Men and women in their 40’s

trevnessittnatree

What helps you stay on track with your weight journey. What foods do you eat when you have a packed full day?
Stay blessed 😇
God Is Great!!!

dviolin1982

I'm almost 39, do I count?

My snacks are yogurt, rice cakes, string cheese, tea and 5% cream, and/or sometimes one thin oreo

I've lost 6 pounds in 25 days. 1650 cal goal. I started at 229. But this has worked before, it's just really hard to keep on track when you go into maintenance.

callsitlikeiseeit

whatever i have room in my calories for?

I've lost over 189 pounds.

right now I am having issues, so I will go by what is normal for me and not current.

typically i eat lunch and dinner. i eat the same things i always have. i pre log my food, sometimes just daily, sometimes i try to plan for the week, but that is always subject to change depending on my mood or schedule. we eat dinner out about once a week, usually the same evening as our chiropractor appointment because, well, we are out. usually mexican (i usually get taco salad, i dont eat the shell but i do eat plenty of chips and queso). sometimes chinese takeout (sesame chicken). sometimes another local restaurant (fish tacos or burger). those are pretty much our only choices. small town. we dont do fast food places. occasionally pizza, but im not a big pizza person. but we do it to toss a bone to my teenage son every couple of months lol

im not a big snacker, but when i do, fruits are most common, as well as the oikos triple zero greek yogurt. i like the boom chicka pop sweet and salty popcorn too. and oreos. i do love oreos. i generally save those for bedtime, though.

lunches vary. anything from a tuna wrap to taquitos or peanut butter. can also depend on what im having for dinner, as far as how many calories it is. if we are eating out, lunch might just be fruit or tuna wrap (i use low carb tortillas so my wraps come out super low calorie).

dinners... anything is game, pretty much. my husband needs to GAIN weight, so its all about portions for me. We eat a LOT of grilled chicken salad in the summer. We do BLT's a lot (I use my wraps and turkey bacon). that is what we are having tonight I think. Tomorrow we are having steak. in the winter i do more soups and stews and casseroles (if you dont know how to use the recipe builder and measure your portion out in grams, learn how to)

trevnessittnatree

Great job guys!!!
I usually eat High Protein meals.
I’m about 1500 calories to start before my deficit. I have lost 22lbs in a lil over a month. I am maintaining 182lbs my goal is to be around 171lbs but with some good lean muscle. That is going to be a process. I am trying to walk to 10-13% body fat. I currently eat almost the same things everyday.

trevnessittnatree

You guys all rock!!!

springlering62

trevnessittnatree wrote: »

Great job guys!!!
I usually eat High Protein meals.
I’m about 1500 calories to start before my deficit. I have lost 22lbs in a lil over a month. I am maintaining 182lbs my goal is to be around 171lbs but with some good lean muscle. That is going to be a process. I am trying to walk to 10-13% body fat. I currently eat almost the same things everyday.

On a cautionary note, 22 pounds loss in a month or so, that close to goal, can be dangerous to long term health.

Slow it down. A lot.

Don’t risk harming yourself long term for short term gains.

Said with much love and concern.

springlering62

That said, this morning was red velvet pancakes and coffee.

Lunch will be Progresso soup and a bag of prepared vegetables with leftover salsa to dip them in.

Dinner will be tiny roasted potatoes, carrots and green peppers, chicken breast rubbed with a khmeli suneli seasoning, green beans, and a side salad.

Snacks: pickles, beef jerky, fudge gluten free brownie from the local bakery, Nugo protein bar, fruit with cottage cheese, and pumpkin/yogurt pudding with whipped cream and sugar sprinkles. And my mandatory two chai lattes. No day is complete without those.

Today is one of those glorious days when the heavens converge and the calories never seem to run out. I’m on track to come in under goal, even before exercise.

tech_hunter

This is my millionth time starting tracking over and having to lose weight again. Thankfully not the entirety of what I was originally, but a significant enough amount that it makes me angry.

I have come to the conclusion that if I don't actually physically write it down or track it here, I will go hog wild. I am incapable of ever just walking away from watching myself like a hawk. I just need to realize this. It takes so little time, so it's not like a prison sentence, but I need to just suck it up and track every day, always.

callsitlikeiseeit

tech_hunter wrote: »

This is my millionth time starting tracking over and having to lose weight again. Thankfully not the entirety of what I was originally, but a significant enough amount that it makes me angry.

