I Am STARVING!! Close to Maintenance. Is This Normal?
Replies
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A break is good. Nearly everyone likes a couple of weeks of maintenance.
Also eat slower, chew lots, and think about what you are eating. Have little SIM really appreciate the food so it goes 'ahh I really tasted and appreciated every mouthful. Thank you Real Me'
Worth a go anyway, h
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pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »Only thing to add since no one answer your point - yes, take diet breaks. If you've been dieting for 9 months straight, going to maintenance for a few weeks to a month will be beneficial on bringing hormonal levels back to normal and managing hunger, sanity and satiety.
But then I'm going to gain 3 - 5 lbs!! I've worked so hard to lose the weight, I don't want to see the scale go back up. Arghh!!- I hate you, scale. We were friends for such a long time, but I just don't know if you meet my needs anymore.
Relax - maintenance isn't about gaining a lot of weight - maybe a few pounds but they'll drop once you restart.
Diet breaks are important - consider that this is how a) you learn to be at a stable point b) you allow your body to rest.
The reason you are starving is because you need a break.
Here, I could write you a long post on hormones and grehlin and all that but it is just a really common topic now, that I'm going to leave two links:
http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet-break/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
Okay, you've convinced me, in part because of this dialogue that is currently going on in mind:
Me: I just had a large bowl of chili and a protein/fiber bar. My stomach is so full it's about to burst. It's nice to be full!
Something Inside Me: I'm still hungry.
Me: Feel how full your stomach is? You're not hungry.
SIM: Yes, I am. I'm still hungry.
Me: You're not hungry. Let's just wait a few minutes and see.
SIM (a few minutes later): I'm still hungry.
SIM (30 minutes later): I'm still hungry. We still have our salad to eat. Let's go eat it.
(Dreaming about eating my salad)
Me: But if we eat any more right now, we might burst. For real. You're not really hungry.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We could have a snack.
SIM: I'm still hungry. Let's have another protein bar. It was so good.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We should eat that banana before it gets too ripe.
Me: Would you just SHUT UP ALREADY!! YOU'RE NOT REALLY HUNGRY!
SIM: I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY!
I think I'm in Stage 2 of article #1. After 9 months, maybe it really is time for a break.
Great, it can cause a little anxiety but just ramp up your calories slowly, say add 200 cals and hold for 2 weeks. When you gain from that you'll know it isn't fat (max fat gain IF it was fat would be 0.5 lbs from maintenance.) And that any gains are just the body adjusting to glycogen storage and fluids.
Repeat. Hold. And voila, a break. See how you feel about hunger, see how your macros are doing.0 -
pearso21123 wrote: »enterdanger wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »Okay, just from my experience today, protein is easy but fiber is HARD! (I was in the red on protein until I changed my goal to 30% instead of 20%). I think refried beans may be my new best friend. You have opened up a whole new challenge for me. Before, it was just what foods have the lowest calories. Now, it's what foods have reasonable calories while meeting my fiber and protein goals. In one day, two foods have gone from my DO NOT EAT list to the top of my list of things to eat (cottage cheese and refried beans). Now, the challenge is to find foods that pack the most bang for the calories.
Is it cheating if I eat a fiber bar? Is all fiber created equal?
Fiber is not too hard. Squash. I've been making this amazing soup I got on skinnytaste and it has 10g of fiber per 1 and 1/3 cup serving. http://www.skinnytaste.com/2015/10/slow-cooker-blissful-butternut-squash.html
So good. and instead of nutmeg I just season with garam masala right before I eat it.
Oooh, this looks so good, I'm going to try it tomorrow. I've never had any kind of squash soup before. I checked to see if I could use pumpkin instead, but pumpkin has way less fiber than butternut. Who knew?!
I used half butternut and half kabocha (japanese pumpkin). The kabocha kind of tastes like a butternut and honey dew melon had a baby. If you really want fiber you can actually eat the skin on acorn and kabocha once cooked. I didn't like that for my soup because it would make the texture weird, but when I just bake and eat those two squashes I always eat the skin.0 -
pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »Only thing to add since no one answer your point - yes, take diet breaks. If you've been dieting for 9 months straight, going to maintenance for a few weeks to a month will be beneficial on bringing hormonal levels back to normal and managing hunger, sanity and satiety.
But then I'm going to gain 3 - 5 lbs!! I've worked so hard to lose the weight, I don't want to see the scale go back up. Arghh!!- I hate you, scale. We were friends for such a long time, but I just don't know if you meet my needs anymore.
