TEAM: Gutbusters (August)

1810121314

Replies

  • WishfulThinning18
    WishfulThinning18 Posts: 125 Member
    0oyy2vniu95z.jpg


    Got this little guy in my second month's order! They are so cheesy in my opinion but I love it! Every little thing helps. However, I've gained and lost these 30 pounds over and over again never breaking 290... So I think when I get my 40 lb bear it'll really mean something! It means I've broken the cycle.

    Does anyone else find themselves getting annoyed with tv commercials? DQ, Burger King, Wendy's... every other commercial it seems is flashing fast food. Not helping currently... I just wanna shove my mouth full of junk. But then I think of all my hard work and how much better I feel and it's enough to stay the course. Instead of pigging out I find myself reaching for healthy snacks like a hard boiled egg, another salad, etc.

    Hope everyone is doing good so far this week! We are rocking this challenge... keep strong everyone!
  • metubal
    metubal Posts: 290 Member
    grebber1 wrote: »
    It's frustrating that all I hear about is cutting carbs. I enjoy veggies with hummas but carrots have carbs. Fruits have carbs. Geeze. I would really like to try keto but I don't think it's in the cards.
    How many carbs do you all average a day if your watching them that is

    I got diagnosed with diabetes on 3/2. I said I'll reverse it within 6 months with nutrition only.
    My A1C was 7.5 on 3/2: Diabetes.
    It was 5.9 on 4/25: Pre-diabetes.
    5.5 today on 8/14: Normal level.

    I started the weight loss journey on 3/2. Until June, I ate a vegetarian diet, my macros were 65%carb, 20% protein, 15%fat. My bloodwork looked really good, I felt good, inflammation was gone, but the weight loss was painfully slow: 4% in 3 months. Also, i felt deprived and often had major cravings.

    Then i started keto on 6/11. And I'm happier on it. I dont have cravings because fat satisfies all cravings. My goal is to lose 3-4% per month and it's very doable on this eating style.
    I am not a fan of pork so the usual keto menus with tons of bacon/ribs/ham dont work for me. I am doing a modified keto with more veggies. I call it the KetoMed (Mediterranean). Honestly i miss beans and fruit but i love seing the scale go down more😊 Eventually i will adjust my diet to include some non-keto foods (fruit and beans) but not until that A1C is 5 and another 28lbs is gone.

    You can eat all the berries on keto. And carrots are awesome, too. Just figure out how many grams of carbs you would eat and then eat all the veggies and berries you can up to that amount.

    Say you are targeting 2,500 cals per day. On keto, typical macros are 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbs. That means 194g fat, 156 g protein, and 30g carbs.

    My macros are 65%fat, 20% protein, and 15%carbs. For 2,500 cals, that would mean 180g fat, 125g protein, 93g carbs.

    Let me know if you have any questions.

  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    August 15
    Exercised?: Yes. 4km walk at lunch, 10km walk after dinner (North Sydney).
    Calories?: Yes
    Tracked?: Yes

    Not in Sydney next week. Going home tomorrow. Super busy tailing everything up.

    Long walk tonight. Last chance to "take in the sights" for a while. Walked bridge and opera house.



    Daily Strength challenge

    Challenge for August 15 is dips ()

    3 sets
    • First set till the point where you can do no more, wait 2 mins
    • Second set of 60% of the number you did in the first set (half, then another 10%), wait 2 mins
    • Third set of 50% of the number you did in the first set (half)
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    edited August 2018
    metubal wrote: »
    Non scale victory! My A1C is 5.5 today!! I am no longer diabetic or pre-diabetic. Diagnosed on 3/2 and reversed it in 5 months with nutrition only! I rock😁😁😁

    @metubal. AWESOME!!!!

    My wife is working on a similar goal, but she is already on insulin (metformin was no longer working).

    Over the passed 2 months, my wife's insulin requirement has dropped and looks like dropping further sticking with the lifestyle change. She has also lost 10 lbs in the last 2 months, but the BIG achievement is the reduction in the daily blood sugar readings.

