might help you finding a solution. Are there no other drinks you like? Do you "need" the sweet taste?

I drink about 64-128 oz of water a day.  Love it. 

The soda addiction is purely diet soda in the morning as my 'cup of morning joe' type of thing.  When I've given up all drinks other than water I tend to get some decent headaches losing the caffeine.  I'll drink two cans of diet pepsi in the AM (since it has no aspartame).  I could give that up and replace with unsweetened ice tea - but wasn't sure if I needed to worry about it or not.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on March 26, 2018, 10:50:00 AM
So - I'm starting late, but I'm ready!  I'm weighing in at 193.5.  37/m.  I've been down to 160, but not since 23.  My first milestone is 185. 

Question - how are you all handling diet sodas?  It's definitely my crutch/morning addiction.  I don't drink coffee, and I struggle on tea. In the past I've been able to do OK on unsweetened iced tea from the grocery store.  Do you think there is a strong correlation to diet soda and weight gain?

Is there a tea you do like? If so, get yourself a pitcher, fill with water and dump a bunch of tea bags in it and leave it in your fridge overnight. It'll taste better than the grocery store stuff and help with the caffeine headaches.
How about water? ;)
I've grown up not drinking soda at all so I've been lucky on that. Nowadays, I sometimes drink soda (but usually as a replacement for alcohol if I'm out) and alternate between the diet and the regular version. There is generally no strong correlation between diet soda and weight gain as far as I'm aware of but studies on this topic give very conflicting results and differ greatly in their set-up.

Ask yourself where you addiction to soda comes from, that might help you finding a solution. Are there no other drinks you like? Do you "need" the sweet taste?

I drink about 64-128 oz of water a day.  Love it. 

The soda addiction is purely diet soda in the morning as my 'cup of morning joe' type of thing.  When I've given up all drinks other than water I tend to get some decent headaches losing the caffeine.  I'll drink two cans of diet pepsi in the AM (since it has no aspartame).  I could give that up and replace with unsweetened ice tea - but wasn't sure if I needed to worry about it or not.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on March 26, 2018, 11:08:27 AM
Whether artificial sweeteners affect weight loss is highly individual. I personally can’t tolerate almost any of them, and the ones I do just trigger cravings for actual sugar, so are very counterproductive for weight loss. Some folks I know report insulin spikes even though they’re supposed to not affect blood sugar. But YMMV.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on March 26, 2018, 03:42:52 PM

I drink about 64-128 oz of water a day.  Love it. 

The soda addiction is purely diet soda in the morning as my 'cup of morning joe' type of thing.  When I've given up all drinks other than water I tend to get some decent headaches losing the caffeine.  I'll drink two cans of diet pepsi in the AM (since it has no aspartame).  I could give that up and replace with unsweetened ice tea - but wasn't sure if I needed to worry about it or not.

I allow myself unlimited diet soda (usually have 1 a day or so, rarely up to 4 though).

Any of the studies I can find about weight loss point to it's effect on cravings for sugar, so as long as it's not making me crush cake and candy I assume that either doesn't happen to me or I willpower it away.

The studies for it being terrible for our health seem to have rodents consuming around 4 litres of diet soda equivalent a day which makes it hard to imagine how much it'd take to translate to humans.

I've found that most of the actual science is lost in the information overload the internet gives you on trying to research health. I've asked my doctor before and it's been the same line as anything else (Moderation). I think if 2 a day keeps you happy and away from diet breaking habits you're more than alright. My 4 days should maybe come down though..
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Herk on March 30, 2018, 12:50:57 AM
I'm in as well!

I started counting calories 10th of januari, and also started exercise more at the same time.

Aming for 3 times weight lifting per week.
Walking regularly. Every lunch break and a longer walk on the weekend.
Doing daily short yoga passes and once a week a longer one ( I am also very inflexible and this will help with that).

All in all, I don't do everything I intend, but i do enough it seems (and feels).
I don't count calories anymore, I have gotten a good grasp on how much I should eat per day.
 
I have started to adapt a stoic mindset on life, and it has helped immensely this far. Especially with not overeating and getting my ass to the gym!

I started out at 120 kg and want to get down to 80 kg in the future. First goal is to get to 100 kg in August.
So far I've lost 4,3 kg and already feel a lot more energized at work and at home.

Down to 112,6 kg now!
Also seing good results in the gym, I am increasing the weight in all the lifting I am doing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on March 31, 2018, 05:37:37 AM
Monthly weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018.    220.0

Pretty big slowdown in weight loss this month, even though I have not been doing anything differently. I guess my metabolism has slowed to adjust to the lower calorie intake. Now that the weather is finally getting warmer, I hope to be able to more easily increase my physical activity to make up for it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on March 31, 2018, 06:17:27 AM
Monthly weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018.    220.0

Pretty big slowdown in weight loss this month, even though I have not been doing anything differently. I guess my metabolism has slowed to adjust to the lower calorie intake. Now that the weather is finally getting warmer, I hope to be able to more easily increase my physical activity to make up for it.

It's not just adjustment of metabolism - you've lost 30 pounds which means there's also less "you" for your body to maintain. I lot of people seemingly forget that carrying around less weight automatically means that they need less energy. Increasing physical activity could make up for this by increasing your muscle mass as it requires more energy for maintenance compared to fat mass.
Anyways, you're still losing a pound a week so I'd consider that excellent weight loss :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on March 31, 2018, 07:17:28 AM
Weekly-ish Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142
February 15:   145
February 24:  143
March 6:        142.8
March 10:       142
March 23:       142.8
March 31:       142


With these weights it seems sort of pointless to continue weighing in - except I know that if I stop logging I'll start gaining.

On a positive note - I see more activity in my future. We got a puppy last week and he loves being outside! Will be including him on my and DS1's walks to and from school and will add a middle of the day/or before bed walk for the puppy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on March 31, 2018, 07:21:29 AM
On a positive note - I see more activity in my future. We got a puppy last week and he loves being outside! Will be including him on my and DS1's walks to and from school and will add a middle of the day/or before bed walk for the puppy.
Puppy exercise is the best exercise.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on March 31, 2018, 11:24:52 PM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?
Finally!!! Hit 145 today (25 pounds lost since Jan). Achieved my third goal of hitting normal BMI. I can't stop smiling everytime I think of it.

I have been oscillating between 146-148 and feeling heavy in general despite being careful in diet and doing mini exercises. I was feeling very dejected and thankfully the scales moved in the right direction today. Next goal is to hit 138 (goal#4) but I'm not really sure how long it'll take since I think I'm past my rapid weight loss stage (I've lost all my pregnancy weight and then some, usually it's super hard to lose weight once I hit my normal BMI). Now for a slow and steady journey towards next goal.

Dreadmoose, thank you so much for the links. According to the BMI link, I still have a long way to go (122 lbs, I don't even remember when I was that weight the last time :( ) and my body fat shows I'm in a healthy range. I have to do more digging to figure out if my weight loss goals are accurate.

ETA: thinking further, I do best if I'm close enough to a goal but not too close. The next goal (138#) intimidates me since I know the weight loss is going to slow down a lot and I don't want lose the motivation in the meantime. I'm going to add three mini goals (first at 144, second at 142 and third at 140) to keep the motivation intact while I attempt the next one. Wish me luck!
Checking in at 144 (26 pounds lost since Jan 1)! My first minigoal reached. Definitely harder to lose this one pound compared to a pound lost in Jan. But I'm pumped to hit my first mini goal! Next on list is 142. Onward and upward!

elaine_amj, welcome back! Missed you here!
Ok, I think I've found the secret of rapid weight loss (for me anyways). Have both kids be sick for more than a week --&gt; run on low sleep (2/3 hours a day) --&gt; don't have much energy to junk on food --&gt; weight loss. Down to 142 pounds (second mini goal and 28 pounds down from Jan 1). I know I've not lost two pounds in two days! It should be more a mix of fatigued muscles, less food overall, loss of water weight, etc. Next in line is my third minigoal (140 pounds). But I'm expecting a rebound once kids start sleeping through. I just hope I don't go up too much and am able to maintain it here.

Elaine_amj, thank you so much! To be fair, almost all of it was my pregnancy weight, so clean eating coupled with light but regular exercise helped drop the pounds fast. I usually oscillate between 140 and 150 easily so anything below 145 are the pounds I really need to work hard to lose.
Still holding onto 142 pounds and I think I'm at a plateau again. Still clean eating and doing exercises but haven't upped the intensity yet.

@neophyte, +1 to slow but sure weight loss sticking better. You're doing great! Keep at it. Maybe mini goals would help? I find I get motivated when I'm super close to a goal than a far off one.
Still holding steady at 142. The past two weeks have been crazy planning for and attending a wedding and related gluttony meals since my family associates love and prestige by the size of meals provided and would be offended if it wasn't polished clean. Despite all this, I'm happy my weight has stuck to 142 and has not increased. Now that the wedding celebrations are over, I'm planning to concentrate again on my diet  and mini exercises. Hope I can break this plateau and lose a few more. Plan is to hit my next goal of 138 by June.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on April 02, 2018, 05:00:27 AM
1/1/18 - Weight 146.6, Waist 31 5/8"
2/1/18 - Weight 145.6, Waist 31 9/16"
3/1/18 - Weight 144.4, Waist 31 9/16"
4/1/18 - Weight 146.2, Waist 31 9/16"

March was almost a total loss in terms of health, fitness and productivity. My cough from February persisted for the first two weeks of the month. We spent most of our free time for the first three weeks prepping our house for sale, which took away from time for grocery shopping, food prep and exercise. The last week we hosted a guest for five days.

I did have one health positive. I may have finally found a decent Dr. I've been looking for two years now. Started the process of figuring out what is going on with my hormones and correcting my insomnia.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on April 02, 2018, 05:13:10 AM
Another update.

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last week's weight: 114.4kg
Current weight: 113.5kg

So I'm down roughly seven kilos in three months. It's a bit slow but not so bad.

I've had some chocolate today too (and a kebab on the trip home). :)

Tried on a pair of jeans and a couple of pairs of trousers that didn't fit a month or so ago that fit OK now (although they're a bit tight around the thighs, presumably due to the cut).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 02, 2018, 05:28:47 AM
Reporting in for accountability - only 137 this morning after an Easter weekend of being surrounded by bad choices.  Did get some good exercise lifting rocks so that probably saved me from being up even more.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on April 02, 2018, 05:57:53 AM
204.6 this morning. Have NEVER weighed less than 205 as an adult, and pretty sure I have to go back to like 14 years old (always a fat kid).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on April 02, 2018, 06:54:24 AM
204.6 this morning. Have NEVER weighed less than 205 as an adult, and pretty sure I have to go back to like 14 years old (always a fat kid).

Congratulations on this milestone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on April 02, 2018, 07:14:59 AM
204.6 this morning. Have NEVER weighed less than 205 as an adult, and pretty sure I have to go back to like 14 years old (always a fat kid).

Congratulations on this milestone!
+1. I'm glad you've found a way of eating that works for you.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on April 02, 2018, 07:24:20 AM
204.6 this morning. Have NEVER weighed less than 205 as an adult, and pretty sure I have to go back to like 14 years old (always a fat kid).

Well done - congrats!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on April 02, 2018, 07:53:33 AM
204.6 this morning. Have NEVER weighed less than 205 as an adult, and pretty sure I have to go back to like 14 years old (always a fat kid).

Congrats other former fat kid!  Feels great doesn't it?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on April 02, 2018, 07:58:41 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4
March 25:  171.6
April 1:  169.5

!!! Weigh-in was prior to chowing down on Easter treats. If I can maintain this week, I'll be really happy with that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on April 02, 2018, 11:24:19 AM
DateWeightBody Fat
May 2017190 lbs23.7%
June 2017183 lbs22.4%
July 2017180 lbs21.9%
Aug 2017176 lbs21.1%
Sept 2017171 lbs20.4%
Oct 2017165 lbs19.3%
Nov 2017161 lbs18.6%
Dec 2017160 lbs18.4%
Jan 2017155 lbs17.5%
Feb 2017152 lbs17.4%
Mar 2017150.6 lbs16.9%39.4 lbs down

Changed to 1600 calories a day and adjustment only for half of all activity, added in 3 free sessions at Orange Theory (refuse to pay that much for cardio). I was terribly sick for 2 weeks and went to Vegas right before that, so I'm shocked that March was down at all. I'll probably try and get to just below 150 and then start bulking up (2100 calories, then 2500 if my weight doesn't go up). Currently lifting every second day but have hurt my foot (sharp pain when lifting my ankle but only when my leg is straightened so I don't know what's up, ligament? tendon..?). Hopefully it heals fast enough but I may go see the doctor to make sure I can still gym.

I track body fat with a cheap impedance scale so I'm sure it's way off but the trend seemed helpful at the start, less so as I move forward here.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on April 02, 2018, 12:06:30 PM
Thanks folks :) Waiting to see if I hold under 205 through a few weigh-ins before I reward myself with a nice bottle of Scotch ;)

No idea what my final goal weight will be, a lot depends on how much lean mass I’m carrying. It’s going to be more about how I feel and an eyeballed (mirror) BF%. I probably have at least 10-15lb worth of very loose/noticeable fat pockets still.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on April 15, 2018, 05:40:47 AM
It's been almost two weeks, but I've been busy studying for an exam tomorrow, so I've been neglecting things a bit lately.

