What is/was your plan?
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The endless pool is private...you book it for half an hour all by yourself! That's part of the appeal. The yoga is more that I still can't do all of the poses and my knee makes it hard to get up and down off the floor. I'm thinking that I will pay for 6 months and give it a go.1
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I've been bouncing around lately around the same weight for a couple weeks now. I’ve been pretty frustrated with my lack of progress during that time… but stepping back a bit, that feels ridiculous. I’m very happy with what I’ve accomplished so far this year, and I don’t like the idea that I’m stressing out over my rate of loss as much as I am.
I’ve decided that I’m going to allow myself to eat up to maintenance for the remainder of December. I’ve pushed myself hard for 11 months now and have seen some pretty great results from it, but I wouldn’t mind a little bit of a rest. Not going to push myself to eat at a certain number of calories, I’ll just eat more if I feel I need to, as long as I keep myself at or below maintenance.
Then I’ll start again with my regular deficit on the first, just like I did this year.
For the remainder of December:- Eat at or below 2,700 calories per day (maintenance)
- Continue working out twice weekly at the gym
- Continue logging everything I eat as I eat it
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Good for you merph. Sometimes you need to take a break. Both mind and body need a reset.1
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So, that's done. I gained about 5 lbs in water weight and it started stressing me out more than a deficit did! Started back at a deficit yesterday and dropped 4 lbs overnight. /sighs in relief.5
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So, that's done. I gained about 5 lbs in water weight and it started stressing me out more than a deficit did! Started back at a deficit yesterday and dropped 4 lbs overnight. /sighs in relief.
I believe that as humans we are all creatures of habit. When in the deficit habit/mindset, breaking that can be a stress. Especially when you think you might be losing the loses you worked hard for. At some point all of us have to find a way to switch from deficit to maintenance. If you unlock that secret please share.1 -
So, that's done. I gained about 5 lbs in water weight and it started stressing me out more than a deficit did! Started back at a deficit yesterday and dropped 4 lbs overnight. /sighs in relief.
I believe that as humans we are all creatures of habit. When in the deficit habit/mindset, breaking that can be a stress. Especially when you think you might be losing the loses you worked hard for. At some point all of us have to find a way to switch from deficit to maintenance. If you unlock that secret please share.
Because I bank calories for it I have had a maintenance day nearly each week for the entire time I have been losing it is not a big deal. Add to that I have switched to maintenance for deficit breaks, holidays, vacations, etc. off and on too. My habit is established as logging and managing my calories which usually results in a deficit but sometimes not.
It was extremely important to me to move completely away from my all or nothing mindset that has contributed to many or most of my failures. I have accomplished that I believe.
Because of my spreadsheet I do not fear weight regain when eating more. I have watched my weight go up and down through various eating patterns and not once have I experienced a fat regain while eating maintenance. I have also found that fat weight is not regained at exactly 3500 calories per pound of surplus. It is a bit more complicated than that.
That is not to say I didn't pause when during Thanksgiving 2018 while eating maintenance for 10 days my weight shot up 20 pounds. That might have confirmed all my worst fears except the spreadsheet said (basically) that it was impossible. It was right.1 -
Your actions have created your current result. If you desire different results, you need to change your actions. An action repeated over and over again can create new habits and ultimately new results. A part of the brain is a “creature of habit.” Another part of the brain is considered the “higher thinking brain.” You actually don’t need to act on either, but learning to ignore the “creature of habits” negative thoughts and listen to your higher thinking thoughts more often is a part of creating new habits in alignment with future results you desire. The more consistently you act, the more you can retrain the creature of habits to like the changes, It still doesn’t mean your creature of habit, who’s main purpose is to keep you out of pain and into pleasure doesn’t try to convince you a 10000 calorie snickers bar ice cream sundae covered in hot fudge and peanut M&M’s is ok because of all the hard work and progress you have made. But your higher thinking brain knows otherwise. Your higher thinking brain might help convince your creature of habit to settle for a 1000 calorie version of the same, without creating overwhelming thoughts of deprivation.0
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@NovusDies Yeah, my brain knew it was just water weight. That didn't help though, haha. I'll have to get better at that in the future, but for now I can just go back to a deficit. I've got plenty more to lose.1
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@NovusDies Yeah, my brain knew it was just water weight. That didn't help though, haha. I'll have to get better at that in the future, but for now I can just go back to a deficit. I've got plenty more to lose.
Next time you try it you should know to expect the bump on the scale and perhaps it won't shake you.
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That and how quick/easy it was to recover, yeah. Though I'm glad I'm failing at not eating at a deficit instead of the opposite
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That and how quick/easy it was to recover, yeah. Though I'm glad I'm failing at not eating at a deficit instead of the opposite
Not to add to your apprehension for next time but it is not always that quick and easy. In fact, most of the people I have seen report your situation take 3 to 5 days. Sometimes even longer... this is my 10th day whooshing and I am now up to just under 18 pounds lost. I should be close to the end now because I am 1 pound higher than the lowest weight I have recorded recently.
