My weight loss journal
Replies
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Why has nobody noticed that he is undereating and losing 4-8 pounds/week without medical supervision? OP, this doesn't look good to me...10
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I was also concerned that those net calories consumed are way under what they need to be. @Get_Back_To_Feeling_Good, please be careful: what you are doing is not healthy. @AnnPT77 or @springlering62, might you share your cautionary tales?1
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You mean the part where I under-ate for a short time accidentally**, so got weak and fatigued, then it took weeks to recover? (** I wasn't trying to lose super fast: MFP underestimates my calorie needs, which is rare, but can happen.)
Or, at an extreme of consequences, the part where this nice young woman lost too fast and experienced heart failure?
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10761904/under-1200-for-weight-loss/p1
(1500 calories would be the equivalent calories for men.)
Fast loss is not a good plan for many reasons. Consequences can include hair loss, muscle loss, gall bladder problems, reduced immune function, extreme hunger snap-back down the road, mood disorders, food-related neuroses . . . .
Will those bad things happen for sure? No, but the odds of those consequences increase with fast loss. (As someone over 50 myself, I also think our physical resilience to stresses - like fast loss - is lower in later decades than it was when we were 20, so the risks are probably higher as we age, too.)
Fast loss is a fool's game. The smart game is sustainable - permanently sustainable - weight management, if you ask me: Finding a set of enjoyable habits that result in robust, thriving good health, rather than training one's body to limp along pathetically on punitively low calories.5 -
I was a 56 year old female, starting weight 222.
My starting calories, a number I basically pulled out of my *kitten* because I didn’t know what I was doing, was 1470. I was tired and my husband would say, extremely crabby.
On my very first visit to a RD, she upped me to 1700, and a couple months later to 1900.
You are a 54 year old male eating less than I did. Not to slam you, because I started in a fog of confusion probably same as you, but that’s not a good plan.
Slow it down a bit. I know it’s crazy tempting to try to do it all at once, especially when you’re seeing progress. I’ve been there. Success is an itch. You appear to have the burning desire that will ultimately make this process a success for you.
But you need to gift yourself the the time to learn new habits you can continue past reaching goal, learn what satiates you, learn the small tweaks to habits, break in new exercise habits.
You don’t want to harm your health along the way, nor do you want to reach goal, jam on the brakes and cry “woo hoo! I’m here! Back to normal.”
You need to take these first few weeks to create your new normal.
I would strongly recommend you visit a registered dietician. I only had three visits, but they were worth every penny, and she followed up several times via email. I went in with a list of questions and concerns. She had me up my calories twice, made great suggestions, and offers beau coups of information. My visits were only $25 a session through my gym. You may be able to get similar discounts through your employer, health insurance, gym, community center, “nurse line”, etc.
I’m still amazed at how little I knew about eating healthy. I’ve always been a “rip a bag open and stuff my face” kinda person. Learning to eat right has required focus and application and I still don’t have it right, but it’s a darn sight better than it used to be.
Read and participate in these boards. They have been a substantial component of my own loss.
Oh and btw, the fasting challenges? Honey, if I could reach through this phone and smack you upside the head, I’d do it. Just…….stop. There’s no need for extremes like that.
Don’t make this punishment. I’ve actually enjoyed the whole process because I’ve always allowed myself adequate food (I currently average 2500/day, but I’m very active), and made a game of making the numbers work.
Much success to you, and kudos for being a Go-Getter, and, if you’ll pardon me, not a whiner and excuse maker like so many here. You just need to channel your efforts. 😘6 -
Jeez, sorry. I do get preachy, but only because I want so badly to see folks succeed and I feel like you will!!!!!3
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Don't rush it, OP. Sometimes losing quickly seems like a win, but you might be losing just as much lean mass as fat. That's not good at all for your metabolism and it's really hard to get that back, especially as we age. Sure, it feels great to get to goal early, but if you're sacrificing your health and the remaining muscles you need to be focused on preserving as you age to do it, it's not actually that great. One of the leading predictors of frailty in old age is loss of muscle. Extreme weight loss is a big cause of muscle wasting. Love your attitude and motivation, I just worry you might be moving too fast...