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 113.5kg
Current weight: 112.1kg

Hooray! Soon I'll have more free time to focus on healthier food choices (at least healthier than tonight's dinner anyway).

110kg (and 10kg down) is getting awfully close. Kinda hoping to be there by the end of April. Then I'll aim on getting below 100kg by the end of July. Eventual goal is roughly 85-90kg.

Annoying thing re: jeans is that I've got a couple of pairs that I bought in November that are now too large, another couple of pairs that fit that are in fairly poor condition, and others that are too small. I'm debating whether to buy another pair or two of nicer jeans for now, but then potentially I won't fit in them in a few months.

Anything that ends up too big, I won't be keeping it in a box, it'll go. I went through my box of 'thin clothes' back around Christmas and sorted out what I wouldn't wear again even when I do reach that weight. Some of the clothes (designs, etc) were fine for me at age 27-28, but probably a bit too young for me now.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on April 15, 2018, 09:57:39 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?
Finally!!! Hit 145 today (25 pounds lost since Jan). Achieved my third goal of hitting normal BMI. I can't stop smiling everytime I think of it.

I have been oscillating between 146-148 and feeling heavy in general despite being careful in diet and doing mini exercises. I was feeling very dejected and thankfully the scales moved in the right direction today. Next goal is to hit 138 (goal#4) but I'm not really sure how long it'll take since I think I'm past my rapid weight loss stage (I've lost all my pregnancy weight and then some, usually it's super hard to lose weight once I hit my normal BMI). Now for a slow and steady journey towards next goal.

Dreadmoose, thank you so much for the links. According to the BMI link, I still have a long way to go (122 lbs, I don't even remember when I was that weight the last time :( ) and my body fat shows I'm in a healthy range. I have to do more digging to figure out if my weight loss goals are accurate.

ETA: thinking further, I do best if I'm close enough to a goal but not too close. The next goal (138#) intimidates me since I know the weight loss is going to slow down a lot and I don't want lose the motivation in the meantime. I'm going to add three mini goals (first at 144, second at 142 and third at 140) to keep the motivation intact while I attempt the next one. Wish me luck!
Checking in at 144 (26 pounds lost since Jan 1)! My first minigoal reached. Definitely harder to lose this one pound compared to a pound lost in Jan. But I'm pumped to hit my first mini goal! Next on list is 142. Onward and upward!

elaine_amj, welcome back! Missed you here!
Ok, I think I've found the secret of rapid weight loss (for me anyways). Have both kids be sick for more than a week --&gt; run on low sleep (2/3 hours a day) --&gt; don't have much energy to junk on food --&gt; weight loss. Down to 142 pounds (second mini goal and 28 pounds down from Jan 1). I know I've not lost two pounds in two days! It should be more a mix of fatigued muscles, less food overall, loss of water weight, etc. Next in line is my third minigoal (140 pounds). But I'm expecting a rebound once kids start sleeping through. I just hope I don't go up too much and am able to maintain it here.

Elaine_amj, thank you so much! To be fair, almost all of it was my pregnancy weight, so clean eating coupled with light but regular exercise helped drop the pounds fast. I usually oscillate between 140 and 150 easily so anything below 145 are the pounds I really need to work hard to lose.
Still holding onto 142 pounds and I think I'm at a plateau again. Still clean eating and doing exercises but haven't upped the intensity yet.

@neophyte, +1 to slow but sure weight loss sticking better. You're doing great! Keep at it. Maybe mini goals would help? I find I get motivated when I'm super close to a goal than a far off one.
Still holding steady at 142. The past two weeks have been crazy planning for and attending a wedding and related gluttony meals since my family associates love and prestige by the size of meals provided and would be offended if it wasn't polished clean. Despite all this, I'm happy my weight has stuck to 142 and has not increased. Now that the wedding celebrations are over, I'm planning to concentrate again on my diet  and mini exercises. Hope I can break this plateau and lose a few more. Plan is to hit my next goal of 138 by June.
Haven't been great at maintaining my diet and exercise (had a couple of pizza binges which I'm not proud of) but have managed to hold steady all through and lose weight to 140 lbs (30 lbs since Jan 1) at times. I still keep bouncing between 140 and 141 but I'm starting to be more at 140 so I'm going to chalk it up as hitting my second mini goal. Now on to my last one (138 lbs). I want to reach it by June and I'm happy I'm on track. However this last two pounds is going to take 2 months :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SachaFiscal on April 17, 2018, 03:25:47 PM

Joining for accountability. Going to finally lose the extra 10-15 pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 10-15 years. I’d like to lose at least 10lbs by April when I plan to get my cholesterol checked.

My plan is:
- track calories in MFP (1200-1400 per day)
- walk for an hour every day
- Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and spin class each once a week.
- no alcohol until July 4 (doing this with my spouse)
- plant based diet
- no eating out unless invited out with friends until July 4

My spouse is also on board which makes this a lot easier this time.

Starting weight: 135lbs
Goal weight: 120-125lbs

1/1/2018: 135 lbs
1/8/2018: 134.0 lbs
1/15/2018: 134.7 lbs
1/25/2018: 133.0 lbs
2/13/2018: 131.7 lbs
3/5/2018: 129.8 lbs
4/17/2018: 127.6

Just down 2lbs in over a month. I went on vacation at the end of March and splurged a lot. Now I’m back on track. Hope to lose a couple more by the end of the month. I started doing some intermittent fasting to mix things up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on April 17, 2018, 07:26:39 PM
Crossed into “Onederland” yesterday, 199.8.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on April 18, 2018, 06:37:57 AM
Crossed into “Onederland” yesterday, 199.8.

Congratulations! That will be a big milestone for me too when I finally get there (16 pounds to go).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 18, 2018, 07:08:52 AM
Back on the track. 
Had some better eating choices this weekend. And some exercise.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on April 18, 2018, 07:30:56 AM
Weekly-ish Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142
February 15:   145
February 24:  143
March 6:        142.8
March 10:       142
March 23:       142.8
March 31:       142
April 18:         144.4


Ugh- I stopped logging, I gained. Snow on April 17th - When Lord will you send pleasant outdoor weather?! DH just has a couple of weeks of school left so our lives are crazy right now.

Planting our garden this weekend - brussel sprouts, kale, lettuce, peas and probably beats and broc going in the ground :) A little late this year, but it has been so darn cold the ground temp hasn't really come up enough yet.

My goal this week is to cut back on fizzy water. I used to only drink tap water, coffee, herbal tea and wine but this winter we ended up drinking more beer than wine. Beer makes me gain (I swear this is true :)) so I switched to La Croix for the carbonation - but I think the carbonation makes me bloated too. Back to tap water, coffee, and tea.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on April 18, 2018, 07:42:52 AM
So - I'm starting late, but I'm ready!  I'm weighing in at 193.5.  37/m.  I've been down to 160, but not since 23.  My first milestone is 185. 

Question - how are you all handling diet sodas?  It's definitely my crutch/morning addiction.  I don't drink coffee, and I struggle on tea.  In the past I've been able to do OK on unsweetened iced tea from the grocery store.  Do you think there is a strong correlation to diet soda and weight gain?
Diet sodas themselves, no. Some artificial sweeteners trigger increased appetite for some people, so it depends on how you handle it. I guzzle diet soda and don’t see that it affects my weight as much as my other dietary and exercise choices. I had visible abs drinking diet soda, and I have not-so-visible abs now drinking diet soda, so for me I don’t think it makes a difference.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: brooklynmoney on April 19, 2018, 09:28:55 PM
Congrats Malkynn that’s an awesome accomplishment!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on April 20, 2018, 02:01:42 AM
I’ve been maintaining my 70+lb weight loss for 7 months now.

I’m still veeeeeery slowly losing, so it’s not true maintenance I suppose. I’m down to 127 now (from 200), which is very lean at my height and puts my BMI just under 20 (from over 31).

Because I lost all of my weight through small, incremental and permanent lifestyle changes, there hasn’t been any transition to maintenance, there has just been a slowing of loss as my body weight creeps closer and closer to what can be sustained by my usual calorie intake and activity level. It will probably be another year before it actually stops, but the rate is so slow that it doesn’t really matter anymore. At that point it will just fluctuate within a range but with no net gain or loss over time.

With no change to my lifestyle in maintenance, it’s only been a process of changing my emotional experience. I worried that I would miss the constant progress of losing, to which I had come so accustom over the years, but I didn’t. It turns out I was actually sick of it.

I love love loooooooooooooove not having everyone constantly commenting on my body.
Ugh.
When you lose A LOT of weight, it’s just public territory for everyone to comment on your body, and over time it starts feeling pretty icky.
Now that I’ve essentially looked the same for over half a year, it’s not the first thing people say to me anymore, and that is so so nice. It was fine for the first year or so, but 4 years later, I just didn’t want to talk about the amount of fat on my body anymore. I was over it. Plus, nobody actually really cares, it’s just a casual automatic reaction they have about something that’s actually super personal.
It still comes up regularly, but it’s not overbearing anymore.

The worst part is that successfully losing that much weight through basic moderation over a long period of time is a lot like Mustachianism.
It pissed people off when I would explain how I did it.
They would want to hear that I ate only kale picked by virgins or drank concentrated monkey-piss or some other weight loss “secret” to explain how I went from plus size to size 0.
Explaining that I ate carefully and moderately every day, eating only as much food as I needed to while cutting out almost all unnecessary calories except for rare indulgences that are truly worth it so that I could feel my best, never feel deprived, and lose slowly over a few years just didn’t resonate with people. They wanted “tips and tricks”.
I gave them the Mustachianism of eating.

So yeah. I enjoy not having to watch people’s faces go from gleeful anticipation of learning my “secret” to the slow scowl and complaineypants excuses about “life is too short not to enjoy my 850 calorie afternoon frapp and cookie” and meanwhile I’m like “then why are you asking me how to lose weight?”

Yeah.
Maintenance is awesome. I like adjusting to the new normal.
OMG! I could've written this! The way people expect you to have a weight loss secret and the scowl they have when you say you don't have one and share what you did!! It's crazy!

Congrats on losing and keeping the 70+ pounds away. I lost around 60 lbs over 4-5 months (I was losing weight postpartum once I got back to my normal food and routine) and had to put up with some crap questions and guilt inducing statements (my favorite, not, was 'you wouldn't make any milk for your poor baby'. The said poor baby is a 10 month old who eats solids well and drinks breastmilk 6 times every day and gains weight accordingly. She doesn't have a problem with not enough milk. I don't know why people try to guilt anyone for improving their health, especially new moms using their baby. That's cruel!). The most vicious have been, sadly, other women and in particular other new moms. Some just can't believe we can lose pregnancy weight without harming the baby. And some just hate you for it.

Now I'm getting statements like 'oh you look so tired. Should be all the food you are not eating', 'you have lost your glow and chubbiness', 'your body needs lot of food. Don't punish your body'. Please! I'm an adult and I eat healthy and variety. I know my body is happy. Maybe I'm tired and that shows but I have a baby. I'd be tired irrespective of my weight. No words!!

I can't wait to hit my maintenance phase. Hope I'm close to it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on April 20, 2018, 06:09:13 AM
@firelight LOL - I suspect if you have lost any "glow" (and you probably haven't) it comes from the general state of parenting a baby NOT weightloss. :)

Good on you for the postpartum loss!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 20, 2018, 10:15:49 AM
@firelight and @Malkynn Bravo.  You are inspiring me to get back on track. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: nnls on April 23, 2018, 04:48:10 PM
I have lost about 5kg since mid January, with my goal to lose another 7 (and get down to about 55kg)

I am going on holiday to Europe for 5 weeks from next week so I think I may undo my progress, but we will see.

I am posting for motivation :)

only put back on 2kg while in Europe, so I am happy with that, considering how much delicious food I ate
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on April 29, 2018, 06:23:26 AM
Monthly weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4

My goal when I started was 210 by the end of the year which was obviously way too conservative. New goal is 185 pounds by the end of the year (which I think is somewhat aggressive), then maintenance or slow weight loss after that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on April 29, 2018, 08:12:48 AM
Monthly weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4

My goal when I started was 210 by the end of the year which was obviously way too conservative. New goal is 185 pounds by the end of the year (which I think is somewhat aggressive), then maintenance or slow weight loss after that.

Well done!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on April 29, 2018, 08:14:02 AM
I've completely stagnated at 7 pounds lost, but that's not surprising as I've more or less dropped the ball on all my supporting goals. Time to refocus.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 29, 2018, 04:07:18 PM
I dropped a pound over the last month and have been consistantly keeping it off with daily weigh-ins.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on April 29, 2018, 07:07:47 PM
Monthly weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4

My goal when I started was 210 by the end of the year which was obviously way too conservative. New goal is 185 pounds by the end of the year (which I think is somewhat aggressive), then maintenance or slow weight loss after that.

