No weight loss in September

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  • strassenkoenigin
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    It is always easy to lose at the beginning. The secret is to find a way to continue and not to give up because of setbacks. I found this article from prevention magazine, which I find true for me. I think it applies to men too, though it is written for women:

    "Here, weight loss experts explore the mysterious minds of "naturally" slim, and how to eat like skinny women. Learn what they do, what they don't, and how you can act the part.
    1. They choose satisfied over stuffed
    On a fullness scale of 1 to 10, skinny women stop eating at a level of 6 or 7, says Jill Fleming, RD, author of Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates. The rest of us may keep going to an 8 or 10. Why? It may be because you mistakenly equate the sensation of fullness with satisfaction and feel deprived if you stop short, says Fleming. Or you may just be used to finishing what's in front of you, regardless of whether you really need it.
    Copy them: To eat like skinny women, about halfway through your next meal, put your fork down and, using the 1 to 10 scale, rate your level of fullness. Do it again when you have about five bites left. The goal is to increase your awareness of how satisfied you feel during a meal. (Bonus: It also slows down your eating, which allows the sensation of fullness to settle in.)
    2. They realize hunger isn't an emergency
    Most of us who struggle with extra pounds tend to view hunger as a condition that needs to be cured—and fast, says Judith S. Beck, PhD, author of the new Beck Diet Solution. "If you fear hunger, you might routinely overeat to avoid it," she says. Thin people tolerate it because they know hunger pangs always come and go, buying them some time.
    Copy them: Pick a busy day to purposely delay lunch by an hour or two. Or try skipping an afternoon snack one day. You'll see that you can still function just fine. Then next time you feel those grumbles, you'll hold off before making a beeline for the fridge.
    3. They don't use food to cure the blues
    It's not that skinny women are immune to emotional eating, says Kara Gallagher, PhD, a weight loss expert based in Louisville. But they tend to recognize when they're doing it and stop.
    Copy them: Add the word 'Halt' to your vocabulary, says Gallagher. More than just a command (as in stop eating that entire sleeve of cookies), it's an acronym that stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired—the four most common triggers for emotional eating.
    If you're truly hungry, eat a balanced snack, such as a handful of nuts, to tide you over until your next meal. But if you're angry, lonely, or tired, seek an alternative calorie-free solution to your emotional need. Blow off steam by going for a run or just jumping around—the heartbeat boost will help dissipate your anger. Lonely? Call a friend, e-mail your kid, or walk to the park or mall. Being around others will make you feel more connected to your community (even if you don't bump into anyone you know). If you're tired, for heaven's sake, sleep!
    4. They eat more fruit
    Skinny women, on average, have one more serving of fruit and eat more fiber and less fat per day than overweight people, reports a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
    Copy them: Start tinkering. To eat like akinny women, examine your diet for ways to add whole fruits (not juices) to your meals and snacks. Aim for two or three servings per day. Sprinkle berries in your cereal or on your yogurt. Add sliced pears to your turkey sandwich, or bake an apple for dessert. Keep a bowl of fruit on your kitchen table or desk to motivate you to think fruit first, vending machine never.
    5. They're creatures of habit
    Any dietitian will tell you that a varied diet is good--but too much variety can backfire, says Katz, author of The Flavor Point Diet. Studies have shown that too many tastes and textures encourage you to overeat, he explains. "Thin people have what I call a food groove—the majority of their meals consist of well-planned staples," says Beck. "There are a few surprises thrown in, but for the most part, their diets are fairly predictable."
    Copy them: Try to eat as consistently as possible with your major meals—have cereal for breakfast, a salad at lunch, and so forth. It's okay to add grilled chicken to the salad one day and tuna the next, but by sticking to a loosely prescribed meal schedule, you limit the opportunities to overindulge.
    6. They have a self-control gene
    Researchers at Tufts University found that the biggest predictor of weight gain among women in their 50s and 60s was their level of disinhibition, or unrestrained behavior. Women with low disinhibition (in other words, a finely tuned sense of restraint) had the lowest body mass index. High disinhibition (i.e., low restraint) was linked to an adult weight gain of as much as 33 pounds.
    Copy them: Prepare for moments when your disinhibition is likely to be higher—such as when you're in a festive atmosphere with a large group of friends. If you're at a party, tell yourself you'll take one of every fourth passed hors d'oeuvre. If you're out at dinner, order an appetizer portion and share dessert. Or if you're stressed—another low-restraint moment—make sure you have a source of crunchy snacks (like fruit or carrot sticks) at the ready.
    7. They're movers and shakers
    On average, skinny women are on their feet an extra 2 1/2 hours per day—which can help burn off 33 pounds a year, according to a study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
    Copy them: Try a reality check. Studies have shown that people often overestimate how active they really are, says Gallagher. Most people actually spend 16 to 20 hours a day just sitting. Wear a pedometer on an average day, and see how close you get to the recommended 10,000 steps. Your day should combine 30 minutes of structured exercise with a variety of healthy habits, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or mopping the floor with extra vigor.
    8. They sleep—well
    Skinny women snooze 2 more hours per week, compared with overweight people, says a study from Eastern Virginia Medical School. Researchers theorize that a lack of shut-eye is linked to lower levels of appetite-suppressing hormones like leptin and higher levels of the appetite-boosting hormone ghrelin.
    Copy them: Break it down: Two extra hours of sleep a week is only 17 more minutes a day—a lot more manageable, even for the most packed of schedules. Start there and slowly work toward 8 hours of snooze time a night—the right amount for most adults.
    Quick tip Eat breakfast! 78% of successful dieters do it every day, according to the National Weight Control Registry, a database of more than 5,000 people who've lost more than 30 pounds and kept the weight off for at least a year.