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April starting weight -306
5/1 288
5/2 287
Just for you all know I had my first follow up doctors check last week with blood work and all is still going good. I go back in another month to get checked again, so thanks for all of the input but I'm trying to do this right. That is why my May goal stayed the same at the 280 mark.
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I also just started my weight loss journey. Feb. 4th, I weighed in at 308.9 lbs. I'm 5'11" and a 48 year old male.
I chose an ongoing program through my Doctor's office. They recommended a VLC diet, high in protein with exercise. The first 2 weeks consisted of 3 Celebrate protein shakes and 3 Celebrate protein bars. I also drink approximately 100 oz. of water. I logged 10-12,000 steps per day and lifted weights 2-3 times per week for 20-30 minutes. I lost a total of 18 pounds during the first 2 weeks.
The next 10 weeks, I replaced my dinner protein shake with 4-6 oz. of lean meat (usually fish) a serving of starch, and 2 servings of vegetables. I also replaced my morning protein bar with greek low fat yogurt or cottage cheese. With my extra energy, I upped my steps to 15-18,000 daily and maintained my weight lifting. I just completed 12 weeks of the program and have lost a total of 62.5 pounds. Yes, down to 246.4 lbs.
Every 2 weeks, I rotate between seeing a doctor who specializes in weight loss or seeing a dietician who works closely with the doctor. I have blood work done every 4 weeks. All blood work is normal, my sky high blood pressure is now back to normal, I had a body comp. test done after 12 weeks, and of the 62.5 pounds lost, over 50 lbs. was Fat, with only 6 lbs. of muscle lost and 6 lbs. of water lost.
I feel the best I've felt in years. At no point was I told I was losing weight too fast. At no point I was told my weight loss success was unhealthy.
Keep up the good work3 -
anderson46628 wrote: »I also just started my weight loss journey. Feb. 4th, I weighed in at 308.9 lbs. I'm 5'11" and a 48 year old male.
I chose an ongoing program through my Doctor's office. They recommended a VLC diet, high in protein with exercise. The first 2 weeks consisted of 3 Celebrate protein shakes and 3 Celebrate protein bars. I also drink approximately 100 oz. of water. I logged 10-12,000 steps per day and lifted weights 2-3 times per week for 20-30 minutes. I lost a total of 18 pounds during the first 2 weeks.
The next 10 weeks, I replaced my dinner protein shake with 4-6 oz. of lean meat (usually fish) a serving of starch, and 2 servings of vegetables. I also replaced my morning protein bar with greek low fat yogurt or cottage cheese. With my extra energy, I upped my steps to 15-18,000 daily and maintained my weight lifting. I just completed 12 weeks of the program and have lost a total of 62.5 pounds. Yes, down to 246.4 lbs.
Every 2 weeks, I rotate between seeing a doctor who specializes in weight loss or seeing a dietician who works closely with the doctor. I have blood work done every 4 weeks. All blood work is normal, my sky high blood pressure is now back to normal, I had a body comp. test done after 12 weeks, and of the 62.5 pounds lost, over 50 lbs. was Fat, with only 6 lbs. of muscle lost and 6 lbs. of water lost.
I feel the best I've felt in years. At no point was I told I was losing weight too fast. At no point I was told my weight loss success was unhealthy.
Keep up the good work
It's crucial and meaningful that while losing fast, you were under close medical supervision, including regular blood tests. Losing weight fast creates health risks: That's the point some of us are trying to make with the OP. You took significant steps to manage and mitigate those risks. That's a better plan.4 -
April starting weight -306
5/1 288
5/2 287
5/3 2871 -
April starting weight -306
5/1 288
5/2 287
5/3 287
5/4 286 over 16000 steps yesterday I love the new energy I'm getting5 -
Earlier in this post someone mentioned about weighing everyday. I also weigh myself every morning. I can't wait to see if I have either lost weight or need to work more diligently for the new day. I use to wake up thinking and obsessing about what I was going to eat. I now focus on smaller clothes, meal planning, being more active. I welcome the scale as a "tool" in my new lifestyle goals.5
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FABRICWOMAN wrote: »Earlier in this post someone mentioned about weighing everyday. I also weigh myself every morning. I can't wait to see if I have either lost weight or need to work more diligently for the new day. I use to wake up thinking and obsessing about what I was going to eat. I now focus on smaller clothes, meal planning, being more active. I welcome the scale as a "tool" in my new lifestyle goals.
