16 lbs in 14 days

Thanks Hannah for the tip. Perfect!

I understand some of the initial is water. That said, for as much water as I consume a day, over 100 oz, I would say my urination frequency has not increased one bit. So I am not thinking all of this is water. In fact, I think I got through the water loss stage after 4 or 5 days.

I was eating around 500g of carbs a day at probably, around, 2,100-2,300 calories - lots of empty calories. Junk food. I am 56 and while I state that I am sedentary for the purposes of this website, I am actually more active. I walk around 3 miles a day and kayak three times a week now. But my kayaking is HIIT. But I haven't kayaked much in the last 8 months, till the last two weeks. I average around 5 mph. I am only 5 ft 5.5 inches tall. My belly was showing. Too much. I have lost 5 inches off that belly in 14 days. I plan on losing 5 more. Going from 44 inches down to 39 feels good.

The eating thus far has been simple. Take out all bread, sugar, and pasta. I've made a great version of my own pizza and other foods, meats, salads, fishes, and even chocolate mousses. I am adjusting well. I do not hit my macros and in fact, have elected to push more protein over fat to force my body to burn some fat. I still eat 60% fat over protein or carbs but that latter of the two, on some days, are about equal. Some days I eat 75% fat and few carbs.

When I was in Alaska for 2007-2010, I circumnavigated Alaska which took 4 years and I ate dehydrated food from Mt House. Think about this, all that food, while they do try to make healthy, was serious pastas. I was eating 4 servings a day and would start a season, mid April, after a fat winter, and by the end of the season, late Sept, be down to a lean 118 lbs. I was wearing kids shirts. So I would start at 170 lbs and in short order, would be down to 130 and then would be eating 50 Snickers bars a week, along with my dehy food, and still be losing weight. That's why I would end a season around 120 lbs or less.

In high school, I was never more than 125 lbs and a 27-28 inch waist all 4 years. I can tell you the following: At the following waist sizes, will be followed my weight. So at 28 inch waist, 125 pounds. Thirty inch waist, 136 lbs. 32=149, 33=157, 34=168, 35=175 so that lately, I was edging towards 180 (177 lbs) when I started to change. I had just purchased $100 of food that I gave away, went back to the store, and purchased $150 of healthy stuff. That was 14 days ago.

My problem, I hate veggies. So I eat green beans and salads, but most of my diet has been other things. It's working. I am not hungry. I do get the 9 pm, what can I have to eat before bed routine, but I manage.

But I would not say this is all water loss early on. Truthfully, all my quote "water", is actually unsweetened ice tea. I drink over 100 ounces of tea a day. It is just Lipton Cold Brew. My neck has lost half an inch, but my legs have lost more. My stomach, like I said, a decent loss at 5 inches, and my face, wow, major loss.

I know we are hear to talk about successes and while I am not trying to elude that my results are either typical or atypical, I am saying with the help of the website here, I am calculating and dropping. But I am eating some carbs still. How many? Between 37 on a good day, and 120 on a recovery day. I have readjusted my calories 5 times now. I started at 1,874 for a few days, and went down and down and am at 1450 right now. I did report some activities, like kayaking, but then you get quote "rewarded with more calories". I do the activity now, but not so much the reporting, or if I do, I don't eat the extra calories. I stay firm. There has been many days I didn't hit my calories, and only one day, maybe two, I went slightly over.

I knew I was a carbo sucking machine for the last year, and knew it was time to cut out some things. Sugars. Breads. Pastas. Though I do have a slice of Dave's Killer Bread from time to time, for the seeds. Wow, lots of seeds. I do slide here and there. And soon, will post some before and after pics. But what I am doing is the work. It's a lot of work. Don't kid there. I dropped 12 lbs in 8 days, then for the next few days, gained 1 pound and 1 inch on my belly, before dropping a bit more. Tomorrow, I kayak again. Today was a rainy day, so may only walk 2 miles, not 3.

I know it's easy to say you won't keep this pace up, but I don't plan to. My plan is to go from 1,450 calorie goal to 1,400 in a day or two, then 1,375 for two days, then back to 1,400 for a week. Then 1,500 for a week. Then 1,600 for a week. And then hover between 1,600-1,750 to start maintaining a weight around 148-150 lbs. But I won't know for sure till I get closer to 150 lbs, what my daily will end up being.

By the way, TeaBea, you may want to research, but not all pounds lost are 3,500 calories. I, personally, don't buy into that, and there is great research that because not all calories are alike, that this may not hold true. But I could take, as an example, which I have done 4 times, someone to Alaska, and within the first 14-21 days, they will lose 20-25 pounds on carbs. While yes, it is still calories in, calories out, and minusing carbs, there is still adding in HIIT, or in my case, very efficient kayaking, and walking, movement, and not sitting on a couch