I have come to the conclusion that if I don't actually physically write it down or track it here, I will go hog wild. I am incapable of ever just walking away from watching myself like a hawk. I just need to realize this. It takes so little time, so it's not like a prison sentence, but I need to just suck it up and track every day, always.

i spent about 3-4 years in maintenance after losing 130ish pounds. If I workout regularly, 3-5 times a week, I can get away with not actually logging and just being VERY mindful about what I'm eating and stay in a 5 to 7 pound range that I am comfortable with.

If I am NOT working out, I have to actively weigh and log my food.

trevnessittnatree

I am eating my suggest calorie count for the day with having a caloric deficit. I am loosing my weight by walking 6-8 miles everyday.
Good morning to you all and keep up the great work!!

autumnblade75

Losing so quickly at such a low weight already is a great way to lose extra muscle! I bet you chose the sedentary activity level and chose 2 lbs per week as a weight loss goal. You are don't seem to be logging your exercise calories to eat them back - which increases your already steep deficit. It will take longer to rebuild that muscle than it would take to lose just the fat (well, everyone loses *some* muscle, but the goal is to minimize the muscle loss!) with a reasonable deficit.

You're also flirting with a whole other host of potential negative outcomes - hair loss, fatigue, drop in libido, gallbladder issues, right on up to heart failure! For what? To lose a bunch of extra muscle in only 2 weeks and still not be satisfied with your appearance? It's really not worth your health, even if the worst that happens is the extra muscle loss.

trevnessittnatree

Great advice, I do disagree with you on some points.
1. Yes loosing to much is bad if done wrong 😑
2. I just stated what I’ve been doing without specifics.
3. I do agree that there can be potential risks but done right is very beneficial. I am loosing weight but I’m also on a high protein diet and I resistance weight train. So gaining muscle not loosing muscle. Great points though.
4. Thanks for your concerns 😇👏
5. Everyone have a great day and be blessed!!!

autumnblade75

Sorry - forgot to post any snacks. Usually I eat a protein granola bar at 2am, first break at work. At 5, I get another break, and I eat 300g of fat-free vanilla Greek Yogurt with 100g frozen strawberries, 50g frozen blueberries, and I'm using up a bag of chia seeds I bought a while ago, so I throw about 10g of those in there... When I get home from work, I eat a package of poptarts, or microwave a plate of s'mores, or maybe eat a couple of servings of ice cream. On Tuesdays, it's always Tacos for dinner. Thursdays frequently see me eating a medium Domino's pizza. The whole thing. Any other day of the week, it's 1000 - 1500 calories worth of protein, starch and veg. The protein could be chicken, pork or steak, usually 10 - 16 oz weighed raw. We cycle through instant potatoes, pasta, or rice for the starch, generally 2 servings. And we split a 1 lb bag of frozen veggies. Fills the plate up nice. I aim for 2400 calories per day. I am 5'3" and 132 lbs.

autumnblade75

I am fairly well convinced that eating at a deficit of greater than 50% of your TDEE is the polar opposite of "doing it right" or "healthy." As a matter of fact, that's the level of nutrition fed to the subjects of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. But they didn't prioritize their protein intake, so I guess it's totally different.

At a requirement of 22 miles per week of walking, they were getting less exercise than your 6-8 miles per day, too.

Starvation.

trevnessittnatree

Thank you Autumnblade75!!
I appreciate your input.
Have a great day.

autumnblade75

Thanks for acknowledging. Good luck.

trevnessittnatree

Good luck 🍀 to you as well my friend.

KickassAmazon76

Wow... OP... I looked at your diary too. If you are truly logging everything you're eatiing, then your calorie content is downright alarming. Most days you don't hit 1000 calories in a day, and when you go over that, you're still lucky to hit 1500 (plus those are days when you log 300 cals of exercise).

If you're weight training AND walking 6-8 miles on top of that, your deficit is astronomical.

