Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

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  • MelodiousMermaid
    MelodiousMermaid Posts: 380 Member
    edited December 2019
    Saturday check-in
    (Better late than never?)

    Well, my trend line is slowing to a crawl, and my 7-day rolling average has, for the first time since starting to track in September, stalled and even gone up. My weekly weigh-in has me up a total of 0.7 pounds, so considering the sheer volume of food, combined with the re-introduction of a fair amount of carbs (I've been over 200 grams all but one day), I'd say that's pretty decent. It should be a pretty good drop over the next week or so as I get back into things.

    Re: Diet break

    This maintenance trial has not been what I anticipated. Starting with the refeed. I've learned that if I want my muscles to really bounce back in the future, I'm going to have to overfeed carbs, probably in the neighborhood of 3-6 grams per lean mass pound. It was a bit of a trial getting through everything I'd planned the way it was, so a bit frustrating to not get the relief/strength I was expecting. There is, of course, the chance that the depression is causing some or all of the out-of-gas feeling too (after refeeding), which unfortunately is not something I can solve with food (and all the more frustrating because of it). I've also been sleeping more poorly and struggling with wakefulness during the day, even as I've been in maintenance this week, so that probably doesn't help.

    Due to various family events, I had to make major estimates nearly every day of the refeed. My anxiety was through the roof. If my estimates are correct, I also failed to keep it close to maintenance, and erased the deficit (about 2,000 calories) I created on Monday by the end of yesterday, which was in itself an overage of 1,200 calories.

    All told, though, it was not devastatingly terrible. Again, pending my estimates are correct, it would have been a "net zero" week, which I guess is maintenance at its heart.

    The other side of the coin of disappointment with this trial was my trouble complying with what I'd wanted myself to do for exercise for the week. I just did not have the "get up and go" to do much of anything. Strength training did happen, as I do not want to lose the gains I've made in that department, but other than that, the only reason I met gold #3 was because I did the time on Monday. I took a fail on baseline #2, which was not planned. I just couldn't force myself to get it done since A: I wasn't leaving the house to do stuff (usually take the kiddo to school, but she's on break), and B: even though I do think I'll pursue indoor rowing when I get to the point where I'm training and fueling for just fitness/recomp, right now it just doesn't feel like it's worth it if I'm not getting a deficit.

    Re: Moving forward

    I honestly have really mixed feelings about how to proceed with both exercise and intake. I've been at a pretty high level of apathy about pretty well everything lately (intake, exercise, other... everything). It's kind of like being "late cycle" all the time. It's been simpler to deal with when in deficit, though, because at least that is more defined. Thus, returning to a deficit is a certainty. What I have been waffling over for the last few days is what it's going to look like. Part of me just wants to go super strict on intake and say screw the exercise/training, beyond the very basics of what's required to retain lean mass. Then I think about how LONG this is going to drag out if I don't do more to increase the deficit. I'm not enjoying things either way, so what I think I will be doing will be similar to what I did before this break, since the lower intensity exercise gave me enough white noise in my mind to keep moving. But it will need to change so I don't go off the deep end in the other way (literally spending all day doing exercises of one variety or another).

    My current plan: I have pre-logged my intake through Friday based on the new foundational macros I'd mentioned in the past. The primary difference between what I'm doing going forward and what I did before this break will be a daily deficit limit. For instance, there was one day before break where I had a daily deficit of over 3,500. I'm going to start with a cap of 2,900. The biggest difference for me in this is that if I exercise enough to go over, I am now going to commit to eating any overages. I honestly find that to be a pain when I'm in loss mode, so that should keep me from getting too crazy about exercise.

    I'm going to apply the same principle with rest days. If I meet my intake baseline, practice an instrument and walk two miles or less, that would leave me with around 1,000-1,100 kcal deficit (based on current weight). By capping my deficit on those days, I will be much less inclined to do more, and thus give my body some rest.

    A quick refresher on my general plan for those interested/concerned:

    I'm looking at each day as having all maintenance calories available for use, but plan (and most of the time adhere) close to a foundational level, where essential nutrients are obtained, so that anything beyond is extra. My primary focus is to retain my lean mass and maximize fat loss (where possible, bearing in mind that I know I'll be losing some lean mass where it supports my fat stores, and I of course also hope to lose excess skin to some extent eventually). I implement this through foundational intake planning, complemented by strength training and LISS (low intensity steady state cardio).

    Also, for those interested, I am currently using Leangains (modified to lower carb levels) to plan macros. This is a targeted ketogenic diet. After considering different ways of eating, this is the structure I believe will allow me the best chance of continued/long-term success when I get to a maintenance/recomp stage at the "end" of the primary fat loss focus.

    I will be adjusting all deficit/calorie-based goals each week based on my progress in weight, with major changes occurring around the shifts from being a category 3 dieter to category 2 and again at the shift to category 1.

