4 weeks - and back to where I started (sigh)

douglernerold · November 2010

I was doing ok since starting on 10/11/2010. My weight dropped by as much as 6 lb, but disappointingly hovered up and down a lot. The last couple of weeks I've been "looser" on following strict diet rules. And the last few days I've basically been off my diet. I've check in ever day though.

The result - 4 weeks later and I'm exactly back where I started - a grotesque 130 kg. (sigh)

I know I have to start again, and I'm trying with a healthy breakfast this morning. But I have no confidence at the moment. I feel like I have to do something "different" to get moving.

I've been through cycles in the past of losing - and then regaining - over 100 lb. In 2007 I was at my adult low weight of 79.8 kg. And then gained it all back and more.

In my last great low-calorie diet the weight managed to come off and almost a linear pace. There were rarely weeks where I didn't lose. But this time, for some reason, it seems much much much harder to lose.

Maybe because I'm older now (54) my metabolism has slowed down a lot or something.

I just feel like something is "different" this time around. I'm walking more. But still, I think something in the food mix is causing a problem this time. That's why in the last couple of weeks I flirted with low-carbing (always a disaster) and basically fell off the wagon again.

I know I need to journal calories. It's hopeless if I don't. I'm not one of those "eat until you are just satisfied but not overly full" people. That has never worked for me - I need a strict calorie limit.

But maybe I need to use my calories on certain KINDS of foods that are different from what I'm used to. Like maybe trying vegan or vegetarian or vegetarian with just fish or something like that. The problem there though is that inevitably means lots of carbs, and those seem to trigger "hunger spikes."

I'm not sure what to do at this point...

doug@depressed

modernfemme · November 2010

Hi Doug! First of all, a ton of us have been there. I lost 20 pounds at one point, and gained it all back and then some after I went vegetarian. I too leaned towards the carbs. 7 months later, I'm still vegetarian and I'm just making healthier choices. I'm back on the wagon, lost 10 pounds and I seen no sign of stopping. I did 3 main things which I think is making all the difference:

1) I eat what I want. Soft pretzels, chocolate, wine, whatever. Sometimes I have to compromise. Lets say I want hot chocolate but only have 80 calories left. I'll make half a cup and call it a day.

2) Slow and steady wins the race. Instead of putting my goal weight all the way down to 130, which is where I want to be, I put it to 150. As a result I'm eating 1450 calories a day instead of 1200 and it makes all the difference. Once I hit 150, the transition will be much easier to reduce my calories. I only lose one pound a week.

3) I only do exercises I like. I don't try to kill myself. I take 20-30 minutes brisk walks and a ton of yoga. I look forward to unwinding.

As far as being vegetarian goes, there is so much you can eat that isn't carb heavy. Here is a site I often go to for ideas:
http://webecoist.com/2008/10/28/14-quick-vegetarian-recipes-for-the-hopeless-cook/. If you want to be vegetarian, you really should love to cook or you will just eat pizza haha.

Example: for lunch today I had vegetable soup with ravioli and for dinner I had bbq portobello quesadillas with steamed broccoli.

Tracking calories is hard but so worth it. It's like an educational process. Add recipes so you can easily add favorite foods as you go along. Hang in there!! I know you can do it!

takethepieces · November 2010

I'm not going to comment on your nutrition because I don't feel I'm qualified on that front but I will say that I have found that the more I diet, the more my body gets used to it and the harder it becomes. I tried Slimming World several years ago when I hadn't really dieted at all and managed to lose and keep off 14lbs in one week. I've never had this result since, including on the same diet. My sister has been on an almost constant diet and she finds it very difficult to lose weight consistently and it's never very much when she does, despite being very strict. So, perhaps this is the thing that is different this time around - although, you're right, being older does make it more difficult to lose weight.

Good luck on your journey and I hope other people have some good advice that leads you to successful weight loss. Well done on coming back, seeking advice and trying again xox

tjf9 · November 2010

A little tough love here. Make only one change and that is write down your food. You said it yourself - it's the only way. If you've been doing that, then if you have a tough day, go back over your log and figure out what it was that set you off. Then avoid that food for a while. But write down your food obsessively and you will lose weight.

Good luck!

BrentGetsFit · November 2010

Hi Doug,

Sorry to hear about the rough ride so far. I assume that you've entered in your info here and are adding in everything you eat. How close are you on any given day to the recommended numbers? How is your carb/protein/fat ratio? What sorts of food are you eating? Are you drinking enough water? There's a lot more to the equation than just the calorie number.

