Of refeeds and diet breaks

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Replies

  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Part of me is quietly delighted that when I finally post in the Success Stories it's going to be the most meandering story to get from point A to point B. Like that time I got lost without satnav on holiday this year. None of this "I lost 100lbs in two months by running every day and eating lettuce!" nonsense. I shall be an extreme counterpoint.

    Technically it will have taken me three years to get to goal, for a 16kg loss :D (from memory, 61 kg was actually my original goal, then I changed it, changed it again, and then again).

    One of the favourite parts of my story is that my breakfast/brunch on my first day was a bagel with cream cheese and soy 'bacon'. That's how a diet should start.
  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,726 Member
    anubis609 wrote: »
    If you have fat to lose, use that as a good start for a goal. Your diet will be priority, and your training will support your diet.

    If you are aiming to perform better as an athlete, your training will be priority, and your diet will support your training.

    I have definitely learned that fat loss for me happens in the kitchen.

    I'm going to get below 200 lbs. - that will be a 50 lb. loss. Then go to maintenance for a month or so. Then push on to 175 or so - I will let the tape and the mirror guide me there.

  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,726 Member
    anubis609 wrote: »
    Part of me is quietly delighted that when I finally post in the Success Stories it's going to be the most meandering story to get from point A to point B. Like that time I got lost without satnav on holiday this year. None of this "I lost 100lbs in two months by running every day and eating lettuce!" nonsense. I shall be an extreme counterpoint.

    I prefer the windy road. You get to see and experience so much more :smiley: With the added benefit of not looking like a myopic "diet guru" (read: d-bag) who only knows one method to their own success and feels like it applies to the rest of the population.

    RE: the windy road. Is there any other kind? Not in my world. :)

  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »

    It's probably easier for you to set your protein according to ideal body weight at this point (eg mid BMI range), at 0.6-0.8g per lb. That's how I do mine, since I don't actually know my lbm, other than a guess. Though I actually aim for 1g per lb of total weight. What are your protein sources now? We can make suggestions as to how you may be able to increase it a bit more, though obviously you'll need to cut some cals from either carbs or fat to do that, unless you can increase TDEE.

    In a pipe-dream world, I should weigh in the neighborhood of 160 lbs. For someone who started at 380 lbs, that seems impossible, especially dealing with thyroid and PCOS and depression problems.

    But if I use that for my protein I should be eating, then I guess I should be getting 128 - 160g a day.

    Right now, I eat eggs and a little canadian bacon for breakfast, switched out with oatmeal 2 or so times a week, and sometimes 1 Tbsp almond butter on thin bread. I'll get a package of lunchmeat and use it as a snack, usually going for half a serving just to head off hunger cravings. I'll have the little protein packages for lunch or leftovers from dinner before or a premade salad, and these usually clock in around 14-17g of protein each and in the neighborhood of 300 calories, and I'll snack on 1 serving of jerky during the weekdays for another 10g. I usually have meat for dinner - I shoot for fish once a week, and then have chicken 2 or 3 times, and beef and pork once in a while. I work to keep it to one serving of meat, though, and try to fill in with veggies like carrots, broccoli, greens, etc. I don't usually have a lot of pasta, rice, potatoes, or couscous during the week. I try to incorporate more beans, but its not very often because of the calorie content.

    I love dairy but have to limit my intake or the pipes get clogged, so to speak. If I have a few extra calories of an evening, I'll have a yogurt, and I've found I like skyr the best - around here, there's a brand called Siggi's I can usually find, with 15g protein per container and less than 10g added sugar. I've switched to unsweetened almond milk for my coffee to save on calories. I usually have some cheese as a snack - 1 oz or a single string cheese stick or a babyel round, though they don't have much protein. Lately I've been dragging, so a second 16 oz coffee is often gotten at a self-serve bar, and then I'll use about 1/2 cup skim milk (can't stand black coffee lol)

    If I eat out for lunch or breakfast, its usually subway or subway-like places, and I go for flatbread and turkey or ham or chicken, sans cheese and dressing, loaded up on vegetables.

    Protein shakes and bars are so high in calories that I don't usually reach for them because I'll have one and be hungry in 30 minutes whereas if I have a lower calorie snack and get hungry again, I have room to spare. At my old house, I could find Think Thin 150 bars that had 10g of protein each and would use them once in a while as a snack, but the regular think thins that have 20g are 220 calories and up so I usually avoid them. And the sugar free ones that I find around here almost all use aspertame for sweetener, and I can't use aspertame - it upsets my stomach.