    My revamped plan:

    Current "foundational macros":

    Protein:
    All days: >=130 grams/day

    Carbs:
    Rest days: 40-50 grams/day
    Training: >=150 grams/day (will be timed around/during training for the most part)

    Fat:
    Rest days: >=45 grams/day
    Training: 15-25 grams/day (will be mostly EFA (essential fatty acid) supplementation)

    Commitments:

    1) Intake: >1,105 calories/day
    2) Exercise: >=30 minutes, 6 days/week
    3) Deficit: <2,900 kcal/day
    4) Rest day(s): >=1/week (<1,000 kcal deficit)

    Goals:

    1) Strength training: 2-3 days/week
    2) Indoor rowing (**with good form**): >=30 min, 3 days/week
    3) Musical instrument practice: >=30 min, 6 days/week

    My Stats:

    5'1" Female
    Restarting weight: 252
    MFP restart weight: 242.7
    Original goal: 140 pounds
    Current goal: 21.5% body fat (currently estimated at 140 lbs).

    2019/09/14: 240.7
    2019/09/21: 238.8
    2019/09/28: 234.6
    2019/10/05: 230.8
    2019/10/12: 231.0
    2019/10/19: 226.9
    2019/10/26: 223.8
    2019/11/01: 219.6
    2019/11/09: 215.6
    2019/11/16: 212.7
    2019/11/23: 209.2
    2019/11/30: 203.9
    2019/12/07: 201.3
    2019/12/17: 199.7
    2019/12/21: 196.7
    2019/12/28: 197.3

    @sweeetypie1 : Thank you. I finally am *feeling* like I'm making decent progress (I know I've been making good progress, but something about getting that "1" in front adds some sort of weird psychological validation).

    Edited to remove unintentional smiley.
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    It is 2020 let us all have the best year we can.
    Wondering in anyone has cooked shrimp or salmon in an old school crockpot. I’m looking for healthier protein options but don’t really like chicken and hate turkey.
  • MelodiousMermaid
    MelodiousMermaid Posts: 380 Member
    @mnwalkingqueen I have done a fair bit of crockpot cooking, but have not cooked fish with one as of yet. If you try it/find advice elsewhere, could you check back in here? I'd be curious to see how it goes.

    Do you like skipjack (canned "light tuna") or plain, fat-free Greek yogurt (on its own or as an alternative for sour cream and such)? Those appear in my menu with some regularity. I also usually have lean/very lean red meat a couple times a week. I used to focus on egg whites as a regular source, but honestly have given up the ghost on that, as I have come to very much dislike them. I did find this week, though, that I can sneak a whole egg in here or there with no issue on my new macros, and even had a blend of two whole eggs and two egg whites in a scramble the other night which wasn't too bad.

    I also plan to start playing around with beans in the near future, for training days. A bit too much carb to have in anything more than an accent quantity on a tighter carb budget.


    2020. I'm hoping this year will see me to my goal bodyfat percentage. I should get pretty darn close, even if I don't make it.

    The year isn't starting off as well as I'd like. Sleep remains a terrible struggle, with the biggest troublemaker lately being pain/discomfort/numbness in my hands (especially ring fingers). I'm troubleshooting this by trying different sleep positions and reducing rowing, as those are the two major things I can think of.

    The sleep trouble, combining with whatever else (probably a depression flare up), is creating a proverbial wall for me. I've had to dial back from before and from my plan I'd ironed out last weekend. It's hard, because I know I could just throw more slow walking in, but I'm all but certain that will exacerbate the foot stuff again, so I'm sticking with up to three miles at a time. I've increased my instrument practicing, in hopes that the MFP estimates are close to right, and at least I'd be getting something.

    On days where I'm doing significant activity, but not strength training, I am making up a bit of the difference by going "in between" macro sets on fat/carbs, keeping the majority of carb intake around whatever activity I do. I am keeping to eating above the minimum floor I set though. I will admit it is nice to get more flavors and variety with the higher level that I'm trying to adhere to.

    Not all is lost, though. I did planning for each day through Friday and meal prep for two meals/day up through Friday last Sunday, and that has proven to be incredibly helpful in keeping going on the intake front. This is enabling me to stay on the deficit train and have less anxiety about my days during the week (time management). So there is that.

    We'll see how things progress. Perhaps part of it is hormonal timing. Perhaps not. I guess it's good for me to learn how to deal with it either way, so I can manage going forward. It'd be good to not have to deal with another major upswing in the future.
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    @melediousMermaid- I do like tuna. Never had plain yogurt before just flavored. lean beef like 97/3 ground beef? If I have beef it is usually in restaurant. I hope your sleep gets better and numbness goes away.

