Weight loss vs. life quality

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  • pbbananacoffeechocolate
    pbbananacoffeechocolate Posts: 44 Member
    Can you find a type of movement that you love? Something social and fun? I pole dance and am surrounded by an amazing community at my studio, I've made so many great friends there. When exercise and your social life overlap, it is so much easier!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I still haven't lost the vanity pounds in 3 years (and gained a few more in the process). Because it's not worth depriving myself when I hang out with my friends - and healthier choices are not always available. I love food too much to deprive myself so I look thinner. I'm a healthy weight with a few extra rolls and I'll have to deal with that (my stomach looks so awful with the loose skin anyway, it's not like I'll ever achieve the look that I want).

    Heck the only reason I've only gained 5 lbs back in that time is because I am very active. Most of the 'naturally thin' people I know (who have never had weight issues) are pretty active overall or really know how to stop eating after a few bites.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    I guess I'm technically at the vanity pounds stage, what works for me is having a weekly deficit (of around 2000 cals) instead of a daily one, which means some days I go over maintenance and some days when I'm working out hard I might be 800 cals below maintenance. During the week when I'm at work I find it alot easier to prelog and be at a decent deficit, Friday after work to Sunday I'm usually hovering at maintenance or over because of social gatherings and a less predictable schedule/easy access to the fridge.

    Could you try setting a weekly deficit or possibly banking some of your exercise calories for days you might be going over your cals?

    The only other thing I can suggest is just exercise more if you want to eat more. I'm the same, I enjoy my food and would find even a small deficit difficult without exercise cals too, so I try to walk a little more to get myself some extra cals. x
  • HM2206
    HM2206 Posts: 174 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    It's basically going to come down to what you want more. ]

    Yeah I guess. And for the vanity pounds - patience.

    I'm starting to feel leaner, though it takes time at a small deficit. And it costs.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    OMG, I just realized I only have vanity pounds to shed now, and I have no vanity :D
    Happy B)
  • Muana1005
    Muana1005 Posts: 172 Member
    I have an office job but still get my 10k steps per day:

    I commute using public transport where possible. (Public transport encourages more walking)

    I take a long brisk walk at lunch.

    I keep going for short walks around the office whenever possible.

    I use the stairs instead of the lift where possible.

    I use a bluetooth headset and will walk during audio conferences with a print out of the presentation in front of me.
  • KelGen02
    KelGen02 Posts: 668 Member
    HM2206 wrote: »
    Heather4448 wrote: »
    Get an activity tracker that will remind you to get up and move every hour. Increase your NEAT - more room for wine. Win- win!

    I often want to move more during the day, but I have an office job so there is a limit to how much I get to move around.

    How many steps a day does one have to make to get into the "lightly active" section?

    I too have an office job, I make sure I get up every hour on the hour and go to the bathroom, I walk in place and get in about 250-350 steps in less than a minute then go back to my desk, I then take a walk on my 30 minute lunch break and walk just under 2 miles for another 4k steps. (rain, sleet or snow I am out there walking) I usually leave work with close to 8k steps and depending on if it is a zumba or treadmill night I usually end up with over 15k steps each day. I did not change my stats to "lightly active" it is still at sedentary as I spend the majority of the day sitting at my desk. I make sure that I get in plenty of protein and healthy fats during the day to keep me full and I certainly do not skimp on the adult beverages. We go camping every weekend and its is a drink fest so its a balance. I make sure that I get in my exercise/workout/walk so that I can fit in "life" as needed. If I know I am going somewhere on the weekend I plan my day around it. We are going out to dinner tomorrow night for a bday party and I already logged my meal so I can plan the rest of the day around it... If it is an impromptu gathering I just make sure that the next couple days I am tighter on my calories to make up for indulging... It doesn't have to be weight loss vs life quality, you can certainly have both with a little planning! Good luck and keep on pushing!!
  • HM2206
    HM2206 Posts: 174 Member
    Muana1005 wrote: »
    I have an office job but still get my 10k steps per day:

    I commute using public transport where possible. (Public transport encourages more walking)

    I take a long brisk walk at lunch.

    I keep going for short walks around the office whenever possible.

    I use the stairs instead of the lift where possible.

    I use a bluetooth headset and will walk during audio conferences with a print out of the presentation in front of me.

    I do all these things too - I might have to get a counter to keep track.

    To my surprise I found out this morning that I have lost 1lb in the past week, which is more than I have set out to.

    Need to count for fluctuations though, but at least 1600 a day seems to work.
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,579 Member
    @KelGen02 - How long does your 2-mile walk leave you to actually eat your lunch?
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    We do have variety in humans for levels of salutation hormones, for tastes for food, for pleasure in eating, for enjoyment in moving. There's even variation in our metabolic rates, and compounded over time 100-200 calories a day can be significant.

    Is entirely possible of you are chasing a weight you acknowledge to be simply vanity, that is, your weight is not impacting your physical health in any way, and any progress toward that weight requires obsession, isolation and great sacrifice, that you have an unrealistic expectation in your mind of what you should look like, or what you do look like.

    Assess that, and then adjust your timeline for weight loss to 0.5 or even 0.25 lb/week and see how that goes over the next 3 months.

  • KelGen02
    KelGen02 Posts: 668 Member
    clicketykeys wrote: »
    @KelGen02 - How long does your 2-mile walk leave you to actually eat your lunch?

    I actually eat at my desk while I work then 30 minutes or so after I eat I take my walk. I have my own office so I am lucky to be able to eat while I work then have the full half hour to walk. it's made a world of difference for me just walking daily.
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    This is actually a personal choice.
    Staying lean and healthy is not super hard. Losing those last few vanity pounds is a different story.
    To me is not worth it. I don't think they are worth the super hard work, especially now in the summer with all the BBQs and parties.
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