    Published November 2011, Prevention"
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    I am not a woman- but thanks for the lengthy article.

    Thanks for all the messages, I like to post my frusturations and set backs to get feed back, and also remind myself that others have been through the same and broken out of it. I am looking forward to Saturdays weigh in and hope to record a loss as I am going to put extra effort into a better diet.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Have you been logging your food properly? Did you adjust your goals on MFP? If you know you've been eating at a deficit, you'll just need patience, stalls of 3-4 weeks are not uncommon, even for men.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    Have you been logging your food properly? Did you adjust your goals on MFP? If you know you've been eating at a deficit, you'll just need patience, stalls of 3-4 weeks are not uncommon, even for men.

    I log as accurately as possible. I know a lot of people use food scales, but I am just being honest with myself and everyone on here that if I had one I probably would use it for a week then put somewhere up high in a pantry, I just do not have enough dedication to weight every piece of food. Would this help my weight loss if I literally weighed everything , every day, every meal? most likely it would, but is it realistic me to invenst in something I will likely not stick to- No. Can weight loss still be achieved with a scale? - Yes it can.


    I know you did not mention food scale but just wanted to let that be known in case someone else chimes in about weighing food. I have adjusted my goals on MFP- when I lost 10 lbs it had me adjust it and it is set at to lose 2 lbs a week. I am paying closer attention to my diet this month- I need to watch it like a hawk like I did when I first got motivated to drop weight- then I lost 13 lbs and although I was still doing a good job- little set backs can cause a platue- luckily I am not gaining anything back but just want to continue to lose. Looking forward to some losses this month.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    If you have another week where you don't lose you are going to have to think seriously about a food scale. You will not get bored with it, in fact its VERY enlightening.
    At the start I just eye balled everything, two months in I bought a food scale and what an eye opener.
    They are very cheap to buy and the digital ones are flat so take up no room at all - mine sits on the kitchen work top all the time.
    Seriously without weighing your food you ARE eating more than you think :/
    unless you are buy your meals all pre-made which lists the calories on the packaging.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Have you been logging your food properly? Did you adjust your goals on MFP? If you know you've been eating at a deficit, you'll just need patience, stalls of 3-4 weeks are not uncommon, even for men.

    I log as accurately as possible. I know a lot of people use food scales, but I am just being honest with myself and everyone on here that if I had one I probably would use it for a week then put somewhere up high in a pantry, I just do not have enough dedication to weight every piece of food. Would this help my weight loss if I literally weighed everything , every day, every meal? most likely it would, but is it realistic me to invenst in something I will likely not stick to- No. Can weight loss still be achieved with a scale? - Yes it can.


    I know you did not mention food scale but just wanted to let that be known in case someone else chimes in about weighing food. I have adjusted my goals on MFP- when I lost 10 lbs it had me adjust it and it is set at to lose 2 lbs a week. I am paying closer attention to my diet this month- I need to watch it like a hawk like I did when I first got motivated to drop weight- then I lost 13 lbs and although I was still doing a good job- little set backs can cause a platue- luckily I am not gaining anything back but just want to continue to lose. Looking forward to some losses this month.

    how are you logging if you don't know what the serving size actually is?

    eyeballing is notoriously inaccurate.
  • stephanielio
    stephanielio Posts: 1 Member
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    I have been trough MONTHS of plateau! Keep doing what you are doing, and make sure you do not eat less calories than your metabolism at rest (my nutritionist told me that if I eat less than 1500 Kcal a day -which is what my body burns to live at rest- I will end up gaining weight on the long run).

    Hope this helps! Good luck!
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    I have been trough MONTHS of plateau! Keep doing what you are doing, and make sure you do not eat less calories than your metabolism at rest (my nutritionist told me that if I eat less than 1500 Kcal a day -which is what my body burns to live at rest- I will end up gaining weight on the long run).

    Hope this helps! Good luck!

    That makes sense... I've been gaining rapidly for the past few weeks. And that coincides with when I re-adjusted my settings to aim for 1 lb./week loss, which is apparently less than my RMR based on an online calculator I found.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    Have you been logging your food properly? Did you adjust your goals on MFP? If you know you've been eating at a deficit, you'll just need patience, stalls of 3-4 weeks are not uncommon, even for men.

