General Discussion
merph518
Posts: 702 Member
I've noticed that we have started using the intro thread for general discussion lately -- let's do it here instead! That way we're not discouraging new members from posting intros.
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Never hurts to have another thread.
I think the lack of new intros is because of the holidays. I haven't been posting as much and I also have not seen as many people to invite. I suspect a lot of people are waiting now until after the New Year to begin anything.
I am hoping this woman will join us:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/44476797#Comment_44476797
It takes something that I never had to be thinking of starting a weight loss effort with Christmas right around the corner. I think we can help her. Sometimes the first chapter of the story is just surviving and that will be tougher with the holidays coming. I should have @tagged her there.
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Hi everyone! Sorry, I've been another that's been MIA for a while. It has been a busy few months with tax deadlines, tax planning, work trips & holidays. I've read every single post during that time, so I felt like I was still an active part of the group until I realized that I hadn't actually said anything in a long time. I always planned to reply/post, but never actually made it all the way through typing something. With all of the travel, my loss had slowed, but continued. I'm down 38 lbs since I started in mid June. I've been logging, but I can tell by my spreadsheet (which really needs to be redone) that I've had to guess a lot on the foods when away from home. Slow can be frustrating, but I'm just happy to be trending downward. I recently clicked the button to update my MFP daily calorie allowance with the losses (only the 3rd time I've done that - edited because I can't count). I continue to be surprised at how much it drops (started at 1550, then 1430, then 1390, now 1340). At this rate, I'll be at 1200 before it's time to drop the rate of loss. It's not overly difficult (outside of traveling & eating out a lot), just surprising. I also need to start working on my activity & some resistance/weight training, but haven't figured out a plan for that quite yet.
So, I'm still here & plugging along & I really appreciate everyone's posts! I look forward to reading them & will try to do a much better job of chiming in!3 -
Don't let your calorie budget get too low @jlucas210. I'm assuming you have it set to 2lbs / week loss to get that low of a budget. You might want to tone that down some.4
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I know, but I still have 126 to lose! I was hoping to stay on 2 lbs a week for at least another 50+ lbs. If it starts feeling too difficult/restrictive, I'll adjust it & hopefully when I increase my activity, that will help some, too. I was more surprised than anything on how much it dropped without changing anything but my current weight.3
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I know, but I still have 126 to lose! I was hoping to stay on 2 lbs a week for at least another 50+ lbs. If it starts feeling too difficult/restrictive, I'll adjust it & hopefully when I increase my activity, that will help some, too. I was more surprised than anything on how much it dropped without changing anything but my current weight.
@jlucas210
You might want to give this a read if you have not read it already:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1
If it were not for improving my own NEAT my calorie budget would have been a minimum levels by the time I got down near goal. Mine has bumped 350 when I was able to track it. Right now it is probably higher but I am having a hard time evaluating since the surgery.3 -
@NovusDies Yes! That was a great thread! I have read that one & several like it & have actually implemented several of those suggestions. I think I need more time in my normal routine to get some accurate data... I feel like that data from select weeks over the last few months (mainly those while traveling or eating foods I had to guess at the calorie amounts) are pretty much crap. The numbers I gave above are before any adjustment for exercise/additional activity. I was just surprised how low that base number has gone when I still have so much to go. I really thought that the formulas wouldn't be as low at my height (5' 4.5"). I know I'm not tall, but I'm not really petite either.
So far, I'm not discouraged by it or having trouble the days I can accurately log my food. If anything, it helped me learn that I can relax when on vacation/work trips, log the best I can & still trend downward. That reassurance helps. The next 3 weeks should be fairly normal, then almost 2 weeks of travel, then I'll be in tax season. I'll be working a ton of hours, but very much back in my "normal" routine until April (as long as I survive the massive amounts of food brought into the office during tax season!).
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@jlucas210 I’m kind of going through the same thing - CICO and calculated rates don’t add up to loss, and kcal suggestion might be too low (Im also on the short side with a sedentary job). I recently changed my kcal goal from 1200 to mid 1300s. I track a lot of data so will be interesting to see impact, if any, on loss rate.