When I started my workout program in September I began following the included meal plan to the letter. I wanted to give this the best possible shot to work. For the record I need to lose about 100 lbs and have lost 29 so far. I ate what it said to eat when it said to eat it and soon discovered that I was getting hungry right when it was time to eat again. I began to look forward to the little hunger pangs because that meant my body had burned the fuel I had taken in and was ready for more.

During all this I was posting on message boards and reading articles and kept coming across terms like "clean eating" and "Michi's ladder" and "40/30/30". I looked deeper into those topics and discovered a wealth of information about how our bodies respond to what we put in them. In short, small frequent servings of whole, unprocessed, nutrient dense foods in proper proportions coupled with sufficient water intake is what we need to thrive. Modern convenience foods offer the calories but not the nutrition so our body screams for more in an attempt to get what it needs. We still don't get what we need but we get the calories anyway and on come the pounds.

I've found that since starting the program that I don't get cravings, have no real desire for fast food and enjoy knowing exactly what is in the food I'm eating. This knowledge has also allowed me to stray from the precise program on occasion and continue to lose weight. Once you know what to do, you can begin to make the proper choices without having the guide to tell you. Not to say I'm perfect, I had french fries the other day and last week went to a Chinese buffet. The difference was eating MANY fewer fries that I would have before and only getting one plate at the buffet instead of the usual three.

Sorry to ramble on but I hope that you find something in there you can use to get back on track. The important thing is to keep trying. You haven't failed until you quit. Good luck

4lafz · November 2010

We are about the same age - I just turned 55 - so I know it is harder as we get older. For me, this is a lifestyle change. I know I have to eat right and exercise in order to live a long healthy life and not put the weight on. Sure - once I am in maintenance I will get more calories - but not that much more. Will still have to exercise - and do more on the days I have a steak or an ice cream!

I say this because I don't think becoming a vegetarian (carb free, etc) or making any drastic change is the answer. We must learn to eat healthy foods but I believe we still have to have our treats too - in order to stay with it for the rest of our lives. There are vegetarian foods I love - and I do eat meat-free days - I eat poultry, pork, fish, eggs and cheese too - very rarely do I eat red meat. I can have pasta - just have it once every few weeks! I fell in love again with fresh veggies steamed with garlic AND with sweet potatos - they need nothing on them!

I found that I do not have any challenges going over in protein or fiber (daily - and they help keep me full) and under in carbs and fat. I am high in sugar sometyimes - but sodium is the real killer for me. When I am over in sodium for a week - I lose a miniscual amount (like .4) - even though I drink tons of water - always have. Watch out for sodium in canned soup - even the good ones!

Shop the perimeter of stores - buy fresh and cook simply. You can do this! Best of luck.

bjberry · November 2010

What wise people on this site! Here are a few things that are working for me:
- I chase my 6yo grandson around the house--literally! He loves it, I love it, and I get to tickle him (his rule) if I catch him. Even 15 minutes of this = a mile or more, since I speedwalk at 4 MPH (that would be about 7 KPH?).
- I watch my sodium: no Cokes or other carbonated beverages; limit salty foods.
- Try to drink 8 glasses of water per day (2 liters).
- I watch my fat calories closer than my carb or protien calories. I love chocolate and other fatty foods, so I have a small amount (except on the days when I mess up

and try to keep it within my calories.
- Oh, and I discovered I like vegetables, if I shred them into tiny pieces and throw them into the "real" foods I eat.

Each day is a new day. The past is gone. Today is here and now. Tomorrow is the future. Live in today. Enjoy life! :drinker:

douglernerold · November 2010

Thanks for your replies, people!

Some followups:

modernfemme: I'll check out that vegetarian recipe site. I'm pretty much of a survivalist cook. No joke - a few years ago I actually had to look up on the Internet how to boil an egg. That said, I almost always cook for myself, but it's always the same thing, or a slight variation (tonight let's go wild and use curry powder instead of pepper). I did make a switch from a 2 lb/week goal to a 1.5 lb/week goal to make the calorie limits less stringent. I just need to find food combos that don't keep me constantly thinking about food!

