Author Topic: Losing Weight in 2018  (Read 241845 times)

firelight

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #650 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 --> run on low sleep (2/3 hours a day) --> don't have much energy to junk on food --> 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.

Morning Glory

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #651 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.

Hirondelle

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #652 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.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #653 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.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #654 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).


lexde

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #655 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.

asiljoy

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #656 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.

neophyte

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #657 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.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2018, 03:28:11 PM by neophyte »

Poundwise

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #658 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.

use2betrix

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #659 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.

Hirondelle

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #660 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).

use2betrix

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #661 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.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #662 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.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #663 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.

Hirondelle

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #664 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.

alleykat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #665 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
« Last Edit: March 26, 2018, 11:05:25 AM by alleykat »

neophyte

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #666 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!



Hirondelle

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #667 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!!

teamzissou00

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #668 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? 

Hirondelle

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #669 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?

teamzissou00

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #670 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.

asiljoy

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #671 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.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #672 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.

dreadmoose

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #673 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..

Herk

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #674 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.

rab-bit

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #675 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.

Hirondelle

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #676 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 :)

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #677 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.

LifeHappens

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #678 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.

firelight

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #679 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 --> run on low sleep (2/3 hours a day) --> don't have much energy to junk on food --> 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.

LifeHappens

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #680 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.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #681 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).
« Last Edit: April 02, 2018, 05:33:17 AM by alsoknownasDean »

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #682 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.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #683 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).

asiljoy

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #684 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!

LifeHappens

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #685 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.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #686 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!!!

neophyte

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #687 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?

neophyte

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #688 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.

dreadmoose

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #689 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.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #690 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.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #691 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.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2018, 05:51:05 AM by alsoknownasDean »

firelight

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #692 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 --> run on low sleep (2/3 hours a day) --> don't have much energy to junk on food --> 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 :(

SachaFiscal

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #693 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.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #694 on: April 17, 2018, 07:26:39 PM »
Crossed into “Onederland” yesterday, 199.8.

rab-bit

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #695 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).

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #696 on: April 18, 2018, 07:08:52 AM »
Back on the track. 
Had some better eating choices this weekend. And some exercise.

StarBright

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #697 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.

lexde

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #698 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.

brooklynmoney

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Re: Losing Weight in 2018
« Reply #699 on: April 19, 2018, 09:28:55 PM »
Congrats Malkynn that’s an awesome accomplishment!