Seems I do this every few months....
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DianaElena76
Posts: 1,241 Member
I'm back! At least for today. My life seems to just become more and more chaotic, so I haven't had time for checking in here, but I'm still around on MFP. I am finally consistently back on track after weaving in and out of traffic for almost 6 months (basically from my birthday, in October, until a couple weeks ago). I'm fighting back against my peanut butter demons (I know peanut butter is a controversial topic around here, but for me it's a demon that haunts me incessantly) the past few days too.
For those who don't remember me, I've been low carbing it since February 2015. I lost about 60 pounds, but then I plateaued for about a year, gaining back a handful of pounds. Since October, though, I've gained an additional 10ish pounds. I haven't been totally off plan, but I haven't been consistent either. About 3 weeks ago I decided to get back to it, because I've been feeling worse and worse. My clothes no longer fit (and I rid myself of larger sizes over a year ago and can't afford new clothes right now), so I'm super motivated!
Exercise is difficult, given that I work 3 jobs (one full-time, two part-time/contract) and have 3 little kids, a puppy, and a husband to tend to when I get home. I'm trying to increase my movement, but the main focus is on my food intake. I'm down a couple pounds in the past week, but the going has been super slow.
That's all--just wanted to say hello and reintroduce myself. Hopefully I don't fall off the face of the planet again any time soon!
For those who don't remember me, I've been low carbing it since February 2015. I lost about 60 pounds, but then I plateaued for about a year, gaining back a handful of pounds. Since October, though, I've gained an additional 10ish pounds. I haven't been totally off plan, but I haven't been consistent either. About 3 weeks ago I decided to get back to it, because I've been feeling worse and worse. My clothes no longer fit (and I rid myself of larger sizes over a year ago and can't afford new clothes right now), so I'm super motivated!
Exercise is difficult, given that I work 3 jobs (one full-time, two part-time/contract) and have 3 little kids, a puppy, and a husband to tend to when I get home. I'm trying to increase my movement, but the main focus is on my food intake. I'm down a couple pounds in the past week, but the going has been super slow.
That's all--just wanted to say hello and reintroduce myself. Hopefully I don't fall off the face of the planet again any time soon!
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Welcome back!!0
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Hello @DianaElena76, I'm still relatively new round these parts, but your schedule/exercise regime sounds awfully like mine! I too have been very slow to shed the weight, and have ever-so-slightly yo-yo'ed around my initial target, and have finally pushed through it, after 3 weeks of trying! I don't have pets, but I do have a small child aged 9... well, I say child, I actually mean my 55-yr-old hubby, but you get the picture!
Still working on the weight loss, but although I am practically entirely no-carb, I haven't really been counting the calories; that's my own fault and decision, so I only have myself to blame if I'm not losing weight as fast as I would wish.
However, as I'm launching slowly into my menopause, I'm advised by my Dr - who is also a nutritionist - that excessively fast, or extreme weight-loss "at my time of life" is both difficult and inadvisable. Apparently, we Elder/Wise women, need the extra 'bulk' around the hips and tummy to support the pelvis and reproductive organs, to avoid any vulnerability or deteroration, particularly of the pelvic joints....
So, I'm being 'good' to myself, and doing the right things, but easy does it. Health is better than any 'visual' evidence. It's great to be lighter, but I'm happy being healthy and fit - !0 -
I don't know about needing the extra bulk around the middle when you get to menopause! Do men need this too? Sounds like capital 'K' 'KITTEN' to me. If one wants more support of the internal organs, one needs to strengthen the muscles of the torso, not pack on extra fat around them. If one wants to protect joints, don't add extra useless weight, just make sure one has the proper proportions of minerals and vitamins to lay down good strong bone, and stretch and use resistance exercise regularly. Even older seniors in their 80's and 90's can increase bone mass and lessen accidental injuries from falls, etc.
Please don't take this in the wrong way It's not you, it's the stupid idea of a lot of the Western world which is unsupported by hard science.
It just irks me that women are expected to become dull, pudgy, dimwits just because their bodies are done with possible childbearing.
End of rant from a Physio Exercise specialist.