Well done!

Thanks, @asiljoy!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on May 01, 2018, 07:05:54 AM
Time for another update :)

Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 112.1kg
Current weight: 112.2kg

This one is an interesting one, as I've majorly slacked off over the last couple of weeks. Even tonight's meal filled the plate. Need to get back onto it. I was absolutely cooked mentally a couple of weeks ago after my exam and I'm only now starting to feel normal again.

Thinking about what to do to keep my physical activity up during the winter as well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on May 01, 2018, 08:19:28 AM
1/1/18 - Weight 146.6, Waist 31 5/8"
2/1/18 - Weight 145.6, Waist 31 9/16"
3/1/18 - Weight 144.4, Waist 31 9/16"
4/1/18 - Weight 146.2, Waist 31 9/16"
5/1/18 - Weight 145.4, Waist 31 9/16"

April was another tough month. I did no fasting, except delaying my first meal until noon a couple days. Exercise is not where it needs to be. My diet has been fair to middling.

May promises to be just as stressful. The house selling process has been tough, with no sign things will get easier any time soon. I need to figure out how to focus on diet and self-care despite the external stressors.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: teamzissou00 on May 01, 2018, 09:43:37 AM
Hey all.  I am curious if anyone here is a calorie counter like myself.  I frequent the loseit reddit site and they are huge on CICO.  Obviously for it to work properly you need to know the right amount of calories.  Someone today posted a TDEE calc that showed me at needing 1650 calories instead of the 1500 myfitnesspal is telling me to eat. 

Thoughts?  Experience? 

the calc this person was using is : https://damnripped.com/tdee-calculator

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on May 01, 2018, 10:02:02 AM
Hey all.  I am curious if anyone here is a calorie counter like myself.  I frequent the loseit reddit site and they are huge on CICO.  Obviously for it to work properly you need to know the right amount of calories.  Someone today posted a TDEE calc that showed me at needing 1650 calories instead of the 1500 myfitnesspal is telling me to eat. 

Thoughts?  Experience? 

the calc this person was using is : https://damnripped.com/tdee-calculator

I have been counting calories for 10 months (down 40+ lbs), It appears to me that myfitnesspal has a floor it gives you when you try and be too aggressive (won't go below 1500 calories but gets there fast at certain heights - mine included).

That calculator looks likes it's pretty accurate, the best I've found (and the simplest web page to boot) is here: https://tdeecalculator.net/ (https://tdeecalculator.net/)

It tells you ideal weight based on multiple formulas along with different macros to eat for cutting, maintenance, and bulking if you want to choose.

I've done fad diets in years past, counting calories works much better for me as I am not limiting types of food but just following the good old laws of physics for energy conservation.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on May 01, 2018, 05:24:08 PM
DateWeightBody Fat
May 2017190 lbs23.7%
June 2017183 lbs22.4%
July 2017180 lbs21.9%
Aug 2017176 lbs21.1%
Sept 2017171 lbs20.4%
Oct 2017165 lbs19.3%
Nov 2017161 lbs18.6%
Dec 2017160 lbs18.4%
Jan 2017155 lbs17.5%
Feb 2017152 lbs17.4%
Mar 2017150.6 lbs16.9%
Mar 2017149 lbs16.5%41 lbs down

Still eating at 1600 calories a day plus exercise amounts (myfitnesspal paired with a Garmin Vivomove [Edit: Vivomove HR to track calories]). Progress is slow but I'm happy with it, kind of in a re-comp stage I believe. Going to eat like this for another 10-12 days and then switch to 2100 calories and track closely. On dehydrated days I have all abs showing with a jagged separation between the top few.. getting close to goal here and way lower than I've ever been... I believe counting my childhood at this point.

PS I track body fat with a cheap impedance scale so I'm sure it's way off but the trend seemed helpful at the start, less so as I move forward here.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on May 02, 2018, 06:01:59 AM
Hey all.  I am curious if anyone here is a calorie counter like myself.  I frequent the loseit reddit site and they are huge on CICO.  Obviously for it to work properly you need to know the right amount of calories.  Someone today posted a TDEE calc that showed me at needing 1650 calories instead of the 1500 myfitnesspal is telling me to eat. 

Thoughts?  Experience? 

the calc this person was using is : https://damnripped.com/tdee-calculator

Counting calories is an anxiety trigger for me, and I also hate cooking when I have to weigh everything out.

Eating low carb, moderate to high protein, moderate fat works for me. Very hard to overeat and I lose weight at a very sustainable pace. Dieting when I’ve allowed myself cards, I really struggle to not overeat.

 It’s also dramatically improved my physical endurance. I can work far harder, far longer without getting hungry.

I’m currently 5 pounds below my lowest ever adult weight but with quite a bit more lean mass than that time based on how my belts and clothes fit. (Easily an inch or two slimmer and definitely stronger.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: teamzissou00 on May 02, 2018, 09:44:09 AM
Hey all.  I am curious if anyone here is a calorie counter like myself.  I frequent the loseit reddit site and they are huge on CICO.  Obviously for it to work properly you need to know the right amount of calories.  Someone today posted a TDEE calc that showed me at needing 1650 calories instead of the 1500 myfitnesspal is telling me to eat. 

Thoughts?  Experience? 

the calc this person was using is : https://damnripped.com/tdee-calculator

Counting calories is an anxiety trigger for me, and I also hate cooking when I have to weigh everything out.

Eating low carb, moderate to high protein, moderate fat works for me. Very hard to overeat and I lose weight at a very sustainable pace. Dieting when I’ve allowed myself cards, I really struggle to not overeat.

 It’s also dramatically improved my physical endurance. I can work far harder, far longer without getting hungry.

I’m currently 5 pounds below my lowest ever adult weight but with quite a bit more lean mass than that time based on how my belts and clothes fit. (Easily an inch or two slimmer and definitely stronger.)

I hear ya.  I don't weigh the food or anything - so I'm probably not doing it perfectly.  I travel a lot so restricting food groups becomes more of a challenge than limiting my portions.  I just started my latest attempt a week ago, and it was right around my birthday so I stumbled a bit the last couple of days.  last sunday I was 196, and ended the week at 191.2.  Then today I'm at 191.8. 

My eating plan today:

Breakfast:
2 slices turkey bacon (70 cals)
Greek yogurt + granola (350 cals)

Snack: Apple, String Cheese (130 cals)

Lunch: TV dinner of some sort, 300-400 cals (usually leftovers, but don't have any today)

Snack: Cashew Clusters (5 each 140 cals)

Dinner: Chicken, Veggie and Potato (450 cals)

Dessert: Frozen blue berries (50 cals)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on May 02, 2018, 12:40:44 PM
Hey all.  I am curious if anyone here is a calorie counter like myself.  I frequent the loseit reddit site and they are huge on CICO.  Obviously for it to work properly you need to know the right amount of calories.  Someone today posted a TDEE calc that showed me at needing 1650 calories instead of the 1500 myfitnesspal is telling me to eat. 

Thoughts?  Experience? 

the calc this person was using is : https://damnripped.com/tdee-calculator

I am also a calorie counter and have been using MFP for about 14 months.  It is the only way I don't gain weight. I will say that I found MFP to be a little too generous on the calories once I got close to goal. For instance, mine is still set to losing .5 a week but I've essentially been maintaining at the amount for about 8 months (1460 and Lord, how I hate it! - and I'm still 5-7 pounds from my goal weight). I suspect if I set it at maintenance I would start slowly gaining.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on May 02, 2018, 01:58:56 PM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4
March 25:  171.6
April 1:  169.5
May 1: 168.5

April was pretty much a bust, I didn't stick to counting calories very closely and life got hectic so I dropped the exercise routine.  Hoping to kick things up a notch in May.  At least I didn't slide backwards.


I am also a calorie counter, and I have to be pretty religious to make progress. However, I find sticking to my limit much more tolerable when I eat relatively high protein low carb.   I've also found MFP to be overly generous on the calories, especially the exercise calories.  It estimates I should be losing weight at 2 to 3 times the rate that I am.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: teamzissou00 on May 02, 2018, 04:41:29 PM
I went to Subway for lunch and had a salad.  Tough to count.  MFP shows a chicken chopped salad at 220 cals.  Impossible. 

I had lettuce, spinach, pickles, black olives, banana peppers, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, and subway vinaigrette on top.  I'm logging it as 500 calories just to be conservative.  Thoughts? 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on May 02, 2018, 05:05:09 PM
I went to Subway for lunch and had a salad.  Tough to count.  MFP shows a chicken chopped salad at 220 cals.  Impossible. 

I had lettuce, spinach, pickles, black olives, banana peppers, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, and subway vinaigrette on top.  I'm logging it as 500 calories just to be conservative.  Thoughts?

I typed that all in here (for cheese I chose shredded so who knows) but it all comes out to 260 calories! You may be being too conservative on yourself. http://www.subway.com/en-us/menunutrition/nutrition (http://www.subway.com/en-us/menunutrition/nutrition) {Click on your salad to customize the toppings}

Also, I believe MFP is pretty close for exercising calories but adjusting for that every day for me was usually a treat late at night which might have slowed things down. Wearing a heart-rate monitor (watch) has tracked all of my workouts / walks / cycling as higher (more calories burned) than the MFP estimates so far (by nearly half).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: teamzissou00 on May 02, 2018, 05:10:44 PM
That's awesome!  I just felt much more full than 260 cals typically offers.

Side question - I'd love to make these at home.  Anyone have any tools they'd recommend to chop a salad?  when I search on amazon I see a OXO device that looks like a double pizza cutter.  I also see a Checkered Chef double bladed salad chopper. 

Anyone try anything? 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on May 03, 2018, 06:40:31 AM
That's awesome!  I just felt much more full than 260 cals typically offers.

Side question - I'd love to make these at home.  Anyone have any tools they'd recommend to chop a salad?  when I search on amazon I see a OXO device that looks like a double pizza cutter.  I also see a Checkered Chef double bladed salad chopper. 

Anyone try anything?

I usually just get salad mix or baby spinach instead of chopping head lettuce.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on May 03, 2018, 07:08:26 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4
March 25:  171.6
April 1:  169.5
May 1: 168.5

April was pretty much a bust, I didn't stick to counting calories very closely and life got hectic so I dropped the exercise routine.  Hoping to kick things up a notch in May.  At least I didn't slide backwards.


I am also a calorie counter, and I have to be pretty religious to make progress. However, I find sticking to my limit much more tolerable when I eat relatively high protein low carb.   I've also found MFP to be overly generous on the calories, especially the exercise calories.  It estimates I should be losing weight at 2 to 3 times the rate that I am.

@neophyte  - not a bust! You lost a pound - good job!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on May 03, 2018, 07:49:38 AM
I'd love to join too. I have baby fat to get rid of now that baby is five months old. I'm down 32 pounds from my highest of this year but that includes an 8 lb baby too, haha. I still need to lose 18 lbs for pre pregnancy weight and another 12 for my marriage wedding and another 14 for my ideal weight. I joined in 2017 and found we got pregnant. Hope to finish 2018 at my ideal weight. First goal is to get to pre pregnancy weight by end of March. Second goal is to hit wedding weight by June and to hit lowest weight by end of year (the hardest stretch which I hope to attack with established habits). Let's bring it on!


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

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

My weight is down 3 lbs (mostly water weight because low carbs). I don't track my food but try to eat healthy (less carbs, more veggies and fruits) but looking at some of your meals, I think I just eat a lot. I've gotten used to eating more when pregnant (yep, fell for the eating for two advice.... not that I needed lot of encouragement)  and my stomach expects more food. Need to slowly dial down the amount to a normal person's portions.

Does anyone forget you are trying to lose weight? I completely forgot and ate a few cookies. Later when I was checking how I did at end of day, I realized I ate those cookies :( how do I remember all the time?
I'm still losing weight daily (goes to show how much crap I was eating before) but it has slowed down. My eating is still not good enough (I eat a serving of carbs at every course (and a bit more at lunch) and I eat ice cream or sweets because it is at home). My nemesis is sweets and ice cream. I can't resist it when it is at home and I can't stop others at home buying it. To add to the problem, I forget I'm on a diet and eat them. I'm considering figuring what I should eat all day and not eat anything not on that list. Will give it a try for a few days to see if I can continue losing weight.
Still on the losing trend. I was expecting it to stop since my activity level hasn't increased much and my eating is still not perfect. I don't count calories or have a chance to weigh  food since I don't cook or shop (visiting in-laws for a few months). I'm trying to eat healthier (less carbs, more fruits vegetables and protein - egg, fish, chicken) and reduce sweets (take smaller portions, being selective in what I eat). My culture (Indian) shows love through food, especially sweets. So every visit (even when visiting parents every day) leads to more sweets and hurt egos if we don't eat the sweets. So far portion control has been the key. I can't believe how much crap I've been eating before for the weight to come off so easily now that I'm eating healthier.

