What's on your mind today?
RangerRickL
Posts: 8,469 Member
This is where we let everyone know how we are all doing with this month's challenge, or you can just share what's on your mind. Recipes, ideas, workouts, anything that you think might be helpful to others.
Maybe, you've tried something that has worked for you in the past and would like to share it with the group. Maybe, you have a NSV (Non Scale Victory) that you would like to share with the group. Anything that you feel comfortable sharing or anything that you feel comfortable asking the group with help....this is the place to come.
The GOOD!! What NSV did you have this week!!
The BAD!! So what....you ate the whole thing!!
The UGLY!! That darn scale went through the window this week....it deserved it too!!
What's on your mind today??
Maybe, you've tried something that has worked for you in the past and would like to share it with the group. Maybe, you have a NSV (Non Scale Victory) that you would like to share with the group. Anything that you feel comfortable sharing or anything that you feel comfortable asking the group with help....this is the place to come.
The GOOD!! What NSV did you have this week!!
The BAD!! So what....you ate the whole thing!!
The UGLY!! That darn scale went through the window this week....it deserved it too!!
What's on your mind today??
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Replies
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Third time's a charm.
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I'd like to have this be my best month yet and by doing so I'll need to set some high goals to make me push myself to a new chapter so I've decided on these.
Lose - 11 Pounds
Lose - A few more points off my blood pressure
I'd like to have a push up goal but I just recently started them so don't know whats realistic but 30 in a set would be nice to achieve.
For calories i'd like to consume a maximum of 1600 a day For this month other then on the 5th as that's my mothers birthday so gotta have a celebration dinner and she loves cake so I'll be guilted into a slice haha.
and my monthly mile goal will be 140. (Supposed to rain the 2nd-4th hopefully that'll change)
Cheers to everyone that gives it a go to make a change.5 -
I'm back for my second month and as of the time of this post should be in the winners circle for July. This is a great group offering support, encouragement, advice and general camaraderie. I'm glad I decided to keep going for August. Welcome to new members and hello to those returning. My weight loss restarted in June but it's going to be a long journey, have about 40 more lbs to lose. I'm a firm believer in slow but steady as this will help me keep it off. I didn't gain all this weight overnight and I don't expect to lose it that way.4
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I've learnt a few things last month which I'm going to take into the next month.
The first is at the stage I am at I need a structured eating plan. One I decide on internally not one put on me by a company.
The second habit I'm going to work on is to cease evening eating. I often eat after dinner in front of the tv as a way to relax. So my focus is to get in the habit of mindful colouring in whilst watching the4 -
Tomorrow's the day! I've been logging all week (even on my mini vacation this past weekend) and getting active to prepare me for this challenge. I'm excited and I feel that I am setting myself up for success. I may feel impatient.. no weight loss so far but I have to be patient and trust in the process.7
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August 1st. Holiday's over for me! I gained quite a bit on holiday - shame as I thought I was more on top of things!
Time to get seriously healthy long term!
Good luck to you all !4 -
I slipped back into a very old habit yesterday, I knew I was starting UAC so I went on a little bender. Why, oh why did I do it. Self sabotage in its finest form1
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@LoraineGB I almost ran into the same issue yesterday. Why that habit is so alluring, I don't understand. I just try to rationalize with myself that no food is off limits and that seems to help. Like it isn't the last time I will be able to eat a cookie or a nice burger I just have to log it and work around those items and then go for a walk or to the gym something. Once I think about it that way it usually stops me from bingeing.4
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@LoraineGB. (and @cc3833. ) Its the mind game of weight management (and probably the MOST difficult part).I slipped back into a very old habit yesterday, I knew I was starting UAC so I went on a little bender. Why, oh why did I do it. Self sabotage in its finest form
My solution (and it may not work for you) was to slip into it slowly. For me, I started with 10 push ups per day. That is all. No diet change, no big lifestyle change, just 10 push ups per day. Only takes 20 seconds.
End of 2 weeks, I was able to do 15
and I was able to do it consistently. So lets go for a 10 minute walk. If I cannot walk because of weather, then another 10 push ups.
End of another 2 weeks, I had walked 10 mins each day (felt a little better too) and was able to do the push ups as well. Weight was still not moving. Worked out I could keep small changes going, how about limit to only 1 soda a day.
