RillaVanilla's 125 lb loss thread
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Hi, RV. I'm not at the same starting point you are, but I did have a starting point. I support you working foods you love into your days - I have a glass of wine most nights and make it work.
I weigh in daily. Some women don't and have a hate relationship with the scale, but doing so has really helped me recognize my patterning. I use the Aria Scale that connects to FitBit and then someone suggested TrendWeight to me which does all the math needed to see my actual weight "trend." This can help SO much when you see the scale go up and down and again. Or when it just. won't. move!
I learned that:
Beer = Bloat and Gain
Delicious salty meats on sandwiches or in buns = Gain
Any meal from Chili's = Gain
Soda = Bloat and Gain (I quit soda last year almost completely)
Something about margaritas also = Gain
It's ok to splurge sometimes and not feel guilt because most of the time I won't. And I also decided that if it's not the xyz I LOVE or is good quality ABC then I just won't eat it. (For example, why eat a Little Debbie Brownie when my friend Sherri makes them so much better?!)
I don't have PCOS, but I do have Endo - something else that I think has helped control it is my weight loss and reduction of sugar. Appparently sugar feeds the cells and so of course the pain increases as the little gremlins are fed.
Also, remember as you lose to adjust your goals on MFP so you are eating the correct amounts.
Hugs to you,
Pips0 -
@pipsg1rl I totally agree with figuring out what works and what doesn't for each person individually. I should probably clarify that I've done a pretty intense allergy related food elimination over the past 8 years due to allergies to wheat, soy, whey, nuts, carrots, melons, MSG, artificial sweeteners, carrots, bananas and a few other things. I also have something called Oral Allergy Syndrome and work closely with an allergy specialist to manage that. After a lifetime of feeling very ill and my body full of inflammation, I value wellness more than the desire to eat any of the foods I'm allergic to, and it's no hardship at all to avoid them 100% of the time.
I eat and LOVE organic whole foods for most meals, I'm very blessed to live in a rural area with direct access to half a dozen small organic farmers... treats are interspersed in moderation, and the thing I love about nothing being off limits is that if I have a hankering for something, and I'm at my calorie goal already, I know I can fit it in another day... and then often the hankering is forgotten... in the past when I tried to define good, bad and off limit foods I would end up feeling REALLY deprived, which led to resentment, which led to saying to hell with it all and going off plan, weight gain, etc...
That's also a great reminder about adjusting goals. I'm doing that as I go, lowering my calories and increasing my exercise a little.
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Just purchased a fitbit flex! I'm hoping it will motivate me to be a lot less sedentary. Does anyone else have one? Do you like it?0
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RillaVanilla wrote: »Just purchased a fitbit flex! I'm hoping it will motivate me to be a lot less sedentary. Does anyone else have one? Do you like it?
I have one, my parents got them for Christmas so I put mine back on. I'll message you my info.
Also, Best Buy has a different band with a watch like clasp that is cuter. It's a French Bull brand.
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RillaVanilla wrote: »Just purchased a fitbit flex! I'm hoping it will motivate me to be a lot less sedentary. Does anyone else have one? Do you like it?
I have one, my parents got them for Christmas so I put mine back on. I'll message you my info.
Also, Best Buy has a different band with a watch like clasp that is cuter. It's a French Bull brand.
Oh good tip! I'll check out that band... I just set up an account, should be here in a week as I went for the free shipping option... 0 -
Okay... needing some practical feedback this morning from those of you who are number geeks like me!
On January 22nd I got up, peed, and weighed naked at 290 lbs. Then that afternoon I had my first pre-op consult with my surgeon and his scale read 295 lbs after eating two meals, fully clothed with jeans on, and a possible scale discrepancy. I've been using it as my starting weight because it was the weight taken at the bariatric surgeon's office at my first consult and that's the weight they will be going off of going forward.
Let's look at my results using my home scale weigh ins... each total is the grand total I've lost, not a weekly loss.
Jan 22, 290. Starting weight
Jan 26, 288.8, Total loss 1.2 lbs
Feb 2, 290.8 Total gain 0.8 lbs
Feb 8, 290.5 Total gain 0.5 lbs
Feb 16, 287.9 Total loss 2.1 lbs
Feb 20, 289 Total loss 1 lb
So essentially in the last month I've lost 1 lb if you don't count the extra 5 lbs from the surgeon's scale. My main question is... would you tweak your macros/calorie goals in this scenario? And if yes, how?