I’ve been sick past 2 weeks and did lose more weight than prior weeks, which I think is due to increased BMR. I’m actually eating more because I’m sick and exercising slightly less, but still at least 60 mins a day. I would much rather lose weight slower than have a cold/flu for weeks-ugh! But for the purpose of looking at data/figuring out trends it’s kind of hard to discern what change is driving increase in weight loss.
Thanks for posting the link to that thread @NovusDies Agree it’s pretty awesome!3 -
I've realized that I need to walk if I want my weightloss to be maximised. I've changed my exercise routine recently and included a range of other activities but my losses are always better when I include more walking. It's possible that my NEAT goes down when I do something else (squash/tennis) as I do get tired and my knees get sore. I'm going to track this more closely and see how my steps reduce/increase when I play squash rather than walk. If they do decrease then I know that's my problem. Otherwise it could be water retention etc with new/different exercise and I'll need to monitor that. I started off losing well with no intentional exercise but it's always better mentally for me when I'm active.4
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maiomaio71 wrote: »I've realized that I need to walk if I want my weightloss to be maximised. I've changed my exercise routine recently and included a range of other activities but my losses are always better when I include more walking. It's possible that my NEAT goes down when I do something else (squash/tennis) as I do get tired and my knees get sore. I'm going to track this more closely and see how my steps reduce/increase when I play squash rather than walk. If they do decrease then I know that's my problem. Otherwise it could be water retention etc with new/different exercise and I'll need to monitor that. I started off losing well with no intentional exercise but it's always better mentally for me when I'm active.
Activity is tricky. Right now I am outside walking most days for over an hour (usually 20 minutes in the morning and 40 in the evening). I can do more on the weekends but I am afraid if I add much more during the week it will begin to negatively impact my life balance. I am getting somewhat comfortable with 45 minutes on the elliptical but unlike walking I am not fond of doing it which makes me never eager to do more. The good thing is that I can get up early and do it so it has no impact on my schedule. I will have to keep working at making it come together.
I am also very protective of my NEAT. Right now I am getting almost the same amount of steps just going about my day that I get doing intentional exercise. The difference is I don't feel like I am putting in much effort to get them so they are easy way to increase my energy expenditure. There have been plenty of days where soreness from exercise has negatively impacted them but that should only be an intermittent and temporary problem.
While we should only focus on exercise and activity for fitness it would be naive to ignore that adding calories does not make weight management a little easier. We just have to keep it all straight so we do not end up with disordered thinking about killing ourselves with exercise JUST to eat more or just to pay back calories already eaten. I like my 80/20 rule here too. 80 percent for fitness and 20 percent for calories.
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The new school year is about to begin so I'm finding I'm sitting working a lot more than I was a few weeks ago. I have a load of planning and writing to do. My NEAT is definitely suffering. My goal for the next two weeks is to use my standing desk as much as possible.3
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I've been struggling to get back into my old (good) habits for the past couple weeks. Thankfully it's just my eating that's off and not off by too much... I'm still eating around maintenance due to getting too snacky in the evenings.3
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I've been struggling to get back into my old (good) habits for the past couple weeks. Thankfully it's just my eating that's off and not off by too much... I'm still eating around maintenance due to getting too snacky in the evenings.
Getting back on track can be rough. One thing that helped me this last break was to gradually lower the calories back to where I wanted. It's the smaller baby steps approach instead of dropping 1k in calories all at once. Week one the goal was to lose a half to a full pound plus get back to weighing and tracking properly, then a full pound to a pound and half, and now it's up to to two pounds a week. I'm still was far from perfect, though I never have been, but it's made it easier to get back to where I want calorie wise. I hope this helps and hang in there.3 -
Thanks @ConfidentRaven. That's pretty much what I've been trying to do -- just flip the switch and go right back to my old deficit. I'll try taking it a little slower and see how that goes.3
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I've been struggling to get back into my old (good) habits for the past couple weeks. Thankfully it's just my eating that's off and not off by too much... I'm still eating around maintenance due to getting too snacky in the evenings.
I'd also maybe give some thought as to why snacking in the evenings is a thing taking you out of a deficit, might just need to tweak your schedule or frequency like eating dinner a little later or planning in for snack.2 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »I've been struggling to get back into my old (good) habits for the past couple weeks. Thankfully it's just my eating that's off and not off by too much... I'm still eating around maintenance due to getting too snacky in the evenings.
