This started out as an answer to "why did you get fat" but then it got long so...

i'd be a lot more sympathetic to you if i hadn't lost 90 lbs. recently, and i'm 5'5". in addition to that, my highest weight was 265 lbs. i am biologically female (i identify as male). i had binge eating disorder, pre diabetes, no gallbladder, PCOS, high blood pressure, signs of a fatty liver, and pancreatitis. in addition to that, i was taking metformin because i was also showing signs of insulin resistance! that's not even including mental issues... but with hard work, i am now 166 lbs.

all i did was use this site to accuracy, use iifym and cico together, and then switch to keto when i wanted to try something different. i managed to reverse all but two of the ailments on that list. there's no such thing as 'i'm genetically predisposed'.

maybe you're predisposed to overeating because you've got emotional problems that may or may not be genetic, but no, high weight doesn't follow genetics whatsoever. my family's fairly diverse. there are thin and obese people on both sides, but one side overeats and the other doesn't as often.

explain how if obesity follows genetics and i have emotional problems and i've finally snapped out of that same victim complex mentality i've lost the weight i wanted to and am still losing. you can't really fight me on it, can you? yeah.

you're doing something wrong. that's all there is to it. losing weight requires a lot of tinkering, much like one would tinker with electronics to troubleshoot an issue.

best of luck to you.

derekspiewak wrote: »

Itsonlymeagain wrote: »

@derek... no I'm not part of any movement and I don't believe it either. I already said I want to lose weight because I'm feeling it in my joints, among other raesons. What I DID say is that medical doctors don't pay much attention for me because there is nothing for them to treat. High TSH? here's a pill. High aic? here's a pill. What does a medical doctor do for someone with normal labs? Not much.

I don't mean to argue but some people are being irrationally hardball and I don't appreciate that. There is not one way to do things and it's stupid, literally stupid, to say measuring 1/2 cup of oats is vastly different than weighing it. I'm not a stupid person. IT's not like I"m packing them down in tight. So when I say I measure the food I'm looking for an honest discussion on why this is so bad vs weighing. I don't see it. Sorry, I don't and being nasty instead if informational is not helping me or anyone else who may be reading and not commenting.

OK, let's take a breather here and talk about a few things.

• Weighing your food is definitely better than measuring volume. It's much more precise. Volume varies with foods, but weight always remains the same. It's super easy, too. Just set the bowl on the scale, zero it out, and then add the food. I have one at home too, and I love it.
• You are going to need a more accurate measuring mechanism because, as you said yourself, you are short. What is a small difference to a tall person is going to have a big impact on a short person. I'm sorry, I didn't make life this way. It's unfair as hell but it is what it is. It's important for you - at least at first - to precisely measure your foods so you can actually see what your caloric intake really is.
• Most of us suffered from some major delusions or misconceptions on the way to figuring out how to lose weight. Playing nice didn't help. Other fat people don't want us to lose weight, because it makes them feel bad. Sociopathic hucksters know how much we want to lose weight, and we always buy the nonsense that promises an easier way, so they keep selling it to us and walking away with our money. We had to face things with a cold, confrontational attitude before we could move forward. I know it makes you mad. Well, get mad, damn it! You should be mad. You're suffering and there's a predictable, workable way out.

OP, I'm going to be blunt here and if I offend you, I really am sorry. You remind me a lot of how I was so I'm giving you the tough love that I wish I had heard before I got to be the way I am now.

What this person said is right on the money (see the bolded statement). Yes, you are lying. Not to us, but to yourself. I went through the same thing when I was at my biggest. I gained 4 pant sizes but refused to believe it and actually convinced myself that pants were just made 4 sizes smaller in a year (not even kidding).

I have hormone issues and an insulin resistance. I'm also on birth control and multiple medications that are known for weight gain. I've still lost over 40 pounds (which trust me, is a big difference physically even though it may not sound like much) despite the fact I have so much working against me. Did it take awhile? Damn right it did. Did I regress back to my old habits? Absolutely. Did I give up because I didn't lose weight for a month or two? Nope.

What works? Counting calories, weighing food, and exercise. If you don't want to weight your food (I don't), buy prepackaged food. For example, I buy vegetarian chicken nuggets that have 200 calories per 4 nuggets. They are exactly the same size.

If you are hungry all the time, up your calories and up your exercise. Make sure to eat back some of the calories you burn. Not all of them, just some. MFP calculates that for you so you don't even have to worry about the math.

If you need motivation, I will show you my weight loss pics. I have not shown anyone outside of my immediate friends and family but you remind me so much of how I was, I'm willing to share them. Just let me know.

Good luck.

I suggest a detox diet. It seemed to totally reset my metabolism. The 17 day diet is about food combos and sustaining from refined sugars, starches. I had to eat more protein (my weakness) and found out that I was less hungry. This detox was a basic clean eating plan and worked to get things in order for me. Just a thought

quintoespada wrote: »

in addendum to this thread, it's clear that this is a user who has tried time and again to use some type of tracking site. there's no picture on their profile and they've posted only 14 times. i'd say unless they start listening pretty soon, they're either trolling or they really don't give a crap about accountability in the slightest. let them suffer. misery loves company.

Many people use the diary without using the forums.

Itsonlymeagain wrote: »

SlightlyAnother topic... Do you ever deduct for trimming meat? Say you're eating a steak that weighs 8oz but then you trim off the visible fat and of course take out the bone. Do you do all that and then weigh the meat. Or draining the fat from ground beef? Does that deduct anything from calorie count? Then of course to my lunch example. I measured out 1 tsp oil but there was a heaping load of dressing left in the bowl. How do you count for that if at all? If it has to be that calories are counted to the exact preciseness then. And again to meat is the calories given in the app for pre or post cooking because lots of fat always drips off.

And then there is the stuff that I have no idea and have nothing to go off of. I buy these great homegrown sausages from a local butcher because he doesn't add filler fat and typical curing additives. It's just chicken or pork plus whatever the flavor du jour is like maple or fire roasted veggies or whatever so I've been counted it as a chicken or pork chop.

I'm not being obtuse... these are questions I've asked myself over the past couple weeks.

If I am eating a steak or ribs or some such thing with bones, I weigh it cooked, search for the appropriate entry in the database (it should specify cooked), and then I weigh the bones/fat at the end of my meal (when my plate is empty anyways).

As for the others, I just log the full amount and call it a wash. It's likely 20-50 calories for the day that I'm overestimating; I'm good with that.

The only thing that you need to know is that if you are not losing weight, you are consuming more calories than you are burning. The End.

The ball is in your court as to what you do with that information. It IS that black and white. Whether you weigh your food or estimate your portions, your results will determine whether you're accurate or not.

Your questions are easy to answer--weigh what you eat. Count the fat on your steak or don't, whatever works best for you. I'm comfortable with over estimating slightly because then I can be sure I'm eating within my goal. My plan of action is to slightly over estimate what I am eating and slightly under estimate what I burn and it works beautifully. If I start losing too quickly or not quick enough, I re-adjust.

It will take some trial and error to find out what your ideal calorie intake for the day will be and that number will change as you lose and get smaller. It's all fuzzy math when you get right to it, so being as accurate as you can with your portions is the way to go. For me, I use a food scale because I am terrible with eyeballing food.

I have lost nearly 30 pounds using this method since March 1, 2015, down to 137 from 170.

I guess I missed where it said what the doctor told you? You have seen a doctor I assume?