Here's some actual daily macro averages over the course of a full week (I weigh and measure EVERYTHING so it's as accurate as the database and package labels can be)...
MFP Macros to lose 1 lb/week: Carbs: 246 g/day, Prot: 99 g/day, Fat: 66 g/day,
Cals: 1970/day
Jan 23 - 29, Carbs: 240 g/day, Prot: 84 g/day, Fat: 124 g/day,
Cals: 2459/day, Exercise: 6 min/day
Jan 30 - Feb 5, Carbs: 210 g/day, Prot: 98 g/day, Fat: 145 g/day,
Cals: 2420/day, Exercise: 8 min/day
Feb 6 - 12, Carbs: 185 g/day, Prot: 84 g/day, Fat: 111 g/day,
Cals: 1904/day, Exercise: 10 min/day
Feb 13 - 19, Carbs: 136 g/day, Prot: 103 g/day, Fat: 110 g/day,
Cals: 1869/day, Exercise: 11 min/day
As you can see I'm lowering calories each week, increasing activity as much as I'm able with my back and hip issues, eating less carbs, more protein, and slightly less fat. The one glaring thing when I look at my stats is my fat intake is almost double what it should be. I'm worried that in order to remove the fat, I'll be replacing those calories with carbs, which is the only thing I'm low on, and that's not great for someone with insulin resistance. Geez is this a fine balancing act!!
Another variable is my menstrual cycle. It's not particularly regular as I have PCOS... TOM was due to start on Feb 15th and is still MIA, which means I'm likely retaining a lot of water, so may have a big whoosh once he's been and gone.
Do I just keep doing what I'm doing? Or change it up? And if yes, how?0 -
What is your activity level set at?0
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And are you able to switch it up to lose 2 lbs a week? Do you eat back your exercise calories?0
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KrunchyMama wrote: »What is your activity level set at?
Activity level is set to sedentary. I do usually eat my exercise cals. That's a good idea to cut back on that... I could try to do the 2 lb/week setting... So far I'm still pretty hungry every day so that's why I've been slowly cutting back to give my body time to adjust rather than going straight to the lower cal amount.
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I found that I was less hungry with less calories
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You really don't need to reset your goals until you've lost 10 pounds. At the amount of extra weight you carry, there really is no need to eat back exercise calories because you have enough fuel in storage. Remember, all the calucators give approximates for the averages ... so it's not an exact representation of what you need. It would be best if you tried to keep the calories and macro goals the same for at least a month and practiced hitting them accurately by modifying your menu rather than change it every week.0
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@NK1112 yes, I think sticking with what I'm doing for awhile and staying consistent will give me a better idea of whether it's working or not. Hard to know when it's different each week...
Tonight I did my weekly grocery shopping trip, and tried to find lower fat options in the cheese and meats, hopefully to scale back on my fat intake this week. Honestly, it's something I have rarely paid any attention to because in the low carb, high protein world fat is considered pretty inconsequential... Meals this week will be Thai chicken cauliflower curry with basmati rice, lentil stew with bell pepper and sausage, and beef taco salad. I couldn't find a good low fat sausage so I'll just use half as much as normal and maybe add a couple diced chicken breasts too... I bought extra lean ground beef for the taco salad. I also bought fat free greek yogourt to make my own salad dressing. The caesar dressing I love is really high fat, so that'll make a big dent in my fat intake.0 -
Awesome taco salad dressing is fat free sour cream and salsa mixed together. Total awesomeness!!
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hotvwchick wrote: »Awesome taco salad dressing is fat free sour cream and salsa mixed together. Total awesomeness!!
Oh yeah, I always have that!!!
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Just came across this thread this morning and I love it. Thanks for sharing your journey. I think all too often we hide in our struggles which perpetuates them.0
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This must be what retirement feels like! After 20 years of non-stop work and intense stress, this is the first time I've felt completely settled, financially secure (not rich by any stretch, but all the bills are paid), and have the future stretching ahead of me with no looming deadlines. Nothing is starting soon. I'm not rushing around, trying to fit everything into a short break, or a busy weekend. It's LOVELY!