I'd also maybe give some thought as to why snacking in the evenings is a thing taking you out of a deficit, might just need to tweak your schedule or frequency like eating dinner a little later or planning in for snack.
I seemed to go mad over new year, after a good xmas, then struggled to get back to it too.
I purged the house and anything that would derail me I either ate it (you can only wat it once) or gave it away then went "proper" shopping and planned a week of menus.
So far this week I've been fine and I'm getting my enthusiasm back.
I was evening snacking because it was there, it wasnt hunger it was greed.
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Thanks @ConfidentRaven. That's pretty much what I've been trying to do -- just flip the switch and go right back to my old deficit. I'll try taking it a little slower and see how that goes.
I went the other direction. I have restricted snack food for a couple of weeks to break my own habit of evening calorie creeping. I do allow a bowl of popcorn on the weekend. I have learned that I can do that for short bursts of time (3 weeks or so) to try an unlearn habits that form when I am more relaxed.
I am not suggesting that as a method for you to try. I am always in favor of transitioning slower when possible. I just seem be the type that has to shut the door completely if I want to go back to opening it just a crack. As long as my foot is in the door when I seem to be having trouble moderating I can't seem to get a handle on it. None of it was way out of control but you know if you do not leave calories and you snack up 350-500 too often it is irritating and it hurts progress. I think it is the irritation that gets me faster.2 -
I plan snacks for every day...I usually skip or have a very light breakfast...I eat a light lunch and a heavier dinner...in between and at night I like my snacks...I was eating popcorn at night but I hate the kernels in my teeth!...I usually have Chobani flip yogurt,Sargento snacks, fruit or some laughing cow cheese and a few wheat thins...Nature Valley bars are good, too...I was eating everything over the holidays and my weight was all over the place...I was bloated,tired and uncomfortable but I kept stuffing it in...I had not planned on overeating thru the holidays and that was an error on my part...I should have rethought a lot of things I did that were not productive to eating healthier...I have gotten back on track and now I am at my lowest weight so far...hoping to have hit 60 lbs off by Feb 1.... I do not think I could have done this without the support of so many of you in this group...some of your weight losses are truly amazing!...your increase in exercise is inspiring...I will always be thankful I found this group of people !...every day is another step forward toward my goal of losing weight....it’s never too late but I wish I had done this 40 years ago!4
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Congratulations @conniewilkins56 . I've bitten the bullet and joined the gym. Have an assessment next Wednesday. They have an infinity pool where I can swim with no-one watching ( hopefully my eczema behaves) , yoga at times that suit, and free new programs every 6 weeks. So I'm going to start strength training, swimming and expanding my yoga repertoire. It's close enough that I can walk there and back. I'm planning initially on going just 3x a week and seeing how it all fits in with my schedule. I'm hoping I can walk there, do some weights or swim and walk home in about the same time I would normally go for a walk. The other days I'll carry on walking. My plan this year is to get rid of another 20kg.2
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Two days of being completely on track with my eating now and I'm starting to feel better. I'm back down to 283.2, which is within a half pound of my previous low weight (all the way back in November). I didn't expect it to be so difficult to get out of the maintenance mindset I had during December.
I've also noticed that my self-image has shifted in a negative way during this time period. I went from feeling like I had slimmed down a lot (I did) and was feeling happy about that -- to feeling that I'm still very big and have a long way to go (I do). All this while my size/weight really hasn't changed at all.
I was very tempted not to share my recent issues, but I feel like quite a few people here / on my friends list view me as a hugely successful, unstoppable weight loser when it's really not true. I shouldn't hide my struggles -- everyone struggles.8 -
I didn't expect it to be so difficult to get out of the maintenance mindset I had during December.
I've always found it's easier to take small steps out of maintenance back into a deficit - starting with logging my meals accurately again for 2-3 days then reducing my intake a week or so at a time before settling back into it.
I was very tempted not to share my recent issues, but I feel like quite a few people here / on my friends list view me as a hugely successful, unstoppable weight loser when it's really not true. I shouldn't hide my struggles -- everyone struggles.
