Author Topic: Losing Weight in 2018  (Read 241082 times)

ixtap

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #150 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.

Tris Prior

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #151 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.

dreadmoose

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #152 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.

nessness

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #153 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.

Bee21

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #154 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.

LifeHappens

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #155 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.

ixtap

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #156 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."

SachaFiscal

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #157 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



Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #158 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.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #159 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.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #160 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.

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« Last Edit: January 03, 2018, 08:22:50 PM by elaine amj »

SquashingDebt

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #161 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. 

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #162 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.

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Sailor Sam

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #163 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.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2018, 08:35:24 PM by Sailor Sam »

okits

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #164 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.

mrmoolaman

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #165 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!

Bee21

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #166 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.


Hirondelle

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #167 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).
« Last Edit: January 04, 2018, 08:48:02 AM by Hirondelle »

alleykat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #168 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.

SquashingDebt

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #169 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 ;)

Morning Glory

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #170 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.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #171 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.

Imma

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #172 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.

wildbeast

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #173 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. 

Tris Prior

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #174 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.


Dulcimina

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #175 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.

SquashingDebt

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #176 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.

ChipmunkSavings

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #177 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.

usuallysleepy

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #178 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!!!

seemsright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #179 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.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #180 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?

ixtap

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #181 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.

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #182 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. :)

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #183 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.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2018, 03:17:40 AM by alsoknownasDean »

SquashingDebt

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #184 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.

asiljoy

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #185 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.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2018, 08:08:09 AM by asiljoy »

alleykat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #186 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. 

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #187 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.




G-dog

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #188 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). 

itchyfeet

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #189 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.

Nightwatchman9270

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #190 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.

« Last Edit: January 05, 2018, 08:45:23 AM by Nightwatchman9270 »

AmandaPanda

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #191 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.

G-dog

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #192 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.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #193 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.

itchyfeet

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #194 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).

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #195 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!

LifeHappens

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #196 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.

Tris Prior

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #197 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.

Izzs

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #198 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

nessness

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #199 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.