    Like you, my wife's diet change is high fat, moderate protein, low carb. A Keto'ish style diet.
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    ...
    Does anyone else find themselves getting annoyed with tv commercials? DQ, Burger King, Wendy's... every other commercial it seems is flashing fast food. Not helping currently... I just wanna shove my mouth full of junk. But then I think of all my hard work and how much better I feel and it's enough to stay the course. Instead of pigging out I find myself reaching for healthy snacks like a hard boiled egg, another salad, etc.

    Hope everyone is doing good so far this week! We are rocking this challenge... keep strong everyone!

    @WishfulThinning18. After a while, you ignore these commercials as they are not targeted for you. You see the lies in the marketing messages they contain. Their food does not make you feel good. It is not good food (built down to a price, not up to a quality). It does not make you feel energetic (usually quite the opposite). It is not a place that brings people together.

    Adjusting my thinking to be low gluten. NONE of the fast food places adequately cater for my preferences. It makes them very easy to ignore.

    I find it almost humorous (and also very sad) that a medium size Burger King meal (normal whopper, small fries, medium coke) is more than 50% of the adult recommended daily calorie intake. Some of the hunger tamer meals are over 90% of the daily recommended calorie intake.

    As a rule of thumb, any food that is advertised is generally not the food you want.
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    grebber1 wrote: »
    It's frustrating that all I hear about is cutting carbs. I enjoy veggies with hummas but carrots have carbs. Fruits have carbs. Geeze. I would really like to try keto but I don't think it's in the cards.
    How many carbs do you all average a day if your watching them that is

    @grebber1. My percentages average out at about 25% carbs, 30% fats, 45% protein. However I am big on protein. Carbs are ALWAYS low. Protein is ALWAYS high. I also drink PLENTY of water (as high protein can be hard on the kidneys).

    Food that fills you up is: fats, protein and fibre. Processed carbs (including sugar, most grains (and to a lesser extent whole grains), juices, etc..) reduce fibre vs carbohydrate.

    Whole vegetables are good (keeps the fibre, provides vitamins and minerals).

    There are essential fats, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, but no essential carbohydrates.

    However, most "comfort food" is high in processed carbs (and should be consumed in moderation).

    A low carb diet may not be your thing. This is fine. Experiment. Work out the macro balance that works for you. It needs to keep you satisfied (not hungry) without going too heavy on calories. It took me MONTHS to work out what worked for me.

    As a side note: low/no gluten almost enforces low carb. (I don't feel as good consuming gluten based foods, as such, I consider my digestion as gluten sensitive (but not celiac). By avoiding gluten where practical I have had more energy, less digestive problems, better concentration and better sleep).
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    Happy weigh-in Wednesday to: @caitlynns727. @inshapeCK. @klmac8.
  • brunchowl
    brunchowl Posts: 44 Member
    edited August 2018
    Hi, just a heads up that something is wrong with the weights, it has me gaining this week and I lost a bunch. Also I hope @bootssowhite did not actually lose 148 lbs this week :-P
  • mthomas0228
    mthomas0228 Posts: 594 Member
    edited August 2018
    grebber1 wrote: »
    It's frustrating that all I hear about is cutting carbs. I enjoy veggies with hummas but carrots have carbs. Fruits have carbs. Geeze. I would really like to try keto but I don't think it's in the cards.
    How many carbs do you all average a day if your watching them that is

    @grebber1 I don't do Keto. You have to find what works for you.

    I make sure I eat primarily complex carbs (such as peas, beans, whole grains, and vegetables) and those with naturally occurring sugars (fruits), rather than processed or refined sugars, which do not have the vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in complex carbohydrates.

    I also make sure I have a complex carb with my 1st meal of the day and at the meal right after a workout, other than those 2 times I try to focus on protein/fruit/veg instead.

    My calories are set at 1460/day which puts my carbs at 183 grams. I tend to try to keep carbs at the 100-150g range instead.