Another week: Track food (so I can see what is going on).
Another week. No sugar in tea.
Another week. No milk in tea either.
Another week. Where possible, delay snack to be consumed with next meal (note I can still have them, its just "when" - the "where possible", means that social snacks like "office morning tea to celebrate a birthday" allows flexibility).
...
The idea is to introduce lifestyle changes gradually and sustainably. I never feel I am on a diet (how can I break a diet I am not on? ).
As of today, my "rules" are:- No food or drink is "forbidden" (so I do not have the "I CANNOT have xxxx" - which makes you want it even more).
- Be honest with myself.
- Forgive past mistakes, learn from them and look to the future ("The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it." - Rafiki "The Loin King")
From what I can see, the real key for me was the exercise. Not to buy daily calories, but to get my brain working better. Once the brain was more in order, the rest was able to follow.
(I seldom eat back exercise calories. When I do, I try limit it to 50%).
This piece by piece approach has worked for me. Hopefully it can help you too.
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@craigo3154 thanks for sharing what works for you, I appreciate it.
I also, do not exclude any foods, I choose what I want to have or not. I don't see myself as on a 'diet', I concentrate on portion control and serving sizes and really observe how my body feels and changes to what I eat. Where I derailed yesterday, was having more than I normally would have and ended up feeling uncomfortable. Not a stuffed feeling but I knew I had more than I needed. It is so long since I've done this, it caught me a bit off guard.
I've found for me, tracking is key. I track religiously as I can't rely on my memory and it keeps me truly accountable. It also enables me to see patterns and habits.
Where I want to improve is activity, I walk a lot but it's summer now and the weather is over 104/40's daily. I like to walk my dogs before I do anything else and I have chores to do straight after so I'm finding it difficult to get motivated. Last summer I mall walked but I haven't done that this year. I find myself wanting to stay inside with the air conditioning on. The good thing is, because I'm doing this challenge, I actually did an upper body workout today as well as my dog walk. Yay!
I've done other MFP challenges and I really like to support and camaraderie. Everyone's journey is so different and I love getting ideas and tips from others.
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I got very little sleep last night. Usually, I sleep a solid 7-8hrs every night. It's negatively affecting me today.
Being overtired makes me grumpy and I move at a snails pace. What do you do, apart from a nap or waiting for bedtime, to help alleviate the symptoms of lack of sleep? Thanks!0 -
@LoraineGB . I'm the same with lack of sleep. Makes things very difficult! Hope you get more sleep tonight.
@craigo3154 . Very interesting post - quite a few things I'll bear in mind. Thanks!
I'm dealing with stress today. My other half is giving up smoking (again) and is awful to be around. I'm sure you can imagine! I managed to resist the temptation so eat rubbish or buy a bottle of wine so I'm quite pleased with myself as stress usually makes me overeat.
I am glad he's giving up - just hope he's better soon!4 -
Not particularly happy with my weight at this point in the game. I have been tracking my food but I've never actually used a food scale. Just measuring cups and such. But my weight keeps bouncing between losing and gaining the same 4 lbs. I mean I'm glad I haven't kept gaining more weight than that but since January..... this is frustrating. Its hard to keep my motivation to stay on here. I am trying harder than I have in a while. I have logged in and logged my food for the past 29 days. So being this fed up and really wanting to make head way I bit the bullet and ordered a few new kitchen items: food scale, vacuum food sealer, and a crock pot.
I love cooking but sometimes I'm just so tired and the meals I typically like to cook take at least 1-2 hours with prep time and cook time. So I figured maybe using a slow cooker for some of my meals and then being able to seal and freeze them will help cut down on meal prep time and allow me to spend that time in the gym instead. Also I can actually use the food scale to measure everything out and create my recipes on MFP so my meals will be more accurate.
I mean about 2 years ago I lost 40lbs in about 7 months. I worked out a whole lot (5-6 days a week and twice a day on sundays), I ate a bunch of eggs and not many other variations on my meals and I cut out bread, rice and pasta. I know I can lose weight but I'm not quite sure why this time is so much harder to get started.