    Thursday Truth:
    May 2019 255lbs (down from 270)
    Jan 2020 back at 270
    I know how I got back to 270 it was eating out constantly along with about 7 dozen Christmas cookies.
    I am starting back slowly today I ate at home all day no going out.
  • MelodiousMermaid
    MelodiousMermaid Posts: 380 Member
    @mnwalkingqueen Fat-free plain Greek yogurt is the thing that's made this whole thing work for me, if I'm honest. I use it to make dips/sauces/salad dressing, add "sour cream" flavor effect, as a base with frozen wild blueberries for a light meal, as a base for chicken/tuna salads, with my curry-inspired chicken, to make "protein bomb" pudding-like yogurt with my shake protein, I think it's in the protein pancake recipe too... so many uses.

    I wish someone would've introduced me to this a LONG, long time ago. What's made it even more doable is getting it at Aldi's, as they are more reasonable for this than the other local grocery stores. Well, I didn't check Walmart/Target, but I do my best to avoid places like those...

    Anyway, I recommend giving it a try in a few different ways. It is a bit on the tart end for use on its own, and even with the blueberries it's still pretty tart, but I've found I've adjusted to it well enough. I'd probably add a small bit of brown sugar or maybe a small touch of honey if I was having fresh strawberries with it.

    OK, off the yogurt podium... Yes, 96/4 or 97/3 is where I was at for ground beef, though you do lose a bit of flavor by going that lean. I've backed off to 93/7 now on my new macros. If I'm eating out, I try to generally go with a leaner cut of beef (I like sirloin tips/steak), but it also depends on how they cook it. At one of the restaurants my extended family likes, it's flame grilled without anything added, so no worries there, but another one adds butter usually, so I need to make a special request on that order. I do have to say a good herbed butter and garlic really adds to the meat, but that's something I plan to leave for maintenance. For now, I make due with a bit of peppercorn (freshly ground where possible) and garlic (garlic salt if I'm out with the family).

    Seafood with a good bit of those healthy fats are a great way to get flavor. Lots of options there. Somewhere in the wilds of MFP there's a protein spreadsheet that shows food macros based on 100g for a bunch of common, whole foods. I'll see if I can track it down by my post on Saturday. It was helpful to me back when I was originally starting, seeing what I might like for the different food groups. Might have to poke at it again to see what I can change up in my menu to keep things interesting.

    Kudos to you on not going out to eat today. It is such a terribly hard habit to break. Shoot, I can't even say I've broken the habit -- I'd need a few solid maintenance/recomp months in to evaluate where I'm really at with that. I will say that I find macros much easier to hit at home.
  • sweeetypie1
    sweeetypie1 Posts: 122 Member
    edited January 2020
    I ended the year catching the flu. Last night I finally was able to sleep. I did enjoy the holidays and goodies but back to a little more discipline. Weight didn't change so that is good. Trying to make this the year I lose a significant amount of weight.

    Height: 5'7"
    Highest Weight: 264
    Current Weight: 249.1
    Goal Weight: 10 pounds at a time, so this first goal is 239

    1.3.2020 - 249.1
  • MelodiousMermaid
    MelodiousMermaid Posts: 380 Member
    Saturday Check-in

    Well, this first week back in deficit did not go to plan, but it has been reasonably OK, all things considered.

    I ended up missing my exercise commitment. There were two days in the last week where I only practiced. However, I did meet all other commitments and goals. I am giving myself today and tomorrow off for exercise (due to below issues), but intend for this to be an exception, rather than a change to the baseline.

    I'm giving myself a new goal going forward. Caloric deficit at least 6 days a week. I probably won't have an issue meeting this, but feel I need it for accountability due to the worsening of the mental swamp. I'm taking today as a (likely) maintenance day, for instance, so if there is either a caloric surplus, or if I'm less than 50 calories under MFP's total daily calculation, that would not qualify for a deficit day by my intent. I think this will be a good way to think of this in the long-run anyway, as I will need to get my deficits pretty small when I get closer to goal.

    The sleep issues have not improved, and that combined with hormones and mental issues have recreated that "out of gas" feeling, even when I'm fueling at the right macros to be doing training. I've gotten through the week, but only just. The crave monster is much stronger again this month as well. It's amazing how much difference sleep makes.

    The scale has slowly declined over the week as I've transitioned back into deficit, with a larger drop this morning. It's now almost at the lowest weight recorded on this current WLJ, which was 194.0 on 12/23. I did estimate that to be a high weigh-in considering workouts I'd been doing, but I'm trying to reframe my thinking to accept this as "the" number, because what I'd been doing before did not allow me to have glycogen stores in my muscles/liver (effective-keto-level macros + heavy strength training = depletion). I'm not sure if I can make it work, but I want to try to allow the muscles to have some fuel stores as I move forward. Rolling 7-day average finally peaked on Thursday and started back downward yesterday. The trend line never completely stalled, but it was pretty slow until this last couple of days, where it picked up the pace again.