This thread is so motivating and reminds me to make healthier choices with food. I find that I eat healthy when I remember and this thread is helping me remember. Thanks everyone!
Ok now the weight loss has stopped. Time to really get into cutting calories or burning them through exercise. I don't have an easy way to estimate calories or do exercise which makes it tricky. I'm planning to drink at least a glass of water before every meal and snack (and ideally before anytime food passes through my lips). I think I eat more than I think I'm eating. The first eight pounds came off easy. Now the real struggle starts. I still need to cut 12 pounds to reach my first goal (highest pre pregnancy weight) and 18 pounds to reach my second goal (my normal BMI weight). Hoping the water trick helps.

Please suggest other tricks that have helped in reducing food portions (basically tricking myself to eat less and eat healthier) or exercising more (moving more). I currently walk 7k steps a day and do 5-10 stairs.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I especially love the eating fruits instead of sweets and using  shape wear ideas. I've also started concentrating on adding more protein to my diet (changed macros). My weight is still at standstill but it's at least not going up any more. I had one day (DH bday) where I had some cake but otherwise I'm starting to not be super tempted by sweets. I'm liking the progress even though the scales don't show it.... yet.

I'm also experimenting with eating only upto 80% of my stomach's capacity. Due to pregnancy eating, I fear my stomach has increased in size and I now need more food to feel satiated. I need to eat less to reduce it back to normal size. Will report back soon on its effects.

Thanks for the exercise tips. I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to exercise. So I'm starting with the walking videos and hope to increase from there.

Weight - still at 8 lbs loss from New year, no gains, no loss from last time.

Any app recommendations to log weight and get trending weight for a period?

I've started eating more frequently (breakfast, 11, 1, 4, 6 and 8) but lesser portions. This has helped me keep hunger at bay while tricking my stomach into eating less at every meal (and not worry too much if I don't eat to max since I know the next meal is just two hours away). I hope this reduces my stomach size and bring it back to normal (from pregnancy size). I'm also drinking more water than before.

Exercise is still not happening yet :( got a jump rope to see if I can make myself use it.

Managed to knock out three more pounds after hitting a plateau for a week or so in between. That brings up tally to 11 pounds lost since new year. Hope this is the start of a new losing streak.
Checking in here. Still at the 11 pound loss, inching towards 12 pounds. I think I've finally found a way to figure out how much food is right for my stomach. I've been experimenting with food portions and frequent small meals with each time being less than my palm keeps me sated while not overloading my stomach. I also like the feeling I get when I don't stuff myself. Now to remember it for all the hard times (party, buffet, mom-cooked delicious dishes). A pound more to my first half goal. So close!
Welcome everyone! Especially new moms :) I'm one too and my goal is to lose pregnancy weight and get to a healthy weight now that baby is seven months and starting on solids. I still breastfeed exclusively but no longer have the pressure to be the sole food provider.

Weight still in the decline. Down 13 pounds from Jan 1 and I've reached my first goal. Now to stay here and lose more to reach my second goal of prepregnancy weight which is 6 pounds lesser. My eating has slacked a bit this week and I've been eating cakes and sweets more than I like (to celebrate my first goal). Need to get back to careful monitoring. I guess my weight loss rate would reduce a lot once I reach my prepregnancy weight since that is my usual weight range. But I want to lose another 15 pounds from there to get to my comfortable weight. I've always been lackadaisical about weight loss once I reach a healthy BMI but this time I'm going to try and lose those last 15 (those are my freshman 15 and have been around 12 years now).

I've also started doing mini exercises after trying to do dedicated half an hour to an hour of exercise and failing miserably. So far it's going good. Will report back next week if I can sustain it.
Holding steady at 13 pound decline. Not sure if it is a new plateau but I'm chalking it up to bad sleep due to baby being sick. As a result, I'm craving simple sugars to keep my energy going. That doesn't help in weight loss either. I've also taken to eating some almonds or cashewnuts when I wake in the middle of the night or as snacks which my body is not too happy about. Need to cut those extra calories and see if I can drink more water since my water drinking rate is abysmal.

The mini exercises are sticking! I have a goal to hit 5k steps before lunch and 8k by 8 pm and hopefully 10k by end of night. I do power walks to hit these goals. They won't strengthen muscles but my Fitbit shows my heartbeat rising enough to be classified as fat burn or cardio. I now need to find some strengthening exercises and work them in as mini exercises. Would love to hear if anyone does mini strength training exercises and what your experience has been.
Weight still holding at 155-156 (13-14 pound loss since Jan 1) for the past week. I think I'm at a plateau and am concentrating on more mini exercises. Sadly my food tracking and control has gone way down since I discovered cooking as a hobby (bad time to do it but I'm enjoying making new dishes for the family). Need to rein it in a bit. But I'm happy that I'm hitting my goals of 5k steps before lunch and 8k or 10k steps by nighttime. I've consistently gone over 8k that I'm considering upping it to 10k or 11k steps by nighttime. This will force me to get off my behind and actually play catch with my preschooler every evening.
Started downward trend again albeit slower this time. At 154 today.

My first goal was to hit 156 pounds (my heaviest before pregnancy), my second goal is to hit 151 (my weight before baby#2), my third goal is to hit 145 (my normal BMI), my fourth goal is to hit 138 (my lowest in the past 8 years) and my final goal is to hit 129 (the weight I feel most comfortable in). I'm happy to hit any of these weights but prefer to be around 130s and have exercises and food changes to be lifestyle changes rather than a one shot thing. To give some perspective, my highest was 199 lbs at 40 weeks pregnant.
Hit 153 after a few ups and downs (at 17 pound loss since Jan 1). So close to my goal#2 (151 pounds).

I've learned to add exercise to my schedule.
Back story: I hate exercise and just couldn't find time to do exercise every day. My toddler and baby served as convenient excuses. However, I also know I need to do it to keep myself toned. So I started running around the house every time I wanted a snack for 5-10 mins. I run in whatever clothes I'm wearing (mostly pajamas or home clothes) and since it's for such short durations, I don't put up big excuses. Also I don't have to look for childcare (my biggest excuse) since I can plop my toddler in front of an activity and my baby in crib with a toy and run (more a jog but it gets my heartbeat up at cardio levels so I'm not complaining). But my Fitbit confirms I'm getting 30 minutes of exercise which is 30 minutes over nothing.

Another awesome thing is my snack craving changes to water craving after a 5-10 minute run/jog. If it persists then I eat something.

Time to up Fitbit goals - upped exercise to 20 mins minimum and days of exercise to 3 days minimum, upped number of steps to 9k minimum per day and calories spent to 2k per day. I know it's a bit less than what I spend regularly but I want to be sure I'm hitting goals before I up them again.
Phew!!! Hit 151 finally! Finally at my prepregnancy weight, 8 months after my baby was out. I rapidly lost weight in first few weeks, then stalled for months at 170 and lost again starting this January (19 pounds). Hit a few plateaus but managed to lose again. In all, down almost 50 pounds (which included a 7 pound baby).

I think the mini exercises did the trick for me after my last plateau. I'm sure the exercise purists would balk at it but it works for me and avoids my excuse zones. Even though I would like to be one of the people that goes at a set time to the gym/home workout, my current lifestyle doesn't aid it. I'd rather do it this way than wait for the gym/home workout lifestyle to start.

Onward and upward to my next goal on list - 145 lbs which would mean I'm at the normal BMI after nearly two years. Can't wait to get there!
Was stuck at a plateau at 151 for a few days and then had one cheat day where I ate as usual but added a few sweets and BAM, back at 154. Feeling a bit down because of how easily I gained back the weight. I'm holding at 154 for the past two days. This is despite doing the mini exercises both days and being extra careful with eating.

The only silver lining is I'm going on a liquid/soft food diet for a week per doctor orders and I hope that moves the scales a bit closer to 140s.

Hit 150! (20 pounds down since January) Mostly it's due to the liquid/soft diet, so I'm guessing I'm drinking less calories than eating them. Doctor took me off it since I don't need it any longer. Now the challenge is to maintain/lose from here and not shoot up again even though I eat normal food.

I've always been chubby thanks to Mom and aunts and grandmothers who feel a chubby kid is a healthy kid, so even my lowest weight that I can remember is on the higher side of normal or even above normal. I currently have a goal of 129 which is in the middle of my BMI range. However I'm not sure if it's my final right weight. Would be interesting to know for sure.

This also means I'm just 5 more pounds to my third goal (145#) which would put me at the very top of normal. I usually swing between 140-150 pretty easily. So anything below 145 would be hard to lose and won't be in the same speed as what I've done these past two months. Oh well! One step at a time. Time to pedal towards 145.
Finally broke into 140s (149 today - lost 21 pounds since Jan 1). But I can see it's already harder since my weight has been jumping to 150-151 with even a small change from diet or exercise. I find I do best if I do one fairly longer mini exercise (atleast 20-25 minutes long - enough to get my heartbeat up at cardio levels for at least ten to twenty minutes) than do the same amount of steps broken over smaller mini exercises. However getting that 20-25 minutes is the hard part since I try to time it for baby sleep while kiddo is in preschool. A hit or miss most days. Trying to figure out if I can do it late in the night so I can get to it after everyone sleeps. But that is when my will power is lowest and I can't push myself to start. Well, I guess I need to haul myself and just do it.

Sunhat, I'm 4 pounds above my normal BMI (my next goal) as well and I can't wait to get there.  However I've learned that to keep the weight off, it's better to lose gradually than do a sudden jump. What has helped me was to make sure I give myself mini treats if I do my exercises or stick to my diet for x number of days. Usually the treats are a new book, a massage, y amount of kid and baby free time, etc. I also identified a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes that I love and every time I reach a smaller size, wear them with pleasure. As a result, I love dressing up now and feel so happy that I'm able to fit into my favorites. The rest, well I'll get there soon.

Candace, thanks for the encouragement!! Truly means a lot to me.
Checking in with weight at 146 (24 lbs down from Jan 1). I'm starting to get impatient as I get closer to my next goal (145#) but I realize that I need to enjoy this weight instead of getting frustrated since it might be quite sometime before I hit and STAY there consistently.

Candace, +1 for weight being nonlinear. It is frustrating to see a higher weight on the weigh in day since my weight sometimes goes up a pound or more and then settles down closer to new normal. I've started tracking my weight and taking a moving average so I don't get disappointed(and binge eat) if the scale moves in the wrong direction. Good luck!
I'm maintaining at 146 pretty consistently but haven't seen the needle go lower. I'm also starting to slip a bit with my diet. Need to rein it in. Patience is the word.

I'm curious how we'll know what our ideal weight is. I've always been on the chubbier side since childhood and don't really know what my normal healthy weight is (as adult or child or teen). When  I see people say they are 10 pounds above their ideal, I really want to know what mine is. How did you find your ideal weight?
Finally!!! Hit 145 today (25 pounds lost since Jan). Achieved my third goal of hitting normal BMI. I can't stop smiling everytime I think of it.

I have been oscillating between 146-148 and feeling heavy in general despite being careful in diet and doing mini exercises. I was feeling very dejected and thankfully the scales moved in the right direction today. Next goal is to hit 138 (goal#4) but I'm not really sure how long it'll take since I think I'm past my rapid weight loss stage (I've lost all my pregnancy weight and then some, usually it's super hard to lose weight once I hit my normal BMI). Now for a slow and steady journey towards next goal.

Dreadmoose, thank you so much for the links. According to the BMI link, I still have a long way to go (122 lbs, I don't even remember when I was that weight the last time :( ) and my body fat shows I'm in a healthy range. I have to do more digging to figure out if my weight loss goals are accurate.

ETA: thinking further, I do best if I'm close enough to a goal but not too close. The next goal (138#) intimidates me since I know the weight loss is going to slow down a lot and I don't want lose the motivation in the meantime. I'm going to add three mini goals (first at 144, second at 142 and third at 140) to keep the motivation intact while I attempt the next one. Wish me luck!
Checking in at 144 (26 pounds lost since Jan 1)! My first minigoal reached. Definitely harder to lose this one pound compared to a pound lost in Jan. But I'm pumped to hit my first mini goal! Next on list is 142. Onward and upward!

elaine_amj, welcome back! Missed you here!
Ok, I think I've found the secret of rapid weight loss (for me anyways). Have both kids be sick for more than a week --&gt; run on low sleep (2/3 hours a day) --&gt; don't have much energy to junk on food --&gt; weight loss. Down to 142 pounds (second mini goal and 28 pounds down from Jan 1). I know I've not lost two pounds in two days! It should be more a mix of fatigued muscles, less food overall, loss of water weight, etc. Next in line is my third minigoal (140 pounds). But I'm expecting a rebound once kids start sleeping through. I just hope I don't go up too much and am able to maintain it here.

Elaine_amj, thank you so much! To be fair, almost all of it was my pregnancy weight, so clean eating coupled with light but regular exercise helped drop the pounds fast. I usually oscillate between 140 and 150 easily so anything below 145 are the pounds I really need to work hard to lose.
Still holding onto 142 pounds and I think I'm at a plateau again. Still clean eating and doing exercises but haven't upped the intensity yet.