Anyone else have this issue in the past? How did you overcome this obstacles?0 -
@cc3833 I was going to post something really similar! This month I have changed my mfp target from losing 1 pound a week to 2 pounds a week and now (albeit)one week in I'm losing again. I'll post again on Friday which is my weigh in day to see if the trend continues. Sadly for whatever reason, the calories I'm given my mfp for a one pound a week loss seem to be what I should eat for maintenance. Good luck finding works for you!1
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@cc3833 I bought a food scale and use it every day. I have found that if I stick to serving sizes and portion control, I lose every week (I have about another 20lbs to go), it may not be a lot, I am officially a turtle, but it's consistent and all adds up.
I put my plate on, zero it out, add my protein, zero it out, add my carb, zero it out and then add my veggies. I was surprised at how generous my portions were before I started weighing them. I even use it for potato chips/crisps. It's easy, just a case of getting in the habit.
Good luck!1 -
Not particularly happy with my weight at this point in the game. I have been tracking my food but I've never actually used a food scale. Just measuring cups and such. But my weight keeps bouncing between losing and gaining the same 4 lbs. I mean I'm glad I haven't kept gaining more weight than that but since January..... this is frustrating. Its hard to keep my motivation to stay on here. I am trying harder than I have in a while. I have logged in and logged my food for the past 29 days. So being this fed up and really wanting to make head way I bit the bullet and ordered a few new kitchen items: food scale, vacuum food sealer, and a crock pot.
@cc3833. I assume you are posting here because you would like more than just "you are on the right track"... (and you are).
What is your current stats (age, height, weight, daily calorie target, weekly weight adjustment target)?
What is your current activity level (both normal day and work out day)? light, moderate, hard (athlete)
Do you weight weekly or daily?
Sounds like it's time to review the numbers. If looking at the wrong map, it's hard to reach the correct destination.I love cooking but sometimes I'm just so tired and the meals I typically like to cook take at least 1-2 hours with prep time and cook time. So I figured maybe using a slow cooker for some of my meals and then being able to seal and freeze them will help cut down on meal prep time and allow me to spend that time in the gym instead. Also I can actually use the food scale to measure everything out and create my recipes on MFP so my meals will be more accurate.
Great way to work it. I assume you enjoy spending time at the gym (not just the results it can bring). The best exercise is one you enjoy doing.
Exercise accounts for less than 20% of the results you will see on weight change, the other 80+% is diet.I mean about 2 years ago I lost 40lbs in about 7 months. I worked out a whole lot (5-6 days a week and twice a day on sundays), I ate a bunch of eggs and not many other variations on my meals and I cut out bread, rice and pasta. I know I can lose weight but I'm not quite sure why this time is so much harder to get started.
Amazing effort 2 years ago. Good timeframe to lose the weight in too. Metabolism should not have over-adapted.
The hard bit was actually at the end of 2 years ago (after the weight was gone). What happened then? What changes stayed in your normal daily/weekly routine? What changes were "weight loss" specific and fell by the wayside once the 40 lbs were gone?
This is the conundrum of maintenance. You almost need to work harder to maintain a new weight than it did to reach it (but it's different work).Anyone else have this issue in the past? How did you overcome this obstacles?
This is where I can only go on what I read (as this is my first time with more than 10% weight loss).
From what I have read.- Start slow. (don't try drastically under-eat / over-exercise).
- Set small NSVs. (ie. Track everything for a week. Don't fudge any numbers for a week. Keep to gym schedule for the week. etc... Things you can control - weight is not a thing you can directly control).
- Review each weeks progress. (not the weight, but what you can control - tracking, macros, exercise).
- Note size more than weight. (size {hips, chest, waist} is a better indicator of body fat change than weight).
- Take progress photos. (even if you never intend to show them to anyone - at the start it is really hard as you will be very self conscious - its a good way to self track progress).
- Seek support and help when you feel you need it. (professional if required, MFP (UAC) is a good first stop (and people here will tell you if they note issues that require professional help)).
20 years ago I was around 70kg. Crept up to just over 90kg. After losing weight, I now fit into clothes I wore 20 years ago (and plan to keep it that way).
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craigo3154 wrote: »@cc3833. I assume you are posting here because you would like more than just "you are on the right track"... (and you are).
What is your current stats (age, height, weight, daily calorie target, weekly weight adjustment target)?
What is your current activity level (both normal day and work out day)? light, moderate, hard (athlete)
Do you weight weekly or daily?