    I'm trying to get a varied diet, trying to work in at least 1 fruit a day and at least 2 servings of vegetables; I guess I'm getting more carbs in than I think I am.



  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member

    Another INFP Mediator here! 86% introvert. And I have a pessimistic streak too. Like you, I had a very difficult time answering some of the questions. For instance, how I relate to people at work is very different than how I relate at a party or with my children. And what I want to be - my ideals - are sometimes very different than what I actually do. I can think a lot about organizing, for example, but still remain unorganized. And I'm a meticulous planner, but like to keep many options open. Hmm. So yes, some questions were hard to answer. Others were easy, and I found myself passionately clicking "strongly agree" or "strongly disagree".

    Some questions were brutally hard to be honest with, like the one "Do you feel superior to others?" My natural inclination was to say disagree, but when I started down the list of my family, friends and acquaintances, I had to admit that I had a bit of a superiority complex. Ouch!

    The test results seemed pretty accurate, with a few exceptions. Mediators are known to be very active in supporting causes. I'm not. But that could be because my job is a bit like a cause. And maybe my participation in this thread is slightly like a cause.

    Even though the Mediator description doesn't completely fit me, very much of it does and it was eye opening to say the least. I've always felt misunderstood and a bit like an oddball, though I try to conceal that I feel that way. Seeing a description of me in print was both eerie and comforting. I was amazed that someone finally understood me, even though I've tried to hide myself away for so long. I was definitely intrigued that there may be others like me out there. So hello fellow INFP!!


    It's funny - I've taken that test 4 times now, tweaking some answers, trying to think through an answer instead of going with my knee-jerk reaction - and every single time, I get INFP-T. I just don't see it! I'm a planner, not a fly-by-the-seat-of-my pants kind of person, and while I do care about what people think and don't want to hurt people's feelings, I also hate to lie. When it comes to planning, this is why I can never write a story - I have to have an outline in place, and my problem is I have so much trouble projecting myself into a character that I can't come up with actual scenarios. I can come up with great back stories written like a history book, but forget actually writing out the scene in action or dialogue. An actress I most certainly am not! And I usually get lost in the details, anyway - I have more fun figuring out the most mundane things than every actually plodding through a story - must to my friends' utter frustration. One friend hates to take the time to plot - she just wants to let the story go where the emotion takes her; I HATE that kind of story telling!

    I think creating worlds and maps and covering details like climate and culture and history and even figuring out a logically plausible population size and getting the science to work right (okay, sot he world has 2 moons instead of one; where would the logical place be for that moon and what would be the logical size?) Or creating con-languages. If there's magic in the world, that's fine - but what are the rules that bound it?

    See? I still highly doubt I'm INFP. *laughs* Of course, now you know that I"m just plain weird......
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »

    It's probably easier for you to set your protein according to ideal body weight at this point (eg mid BMI range), at 0.6-0.8g per lb. That's how I do mine, since I don't actually know my lbm, other than a guess. Though I actually aim for 1g per lb of total weight. What are your protein sources now? We can make suggestions as to how you may be able to increase it a bit more, though obviously you'll need to cut some cals from either carbs or fat to do that, unless you can increase TDEE.

    In a pipe-dream world, I should weigh in the neighborhood of 160 lbs. For someone who started at 380 lbs, that seems impossible, especially dealing with thyroid and PCOS and depression problems.

    But if I use that for my protein I should be eating, then I guess I should be getting 128 - 160g a day.

    Right now, I eat eggs and a little canadian bacon for breakfast, switched out with oatmeal 2 or so times a week, and sometimes 1 Tbsp almond butter on thin bread. I'll get a package of lunchmeat and use it as a snack, usually going for half a serving just to head off hunger cravings. I'll have the little protein packages for lunch or leftovers from dinner before or a premade salad, and these usually clock in around 14-17g of protein each and in the neighborhood of 300 calories, and I'll snack on 1 serving of jerky during the weekdays for another 10g. I usually have meat for dinner - I shoot for fish once a week, and then have chicken 2 or 3 times, and beef and pork once in a while. I work to keep it to one serving of meat, though, and try to fill in with veggies like carrots, broccoli, greens, etc. I don't usually have a lot of pasta, rice, potatoes, or couscous during the week. I try to incorporate more beans, but its not very often because of the calorie content.