    I'm going to continue tweaking macros and timing to see if I can find an "optimal deficit setup" for myself. On strength training days, I plan to time my intake of most of the carbs to be a 5-hour refeed. This will be at a low-ish level, considering that I am only aiming for 1.5 grams/LBM lb for now.

    I'd been doing more carb-y stuff around other exercise this last week to see if it'd make much difference, but it wasn't. Based on these results, I'm going to revert to more of a rest-day structure for non-strength training days, attempting to focus primarily on higher fats and protein if I feel I need to eat more than foundational level.

    I am also going to try a stronger refeed this coming Wednesday to see how it affects how I'm feeling/operating (>=3 grams/LBM lb). I really don't want to go that high yet if I can manage, but if it makes a major positive difference for me, I will consider bringing it in 1-2x/week, possibly as a permanent bump to training day carb macros. I am honestly hoping to hold off on that level until I reach category 2 dieting, estimated to being around 170 lbs, as the kcal budget for keeping my protein levels as well as going that high for carbs puts me above sedentary maintenance for intake (though might still be a small deficit depending on what else I do those days).


    [TL/DR]

    Long story short, I'm still having issues, and will need to keep learning about how to function within my limitations and training program. It'll be a bit of an experiment, and I will need to get used to the possibility of more weight swings.

    In other news, I joined the 52 pounds in 52 weeks challenge this week. I think it's a reasonable/realistic goal based on where I was at on 1/1 (197.1). Of course, my real hope is to lose more on the front end, then adjust to slow deficit phase at category 1 (currently thinking 1/2 pound/week), then figure out a maintenance/recomp routine by the year's end. Probably doable.

    Ideally:
    3+ lb/wk current to 35% BF = <=9 weeks
    2+ lb/wk 35% to 25% BF = <=12.5 weeks
    0.5 lb/wk 25% to 21.5% BF = 10 weeks

    31.5 weeks to maintenance/recomp focus (August 8th)

    Easier:
    2 lb/wk current to 35% BF = <= 13.5 weeks
    1 lb/wk 35% to 25% BF = <= 25 weeks
    0.5 lb/wk 25% to 21.5% BF = 10 weeks

    48.5 weeks to maintenance/recomp focus (December 5th)

    I'm guessing it will likely land in between. We'll see how it goes. It'd be nice to phase to maintenance/recomp focus before Thanksgiving.


    My plan:

    Current "foundational macros":

    Protein:
    All days: >=130 grams/day

    Carbs:
    Rest days: 40-50 grams/day
    Training: >=150 grams/day (will be timed around/during training for the most part)

    Fat:
    Rest days: >=45 grams/day
    Training: 15-25 grams/day (will be mostly EFA (essential fatty acid) supplementation)

    Commitments:

    1) Intake: >1,105 kcal/day
    2) Exercise: >=30 minutes, 6 days/week (for this coming week (through 1/10) only, I will call 5 days a success)
    3) Deficit: <2,900 kcal/day
    4) Rest day(s): >=1/week (<1,100 kcal deficit)

    Goals:

    1) Strength training: 2-3 days/week
    2) Indoor rowing (**with good form**): >=30 min, 3 days/week
    3) Musical instrument practice: >=30 min, 6 days/week
    4) Caloric deficit: >=6 days/week

    My Stats:

    5'1" Female
    Restarting weight: 252
    MFP restart weight: 242.7
    Original goal: 140 lbs
    Current goal: 21.5% body fat (currently estimated at 140 lbs). Aiming to be at this point by 2020/12/05.

    2019/09/14: 240.7
    2019/09/21: 238.8
    2019/09/28: 234.6
    2019/10/05: 230.8
    2019/10/12: 231.0
    2019/10/19: 226.9
    2019/10/26: 223.8
    2019/11/01: 219.6
    2019/11/09: 215.6
    2019/11/16: 212.7
    2019/11/23: 209.2
    2019/11/30: 203.9
    2019/12/07: 201.3
    2019/12/17: 199.7
    2019/12/21: 196.7
    2019/12/28: 197.3 (Planned maintenance break)
    2020/01/04: 194.7
  • skinnyjeanzbound
    skinnyjeanzbound Posts: 3,932 Member
    Hey guys! Happy New Year!!

    Can't believe my last post was all the way back in November. I don't have any grand excuse--other than the usual "life got busy." I pretty much completely fell off the keto wagon over the holidays and gained back what I lost in the Fall. However, I'm back at it as of today, so my hope is that at least a few pounds are just water bloat and will come off quickly (fingers crossed!!).

    The big news in my life is that my husband and I made the decision to sell our home and move into something slightly bigger. We have wavered back and forth about whether to stay and pay it off or move. Our house is tiny with no garage and only one bathroom, so we were thinking about having a garage built in 2020, but upon further discussion, we decided to just go for it and buy something that already has a garage, second bath, and a bit more square footage. Needless to say, I've been busy clearing out some of the clutter and deep cleaning some spaces in preparation for listing our home. It's exciting, but also a bit daunting.