Sounds like it's time to review the numbers. If looking at the wrong map, it's hard to reach the correct destination.
@craigo3154 I am 27 years old, 5'0, 175-180 lbs depending on the day, calories are between 1200-1320 with eating 25-50% of exercise calories back, I have MFP set to lose 1 lb a week
As far as my activity. I work a desk job but try to get at least 7k steps before I leave work. And I ride my horse 5-6 days a week (MFP says I burn 107 calories for 20 minutes of general riding) I jump him on Thursdays which is an hour riding lesson with an instructor. And the other days depending on what we need to work on I ride between 15-30 minutes alone. And I for some reason can't get back in the groove of lifting weights like I did the first time 2 years ago. So I end up walking at about 3.0 mph for 30-60 minutes at least 3 days a week when I go to the gym.
I used to weigh in daily religiously, log it and track the trend weight, but since bouncing back an forth with these few pounds I would like to weigh in weekly because it really is getting to me.Amazing effort 2 years ago. Good timeframe to lose the weight in too. Metabolism should not have over-adapted.
The hard bit was actually at the end of 2 years ago (after the weight was gone). What happened then? What changes stayed in your normal daily/weekly routine? What changes were "weight loss" specific and fell by the wayside once the 40 lbs were gone?
This is the conundrum of maintenance. You almost need to work harder to maintain a new weight than it did to reach it (but it's different work).
The reason I fell off the wagon... Well I kept eating the same as I had before (no bread, rice or pasta) but I stopped tracking and drank more than I had in the past. Also I fell off my horse and got a compression fracture and had to wear a back brace for 4 months and wasn't allowed to basically do anything. The doctor didn't even want me to go to work but I did anyway. I did the right thing and did not get back on my horse until I was cleared by the doctor. But I had already fell into the well "woe is me" I can't do anything. So I just ate away my feelings. My riding trainer wouldn't even let me take my horse out to groom him because she was afraid if he made any sudden movements and then I would have to get out of his way and possible set my healing time back. Mentally was not a good time for me. But even then I had only gained about 30 lbs back from when I was not logging and then 4 months of injury. But then Once I got back to riding and stuff... wowza let me tell you how hard it is trying to go back to your physical lifestyle from basically not being able to do anything for 4 months.... your body hates you. Then I was having horrible back pain (they didn't send me to PT after the injury). And in January I couldn't take it anymore and got a referral for a PT did that for 4 months... back pain is now basically non-existent and I can finally lift weights and all that jazz but now I have no motivation to. So I've been just making myself get to the gym and I walk as much as I can for the day. I mean I do ride 5-6 days a week so it's not like I am doing absolutely nothing other than trying to eat well.
This is where I can only go on what I read (as this is my first time with more than 10% weight loss).
From what I have read.- Start slow. (don't try drastically under-eat / over-exercise).
- Set small NSVs. (ie. Track everything for a week. Don't fudge any numbers for a week. Keep to gym schedule for the week. etc... Things you can control - weight is not a thing you can directly control).
- Review each weeks progress. (not the weight, but what you can control - tracking, macros, exercise).
- Note size more than weight. (size {hips, chest, waist} is a better indicator of body fat change than weight).
- Take progress photos. (even if you never intend to show them to anyone - at the start it is really hard as you will be very self conscious - its a good way to self track progress).
- Seek support and help when you feel you need it. (professional if required, MFP (UAC) is a good first stop (and people here will tell you if they note issues that require professional help)).
20 years ago I was around 70kg. Crept up to just over 90kg. After losing weight, I now fit into clothes I wore 20 years ago (and plan to keep it that way).
Thanks for this. I really do need to start taking measurements. I think that will help a lot more than just weighing myself alone will. I did take a starting photo. Last time around I took a picture every 10 lbs I lost and towards the end every 5 lbs because that made a big difference.
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@cc3833
+1 for scale. I think it makes me more mindful, and it's easy to make mistakes on calorie dense foods.
You obviously can do this, but I understand that sometimes it's much harder than at other times. If you find the secret of why this is then please let me know.
I've found that routine, tracking and planning help me a lot. I tend to eat the same thing every day for lunch and breakfast, and then plan my portion size for dinner (It varies daily and I have less control over what it is, but I can control how much of it I eat).
