It's working!
huruta22
Posts: 13 Member
I'm 48 next month and my weight just kept creeping up and up and up. I was the heaviest I'd ever been in May 2017. I tried low carb and I couldn't do it and ended up even heavier. Well, I'm 12 weeks in to my self-guided program and it seems to be working! I've lost 13 lbs - my goal is 20. I'm 5'6", started at 184. I'm at 171. I'm not a raging success story but I've failed so many times I guess I want to share. I never ate that poorly, so I just thought I'd share what seems to be working for me. Perhaps it will work for others.
1. I'm more active in a gentle sort of way. I walk a lot more. I take the dogs for 3.5 mile walk in the am instead of a .5 mile walk 2-3x per week. This is in addition to my baseline which always has been 3x runs per week ranging between 3.5-6miles. I like being outside in the morning so this isn't that hard for me to sign on to.
2. I weight everything I eat and log food intake every day. The result is that I eat enough which is considerably less and I don't over eat. Portion sizes seem to be one of my biggest issues. I was eating pretty healthy but I was eating way too much. I am satisfied after my meals - just not stuffed. I don't have limits on how much. I'm letting me be my guide. I put a lot less on my plate and generally find I'm satisfied at the end of my meal. I do let myself get hungry (I would avoid hunger before). I just don't let myself get ravenous.
3. I eat less sugar and fewer carbs. I rarely add sugar to anything anymore. Before I would add 15-20gm of maple syrup to my yogurt. Now I add 5 gm rare. Most of the time I don't add any. I think this reduction keeps my cravings in check. I have less bread (maybe 1.5 ounces for dinner instead of 3-4 ounces).
4. My ratio is 45% fat, 30% carbs, 25% protein. This is surprisingly stable week after week. I never have liked protein that much. This ratio seems to work for me. Fats are mostly from peanut butter, olive oil, avocado and to a lesser degree some cheese/meat/eggs/salmon. I think finding a ratio that works for the individual can be helpful.
5. I still have wine with dinner and dark chocolate afterward. My DH and I have dinner together every night. This makes our dinner an experience and I haven't given up these pleasures.
So to those frustrated, just keep trying and figure out what works for you. Hopefully I'll be posting when I reach my goal.
1. I'm more active in a gentle sort of way. I walk a lot more. I take the dogs for 3.5 mile walk in the am instead of a .5 mile walk 2-3x per week. This is in addition to my baseline which always has been 3x runs per week ranging between 3.5-6miles. I like being outside in the morning so this isn't that hard for me to sign on to.
2. I weight everything I eat and log food intake every day. The result is that I eat enough which is considerably less and I don't over eat. Portion sizes seem to be one of my biggest issues. I was eating pretty healthy but I was eating way too much. I am satisfied after my meals - just not stuffed. I don't have limits on how much. I'm letting me be my guide. I put a lot less on my plate and generally find I'm satisfied at the end of my meal. I do let myself get hungry (I would avoid hunger before). I just don't let myself get ravenous.
3. I eat less sugar and fewer carbs. I rarely add sugar to anything anymore. Before I would add 15-20gm of maple syrup to my yogurt. Now I add 5 gm rare. Most of the time I don't add any. I think this reduction keeps my cravings in check. I have less bread (maybe 1.5 ounces for dinner instead of 3-4 ounces).
4. My ratio is 45% fat, 30% carbs, 25% protein. This is surprisingly stable week after week. I never have liked protein that much. This ratio seems to work for me. Fats are mostly from peanut butter, olive oil, avocado and to a lesser degree some cheese/meat/eggs/salmon. I think finding a ratio that works for the individual can be helpful.
5. I still have wine with dinner and dark chocolate afterward. My DH and I have dinner together every night. This makes our dinner an experience and I haven't given up these pleasures.
So to those frustrated, just keep trying and figure out what works for you. Hopefully I'll be posting when I reach my goal.
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Replies
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@huruta22 Awesome! I think the main component of what your doing is staying away from the sweets and the simple carbs. And your moving a lot too. I see you continuing to lose if you keep on keepin' on!0
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Hi, I just joined the group and am starting once again to try to lose weight. I'm 47 and I've had 8 kids and after the 6th kid, it became hard to shed the weight.