    I also limit gluten. Like @craigo3154, I just feel better all around by not eating gluten.

    Whatever path you take, it has to be sustainable for you for the long term. The way you eat during this process needs to become a lifestyle not a life sentence.
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    brunchowl wrote: »
    Hi, just a heads up that something is wrong with the weights, it has me gaining this week and I lost a bunch. Also I hope @bootssowhite did not actually lose 148 lbs this week :-P

    @brunchowl. Thanks for that.

    I most likely would have picked it up in the end of week check, but thank you for pointing it out early. It's been corrected now.

    @bootssowhite. has not posted a weigh in-this week tet.

    @brunchowl. Well done on doing so well this month. 2.7% down over 3 weeks is great work. Over 11lbs down (almost 7%) since June. Slow reductions means they are most likely to stay.
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    ...
    Whatever path you take, it has to be sustainable for you for the long term. The way you eat during this process needs to become a lifestyle not a life sentence.

    @mthomas0228. This is a brilliant quote. I may use that in future. It is SOOOOOOO true.

    The trick is finding what works for YOU. I know my diet would not work for most people, but it works for me (I can eat out socially and have food I enjoy).
  • WishfulThinning18
    WishfulThinning18 Posts: 125 Member
    Besides this group... are there any other posts you refer to for motivation?

    I love the What's Your Most Recent NSV and PHOTO ONLY SUCCESS STORIES! under Success Stories tab in the forums.
  • bootssowhite
    bootssowhite Posts: 93 Member
    Username: bootssowhite
    Weigh in Week: August Week 3
    Weigh in Day: Monday (whoops)
    Previous Weight: 307.6
    Today's Weight: 308.4

    Sorry about the late weight in. Things have been pretty crazy. I was offered a job last Wednesday and accepted in on Saturday, which is obviously pretty great, but it now means I have three weeks to move half way across the country. The good news is according to my Fitbit, packing is burning a lot of calories.
  • inshapeCK
    inshapeCK Posts: 3,951 Member
    Username: inshapeCK
    Weigh-in week: Week 3
    Weigh-in day: Wednesday
    Previous week's weight: 147.6 pounds
    Current weight: 146.1pounds
  • LesIckaBod
    LesIckaBod Posts: 719 Member
    craigo3154 wrote: »
    LesIckaBod wrote: »
    Quick question:

    Those of you who have lost enough weight to warrant cleaning out the closet, what is your strategy as far as keeping the big clothes? Do you just toss or donate everything, figuring you'll never go back? Do you keep some things?

    I'm in the midst of a closet reorganization right now, and I feel like I'm having a mental war between the self that says I'm on the right path and I'm sticking to it and the self that .... doesn't say that.

    @LesIckaBod. It's a good problem to have.

    I lost 50lbs and had to get new most things. I still have most of my old clothes, but am looking at donating most of them to charities that accept them. I'll keep a few things (that show how much my size changed), but most will go.

    I know I'll never go back to the size I was. I've been 50lbs under my start weight for almost a year and am comfortably maintaining. The habits I have in place now (and consciously re-enforce) will keep me for getting overweight (even if ill or immobilised for any reason).

    @craigo3154 The conscious reinforcement aspect is crucial. Sometimes I feel like I'm teetering at the edge of the cliff, ready to fall backwards again. I think my eating and exercise habits right now are pretty good -- far from perfect, but allowing me to make progress -- but I've got a lifelong set of skills as a self-saboteur, and it feels like fighting the saboteur is a different battle than fighting the weight.

    Anyway, the clothes are on their way out.

  • LesIckaBod
    LesIckaBod Posts: 719 Member
    eevang wrote: »

    This is going to be super long lol because I've put a lot of thought into it. It was hard for me to let go of clothes because they are "worth money".

    ...

    I don't know about you, but I didn't like most of my bigger clothes. I felt dowdy because that seemed to be the only available style where I live. The clothes make me feel guilty.