Relax - maintenance isn't about gaining a lot of weight - maybe a few pounds but they'll drop once you restart.
Diet breaks are important - consider that this is how a) you learn to be at a stable point b) you allow your body to rest.
The reason you are starving is because you need a break.
Here, I could write you a long post on hormones and grehlin and all that but it is just a really common topic now, that I'm going to leave two links:
http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet-break/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
Okay, you've convinced me, in part because of this dialogue that is currently going on in mind:
Me: I just had a large bowl of chili and a protein/fiber bar. My stomach is so full it's about to burst. It's nice to be full!
Something Inside Me: I'm still hungry.
Me: Feel how full your stomach is? You're not hungry.
SIM: Yes, I am. I'm still hungry.
Me: You're not hungry. Let's just wait a few minutes and see.
SIM (a few minutes later): I'm still hungry.
SIM (30 minutes later): I'm still hungry. We still have our salad to eat. Let's go eat it.
(Dreaming about eating my salad)
Me: But if we eat any more right now, we might burst. For real. You're not really hungry.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We could have a snack.
SIM: I'm still hungry. Let's have another protein bar. It was so good.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We should eat that banana before it gets too ripe.
Me: Would you just SHUT UP ALREADY!! YOU'RE NOT REALLY HUNGRY!
SIM: I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY!
I think I'm in Stage 2 of article #1. After 9 months, maybe it really is time for a break.
This made me laugh. I think we've all been there.
We got married at the end of September- so I was on my wedding 'diet' for most of the year. For the beginning of the year I was only on a slight deficit and it was fine. As the day approached I reduced my calories a little more. Finally about a week or so before, I broke down and cried in our living room because I felt the house was too cluttered to function, and then maniacally (laughing at myself crying) asked my now husband to help me clean. That was it. I was stressed and hungry and just done. (Coincidentally I did get sick the week before our wedding and ate mostly homemade chicken noodle soup.)
But our wedding was fantastic and then I didn't even think about calories on our honeymoon. We went to Belize and oh, I have dreams about the coconut rice and beans. We did a lot too- snorkeling and exploring Mayan ruins, but there were enough Dirty Bananas consumed poolside to cancel out most of that.
When we got back I continued to hoover most everything in sight for the rest of October. It. Was. Awesome.
I gained two pounds. Then started eating normally and working out again and they are gone already. I didn't really intend to take a break, it just sort of happened. And I'm just now learning about the benefits, and relating to them! I feel so much better. Recharged. Refocused.
Take the break.
(ETA: My hungry days almost always come after I've been short on protein, too.)
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I don't get that 'diet break' thing.
I took my first one when I went on vacations, basically eating 10-20% over TDEE for 7 days... I gained 3 pounds, and it didn't do a thing for my appetite. If anything, it increased my appetite, and now 1.5 year later I'm still 1 pound heavier than I was before that diet break. It's like eating more just made me want to eat more, and I'm miserable on days when I try to eat less.
So yeah. Still very skeptical about the whole thing, but I guess if you're hungry already, it can't really make it worse.0 -
yep been there too. I was starving so you know what I did? I ATE lol and it feels great and I didn't gain.0
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EvgeniZyntx wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »Only thing to add since no one answer your point - yes, take diet breaks. If you've been dieting for 9 months straight, going to maintenance for a few weeks to a month will be beneficial on bringing hormonal levels back to normal and managing hunger, sanity and satiety.
But then I'm going to gain 3 - 5 lbs!! I've worked so hard to lose the weight, I don't want to see the scale go back up. Arghh!!- I hate you, scale. We were friends for such a long time, but I just don't know if you meet my needs anymore.
Relax - maintenance isn't about gaining a lot of weight - maybe a few pounds but they'll drop once you restart.
Diet breaks are important - consider that this is how a) you learn to be at a stable point b) you allow your body to rest.
The reason you are starving is because you need a break.
Here, I could write you a long post on hormones and grehlin and all that but it is just a really common topic now, that I'm going to leave two links:
http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet-break/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
Okay, you've convinced me, in part because of this dialogue that is currently going on in mind:
Me: I just had a large bowl of chili and a protein/fiber bar. My stomach is so full it's about to burst. It's nice to be full!
Something Inside Me: I'm still hungry.
Me: Feel how full your stomach is? You're not hungry.
SIM: Yes, I am. I'm still hungry.
Me: You're not hungry. Let's just wait a few minutes and see.