ETA: Generally when I have 5 or less pounds of water weight my normal "turn around" time is 3 to 5 days too.2 -
My plan was to be at 250 by Nov 1.... the reality is I am not going to make it unless I lose 3 lbs in the next 3 days!....my weight is not going down like it should be with the amount I still need to lose....I swim 5 days a week and I am eating between 1300 and 1500 calories a day....I log all of my foods, I measure and weigh, and I don’t cheat....I need some ideas to help me lose more weight!...I am making myself crazy with this...I know I get too much sodium some days but I take a fluid pill a couple of times a week for excess fluid retention...there has got to be something I am doing or not doing to make me plateau for weeks at a time....I am really getting frustrated and when I don’t see progress, I am more apt to go on a huge binge....doing my best to avoid this....HELP!1
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conniewilkins56 wrote: »My plan was to be at 250 by Nov 1.... the reality is I am not going to make it unless I lose 3 lbs in the next 3 days!....my weight is not going down like it should be with the amount I still need to lose....I swim 5 days a week and I am eating between 1300 and 1500 calories a day....I log all of my foods, I measure and weigh, and I don’t cheat....I need some ideas to help me lose more weight!...I am making myself crazy with this...I know I get too much sodium some days but I take a fluid pill a couple of times a week for excess fluid retention...there has got to be something I am doing or not doing to make me plateau for weeks at a time....I am really getting frustrated and when I don’t see progress, I am more apt to go on a huge binge....doing my best to avoid this....HELP!
Hi Connie! I hear you, the scale not moving is frustrating, but you are doing SOOOOOO good. You are down so much and all that swimming is doing more than just dropping pounds (cause it WILL catch up). Googled some benefits for you...
Swimming is a good all-round activity because it:
keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off your body
builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness
helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs
tones muscles and builds strength
provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of your muscles are used during swimming.
The weight WILL come off. Stick with your plan, its a solid one. It will happen and is happening.
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conniewilkins56 wrote: »My plan was to be at 250 by Nov 1.... the reality is I am not going to make it unless I lose 3 lbs in the next 3 days!....my weight is not going down like it should be with the amount I still need to lose....I swim 5 days a week and I am eating between 1300 and 1500 calories a day....I log all of my foods, I measure and weigh, and I don’t cheat....I need some ideas to help me lose more weight!...I am making myself crazy with this...I know I get too much sodium some days but I take a fluid pill a couple of times a week for excess fluid retention...there has got to be something I am doing or not doing to make me plateau for weeks at a time....I am really getting frustrated and when I don’t see progress, I am more apt to go on a huge binge....doing my best to avoid this....HELP!
Hi Connie! I hear you, the scale not moving is frustrating, but you are doing SOOOOOO good. You are down so much and all that swimming is doing more than just dropping pounds (cause it WILL catch up). Googled some benefits for you...
Swimming is a good all-round activity because it:
keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off your body
builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness
helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs
tones muscles and builds strength
provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of your muscles are used during swimming.
The weight WILL come off. Stick with your plan, its a solid one. It will happen and is happening.
Thanks!....it is nice to be reminded of all of the benefits of regular exercise and yes, I have lost 97 lbs and yes, I am 69 and the weight comes off slower BUT at this rate I will be dead before I get under 200 lbs!....I am so happy to see younger people getting the message to lose the extra weight now....they do not realize how much of life they are missing...I am fortunate that my extra pounds did not keep me from doing a lot until I got older and the damage to my body finally caught up with me...
I check your logging, etc. regularly and you are doing such a good job....I am so happy for you!...keep up the great work!...your body will thank you as you get older!1 -
conniewilkins56 wrote: »My plan was to be at 250 by Nov 1.... the reality is I am not going to make it unless I lose 3 lbs in the next 3 days!....my weight is not going down like it should be with the amount I still need to lose....I swim 5 days a week and I am eating between 1300 and 1500 calories a day....I log all of my foods, I measure and weigh, and I don’t cheat....I need some ideas to help me lose more weight!...I am making myself crazy with this...I know I get too much sodium some days but I take a fluid pill a couple of times a week for excess fluid retention...there has got to be something I am doing or not doing to make me plateau for weeks at a time....I am really getting frustrated and when I don’t see progress, I am more apt to go on a huge binge....doing my best to avoid this....HELP!
I can't help you with a plan that involves a specific scale weight by a specific date unless it is medically necessary. That is setting yourself up for anxiety and could lead to potentially unhelpful decisions. Milestones come when they come. They are often sluggish because we get ourselves worked up over them which increases water retention.
Plateaus for weeks at a time have been my constant companion for the last 180 pounds. I once waited 7 weeks. I do not even want to know how long I have been waiting this time to see onederland but it feels longer than 7 weeks.
