Really Hoped I Would Have Lost More By Now

onemorelardo · July 2016

I went to the doctor on the 20th. He told me that my cholesterol was high and that I was overweight (5'9" starting weight 205 lbs. Cholesterol count of over 250). I've had one month with my next appointment coming up quickly on the 20th of this month.

Since that weigh in, I weigh 185 lbs which fluctuates daily between 185 and 190. I've changed, literally everything about my diet. I eat fresh fruit and veggies. I nearly never eat meat anymore (although I'm a born carnivore and really REALLY miss it). My personal goal for myself was to reach 180 before seeing him again. I wanted to show some marked improvement.

But, I still look in the mirror and grimace at that lumpy fatty in the mirror. My wife says that if I do anymore push ups and sit ups a night, she's going to call the funny farm to come and get me so I don't hurt myself.

I literally can't do anymore than what I have done already and I'm still stuck in the 15 pound range. I have no way to check my own cholesterol so I don't even know if I've improved at all there.

I don't even know why I'm posting this other than I'm disappointed in myself and kind of ashamed that in a month, I couldn't do any better. End rant.

Sorry.

Hornsby · July 2016

Changing your food types can have an affect on your energy balance but if you changed from what you were eating to what you eat now, but are still eating the same amount of calories, the net effect will be pretty similar. Are you tracing how many calories you eat per day?

onemorelardo · July 2016

Yes, I do not eat more than 1200 a day, although my diary wants me to eat 1500.

Hornsby · July 2016

And you weigh and measure everything? That's extremely low.

onemorelardo · July 2016

I scan the barcodes with the app. I read labels to make sure that there are no trans fats, or cholesterol. I eat the exact amount of the serving size and no more (sometimes less). I don't really have a scale, so with some items I have to eyeball them, but I always estimate as if I'm having too much and cut what I've portioned to something smaller.

sdepalma · July 2016

I would look into diets like Paleo and SCD. Meat never seemed to be a problem with me, though when there were carbs in my diet I always stay at the same weight if not gain some.

KelleyHB1 · July 2016

20th June? You've lost 15lbs in 3 weeks? That's extraordinary. You should be congratulating yourself not berating yourself. I do 1250 calories a day, 5hrs of exercise a week and lose on average 0.75lbs a week. Remember, this is a change of life plan for the rest of your life, not a quick fix, but that is an excellent result in a short space of time. Well done. I'm not sure how much cardio work you do, but perhaps you could add in some of that rather than just situps etc? Exercise always makes you feel good (hardest part is getting the gear on and getting out!) and will boost your metabolism, improve muscle tone and most importantly, work your heart (but start slowly if you're not used to it). Keep going, you're doing great!!!!

Hornsby · July 2016

My reading comprehension is off apparently. I didn't notice you had already lost 15lbs in a month. That's actually quite a lot and would be considered dangerous by some.

queenliz99 · July 2016

And to add, along with muscle loss. Slower weight loss is better. What type of exercise are you doing? Lifting anything heavy?

shadow2soul · July 2016

You've actually lost a lot in a short amount of time. Honestly you should probably up your calories to at least the minimum for guys which is 1500. Losing to fast usually results in lots of lean body mass loss (muscle, organs, etc) which translates to body composition staying the same or getting worse even though weight is going down.

Be careful. Keep your expectations realistic (hint: 1-2 lbs per week loss/if you want mostly fat loss no more than 1% body weight loss per week).

silvilunazul · July 2016

Yes, it is a huge loss and if you're taking 1200 calories it's likely too little to meet all your nutritional needs. It's always good to have a kitchen scale, not just to the effect of counting calories but also to prepare food better. Although, again, I don't see why you should be worried since you're losing weight rapidly. Anyway, if losing fat is the main goal perhaps you should add cardio to your workout routine.

onemorelardo · July 2016

queenliz99 wrote: »

And to add, along with muscle loss. Slower weight loss is better. What type of exercise are you doing? Lifting anything heavy?

No, I'm jogging (best I can) around my neighborhood. I stand at my desk instead of sitting anymore, while at work. Basic calisthenics when I get home. Go throw the ball around with my son and daughter in the evenings and basically try to stay active as much as possible until I go to bed.

jemhh · July 2016

You've lost 15 pounds. Adjust your expectations. At your height/weight, 2 pounds is the most you should be aiming for per week. You're going to end up losing more muscle than necessary and no matter how low you go you'll think you look lumpy fatty. Eat more, eat protein, and do resistance exercise.

itsbasschick · July 2016

your expectations are neither realistic nor healthy. to lose weight at that speed after the first week, you won't be losing just fat - you'll be losing muscle, which means your body will be burning less calories every freaking day. over-exercising can also weaken you. don't overdo - your goal to lose weight and lower your cholesterol is a lifetime change, not a quick fix that would lead to going back to what you were doing before.

44to44 · July 2016

That is a crazy amount of weight to lose in less than a month. Pretty sure your doctor wasn't expecting (or wanting) you to drop 30 lbs before the next monthly visit! You're setting yourself up for a world of disappointment if you expect to even keep up your current rate of weight loss. Talk to your dr. about it and tell him exactly what you've been doing (including only eating 1200 cal/day) to see what he says.

iammeinnh · July 2016

So, 15-20 lbs in a month. Major healthy changes with nutrition and activity. And, you are disappointed? Did I miss something?

All I can say is being healthy and fit isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. It's a lifetime of healthy choices.

onemorelardo · July 2016

I'm not really looking for a quick fix. My father has such bad hypertension that he has had transient strokes throughout his entire thirties, forties and fifties. My grandfather (on my dad's side) died from an aneurysm in his stomach on Thanksgiving day, due to high cholesterol.

