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IMHO, our bodies adjust. Same thing has happened to me a few times. 3 weeks isn’t enough to really judge how much your body needs. I would say keep doing what you are doing for 6 weeks. At that point, if things aren’t moving again, change something up. You got this. Realistic and sustainable.1
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tiffany80802017 wrote: »Thanks for setting up this group and those that posted! I definitely found myself relating a lot to your comments.
I have been obese almost 20 years, about 13 years ago I lost 100 pounds and then gained it back plus about another 50. The first time, I lost 100 lbs quickly due to exercising multiple times a day, biking everywhere and eating a vegan diet with very little fat and only a small amount of protein (not intentionally eating low protein) ... that’s not feasible for me any more and I’m trying to do it in a healthier and realistic way. My kcal now have a healthy balance 45-50% carbs, 20-25% fat, and 25-30% protein. I need to around 50% carbs most days for metabolic reasons-so keto isn’t an option for me.
I’m trying to lose the 150 lbs and am down about 35, but feel like I’m plateauing. I’ve been the same weight for about 3 weeks even though about a month ago I increased my cardio to about 60-90 minutes versus 30-45 on average, and do weight lifting 1-2x per week with a trainer, and am still logging all kcal.
I did anticipate some slowness in weight loss due to weights, since it had been 20 years since I lifted, but am surprised it’s still so slow after about 6 months.
I definitely understand the concept someone else mentioned, kcal in/kcal out. But when I calculate my BMR, kcal, and exercise kcal it does not come close to the weight I’m losing (or not losing).
Has anyone had a similar experience or any suggestions you’d be willing to share?
Thanks much!
Hi @tiffany80802017,
When you add in new exercise it can cause additional water retention that for some people lasts for weeks. This water retention can mask fat loss on the scale.
Are you weighing all your solid food on a food scale? Are you verifying that each MFP database entry has the correct calories? I ask because that is very often what throws off the math.
I will be happy to look over your actual numbers if you want.1 -
@tiffany80802017
After I added my exercise bike I slowed a little bit and I know that other people have had their loss stall completely. This week my weight has been in freefall. I figure it's all the water I held onto from the new exercise. As long as your doing what you should the weight should drop, it just takes awhile.4 -
Thanks for the offer @NovusDies; I’m confident my numbers are correct (I work with data and love excel
!! ). I use a digital scale to weigh everything.
Was just asking in case others have had a similar situation (regular exercise/kcal restriction-but no loss) and would be interested to hear what you found helpful or otherwise.
I did finally show 2lb loss, but it still doesn’t come anywhere close... it should be more like 12-15 over past 4 weeks, if going by the numbers. I’m using formulas from NIH & American Dietetic Assoc.
I think it’s most frustrating the numbers don’t add up, but I’m sure it will start to come off again, it’s just frustrating in the interim. Probably many of us have been there
Thanks again for everyone’s feedback, appreciate it!2 -
@tiffany80802017 I've been reading this thread with a great deal of interest because the scenario is what was going with me for these last couple of months.
Loving me some data is second only to loving me some logic. Here's my "Ah Ha" truth about my numbers: I had plateaued on my exercise and was doing the same comfortable routine instead of setting and pushing for a stretch. Since I am pretty committed to my 30 minutes of treadmill and not willing to stretch my duration that meant I needed to increase my intensity. The other thing I noticed was my intake of alcohol had increased from a glass or two of wine on the weekend to becoming a regular evening thing.
Logic tells me that those two items might be enough to not move the scale down so I'm testing this postulate by actively addressing both items. Stay tuned for what I am hoping is a steady decrease on the scale.
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@hansep0012 thanks for your feedback!
I am trying something similar - switching up my routine a bit. Last month I stopped drinking alcohol as well and I find myself a bit more motivated to exercise.
My trainers always have a different routine for my weight session (1-3x/wk) but my go to is certainly the elliptical. I like it because it’s low impact and I feel like because of my weight it’s hard to do the other cardio machines (except treadmill).
I am going hiking in some mountains this weekend, so that should shake things up, and hopefully will see the scale move a bit more.
I think there’s definitely truth in what you’re saying about the routine and impact of alcohol on weight loss (along w/ metabolic process that happens when it’s metabolized-acetate and the body stops burning fat
) If only it was as simple as a formula!
Thanks again for your feedback!!3 -
Regarding alcohol... I'm thankful that I work in dry camps for several weeks of the month. I'm not tempted to go crazy drinking when I'm out.. not worth the headache and feeling horrible the next day. The most I may have is a rum and eggnog over Christmas or a glass of wine on special occasions.. I've become quite the lightweight when it comes to booze..lol3
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dhiammarath wrote: »Hi!
I like to gamify my experience. So for me, I mark milestones in "bosses" or "dragons" to defeat. I've conquered my dragonpants (the smallest pants I'd worn before I'd regained the 20lbs). I've conquered mental dragons and dress dragons and other "bosses", gaining more experience along the way. This makes it "fun" for me.
I love this!