Something I'm really loving about my life right now is having such a relaxed routine everyday. I sleep till I wake up naturally, no alarm (never been a morning person, so I can't tell you how much I am LOVING this!). Go pee, put on a warm hoodie, put away the dishes (the hubs washes them before bed every night... what a sweetie, huh?!), make some decaf... take my supplements, fill my 32 oz water bottle... eat something, do some freelance graphic design work if I have any... shower and get dressed if I'm going out (otherwise stay in my jammies), prep meals, putter around tidying up, do something active like yoga, deskcycle, or a walk... family time when my boys get home after school/work, dinner, relax with my laptop and a hot cup of tea... off to bed... As an introvert who has felt STARVED for alone quiet time literally my whole life, I grew up the oldest in a family of 5 kids which made for a totally crazy chaotic loud home, I'm completely in my element at the moment...
I hope that didn't come across as bragging, I'm just feeling so incredibly content and happy today that I wanted to express what's on my mind...0 -
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I've never found being overweight a big issue in my life. I dated, got married, had a baby, have never had a problem getting a good job, built a successful business, got a college education, never had people discriminate against me (that I know of) or talk down to me because of my weight. I've always been very confident and happy, other than situational depression and the normal teen angst, I've never struggled with feeling down on myself or hating myself. I'll put on a swimsuit and swim at a public beach without blinking an eye... Nobody even gives me a second look cause I'm not hiding or missing out on life... And if they do I've never noticed...
Today I identified an area where I DO feel ashamed of being fat, something I haven't had an awareness around before, it's been something I've shoved deep down inside and ignored until now. My son is a pre-teen and when he has friends over, or when I'm at his soccer games, or picking him up from school, or we run into his friends in the community... I want to dig a hole and hide. I want him to be proud of his mom, and I am afraid one day his friends will talk about me being fat and make him feel ashamed of me. I've worked hard to teach him that everyone has issues, nobody is perfect, everyone deserves unconditional respect and kindness. I'm looking forward to the day I can be around his friends without feeling bad about being fat.0 -
RillaVanilla wrote: »There's something bugging me today after reading a couple forum posts... It's the general tone and attitude towards people who are struggling or "failing" in their weight loss efforts. Are there people who actually feel motivated by other people being harsh and blunt to them? Why is that when someone is hurting or down people think it's helpful to blast them with accusations of "just making excuses" or "being too negative"? That has NEVER worked for me.
I am definitely more open to advice/suggestions when the approach is kind and compassionate. I'm not saying they should lie to me, but what's up with this hard knocks life "tell it like it is" attitude that seems to be permeating the weight loss community? Does it originate from the Biggest Loser type shows where a trainer screams at someone till they break? Cause it doesn't work like that in real life... Sorry, but it just comes across as incredibly self righteous and condescending. When I'm struggling, I REALLY don't want to hear how hard a life you have had and how you if you can do it, everyone else should be able to just snap out of it and DO IT... You don't live in my life or know my past, or what kind of emotional state of mind I'm in. Maybe I'm just naive, but isn't ignoring or shunning someone when they are being "negative" or feeling like a "failure" just going to make them feel even worse and continue the cycle? Here's a thought... Why don't we help people break that cycle by giving them practical and compassionate support? Sure it takes a little more time and effort, but it's SO worth it!
As someone who responds best to a gentle touch and compassionate words, here's how I want to be uplifted and encouraged when I'm struggling:- Start by listening, let me know you hear me, and show you care. ie "Wow, you're having a rough time. Sounds like you really need a hug today," NOT "Wow, aren't you full of excuses, why don't you just get off your lazy butt and exercise."
- Help me figure out what I'm doing RIGHT, because trust me, I already KNOW full well what I'm doing wrong.
- Share a story of a time you could relate to my situation/struggle. Connect with me. Be human and kind.
- Do something practical to support me in making small changes. Offer to do a challenge with me, or help me set some relevant goals. ie. "Let's message each other every time we've completed our workout" or "Let's set a timer and drink 4 oz of water every 30 minutes today" or "Here's a recipe that's easy and super delicious, let's both get the ingredients today and do some food prep so we're eating well."
