9 weeks til Christmas challenge starting 10/23

MelodiousMermaid wrote: »

dlhollin1 wrote: »

MelodiousMermaid wrote: »

Last week had a few setbacks, exercise-wise, but thankfully I've been able to stay two days ahead in planning, have stayed at or above my protein goal, and I've kept to the eating plan.

3.5 pounds down for the week, 7.2 so far for the challenge period.


Challenge starting weight- 223.5 lbs


10/23- 223.5
10/30- 219.8
11/06- 216.3
11/13-
11/20-
11/27-
12/04-
12/11-
12/18-
12/25-

Challenge End Weight Goal- 199 lbs or lower
Total weight loss goal by Christmas- 24.5-31.5 lbs for the challenge period

Thats quite a loss in 2 weeks what is working so well, I need some of that.

I've had reasonably steady weight loss since I restructured what I'm doing. I will note up front that some of what I'm choosing to do would be considered to be too aggressive/controversial by a number of people on the forums. Taking that into mind, and keeping in mind that everyone needs to do what they need to do for themselves ("you do you"), here's what I do in a nutshell. OK, a really, really big nutshell...

After completing a bunch of background reading/research, I decided that while I am still classifiable as obese according to body fat percentage, I am not eating back exercise calories. My general standard of living has been very, very sedentary, so I set my MFP goals to maintain as sedentary. I have set a rule for myself that this is the maximum calories I will allow for intake.

From there, I decided to stay at least two days ahead on planning. I don't always stick to the food plan, but I've generally stayed in the ball park, and almost every day have met my protein goal. This "budget allowance" and getting better protein support have been game changers for me for intake. My lean body mass was estimated at 116 lbs, so I started at 1 gram of protein per lean pound. I have since upped it to 150 grams, as I want to be sure to support my muscles as I lose weight and am hoping I'll maybe even start to gain a bit of muscle with strength training (have read success stories where people have had this happen). Since I'm female and 5' 1" (sometimes 5' 2" depending on who's measuring), my calorie allowance isn't as generous as it is for some others, I generally plan to land in the 1,000-1,200 calorie range with the basics (protein, veggies, an occasional berry snack, and essential fatty acids (I supplement with EPA/DHA even when I have fish). If you log and wish to be accurate, be sure to use a food scale and use reliable data (e.g. USDA database and manufacturer's labels).

Due to calorie restriction, this way of eating generally trends in the low-carb direction, so I'm also watching electrolytes, trying to keep them at a steady-ish level, which has also really helped manage water weight (except post-workout and hormonal water gains). Please note that this way of eating has varying levels of success for people, and while I don't plan to maintain a low-carb diet by the time I'm done, I'm currently using it in a way where I am trying new recipes/combinations over time which I can later add variety (and additional nutrients) to with higher fat meats, starchy veggies, non-berry fruits, and some pasta, rice, beans, and grains as I get closer to maintenance. Essentially, I'm finding some basic flavors and trying to build a library of recipes/food combinations that works for me and is tweakable for what I intend to do in the long run.

Oh yeah, and tools play a big part in supporting my food planning/prep. A good digital food scale is an absolute essential accessory for me in the kitchen, especially for tracking high calorie items or major protein sources. I have a set of those copper skillets so I don't need to use sprays and oils -- things like that end up saving a lot in the calorie budget over time. And I LOVE the convenience of a pressure cooker (the one I have is an Instant Pot), as I can put in a whole tray of boneless skinless chicken breasts and they'll be cooked through and reasonably enjoyable (I tend to have problems having them come out dry otherwise). I REALLY, REALLY want a convection oven to add to the arsenal, as I LOVE fries and other fried foods, but am putting that off for closer to maintenance.

After intake planning, the biggest contributors to my success have been walking (I keep it slower, often 2.0-2.5 MPH pace), strength training 2-3x/week (compound lifting -- I chose to start with the Stronglifts 5x5 program, which also has a convenient app), and NEAT movement.

If you're not familiar with NEAT, here's a great thread I found a while back:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

I'm doing my best to get to 10,000+ steps 6 days a week (I take Sundays off), as estimated by the MapMyWalk app. Note that if you use the app, you have to update your weight in both MFP and MMW. I do plan to get a fitness watch of some variety as a reward for myself when I reach overweight body fat percentage (35%), as I would like to get a closer eye on where I'm at for a daily burn as I rein things in while working towards a healthy percentage and maintenance. From what I've read/researched, it is harder to maintain or grow muscle mass the lower body fat percentage gets (while eating in a deficit), and I really want the weight to be as much fat and fat-support as possible, as I don't personally have a goal of aiming for any specific BMI level -- just want to be healthy and able. (A pipe dream for me would be to become a Ninja Warrior, but not sure if physical stuff would let me get there.)