SIM (a few minutes later): I'm still hungry.
SIM (30 minutes later): I'm still hungry. We still have our salad to eat. Let's go eat it.
(Dreaming about eating my salad)
Me: But if we eat any more right now, we might burst. For real. You're not really hungry.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We could have a snack.
SIM: I'm still hungry. Let's have another protein bar. It was so good.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We should eat that banana before it gets too ripe.
Me: Would you just SHUT UP ALREADY!! YOU'RE NOT REALLY HUNGRY!
SIM: I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY!
I think I'm in Stage 2 of article #1. After 9 months, maybe it really is time for a break.
Great, it can cause a little anxiety but just ramp up your calories slowly, say add 200 cals and hold for 2 weeks. When you gain from that you'll know it isn't fat (max fat gain IF it was fat would be 0.5 lbs from maintenance.) And that any gains are just the body adjusting to glycogen storage and fluids.
Repeat. Hold. And voila, a break. See how you feel about hunger, see how your macros are doing.
Do I have to ramp up calories slowly? I'm already set to 0.5 lb/wk. I was just going to switch myself to maintenance and go for it. I'm so wore out and tired I just don't care anymore. I figure I'll not worry about a little extra weight and see how I actually feel. Are my workouts going better? Am I feeling stronger with more energy? If yes, then my body just needs some extra fuel for awhile, even if I gain a little. Not that I want to go crazy or anything, but a few pounds isn't going to hurt. (Boy, is that a change in thinking).
I joined the Eat More 2 Weigh Less group and downloaded their guide. I think I'm going to try the program and see how it goes. I normally am better with some sort of guideline to follow, rather than just winging it, and their program has a set timeline for each stage of the process so should be good.0 -
I don't get that 'diet break' thing.
I took my first one when I went on vacations, basically eating 10-20% over TDEE for 7 days... I gained 3 pounds, and it didn't do a thing for my appetite. If anything, it increased my appetite, and now 1.5 year later I'm still 1 pound heavier than I was before that diet break. It's like eating more just made me want to eat more, and I'm miserable on days when I try to eat less.
So yeah. Still very skeptical about the whole thing, but I guess if you're hungry already, it can't really make it worse.
I thought of you when I was reading the info posted in the Eat More 2 Weigh Less blog and wondered if you'd ever tried it. I'm going to try to follow their program, which comes with a timeline for each portion. I tend to do better with set goals instead of just willy-nilly. At this point, I figure "What's the worst that could happen?" Hopefully, it'll work and I'll be refreshed and ready to lose the last few pounds.0 -
AlisonH729 wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »Only thing to add since no one answer your point - yes, take diet breaks. If you've been dieting for 9 months straight, going to maintenance for a few weeks to a month will be beneficial on bringing hormonal levels back to normal and managing hunger, sanity and satiety.
But then I'm going to gain 3 - 5 lbs!! I've worked so hard to lose the weight, I don't want to see the scale go back up. Arghh!!- I hate you, scale. We were friends for such a long time, but I just don't know if you meet my needs anymore.
Relax - maintenance isn't about gaining a lot of weight - maybe a few pounds but they'll drop once you restart.
Diet breaks are important - consider that this is how a) you learn to be at a stable point b) you allow your body to rest.
The reason you are starving is because you need a break.
Here, I could write you a long post on hormones and grehlin and all that but it is just a really common topic now, that I'm going to leave two links:
http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet-break/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
Okay, you've convinced me, in part because of this dialogue that is currently going on in mind:
Me: I just had a large bowl of chili and a protein/fiber bar. My stomach is so full it's about to burst. It's nice to be full!
Something Inside Me: I'm still hungry.
Me: Feel how full your stomach is? You're not hungry.
SIM: Yes, I am. I'm still hungry.
Me: You're not hungry. Let's just wait a few minutes and see.
SIM (a few minutes later): I'm still hungry.
SIM (30 minutes later): I'm still hungry. We still have our salad to eat. Let's go eat it.
(Dreaming about eating my salad)
Me: But if we eat any more right now, we might burst. For real. You're not really hungry.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We could have a snack.
SIM: I'm still hungry. Let's have another protein bar. It was so good.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We should eat that banana before it gets too ripe.
Me: Would you just SHUT UP ALREADY!! YOU'RE NOT REALLY HUNGRY!
SIM: I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY!
I think I'm in Stage 2 of article #1. After 9 months, maybe it really is time for a break.