    Today we started back to school, so I'll have a lot of grading leading into final exams next week.

    Hope everyone is doing well. :)

    Name: Karen
    Age: 50
    Height: 5’7"
    Highest Weight: 247
    Current Weight: 196 (7/6/19)

    8/31/19 = 194
    9/7/19 = 196
    9/14/19 = 196
    9/22/19 = 196
    9/28/19 = 195
    10/4/19 = 196
    10/12/19 = 196
    10/19/19 = 194
    10/26/19 = 192
    11/2/19 = 191
    11/9/19 = 191
    11/16/19 = 191
    11/23/19 = no weigh in (out of town)
    11/30/19 = 191
    1/4/20 = 196
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    @ MelodiousMermaid- Thanks for the greek yogurt tip. I don’t use a lot of dip or sauces but good to know that info. You always have great plan and goals in place impressed. Hope your sleep issue gets better.
    @Sweeetypie1- hope you feel better soon.
    @Karen- big change to come super exciting.

    Tuesday Goals:
    I am eating at home more and starting to do meal planning to make sure it stays that way. Still haven’t been to the gym but planning to get there this week. I am learning to make a few new receipes this week started with banana choc chip muffin.
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    Happy Friday!! I am looking up healthy receipes to try. I bought lots of veggies, fish, yogurt and eggs this week. I cooked at home all 3 meals 4 days so far which big accomplishment. I walked outside 2 times this week for 45 mins each.
  • dustyspal
    dustyspal Posts: 835 Member
    Happy Friday!! I am looking up healthy receipes to try. I bought lots of veggies, fish, yogurt and eggs this week. I cooked at home all 3 meals 4 days so far which big accomplishment. I walked outside 2 times this week for 45 mins each.

    Great job! Way to stick to your plan.
  • MelodiousMermaid
    MelodiousMermaid Posts: 380 Member
    Saturday Check-in

    This week went somewhat better overall, but there are some definite hurdles I have to dodge as I go forward. I'm not sure of what they all mean for me either.

    I missed my rowing and practice goals. Practicing was due to a very busy week out of the home and just being out of gas by the time I'm able to think about it. And, if I'm honest, not much of anything for motivation. I will need to push through that in the coming week.

    Rowing, on the other hand, has had to take a back seat somewhat due to this issue that's also been interfering with my sleep. I have yet to have an official diagnosis, but I've got some sort of interference going on with my ulnar nerve (possibly cubital tunnel, and possibly a bit of interference at the shoulder too), and this is what's causing my increased sleeping troubles as of late, as well as various issues through the day. I find that rowing for any extended period exacerbates things, so I'm now going to stick to a short row, just to keep things going in my mind with form.

    They say knowing is half the battle. I agree. I altered my sleeping position according to this being the issue, and had pretty decent success in reducing the discomfort and pain. I found some physical therapy stretches online and will be following through with them. I plan to give it about a week or two to see if I've got a good handle on the situation, and pursue formal diagnosis and treatment from there if I must. Trying to avoid the expenses, but I do understand that it's something I need to get under control to avoid permanent damage, so will take the plunge if need be.

    Losing rowing really threw me for a loop on the exercise plan I had in mind. However, I am finding that as long as I'm not pushing myself to go fast, and I take breaks when needed, I am tolerating walking well enough to get a good amount of movement in and get some burn. It's not near where I wanted to ideally be to power through the pounds faster, but it is what it is.

    Motivation's been pretty well non-existent, but at least having the kiddo back in school is getting me into the gym consistently. I really have no excuse to avoid stopping there after dropping her off, as it's so close to her school. I am preplanning the menu and prepping meals as needed to make sure I'm able to get out the door in the mornings. This morning she wants to do accessory work, so that will get me back there for at least that. And two miles of walking, as it's this week's daily "physical challenge" in a thing I joined at the gym in hopes that it will add more accountability and keep me from stalling out from all this stuff going on physically and mentally.

    The program is meant to help people adjust to a more fitness-oriented lifestyle with a secondary focus on nutrition. I'm not going to get much of anything out of the nutrition side, and walking two miles is a small bit compared to what I normally do, so it's not really a challenge, but the daily/weekly accountability will be very good for the situation I'm in right now mentally. And it's only for six weeks, so why not?

    Well, I should probably wind down for now and get moving. Not that I want to, seeing as it's -6F/-21C with a wind chill of -19F/-28C, but I can layer and get going (grumblegrumblegrumble). Maybe. After a few minutes. And breakfast.

    [TL/DR]

    Might have the culprit of my increased discomfort/pain figured out. Missed a couple goals, but overall progress is being made despite life being as it is.