Agree 100% you just can’t get discouraged at what you see and keep moving forward.1 -
April starting weight -306
5/1 288
5/2 287
5/3 287
5/4 286 over 16000 steps yesterday I love the new energy I'm getting
5/5 285
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April starting weight -306
5/1 288
5/2 287
5/3 287
5/4 286 over 16000 steps yesterday I love the new energy I'm getting
5/5 285
5/7 2851 -
April starting weight - 306
May Starting Weight - 288 (May Goal 280)
5/1 - 288
5/2 - 288
5/3 - 287
5/4 - 286 Hit over 16000 steps yesterday I also agree the weather helps so much.
5/5 - 285
5/6 - 285
5/7 - 285 Hit 13000 steps last 3 days still happy with how everything is going.
5/8 - 284
5/9 - 284 Another 16000 step day1 -
Can someone tell me what the World's Best Calorie Tracker Gadget is? Something that will integrate with My Fitness Pal. I'm struggling to count calories !0
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Can someone tell me what the World's Best Calorie Tracker Gadget is? Something that will integrate with My Fitness Pal. I'm struggling to count calories !
MFP is the best that I have found but I try and estimate the best I can and add anything I can to the meal including any condiments like butter, myo, dressing and so on. It takes time but look at your numbers for your trends then adjust your calorie intake up or down from there to meet you intended result. Also make sure you add anything you drink and I think diet 0 calorie sodas hurt somehow not sure why,
I do not at this point want to use a scale to weigh everything, (to extream for me) plus one is not always available. But you estimate the same all of the time your numbers should be close to the same of to high or to low the adjust accordingly. I hope this helps if you come up with a better method let me know.1 -
Not sure if this is a trend my body does but 3rd time a 1 pound jump up. The first 2 times I went down after 3 days of that extra pound before another swing down only time will tell. I don't really see anything in exercise or calorie intake to explain it.
I not complaining doctor is happy with results so far go back again tomorrow for another test and the in couple of weeks for blood tests again.
The test I have been having are for the heart had issues in the past with skipping beats here and there, but before I stated this weight loss journey it was happing more often and want to make sure I do this safely.
4/2-306
4/6- 304
4/8- 299
4/9-301
4/10- 301
4/11- 299
4/12- 299
4/13- 298
4/14- 297
4/15- 296
4/16- 297
4/17- 297
4/19- 297
4/20- 296
4/21- 294
4/22- 293
4/23 - 292
4/24 - 290
4/25 - 290
4/26 - 290
4/27 - 289
4/28 - 287
4/29 - 287
4/30 - 288
5/1 - 288
5/2 - 288
5/3 - 287
5/4 - 286
5/5 - 285
5/6 - 285
5/7 - 285
5/8 - 284
5/9 - 284
5/10 - 2851 -
April starting weight - 306
May Starting Weight - 288 (May Goal 280)
5/1 - 288
5/2 - 288
5/3 - 287
5/4 - 286 Hit over 16000 steps yesterday I also agree the weather helps so much.
5/5 - 285
5/6 - 285
5/7 - 285 Hit 13000 steps last 3 days still happy with how everything is going.
5/8 - 284
5/9 - 284 Another 16000 step day
5/9 - 284
5/10 - 285
5/11 - 2852 -
You are to be commended. Keep up the good work. Before you know it December will be here, and you'll look back at the beginning of 2021 and wonder how far you have come. It will be here before you know it. 4
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FABRICWOMAN wrote: »You are to be commended. Keep up the good work. Before you know it December will be here, and you'll look back at the beginning of 2021 and wonder how far you have come. It will be here before you know it.
Thanks I look forward to that day!!
April starting weight - 306
May Starting Weight - 288 (May Goal 280)
5/1 - 288
5/2 - 288
5/3 - 287
5/4 - 286 Hit over 16000 steps yesterday I also agree the weather helps so much.