Right now, I'm currently using RingFit Adventure, put out for the Nintendo Switch in October I believe, and it's basically this. You play through the levels, beating small little enemies (some of them are kind tough tbh) that are shaped like Kettlebells and dumbbells. Then at the end of each "world" there is a the big boss you have to fight. This helps me with getting active.
Going to have to apply it like you have and defeat some of my "bosses" in real life, like my favorite pair of shorts I used to wear when I met my fiance (he quite enjoys them too
). Got several mental ones that need slaying but I am sure they will come with time.
My advice to add to this thread (not sure if it has been said as I didnt read through everything yet): -If you have a large goal, like me with an ultimate goal of roughly 164 though my doc would like me 5lbs less than my goal, is to break it up into smaller pieces. Currently my main focus is to get to 299, that's an initial goal of 35 lbs down. I currently have about 14 lbs to go to meet that goal. Once i get there I will reevaluate and see if I'm going to to stick with smaller goals like 30lbs at a time, or maybe increase it to a loss of 50 lbs.
- Do what works for you! Sure if Shannon at the office is doing Atkins and its working for her, but you're hating your life trying it out or frustrated, then don't do it. Find your thing. I have a friend that is working towards weight loss surgery, she has to adjust her diet to what it will be like after the surgery (okay this wasn't a requirement per se, but its her approach), so she's cutting back on carbs and trying to make sure she's hitting a certain protein point. Is it working for her? Yes to an extent, she's been having a bit of a tougher time here lately but she will manage through. Am I do that same thing? Absolutely not, sorry, not sorry. I love my carbs and would fail trying to eliminate them. We have lost about the same amount of weight to this point as well, and we are still motivating one another (we do walking dates etc).
- Not a fan of exercise? Me either. But does help, in my opinion, to move a little more. Plus it just makes ya feel better ya know. Now I know I'm someone who would rather sit on the couch and binge 10 hours of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix, but I also now how sluggish and gross I feel after a day like that. So I have found things that help me enjoy moving more. Even if it's just 15 minutes. As lame as it sounds, I play Pokemon Go still when I go for walks. I go to parks where I know there's lots of stops to hit, gyms to battle, and pokemon to catch. This makes it feel much less like exercise. I also know I hate the thought of stepping foot in a gym, even one like Planet Fitness who is supposed to be judgment free. So I have a few video games I can use in the comfort of my own home, where the only ones judging me are my kids (who honestly are just jealous cause they wanna play
). Games I found that I enjoy: Beat Saber which sadly has been put on the back burner due to a tracking issue the PS4 version has been having since some recent updates, WiiFit, yes the classic. Yes I still have a Wii. Just Dance, this one I do let the kids join in on when I do play. More recently RingFit which kicks my *kitten*, but I get so determined to beat that damn giant roidrage dragon.
-Take progress pics and for gods sake MEASURE. I don't know why people are so obsessed with a number on scale. That number can, and trust me it will, fluctuate from one day to the next. If I hadn't measured myself I would be so discouraged right now. I have hit what most would call a "plateau", yet again. Fluctuating between 312-315, but instead of just throwing the towel in I remembered I had a waist measurement saved from when I started in late june/early july. So I measured my waist, cause something had to be going down. My clothes were fitting better, my back rolls seemed to be shrinking. Lo and behold, I was down half an inch from my waist alone. I do need to get around to getting some other measurements because I'm sure my hips are shrinking (my pants falling off my *kitten* are a good indication of that).
This is just based on my personal experiences.
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@brittanynicholex is the ring fit worth the money? We got a switch for xmas and have no idea what to do with it lol, I bought just dance 2020 today, that looks fun.0
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I view my disordered relationship with food medically. It's not hard for me to do, as I am already fructose intolerant and have IBS, which is very much affected by my diet. I already eat certain ways to make myself feel the best I can; this is simply a further version of it, and like those, it will be something I will have to do the rest of my life if I want to live my best life.
I really had to identify the things that would pull me off course. So although we have chips in the house, we only buy them in single serving bags. There's nothing that stops me from having two, but interestingly, I find these days I don't always finish the bag when I have a sandwich. I know I can't accurately portion from a larger bag, so I don't buy larger bags. I don't keep sweets out. If they're on the counter, they sing. If the cookies are wrapped into portions (two cookies is a rational portion. Three people is six cookies in a packet) and sitting in the freezer, they don't sing.
I also had to do a lot of work on myself. Food cannot hold you when you grieve. It cannot dry your tears when you are sad. It cannot hear you out when you're angry. It can't protect you when you're scared. It can't keep you awake when you're tired, or make you feel better when you hurt. I am learning to let food just do what it can; fuel my body, please my palate, and be a way that I say I care about myself and others.13 -
theleadmare wrote: »
I also had to do a lot of work on myself. Food cannot hold you when you grieve. It cannot dry your tears when you are sad. It cannot hear you out when you're angry. It can't protect you when you're scared. It can't keep you awake when you're tired, or make you feel better when you hurt. I am learning to let food just do what it can; fuel my body, please my palate, and be a way that I say I care about myself and others.
That is awesome, I'm totally borrowing that.