@neophyte, +1 to slow but sure weight loss sticking better. You're doing great! Keep at it. Maybe mini goals would help? I find I get motivated when I'm super close to a goal than a far off one.
Still holding steady at 142. The past two weeks have been crazy planning for and attending a wedding and related gluttony meals since my family associates love and prestige by the size of meals provided and would be offended if it wasn't polished clean. Despite all this, I'm happy my weight has stuck to 142 and has not increased. Now that the wedding celebrations are over, I'm planning to concentrate again on my diet  and mini exercises. Hope I can break this plateau and lose a few more. Plan is to hit my next goal of 138 by June.
Haven't been great at maintaining my diet and exercise (had a couple of pizza binges which I'm not proud of) but have managed to hold steady all through and lose weight to 140 lbs (30 lbs since Jan 1) at times. I still keep bouncing between 140 and 141 but I'm starting to be more at 140 so I'm going to chalk it up as hitting my second mini goal. Now on to my last one (138 lbs). I want to reach it by June and I'm happy I'm on track. However this last two pounds is going to take 2 months :(
Back up to 144, thanks to some hectic travel and jetlagged sleep and wedding food. I still have two more weeks of it to go but I'm instituting some rules to help cope during this busy phase. Let's see if I can stick to them (resisting food at 3 am when you are hungry is hard even though I know I should be sleeping and I end up eating lot of unhealthy stuff since I wake up ravenously hungry). Fingers crossed!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: FireHiker on May 03, 2018, 09:26:05 AM
I forgot I'd joined this challenge at the beginning of the year...oops. I got on the scale this morning, 164.9. I was about 168 a month ago before we went on vacation. I've been ramping up my half marathon and Mt. Whitney training so I think I'm seeing a fair bit of muscle increase and fat decrease while the number on the scale isn't moving much. I recently bought a little bit of new clothing down a size, and I am definitely much fitter than I was at the beginning of the year. I would still like to see the number on the scale go down, so I probably need to focus more on my diet since I have the exercise part of the equation in good shape. My challenge is that, with running and hiking, I am starving ALL the time. Any good websites or books any of you good folks could recommend for getting the nutrition side in shape too?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on May 03, 2018, 10:06:08 AM
Back up to 144, thanks to some hectic travel and jetlagged sleep and wedding food. I still have two more weeks of it to go but I'm instituting some rules to help cope during this busy phase. Let's see if I can stick to them (resisting food at 3 am when you are hungry is hard even though I know I should be sleeping and I end up eating lot of unhealthy stuff since I wake up ravenously hungry). Fingers crossed!
Firelight, would it be an option if you'd only quote your last 1-3 posts? I totally get you want the reference to your older post, but the number is getting so high by now that's it's really a pain to scroll through all of it. For the rest good job so far and good luck this month, hope you'll break through into the 130s and meet your goal!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on May 03, 2018, 12:13:14 PM
Back up to 144, thanks to some hectic travel and jetlagged sleep and wedding food. I still have two more weeks of it to go but I'm instituting some rules to help cope during this busy phase. Let's see if I can stick to them (resisting food at 3 am when you are hungry is hard even though I know I should be sleeping and I end up eating lot of unhealthy stuff since I wake up ravenously hungry). Fingers crossed!
Firelight, would it be an option if you'd only quote your last 1-3 posts? I totally get you want the reference to your older post, but the number is getting so high by now that's it's really a pain to scroll through all of it. For the rest good job so far and good luck this month, hope you'll break through into the 130s and meet your goal!
Oops! I'm sorry. I use the Tapatalk app to post and it shows only my last post when I quote. I had no idea the website was showing them all. I'll make sure to truncate it myself.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on May 04, 2018, 05:26:00 AM
Monthly weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4

My goal when I started was 210 by the end of the year which was obviously way too conservative. New goal is 185 pounds by the end of the year (which I think is somewhat aggressive), then maintenance or slow weight loss after that.

One other exciting outcome of my weight loss that I forgot to mention is that I went for my annual physical in April and my doctor was able to cut my blood pressure medication dosage in half! I hope that by next year I will be able to eliminate that medication completely.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on May 04, 2018, 05:30:29 AM
Monthly weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4

My goal when I started was 210 by the end of the year which was obviously way too conservative. New goal is 185 pounds by the end of the year (which I think is somewhat aggressive), then maintenance or slow weight loss after that.

One other exciting outcome of my weight loss that I forgot to mention is that I went for my annual physical in April and my doctor was able to cut my blood pressure medication dosage in half! I hope that by next year I will be able to eliminate that medication completely.

That's a MAJOR win! Means your weight loss efforts are improving the rest of your health condition now as well. Good job!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Sailor Sam on May 04, 2018, 05:40:21 AM
I need a day of behavior being in line with stated goals. I’m confident the massive hangover will assist me in this effort. Then, tomorrow will be on the downhill slope. I do so pledge I’ll have a compliant 24 hours. Who’s with me?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on May 04, 2018, 08:21:26 AM
I need a day of behavior being in line with stated goals. I’m confident the massive hangover will assist me in this effort. Then, tomorrow will be on the downhill slope. I do so pledge I’ll have a compliant 24 hours. Who’s with me?

Me!

I was actually having a thought around similar lines this morning. I've been content to be within 5 pounds of goal all winter because winter sucks. But the weather is gorgeous and I have no excuses.

24 hours of nutritious food and staying under/at my calorie goal and no beer!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on May 04, 2018, 10:23:38 AM
I'm in. Weekends are my nemesis, especially Friday evenings since I consider it a treat evening for a week of hard work.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: LifeHappens on May 04, 2018, 10:29:32 AM
I need a day of behavior being in line with stated goals. I’m confident the massive hangover will assist me in this effort. Then, tomorrow will be on the downhill slope. I do so pledge I’ll have a compliant 24 hours. Who’s with me?

Me!

I was actually having a thought around similar lines this morning. I've been content to be within 5 pounds of goal all winter because winter sucks. But the weather is gorgeous and I have no excuses.

24 hours of nutritious food and staying under/at my calorie goal and no beer!
I'm in. No Happy Hour for me today. This is easier because our usual Happy Hour venue is closed for renovations this week, but still, giving myself credit.

AM run: completed
Breakfast: overnight oatmeal
Lunch will be leftover curried lentils and brown rice
Dinner will be salad and pasta
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on May 06, 2018, 04:08:28 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 112.2kg
Current weight: 111.7kg

Moving in the right direction. Hooray. Let's see if I can get under 110 by the end of May. Strangely enough, I'm not noticing a huge difference other than some pants are a little loose and others that were too tight fit fine. Still a fairly significant beer belly :p

Nine kilos (20 pounds) down in four months. Slow and steady, but getting there. The real challenge will be in June-July when the weather is gloomy, cold, drizzly and windy, and my work is super busy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on May 07, 2018, 06:48:55 AM
I need a day of behavior being in line with stated goals. I’m confident the massive hangover will assist me in this effort. Then, tomorrow will be on the downhill slope. I do so pledge I’ll have a compliant 24 hours. Who’s with me?

Me!

I was actually having a thought around similar lines this morning. I've been content to be within 5 pounds of goal all winter because winter sucks. But the weather is gorgeous and I have no excuses.

24 hours of nutritious food and staying under/at my calorie goal and no beer!
I'm in. No Happy Hour for me today. This is easier because our usual Happy Hour venue is closed for renovations this week, but still, giving myself credit.

AM run: completed
Breakfast: overnight oatmeal
Lunch will be leftover curried lentils and brown rice
Dinner will be salad and pasta

This is/was a great idea. I accidentally participated when garden projects ran way longer than expected and I ended up working 4ish hours out there; was too tired the rest of the weekend to move to the kitchen/eat. Win?

Down to 186, but I'm fairly certain that contains a wee bit of water weight loss that I'll see bounce back tomorrow.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: gmdv on May 07, 2018, 07:39:45 AM
A tad late but I'm in.   My goal is to get down to 110lbs by the end of this year and I plan on accomplishing that by tracking calories and walking.  A lot of walking.   Currently taking long lunches walking the mall to get my steps in during weekdays.   Makes skipping lunches easier plus I don't get all sweaty afterward.

May 7 - 133.4 lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on May 16, 2018, 08:41:41 PM
Finally I have seen some weight loss rather than gain!  I'm down 5 lbs, though still higher than when I started...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on May 17, 2018, 04:43:17 AM
I briefly weighed in under 200 a week or two back, then bounced between 200-202. This week I’m weighing in a bit below 199. No specific goal weight as I’ve never been this light as an adult before, so don’t really know what an ideal goal is.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on May 17, 2018, 07:52:05 AM
I briefly weighed in under 200 a week or two back, then bounced between 200-202. This week I’m weighing in a bit below 199. No specific goal weight as I’ve never been this light as an adult before, so don’t really know what an ideal goal is.

Body mass index (BMI) is a good starting point for determining a healthy weight. BMI  between 20 and 25 is considered "normal" and there are plenty of BMI caculators on the web (just enter you height and weight).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on May 17, 2018, 09:14:22 AM


I'm in. No Happy Hour for me today. This is easier because our usual Happy Hour venue is closed for renovations this week, but still, giving myself credit.

AM run: completed
Breakfast: overnight oatmeal
Lunch will be leftover curried lentils and brown rice
Dinner will be salad and pasta

This is/was a great idea. I accidentally participated when garden projects ran way longer than expected and I ended up working 4ish hours out there; was too tired the rest of the weekend to move to the kitchen/eat. Win?

Down to 186, but I'm fairly certain that contains a wee bit of water weight loss that I'll see bounce back tomorrow.

Well I was right, back to level on 188, but still making progress. Slow and steady.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: brute on May 17, 2018, 09:31:26 AM
Well, I'm holding steady between 294 and 296, but I'm down another 1.5 inches on my waist. So there's that. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing and the scale with come along with me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SachaFiscal on May 18, 2018, 07:50:34 AM
Joining for accountability. Going to finally lose the extra 10-15 pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 10-15 years. I’d like to lose at least 10lbs by April when I plan to get my cholesterol checked.

My plan is:
- track calories in MFP (1200-1400 per day)
- walk for an hour every day
- Pilates, yoga, Zumba, and spin class each once a week.
- no alcohol until July 4 (doing this with my spouse)
- plant based diet
- no eating out unless invited out with friends until July 4

My spouse is also on board which makes this a lot easier this time.

Starting weight: 135lbs
Goal weight: 120-125lbs

1/1/2018: 135 lbs
1/8/2018: 134.0 lbs
1/15/2018: 134.7 lbs
1/25/2018: 133.0 lbs
2/13/2018: 131.7 lbs
3/5/2018: 129.8 lbs
4/17/2018: 127.6 lbs
5/18/2018: 126.0 lbs

Another lb gone! I'm kind of a minimalist and like to get rid of stuff, so getting rid of a pound of fat (hopefully mostly fat) makes me so happy. I haven't followed my plan to a T for the past couple of months.  I've had some alcohol and eaten out a few times a month.  Also I'm not totally plant based, but mostly.  Exercise has been variable, some weeks I exercise every day, some weeks only once or twice.  I've recently added some intermittent fasting where I just drink water and green tea until dinnertime.  I've been doing this sporadically, maybe 5 times over the past month.  I'm going to try to do it twice a week consistently and see how that goes.  It kind of makes up for the added eating out and alcohol.  It's really challenging for me to be as consistent with exercise as I would like to be but I'm going to keep trying.  I'd like to meditate more regularly too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: gmdv on May 18, 2018, 01:54:21 PM
May 7 - 133.4 lbs
May 18 - 131.6 lbs

Good thing my walking route is the mall since it's been raining cats and dogs here all week long.  I've been averaging around 2 miles a day during my 40 mins walk,  which burned a pitiful 140 calories.   Although I think I may have overestimated my food calories a little.  It's a bit hard to come up with an accurate number when the food I ate are not in the database. According to my app, I burned around 1624 and ate around 1464 calories per day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: happy on May 18, 2018, 04:55:17 PM
Failing, have to get back on track
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on May 19, 2018, 03:02:43 PM
Holding at 140 (35 lbs down from Jan) and I'm pretty happy about it. I've added more fats into my diet and am reducing carbs for a change (not keto but just following what my body craves). Also we've moved to a house with stairs. Looking for more built in exercise. I'm in my normal BMI but would like to lose ten more pounds and tone up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on May 20, 2018, 05:34:11 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 111.7kg
Current weight: 111.5kg

I've been on holiday for the last week, so this is actually a really good result. Yet another pair of jeans now feels too large on me (I was hitching them up today).

Back to reality tomorrow :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: nnls on May 20, 2018, 07:43:38 PM
18/01/2018
Weight - 66.6kg
Waist measurement - 83cm
Hips - 101.5cm

16/05/2018
Weight - 61kg
Waist measurement - 75cm
Hips - 93cm

I am hoping to lose another 6kg

I did a 5 week holiday in between those dates where I ate a lot and didnt really care about diet/exercise so I am pretty happy with the results so far
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on May 28, 2018, 07:40:44 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 111.5kg
Current weight: 110.7kg

Wooooooo! Ten kilos down in just under five months.