    My plan:

    Current "foundational macros":

    Protein:
    All days: >=130 grams/day

    Carbs:
    Rest days: 40-50 grams/day
    Training: >=150 grams/day (will be timed around/during training for the most part)

    Fat:
    Rest days: >=45 grams/day
    Training: 15-25 grams/day (will be mostly EFA (essential fatty acid) supplementation)

    Commitments:

    1) Intake: >1,105 kcal/day
    2) Exercise: >=30 minutes, 6 days/week
    3) Deficit: <2,900 kcal/day
    4) Rest day(s): >=1/week (<1,100 kcal deficit)

    Goals:

    1) Strength training: 2-3 days/week
    2) Indoor rowing (**with good form**): >=3 days/week (short sessions for now)
    3) Musical instrument practice: >=30 min, 6 days/week
    4) Caloric deficit: >=6 days/week

    My Stats:

    5'1" Female
    Restarting weight: 252
    MFP restart weight: 242.7
    Original goal: 140 lbs
    Current goal: 21.5% body fat (currently estimated at 140 lbs). Aiming to be at this point by 2020/12/05.

    2019/09/14: 240.7
    2019/09/21: 238.8
    2019/09/28: 234.6
    2019/10/05: 230.8
    2019/10/12: 231.0
    2019/10/19: 226.9
    2019/10/26: 223.8
    2019/11/01: 219.6
    2019/11/09: 215.6
    2019/11/16: 212.7
    2019/11/23: 209.2
    2019/11/30: 203.9
    2019/12/07: 201.3
    2019/12/17: 199.7
    2019/12/21: 196.7
    2019/12/28: 197.3 (Planned maintenance break)
    2020/01/04: 194.7
    2020/01/11: 192.0

    @skinnyjeanzbound : While I know it's probably really exciting and all, I have to say the primary thought in my mind is the stress of searching, negotiating, and moving (with all its housework and improvement trappings). Yuck. Sorry to be an Eeyore, but I do hope you have a better time of it all than what I'm thinking. Too many moves for me/my family in the past to be super excited there.

    @mnwalkingqueen : Kudos to you on braving the wintery tundra. Although it wasn't so bad in the earlier part of the week, was it? These Canadian cold snaps sap me to the bone and always make me SO hungry (and for comfort food at that). Great job on tackling the meals too -- sounds like you're on the road to success again. :smile:
  • Wednesdayaddams1
    Wednesdayaddams1 Posts: 1 Member
    Good morning. This is my first post. It's hard to find others like myself who need to lose a significant amount of weight that actually want to talk about it. I am 41 and weigh 287 according to the scale this morning. I'm finding it difficult to make the right food decisions when I'm in the moment. I'd love to hear some of your success stories to help me believe in myself again.
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    @Wenesdayaddams1- Welcome to the group. I struggle with same thing and this week I planned all meals out which has helped. Also when eating out I look at menu online and plan ahead.

    AFM
    Holly
    Age 47 from Minneapolis MN
    Goal weight 260 (180 total in 10lbs intervals)
    May 2019 252lbs
    Reset weight Jan 1 2020 270lbs (gain due eating emotions after dad’s death)
    1/11/20 266.2
    My weekend success was planning all meals thur Friday night. Prepping by chopping veggies and making veggie egg white cups. I also walked outside both Sat and Sun for 45 mins. I am no logging my excercise for I don’t have the self control not to eat the extra calories granted.
  • skinnyjeanzbound
    skinnyjeanzbound Posts: 3,932 Member
    @holly--great job with the healthy cooking at home! I also haven't been to the gym since before Christmas.

    AFM--I am doing okay with food, but unfortunately, it is due, in part, to a dental issue. I had a crown put on in September that has become infected. Pain started Wed. evening and my dentist is only in on Wed. and Sat. I tried his emergency number Thursday morning to no avail. Fortunately, I have a friend who is also a dentist (not in my insurance network) who called in a script for antibiotics which I started Thurs. afternoon. They helped decrease the pain, but eating is still uncomfortable.

    I left a message for my dentist, and he never returned my call on Sat. I suspect he may have canceled his appts. for the day due to severe weather in the area, but I would think he would still check his messages. Anyway, I already happened to have a regular check up scheduled for this Wed, so I'm anxiously awaiting that appt.

    Due to my body fighting off the infection, I was feeling pretty run down over the weekend. Didn't get much done in the house, but I did get a few boxes packed up. Our realtor is supposed to be coming this Saturday, so we will see what she has to say then.

    I decided to start my weight tracking fresh here for the new year.

    Name: Karen
    Age: 50
    Height: 5’7"
    Highest Weight: 247
    Current Weight: 196 (1/4/20)

    1/4/20 = 196
    1/11/20 = 193
  • Teerai
    Teerai Posts: 243 Member
    edited January 2020
    Good morning. This is my first post. It's hard to find others like myself who need to lose a significant amount of weight that actually want to talk about it. I am 41 and weigh 287 according to the scale this morning. I'm finding it difficult to make the right food decisions when I'm in the moment. I'd love to hear some of your success stories to help me believe in myself again.