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I’d you don’t know what to do with their switch but Breath Of The Wild. It’s a great way to kill time while you’re waiting for your next meal time.0
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Has anyone have gone off high blood pressure medicine that contained HCTZ before?
HCTZ is a diuretic. On my PCP's advice I stopped taking my BP medicine because between weight loss (82 pounds!), a healthier diet, and exercise my blood pressure is doing great on it's own. Hooray!
I stopped taking the medicine on Saturday. Since that day, I've gained about 2 pounds a day. 8 pounds and counting. All while maintaining at least a 1000 calorie deficit and drinking at least 140 oz of water a day. I know its rebound water retention. Did any of you go through this and if so, how long did the rebound last? Did you eventually lose the extra water weight, or did it just become your new normal because your medicine wasn't artificially dehydrating you?
I'm monitoring my BP - it's doing great. 117/78 last night. I'm not showing signs of edema - its not an an urgent medical matter. But it is a medical curiosity. Your personal experience would be most welcome.3 -
Has anyone have gone off high blood pressure medicine that contained HCTZ before?
HCTZ is a diuretic. On my PCP's advice I stopped taking my BP medicine because between weight loss (82 pounds!), a healthier diet, and exercise my blood pressure is doing great on it's own. Hooray!
I stopped taking the medicine on Saturday. Since that day, I've gained about 2 pounds a day. 8 pounds and counting. All while maintaining at least a 1000 calorie deficit and drinking at least 140 oz of water a day. I know its rebound water retention. Did any of you go through this and if so, how long did the rebound last? Did you eventually lose the extra water weight, or did it just become your new normal because your medicine wasn't artificially dehydrating you?
I'm monitoring my BP - it's doing great. 117/78 last night. I'm not showing signs of edema - its not an an urgent medical matter. But it is a medical curiosity. Your personal experience would be most welcome.
I was on a 25mg dosage of HCTZ and was given a 12.5mg to allow me to taper off. I still have a prescription for it but I am not taking it now. I plan to only use it going forward if I bloat up 15+ pounds again.
@cheryldumais is, I believe, the one that told me when she came off it took her 2 months (or more) for her water weight to return to normal.
Mine is so screwy anyway I am not a real trustworthy source. I am up 9 pounds currently but that almost always happens when I start eating maintenance, which I have, and now I have new exercise in the mix that is making me sore. Basically my water is too muddy to be a guide.1 -
Has anyone have gone off high blood pressure medicine that contained HCTZ before?
HCTZ is a diuretic. On my PCP's advice I stopped taking my BP medicine because between weight loss (82 pounds!), a healthier diet, and exercise my blood pressure is doing great on it's own. Hooray!
I stopped taking the medicine on Saturday. Since that day, I've gained about 2 pounds a day. 8 pounds and counting. All while maintaining at least a 1000 calorie deficit and drinking at least 140 oz of water a day. I know its rebound water retention. Did any of you go through this and if so, how long did the rebound last? Did you eventually lose the extra water weight, or did it just become your new normal because your medicine wasn't artificially dehydrating you?
I'm monitoring my BP - it's doing great. 117/78 last night. I'm not showing signs of edema - its not an an urgent medical matter. But it is a medical curiosity. Your personal experience would be most welcome.
Oh and CONGRATS for coming off your med. That is fantastic. Keep watching that BP for awhile.
I came off Losartan and the 25mg of HCTZ end of November I think. My BP trend remains nice and low. I am still trying to remember to check mine once a week but it is easier when it was daily.2 -
Thanks for the reply @NovusDies. A whole month huh? I'll hang on tight then. The worst part was that I was just a pound away from moving from "Obese" to "overweight" on the BMI scale. I know that BMI is a load of baloney, but I was excited anyway for this arbitrary milestone. But that just means, more time to lose even more fat, right?1
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Thanks for the reply @NovusDies. A whole month huh? I'll hang on tight then. The worst part was that I was just a pound away from moving from "Obese" to "overweight" on the BMI scale. I know that BMI is a load of baloney, but I was excited anyway for this arbitrary milestone. But that just means, more time to lose even more fat, right?
That is funny. I was .2 pounds away from that very same milestone 10 days ago. Then my water weight shot back up and I think it will take at least a month for it to sort back out again.4 -
The weight loss gods must have felt that we had too much hubris and decided to teach us a little humility. 2
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The weight loss gods must have felt that we had too much hubris and decided to teach us a little humility.
Or they like to toy with us...
I am hoping to see the number relatively soon because I want to shop my insurance and it would be a stupid thing to do while still technically obese. I didn't care that much about it otherwise. Well I cared a little because last Saturday was my 2 year weight loss anniversary and it would have been nice to add that label to my achievements but it didn't happen so... moving on....1 -
I take a Losartan once a day and two verapamil for my blood pressure....my doctor took me completely off of the HCTZ that I was taking 25 mg 3 X a day because my blood pressure went down so much....I was very light headed and dizzy and now it is much better....the past week it has started again and I have an appt to see if I need meds lowered again....it takes your body a while to adjust....good luck2
