Introductions

ItsTime2BMe
ItsTime2BMe Posts: 163 Member
Hi, I started at SP in 2013 - changed my name a couple of times (was A_BIT_AT_A_TIME, then A_NEW_CHAPTER) then deleted my account altogether whilst having a hissy fit one day, but came back a year later in my current form.

I started SP at 272 and quickly lost 30 pounds doing the 5% Challenges -- but then 'life' happened and I have been bouncing between 240-250 for several years because I never had a plan for when life got messy.

Last year (pre-Covid) my doctor told me to lose some weight. I didn't do much about it, lost maybe 5 pounds - but this year I found IF and I'm not stopping now! Down 22 pounds since April 1st and I want to lose another 40 pounds, or as close as I can get in the next 6 months. My permanent goal weight is 146 but MFP is telling me I could get there a lot sooner than I expected. WooHoo!

Right now, I'm at 222ish, numbers I haven't seen in 30 years. My success has encouraged my hubby to start losing weight so we're both aiming to get to Onederland this year. He only needs to lose 30ish pounds while I would like to lose 70 so it's not a race, just supporting each other.

Welcome to the Transplanted team!

Replies

  • ItsTime2BMe
    ItsTime2BMe Posts: 163 Member
    I hear you about the pastries and sweets - I will probably make the switch to low carb at some point but I'm not there yet. I think if I could 'see inside' my liver I would make the switch yesterday but 'ignorance is bliss' lol.

    Hubby and I both have a number of food intolerances and our diet is pretty limited, a lot of things that are 'good' for us are things we can't (or one of us can't) eat, so we manage by eating a lot of the same things every week, which includes one meal of pasta.

    And I like bread, I know it's horrible for insulin/blood glucose, but I like bread, I like making bread, I like the smell of baking bread... and I'm not ready to give it up. >:) I do try to manage my carbs so I'm not having carbs every day.
  • TXRebelle
    TXRebelle Posts: 139 Member
    Hi everyone! I'm a lifelong yo-yo dieter and have lost and gained 100's of pounds until I discovered IF. I've kept off 110 pounds for almost two years now thanks to IF, low carb AND I continue to count every calorie. Right now I'm doing clean zero carb and IF 18:6 to get off some water weight along with moving my eating window to earlier in the day. I will be going back to low carb in July but will probably keep my window the same for now as my sleeping patterns seem to think I'm in Europe. :) I'm about 15 pounds from my "healthy weight" for the first time since middle school but it has been slow going this year and even maintaining has been much harder than I thought it would be. I can use all the accountability that I can get.
  • lignss
    lignss Posts: 7 Member
    Hello, These are wonderful and inspiring stories and I'm glad to join this group! I started at Sparkpeople in 2012 and got down to my goal weight (60 pounds) within a couple years or so but gradually gained it back over the years. A couple years ago, I started back and through Intermittent Fasting and extreme exercise I lost a lot of weight.

    I ran my first mile at the age of 42, and then worked up to running 7+ miles non-stop and biking 40+ miles. However, I soon learned where my limits are. I had a severe bicycle accident and then developed plantar fasciitis and a morton's neuroma and had to stop exercising entirely. I went back up to 246 pounds! :-( After Physical Therapy and healing, I was finally able to get going again this year. I have lost well over 20 pounds and plan to get to my healthy BMI weight of 193 (I'm 6'2" male) by the end of this year.

    I have been practicing fasting for over 25 years so this is not new to me. I honestly think it is a lot easier now than when I was a teenager. It definitely feels more effective and satisfying, both physically and spiritually. I have found exercise to be the key to pretty much everything. It makes me able to successfully fast (sounds crazy I know) and stick to my goals and build momentum that carries me through the tough things and temptations. I'm so glad to be here!

  • WinterflowerSP
    WinterflowerSP Posts: 1,054 Member
    I am not diabetic but I had heard others talk about IF on SP. I was using this system in the spring, but then began consuming as many calories as I would have normally, as my eating spiraled. I am giving it another go, and am using a 1200-1500 cal goal with an emphasis on low/healthy fat. Breads/sweets aren't generally a problem area for me but vening snacking is! So I am focusing on eating 2 meals in the 16/8 window and a healthy evening snack, with allowances for a snack between meals. It's amazing to me how doing the right things consistently can yield results, and relatively quickly.

    lignss-I agree about exercise, though I am not an extreme exerciser. I TRY to walk/bike everyday with my poodles but the bugs are crazy right now and makes for miserable exercise. I need to get my mind set to do other things. They like to paddle board with me so, no excuses! Also I am starting back to some strength training with hand weights and body weight exercises. I have LOTS of different exercise options, I just need to DO IT!

