Britt's 30th Birthday Challenge! (September 22 - January 21)
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brittdee88 wrote: »Thank you so much, ladies. Your input has really helped me. I feel so fortunate to have come across this community. You all make this journey so much better.
We love ya, Britt!
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I know counting calories is a pain, but it can help sometimes. The other night I counted a surplus of about 300 cals for the day but the next morning I was up a full pound. I knew though that the most fat I could have possible gained was less than 1/10 of a lb (300/3500) so I knew it was water and would be gone sooner or later. Don't get discouraged cause we do fluctuate. If it really isn't coming off after 2 or 3 weeks, then it is probably real and then an adjustment should be made. You can do it!0
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You're right, Bob. I really hate the idea of counting, but I may need to start doing it if I don't see some movement on the scale next week. I don't want to keep gaining and losing the same pounds over and over again. Thanks for the encouragement!0
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Day 9: 9/30
Weight: 154.4/-0.0
Yesterday's RBPM: Unsure
Yesterday's diet goals: success!
Yesterday's lifestyle goals: success, but I am finding that I am very tired at bedtime now and have to force myself to do this as opposed to doing it to help me fall asleep. Something about eating and/or drinking earlier in the day is really helping me for some reason. I am tired earlier and am falling asleep within 30 minutes of lying down, and I am well-rested in the morning! This is AMAZING for me. My goal instead is to use my full bedtime routine when I really need it. I will continue to brush my teeth and wash my face at night, though, since those are habits I need to build.
Frustrated by another day without scale movement, I did some investigating and found that none of my cooked meals contained a complete protein source last week. I know from years and years of experience that I need protein to lose, and I didn't even notice that I was really only eating starches and veggies. Even when I was eating raw, I was eating nuts and seeds, so I don't know why I didn't make the connection before today. No wonder I have not been feeling successful!
For the rest of the month, my challenge is to incorporate either Beyond Meat crumbles (because I have a bunch to get through), rice and beans, and/or nuts/seeds in all of my meals. I will also be having protein powder in iced coffee as my dessert once I am out of the chocolate I bought. I really hope this will get me back on track for losing. I think that was the missing piece.0 -
I think you are on to something. I monitor my protein pretty close and am always trying to get about 120g of it in me. I will supplement with whey protein if I don't think I'm getting enough in the evenings. It's a complete protein I believe (I should look that up). Meat, beans with whole wheat bread or cornbread, nuts, and dairy (cheese, cottage cheese, whey, yogurt) and eggs are my main protein sources (are there others?). Anyways, I've always believed I get more hungry the next day if I was short on protein the day before. Good luck.1
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September 30
41 Days to Maintenance
Maintenance Goal Weight: 144 pounds
October 21 goal: 147 pounds
Today's Weight: 151.8 pounds
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Interesting about the protein, I think I need to pay attention to that. Tbh I never even think about it. I'll be checking the meal service counts next week - they include nutritional infor for each of the meals which I don't really look at. Very curious now!1
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October 1
40 Days to Maintenance
Maintenance Goal Weight: 144 pounds
October 21 goal: 147 pounds
Today's Weight: 152.7 pounds
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Eating more protein will help for sure
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Day 10: 10/1
Weight: Unsure
Yesterday's RBPM: 82
Yesterday's diet goals: success!
Yesterday's lifestyle goals: N/A
Unfortunately, I was up all night writing a paper and have just now awoken. I usually weigh in at 8:30, so today's won't be accurate. I will continue on with protein-packed foods today. Since I have a very busy week coming up, I am planning to make a bean, quinoa, and Beyond Meat chili that can last all week that will have lots of protein. Hopefully this theory will work out for some loss. I'd love to hit ~152 by Friday.1 -
October 2
39 Days to Maintenance
Maintenance Goal Weight: 144 pounds
Today's Weight: 154.1 pounds
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Hi, everyone:
I don't want to just disappear, but after the hurricane, a lot of classwork has been piled up due to the 3 weeks we lost. I still have the same amount of work but much less time to complete it. I don't think I will be able to log in as frequently, so I am committing to checking in once a week on Fridays with weigh-ins and my success with my goals for that week. I still want to complete the challenge, but school is a major priority for me right now. I will be back on Friday.1 -
It's ok Britt, we understand and I hope you catch up with all your classwork soon, good luck this week with everything
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Good luck with all your classwork - I know how it feels to be under piles of work, that's for sure!!0
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Britt, your aims and your determination are truly inspiring!!!0
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Hey Britt, how is everything going?0
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Hey everyone! Sorry I have been away SO long. School has really been kicking my butt!