    I log as accurately as possible. I know a lot of people use food scales, but I am just being honest with myself and everyone on here that if I had one I probably would use it for a week then put somewhere up high in a pantry, I just do not have enough dedication to weight every piece of food. Would this help my weight loss if I literally weighed everything , every day, every meal? most likely it would, but is it realistic me to invenst in something I will likely not stick to- No. Can weight loss still be achieved with a scale? - Yes it can.


    I know you did not mention food scale but just wanted to let that be known in case someone else chimes in about weighing food. I have adjusted my goals on MFP- when I lost 10 lbs it had me adjust it and it is set at to lose 2 lbs a week. I am paying closer attention to my diet this month- I need to watch it like a hawk like I did when I first got motivated to drop weight- then I lost 13 lbs and although I was still doing a good job- little set backs can cause a platue- luckily I am not gaining anything back but just want to continue to lose. Looking forward to some losses this month.

    how are you logging if you don't know what the serving size actually is?

    eyeballing is notoriously inaccurate.

    I will usually inflate the amount of food logged. Just because I do not have a scale does not mean I can't decifer measurements. I will not invest in something I know I am not going to use. There big, bulky, get in the way.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Options
    Have you been logging your food properly? Did you adjust your goals on MFP? If you know you've been eating at a deficit, you'll just need patience, stalls of 3-4 weeks are not uncommon, even for men.

    I log as accurately as possible. I know a lot of people use food scales, but I am just being honest with myself and everyone on here that if I had one I probably would use it for a week then put somewhere up high in a pantry, I just do not have enough dedication to weight every piece of food. Would this help my weight loss if I literally weighed everything , every day, every meal? most likely it would, but is it realistic me to invenst in something I will likely not stick to- No. Can weight loss still be achieved with a scale? - Yes it can.


    I know you did not mention food scale but just wanted to let that be known in case someone else chimes in about weighing food. I have adjusted my goals on MFP- when I lost 10 lbs it had me adjust it and it is set at to lose 2 lbs a week. I am paying closer attention to my diet this month- I need to watch it like a hawk like I did when I first got motivated to drop weight- then I lost 13 lbs and although I was still doing a good job- little set backs can cause a platue- luckily I am not gaining anything back but just want to continue to lose. Looking forward to some losses this month.

    how are you logging if you don't know what the serving size actually is?

    eyeballing is notoriously inaccurate.

    I will usually inflate the amount of food logged. Just because I do not have a scale does not mean I can't decifer measurements. I will not invest in something I know I am not going to use. There big, bulky, get in the way.

    seriously?
    it takes up the foot print of a coffee pot- and has a low profile- mine sits on top of my microwave- and I use it daily- and I'm considering purchasing one for work- it takes up no more space than a mug of coffee or a stack of papers.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    Give me the brand and I will look it up. As long as they are not very expensive I am willing to give it a shot.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    Thanks. I will check it out. My Mom is actually mailing me a plate that is divided by protein/starch/fruit/vegetables and is already sectioned by portion size, this seems more realistic for me to try first before I buy a scale which will likely end up in the back of a cupboard somewhere.

    This is not the plate she is giving me (mine has a section for fruit) but at least you will get the idea.

    http://collegelifestyles.org/2012/11/how-to-eat-healthy-over-break/portion-control-plate/
  • Kristyai3
    Kristyai3 Posts: 48 Member
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    I know every body reacts differently, but carb cycling pulled me out of a 4 week plateau. Not sure if it was actually reducing the carbs a few days a week or moving from starchy veggies and white flour to green veggies and multi-grains that made the difference. It was very likely the combination, but it worked for me.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Thanks. I will check it out. My Mom is actually mailing me a plate that is divided by protein/starch/fruit/vegetables and is already sectioned by portion size, this seems more realistic for me to try first before I buy a scale which will likely end up in the back of a cupboard somewhere.

    This is not the plate she is giving me (mine has a section for fruit) but at least you will get the idea.

    http://collegelifestyles.org/2012/11/how-to-eat-healthy-over-break/portion-control-plate/

    well I wish you the best of luck with that.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    I decided to weigh in this morning since I felt lighter on my feet when I woke up (even though Saturday's are my official weigh ins) and I lost 2.5 pounds. I was finally able to snap my plateau and break out of the 280 pound range (cant think of the last time I have been under 280 lbs)

    Ready to hit the 270s full force. Getting to 265 is my first mini goal (same weight as a UFC Heavyweight haha) With a few minor adjustments to my diet this helped me a lot.
  • DvlDwnInGA
    DvlDwnInGA Posts: 368 Member
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    Congrats man!
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
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    You got this!

    You are doing everything right and logging every day. Those logs are so important to show you where it goes wrong.

    Doubtless you will hit another plateau along the way. Just stick with the plan and it will happen. Just stick with the plan.