Struggling with weight loss

I’ve been here forever and just recommitting as well. This is a comfortable weight for me and I’m still in the ‘healthy’ BMI category. But I was a lot happier (and still in ‘healthy’) when I was 20 pounds down.

I find analyzing my log really helpful. When I first lost weight, I realized milk, bread, and cheese added hundreds of calories a day to my log and I wouldn’t miss them if they were gone. That knocked out the calories I needed.

Then I worked on not snacking (late afternoon nuts were my killer) and smaller portion sizes.

Your filler calories may be different, but identifying what you could drop without bothering you will help a lot.

I also know that every time I stalled on weight loss it was because I needed to re-calibrate my calories for my new lower weight.

Finally, being sedentary is a killer. You don’t have to exercise a lot, but you do have to stand up and walk a little every hour. According to several pieces I’ve read in the NYTimes, it switches how your body processes calories - you go into sleep mode. A walk to the bathroom or coffee machine will do it. And those long term studies of weight loss maintenance all say an hour of exercise a day is even more important than calories (opposite of the loss phase).

Good luck to us both!

Water, preferably flavored with no calories. Slow down in your eating to let your body catch up to let you know you're filling up and drink water with your meals. Don't eat until you're full. That's my current struggle. I got a taste of "filling up" and now I'm struggling again.

Also count your day's allocated calories before you eat. Once you realize that's all you get, you'll slow down. I also learned to save some of my calories until closer to bedtime so it's not such a power struggle. I know - people say don't eat before bed. I do it all the time. Don't forget to treat yourself, but portion control is the difference between staying on track and not. Also, if you ever get to the point where you're not hungry, don't force yourself to eat all your calories. I wouldn't deny myself those allocated calories if I was hungry, but you can save some of those extra calories for the next day when you're struggling if that helps. I've started putting non-perishable carryover foods in a dish to remind myself I still have them. It's easier to say no to something you can have than tell yourself you can't have it.

Trading a high calorie bite for something healthier with more volume for the calories also helps you to gain control but still lets you eat. At one point when I was struggling to choose good bites, I made a list of low calorie foods that I like to eat, now I have to do it all over again for the winter.
When veggie salads are expensive, soups help.

Good luck.

The OP posted Nov 2 and hasn't logged in since.