I think being honest about struggles makes people more likely to be successful in the long term, putting on a brave face can be as stressful as the struggles themselves and more often than not you'll find you're not the only one that's struggled and that in itself can be comforting.
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I try to always remember to share mine too. I always hope that people will see that not only do you not have to be perfect but you do not have to have all the answers immediately to succeed. Even when you think you have an answer sometimes the problem shifts just enough that what worked last time doesn't work this time.
The first time I went through November and December holidays was easy. I put together a plan of how many calories and how to allow more treats and executed it flawlessly. I did eat extra food but it was all controlled.
This season was a mess in comparison. The one thing that kept it somewhat contained was that I kept logging. Other people think it is ridiculous to log food during holidays, vacations, etc. and I can see their point but it is what I need to do. There may come a day when I decide it is okay to skip but no time soon.
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I try to always remember to share mine too. I always hope that people will see that not only do you not have to be perfect but you do not have to have all the answers immediately to succeed. Even when you think you have an answer sometimes the problem shifts just enough that what worked last time doesn't work this time.
The first time I went through November and December holidays was easy. I put together a plan of how many calories and how to allow more treats and executed it flawlessly. I did eat extra food but it was all controlled.
This season was a mess in comparison. The one thing that kept it somewhat contained was that I kept logging. Other people think it is ridiculous to log food during holidays, vacations, etc. and I can see their point but it is what I need to do. There may come a day when I decide it is okay to skip but no time soon.
You hit on something that I realized this holiday, logging will be a must for me, as will be sticking to my eating schedule. My calories and food choices were all over the place and I felt like I was always eating over the holidays. On a normal day I eat 3 meals a day with an occasional mid afternoon cheese or yogurt and fruit snack when needed. I know some people can do the 6 small meals a day and do really well, but I am so not one of them. I don't even like doing the one snack a day and will do everything to avoid it, but some days it's grab some cheese and fruit or risk overeating at dinner. I often find that if I snack I want to SNACK and that's not going to be helpful, so I limit my eating to 3 meals as often as possible.
Because I didn't log over the holiday I found myself thinking that I didn't eat that much, so that snack or that treat was okay. It was almost like if I didn't log it, it couldn't have been that many calories and besides holiday calories don't count, right? I did so much better on my first diet break where I planned my meals, ate them at my normal eating time, and logged what I ate, than I did with the holiday break eat when and what I wanted. I also found it easier to get back on track the first time than I did this time, probably because I didn't break from my routine, and for me that routine is vital.
However, I do not regret how I handled my holiday break, I learned a lot about my current eating habits and where I still have short falls. I also discovered how much my tastes have changed and it gives me a lot more faith about losing and continuing to figure out how and what to eat.3 -
*winces* the last three days have not been good for me. It's been a struggle to just stay within maintenance, and I'm pretty sure I went over that today. I was doing so well, too, until Thursday afternoon. My brain is such a complicated, pretentious beast sometimes! I hit 100 lbs on Thursday morning, and its like my brain must have short circuited over the joy of hitting that goal, because its decided it wants to eat everything in sight. I was actually snacking on raw oats this evening - just a pinch right out of the tub (when the beast is demanding food, and by the beast, I mean my brain, not my stomach as the stomach is perfectly content right now, when that beast is demanding food, it will take whatever it can get, and it's interesting how imaginative I can get when I'm looking for a snack, even when i don't keep snack foods in the house....)
*sigh* I'm not sure what has tripped this off, but I really need to get it back under control! It's almost like the way i feel in the 48 hours leading to TOM, but that's not supposed to be until Friday, so for some reason, PMS seems to have decided to come earlier than normal. I sincerely hope that doesn't mean I'll be fighting this feeling all week long!
Tomorrow will hopefully be better. Normally, I'd be going to Mom's for Sunday dinner after church since we switch off Sundays and its her turn, but my brother's wife is having a gender reveal party tomorrow, and I've elected to stay home while Mom and Dad are going (I can't stand my brother's in-laws and am just not in the state of mind to deal with them tomorrow, so I'm using church choir practice as my excuse to get out of it--yes, awful, I know, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, right?). So that means I'll be getting my own meals tomorrow which also means I can hopefully practice damage control. Mom tries to sympathize with me and help me out, but she forgets important ingredients and amounts and her portions sizes are out of wack which means I know I"m always over on her Sundays. Since I"m fending for myself tomorrow, hopefully I can at least contain the damage and hopefully reverse this irritating trend!