Most likely you have lost 100 pounds. Weight loss happens daily. It just doesn't show up on the scale that way. Try to have faith in the process and believe that each day you are in a deficit you have made progress without needing to see it. It will show up eventually. It always does.
Remember that weight loss is something that you need to allow to happen. When you try and force it you just get in your own way.
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I check your logging, etc. regularly and you are doing such a good job....I am so happy for you!...keep up the great work!...your body will thank you as you get older![/quote]
Thanks so much Connie, it really helps me to have your support!
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I had planned on a diet break the last two weeks of this year but I am reconsidering that idea....I am afraid it will only invite trouble!....I think the first two weeks of the new year might be better....maybe I shouldn’t take one at all.....do three and four day binges count as a break?...I don’t think so....once I go off plan I have a really hard time controlling what I eat....I know eventually we need to learn how to eat at maintenance level....I have taken 2 two week breaks in 18 months and I have had a half dozen serious binges....both of my breaks started out ok and then I overate a lot for a few days and then ate maintenance part of the two weeks...I really want to do two weeks at maintenance only and I don’t think this is going to work right now....what do you think?....what would you do?....I am thinking wait on the break and accept I will binge a few days during the holidays...but maybe knowing I will binge is giving myself permission to binge....I am so confused lol2
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conniewilkins56 wrote: »I had planned on a diet break the last two weeks of this year but I am reconsidering that idea....I am afraid it will only invite trouble!....I think the first two weeks of the new year might be better....maybe I shouldn’t take one at all.....do three and four day binges count as a break?...I don’t think so....once I go off plan I have a really hard time controlling what I eat....I know eventually we need to learn how to eat at maintenance level....I have taken 2 two week breaks in 18 months and I have had a half dozen serious binges....both of my breaks started out ok and then I overate a lot for a few days and then ate maintenance part of the two weeks...I really want to do two weeks at maintenance only and I don’t think this is going to work right now....what do you think?....what would you do?....I am thinking wait on the break and accept I will binge a few days during the holidays...but maybe knowing I will binge is giving myself permission to binge....I am so confused lol
That is so tough. On the one hand, the more breaks you do, the more you are practicing for maintenance. On the other hand, when you're on a roll, you want to keep going... But even if your previous breaks were hard or didn't go as planneed, you still came back to your plan, and that itself is a success!2 -
Connie I am a binger too. I have not yet had the success that you have attained so it feels strange giving advice but I really want to lol
I don’t think that you should say ok I’m not in deficit mode so it’s ok to binge. Know what I mean? I think the smart thing to do is to eat at maintenance and log log log.
Or maybe do zigzag like 2 days maintence one day deficit etc.
It’s just my opinion and I might be wrong. Just trying to be helpful1 -
Thanks to both of you for the advice!....yes, I came back to MFP because one way or the other I am determined to keep losing weight!... and that is success to just keep going!...
I would really like to do a break right and eat at maintenance for two weeks but that is only about 2100 calories a day...As a fellow binge eater, 2100 calories ain’t nuthin!
I have a doctors appointment next Thursday...I had blood work done this past Tues...I plan on talking to my doctor about this, too...he has lost a lot of weight on MFP and he banks calories for the holidays....maybe I should start banking now and have about 20,000 calories to eat lol....( probably not a great idea )....
Right now I am thinking about getting thru the holidays with maybe one or two FREE days and then doing my break after the first of the year and really stay at maintenance without cheating or going over....I need to think this thru....
Any and all advice is greatly appreciated...maybe no break is a better idea!2 -
conniewilkins56 wrote: »Right now I am thinking about getting thru the holidays with maybe one or two FREE days and then doing my break after the first of the year and really stay at maintenance without cheating or going over....I need to think this thru....
Any and all advice is greatly appreciated...maybe no break is a better idea!
I like this idea - the holidays bring so many opportunities to binge - it is probably a dangerous time to try eating at maintenance for a few weeks. This is the route I'm taking too. There are 2 days that will be very tricky - and I will try to track but not hold myself to anything.
Learning to eat at maintenance is so important, yet I found it much harder than eating at my old high deficit which was close to your total calories - in the 1200 to 1400 range. It makes sense to do that two week break (which I absolutely agree with - it did me the world of good in early November) when you'll have a better chance at doing it successfully!2 -
I am liking the idea of sticking to my regular plan ( maybe change to 1.5. lb a week from 2.0 lb ) and having a couple of treat days for some milk and cookies!...cookies are my weakness and if I do this a couple of days, I will be so sick I won’t be able to eat much for a few days!....SMH ....and then after the first of the year do a two week maintenance break and stay at maintenance calories....I really want to do a successful maintenance break because I want to get this last 50 or 60 lbs off this next year if possible!...I plan on upping my exercise and concentrate on some activities besides playing on my I- pad!...1
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