    For these reasons--most to do with keeping mentally healthy--I've purged my wardrobe. I keep things that don't make me feel bad (how do I feel when wearing it?) that aren't too baggy looking (some sweaters can be oversized and still look nice, etc.). But most have gone. The irony is I have a bunch of clothes that do fit already...because I never got rid of many items I grew out of. I actually got rid of some of these items that fit okay for the same reason...they don't make me feel good about myself. I feel frumpy in them.
    ...
    I feel really good about getting rid of it all. I actually have an organized closet for the first time. Because I can fit everything in there!

    ...

    In short, I recommend getting rid of everything that doesn't look/feel good and (if you are a woman who wears dresses) buying cheap dresses while still on your journey! Also I donate everything frumpy and check in with a few friends first about the clothes I actually think are nice.


    @eevang Couldn't agree more with all your sentiments here, particularly regarding feeling frumpy, dowdy, or even guilty. Turns out, I didn't need to buy anything new for the upcoming season, as my old clothes from 10 years ago still fit and are such conservative patterns that (I think) they are still passable, for as much as I recognize about fashion. Then there are some items that are nice, some even luxury items, but suitable for a younger, pre-mom woman, and I felt bad about letting those go, like I frittered away my youth while gaining all that weight. Ugh. This reorganization opened up a lot of feelings, but it's mostly positive in the end.

    So anyway, I've put the dowdy items aside to be given to charities that can either sell the items or recycle the fabric. Some of the nicer items I'm passing on to friends or family if they want them.

    A funny thing happened as I went through the clothes. At the beginning of the spring, I had begun a kind of opposite purge of my closet, removing all the smaller sized items because I thought I could never fit them again. I really had given up on myself. I put the items aside on the floor and kept forgetting to take them to be donated, so there they sat, for months. I decided to try them on, and now, they're almost too big. One skirt is wearable maybe only for the next few weeks of the summer, and then, if I stay on track, I'll be much to small for it next summer.
  • LesIckaBod
    LesIckaBod Posts: 719 Member
    edited August 2018
    Exercise: Not exactly. Took a planned off-day from "exercise" today, but had a couple of walks with the boys riding their bikes, so there was some activity for the day, just not very strenuous.
    Calories: No
    Tracked: Yes

    The big bummer, and why I'm writing long posts tonight, is that we went out to eat at the pizza restaurant. Why do I do this to myself? I don't even like the pizza at this restaurant, and I never did, even when I wasn't trying to lose weight. I keep thinking I can go with them and not have the pizza, but when it's ordered for the table, I do have some. Ugh. I immediately felt bloated and gross afterward, and angry I'd spent my calories on that disgusting mess rather than something like ice cream.

    Blegh. Best to avoid the place altogether, I think.

    Anyway, the good news is that I'm eager to get back on track tomorrow. This feeling stinks, and I want to move on.




  • klmac8
    klmac8 Posts: 11 Member
    Name: klmac8
    Week 3
    Weigh in day : wed
    Previous week: 195
    Current weight: 195.8
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    LesIckaBod wrote: »
    Exercise: Not exactly. Took a planned off-day from "exercise" today, but had a couple of walks with the boys riding their bikes, so there was some activity for the day, just not very strenuous.
    Calories: No
    Tracked: Yes

    The big bummer, and why I'm writing long posts tonight, is that we went out to eat at the pizza restaurant. Why do I do this to myself? I don't even like the pizza at this restaurant, and I never did, even when I wasn't trying to lose weight. I keep thinking I can go with them and not have the pizza, but when it's ordered for the table, I do have some. Ugh. I immediately felt bloated and gross afterward, and angry I'd spent my calories on that disgusting mess rather than something like ice cream.

    Blegh. Best to avoid the place altogether, I think.

    Anyway, the good news is that I'm eager to get back on track tomorrow. This feeling stinks, and I want to move on.