Random thought: I work at home. I never eat while working, but if I take a break and watch a TV show I always feel like I need a snack while watching. I know that is a very very bad habit and probably the most important thing to try and break. It's very hard though.

takethepieces; You might be right about one's body "being used to diet" and not cooperating so much. You seem to have been doing great though!

tgf9: When I'm not off the wagon I do religiously journal! At least the calories. I rely too often on the "quick add calories" feature because it takes time to add to the database all the time for foods that aren't already there (which happens a lot because I live in Japan so the packaged stuff I buy is mostly not listed).

gvtproprty: I feel like some of you need me to donate vowels to your names.

I've always wondered if many frequent small servings is really better than just trying to stick with 3 meals a day. It seems one goal is trying to make your body run LESS efficiently, right? Like a car in a lot of start and stop traffic uses more fuel. Isn't it the same with our bodies? If we eat all the time doesn't your body run more efficiently and therefore burn less calories when we actually want it to burn more? That's one point that's always confused me. I am drinking at least 2 liters of water a day - and mostly drinking only water. I don't have the detailed carb/protein/fat data though because I haven't entered all my foods into the food database yet (see above).

Thanks again for your posts!

doug

douglernerold · November 2010

Some followups to new posts added while I was posting. Wow, you people are quick to reply!

4lafz: Well, you seem to be doing very well on your diet! If I lost 41 lb that would really really help! I'm not sure what you mean by maintenance though. Isn't our calorie limit basically our "goal for life" based on what we need to maintain our goal weight at some point? I know what you mean about shopping the perimeter of the store. The inside shelves are all packaged stuff for the most part. Of course that's where the non-oil salad dressings are too.

bjberry: Unfortunately I have no grandchildren (or children). I do have two java sparrows (http://douglerner.com/tag/javasparrows) but they chase me around rather than the opposite. I used to have a dog, but he passed away a few years ago at 14 years of age. We used to go on walks in the park 3-5 times a day. I miss him. My current landlord won't let me keep a dog though.

doug

cmriverside · November 2010

Just a couple quick thoughts. I lost 50 pounds at age 53. I've gained back 16 because I stopped logging food.

Because I stopped logging food.

(Just such an important thing. It's so easy to fool ourselves and stray from our nutrient rich diets into....um....sugar and fat......)

I live alone and find that cooking gets tedious for three meals, but one a day is okay. The rest of the time I reheat or eat raw food...salad nuts, sandwiches etc. I also find that I naturally graze on small amounts of food all day long if I am eating whole foods like raw veggies and fruit. Cook up some homemade soup, freeze most, eat for a week. Same with casseroles or roasts of meat.

Banish food and TV at the same time. I read a blog that viviakay did where she "Ate Mindfully" for a month. That meant she didn't do anything but eat when she ate. She set the table - didn't read or play on the internet or watch TV.

Start reading her blog Day 1 of her mindful eating here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/viviakay/view/day-1-report-of-mindful-eating-challenge-24003

I think it is a good challenge for you. I also have stopped eating at night. My alarm goes off at 8:58 PM and I cannot eat after that. I go to bed late...midnight.

Anyway. Good luck. You can do it. Be nice to yourself. :flowerforyou:

BrentGetsFit · November 2010

gvtproprty: I feel like some of you need me to donate vowels to your names. I've always wondered if many frequent small servings is really better than just trying to stick with 3 meals a day. It seems one goal is trying to make your body run LESS efficiently, right? Like a car in a lot of start and stop traffic uses more fuel. Isn't it the same with our bodies? If we eat all the time doesn't your body run more efficiently and therefore burn less calories when we actually want it to burn more? That's one point that's always confused me. I am drinking at least 2 liters of water a day - and mostly drinking only water. I don't have the detailed carb/protein/fat data though because I haven't entered all my foods into the food database yet (see above).

LOL, Doug, I've had that screen name since my AOL days and I could only have 10 characters in my name. I'm not too sure of the science behind either approach but the way I look at it, if I'm hungry the calories must have been burned. My average daily intake is around 1500-1700 calories (even though the site says I should have more) because that's what the structured meal plan I'm following works out to be. I eat 5 times a day, 2-3 hours apart, the two snacks are just a couple of hundred calories of raw nuts, just enough to take the edge off the hunger. As i said before, I get hungry right about when it's time to eat and then again just before bed which I see as a good thing because my body will burn stored fat while I sleep. If I miss a snack during the day I find myself ravenous come meal time and that can be dangerous. I'm no expert but what I'm doing is working for me and this is the first time in my life I haven't felt deprived or had cravings when "dieting". I'm a simple man so I try not to get too wrapped up in the "why", lol.

4 weeks - and back to where I started (sigh)

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