I don't see anything wrong with your plan, does not need to be perfect. Just keep on, keeping on.
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@craigo3154 I am 27 years old, 5'0, 175-180 lbs depending on the day, calories are between 1200-1320 with eating 25-50% of exercise calories back, I have MFP set to lose 1 lb a week
@cc3833. Sorry taking so long to answer. Lots to digest (and busy day).
Pluging the numbers into http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/, it comes to TDEE 1244 to lose 1 lbs a week and suggested target weight of 118 lbs for a BMI of 23. If you have a mesomorph build that tends to ectomorph, this is an appropriate target (or even slightly higher).
You seem to be on the right goals, just make sure you weigh foods for a while as it is easy to go over such a small calorie target. Once you get a good handle on estimation, you will not need to be as religious about portion weighing.
Macros are the key to not feeling hungry (more protein, fat and fibre, less processed carbs). But you are probably already doing this. Experiment with the macro in a balance you can maintain...
I used to weigh in daily religiously, log it and track the trend weight, but since bouncing back an forth with these few pounds I would like to weigh in weekly because it really is getting to me. ...
Continue to weigh daily. Much better if it does not play too many games with your psyche. More data to work with.
Do you also measure (about every 2 weeks - hips, waist, chest). Weight may not move where as size is a better indication of fat reduction.
Weight includes muscle, fat and water. These constantly vary. If you build lean muscle, then weight may go up even though fat is reducing. Muscle will also help burn more energy at rest (now that you can be active again)...
The reason I fell off the wagon... Well I kept eating the same as I had before (no bread, rice or pasta) but I stopped tracking and drank more than I had in the past. Also I fell off my horse and got a compression fracture and had to wear a back brace for 4 months and wasn't allowed to basically do anything. ..
This is where it would have got REALLY hard. Maintaining a 1400 kCal diet when unable to exercise is VERY hard. Tracking is essential to maintain this, but the motivation gets lost when activity is limited (can easily fall back into a moderate level of comfort eating and modern access to cheap high-calorie foods does not help). When you are active, you can go a lot further over 1400 kCal and still work it off.
Your activity level does not seem excessive or too light. Walking and riding should be sufficient.
Doing about 20 mins of bodyweight exercises at home once a week would help (workout video, squats, lunges, planks, stretching, etc...). 20 mins to limit the mental push required to do the work. A lot of people don't like the gym and some work on building lean muscle will help burn fat faster. To build lean muscle, HIIT style work is the fastest - moderate/hard/moderate/hard/moderate to exhaustion during hard. You can also use this during walking to increase cardio capacity (I use hills for that effect). Lean muscle will not "bulk" you up, but it will add weight.
You also do not seem to be so far under calorie targets that weight should stagnate.
The only remaining variables are:- Macro balance
- Portion estimation
As I said before, weighing portions for a week or two so should improve your estimation skills so that you don't have to weigh everything for months on end. Take a guess before you weigh something and see how close you get. Make a bit of a game of it.
+1 on all of this. it makes a difference. Having that record helps you see how far you have come...
Thanks for this. I really do need to start taking measurements. I think that will help a lot more than just weighing myself alone will. I did take a starting photo. Last time around I took a picture every 10 lbs I lost and towards the end every 5 lbs because that made a big difference.
Last note: Being under 40, when you do change size your skin will adapt quicker to your size as you reduce (lose skin folds will reduce far quicker). Us older folk just have to put up with it for a lot longer.0 -
@marthall thanks for your response. Encouragement is definitely helpful!!
@craigo3154 thank you for your response too! A lot to read and reflect on. I'll try out some type of strength training for a couple weeks and playing around with the food scale and I will keep you posted on my progress!1 -
@craigo3154 Thanks for all of the support that you share with the group members. I appreciate you! They appreciate you!
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RangerRickL wrote: »@craigo3154 Thanks for all of the support that you share with the group members. I appreciate you! They appreciate you!
Rick
@RangerRickL. Thank you. I just try do for other what I would like them to do for me if the places were reversed.
In my opinion, the UAC team are the real stars of MFP. They are the ones I appreciate the most. @RangerRickL. maybe most of all for running the group and your fantastic attitude.
Happy to help where I can.
Craig.3