Apologies to anyone whose feelings may be hurt
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Oh, thank God! I thought I was *supposed* to be pudgier!0
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@DianaElena76. Ive been LC for about 3 years now and have had many detours. And a number of traffic jams, with a few dodgy near misses......
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AlexandraCarlyle wrote: »Hello @DianaElena76, I'm still relatively new round these parts, but your schedule/exercise regime sounds awfully like mine! I too have been very slow to shed the weight, and have ever-so-slightly yo-yo'ed around my initial target, and have finally pushed through it, after 3 weeks of trying! I don't have pets, but I do have a small child aged 9... well, I say child, I actually mean my 55-yr-old hubby, but you get the picture!
Still working on the weight loss, but although I am practically entirely no-carb, I haven't really been counting the calories; that's my own fault and decision, so I only have myself to blame if I'm not losing weight as fast as I would wish.
However, as I'm launching slowly into my menopause, I'm advised by my Dr - who is also a nutritionist - that excessively fast, or extreme weight-loss "at my time of life" is both difficult and inadvisable. Apparently, we Elder/Wise women, need the extra 'bulk' around the hips and tummy to support the pelvis and reproductive organs, to avoid any vulnerability or deteroration, particularly of the pelvic joints....
So, I'm being 'good' to myself, and doing the right things, but easy does it. Health is better than any 'visual' evidence. It's great to be lighter, but I'm happy being healthy and fit - !
Nice to "meet" you! My 3 littles are 4 (turning 5 this weekend), 3 (turning 4 in July), and 2-1/2. The puppy is almost a year old. Husband is more work than the 4 of them. Just kidding!0 -
I think excessively fast or extreme weight loss is probably a bad idea at any time of life...slow weight loss is a far better idea...or at least that's what I keep telling myself...2
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Welcome back @DianaElena76! Congrats to you on the 60 pound loss and congrats for getting back on track before it gets out of hand. We have a few maintainers here but not many who keep their hands on the keyboard.
Maintenance is HARD! At least, for me. Eating keto this last year has made it easier because I don't feel like I'm "starving" all the time as I did when higher carb and lower fat but I still have a bit of an "issue" with...peanut butter. And old eating habits. Some can quickly grasp the idea of "eat only when hungry" and some of us struggle so need a little more structure. I'm a 3 meal a day person with some flexibility. I often have only coffee/cream for breakfast and skip the "food". I keep something in the refrigerator for "lunch" and always "plan" something for dinner. All this to keep me away from indulging in non-keto foods. PLAN AHEAD, even with your busy schedule.
If you have time in your schedule (gulp) it might be helpful to read or listen to a podcast or two by Stephan Guyenet regarding hunger and the brain (The Hungry Brain) or David Ludwig (Always Hungry). There is biological reason the masses of people regain their weight.
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Welcome back @DianaElena76! Congrats to you on the 60 pound loss and congrats for getting back on track before it gets out of hand. We have a few maintainers here but not many who keep their hands on the keyboard.
Maintenance is HARD! At least, for me. Eating keto this last year has made it easier because I don't feel like I'm "starving" all the time as I did when higher carb and lower fat but I still have a bit of an "issue" with...peanut butter. And old eating habits. Some can quickly grasp the idea of "eat only when hungry" and some of us struggle so need a little more structure. I'm a 3 meal a day person with some flexibility. I often have only coffee/cream for breakfast and skip the "food". I keep something in the refrigerator for "lunch" and always "plan" something for dinner. All this to keep me away from indulging in non-keto foods. PLAN AHEAD, even with your busy schedule.
If you have time in your schedule (gulp) it might be helpful to read or listen to a podcast or two by Stephan Guyenet regarding hunger and the brain (The Hungry Brain) or David Ludwig (Always Hungry). There is biological reason the masses of people regain their weight.
Thanks! I'm actually not trying to maintain. I still have around 30 pounds to lose before I reach MY goal (which is still in the overweight category for my build).0 -
@DianaElena76. Ive been LC for about 3 years now and have had many detours. And a number of traffic jams, with a few dodgy near misses......