And maybe I can get a fast day in next week and maybe get some damage control in.......3 -
ConfidentRaven wrote: »I try to always remember to share mine too. I always hope that people will see that not only do you not have to be perfect but you do not have to have all the answers immediately to succeed. Even when you think you have an answer sometimes the problem shifts just enough that what worked last time doesn't work this time.
The first time I went through November and December holidays was easy. I put together a plan of how many calories and how to allow more treats and executed it flawlessly. I did eat extra food but it was all controlled.
This season was a mess in comparison. The one thing that kept it somewhat contained was that I kept logging. Other people think it is ridiculous to log food during holidays, vacations, etc. and I can see their point but it is what I need to do. There may come a day when I decide it is okay to skip but no time soon.
You hit on something that I realized this holiday, logging will be a must for me, as will be sticking to my eating schedule. My calories and food choices were all over the place and I felt like I was always eating over the holidays. On a normal day I eat 3 meals a day with an occasional mid afternoon cheese or yogurt and fruit snack when needed. I know some people can do the 6 small meals a day and do really well, but I am so not one of them. I don't even like doing the one snack a day and will do everything to avoid it, but some days it's grab some cheese and fruit or risk overeating at dinner. I often find that if I snack I want to SNACK and that's not going to be helpful, so I limit my eating to 3 meals as often as possible.
Because I didn't log over the holiday I found myself thinking that I didn't eat that much, so that snack or that treat was okay. It was almost like if I didn't log it, it couldn't have been that many calories and besides holiday calories don't count, right? I did so much better on my first diet break where I planned my meals, ate them at my normal eating time, and logged what I ate, than I did with the holiday break eat when and what I wanted. I also found it easier to get back on track the first time than I did this time, probably because I didn't break from my routine, and for me that routine is vital.
However, I do not regret how I handled my holiday break, I learned a lot about my current eating habits and where I still have short falls. I also discovered how much my tastes have changed and it gives me a lot more faith about losing and continuing to figure out how and what to eat.
I love your objective hindsight. I definitely learned a few things about myself over the holidays too. Obviously I would rather not have to keep learning about my weak areas but I would much rather learn it this way then allow something to go on for months or years (as I have in the past) and experience a major weight gain. I have already lost the little bit of weight I gained so it was barely a bump in the road.1 -
bmeadows380 wrote: »*winces* the last three days have not been good for me. It's been a struggle to just stay within maintenance, and I'm pretty sure I went over that today. I was doing so well, too, until Thursday afternoon. My brain is such a complicated, pretentious beast sometimes! I hit 100 lbs on Thursday morning, and its like my brain must have short circuited over the joy of hitting that goal, because its decided it wants to eat everything in sight. I was actually snacking on raw oats this evening - just a pinch right out of the tub (when the beast is demanding food, and by the beast, I mean my brain, not my stomach as the stomach is perfectly content right now, when that beast is demanding food, it will take whatever it can get, and it's interesting how imaginative I can get when I'm looking for a snack, even when i don't keep snack foods in the house....)
*sigh* I'm not sure what has tripped this off, but I really need to get it back under control! It's almost like the way i feel in the 48 hours leading to TOM, but that's not supposed to be until Friday, so for some reason, PMS seems to have decided to come earlier than normal. I sincerely hope that doesn't mean I'll be fighting this feeling all week long!
Tomorrow will hopefully be better. Normally, I'd be going to Mom's for Sunday dinner after church since we switch off Sundays and its her turn, but my brother's wife is having a gender reveal party tomorrow, and I've elected to stay home while Mom and Dad are going (I can't stand my brother's in-laws and am just not in the state of mind to deal with them tomorrow, so I'm using church choir practice as my excuse to get out of it--yes, awful, I know, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, right?). So that means I'll be getting my own meals tomorrow which also means I can hopefully practice damage control. Mom tries to sympathize with me and help me out, but she forgets important ingredients and amounts and her portions sizes are out of wack which means I know I"m always over on her Sundays. Since I"m fending for myself tomorrow, hopefully I can at least contain the damage and hopefully reverse this irritating trend!
