@fanncy0626 ~ I agree that weighing myself daily keeps me accountable. It also tells me where I am at for the prior day. I was really worried about yesterday since I did not eat what I had planned and did not eat a lot of calories either. I still dropped 2lbs. So I will take it. Today is another busy day for me at school, I will be there for 12 hours.

I'm down 3 lbs. this week, which after being stalled for several weeks feel great. I'm realizing that I have a ton to learn. I'm going to spend the weekend trying to nail down what my macros should be and then trying to figure out how to get there. I've been tracking everything that I eat this week, so I have a better idea of my carbs. I was shocked to find out that I was using most of my carbs at lunch. I've been having grilled chicken and veggies. Broccoli and cauliflower have more carbs than I realized and my favorite, Brussels sprouts are even worse. I don't think I've been able to stay under 30 carbs any day this week. I'm also low on my overall calories. I had two days where I didn't even hit 1000, which mfp said was bad. I'm realizing that I've jumped into something that I don't know enough about and realize I need to figure it out before I end up hurting my body instead of becoming healthier.

Remember, too, all, that human nature is not exactly the same day to day. Given that fact, it is utterly impossible for you to have the exact same caloric needs every day. So remember that deficits are just a target zone daily. The true deficits should be looked at on a 7-10 day average. So if you are over 100 cals one day, under 50 another day, under 20 one day, under 30 one day, you're still on average. So if you are naturally ravenous one day, hardly hungry at all another day, that is 100% normal. Just keep an eye on things like boredom, stress, binge, and exhaustion hungers...

One way I personally can use to tell the difference is that if I want something, and I know it isn't really what my body needs fuel-wise, I mentally offer to swap out something else. If my brain agrees to my alternative suggestion, it's likely true hunger. If my brain balks, and passes up other healthy options, it's more likely a craving that can be ignored. Just one of the tools I use.

To top all that off, calories and nutritional labels are allowed errors by law/portion size manipulation/nasty other tools, and if you haven't had specific metabolic testing, you don't know your true caloric needs - calculators estimate at best. So, my personal theory is that if you're eating over your calculations but still losing weight - there's a kink in the works. Calories are another tool, and they are based on human errors - so don't let calories rule your life. Use them as a guideline. But just like the scale lies to us, so too do calories sometimes.

All of our tools should be used at some times, and carefully stored away at others. Be sure to work on your mental side too - the self speak, your acceptance of yourself and your body AT ALL STAGES, your forgiveness if you don't meet plans, your stress management, your self care, all of it. Again, for me, this journey to better health is FAR MORE about getting my mental side right. The physical side comes down to math (complicated by health conditions and such, so maybe more algebra/calculus than basic math, BUT STILL MATH)...but until our heads are properly in this game, the body will never follow and stay fit/healthy...

Just some motivation for this Friday.

Remember that we don't have to be perfect. Perfection is not maintainable. Progress is it's own perfection.

KetoneKaren wrote: »

Carly

Thanks! I will be 63 this summer and I have had a food problem since I was about 2.

Although I am not currently seeing him, about 5 years ago I had an amazing doctor (endocrinologist) who had quit the successful practice he had founded to focus on nonsurgical bariatrics. He was/is extremely knowledgeable and personable, and he "walks the walk". I am insulin resistant but no other medical issues, fortunately. My former endocrinologist loves teaching, so I learned a lot while seeing him, and after about 9 months of hard work and very strict adherance to a 1000 kcal low carb food plan, I was a normal BMI for the first time in about a million years and I felt that clarity that you mentioned. Plenty of energy to exercise and work. I tried to transition back into eating more carbs, and went crazy and gained all the weight back - more than 80 lbs - which completely disheartened me because I had done so well. I am getting back to what works for me again, finally. My kcal goal is 1200-1300kcal per day. For this challenge I am still seeing what carb level I will land at - the last 2 days I have surprised myself by coming in at less than 30g net carbs. Five years ago I did quite well on maintenance for about a year and a half having worked up to about 50-60g net carbs per day (then went off the rails when I tried to go higher than that at the same time I was experimenting with not logging meticulously - which proved to be an epic mistake - duh.)

I am glad you are here as a moderator and can serve as a resource and source of support.

Karen from Virginia

@KetoneKaren - I forgot that part! Karen, I'm 40 years old. 5'4". Currently in the 270's. Healing things like thyroid and adrenal systems takes a long time before we can lose weight! At my heaviest weight, in a dreadfully unhappy marriage, I got up over 319 pounds. That's the highest number in my medical charts, but I know it was worse. My lowest in the last decade was 239, when I was in my keto stride before my thyroid stalled out on me (there were contributing circumstances and such - but that's a really LONG story)... Gotta get that solid and then I can get back to the business of losing weight.

Much like you, I did really well for a while, then tried to go back to eating more things I knew I really didn't need, etc. Gained back, with health complications. I've focused more on recipes that are "out of the box" from the old me... I'm not a coffee drinker, and drinking lots of tea contributed to my developing ocular migraines. I periodically do a fatty hot beverage, but not as often. I'm far more readily sated by solid foods...