This made me laugh. I think we've all been there.
We got married at the end of September- so I was on my wedding 'diet' for most of the year. For the beginning of the year I was only on a slight deficit and it was fine. As the day approached I reduced my calories a little more. Finally about a week or so before, I broke down and cried in our living room because I felt the house was too cluttered to function, and then maniacally (laughing at myself crying) asked my now husband to help me clean. That was it. I was stressed and hungry and just done. (Coincidentally I did get sick the week before our wedding and ate mostly homemade chicken noodle soup.)
But our wedding was fantastic and then I didn't even think about calories on our honeymoon. We went to Belize and oh, I have dreams about the coconut rice and beans. We did a lot too- snorkeling and exploring Mayan ruins, but there were enough Dirty Bananas consumed poolside to cancel out most of that.
When we got back I continued to hoover most everything in sight for the rest of October. It. Was. Awesome.
I gained two pounds. Then started eating normally and working out again and they are gone already. I didn't really intend to take a break, it just sort of happened. And I'm just now learning about the benefits, and relating to them! I feel so much better. Recharged. Refocused.
Take the break.
(ETA: My hungry days almost always come after I've been short on protein, too.)
Awwww, what a beautiful wedding photo. And, it sounds awesome. I have a bad feeling I'm going to gain more than two pounds, but hopefully I'll be recharged and raring to start losing again by the time I get back to a deficit.0 -
pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »Only thing to add since no one answer your point - yes, take diet breaks. If you've been dieting for 9 months straight, going to maintenance for a few weeks to a month will be beneficial on bringing hormonal levels back to normal and managing hunger, sanity and satiety.
But then I'm going to gain 3 - 5 lbs!! I've worked so hard to lose the weight, I don't want to see the scale go back up. Arghh!!- I hate you, scale. We were friends for such a long time, but I just don't know if you meet my needs anymore.
Relax - maintenance isn't about gaining a lot of weight - maybe a few pounds but they'll drop once you restart.
Diet breaks are important - consider that this is how a) you learn to be at a stable point b) you allow your body to rest.
The reason you are starving is because you need a break.
Here, I could write you a long post on hormones and grehlin and all that but it is just a really common topic now, that I'm going to leave two links:
http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet-break/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
Okay, you've convinced me, in part because of this dialogue that is currently going on in mind:
Me: I just had a large bowl of chili and a protein/fiber bar. My stomach is so full it's about to burst. It's nice to be full!
Something Inside Me: I'm still hungry.
Me: Feel how full your stomach is? You're not hungry.
SIM: Yes, I am. I'm still hungry.
Me: You're not hungry. Let's just wait a few minutes and see.
SIM (a few minutes later): I'm still hungry.
SIM (30 minutes later): I'm still hungry. We still have our salad to eat. Let's go eat it.
(Dreaming about eating my salad)
Me: But if we eat any more right now, we might burst. For real. You're not really hungry.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We could have a snack.
SIM: I'm still hungry. Let's have another protein bar. It was so good.
SIM: I'm still hungry. We should eat that banana before it gets too ripe.
Me: Would you just SHUT UP ALREADY!! YOU'RE NOT REALLY HUNGRY!
SIM: I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY!
I think I'm in Stage 2 of article #1. After 9 months, maybe it really is time for a break.
Great, it can cause a little anxiety but just ramp up your calories slowly, say add 200 cals and hold for 2 weeks. When you gain from that you'll know it isn't fat (max fat gain IF it was fat would be 0.5 lbs from maintenance.) And that any gains are just the body adjusting to glycogen storage and fluids.
Repeat. Hold. And voila, a break. See how you feel about hunger, see how your macros are doing.
Do I have to ramp up calories slowly? I'm already set to 0.5 lb/wk. I was just going to switch myself to maintenance and go for it. I'm so wore out and tired I just don't care anymore. I figure I'll not worry about a little extra weight and see how I actually feel. Are my workouts going better? Am I feeling stronger with more energy? If yes, then my body just needs some extra fuel for awhile, even if I gain a little. Not that I want to go crazy or anything, but a few pounds isn't going to hurt. (Boy, is that a change in thinking).
I joined the Eat More 2 Weigh Less group and downloaded their guide. I think I'm going to try the program and see how it goes. I normally am better with some sort of guideline to follow, rather than just winging it, and their program has a set timeline for each stage of the process so should be good.