I'm 37. I have an amazing wife two awesome kids and a baby on the way. To be perfectly honest about it, I'm afraid that with the cholesterol count that the doctor gave me, I'm on my way to slumping over a steering wheel in the grocery store parking lot like my granddad did.

I don't want to die early and miss my kids, or leave my wife to fend for herself. The cholesterol count was a gigantic wake up call for me and I want to correct this as quickly as possible.

It's not about winning some type of race, or being skinny (although it would be nice). It's about not dying on my family.

rsclause · July 2016

I had watched my cholesterol and blood pressure creep up along with my beer gut of 25 years or more. I thought I was bulletproof and could eat whatever I want. At 52 I decided I had to change. I started exercising and change my diet & started logging. I was amazed how much I was overeating. I switched to old fashioned oatmeal for breakfast and added fresh strawberries, blueberries, banana, walnuts chia seeds and almond milk. I cut back on breads & potatoes and added lots of fresh produce. I started walking which turned into running. At my peak I was running 25 to 30 miles a week. The weight started coming off quick. I lost over fifty pounds and my Cholesterol dropped 50 points. I would do a re-calibration on MFP and pick a 2 pound a week loss target. If you do a lot of exercise you should eat back at least half of your calories. I would also attempt to eat more foods that don't have bar codes. I know its easier said than done but it is not so bad. When I go to the store now its almost all produce with some lean meat and wine. BTW it was six months to a year or more between blood tests so it didn't happen overnight.

Rocknut53 · July 2016

You need to take a deep breath and really think about what your goals are. This process doesn't happen overnight. Instead of looking to your next doctor appointment you need to think about this as a lifelong journey. Your doctor will be way more impressed with your efforts if you approach this as a permanent change which will result in better eating and exercise choices for the rest of your life. There is no reason whatsoever to give up things you enjoy eating just remember that moderation is important. Follow the guidelines on MFP, especially your calorie intake, get a scale and measure your portions (you will be surprised at the difference between eyeballing and measuring). This process works, just not overnight.

jemhh · July 2016

jaredlrice wrote: »

I'm not really looking for a quick fix. My father has such bad hypertension that he has had transient strokes throughout his entire thirties, forties and fifties. My grandfather (on my dad's side) died from an aneurysm in his stomach on Thanksgiving day, due to high cholesterol.

I'm 37. I have an amazing wife two awesome kids and a baby on the way. To be perfectly honest about it, I'm afraid that with the cholesterol count that the doctor gave me, I'm on my way to slumping over a steering wheel in the grocery store parking lot like my granddad did.

I don't want to die early and miss my kids, or leave my wife to fend for herself. The cholesterol count was a gigantic wake up call for me and I want to correct this as quickly as possible.

It's not about winning some type of race, or being skinny (although it would be nice). It's about not dying on my family.

None of this changes the advice you've been given. It is healthier to lose weight in a healthy manner than to try to drop it super fast. There are plenty of light people who have terrible cholesterol. Exercise and eat mindfully and get healthy.

shadow2soul · July 2016

jaredlrice wrote: »

I'm not really looking for a quick fix. My father has such bad hypertension that he has had transient strokes throughout his entire thirties, forties and fifties. My grandfather (on my dad's side) died from an aneurysm in his stomach on Thanksgiving day, due to high cholesterol.

I'm 37. I have an amazing wife two awesome kids and a baby on the way. To be perfectly honest about it, I'm afraid that with the cholesterol count that the doctor gave me, I'm on my way to slumping over a steering wheel in the grocery store parking lot like my granddad did.

I don't want to die early and miss my kids, or leave my wife to fend for herself. The cholesterol count was a gigantic wake up call for me and I want to correct this as quickly as possible.

It's not about winning some type of race, or being skinny (although it would be nice). It's about not dying on my family.

Losing weight too fast can cause more harm than good. If your goal is to get healthy then you need to reevaluate your approach, because currently your deficit is to large to be healthy for what you currently weigh.

michelleepotter · July 2016

jaredlrice wrote: »

I'm not really looking for a quick fix. My father has such bad hypertension that he has had transient strokes throughout his entire thirties, forties and fifties. My grandfather (on my dad's side) died from an aneurysm in his stomach on Thanksgiving day, due to high cholesterol.

I'm 37. I have an amazing wife two awesome kids and a baby on the way. To be perfectly honest about it, I'm afraid that with the cholesterol count that the doctor gave me, I'm on my way to slumping over a steering wheel in the grocery store parking lot like my granddad did.

I don't want to die early and miss my kids, or leave my wife to fend for herself. The cholesterol count was a gigantic wake up call for me and I want to correct this as quickly as possible.

It's not about winning some type of race, or being skinny (although it would be nice). It's about not dying on my family.

I understand that you have some very real, and scary, concerns. But your original goal of 25 pounds in just over 4 weeks is extreme. That's more than 3 times the recommended weekly loss for someone who is obese. You are expecting too much, too fast, and you're going to end up hurting yourself more.

You need to start eating more, and allow yourself to lose more slowly. At this rate you are causing damage to your body, and you're not going to be able to sustain this long-term. Even if you lose the weight you want, you won't have built healthy long-term habits that will allow you to maintain that weight, and you'll end up right back where you started.

Also, stop forcing yourself to never eat foods you love. Moderation is key. You love meat? Eat lean meats most of the time, and have the occasional steak. As long as it fits your calories and macros, you'll be ok.

Really Hoped I Would Have Lost More By Now

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