    Welcome!
    I know that it can be a long road to being mentally ready to go on the journey of weight loss.

    While some people seem to cruise down getting slimmer and stronger without even breaking a sweat, BE ASSURED that for most of us it is hard work!
    Getting to the starting point is the first hard mile (however many years that takes)!
    For some it’s a reflection in the mirror or clothes getting impossible to wear or not fitting into public seating or being invisible in normal social situations. For me, it was a combination of hitting a number that was my top limit as well as feeling ill from eating any food but especially any processed food. Guessing the chemicals had super saturated every cell...lol.

    I am going to encourage you in one factor you need to be ok with on this journey.
    IT IS OK TO BE dedicated and narcissistic in taking this ride!
    I say narcissistic because you really need to tune into the things inside you that need to happen. You don’t neglect your life but there will have to be focused changes to accomplish weight loss. You will feel like a lot of time is spent targeting this. But even temporary weigh loss takes dedicated focus. Making a life change, even more so but it will be worth it!

    Again, for me it was exchanging OUT food as a reward or comfort bear. Instead of going out for treats, we went out to do activity like mini-golf or walking, walking, walking in new places and best of all for me a pool membership. You are weightless in the pool and having been a decade at a heavy weight, it was WONDERFUL to move without feet, knees and legs complaining every step. I am a sloooow swimmer but be assured that is OK too! ;)

    Hint: I always had carrots, celery and apples as ready snack grabs because becoming more active Initially suppressed the appetite but when hunger did hit I was ravenous and eating those natural foods both satisfied the chewing function and were great filling fiber before a real meal.

    Last yet not least, be diligent logging with a food scale.
    Being aware of the real numbers of calories going in and taking control of those portions is empowering.
    When you measure in grams and ml, you get very aware of each calorie and the best education is learning how to feel full on 1200 daily cals.
    Todays produce section of our grocery stores are full of colorful and flavorful food that accomplishes this!

    Looking forward to running with you on this amazing life journey :)
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    @Karen- hope infection goes away fast and dentist calls soon. Good luck on Saturday.

    Wensday Wish:
    I wish it could stop getting dark at 4pm permanently. Also wish had enough money to rebuild garage before it falls down.
  • lisat2463
    lisat2463 Posts: 7 Member
    New member here. Up and down....up to 242....lots of health problems but going to lose this weight and see if it heals a lot of my sick feelings!!!

    Look forward to this journey!
  • Helenatrandom
    Helenatrandom Posts: 1,166 Member
    Hi. I have been gone for awhile. Two months ago I was diagnosed with diabetes, so I started tracking here again. . I am only slightly out of range, a1c is 6.7 and 6.5 is top of the range. We are working with diet to bring my a1c down, as I am so close to normal.
    My weight is way up since the last time I was here, but I have lost 15 pounds in the last two months.

    I also had a pulmonary embolism two months ago. Technically, I probably still do, but I am much better.

    I am sorry I dropped out.
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    @Helenatrandom - welcome back! Congrats on 15lb loss. I hope the tracking will bring down your A1C.
    @lisat2463- welcome to the group.

    Thursday truth:
    I am finding it hard to meet all 3 macros that I need to focus on and staying under calories. I can never get enough protein for the day. I tend to be over on sugar and/or fat most days. I can 50/50 meet sodium goal. Any easy quick freezeable food ideas let me know receipes. I prefr fish over chicken tho and hate turkey. I eat lot of egg whites. I will open the food journal back up.
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    Happy Firday!!
    I will try to meal plan Sun - Fri again this week. It mostly worked well last week. I have way more veggies than I can imagine eating before they spoil.
  • Chica7677
    Chica7677 Posts: 4 Member
    Hi. Happy Friday😁. I have made the mistake of buying too many veggies before. You live and you learn. I don't meal prep, but I just started this past week meal planning. I just made sure to buy what I needed for my meals only and nothing else. It's a great way to save money and not have stuff that I don't need to be eating in the house. When I am tempted to buy something at the store, I remind myself that everything I need is already at the house.
  • MelodiousMermaid
    MelodiousMermaid Posts: 380 Member
    Saturday Check-In

    So I went ahead and cut to the chase on the arms/hands thing I've had going on and went to an ortho. I am pending an MRI and ...EMG...? Don't recall what it was, but it will test to see where I'm getting interference in my nerves.

    Got a small cyclical hormonal boost this week, but it is nothing compared to the feeling I've gotten in the past. I am pretty sure that the continued sleep issues are still in play, though I've mitigated a large chunk of the issue by starting to figure out how to work around this nerve/whatever else issue. I hope we can get the testing done soon. Waiting for a call from the Dr's office, as they have to play "jump through the insurance hoops" to get authorization.