Quick check-in:
I am no longer vegan (LONG story - devastated and don't really wanna get into it), and I have been eating super crazy while busy. I have been following a keto pescatarian diet for the past 1.5 week. Had GREAT success my first week until I went on a camping trip and went overboard on s'mores. And then I have been off track for the past two days during midterms. Well, I am back!
Last I checked, I was 155.2 (of course), and I am sure I am more than that now after these 2 crazy days. I will be returning to 2-3 square meals a day with no snacks, but I will be having a weekly OMAD when I allow myself anything I want during my meal regardless of carbs (a small nod to @Brendalea69). I know I will eventually get down to daily OMAD, but for now, I am focused on one day a week and that is all I can handle. I will check in here on my OMAD day to hold myself accountable and check in with you lovely people.
@tlblanksfit: entering maintenance soon, right? Doing well?0 -
brittdee88 wrote: »Hey everyone! Sorry I have been away SO long. School has really been kicking my butt!
Quick check-in:
I am no longer vegan (LONG story - devastated and don't really wanna get into it), and I have been eating super crazy while busy. I have been following a keto pescatarian diet for the past 1.5 week. Had GREAT success my first week until I went on a camping trip and went overboard on s'mores. And then I have been off track for the past two days during midterms. Well, I am back!
Last I checked, I was 155.2 (of course), and I am sure I am more than that now after these 2 crazy days. I will be returning to 2-3 square meals a day with no snacks, but I will be having a weekly OMAD when I allow myself anything I want during my meal regardless of carbs (a small nod to @Brendalea69). I know I will eventually get down to daily OMAD, but for now, I am focused on one day a week and that is all I can handle. I will check in here on my OMAD day to hold myself accountable and check in with you lovely people.
@tlblanksfit: entering maintenance soon, right? Doing well?
If you eat an earlier meal, make it a low carb one like a large salad with some cheese and meat. I found I will maintain well doing that but will gain if anything goes. Good luck! Most of any weight you've gained will be food weight. Don't freak if the scale is high right now, stay to a reasonable diet and it will be mostly gone in 3-days.1 -
@tlblanksfit: entering maintenance soon, right? Doing well?
I am a week away from maintenance. I could be doing better. I had a not so good week this past week and I am now back up to 154.6. This past week I have struggled to get back to OMAD and have been eating 2 to 3 meals each day.
For this final week, I am determined to get back to OMAD because OMAD will be a big part of my maintenance and I don't want to go into maintenance struggling.
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If you eat an earlier meal, make it a low carb one like a large salad with some cheese and meat. I found I will maintain well doing that but will gain if anything goes. Good luck! Most of any weight you've gained will be food weight. Don't freak if the scale is high right now, stay to a reasonable diet and it will be mostly gone in 3-days.
Thanks, Bob! I was planning to have that for lunches so I'm happy to know that works!
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Weighed today to see where I am after all that mess: 159 - I am actually REALLY happy that my body is seeming to stay put in the 150s even with crazy eating. It sucks because I always seem to get stuck in the 150s, but I guess the silver lining is that I most likely will not see the 160s again.
I have abandoned keto because although I was satisfied, I just know that it will not work long term. My fiancé is Puerto Rican, and we eat a lot of Caribbean food that is absolutely NOT low carb. I know our future together will include lots of family get-togethers, and I just don't want to set myself up for failure. It's funny because I tried to "moderately" add carbs back in during a trip to Puerto Rico 3 years ago after being keto for months, and that was the beginning of the spiral to gaining back the almost 50 pounds I lost. Puerto Rican food will be plentiful in my life moving forward, so it really makes NO sense to think I will stick to keto religiously. Carb weight regain is so quick and substantial, and I think that would really throw a wrench in my maintenance.