    SparkPeople is where I learned starting small is ok. 10 minutes a day is better than no minutes a day. Usually,once I get started, I get 20-30 min without a thought. It's just getting started and motivated to do something. I guess if I had a motto it would be "Choose Healthy". Sit on the couch or go for a walk? Bag of chips or strawberries? Soda or water?

    I hope we all find some successes in our day today!!
  • lignss
    lignss Posts: 7 Member

    SparkPeople is where I learned starting small is ok. 10 minutes a day is better than no minutes a day. Usually,once I get started, I get 20-30 min without a thought. It's just getting started and motivated to do something. I guess if I had a motto it would be "Choose Healthy". Sit on the couch or go for a walk? Bag of chips or strawberries? Soda or water?

    I hope we all find some successes in our day today!!

    WinterflowerSP, you are SO right! Starting small is not only okay, but often it is the only way to start! Quite often, I find myself starting out to do a little bit and then find I end up doing a lot more once I get going. Getting going is the hard part. As I write this, I'm struggling with needing to exercise, but there are heavy rain clouds threatening (it's the same every afternoon here in Florida) and my gym is 25 minutes away...
  • newpma
    newpma Posts: 230 Member
    Hi my weight has been a problem since the birth of my second child 10 years ago I have tried everything but nothing worked in the long term I'm totally committed to IF now (started about 4 weeks ago) if this doesn't work for me I really don't know what to do I guess I'll just have to accept my body for what it is. Regardless of my weight I will be sticking with IF because I feel better in other ways and I do believe it will have other health benefits.
  • cantstopher
    cantstopher Posts: 15 Member
    I have been overweight most of my life. In January I completely cleaned up my diet and started exercising. last years blood work showed my LDL was 227. No Sugar, no junk and low carb. I have lost 50 pounds since january and was excited for my annual exam and blood work. Well since the weightloss my LDL went up to 286??? and doctor said my A1C went up slightly and now I am prediabetic. Has this happened to anyone else? I am so confused and depressed over these numbers
  • ItsTime2BMe
    ItsTime2BMe Posts: 163 Member
    Canstopher - congratulations on your weight loss - 50 pounds is incredible!! But that LDL reading must be really frustrating. I don't know enough about cholesterol, I know it is something that should be "on my radar".

    I know Fung's books mentions how our 'concept' of cholesterol is not exactly correct (he explains how he thinks it should be visualized, I'd have to go through the book and find his quote) I don't know if he has an explanation for how to lower LDL or how that would relate to fasting - it must be related to insulin resistance/liver/pancreas somehow. You could search his website maybe to see if he has any info there.

    (and I only mention Fung because that's what I'm reading now and I like that he doesn't always accept the 'status quo' explanation for things...and he backs up his claims with data from human studies, not mice and rat studies)

    I hope you find answers somewhere <3
  • beccaboo1276414
    beccaboo1276414 Posts: 880 Member
    Hi, I started SP in 2012. I gave up gluten the same year and gave up dairy in 2020. I have gone from 345 pounds to 221 pounds. I am diabetic so I fast each day a minimum of 12 hours up to 17 hours to control my blood glucose, along with a lower carb regime (less than 150 g of carbs). I look forward to continuing my journey on MFP.
  • DebyS137
    DebyS137 Posts: 4,713 Member
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    ~ Welcome to all our New Members ~

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  • primeofmylife2021
    primeofmylife2021 Posts: 79 Member
    edited November 2021
    I found my team! Thank you for using the same icon! I was Primeofmylife in that wonderful Spark community.
    o:)
    I am actually using Cronometer (not MFP) for tracking. It has a fasting element (in the paid version), but I still prefer the Sunrise app.
    ;)
    I used Spark tracking, 10,000 daily steps, and intermittent fasting (mostly 16-8), and I lost 65 pounds in 2020/21! Woo hoo! It felt amazing! Then came maintenance … which is harder than losing! I was good for a while, but I’ve gained back 20 lbs. I stopped tracking, walking, and fasting. I shouldn’t be surprised by the result.
    :'(
    I have created a new tracking sheet, put it on my fridge, and have started again. I know what works for me - I just need to do it! My new goal is to get back to my happy weight by my birthday in February by being consistent in my daily goals. Here I go!
    o:)