    I love dairy but have to limit my intake or the pipes get clogged, so to speak. If I have a few extra calories of an evening, I'll have a yogurt, and I've found I like skyr the best - around here, there's a brand called Siggi's I can usually find, with 15g protein per container and less than 10g added sugar. I've switched to unsweetened almond milk for my coffee to save on calories. I usually have some cheese as a snack - 1 oz or a single string cheese stick or a babyel round, though they don't have much protein. Lately I've been dragging, so a second 16 oz coffee is often gotten at a self-serve bar, and then I'll use about 1/2 cup skim milk (can't stand black coffee lol)

    If I eat out for lunch or breakfast, its usually subway or subway-like places, and I go for flatbread and turkey or ham or chicken, sans cheese and dressing, loaded up on vegetables.

    Protein shakes and bars are so high in calories that I don't usually reach for them because I'll have one and be hungry in 30 minutes whereas if I have a lower calorie snack and get hungry again, I have room to spare. At my old house, I could find Think Thin 150 bars that had 10g of protein each and would use them once in a while as a snack, but the regular think thins that have 20g are 220 calories and up so I usually avoid them. And the sugar free ones that I find around here almost all use aspertame for sweetener, and I can't use aspertame - it upsets my stomach.

    I'm trying to get a varied diet, trying to work in at least 1 fruit a day and at least 2 servings of vegetables; I guess I'm getting more carbs in than I think I am.




    You can buy protein powder and stir that into your oatmeal to up the protein.

    I forget, what are your calories?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    edited November 2017
    I apparently need to spend some time catching up with this thread; I am like 4 pages behind. But I did have time to do the personality test, and inline with last time, I am an ESTJ-A.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    ZoneFive wrote: »
    I'm starting my second week of diet break and I'm really surprised that maintenance eating takes at least as much planning as deficit eating. I'm used to eating at deficit by now, and it's much easier to plan. MFP's default split for carbs requires a lot more thought. I'm not sure I trust such a high level of carbs, partly because of the diabetes and partly because I find myself trying to bump up the carbs with sweet/baked baked things. That's a habit I've been trying to break, and this isn't helping.

    On the other hand, I thought resetting my leptin levels was more dependent on my carb intake, so that more carbs (within reason) are necessary. Maybe just not as many as the MFP default.

    I'm up just 2 lbs from last Monday and well within normal fluctuations and the expected gain (glycogen replenishment, right?). I KNOW it's normal, I KNOW it's expected, and I KNOW it's water weight -- but there's still a little twitch in the back of my brain that wants me to go back to deficit RIGHT NOW. These two weeks are experimental; I'll keep eating 2460 calories for the next week, but I'm working hard on not tinkering with the macros. My inner perfectionist wants to keep the experimental protocols the same for the full two weeks (my inner perfectionist is a scientist) and have that time as a learning experience. That'll also leave me room for Thanksgiving's carbs, which was the point of picking this time frame in the first place.

    I just don't trust the carbs -- or I don't trust myself with that many carbs, one or the other.

    Maintenance is sometimes more difficult than planning a deficit or surplus, especially if being in a specific diet pattern for a long time.

    Just from dealing with diabetes myself and working with others, carb tolerance is going to be variable. My suggestion specifically for diabetics is to eat according to your glucose monitor. If you're medicated and are still running high, the ingestion of digestible carbs is what's going to determine a large portion of that. Obviously, by focusing on nutrient density and fibrous carbs, you reduce the postprandial excursion so that your glucose doesn't spike so high and drop so low between meals.

    Resistance training and regular exercise increases insulin sensitivity so on those days where carbs are higher, your body will be better equipped to partition glucose into muscle glycogen instead of partitioning them into fat cells.

    Even during maintenance feeding, my carbs are about 75-150g on average, and I adjust total calories with fat macros. Fasting glucose ranges from 70-88mg/dL every morning.