- Be honest AND kind. Don't tiptoe around the issues I'm having, don't ignore areas that need to improve, but for the love of all that is right in the world, PLEASE use some tact and kindness when telling me the truth. As Mary Poppins said, "A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down..."
/rant
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@tlbevins1 Any reason you quoted my post?
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Very well said! And I feel for ALL of us trying to stay on track and how the negative comments hit us and hurt us. We are all human and that is not an excuse. I am new to this site but look for support on my journey too0
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Very well said! And I feel for ALL of us trying to stay on track and how the negative comments hit us and hurt us. We are all human and that is not an excuse. I am new to this site but look for support on my journey too
Awesome! Glad you could relate. Welcome to MFP... it's a great community if you hook up with like minded people who are here to make our lives better, but also acknowledge that sometimes it's hard and we need a hand up.
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New. trying to figure out how to join blogs an groups. Looking for support. Big journey ahead0
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Having a super *kitten* day. Woke up feeling cranky... STILL no TOM so I'm sure it's all very hormonal... Everything is annoying today and I have a short temper, so the hubs and kid drove to the ferry line up to hold our place and I walked the 40 minutes there. Felt slightly better... Till we had all our dental appointments and found out it's going to cost like $800 to get everyone's teeth fixed... There goes our holiday in September, which I'm super bummed about. Trying not to take out my frustration on anyone...0
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Oh man that stinks. I am fortunate to have insurance. I can relate to mood swings. As I age , 40s now, it is worsening. Bet it felt good to walk, must be nice temps there. Here very cold. 16 degree at the moment.
I am proud I made it to workout today and walked at work too yeaaa...MFP says I get extra 600 calories but don't think I will use them tonight 0 -
@tlbev2015 Yup... the joys of self employment... looked into getting an insurance plan, but the monthly premiums came to more than we spent out of pocket, so not worth it.. Nice job on the walking! It's sunny, no wind, and the temp was around 50 F/10 C, so no complaints. Still feeling pretty angsty, but I am working a nice treat into my net calories so have that to look forward to. Sugar always calms the angries when I feel like this... cherry ice cream drizzled with kahlua should hit the spot. 0
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I want chocolate, or pie, or ice cream, or licorice ... and am sitting on my hands so I don't grab the car keys and run to the corner gas station's mini mart. If there was any milk in the house I'd make hot chocolate from the baking cocoa that's in the cupboard.0
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hi!
so glad your doing well, I'm on the same journey. I'm 36 and I started at 320#, I'm at 293# in the last 5 weeks. I've definitely decided enough is enough. I have 3 children and a devoted husband and both I and they deserve better. bottom line is I've been lazy and didn't really care what I ate and how much of it.
I've totally changed my diet, it takes a lot longer every day to make healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner but I'm commited. I have fruit shakes all the time, healthy snacks and to tell you the truth I don't feel hungry most of the time. I have my moments but I hang in there. I haven't had junk food in over 5 weeks and I do feel better.
I also started started the gym 3 weeks ago, I go every morning at 5 am to do some cardio then weight lifting Monday thru Friday. at first it was tough and I loath that elliptical but I push myself. my legs are a lot stronger that they were when I started. I've tried the treadmill but always feel dizzy when I get off.
my goal weight is 150 and I'm determined to get there no matter how long it takes. I've always been a little over weight until I went to college and everything went down hill from there. I want that look and feel great. I'm so far away but a little each day. WE can do this!!!0 -
I want chocolate, or pie, or ice cream, or licorice ... and am sitting on my hands so I don't grab the car keys and run to the corner gas station's mini mart. If there was any milk in the house I'd make hot chocolate from the baking cocoa that's in the cupboard.
Herbal tea!! That's what I do when I'm having cravings... also chlorella supplements help.
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@alexamedina1 Well done on a great start! Kudos to doing those early morning workouts... I'm SO NOT a morning person, so the thought of trying to do the gym that early doesn't appeal at all... We're very close in age and weight, so it's nice to have you along for the ride, as I know we'll relate to each other a lot!0
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