It's funny, I was about to type something along the lines of "I hope I'm still around after 3 years," but then I realized that was really dumb. I feel better eating this way than I've ever felt in my life. I may refine it further, but going back to refined carbs and sugar is definitely not going to happen if I want to continue feeling good. Don't get me wrong--I know there will be other bumps in the road. But I plan to maintain a low carb lifestyle forfreakingever as a general rule.1 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »I think excessively fast or extreme weight loss is probably a bad idea at any time of life...slow weight loss is a far better idea...or at least that's what I keep telling myself...
True. Very true. I keep telling myself "slow and steady wins the race." The problem comes in when I am not making any progress at all and decide it's not working. *sigh* Silly me.0 -
That's why the more metrics you have the better...it's not just the scale, or just the measurements, or just the photos, or just the clothing size...it's all of them, everything together that gives you a full picture of the changes you are making happen!!!1
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Welcome back! I know how it goes with being busy and keeping on track. My busy season the last few years has been June-December, lol. I'm currently working on a list of convenience food that are also low carb.0
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LowCarb4Me2016 wrote: »Welcome back! I know how it goes with being busy and keeping on track. My busy season the last few years has been June-December, lol. I'm currently working on a list of convenience food that are also low carb.
Thanks for the welcome! My keys to staying away from the peanut butter monster are having good snacks on hand and not letting myself get hungry. That's why my calories have been pretty high lately. I figure as long as I'm not eating peanut butter, I'm making progress. Getting my calories back under control can come later. And my calories haven't been too terribly out of control anyway.0 -
And remember that feeling good is worth it, and that stupid scale will have to catch up eventually. (HUGS)0
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Welcome back! Lord working 3 jobs with kids and a hubby is enough to help push you off the wagon. I'm tired just reading that! Ha! I do believe that we all have moments where we slip from time to time. I agree the feeling good part is worth it. The scales don't move much at all for me, but I love how I feel great!0
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Welcome back!0
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canadjineh wrote: »I don't know about needing the extra bulk around the middle when you get to menopause! Do men need this too? Sounds like capital 'K' 'KITTEN' to me. If one wants more support of the internal organs, one needs to strengthen the muscles of the torso, not pack on extra fat around them. If one wants to protect joints, don't add extra useless weight, just make sure one has the proper proportions of minerals and vitamins to lay down good strong bone, and stretch and use resistance exercise regularly. Even older seniors in their 80's and 90's can increase bone mass and lessen accidental injuries from falls, etc.
Please don't take this in the wrong way It's not you, it's the stupid idea of a lot of the Western world which is unsupported by hard science.
It just irks me that women are expected to become dull, pudgy, dimwits just because their bodies are done with possible childbearing.
End of rant from a Physio Exercise specialist.
Apologies to anyone whose feelings may be hurt
dull pudgy dimwit...? Ok, well, one out of three ain't bad....!
I completely take your point, and if I am honest, I fell into the trap of 'well if a medical expert tells me something, they MUST be right' a while ago - I'm talking a decade or so - but now, I am far more in your mind-set camp and just want to prove her wrong. But in a nice way.
She's actually a very open-minded person, and agrees with much of what I do (eating butter, not spread, eliminating carbs for a diabetic, eggs and red meat are not the poisons they have been portrayed to be....)
Sadly, her open-mindedness is in the minority.
Recently, I had cause to visit a hospital for an assessment of a condition I have, and the waiting-room had some leaflets on diabetes, talking about the correct diet.... and yes, carbs were in there as an essential. The leaflet was last updated in 2005. Yup, you read that right. It's 12 years out. of. date.
Even today, the clinic my mother attends has literature on general health (including diabetes) which advocates... well, a load of rubbish, really....
My doctor is from Denmark, and is, shall we say, Rubenesque in form. But she's delightful company, and when she first came to the UK 6 years ago, she thought she was somewhat overweight, and should certainly set an example to her patients, by slimming....
Then, she began to observe the British, and their worsening eating habits and decided, on balance, that actually she really wasn't too bad after all....2 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »And remember that feeling good is worth it, and that stupid scale will have to catch up eventually. (HUGS)
Yes indeed! I feel so much more even-keeled! I have more energy, my skin seems to not be breaking out as much.... I may need to buy a new (larger-sized) wardrobe, but if I feel good, it's so worth it!1