    @LesIckaBod. This is one of the dilemas. What happens when you don't want to eat what everyone else is eating when out socially?

    I have made it well known that I preference not to have gluten foods (so for me, pizza is not on the preferred list). Most of my friends and family would not suggest pizza for me now :) .

    One thing you can do is see if you can find something on the menu that fits what you want (high fat, high/moderate protein, low carb). Another thing, at a sit-down restaurant, is see if the chef can do a special meal (based on your dietary preferences). Most chefs jump at this opportunity as a chance to do something out of the normal grind.

    Lastly you could forego mains entirely and just straight to dessert (have it while others are having mains :) ). This way you get something you enjoy :) .

    Most of the time and good solution can be found with a bit of lateral thinking. Social occasions are a part of life and you need a strategy to be able to participate without paying a high price health wise.

    The main thing is to have an advance plan. As you found, sometimes it is best not to eat, than eat something that makes you feel bad. Don't make a big deal of it, be nice about it, join in conversation. If asked why not eating simply deflect the question with an answer like "I've found this type of food does not agree with me, I'll have something else later".

    Live and learn. Best of luck next time this type of situation occurs.
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    grebber1 wrote: »
    Name: grebber1
    Week: 3
    Weigh in day: Thurs
    Previousweek: 375.1
    Current weight: 368.6

    @grebber1. Another great week in a good month so far. Keep up the good work.

    Keep asking questions. Happy to answer where I can.
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    August 16
    Exercised?: Yes. 20 mins bodyweight strength.
    Calories?: Yes
    Tracked?: Yes

    Exhausting day. VERY busy at work with back to back meetings as well as tailing up Sydney work. Only just got enough time to get a quick bite for lunch before flying home.



    Daily Strength challenge

    "Challenge for August 16 is squats (no weight - air squat - http://www.12minuteathlete.com/how-to-do-a-proper-air-squat/).
    You can do assisted squats (using a table or bench top to take weight off the knees if it is too much)."

    3 sets
    • First set till the point where you can do no more, wait 2 mins
    • Second set of 60% of the number you did in the first set (half, then another 10%), wait 2 mins
    • Third set of 50% of the number you did in the first set (half)
  • grebber1
    grebber1 Posts: 216 Member
    craigo3154 wrote: »
    grebber1 wrote: »
    Name: grebber1
    Week: 3
    Weigh in day: Thurs
    Previousweek: 375.1
    Current weight: 368.6

    @grebber1. Another great week in a good month so far. Keep up the good work.

    Keep asking questions. Happy to answer where I can.

    Thanks. Really just been trying to track everything as accurate as I can. Finding that place where I'm in a deficit but not starving myself. So far so good.
    Patience is not my thing. Been working on that. It's easy to wish it would all come off in a cpl months. But it won't. BUT it is coming off so I'm happy
  • LesIckaBod
    LesIckaBod Posts: 719 Member
    @craigo3154 As always, thanks for the words of advice and encouragement. Funny thing is, when I sat down, I did envision sitting there with a salad with grilled chicken on top. I ordered the salad, not the chicken -- figured I would "treat" myself to one of the chicken fingers that my boys get there. I ate the salad, ate the chicken finger, then reached for the darn pizza. There's another problem with us going to this restaurant as a family that I don't want to get into specifically, but I think the solution might be for me and the boys to get out of there as soon as we finish our meals, let my husband stay as long as he likes, and for the rest of us to walk to the park nearby and play until he's done. Not ideal, but apparently I don't have the willpower yet to sit there and not eat any of the pizza after I've finished my planned meal.