    Not to say you need to low carb, just make sure you're using your own levels as a guide for food choices. It's a bit of a way to entertain your inner N=1 researcher while still being able to maintain manageable health markers.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    I really should redo the test, but I think from memory I have an A at the end. Makes sense (and handy), given that my job involves analysing the crap out of stuff. Though currently I'm organising a mountain of data so that I can analyse the crap out of it. This is the not fun part. Excel and I have a love/hate relationship. Though I see the patterns emerging as I organise, and that starts my brain ticking over. Then I will make up a pretty story about marine (and a bit of freshwater) subsistence on the Kapiti Coast of NZ circa 500 years ago.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Cannot find the original reference to Myers Briggs, but it has been a longterm interest of mine.
    I am an INFJ - A
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    Graelwyn75 wrote: »
    Cannot find the original reference to Myers Briggs, but it has been a longterm interest of mine.
    I am an INFJ - A

    I used this site, though there of course others :)
    https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
    @Leeg5656 If you are dropping 1-1.5 pounds a week at 1200 calories/day you can probably eat a little more and still lose a decent amount of weight. Maybe try eating 1400 calories/day and add in some low calorie foods to bulk up your meals to help keep your belly full. Some examples are strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, zucchini, squash.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    I apparently need to spend some time catching up with this thread; I am like 4 pages behind. But I did have time to do the personality test, and inline with last time, I am an ESTJ-A.

    I can see that.. I mean, when you mod MFP.. lol
  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member


    You can buy protein powder and stir that into your oatmeal to up the protein.

    I forget, what are your calories?


    At maintenance, I'm eating 2200; in deficit I'm eating 1400.
  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    I really should redo the test, but I think from memory I have an A at the end. Makes sense (and handy), given that my job involves analysing the crap out of stuff. Though currently I'm organising a mountain of data so that I can analyse the crap out of it. This is the not fun part. Excel and I have a love/hate relationship. Though I see the patterns emerging as I organise, and that starts my brain ticking over. Then I will make up a pretty story about marine (and a bit of freshwater) subsistence on the Kapiti Coast of NZ circa 500 years ago.

    according to Anubis's link, the A at the end stands for this:

    Assertive (-A) individuals are self-assured, even-tempered and resistant to stress. They refuse to worry too much and do not push themselves too hard when it comes to achieving goals.

    The T stands for:

    Turbulent (-T) individuals are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They are likely to experience a wide range of emotions and to be success-driven, perfectionistic and eager to improve.

    Me? I'm totally a T!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    I really should redo the test, but I think from memory I have an A at the end. Makes sense (and handy), given that my job involves analysing the crap out of stuff. Though currently I'm organising a mountain of data so that I can analyse the crap out of it. This is the not fun part. Excel and I have a love/hate relationship. Though I see the patterns emerging as I organise, and that starts my brain ticking over. Then I will make up a pretty story about marine (and a bit of freshwater) subsistence on the Kapiti Coast of NZ circa 500 years ago.

    according to Anubis's link, the A at the end stands for this:

    Assertive (-A) individuals are self-assured, even-tempered and resistant to stress. They refuse to worry too much and do not push themselves too hard when it comes to achieving goals.

    The T stands for:

    Turbulent (-T) individuals are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They are likely to experience a wide range of emotions and to be success-driven, perfectionistic and eager to improve.

    Me? I'm totally a T!

    I am totally an A <-- lol. I am so unemotional. Even with MFP. If there is emotion in a thread, I am not posting in it. I can help people with solutions, but the whole cheerleading thing isn't me. And I even mention that occasionally when people friend request me.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    anubis609 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    I apparently need to spend some time catching up with this thread; I am like 4 pages behind. But I did have time to do the personality test, and inline with last time, I am an ESTJ-A.

    I can see that.. I mean, when you mod MFP.. lol

    What you see on the forums is nothing compared to what happens on the mod side.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    I really should redo the test, but I think from memory I have an A at the end. Makes sense (and handy), given that my job involves analysing the crap out of stuff. Though currently I'm organising a mountain of data so that I can analyse the crap out of it. This is the not fun part. Excel and I have a love/hate relationship. Though I see the patterns emerging as I organise, and that starts my brain ticking over. Then I will make up a pretty story about marine (and a bit of freshwater) subsistence on the Kapiti Coast of NZ circa 500 years ago.

    according to Anubis's link, the A at the end stands for this:

    Assertive (-A) individuals are self-assured, even-tempered and resistant to stress. They refuse to worry too much and do not push themselves too hard when it comes to achieving goals.

    The T stands for:

    Turbulent (-T) individuals are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They are likely to experience a wide range of emotions and to be success-driven, perfectionistic and eager to improve.

    Me? I'm totally a T!

    Oh, wait, I'm a T. Absolutely, definitely, definitively a T. I was thinking the A was for analytical. Though, I have learned not to push myself too hard. My entire life is structured in a way to minimise anxiety.
  • JoLightensUp
    JoLightensUp Posts: 140 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    I apparently need to spend some time catching up with this thread; I am like 4 pages behind. But I did have time to do the personality test, and inline with last time, I am an ESTJ-A.