But I can tell you, I'm so much healthier this time around than the last time I was at this weight. I have pictures, and they look like 100 pounds of weight difference, due to reductions in inflammation, carb bloat, and all that sort of thing. If I can figure out how to resize them, I'll post here...

So, lots of potential for messing up over the next three days...
1) I am an emotional eater and I have two family members in the hospital ...1 dying and 1 had a massive stroke and we don't know the prognosis yet.
2) I'm attending a women's conference at my church...signed up for it weeks ago and they are going to have food . Lunch tomorrow is being provided by Chick Fil A.

mjj79 wrote: »

Wow @KnitOrMiss ! You look so much healthier now! Those pics were about the same weight?!

Yes, those pictures are within 10-20 pounds of the same weight, almost a decade apart. I was eating all kinds of inflammatory foods, living off of sugar, getting heavier and heavier, binging regularly, and absolutely miserable. Even when I don't eat the best now, all I have to do is remember WHERE I STARTED to remember than even minor blips now are millions of miles better than THAT me.

I feel like I look younger now, too, ironically.

This pic is 2016 on the left, 2006 on the right... So a decade older... don't look it. It's CRAZY how much food and what we do to our bodies affects our appearance.

I'm a non-drinker (average maybe a few drinks every few years), have never smoked, and have never taken an illegal drugs. So this damage to my body/skin was ALL FROM FOOD AND WHAT I PUT ON/IN MY BODY. Scary, no?


And THANK YOU, ALL, for the kind comments. I have to make myself go back and look at these pictures when I lose sight of how far I've come just because I'm struggling NOW.

mjj79 wrote: »

So, lots of potential for messing up over the next three days...
1) I am an emotional eater and I have two family members in the hospital ...1 dying and 1 had a massive stroke and we don't know the prognosis yet.
2) I'm attending a women's conference at my church...signed up for it weeks ago and they are going to have food . Lunch tomorrow is being provided by Chick Fil A.

@mjj79 - I don't remember how long you've been doing keto, but if you're moderately adapted at this point, fasting can be a tool to avoid the emotional potholes of stress eating. Amino acid protocols (different for each person) really help, too. Above all, remember that minor blips are just that. EACH BITE IS ANOTHER CHANCE TO GET RIGHT BACK ON PLAN.

Also, CFA - even with breading, as long as you skip the bread, is a tolerable higher carb side acceptable meal. Skip the bread, any carby sides, grab extra salad/veggies/dressings, and just make the better choices where possible. Stashing some nuts/jerky/coconut oil packets (if you do BPC or can eat it plan)/nut butter packets in your purse for food emergencies help so much. In the community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group group many of us are also in (covers everything from zero carb to slow carb across the board/any kind of carb restriction), there are some great posts about traveling snacks/foods, things to eat/avoid at events (skip the scrambled eggs unless you know how they are made - many places add OF ALL THINGS - pancake batter to make them fluffier.) and all the tips to do this while ... not at home and in your own control...

BETTER choices where possible. Don't focus on BEST - no one can do that all the time. Progress is perfection. Just watch for food reactions and be prepared to file a notice of food limitations in the future.

Okay, a hiccup, now back on plan. Three dance nights planned...that should help.

bolsen777 wrote: »

I'm down 3 lbs. this week, which after being stalled for several weeks feel great. I'm realizing that I have a ton to learn. I'm going to spend the weekend trying to nail down what my macros should be and then trying to figure out how to get there. I've been tracking everything that I eat this week, so I have a better idea of my carbs. I was shocked to find out that I was using most of my carbs at lunch. I've been having grilled chicken and veggies. Broccoli and cauliflower have more carbs than I realized and my favorite, Brussels sprouts are even worse. I don't think I've been able to stay under 30 carbs any day this week. I'm also low on my overall calories. I had two days where I didn't even hit 1000, which mfp said was bad. I'm realizing that I've jumped into something that I don't know enough about and realize I need to figure it out before I end up hurting my body instead of becoming healthier.

@bolsen777 Broccoli is about 4g net carbs per 100g, cauliflower about 3g net carbs per 100g, and brussels sprouts are about 5g net carbs per 100g. There may be a setting on your Goals page that will allow you to view carbs as net grams rather than total grams so you don't have to subtract out fiber yourself, but that option was not available the last time I checked. So if you had 100g each of broccoli and cauliflower for lunch, total carbs would be 11.6g minus 4.6g fiber for a net of 7g of carbs. Which is not too bad. Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are good for you, and you should keep eating them. When I am eating low carb but not trying to stay keto, I eat a pound (about 500g) of either raw or roasted veggies every day. If I was very careful with the rest of my food choices, I could still do that now and come in at 35-40g net carbs per day.

Carly wowza! Those picture differences remind me of an old high school buddy who retired and went about changing her life. She decided to follow AIP Paleo and she posted side-by-side photos a year apart and it looked like she had dropped 20 years and 50 pounds. The difference was jaw-dropping, as are your photos. Some of the threads on MFP are too aggravating for words, with people saying irresponsible things like you can eat a 100% Cheeto diet (or other foolishness) because it's all about CICO. Sheesh! I don't look at those threads anymore.

Karen in Virginia