I totally agree with you on the sugar. Last year, I started eating healthier, cut back on bread and sugar and I managed to lose about 20 lbs. I have a big sweet tooth so the sweets were very difficult to give up. But, like you said, once I gave them up, I didn't crave them anymore. But somewhere along the line,
I got really lax and didn't watch what I was eating and my weight soared back up to my weight when I was pregnant with my last child. I got on the scale recently and was so shocked that that gave me some motivation to pick up and eat healthy. Plus, one of my teens has high cholesterol so that was even more motivation to eat healthier. So here I am. I got back into myfitness pal and this is my first day logging what I eat.
Another thing that I noticed is keeping hydrated is always an important part of my weight loss journey. Sometimes I would go days without drinking water but keeping up with the water gets rid of some of that bloat and that is very motivating as well.3 -
Thanks to you both for your responses. Shardwilk, welcome back. It's easy for the creep to enter our lives. I need to focus more on my water intake....good suggestions. Best wishes on your journey.3
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Water intake or should I say lack of it is my downfall too, you can get apps on your phone to remind you to drink and I've started carrying around a water bottle in the shape of a fire extinguisher it makes drinking water a bit more fun, cos let's face it its soooooooooo boooooring2
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I love this. Thank you so much for sharing your journey! I have noticed that I have finally retained the habit of tracking. Now I want to more consistently retain that calorie deficit. I do feel more hopeful thanks to testamonies like yours. In reading your post, I know that is what I love about this plan -- it is not about restrictions but moderation and wise choices.0
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I have a lot of similar experiences to what you've described, though I don't do the wine and chocolate. Perhaps I should
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Thanks to the new posters for your support. I continue to lose and am amazed. Somehow I've found just the right formula that seems to be working for my body. I read somewhere that red wine heightens the metabolism....or maybe that's just wishful thinking! Soldier on friendly 40 somethings.1
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Great post motivates me to continue health journey!!0
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You're post is so inspiring. I can totally relate. Especially about eating less sugar and fewer carbs. It's what's been working for me. Lifestyle change...I totally get it now. I've finally turned the corner. This time I'm winning with formula. No more fad diets or yo-yo dieting for me. 0
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Welcome, new posters and thanks for sharing your experiences. I thought I'd give a quick update.
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL! I set out to lose 20lbs the end of May and here I am. I have lost 20.5 lbs. Yippee!
One of my primary motivators was that my husband and I had planned to do a 107 mile hike around the Tour du Mont Blanc through Switzerland, France and Italy the end of of August of this year. We did it! It was fantastic!
I had lost 17lbs at that time we did the hike, which was the same weight as my pack (you stay in huts where they cook for you). It was so great to think about the weight I was not carrying on my body every time I lifted the pack. The hike, which involves 33,000 feet of elevation gain, was hard but doable. My husband noticed that I was a much faster hiker (yes!). I did not weigh or track my food on the hike. I just tried to make sure I didn't eat until I was too full. Just after the hike in Chamonix, France we ate 5 and 7 course meals with wine to celebrate. I'm sure I ate too much at these meals. But, those meals, and those macaroons were SO worth it!
I lost 2 lbs on the trip. I wasn't sure what to expect since I was inordinately active and inordinately hungry so I ate more than usual (as would be expected hiking 8-13 miles a day). I would have been happy with no gain since I didn't weigh or track, so was thrilled that I lost while in France.
I've lost a final 1lb in the past two weeks. At 163, I'm still considered overweight for my height (5'6") with a BMI of 26.3 but whatever. clothes fit so much better. I'm the lightest I've been since 2009. I'm happy with how I look and feel.
I'm moving into maintenance. For me, this means not logging my food. I still weigh my food and I weigh myself 2-3x per week. So far, so good. If I start seeing gains, I should catch them quickly and not let them get out of hand. That's the plan at least. Anyway, that's where I'm at. A big goal can help, but shouldn't be the end of the journey.
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