5/5 - 285
5/6 - 285
5/7 - 285 Hit 13000 steps last 3 days still happy with how everything is going.
5/8 - 284
5/9 - 284 Another 16000 step day
5/9 - 284
5/10 - 285
5/11 - 285
5/12 - 285
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Wasn't able to workout the whole month of April due to a knee injury. Started back in the gym May 2nd @ 193lbs. My short term goal this month is to lose 5lbs. I'll be back in June with my monthly update 1
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What is your food plan, Kevin? I see you are active in walking, I'd be interested to know what you're eating... We have a similar H/W size. Thanks! - Todd
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Thanks I look forward to that day!!
April starting weight - 306
May Starting Weight - 288 (May Goal 280)
5/1 - 288
5/2 - 288
5/3 - 287
5/4 - 286 Hit over 16000 steps yesterday I also agree the weather helps so much.
5/5 - 285
5/6 - 285
5/7 - 285 Hit 13000 steps last 3 days still happy with how everything is going.
5/8 - 284
5/9 - 284 Another 16000 step day
5/9 - 284
5/10 - 285
5/11 - 285
5/12 - 285
5/16 * 2850 -
What is your food plan, Kevin? I see you are active in walking, I'd be interested to know what you're eating... We have a similar H/W size. Thanks! - Todd
Not sure if your asking me but here you go.
I was tired of not feeling good and did not like the number on the scale so talked with my doctor about it. He told me to first cut back on the wasted calories in my diet and try and stay below 2000 calories for the day and see how this works for me. Also has been sending me for tests on the heart and doing blood work to see it is deficient in anything because of diet. Next steps is to give it a few months and see if everything is going good or is a dietitians and nutritionists needed to help with the process. It is always a good idea to keep your doctor in the loop on what you are trying to do to make sure it is safe.
I'm trying to have a better balanced then what I did before I started. Still not the greatest but have been eating a lot more fruits and vegetables along with trying to stay below 2000 for the day. But I was use to eating and drinking a big part of my intake for the week so it is sometimes hard to keep up to that 1800 to 2000 mark. The food intake has not changed that much from before I started most of the calorie drop has been no or a lot less chips, ice cream, beer or mixed drinks most of the time . But I soon realized that it is hard to just quick the chips cold turkey so some of the bad habits still happen but to a lot smaller degree. Maybe someday a will not need them or pizza anymore. 3 -
Sounds like you are doing fine. You can still have your pizza, just in moderation and fitting it into your MFP daily goals for eating. Continued best wishes on your weight loss journey.2
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Thanks I look forward to that day!!
April starting weight - 306
May Starting Weight - 288 (May Goal 280)
5/1 - 288
5/2 - 288
5/3 - 287
5/4 - 286 Hit over 16000 steps yesterday I also agree the weather helps so much.
5/5 - 285
5/6 - 285
5/7 - 285 Hit 13000 steps last 3 days still happy with how everything is going.
5/8 - 284
5/9 - 284 Another 16000 step day
5/9 - 284
5/10 - 285
5/11 - 285
5/12 - 285
5/13 - 285
5/14 - 285 Still getting my steps and water in nothing else has changes, should start shedding some more any time soon. Not worried but 10 days and still counting have to love this journey it seemed a lot easier on the way up over the way back down.2 -
April starting weight - 306
May Starting Weight - 288 (May Goal 280)
5/1 - 288
5/2 - 288
5/3 - 287
5/4 - 286 Hit over 16000 steps yesterday I also agree the weather helps so much.
5/5 - 285
5/6 - 285
5/7 - 285 Hit 13000 steps last 3 days still happy with how everything is going.
5/8 - 284
5/9 - 284 Another 16000 step day
5/9 - 284
5/10 - 285
5/11 - 285
5/12 - 285
5/13 - 285
5/14 - 285
5/15 - 284 Another 16000 step day and got back to 284 I better start walking more!1 -
Keep going. I am 6ft as well and I was 300 lbs in Oct last year. I am 216 lbs as of today and I feel a million times better. Whatever you are going through, it will be worth it. Infact, you will already start feeling incredible around the 250s3
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