    Anyway, I'm back on plan this morning and feeling better about life. Completed my HIIT exercise for the day and a bonus 30 minute walk on the treadmill just to help unload some of this bloated feeling left over from yesterday. The endorphins help immensely, and I've been realizing that I'm having fun now when I exercise. It feels good to use the body. What a miracle these bodies are, really, right?
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    Username: craigo3154
    Weigh in week: Week 3
    Weigh in day: Wednesday
    Previous Week's Weight: (62.6kg) 138.0
    Todays Weight: (63.1kg) 139.1

    Now in the right range. Was too low. Weigh in Friday as was away on Wednesday morning.
  • craigo3154
    craigo3154 Posts: 2,572 Member
    LesIckaBod wrote: »
    @craigo3154 As always, thanks for the words of advice and encouragement. Funny thing is, when I sat down, I did envision sitting there with a salad with grilled chicken on top. I ordered the salad, not the chicken -- figured I would "treat" myself to one of the chicken fingers that my boys get there. I ate the salad, ate the chicken finger, then reached for the darn pizza. ....

    Anyway, I'm back on plan this morning and feeling better about life. Completed my HIIT exercise for the day and a bonus 30 minute walk on the treadmill just to help unload some of this bloated feeling left over from yesterday. The endorphins help immensely, and I've been realizing that I'm having fun now when I exercise. It feels good to use the body. What a miracle these bodies are, really, right?

    @LesIckaBod. It's hard to train yourself out of habits of a lifetime. It really takes a mindset change to food to be able to do that. Sounds like you started out fantastic (and you also have ideas for follow through plans for next time which is great).

    These bodies we have really are miracles. Once you start them doing the right things, they become accustomed to it and want to do more of them :) (unfortunately, it's the same if you start them doing the wrong things too - they want more of them too).
  • cjscoey
    cjscoey Posts: 57 Member
    Username: cjscoey
    Weigh in week: Week 3
    Weigh in day: Thursday
    Previous Weight: 177.0
    Todays Weight: 175.4

    Pleasantly surprised!
  • WishfulThinning18
    WishfulThinning18 Posts: 125 Member
    edited August 2018
    I’m super annoyed. Not sure if it’s at my co worker, at myself... most likely both.

    Sitting down to work.. co worker comes over and asks if I wanted this peanut butter Krispe treat covered in melted chocolate. I said no thank you. Mind you they know I’m trying to lose weight. It’s not a secret... the Nutrisystem part is but they know I’m trying... so what does he do? Plops it right down in front of me on my desk and walks on. If I didn’t have someone sitting next to me I would have just thrown it away but we were working on a project so she moved the trash can so we could sit next to each other.

    I ate it. I already touched it. He already had touched it. I didn’t know where he put the container. Now thankfully Nutrisystem allows me to flex (exchange things in and out) so I decided that I would flex my dessert and have this. And it wasn’t even good. At all. It was meh at best.

    30 minutes go by and he asks if I ate it. I said yes but please don’t ever set food down in front of me again.

    Now I’m thinking I probably sounded like a witch, and I’m new so now I’m worried about how I came off.

    Sigh. I’m taking this weight loss seriously. I’m paying quite a bit of money for my plan. And if I go off it I feel like I’m wasting money because I am paying for said plan. I don’t want to be fat. And I’m an all or nothing kinda girl as well so going off what I’ve planned for myself is why I’m upset with myself. That’s how it always started in the past when cooking my own foods.. oh it’s just this once.. oh it’s just a bite.
  • eevang
    eevang Posts: 187 Member
    @LesIckaBod It looks like you're already thinking towards the future and how to avoid eating the pizza, which is awesome.

    I do want to add...I'm not sure I could eat a grilled chicken salad while people are eating pizza around me. Ever. I just couldn't face that temptation while eating salad. My go-to meal at an Italian restaurant is generally a chicken entree where I ask for the noodles to be swapped out with broccoli (I generally check to make sure they have broccoli first). I've done Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Piccata before. I also did a philly cheese steak without bread over baby spinach before.

    It's not great, mind you. I have to estimate calories, I generally make sure to hit the gym on days where I eat those meals, and I typically take home over half. But unlike eating pizza, I get enough protein, and unlike eating salad, my willpower doesn't collapse. It's more expensive, but I get two meals out of it, so I usually feel good about it.
This discussion has been closed.