Twenty more to go :p

As far as clothing goes, I’m probably down one size in pants, and shirts that were tight a while ago are no longer so. I’ll have to go to check out the stash of ‘thinner’ clothes I have at my parents’ place.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on May 28, 2018, 07:53:50 AM
197ish lbs today. I’ll probably bounce back up a bit before I hold this weight, but I’m now 2/3 the person I once was at my heaviest (295).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: nnls on May 28, 2018, 04:50:17 PM
197ish lbs today. I’ll probably bounce back up a bit before I hold this weight, but I’m now 2/3 the person I once was at my heaviest (295).

Congratulations
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on May 28, 2018, 07:33:36 PM
197ish lbs today. I’ll probably bounce back up a bit before I hold this weight, but I’m now 2/3 the person I once was at my heaviest (295).

Congrats! That's amazing!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on May 28, 2018, 11:54:08 PM
Awesome progress!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on May 29, 2018, 05:59:55 AM
Thanks :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on May 29, 2018, 07:17:25 PM
197ish lbs today. I’ll probably bounce back up a bit before I hold this weight, but I’m now 2/3 the person I once was at my heaviest (295).

Congrats! That's amazing!

WOOOOOOOOOT! Way to keep with it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on May 31, 2018, 04:52:16 AM
May weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4
05/31/2018     209.4

Steady progress...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on June 01, 2018, 09:48:41 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4
March 25:  171.6
April 1:  169.5
May 1: 168.5

June 1: 166

*sigh*  this is going too slowly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on June 01, 2018, 01:04:36 PM
@neophyte that’s about what my average loss has been each month, 3lbs a month. It’s often considered more sustainable to lose weight 0.5-1 lb/week than doing it faster. It might seem slow but it quickly compounds. I’m constantly getting compliments on how thin I’m looking now, which is the result 17 months and counting of work.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on June 13, 2018, 04:32:52 AM
196, new all time low. Down 49 lbs on low carb, 99lbs from my all-time heaviest which I’d lost most of it and then regained about half before trying low carb.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 13, 2018, 07:20:09 AM
I have finally gone past the 5+ pounds loss, thanks to the flu. ;-) Now here's hoping I can maintain! I'd love to be at the 10 pound mark by September.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ToughMother on June 16, 2018, 08:39:09 AM
I've been searching around for this thread, but alas, the search function of this forum is the weakest aspect.

Anyway!  My goal is to lose 10% of my body weight this year (goal weight: 121.3lbs).  I started in April (really a baseline month to track what I was eating and how much/little I was moving).  Really got to work a few weeks later.

4/9/18     134.8
4/16/18   133.6
4/23/18   133.6
4/30/18   133.8
5/7/18     133.6
5/14/18   131.4
5/21/18   132.0
5/28/18   131.4
6/4/18     130.8
6/11/18   128.4
6/18/18   127.8
6/25/18   127.0
7/2/18     126.8
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on June 17, 2018, 07:11:54 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 110.7kg
Current weight: 111.5kg

I've plateaued for the last month. Sigh.

It's winter and the last week has been cold and rainy, so I've been riding my bike less (didn't ride at all last week). Work is also busier at this time of year. I've been eating a lot of soups and more bread than usual, but I've generally had far less potatoes/rice/noodles than normal.

I was 109.3 when I weighed in this morning, so I suspect there's a bit of water weight in there from all the soup I've had today.

Maybe I'll get on the bike again on Tuesday. It's forecast to be dry, and while it'll be a bit cool in the morning (about 3-4C), I don't mind riding the bike when it's that cold as long as it's not wet.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on June 24, 2018, 05:58:16 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 111.5kg
Current weight: 111.3kg

Nothing to speak of really.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Saving4Fire on June 25, 2018, 09:29:17 AM
I'm going to join the party.   I'm a 6 ft male and my weight had ballooned to an all-time heaviest 235 pounds.   Nine weeks ago I started New Atkins and this morning I weighted myself and I was down to 210.  I've tried other dieting plans and I have to say New Atkins is by far the best plan I've ever experienced from a weight loss and ease to maintain perspective.  Here's some random thoughts on the Atkins diet:

1) I'd say the most surprising thing so far is how hard it is to get my calories up. Beforehand, I had a very carb heavy diet, so once I cut out carbs I've lost a lot of calories. For example, today I ordered a Chipotle salad without rice and beans, but it was under 500 calories even with sour cream and cheese. Afterward I bought a small bag of almonds just in case I get hungry later. The day before I got a 5 guys bacon double cheeseburger and once you remove the bread/fries the calories are fairly manageable. Interestingly, despite lower my calories I'm fuller and I have less desire to snack (a huge problem for me) because when you up the protein vs carbs you stay fuller for a longer time. When I was eating a lot of high calorie carbs I'd crash and I'd be hungry a few hours later.

3) I'm lucky to have a supermarket where I take the train to and from work. You can buy beef, pork and seafood and they'll cook it for you on the spot. They also have a salad bar for veggies. That really helps the convenience factor after work. I would have a hard time with this diet if I had to spend a lot of time cooking everything myself.

4) I notice I'm spending a bit more on food. Generally, carb heavy foods are cheaper than protein heavy foods. I'm fine with that, but I think it's worth mentioning.

5) I made a fathead pizza (https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/fat-head-pizza).   It's amazing a low carb pizza can taste that good.  Highly recommended.

6) I'm also kinda addicted to the Atkins candy bars (https://www.amazon.com/Atkins-Snack-Caramel-Chocolate-Count/dp/B002NGQGUC/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1528138561&sr=8-4&keywords=atkins+snack+bars%2C+caramel+chocolate+nut+roll).   I like to have one in the evening if I get a little hungry.   Those bars aren't the best calories and they are full of alcohol sugars.  I'm conflicted, but what I'm doing is working so I'm not ready to change, but if I hit a major plateau it'll be the first thing to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: C-note on June 25, 2018, 06:39:39 PM
Hello all!

I've recently gotten serious about weight loss. At my height I was 271, and now I'm at 238 (33 pounds down!). Going at a slow and steady rate of about one pound per week.

I have a long way to go but can celebrate small victories. I dropped a pant size. I moved out of the "morbidly obese" BMI category into regular "obese." And I'm already just feeling better, not like such a blob in life.

I have a history of unsustainably restrictive diets, and signing up for gym memberships I didn't use. But now I've finally learned to work within my own habits and preferences.

Food: I love snacks and desserts. Rather than fight this, I now always have healthy substitutes for junk food on hand. Chickpea snacks, edamame, almonds, and smoothie ingredients have replaced chips and ice cream. Foods high in fiber and protein are more filling, so you eat less and feel more satisfied.  My meals are low-carb with heaps of vegetables.

Exercise: I hate the gym. Everything about it. The smell, the rubbery textures, the sweatiness, the swishy-fabric attire. Fortunately, the outdoors are free and much more pleasant. I've been discovering nature trails in my area and trying to walk at least 4 miles a day. Sometimes I'll pop in an audiobook on earphones and walk for hours, or I'll go looking for geocaches just to give myself a mission. I wear good walking shoes and street clothes, and the contemplative, peaceful experience suits me so much better than a gym.


I think these habits will stick. With each pound lost I feel more and more free, released from a burden.

In my entire 4 year weight loss journey from obese down to low-healthy BMI, I never set foot in a gym once. There were a number of long walks, and a ton on gentle physio exercises, but nothing that contributed much to my calorie balance.

You absolutely do not need the gym to lose weight, and for some of us, that’s incredibly liberating.

I can second @Malkynn's experience.  I've lost about 50 pounds in the past 9 months and it was all through changes in my eating habits.  I am not a person who frequents the gym or jogs or does any regular physical activity.  I do hike on weekends and any other day that gives me a few hours to sneak away from work.

My 3-sizes-smaller-than-last-summer shorts are all due to my change in eating.  I tell people all the time that I don't feel like I'm dieting.  I'm not tracking anything, only eating specific foods at specific times, or eating foods in specific combinations.  I'm simply eating better and smarter.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on June 26, 2018, 05:00:42 AM
Not a big gym person either though I may join one just for the winter months here now that my kids are old enough I can leave them home instead of needing to bring them to the crappy in gym daycares.

I have an indoor bike that I rode pretty well last winter but might want more variety. A certain amount of activity is good for me mood wise, but 90% of my weight loss has likely been from diet.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on June 26, 2018, 07:18:23 AM
There's so many excerise options that don't involve a gym! Now I love love love every type of exercise but using weights in a room full of other people using weights? No, thanks.

I'm currently enrolled in an outdoor bootcamp class and that's amazing. I also love to go for a swim. I do like many group classes at the gym though. Or sports club. Just not the fitness room actually.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on June 26, 2018, 08:55:31 AM

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

I love this quote. I have similar health issues plus learned I had crossed over into prediabetes last year. I used a ketogenic diet and reversed the A1C back down to normal (lowest in 4 years).  I assumed that weight loss would follow once I was insulin sensitive, but I kept gaining and losing the same 8 lbs. Maybe I never became insulin sensitive? When I took Christmas off from keto (planned), I spent the past two weeks in pain as a lot of nerve pain and inflammatory symptoms came back.

So, I'm joining for accountability.  Starting weight 1/1/18 153.4lb, currently down to 152 which I'm assuming is water weight from being low carb again.

Weight goal: less than 140 lbs

Strategy:
Food:
Low carb (50g carb).

Cut dairy, eggs and nuts for 1 month. I leaned on these hard to maintain net carbs of 20g last year. I think the dairy and nuts stalled weight loss, and the eggs contributed to inflammation.

Fasting: I did a couple rounds of the fast mimicking diet last year. It was actually harder than just a plain water fast.  I'll try combining the two-2 days of water fast + 2-3 days of FMD once/month.

Movement:

Workout at least 3x/week. I'm starting with New Rules of Lifting for Women. I can either workout at home, at the regular or powerlifting gym at work. None of those places have all of the equipment I need, so I will decide in advance what exercise to substitute rather than use that as an excuse to not work out. For example if there is no squat rack, I can either do goblet squats or split squats with dumbbells, or use a leg press.

Find a sport kettlebell class or teach myself from youtube 1x/week

Yoga 1x/week

Swing dance class at least 1x/week.  Next session starts on the 8th.

>30 min walk at least 3x/week, regardless of weather.  I already do this, because I'll walk to the grocery store, library etc.  When it started getting really cold these past couple of weeks, I planned to substitute the elliptical for walking.  Nope. I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Checking in. I hit my goal of being under 140.  I still fluctuate, but I'm at goal more days than not. 

Food
Things I did right:
Things I did wrong (?):

Fasting:
Things I did right:

Things I did wrong:


Movement
Things I did right:
Things I did wrong:
 Dropped kettlebells, yoga and swing dance.  I don't really care about dropping those activities.  I just wish I had incorporated a mobility, HIIT or just fun activity to replace them.

Next goals:
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: firelight on June 29, 2018, 10:16:36 PM
Checking in here. I gained 5 lbs after starting work (due to stress and free food at work) and need to lose them again. My nemesis is dairy - I know I feel way better without it ( my body does worse with dairy) but I can't stop myself from having it :( starting July 1, I'm going off dairy completely for a month to reset eating habits.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on June 30, 2018, 05:54:05 AM
June weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4
05/31/2018     209.4
06/30/2018     206.2

Monthly weight loss has been decreasing steadily, but I have been exercising a lot more so I hope that I'm trading some fat for muscle. I think I need to start tracking body fat.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on June 30, 2018, 06:36:19 AM
Checking in here. I gained 5 lbs after starting work (due to stress and free food at work) and need to lose them again. My nemesis is dairy - I know I feel way better without it ( my body does worse with dairy) but I can't stop myself from having it :( starting July 1, I'm going off dairy completely for a month to reset eating habits.

I’ve been doing dairy free as an experiment. Two weeks in and my body seems to like it. Gonna give it at least a month or two before seeing if I can have cheese on an occasional basis (rather than daily like I was) and feel okay. So basically I’m now eating paleo without honey or nuts. Meat, veg, fruit, that’s it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on June 30, 2018, 07:37:12 AM
Checking in here. I gained 5 lbs after starting work (due to stress and free food at work) and need to lose them again. My nemesis is dairy - I know I feel way better without it ( my body does worse with dairy) but I can't stop myself from having it :( starting July 1, I'm going off dairy completely for a month to reset eating habits.

How about plant-based dairy? I looove soy yoghurt and almond milk. Cheese is a bit harder to replace IMO but you can certainly replace part of your dairy by plant based products so you don't have to miss out completely.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on July 02, 2018, 05:04:02 AM
192.6. 52.4 pounds lost since Jan 2017 when I’d regained a bunch of weight and started low carb. 102.4 pounds down from my heaviest, I think that was around 2010 but not sure.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on July 03, 2018, 03:15:54 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 111.3kg
Current weight: 110.4kg

Hooray, things are starting to move in the right direction again :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on July 03, 2018, 05:41:41 AM
Haven't been on the scale in a month and honestly a bit scared to get there. Time to get back on the bandwagon.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on July 03, 2018, 06:27:12 AM
191.4 today and feeling good. Starting to think of myself as not fat.