And maybe I can get a fast day in next week and maybe get some damage control in.......
I cannot even blame TOM for when that happens to me. It doesn't happen often but I have definitely had mini sprints of it. I know some people get a feeling that a reward is due for an accomplishment. Mine never really come after a milestone though.
Try not to make it worse than it is though. That screws me up even more. If you are eating very close to maintenance or even if a little over no damage is being done. It is irritating but sometimes it is the price of being a human. You may be mad at yourself for not celebrating your 100 milestone. I tend to "act out" when I am mad at myself about something.1 -
@bmeadows380 You're not alone in the pre tom hungry, I also get them near ovulation. I don't know your way of eating, but I try to add a little more protein and/or healthy fats. I've found that for me a serving of 4% cottage cheese or applewood smooked Gouda and some grapes really help some of the times, others not so much and at that point I'll eat to cravings and near maintanence rather than driving myself crazy. Hang in there and know you aren't alone.
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@ConfidentRaven I wish protein/healthy fats would satisfy my beast; when my brain is demanding food, though, nothing truly satisfies as it seems to want to eat and isn't craving anything in particular - that's the worst part, because if it was craving something, I'd get it and get over it, but apparently, the craving is to eat itself. I've tried proteins in various forms, I've tried fats, I've tried healthy carbs, unhealthy carbs; doesn't matter.
I'm going to try my best to get a fast in tomorrow, if at least, perhaps either skip breakfast or lunch and wait until dinner. Sometimes, not always, but sometimes, fasting can calm the beast down; hopefully, it will work tomorrow. At the very least, if I can skip a meal or two, I'll catch up to the excesses from this weekend, anyway!2 -
well, I didn't get a full fast in today BUT I did manage to wait until noon to break my fast, and, even though I ended up going out for pizza of all things with my sister for dinner and then to the movies, I still managed to come under my calorie limit by 100 calories! I also managed to stop myself at only 3 pieces of pizza, and it was thin crust and supreme with lots of veggies. Nothing during the movie except for a bottle of water - the theater couldn't provide unbuttered popcorn as they had this self-serve thing going on, so I walked away from that and any candy.
So that's a vast improvement from the last 4 days!
Now if I can just get my stinking pellet stove to burn. Figures it decides to be contrary tonight, when the lows are in the low teens! If I can't get it to fire, then I'm going to be stuck with my backup - baseboard heaters.....2 -
My latest question is about my drastic shift in activity. As you may know I am against drastic changes but it seems to have happened anyway. I am worried that I will want to revert at some point because this is abnormal behavior for me. On the other hand I also wonder if I am not just catching up to where I should have been. My pre-surgery self was being held back quite a bit and some of that was likely my lack of resolve to increase my activity in other ways. I was pushing myself some but I was only lightly active and that was after losing over 200 pounds. Now I seem to have jumped over moderately active and I am fully active.
As long as I keep an eye on my behavior and adjust my eating back down if my level slips back down I am okay I guess. I do not want to get "spoiled" with my present calorie level though. I am trying to add some of the calories in ways I can subtract them easily if needed like increasing the amount of cheese and oil.
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My latest question is about my drastic shift in activity. As you may know I am against drastic changes but it seems to have happened anyway. I am worried that I will want to revert at some point because this is abnormal behavior for me. On the other hand I also wonder if I am not just catching up to where I should have been. My pre-surgery self was being held back quite a bit and some of that was likely my lack of resolve to increase my activity in other ways. I was pushing myself some but I was only lightly active and that was after losing over 200 pounds. Now I seem to have jumped over moderately active and I am fully active.
As long as I keep an eye on my behavior and adjust my eating back down if my level slips back down I am okay I guess. I do not want to get "spoiled" with my present calorie level though. I am trying to add some of the calories in ways I can subtract them easily if needed like increasing the amount of cheese and oil.
I think that like "normal weight" is a range, so is activity. There are times when I feel like being up and doing, and times when my metabolism might be 95% slug. I'll never be a high-NEAT, hummingbird type person, and if I sit for too long I get antsy and twitchy, so the extreme ends of the spectrum are not in my range, but my own "normal" falls somewhere between the two. I swing between them, and don't spend too much time at each end.1
