Back at it again

henryweismann
henryweismann Posts: 4 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hey All,

I am back on MFP again after taking a much too long break This is probably the second break since I started with MFP. My entry into dieting has been rocky with 4-6 months of eating very bad, 2-3 months of dieting and being very good then repeating.

I have a bad habit of being addicted to five guys burgers, chinese food and pizza. On top of that when I do go out to get something, on non-dieting mode, I usually have a a lot more calories than I should in one meal. Even when I am dieting I still have my bad days (meal size) even if I stay within goal. I usually offset it with exercise or smaller meals for the rest of the day.

I got sick in 2000 which is when I went from 147 to 209 at 23 yrs old due to medication. After I got sick I dieted about 5-6 times in the last 10 yrs but never got back to my old weight. Got to 163, got sick again went up to 197....Got to 172 (very bad dieting salads only) shot back up to 209....got to 173 (very bad dieting using 2 isagenix shakes and one meal a day) then got sick and got back up to 206. I now dieted about 2 months again (6 months ago) and got to 189, I took a break but this time just gained only 4 pounds which is pretty good (for me) for a 5 month break. I know I gained but I am pretty happy that I nearly maintained for such a long period then came back to dieting in time to lose some more. During my 5 months off I did consciously keep myself from gorging like I usually do when I lose focus and I think I will let myself take a break again but this time track food while on break and set my goal to maintain.

Currently need to lose 40 pds, I am 190 pds at 5'6" and set my current goal to 2 pds a week.. I consistently, even when in non-diet mode, exercise at least twice a week in a boot camp class and now just started spinning at home when I need to burn off some extra food. I also enjoy weight lifting but have not been consistent with it. When I am in diet mode I am usually good except when we have to go to a restaurant with family/friends or socializing with beers. The best thing for me is to avoid the entire temptation but thats not always possible. Limiting myself my happy foods (five guys/pizza) is very difficult and takes all the enjoyment out of eating but as my wife says nothing tastes as good as being thin feels and I am willing to hold back until I reach goal then find a way to live within the calorie range it takes to maintain. One/two slices of pizza isn't too bad so I still eat that on occasion but going to five guys never works when dieting and is a trigger.

That being said my plan is to diet until I lose the 40 pounds with maybe 1-2 maintaining breaks in between which would probably take up to 2 years with, up to, two 12 week breaks. If I do take a break my goal is to maintain and gain no more than 1-2 pounds by the time I get into diet mode again. I realize now I need these breaks to stick with it while enjoying life. I just have to maintain tracking while on break and set it to maintain or 1/2 pound a week loss. My problem with the prior breaks is that I just estimated in my head or I lost total control and got into I don't care mode. So here goes the first stretch and I hope to get to 173 by the time I take the next break.

Wish me luck! and if anyone has any words of wisdom regarding sticking to it they are more than welcome.

Replies

  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    12 week breaks?? nothing tastes as good as thin feels?? diet mode and non diet mode?? 2 years to lose 40 pounds?


    is this trolling or just you getting ready to crash diet and yoyo again.... i think you need to take a step back and look at your plan if this isnt a joke


    nothing is wrong with burgers and pizza so long as your accurately tracking things and getting the results youd expect...

    i cut back on beer.. its sucks... deal with it... drink hard liquor and try not too black out too often
  • henryweismann
    henryweismann Posts: 4 Member
    No im not trolling...I realized if I don't set it to maintaining every once and a while and enjoy 900 calorie meals for one meal a day I am never going to stick to it. I really love my five guys and pizza. I'm not talking about totally going off, im talking about tracking and setting it to maintain or lose 1/2 pd instead of 2 pds (as said in the post)....doing that every 3-4 months for a month or two break from hard core dieting.

    I think this is an effective way to lose some pounds for someone that has a hard time not enjoying food for long stretches and is willing to wait to get to the end goal weight.
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    The harsh reality is that you're going to have to pick. Overcome your compulsive addiction to these foods OR be unhappy with your fitness forever. Coming from a compulsive eater who NEVER used to work out and lived to eat all those same foods, I struggle against those urges constantly. Once in a small while I allow myself a "splurge" but watch the portion size. I have now (and never before) incredibly worked out over 3 weeks every single day In a row. You want to hit your goal, be disciplined and quit letting everything control you. You CAN be a champion and if you really wanted to, get rid of that 40 lbs incredibly fast. This is personal experience speaking, I let it get more out of control than you have before realizing that your mind is what needs worked on rather than your body. Get your mind programmed correctly and the physical part will just happen
  • henryweismann
    henryweismann Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks marc. I will take your advice to heart.

    I do think, after the general rule of calories in calories out, losing weight is a personal journey and everyone has to do it in their own way. I may just find out my plan is not going to work but I have to try because before this plan I was giving up completely due to feeling restricted then binging. So going to maintenance and tracking rather than going totally off seems like the next thing to try. Maybe I will go the full 40 pounds before going to maintenance....we will see.
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    I guess the ANGER of feeling so controlled by this poison we love so much called junk food was enough to spur me into action. Like u said we all have our own path. I can't admit defeat and live my life around something controlling me like that.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    I was 192 when I did my last cut and I typically ate 2 meals a day of around 1000 calories... I never try and eat a ton of tiny meals. Pizza and burgers are pretty hard to fit into any cutting diet, but, once a week shouldn't slow you down at all... Hell, you can eat steak every day if you can afford it.

    clocking in at 920 calories is the 5 guys bacon cheese burger... That would be around half your daily calories and would provide most of your fat and about a third of your protein (51 grams)... lets look at the other 900 calories


    3/4# boneless skinless chicken= ~450
    banana= ~100
    steamed broccoli and carrots=~200 (thats a lot of vegetables at 200 calories)
    3/4 cup cooked rice or a sweet potato= ~150

    there ya go.. 1800... probably still have some wiggle room.... you could do that every day if u wanted.. im not suggesting you do, but, im illustrating that if you plan properly you can eat whatever you want.... granted im not including a large fries and a liter of soda, but, that just wont fly...


    work on flexible dieting and finding what works for you

    ETA:"someone that has a hard time not enjoying food for long stretches"

    i love cooking and enjoy food every day whether bulking or cutting... u dont need super fatty foods for things to taste good... eating pounds of lean pork, lean chicken, and lean beef is delicious... learn to cook things you like that help you to reach your goal.. no fast food tastes as good as what comes out of my kitchen or my grill

    a lot of peoples food choices, for weight loss, make me gag.. they dont have to

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