Start: 245
Heaviest: 295
Lowest previous adult weight: 205
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Saving4Fire on July 03, 2018, 09:19:17 AM
I'm 10 weeks in to my diet and I'm down 25 pounds!   I've gone from 234->209.   My goal is to have the following new years resolution:  "In 2019 I would like to maintain my current weight", which should be around 180 pounds.

Atkins just works for me.  I couldn't be happier.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Thegoblinchief on July 03, 2018, 03:53:53 PM
I'm 10 weeks in to my diet and I'm down 25 pounds!   I've gone from 234->209.   My goal is to have the following new years resolution:  "In 2019 I would like to maintain my current weight", which should be around 180 pounds.

Atkins just works for me.  I couldn't be happier.

Not doing any specific school because I don’t like tracking what I eat but yeah low carb is good stuff. Easy to stick to once you get over the initial carb withdrawal. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on July 12, 2018, 07:43:03 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 110.4kg
Current weight: 109.9kg

Finally cracked 110 :)

I probably need to start getting harder on my eating, those ‘occasional treats’ aren’t quite occasional enough, and the amount of calories in the coffees at work (from the espresso machine at work) would add up, even with skinny milk and no sugar. Maybe I need to switch from a flat white to a long black or macchiato. Ditching coffee altogether or drinking instant is not an option. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: gmdv on July 12, 2018, 08:48:49 AM
May 7 - 133.4 lbs
May 18 - 131.6 lbs

Good thing my walking route is the mall since it's been raining cats and dogs here all week long.  I've been averaging around 2 miles a day during my 40 mins walk,  which burned a pitiful 140 calories.   Although I think I may have overestimated my food calories a little.  It's a bit hard to come up with an accurate number when the food I ate are not in the database. According to my app, I burned around 1624 and ate around 1464 calories per day.
July 12 - 130.2 lbs

Having relatives visit and nonstop parties are really bad for weight loss.   At one point I went all the way up to 136 lbs.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 24, 2018, 11:53:20 AM
My weight has really been a challenge. I did "okay" for the first six months, losing about a pound a month. Then, I had five weeks of work traveling + several personal vacations, and now I'm one pound from where I started the year. Frustrated with myself. In positive news, pretty much all of the schedule craziness is now complete (back to just the normal amount of crazy) & I have a couple of big fitness events on the calendar to be training for. Need to get my act together again!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: StarBright on July 25, 2018, 07:24:47 AM

Weekly-ish Weigh in:

December 30: 145
January 5:      144
January 12:    143.4
January 19:    143.8
January 26:    143.2
February 2:    142
February 15:   145
February 24:  143
March 6:        142.8
March 10:       142
March 23:       142.8
July 25:          145


It's been a while peeps! If I recall from my many years on this thread, it always slows down over the summer. Because we're all so busy? Because it is easier to lose weight?

In any case - I'm back and at the weight my body always wants to settle at. Ugh it takes such effort to keep my body under 145 pounds.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: SquashingDebt on July 25, 2018, 04:24:25 PM
This morning I hit 15 lbs down since the new year!  I was a little surprised, since this is my super busy season at work (where the past 2 years I've gained 10+ lbs each summer/fall), so I had already told myself that it was okay if all I did for now is maintain my weight.  I haven't even been calorie tracking recently.  Maybe I'm actually making a sustainable shift in my eating patterns?!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: gmdv on July 26, 2018, 11:54:37 AM
May 7 - 133.4 lbs
May 18 - 131.6 lbs
July 12 - 130.2 lbs
July 26 - 128.6 lbs

This walking during lunch is working out pretty well for me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MoneyMouse on July 26, 2018, 01:09:50 PM
Oh! I'm in!

I'm starting in at 165-166ish lbs, 39% BF.
My goal is to lose around 45lbs total and/or get to 15-18% BF.

I'm using the keto diet along with cheat days (working down to a single cheat meal every two weeks) as I've had great success with that before. Right now my plan is keto 6/7 days and 1 day of "cheat" but still requiring lots of vegetables.

Right now, I've just made some bad decisions this week because the bacon bits I used to prep my breakfast bacon-and-egg scramble are skeeving me out. The texture is terribad and it feels all gristly and fatty. I'll try just plain egg and cheese and maybe package up some fried mushrooms on the side for next week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on July 28, 2018, 04:39:12 AM
July weigh-in:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4
05/31/2018     209.4
06/30/2018     206.2
07/28/2018     201.6      27.4%

The last column is body fat percentage (I purchased a body fat scale during Amazon Prime Day).

Also, I had been monitoring my blood pressure since my doctor cut my medication dosage in half in April and it was consistently pretty low (almost too low). So I went back to my doctor and we decided to try eliminating that medication. That was a couple of weeks ago and my blood pressure has been higher but still good (around 120/80), so it looks like no more blood pressure medication!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Hirondelle on July 28, 2018, 05:38:49 AM
Congrats Rab-bit! That's a huge amount of weight you lost and excellent job on getting off the blood pressure medication. Do you feel lots better/fitter/healthier too?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on July 28, 2018, 08:32:14 AM
Thanks @Hirondelle! My energy level is definitely up and I am generally sleeping better, but the biggest improvement is just feeling better about myself!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alleykat on August 01, 2018, 06:37:25 PM
Well, I had come to a full stop with losing weight and I think I am back in the game.  I started the year at 165 and I am now at 155.  I have 15 lbs to go and I think I finally can stick with watching my food intake.  It is a struggle but I have really cut back on my snacking.  I have also started working out, but just started, so i can’t do much but everyday that I get off the couch is a win. 

Some of you are doing so good.  It is an inspiration.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MoneyMouse on August 02, 2018, 03:36:57 PM
So I tried my first ever group fitness class at my gym (and, like, third ever overall) - it was a "Body Combat" class. Martial art-sy moves to music. I say "-sy" because... well. They are, to me, at least. Especially the "karate" ones, since I actually do karate and... not like that.

But it was definitely a lot of fun! I enjoyed it and burned 500 Cal doing so. I probably made it harder on myself than I needed to since I dropped to my usual moving habits from karate and that means perma-crouch to take advantage of my naturally lower stance (read: I'm short af).

I'm going to try going every week, since I think it would be a great way to improve my overall endurance for actual fighting.

Heck, if I really love it, maybe I can look into teaching it at some point. It seems to be one of the less frequent offerings, and none run in the mornings. I wonder if there's a market for such high intensity classes in the mornings, but I'd love to run one.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ToughMother on August 02, 2018, 04:50:23 PM
I've been searching around for this thread, but alas, the search function of this forum is the weakest aspect.

Anyway!  My goal is to lose 10% of my body weight this year (goal weight: 121.3lbs, stretch goal: 118 lbs).  I started in April (really a baseline month to track what I was eating and how much/little I was moving).  Really got to work a few weeks later.

UPDATED
4/9/18     134.8
4/16/18   133.6
4/23/18   133.6
4/30/18   133.8
5/7/18     133.6
5/14/18   131.4
5/21/18   132.0
5/28/18   131.4
6/4/18     130.8
6/11/18   128.4
6/18/18   127.8
6/25/18   127.0
7/2/18     126.8
7/9/18     125.8
7/16/18   125.8
7/23/18   124.4
7/30/18   122.8
8/6/18     122.4
8/13/18   120.8
8/20/18   119.6
8/27/18   119.4
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: gmdv on August 18, 2018, 01:22:50 PM
May 7 - 133.4 lbs
May 18 - 131.6 lbs
July 12 - 130.2 lbs
July 26 - 128.6 lbs
August 18 - 127 lbs

Slow and steady.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on August 19, 2018, 07:24:40 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 109.9kg
Current weight: 112.6kg

Uh oh. Seems that I’ve slacked off in the last month or so. Posting to keep track and kick myself in the arse a bit :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Morning Glory on August 31, 2018, 04:37:58 AM
Posting in to share that I have maintained my weight loss at around 3-4 lbs above my original goal since March. I am currently at the weight it says on my driver's license, with a  BMI of 20.1, so my goal was probably unrealistic. During the summer I have been active enough to not even pay attention to food/calories, although once the weather turns cold this will take a little more work. Currently I am working on decreasing alcohol consumption and also making ab exercises a daily routine.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on August 31, 2018, 05:00:09 AM
Monthly update for August:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4
05/31/2018     209.4
06/30/2018     206.2
07/28/2018     201.6      27.4% BF
08/31/2018     193.8      25.7% BF

Total of 60 pounds lost now and I finally cracked the 200-pound barrier this month.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on August 31, 2018, 09:23:49 AM
Monthly update for August:

11/26/2017     253.4
08/31/2018     193.8      25.7% BF

Total of 60 pounds lost now and I finally cracked the 200-pound barrier this month.

That is incredible progress, congratulations! Have you had to adjust your intake / activity levels as you weigh so much less now than you did?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on August 31, 2018, 10:00:59 AM
Thanks, @dreadmoose!

My diet might be a little different than some others. Basically, I decided what weight I wanted to be, figured out the maintenance calories for that weight (2000 is what I came up with, though I realize now that may be a little low), then started eating that many calories per day. It was tough at the beginning but over the first month or two I was able to define a new eating routine that worked for me within the 2000 calorie limit.. I have also increased my activity level but it is still nothing crazy, mainly 30 minutes per day walking at a fast pace.

Sorry, this is probably more information than you wanted but it's worked well for me and I believe that it's sustainable. Honestly, it has been much easier than I thought it would be, so now I wish I had done this years ago!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on August 31, 2018, 10:28:44 AM
Thanks, @dreadmoose!

My diet might be a little different than some others. Basically, I decided what weight I wanted to be, figured out the maintenance calories for that weight (2000 is what I came up with, though I realize now that may be a little low), then started eating that many calories per day. It was tough at the beginning but over the first month or two I was able to define a new eating routine that worked for me within the 2000 calorie limit.. I have also increased my activity level but it is still nothing crazy, mainly 30 minutes per day walking at a fast pace.

Sorry, this is probably more information than you wanted but it's worked well for me and I believe that it's sustainable. Honestly, it has been much easier than I thought it would be, so now I wish I had done this years ago!

That was exactly what I was asking about, thanks for sharing! I did the same last year but had to adjust another 200 calories down to keep the weight loss going near the end. 2000 would be a hard deficit, great work keeping it up! I also added walking in to my daily routine but have fallen off that a bit lately as I switch to maintenance and trying to gain some muscle instead.

You're inspiring, keep it up!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on September 01, 2018, 06:54:23 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4
March 25:  171.6
April 1:  169.5
May 1: 168.5
June 1: 166

Sept 1: 164

I haven't chimed in in a while. Went on vacation in June and went backwards. July was basically a draw. Busted my butt in August and finally nudged the scale back down again. I can tell I'm stronger now but I'm really disappointed with the speed of my weightloss at this point.  My initial goal for the year was 5 lbs a month and I'm far below that. I'm 4 lbs above a "normal" bmi and 24 lbs above my "I'll reevaluate my goal when I get there" goal, and 34 lbs over my "pie in the sky what I think I'd really like to weigh" goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ToughMother on September 03, 2018, 08:00:58 AM
I've been searching around for this thread, but alas, the search function of this forum is the weakest aspect.

Anyway!  My goal is to lose 10% of my body weight this year (goal weight: 121.3lbs, stretch goal: 118 lbs).  I started in April (really a baseline month to track what I was eating and how much/little I was moving).  Really got to work a few weeks later.

UPDATED
4/9/18     134.8
4/16/18   133.6
4/23/18   133.6
4/30/18   133.8
5/7/18     133.6
5/14/18   131.4
5/21/18   132.0
5/28/18   131.4
6/4/18     130.8
6/11/18   128.4
6/18/18   127.8
6/25/18   127.0
7/2/18     126.8
7/9/18     125.8
7/16/18   125.8
7/23/18   124.4
7/30/18   122.8
8/6/18     122.4
8/13/18   120.8
8/20/18   119.6
8/27/18   119.4
9/3/18     118.2

I'm going to call this a win - WEIGHT ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED.
Next up is maintenance of this weight and starting to get a bit of conditioning in.

Thanks for this Throw-down-the-gauntlet-thread and good luck to the rest of you here!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: ToughMother on September 03, 2018, 09:36:44 AM
- WEIGHT ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED.
Next up is maintenance of this weight and starting to get a bit of conditioning in.

Thanks for this Throw-down-the-gauntlet-thread and good luck to the rest of you here!!

Congratulations ToughMother!! Good luck with the maintenance!

Thanks so much @Sun Hat !! I've appreciated this thread and the monthlies you've done.  Got me to where I needed to be!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on September 04, 2018, 05:50:18 AM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
Feb 19:  174
Feb 26:  174
March 4: 173.2
March 11:  174
March 18:  172.4
March 25:  171.6
April 1:  169.5
May 1: 168.5
June 1: 166

Sept 1: 164

I haven't chimed in in a while. Went on vacation in June and went backwards. July was basically a draw. Busted my butt in August and finally nudged the scale back down again. I can tell I'm stronger now but I'm really disappointed with the speed of my weightloss at this point.  My initial goal for the year was 5 lbs a month and I'm far below that. I'm 4 lbs above a "normal" bmi and 24 lbs above my "I'll reevaluate my goal when I get there" goal, and 34 lbs over my "pie in the sky what I think I'd really like to weigh" goal.