No, you don't, I was suggesting it as a way to stave off anxiety. Go ahead directly to maintenance if you like.0 -
No such thing as reverse dieting. When you come out from a deficit or cut your body WILL gain weight. to replenish glycogen and water.
Could it be you are trying to go below your body's "happy weight" ? Every one as a natural set point body weight range. when you go below it and try to maintaian, you will feel cold, tired, lethargic, hair loss etc. Once you gain back that 2 - 3 kg, your body will be at a happy point. BMI is rubbish and shuoldnt be used as a gague0 -
Shouliveshappy wrote: »No such thing as reverse dieting. When you come out from a deficit or cut your body WILL gain weight. to replenish glycogen and water.
Could it be you are trying to go below your body's "happy weight" ? Every one as a natural set point body weight range. when you go below it and try to maintaian, you will feel cold, tired, lethargic, hair loss etc. Once you gain back that 2 - 3 kg, your body will be at a happy point. BMI is rubbish and shuoldnt be used as a gague
I do indeed believe in "happy weights," but I don't think I'm to mine yet, unless it's changed since I've gotten older. I averaged 120 lbs. all through high school and college; 120 in summer, 125 in winter. I never watched what I ate and didn't work out or do any intentional exercise. I'm aiming for 125 which was my high end back then, which seems reasonable to me. But, really, I just want to be back to size 8 (my size for many years) regardless of what I weigh.
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Shouliveshappy wrote: »No such thing as reverse dieting. When you come out from a deficit or cut your body WILL gain weight. to replenish glycogen and water.
Could it be you are trying to go below your body's "happy weight" ? Every one as a natural set point body weight range. when you go below it and try to maintaian, you will feel cold, tired, lethargic, hair loss etc. Once you gain back that 2 - 3 kg, your body will be at a happy point. BMI is rubbish and shuoldnt be used as a gague
No such thing as "happy weight" or a "set point body weight" either. That theory's been disproven many times over. If you're cold, tired, lethargic, and losing hair, you may be underweight or running too large a deficit, but your body doesn't have a weight to which it gravitates.0 -
This is the BEST thread I have read in a long time.
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I went back 3 weeks. The day I was talking about specifically is October 23rd. October 15th no breakfast logged and 1000 calories of Taco Bell for lunch.
Typically you are low on protein (which is filling) and you could make choices that are more filling.
Taco Bell was my breakfast (and lunch) that day. I work an odd shift so breakfast for me is often not until noon or later. It's embarrassing sometimes what I enter for "breakfast" because it's the first meal of my day, but it's not what most people would think of as breakfast. Today, I had pizza for breakfast at around 2 PM.0 -
JustMissTracy wrote: »pearso21123 wrote: »Thank you, everybody. I just went back and reviewed my diary, and holy cow! I didn't realize I'd let that much fast food sneak back into my life! No wonder I've been so hungry. I thought I was doing really well with all of the home cooking I've been doing. I hate to cook and have learned a lot of new recipes over the summer, and have added in a lot more veggies than in the past, but obviously I still have a ways to go.
So, to summarize what you've helped me to realize, though it should have been obvious:- More protein
- Less carbs
- Less junk and fast food overall (duh! Why didn't I think of that myself)
- More fiber
- More veggies
Now I need to go make a list of the foods I should be eating and tape copies on the stove, the refrigerator, and on my computer at work.
Note to self: Get back on track and quit screwing around!
And, as my way of apology for asking such a stupid question, I am having a can of tuna for dinner. Partly because that's all the calories I have left, and partly because Protein.
The best tip I've learned through all this, is to keep it simple...if you can throw five ingredients into a crockpot or casserole, throw in some spices and coconut oil, and let it cook....you'll make your prep time nice and easy...Some days I'll throw in chicken thighs, rice, beans, crushed tomatoes....other days, beef, broccoli, onions, tomato or pepper or both....by doing it like this, you're ensuring you come close to getting your macros goals met, you aren't starving, you could possibly make enough for two days (I do that at least twice a week), AND you are eating way healthier. Don't think of all this as stupid, it's not...there's learning curves, and everyone's experience is different. DON"T just eat a can of tuna!! Your body wants balance! If anything, please throw that tuna on some salad or in with some pasta and tomatos..if you go over, that's ok, you'll still continue losing AND you won't be famished at 7 pm ...Good luck! xo
I made potato soup yesterday with about 6 ingredients and it turned out SOOO good, and was so easy. I've got plans for something with rice for tomorrow. I have to look to see what other veggies I have available, but I know I have home-canned tomatoes and venison burger.0 -
Shouliveshappy wrote: »No such thing as reverse dieting. When you come out from a deficit or cut your body WILL gain weight. to replenish glycogen and water.
