Vanity pounds &¤#%/
HM2206
Posts: 174 Member
I gained some weight after studying abroad, and after joining FitnessPal I got rid most of it. I am still not back where I started, however. These last few are sticking.
I have set my deficit quite low, since most people are saying that those lost few takes a long time. On the downside, my margin is very small. I have a sedentary job as well, which means if I eat 1600 in a day I am just barely losing.
I know exercise isn't necessary, but helps. To not go crazy, I need to have something tasty in the evening. I usually eat very healthy (lots of protein, healthy fats and some slow carbs) and then I can have wine or ice cream in the evening.
I work out in the morning because it's the only way I can fit it in.
But I am so tired and hungry. I had an hour-long workout at 7am (both cardio and strength) and have literarly been sleepy since then. Had a solid lunch (salmon), but it's 1pm and I have no energy. Had 7 hours of sleep last night (would love to have more but it's hard when getting up this early).
What helps you with those final ones? It feels like a struggle no matter what.
I have set my deficit quite low, since most people are saying that those lost few takes a long time. On the downside, my margin is very small. I have a sedentary job as well, which means if I eat 1600 in a day I am just barely losing.
I know exercise isn't necessary, but helps. To not go crazy, I need to have something tasty in the evening. I usually eat very healthy (lots of protein, healthy fats and some slow carbs) and then I can have wine or ice cream in the evening.
I work out in the morning because it's the only way I can fit it in.
But I am so tired and hungry. I had an hour-long workout at 7am (both cardio and strength) and have literarly been sleepy since then. Had a solid lunch (salmon), but it's 1pm and I have no energy. Had 7 hours of sleep last night (would love to have more but it's hard when getting up this early).
What helps you with those final ones? It feels like a struggle no matter what.
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Replies
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Things can get exponentially more difficult the closer you get to goal weight for most people. Otherwise a lot more people would be walking around with 6 packs. You are likely going to have to do some expirmentation with foods that keep you satiated and provide enough energy to work out. Rest, recovery and reduced stress outside of working out becomes important too. You are also going to need to be meticulous with your calorie tracking.3
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Exercise is 100% necessary for me. I love food, and I'd be miserable and 30 lbs heavier if I didn't burn that extra 600-900 calories a day.
If you're tired, you need to go to bed earlier. I'm almost never up past 10pm anymore because I have a puppy that wakes me up at 6am every morning... sleep is important. And get some blood work to check your iron levels.
I did laugh at the 'salmon' being a solid lunch. If I don't have enough fiber or carbs at lunch, I'm starving all afternoon.
To answer your question though - I've been fighting the last 10 pounds for almost 3 years. I'm just too hungry and not willing to deprive myself completely to lose them (and really, I can hardly maintain as it is, how can I expect to maintain 10 lbs less?). And making every single meal tasty definitely helps with the 'I need to eat something tasty' problem.2 -
It's really hard. And I know everyone here says a calorie is a calorie, but the only way I can get there myself is by really reducing carbs (I have a half cup of oatmeal or one slice of toast with breakfast and a small sweet potato or half cup of pasta/rice etc with dinner) and increasing protein. I'm literally 1.6 lbs from my goal and the only way I finally got the scale to move was to make this change.
I have always worked out pretty frequently and vigorously, too--I go to 5 am fitness classes or run outside at 5:30 am for 3 miles during the week, sleep in a little on the weekends and work out at a more reasonable hour then.
You just have to decide how much you want this and do what needs to be done to get there--and stay there!0 -
Given that you are close to goal you may want to set to maintenance and look at recomp instead. Throw away the scale, pull out the tape measure.2
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Are you using a food scale to weigh and measure all of your food? If you are close to goal, every gram counts.1
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quiksylver296 wrote: »Are you using a food scale to weigh and measure all of your food? If you are close to goal, every gram counts.
Yes I am. If I stick to my goal, I do lose. The problem is more that I get tired and cranky when eating at a deficit, albeit a small one.0 -
Exercise is 100% necessary for me. I love food, and I'd be miserable and 30 lbs heavier if I didn't burn that extra 600-900 calories a day.
If you're tired, you need to go to bed earlier. I'm almost never up past 10pm anymore because I have a puppy that wakes me up at 6am every morning... sleep is important. And get some blood work to check your iron levels.
I did laugh at the 'salmon' being a solid lunch. If I don't have enough fiber or carbs at lunch, I'm starving all afternoon.
To answer your question though - I've been fighting the last 10 pounds for almost 3 years. I'm just too hungry and not willing to deprive myself completely to lose them (and really, I can hardly maintain as it is, how can I expect to maintain 10 lbs less?). And making every single meal tasty definitely helps with the 'I need to eat something tasty' problem.
Thanks for the advice.
Yes the sleep thing is an issue. Even when I do go to bed early, I don't sleep tremendously well. I will get serious about not having screen time before bed.
I have a doctor's appointment coming in a couple of weeks regarding something else, so I might check iron levels at the same time. My mum did a while back, and was given som supplements because she was lacking.
I'd love to have a puppy!
Unfortunately I am not flexible enough. 0 -
So, maybe like @Francl27, your ultimate goal weight isn't worth it?1
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Gosh, this is hard. I went on a date last night and I was actually hungry to begin with, but had "set aside" enough calories for two glasses of wine. However he was hungry and had already ordered a pizza for us to share. Thin crust, small one, though, but still.
And tonight I have a community project where we will have pizza and beer after finishing. And I don't have time to work out today.