That sucks. I'm in the same boat and have basically declared this the summer of "Well, at least I didn't gain weight". Not sure what I need to do to get back on track, but thought I'd leave this here:

(http://s3.amazonaws.com/theoatmeal-img/comics/diet_train/diet_train.png)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on September 04, 2018, 07:44:52 AM
Oh man!  That was perfect since I've got work happy hour/dinner tomorrow and then 5 days of out of town wedding/family reunion. I've done great so far in September! I don't expect the train to derail until the 5th!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on September 09, 2018, 08:11:44 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 112.6kg
Current weight: 108.8kg

I’ve been sick on-off for the last few weeks (including tonsillitis for the last week). I’m assuming that’s why I’ve lost that weight when I really haven’t been trying (that and I’d put on a bit prior to then).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: gmdv on September 10, 2018, 08:51:39 AM
May 7 - 133.4 lbs
May 18 - 131.6 lbs
July 12 - 130.2 lbs
July 26 - 128.6 lbs
August 18 - 127 lbs

September 10 - 126.2 lbs

I'm gaining a lot of muscles so I suppose this pace is ok.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: gmdv on September 17, 2018, 08:50:00 AM
May 7 - 133.4 lbs
May 18 - 131.6 lbs
July 12 - 130.2 lbs
July 26 - 128.6 lbs
August 18 - 127 lbs
September 10 - 126.2 lbs

September 17 - 125 lbs

New number on the scale.   Don't know how long it'll hang around considered that I finished an entire bag of chocolate truffles in the last 2 days.  But I'm enjoying it for now.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on September 19, 2018, 05:10:41 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 108.8kg
Current weight: 108.5kg

No longer sick and now trying to eat better. A bit strange that I managed to lose 3-4kg in three weeks without trying last month, but I'm assuming that's the whole 'being sick' thing. I plateaued/gained a bit over winter so now it's spring it's time to work on it.

Haven't been on the bike for a few weeks as a result. That may change tomorrow.

One pair of trousers that were too tight in January are now slightly too loose. Most of the weight seems to have gone from my thighs/arse and not so much from the waist.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: marble_faun on September 24, 2018, 04:55:24 PM
For those who wear wedding rings and who have lost significant weight -- how did you handle your ring getting loose?   

I'm worried that one day soon my rings will just fall off. I love wearing them but might have to stop until I stabilize... and that might not be for a year or two.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on September 25, 2018, 04:57:44 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 108.5kg
Current weight: 108.3kg

It’s progress :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on September 25, 2018, 06:14:47 AM
For those who wear wedding rings and who have lost significant weight -- how did you handle your ring getting loose?   

I'm worried that one day soon my rings will just fall off. I love wearing them but might have to stop until I stabilize... and that might not be for a year or two.

I'm not married, but you could wear it on a chain around your neck and get some cheap silicone rings to wear as a placeholder until you're ready to get it refitted.  I think they also sell little things that wrap around the ring to make it tighter, but that might be uncomfortable long term.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: dreadmoose on September 26, 2018, 01:57:55 PM
For those who wear wedding rings and who have lost significant weight -- how did you handle your ring getting loose?   

I'm worried that one day soon my rings will just fall off. I love wearing them but might have to stop until I stabilize... and that might not be for a year or two.

This has happened to me, I can't wear my wedding ring anymore and have also shrunk below one set of silicon rings.

My plan is to wait until I'm a year stable and then get my initial ring re-sized (I get one free resize). If I shrink / grow beyond that it's sell the original and get something much cheaper than I did in the first place (pre-MMM and still 'only' $500... those last 2 words hurt to say post-MMM turnaround).

I am not that attached to my wedding band, to me it's a symbol of my marriage so a new metal one, or the $2 silicon one I replaced it with for now means the same thing to me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on September 29, 2018, 02:59:10 AM
Monthly update for September:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4
05/31/2018     209.4
06/30/2018     206.2
07/28/2018     201.6      27.4% BF
08/31/2018     193.8      25.7% BF
09/29/2018     191.2      25.1% BF

September started with an overseas business trip during which it was more difficult to maintain my routine, and I was generally more sloppy with my diet during the rest of the month. So only 2.6 pounds lost, but it's still progress and I will try to re-commit myself in October.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 01, 2018, 10:04:54 AM
Shockingly, I've got a positive update to share! :-) I've lost about four pounds in September. I typically struggle when I travel for work - the jet lag, the social events/drinking, disruption to my working out/sleeping schedule, and general fatigue when I return. However, this time, due to some stomach issues I'm trying to resolve, I've been avoiding dairy, as well as training for a half marathon. My half marathon training as been admittedly half assed, but I have been running more than usual.   

We're heading to Hawaii around Thanksgiving, so I'd like to lose another four pounds. I need to up my strength training, continue with my diet changes, and keep up the running. After the half is done, I'd like to focus on the 3-5 mile run, consistently being able to run with no walking, even on hilly terrain
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on October 03, 2018, 06:09:28 PM
Jan 30:  178
Feb 12:  174
March 4: 173.2
April 1:  169.5
May 1: 168.5
June 1: 166
Sept 1: 164

Oct 1: 158 (ish, realistically. Scale read a bit lower but I don't believe it.)

This is a process of just recommitting over and over again. A long slog.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on October 08, 2018, 04:24:04 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 108.3kg
Current weight: 108.4kg

Oops :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on October 31, 2018, 02:23:44 AM
Monthly update for October:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4
05/31/2018     209.4
06/30/2018     206.2
07/28/2018     201.6      27.4% BF
08/31/2018     193.8      25.7% BF
09/29/2018     191.2      25.1% BF
10/31/2018     187.6      24.3% BF

With just two months left in 2018, I may fall a little short of my revised goal of 180 by the end of the year, but considering that my original stretch goal was 200, I can't be too upset about that. Onward and downward!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: asiljoy on October 31, 2018, 05:27:09 AM
Monthly update for October:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4
05/31/2018     209.4
06/30/2018     206.2
07/28/2018     201.6      27.4% BF
08/31/2018     193.8      25.7% BF
09/29/2018     191.2      25.1% BF
10/31/2018     187.6      24.3% BF

With just two months left in 2018, I may fall a little short of my revised goal of 180 by the end of the year, but considering that my original stretch goal was 200, I can't be too upset about that. Onward and downward!

WOW. That is some consistent progress there. Congratulations!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on October 31, 2018, 09:43:59 AM
Thanks, @asiljoy!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: lexde on October 31, 2018, 09:51:42 AM
I haven’t lost much weight unfortunately. It’s due to diet, and not being as careful as I should be with what I’m eating. That said, I am making better choices, am maintaining my weight on the scale, and appear to be recomping a bit. My abs are more visible now and I am gaining some more visible muscle. I’m eating more fruits and upping my protein and starting to snack less. So I’m making slight progress, just not on the scale.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: alsoknownasDean on November 04, 2018, 05:17:25 AM
Starting weight: 120.7kg
Last weight: 108.4kg
Current weight: 108.6kg

I've been slacking off so a 200g gain isn't so bad.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on November 30, 2018, 03:58:56 AM
November update:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4
05/31/2018     209.4
06/30/2018     206.2
07/28/2018     201.6      27.4% BF
08/31/2018     193.8      25.7% BF
09/29/2018     191.2      25.1% BF
10/31/2018     187.6      24.3% BF
11/30/2018     186.0      24.0% BF

Considering the Thanksgiving holiday, I'm very happy with 1.6 pounds lost this month. I have also increased my exercise, so hopefully I'm trading some fat for muscle as well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on December 20, 2018, 09:15:53 AM
Curious for everyone's recap for 2018. Please share your successes and your struggles :)

For me, I have been super quiet here because I haven't been able to get my head in the game. I'll be starting a fresh thread for 2019 and plan to be there!

2018 recap:
Gained weight early in the year than battled through the spring/summer to get it off. By August I finally shed 10lbs. Then promptly started piling it back on and it's now all back. So frustrating - I have lost the same 10-20 lbs 3 times now.

Hoping something sticks in my next attempt in 2019! I am so done with all this extra flab.

Sent from my LG-K373 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: Dulcimina on December 20, 2018, 09:50:42 AM

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

I love this quote. I have similar health issues plus learned I had crossed over into prediabetes last year. I used a ketogenic diet and reversed the A1C back down to normal (lowest in 4 years).  I assumed that weight loss would follow once I was insulin sensitive, but I kept gaining and losing the same 8 lbs. Maybe I never became insulin sensitive? When I took Christmas off from keto (planned), I spent the past two weeks in pain as a lot of nerve pain and inflammatory symptoms came back.

So, I'm joining for accountability.  Starting weight 1/1/18 153.4lb, currently down to 152 which I'm assuming is water weight from being low carb again.

Weight goal: less than 140 lbs

Strategy:
Food:
Low carb (50g carb).

Cut dairy, eggs and nuts for 1 month. I leaned on these hard to maintain net carbs of 20g last year. I think the dairy and nuts stalled weight loss, and the eggs contributed to inflammation.

Fasting: I did a couple rounds of the fast mimicking diet last year. It was actually harder than just a plain water fast.  I'll try combining the two-2 days of water fast + 2-3 days of FMD once/month.

Movement:

Workout at least 3x/week. I'm starting with New Rules of Lifting for Women. I can either workout at home, at the regular or powerlifting gym at work. None of those places have all of the equipment I need, so I will decide in advance what exercise to substitute rather than use that as an excuse to not work out. For example if there is no squat rack, I can either do goblet squats or split squats with dumbbells, or use a leg press.

Find a sport kettlebell class or teach myself from youtube 1x/week

Yoga 1x/week

Swing dance class at least 1x/week.  Next session starts on the 8th.

>30 min walk at least 3x/week, regardless of weather.  I already do this, because I'll walk to the grocery store, library etc.  When it started getting really cold these past couple of weeks, I planned to substitute the elliptical for walking.  Nope. I couldn't bring myself to do it.

2018 recap:
I stuck with low carb with a few higher carb meals for special occasions, but added calorie counting.  I got below 140lb in September and am currently 134.8, so I met my weight goal for the year. Yay! I'm reading my post from January that talked about nerve pain and inflammation, and I can't remember what pain I was thinking of at the time.  I'm going to count that long term absence of pain as a non scale victory.

I added back nuts, dairy and eggs several months ago. I don't see any difference in weight loss, but have seen some autoimmune issues flare up as a result. I'm planning another 30 day dairy restriction in January to confirm the link.

Fasting: Since I've started counting calories (~1200-1300/day), I've had a hard time fasting.  So I no longer plan fasts. It doesn't feel healthy (mentally) for me right now.

Workouts: I completed the New Rules of Lifting workouts then didn't do any lifting for two months because I didn't have any structure for programming workouts by myself.  I'm starting the book workouts again while I figure out what I want to do long term. I've been inconsistent on yoga and kettlebells. I haven't gone swing dancing all year.  Next year I'll look into exploring a different style of dance to shake things up.  Walking has been great.  I just got new wireless headphones so I can start listening to podcasts while I walk.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: rab-bit on December 31, 2018, 05:07:23 AM
December and year-end update:

11/26/2017     253.4
12/31/2017     242.6
01/31/2018     234.8
02/28/2018     224.8
03/31/2018     220.0
04/29/2018     214.4
05/31/2018     209.4
06/30/2018     206.2
07/28/2018     201.6      27.4% BF
08/31/2018     193.8      25.7% BF
09/29/2018     191.2      25.1% BF
10/31/2018     187.6      24.3% BF
11/30/2018     186.0      24.0% BF
12/31/2018     186.6      24.0% BF

Despite the disappointing small weight gain this month, I have to say that I succeeded beyond my wildest dreams this year. My original goal was 210 with a stretch goal of 200. I later revised my goal to 185 but fell slightly short of that one.

In addition to the weight loss, I have also started a regular exercise routine. Overall, I am in my best physical condition in at least 25 years!

Thanks to @elaine amj for starting this thread which really helped in holding myself accountable. I am looking forward to 2019 and reaching my ultimate goal weight of 175 pounds.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: pecunia on December 31, 2018, 09:18:20 AM
Rab-bit:

Too late for me in 2018, I weigh about the same, but I am not as muscular so that's not good.

You have provided inspiration for 2019.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: elaine amj on January 01, 2019, 05:34:37 PM
OK folks - we have a new home for 2019!! Here's to a few less pounds in the year ahead!

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum%2Emrmoneymustache%2Ecom%2Findex%2Ephp%3Ftopic%3D100900%2E0&amp;share_tid=100900&amp;share_fid=111053&amp;share_type=t



Sent from my LG-K373 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2018
Post by: neophyte on January 02, 2019, 07:32:37 AM
I started 2018 at 180 and finished the year around 155, which at least puts me in the healthy BMI range. I managed to lose 25 lbs but my goal was 40. Neither a sucess nor a failure really. I'd like to lose the remaining 15 lbs. and possibly more in 2019.