Also, our relationship has already been improved just by my re-inclusion of fish because now we can order from the same places if we eat out, and we have gone back to cooking together at least one night a week. I don't think I realized just how much intimacy is involved in cooking and eating meals together. I don't want to go back to the way it was by restricting my diet anymore (beyond pescatarianism). I want to continue to eat carbs, and I know OMAD is the only way I can really make that happen without calorie counting.
I'm toying with making breakfast my OMAD and just changing it to later meals as needed for special occasions. I have always been a breakfast skipper, but when I have had it, I do enjoy starting my day with a nice meal. I have been reading a lot about the metabolic benefits of eating a big breakfast, and because it's my fiancé's favorite meal, we will get to spend weekends making big breakfasts together like we did when we first started dating without it impacting my weight loss goals. I miss those, and I am looking forward to that again. I also know that if I eat enough at breakfast that I am definitely not hungry later.
Unlike when I made this thread, I am not looking to make anything complicated anymore. I have exactly 11 weeks until my birthday and a lot of weight to lose, but I want to take things one day at a time and let others emerge organically as I go through the process. I don't know that I can lose all I want in these 11 weeks, but I will be entering maintenance on my birthday no matter how much I weigh.
I ate today around 9:30. It was a decent-sized meal but not enough because I hadn't decided fully what I was going to do, but luckily I can sleep most of today. I will be ready tomorrow with a nice big breakfast, and I will be posting here from now on.1 -
Britt, it sounds like things are coming together and you have a solid plan going forward. I am sure you will do fine as you seem to have a positive attitude and a good plan that has proven to work and will work for you. You will do fine.1
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Sounds like a great plan... Kind of where I'm at myself - not making things complicated and just letting whatever happens, happen. The only thing I really do is fast and then have my one meal a day, I don't really worry about what I have for that meal (well, it clearly has to be very delicious!). I'm a naturally healthy eater and it sounds like you probably are too, so I think it will all come together, as you say, organically...1
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@tlblanksfit @minigrrll thanks, ladies! Not eating enough bit me in the butt, and I ended up having another meal about 12 hours later when my hunger and headache became unbearable, but I am prepared for my big breakfast tomorrow.0
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I love breakfast too and I eat it all the time, my OMAD meal last night was waffles and maple bacon venison...Enjoy your breakfast anytime you choose 1
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Brendalea69 wrote: »I love breakfast too and I eat it all the time, my OMAD meal last night was waffles and maple bacon venison...Enjoy your breakfast anytime you choose
I keep meaning to do this and then always forget by the time dinner rolls around. I think I need to put a note on the fridge and maybe have breakfast for dinner on Friday or Saturday night this week...2 -
@Brendalea69 mmmmmmm! I LOVE waffles!!!1
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I keep flip-flopping, but my new plan is exactly what I need. My best friend is following a traditional weight loss plan with MFP, and I have decided to join her because I really need the support. Doing this alone is just not working. This community is absolutely amazing, but I need someone I can call at 2 AM to talk me off the ledge. Having an eating disorder just complicates things. So we are calorie counting together, which is actually very easy because I eat on campus during the week, and there are calorie counts available for everything. We both began yesterday and are both already feeling more successful doing this together. I dropped 1.6 pounds overnight by sticking to my calories and eating 3 meals without any urges to binge.
On the weekends and for events/special occasions, I am going to follow OMAD because I know it works, and it's incredibly convenient. This way, I can enjoy my big breakfasts with my fiancé every weekend without having to worry about calculating recipes, and I can also attend events where there is homemade food or food without available calorie counts. These are what put me off calorie counting in the first place because breaking all the recipes down or trying to eyeball measurements for the purpose of guessing calories became really complicated and annoying.
This seems like the best of both worlds: eating 3 square meals a day completely stopped binges for me and OMAD provides effortless weight loss without counting and the benefits of fasting. I firmly believe that this is what I can and will stick to after all of the changes and experimentation, and this seems like a very reasonable structure for my lifestyle moving forward.
Thanks for your continued support, everyone! You are all gems.
I will post my weekend/special event OMADs and Monday weigh-ins here.0 -
If that is what works for you then you should do it, and I'm glad you're still going to check in 1