Few things to consider...
1) MFP builds in the deficit into your recommended calorie count. So you should be targeting to hit 0 calories left in the bank at the end of each day
2) If you are within 15 pounds of your weight goal, you should be targeting a 1/2lb per week loss
3) Any exercise performed goes over and above that calorie count, so if you exercise and burn an extra 500 calories, then you should EAT those extra 500 calories.
4) The physical impacts of a severe deficit (which you DO have, IF your diary is truly accurate), take months to accumulate, but once they start showing, it'll take a long time to stop them / reverse the impacts.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/calorie-restriction-risks#TOC_TITLE_HDR_4

Calorie-restricted diets may limit other nutrients too, including:

- Protein: Not eating enough protein-rich foods like meat, fish, dairy, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds may cause muscle loss, hair thinning and brittle nails (25).
- Calcium: Not eating enough calcium-rich foods like dairy, leafy greens, calcium-set tofu and fortified milks may reduce bone strength and increase the risk of fractures (26).
- Biotin and thiamine: A low intake of whole grains, legumes, eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds may limit your intake of these two B vitamins, potentially resulting in muscle weakness, hair loss and scaly skin (27, 28).
- Vitamin A: Not eating enough vitamin A-rich foods like organ meat, fish, dairy, leafy greens or orange-colored fruits and vegetables may weaken your immune system and lead to permanent eye damage (29).
- Magnesium: An insufficient intake of magnesium-rich whole grains, nuts and leafy greens may cause fatigue, migraines, muscle cramps and abnormal heart rhythms (30).

You look like a healthy and fit person right now... If anything, you could be sitting at maintenance and see significant changes in the form of recomp and muslce growth.

Please take some time to do some research on the impact of VLCDs, determine what your base calorie requirement is, and at the very least, eat to that level.

For what it's worth... I am 6'1", currently 190lbs. I lift heavy 4x a week for about an hour a week, and my base calories burn ranges from 2200 on an inert day, to 3200 on a day when I exceed 5 miles a day in steps.



Also... I'm turning 45 this October.

trevnessittnatree

Awesome!!!
Thank you all for caring and giving me advice!!!
I have not been logging all my meals correctly #lazy so thank you all who noticed especially autumblade75
I am here for suggestions and motivation.
Thank you guys 👏🍀
I do need to tone it down a little. I am a all or nothing kind of guy.

Thanks guys!

KickassAmazon76

trevnessittnatree wrote: »

Awesome!!!
Thank you all for caring and giving me advice!!!
I have not been logging all my meals correctly #lazy so thank you all who noticed especially autumblade75
I am here for suggestions and motivation.
Thank you guys 👏🍀
I do need to tone it down a little. I am a all or nothing kind of guy.

Thanks guys!

I get the all or nothing approach. It's served me well in a lot of areas. Sadly, when it comes to fitness and lifting, I've learned that it literally is all or nothing, in that if I give it my ALL, I end up getting injured / sick / hurt / etc and then find myself able to do NOTHING.

Finding that balance between driving forward and using moderation is a difficult lesson sometimes. I wish you all the best in it!

springlering62

I can sincerely say, when I dropped too low, it killed a year and a half of training. My trainer stayed on my *kitten* to eat more , told me I was too thin and losing muscle, and I didn’t listen- til she sent me a photo that I now think of as the Grandaddy Longlegs picture. Talk about scared straight.

Starting in January, I made an effort to put on some weight, and she broke me back down to basic beginning weights. I’m still building back up again, but this time I feel better and look less cadaverous.

We (me) can reach a mental state where it’s lose lose lose thin thin thin, I’ve been fat so long I’ll never possibly be “too,too”, and suddenly, we’ve way overshot the mark and are scrambling to backpedal.

I know it sounds laughable and implausible, but I’m living proof.

Don’t. Be. Me. Be smarter. 😘

springlering62

@trevnessittnatree

Please, do me a favor and read at least the first page of this thread.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10761904/under-1200-for-weight-loss/p1

springlering62

@trevnessittnatree

From a guy who sounds similar to you:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10812234/a-hospital-visit-couldn-t-explain-my-symptoms-but-i-can

I offer these threads to you out of concern, not trying to badger or belittle you. Just want you to be the healthiest, best you, honey. It’s a “mom thang”. 😘

callsitlikeiseeit

People simply do not realize truly how dangerous it is to not eat back some of those exercise calories if you are eating at a large or even moderate deficit (depending on how much you are exercising). You can look fine and feel fine and seem fine for a long time until one day, usually very suddenly... you are NOT. and once you reach that point, the recovery is often long and very hard, because far too much damage has been done by that point.