I know you can limit yourself, but when my margin is SO small, it just blows up the deficit for the day...0 -
Gosh, this is hard. I went on a date last night and I was actually hungry to begin with, but had "set aside" enough calories for two glasses of wine. However he was hungry and had already ordered a pizza for us to share. Thin crust, small one, though, but still.
And tonight I have a community project where we will have pizza and beer after finishing. And I don't have time to work out today.
I know you can limit yourself, but when my margin is SO small, it just blows up the deficit for the day...
Or the week (that's me, lol). My week's shot honestly if I have even one busy day when I can't be active. My TDEE is maybe 1600 if I have less than 7000 steps. I just can't eat so little without being hungry most of the time (and busy days typically mean meeting friends too, which involves higher calorie foods).
Seriously the only reason I'm not back to 200 pounds is the 20k steps I try to have daily. And as it is already, the weight has been creeping up, not down, in my 3 years of maintenance. The struggle is real.0 -
Gosh, this is hard. I went on a date last night and I was actually hungry to begin with, but had "set aside" enough calories for two glasses of wine. However he was hungry and had already ordered a pizza for us to share. Thin crust, small one, though, but still.
And tonight I have a community project where we will have pizza and beer after finishing. And I don't have time to work out today.
I know you can limit yourself, but when my margin is SO small, it just blows up the deficit for the day...
Or the week (that's me, lol). My week's shot honestly if I have even one busy day when I can't be active. My TDEE is maybe 1600 if I have less than 7000 steps. I just can't eat so little without being hungry most of the time (and busy days typically mean meeting friends too, which involves higher calorie foods).
Seriously the only reason I'm not back to 200 pounds is the 20k steps I try to have daily. And as it is already, the weight has been creeping up, not down, in my 3 years of maintenance. The struggle is real.
How do you calculate your TDEE exactly?
I find it hard to figure out the exact number. My job would be categorized as a desk job which is sedentary, which would leave my TDEE around 1700. On the other side, I walk around when I can, and I am a fast walker. I don't have a car either, so it's mostly walking everywhere.
Been thinking of getting one of those step-counters, but I don't know how to get TDEE from that.0 -
Gosh, this is hard. I went on a date last night and I was actually hungry to begin with, but had "set aside" enough calories for two glasses of wine. However he was hungry and had already ordered a pizza for us to share. Thin crust, small one, though, but still.
And tonight I have a community project where we will have pizza and beer after finishing. And I don't have time to work out today.
I know you can limit yourself, but when my margin is SO small, it just blows up the deficit for the day...
Or the week (that's me, lol). My week's shot honestly if I have even one busy day when I can't be active. My TDEE is maybe 1600 if I have less than 7000 steps. I just can't eat so little without being hungry most of the time (and busy days typically mean meeting friends too, which involves higher calorie foods).
Seriously the only reason I'm not back to 200 pounds is the 20k steps I try to have daily. And as it is already, the weight has been creeping up, not down, in my 3 years of maintenance. The struggle is real.
How do you calculate your TDEE exactly?
I find it hard to figure out the exact number. My job would be categorized as a desk job which is sedentary, which would leave my TDEE around 1700. On the other side, I walk around when I can, and I am a fast walker. I don't have a car either, so it's mostly walking everywhere.
Been thinking of getting one of those step-counters, but I don't know how to get TDEE from that.
I found my fitbit pretty accurate (been using it for 5 months now). It tells you how many calories you burn during the day. I did fine without it though, but it was a total guessing game, and I realized that I was probably WAY off some weeks (I didn't realize how low my TDEE is if I only have one hour of exercise a day and don't do anything else, for example).0 -
I suggest cutting alcohol and ice cream completely until you've lost the last 10 lbs. Alcohol will stop the loss process for a number of days and ice cream, well, it's ice cream... We all love it but it's not our friend. Without the wine and ice cream you could easily save 200-1000 calories per day depending on your portions. You will also sleep better without alcohol in your diet.1
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INeustaedter wrote: »I suggest cutting alcohol and ice cream completely until you've lost the last 10 lbs. Alcohol will stop the loss process for a number of days and ice cream, well, it's ice cream... We all love it but it's not our friend. Without the wine and ice cream you could easily save 200-1000 calories per day depending on your portions. You will also sleep better without alcohol in your diet.
While both of those are not necessarily the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, it's certainly possible to eat them and still lose weight. All that OP needs is a caloric deficit.2 -
lilolilo920 wrote: »INeustaedter wrote: »I suggest cutting alcohol and ice cream completely until you've lost the last 10 lbs. Alcohol will stop the loss process for a number of days and ice cream, well, it's ice cream... We all love it but it's not our friend. Without the wine and ice cream you could easily save 200-1000 calories per day depending on your portions. You will also sleep better without alcohol in your diet.
While both of those are not necessarily the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, it's certainly possible to eat them and still lose weight. All that OP needs is a caloric deficit.
That's true, but I've read that alcohol has to be metabolised by the body before anything else can be dealt with, so it might be detrimental to weight loss when a person has such a small deficit for the last few pounds?
OP, you might want to consider, as someone else mentioned, whether the weight you're aiming at is really worth the effort. You might like to think about a recomp instead - I'm not knowledgeable about the specifics, but there are a bunch of threads on the forums on that subject. You might end up actually weighing a little more but be happier with your body shape!1 -
You need to play around with your macros. Not for weight loss reasons but for satiety.
I find fats and fibre are what fill me the longest. Others find protein does.
It is very individual.0 -
I predict I'm still going to be here 5 years from now trying to lose the last 4-5lbs
Sorry, no help OP. But i feel your pain xx2
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