Anywho, I suppose that segues into what I feel is the most important part of the battle (for me anyway): the battle of the mind. I've been through weight loss several times, but due to various issues, have never maintained my success. By changing my intake approach to a menu of the essentials each day with a calorie allowance I could use if I felt I really needed it, I found that I have much more power to say no to the things that are more "old habit" or hormonal cravings (though I will admit that the latter is a more uphill battle).

BTW, I find that the days where I'm behind on eating or haven't gotten as much protein are the days I struggle the most. Of course, if you struggle with hydration, that could be a consideration as well. Most days, I'm getting 8-10 cups of water in addition to whatever comes in my food. I have a 20 ounce water bottle that goes with me pretty much everywhere. I chug 20 oz. right away with my first meal in the morning and refill before heading out the door, making sure to refill it when I get a chance.

Something else that has helped me is viewing things in terms of longer-term decisions. If it's not a special (truly rare/lifetime) occasion and I want to nosh on something, I quantify it in my mind in some kind of terms before deciding whether or not to go for it. For instance, if there were a super-tasty dessert available for me, and it is 500 calories, I first think: "Does it fit in today's budget?" (Which it almost always does.) Then I move to something like "OK, so I'm in this challenge right now which has seven weeks left. If I made a decision like this every week, it would add up to 3,500 calories, which is approximately one pound of fat loss. Do I want to give that up?" If I don't have a challenge or nearish-term goal (other than the standard next 5 pounds), it's more like "OK, this is 500 calories, which is approximately 1/7 of a pound. Do I enjoy it or move on?" Most of the time it's not worth enough to take the dive. I've gotten really good at purposefully looking away from food related stuff too so I don't have as much temptation, and keep rehearsing the mantra of "Sorry, it doesn't fit [my plan today/my macros], but I really appreciate the offer" for extended family, friends, and the like. Thankfully I think they're getting used to it. Well, some of them.

Not sure if this would apply to any of your situations, but something I have struggled with in the past is disordered eating and binge eating. I won't pretend that everything's all roses, but by planning and supporting at home, I have a lot easier time fighting the war. Some of my triggers are hormonal (I have PMDD, so the cycle can be a bit much of a rollercoaster, and due to complications I do not have the option of medications). However, there are others I've learned about over time. For now, until I'm ready to work through it with a therapist and see if I can overcome things long-term, I went cold turkey on some specific foods (the especially bad ones don't even make it into the house for anyone in my family and have to be purchased and then consumed as-needed for them). Another trigger is harder for me -- dining (doesn't matter if it's a buffet or not). I have had to talk with my friends or just opt out of several things, on a "for now" basis. I've been lucky enough that the friends I've shared with understand enough to help come up with alternatives or forgive me the lapse in the relationship while I work on me. I intend to try to get to a better place with all that, but I'm working on other health markers first.

One tip that someone told me that's really made a difference for the nighttime stuff is that if it's bad enough, just go to bed. That's helped me more than once. Another tip that I've used is to leave purchasing methods at home at all times possible. This was critical for me in the first 1-2 months while I adjusted. Hard to say yes when you can't pay for it! Grocery shopping was the exception, and I needed to have an accountability buddy (most of the time a family member) with me when I shopped for that period as well.

Overall, I had to learn to trust the numbers, be honest with myself, and focus on the future and why I'm doing this. The last pounds (vanity weight) may or may not be a thing for me, as I'm in it for health markers at this point, but for now, the why is strong enough.

The last thing I'll recommend (if anyone's even still reading by this point) is using a reliable scale to weigh on a regular basis as fits your psychological needs (for me, daily is the way to go), and put the weight into a trending app. I use the weightgrapher website to track my trends, and it is really helpful, especially when comparing progress when the hormones and exercise are messing with the weigh-ins. It took a big chunk of stress off of me when I took that step and I wish I'd done that a very long time ago.

So this is likely a lot more information than you were imagining/hoping for, but hopefully it makes enough sense. Feel free to take any part of it or ignore the whole, as we're all different. If you have any questions, feel free to reply with them.