    I covered the fundamentals and goals 1, 2, and 4. I'm putting practicing on hold now, as the hands/arms issue is getting aggravated by practicing too. I will practice enough to cover what I need to play for church, but hold off on everything else until things start to settle down with the issue. Slower overall losses now than before (this week has a bit of a boost from loss of hormonal water weight), but between where I'm at in my head and physically... meh, whatever. Not going up, so that's what counts in the end.

    On the upside, this weekend is worse than last, weather-wise, but instead of throwing in the exercise towel, I've gotten 5,000+ steps and some exercise while staying in the house, using Wii Fit for the low intensity exercise.

    Sorry to not be chattier, but that's about where I'm at this week. I'll try to give conversing more on things a go when I feel I've got a bit more in me.

    My plan:

    Current "foundational macros":

    Protein:
    All days: >=130 grams/day

    Carbs:
    Rest days: 40-50 grams/day
    Strength Training: >=150 grams/day (will be timed around/during training for the most part)

    Fat:
    Rest days: >=45 grams/day
    Strength Training: 15-25 grams/day (will be mostly EFA (essential fatty acid) supplementation)

    Commitments:

    1) Intake: >1,105 kcal/day
    2) Exercise: >=30 minutes, 6 days/week
    3) Deficit: <2,818 kcal/day
    4) Rest day(s): >=1/week (<1,200 kcal deficit)

    Goals:

    1) Strength training: 2-3 days/week
    2) Indoor rowing (**with good form**): >=3 days/week (short sessions for now)
    3) Musical instrument practice: >=30 min, 6 days/week (on hold due to arms)
    4) Caloric deficit (50+ kcal under): >=6 days/week

    My Stats:

    5'1" Female
    Restarting weight: 252
    MFP restart weight: 242.7
    Original goal: 140 lbs
    Current goal: 21.5% body fat (currently estimated at 140 lbs). Aiming to be at this point by 2020/12/05.

    2020/01/04: 194.7
    2020/01/11: 192.0
    2020/01/18: 189.4

    2019 Progress
    2019/09/14: 240.7
    2019/09/21: 238.8
    2019/09/28: 234.6
    2019/10/05: 230.8
    2019/10/12: 231.0
    2019/10/19: 226.9
    2019/10/26: 223.8
    2019/11/01: 219.6
    2019/11/09: 215.6
    2019/11/16: 212.7
    2019/11/23: 209.2
    2019/11/30: 203.9
    2019/12/07: 201.3
    2019/12/17: 199.7
    2019/12/21: 196.7
    2019/12/28: 197.3 (Planned maintenance break)
  • Teerai
    Teerai Posts: 243 Member
    lisat2463 wrote: »
    New member here. Up and down....up to 242....lots of health problems but going to lose this weight and see if it heals a lot of my sick feelings!!!

    Look forward to this journey!

    Welcome!
    Totally relate to those sick feelings.
    Losing weight helped those for me as I minimized and changed my diet.

  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    Just checking in:

    Went to the gym today first time since MN cold set in. It felt so good. planned most of my meals this week at least breakfast and lunch. Dinner not so much for not sure what veggies will last.

    Update
    1/1/20= 270
    1/11/20= 266.4
    1/17/20= 263.2
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    Wednesday Wish:
    I wish that I was better at meal planning. I stated last week I bought to many veggies and they are going bad on me😕. However, with meal planning I don’t think about food so much 🙂.
    I also wish I could find substitute for soda. Popcorn is a staple in my house and it is the only food item I have to have soda with.
  • 2horsestoride
    2horsestoride Posts: 37 Member
    Wednesday Wish:
    I wish that I was better at meal planning. I stated last week I bought to many veggies and they are going bad on me😕. However, with meal planning I don’t think about food so much 🙂.
    I also wish I could find substitute for soda. Popcorn is a staple in my house and it is the only food item I have to have soda with.

    Have you tried Hint water? I love the blackberry flavor. No sugar, no calories, not seltzer (which I hate.).
  • blessedwith3boys
    blessedwith3boys Posts: 136 Member
    Starting over today. Happy to be here.
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    @2horsestoride- I have tried hint but not enough flavor to have with popcorn.
    @blessedwith3boys- happy you are here

    For me I went to gym two days this week and walked outside two days so far. I also stuck to my planned meals all days except for monday dinner.
  • sweeetypie1
    sweeetypie1 Posts: 122 Member
    Now that the holidays are over, we are trying to eat more veggies and fruit and less processed foods. I bought a load of veggies at Aldi's yesterday, had a delicious half sandwich (multi-grain bread with hummus and veggies for lunch). Oatmeal for breakfast with fruit. More veggies at lunch and dinner. Scale up a little this morning (I weigh myself on Fridays) but not unexpected. Hope you all are doing well.

    1/24 - 250.2