    I just read the ESTJ-A profile and yes, it makes perfect sense that you are a moderator!
    I would be a hopeless mess as a moderator.

    I'm an INFJ-T (the advocate). It was pretty spot-on describing me. The careers even listed two career paths I have taken. "They are decisive and strong-willed" it says; my husband would probably just shorten that to "stubborn" lol.

    Anyway, first day back on deficit after the diet break and I'm having to make the mental adjustment to less calories. I think (hope!) I'll get back into it without much trouble. I plan to swim tonight so some extra calories from that.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    I really should redo the test, but I think from memory I have an A at the end. Makes sense (and handy), given that my job involves analysing the crap out of stuff. Though currently I'm organising a mountain of data so that I can analyse the crap out of it. This is the not fun part. Excel and I have a love/hate relationship. Though I see the patterns emerging as I organise, and that starts my brain ticking over. Then I will make up a pretty story about marine (and a bit of freshwater) subsistence on the Kapiti Coast of NZ circa 500 years ago.

    according to Anubis's link, the A at the end stands for this:

    Assertive (-A) individuals are self-assured, even-tempered and resistant to stress. They refuse to worry too much and do not push themselves too hard when it comes to achieving goals.

    The T stands for:

    Turbulent (-T) individuals are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They are likely to experience a wide range of emotions and to be success-driven, perfectionistic and eager to improve.

    Me? I'm totally a T!

    I am totally an A <-- lol. I am so unemotional. Even with MFP. If there is emotion in a thread, I am not posting in it. I can help people with solutions, but the whole cheerleading thing isn't me. And I even mention that occasionally when people friend request me.

    Oh yeah, I'm not really up for the cheerleading either. And if people (the rare ones who bother to include a message with their request) say anything about wanting to add me for motivation, not my job honey. That's down to you. The ones who don't include a message just get ignored, because they obviously haven't read my profile.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    edited November 2017
    psuLemon wrote: »
    I apparently need to spend some time catching up with this thread; I am like 4 pages behind. But I did have time to do the personality test, and inline with last time, I am an ESTJ-A.

    I just read the ESTJ-A profile and yes, it makes perfect sense that you are a moderator!
    I would be a hopeless mess as a moderator.

    I'm an INFJ-T (the advocate). It was pretty spot-on describing me. The careers even listed two career paths I have taken. "They are decisive and strong-willed" it says; my husband would probably just shorten that to "stubborn" lol.

    Anyway, first day back on deficit after the diet break and I'm having to make the mental adjustment to less calories. I think (hope!) I'll get back into it without much trouble. I plan to swim tonight so some extra calories from that.

    Interestingly enough, we have had several people stop being a mod for those reasons. Some just struggle dealing with the crazies on the forums and some of the abuse we take. I have even been threatened several times, lol.

    <-- steps off mod soap box
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    anubis609 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    I apparently need to spend some time catching up with this thread; I am like 4 pages behind. But I did have time to do the personality test, and inline with last time, I am an ESTJ-A.

    I can see that.. I mean, when you mod MFP.. lol

    What you see on the forums is nothing compared to what happens on the mod side.

    I bet. I gather it's somewhat similar to what happens on the admin/mod side of facebook groups. What's said in public is not a reflection behind mod doors lol. That said, I'm absolutely an A [hole]
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    Threats are like badges of honor to me haha
  • JoLightensUp
    JoLightensUp Posts: 140 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »

    Interestingly enough, we have had several people stop being a mod for those reasons. Some just struggle dealing with the crazies on the forums and some of the abuse we take. I have even been threatened several times, lol.

    :/ ...but it doesn't surprise me.

    See, I would be hitting all the panic buttons and demanding to go into some witness protection style program lol.

  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    anubis609 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    anubis609 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    I apparently need to spend some time catching up with this thread; I am like 4 pages behind. But I did have time to do the personality test, and inline with last time, I am an ESTJ-A.

    I can see that.. I mean, when you mod MFP.. lol

    What you see on the forums is nothing compared to what happens on the mod side.

    I bet. I gather it's somewhat similar to what happens on the admin/mod side of facebook groups. What's said in public is not a reflection behind mod doors lol. That said, I'm absolutely an A [hole]

    As a FB group admin, can confirm. Our group chat is brutal, heh.