Could it be you are trying to go below your body's "happy weight" ? Every one as a natural set point body weight range. when you go below it and try to maintaian, you will feel cold, tired, lethargic, hair loss etc. Once you gain back that 2 - 3 kg, your body will be at a happy point. BMI is rubbish and shuoldnt be used as a gague
I've heard people say not to use BMI, but what else is there? You have to have some sort of guideline to go by.0 -
I just wanted to give everybody and update and say thanks for the help. I've been trying really hard to hit my new macros, and so far it does seem to be helping. I'm still hungry sometimes, but not the crazy hungry I was going through. Fiber is still hard; protein is pretty easy as long as I have time to cook meat, without meat it's much harder. I still don't have a new scale but at least I know how to calculate the total servings in a pot, even if I have to use my bathroom scales to get the weight. Thanks, everyone!0
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Rock on!0
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What great comments. A lot of people said pretty much what I thought - which is to increase the "good" food and reduce the "not so good" food. Veggies are particularly good because you get a lot of volume for the calories.
One thing I didn't see that might help is to up your exercise. That came home to me big time when I noticed a comment from an MFP friend about increasing her calorie level to 2500. What?! She's not a particularly tall person so 2500 calories is a lot. The one thing I've noticed is that, almost every day, she's on the elliptical machine, or taking a long brisk walk, etc. I have a feeling those extra calories go a long way toward getting rid of any thoughts (even mere glimmers) of hunger!
You've done great. Now's the really important part, maintaining. I like the saying that one person passed along, "don't let the perfect get in the way of the good." That is so true. Particularly when it comes to maintenance. Some of the thrill of losing wears off. Even that word, "maintenance," sounds boring. But it's the one most important thing we can do.
BTW, I'm preaching to myself here. Losing is not a problem. Keeping it off is a lot harder. Huge kudos go to everyone who's lost and kept it off.
: )0 -
Just read your "I'm hungry" dialogue. Another approach (to taking a break) is to increase both exercise and low-calorie foods. I'm talking a lot when it comes to low-calorie foods. My heart kind of sank when I read your dialogue because I've been there so many times and those danged breaks can turn into a lot of pounds. (They're freakin' easy to put on and a lot harder to take off.) Maybe a break with scale and MFP for accountability?
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MimiPersists wrote: »Just read your "I'm hungry" dialogue. Another approach (to taking a break) is to increase both exercise and low-calorie foods. I'm talking a lot when it comes to low-calorie foods. My heart kind of sank when I read your dialogue because I've been there so many times and those danged breaks can turn into a lot of pounds. (They're freakin' easy to put on and a lot harder to take off.) Maybe a break with scale and MFP for accountability?
Aww, it almost sounds like you were worried about me . That actually makes me feel good because I don't think anyone has worried about me for a long time, besides my mom, and moms don't count. Actually, by diet "break" I meant just eating at maintenance for awhile, not abandoning MFP and going crazy. I've already moved to weighing only once a month. My loss is so slow right now I just couldn't take weekly weigh-ins anymore, when you can't really get a good idea of the actual loss.
I can try to increase exercise, but I don't know if I can find the time. I'm set to sedentary because I have a full-time desk job and a long commute, but the rest of the time my days are pretty full. If I'm awake, I'm doing something. I don't have time to sit and watch television or play games. I actually only watch t.v. twice a week, on Thursday and Friday evenings after putting the kids to bed for the night, when my husband and I snuggle and watch a movie before bed (so maybe 4 hours total each week). The rest of the week I watch zero t.v. I spend my time before leaving for work cleaning the house, cleaning the yard, taking care of our animals (we have a farm), stacking firewood, taking care of our garden (about a half-acre so big), preparing meals, and all the other "life" activities. I'm doing C25K three times a week for about an hour total, and I walk during my lunch breaks for 30 minute five times a week. I try to take the kids out at least once a week to do something involving exercise (the park, a bike ride, the dog park, the Y, whatever gets us moving). One thing I have been trying to get the courage to do is learn to skate. Once winter hits, we try to go skating on Fridays at our local roller rink. In the past, I've always sat and watched because I don't know how to skate, but lately all I think is how much time I'm wasting sitting there when I could be burning some calories. I just have to get up enough courage to learn to skate in public.
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