Welcome, Coffee_and_Mindfulness and Brent. I'm on my second round of losing in three years. Managed to drop 110...hit a few bumps...gain a lot back but this group kept me in the game. So I didn't gain it all back, and now I am back in the groove. We all understand the challenge in finding a new healthy weight for life. Hopefully with happier knees and feet and ankles and ....
Please jump into one of the threads. We try to kind of stay on topic - but things wander around a lot

I've described it much better in the past, but this from today's post mentioned above, just as a suggestion to consider. I might or might not do some light editing. I really was about to step away.... here goes:

I am sure that there is a saying somewhere that what you don't measure and don't know you can't control.

My opinion only, of course, but I wanted to eat the MOST I could; while STILL achieving my goal of weight loss. I wanted to only consider and implement changes I could see myself making long term because long term maintenance was definitely on the radar for me given past short lived and failed attempts at losing weight (and my observance of people around me losing yet failing to maintain).

I GIFTED to myself the tool of LOGGING as ACCURATELY AS I POSSIBLY COULD. Because that would give me knowledge. The ability to review my logs. The ability to then evaluate what was working out or not working out for me. The ability to use the information to adjust.

There is/was a cost in time to implement that. The cost was disproportionately large in the beginning. It truly does get easier with time. But I decided that it was a price I was willing to pay. And there were side effects too. Side effects can be bad (more often than not) but sometimes they're good. The side effects of logging as accurately as I could were all good for me. Or at least helpful. Just an example I learned that by eating an apple or three could often postpone a meal by an hour or two and make it smaller. Ultimately saving me calories! I learned not to wait till I was extremely hungry before I would start preparing to eat and to maintain a more even intake.

And after this build up: Logging as accurately as I could.

--nothing in my mouth until fully logged by weight. fully logged by correct entry. entry cross referenced with government sources (used to be USDA now food data central and similar)

Yes. I am not talking after the fact. I am talking BEFORE.

The side effect especially in the beginning is a reduction in eating because frankly the effort is not worth it for a bite of this or that that you're about to have because it's just sitting there.

And a reduction in eating out (or meals prepared by others where ingredients are not known) because frankly it is difficult to log accurately when eating out. And an introduction of simple to log foods that would help take the edge off while preparing a more complex meal (see apples) which I could then put off for a few hours. None of these things were bad for me when I was Class III obese and implementing a significant deficit.

Sure. I now log after the fact. Loosely. Sometimes using "equivalent' entries. That's eight years later. A good six or seven of which I've been at a "normal" weight.

If you weigh what is in your portion control bowl (the person I was responding to mentioned portion control bowls) and implement what I write above you won't be wondering about what you're eating and what portion size to use.

You will see the calories that you're spending on each and every item.

And you will be able to implement substitutions and decide which items are worthwhile to you and which ones are not.

Do make sure you eat at least minimum amounts of proteins, fats, and fiber. Sufficient for good health (and yes, that would be about twice the RDA for protein probably. check out the protein calculator at examine.com) Beyond that there is a wide gamut of preferred eating methods. Which you CAN discover for yourself.

Your long term weight trend will be dictated by your long terms balance of Calories in vs Calories out. That's the holy grail you have to worry about. As an aside: be mercenary. Nothing is sacred. Some things will have to change in life. But they don't have to all change at once. and you can always try things and then try different things. Just keep the final goal in mind (setting up conditions that encourage normal weight by making choices that you see yourself keeping to long term) and start towards them a step at a time.

OK.... WAY too much computer time for this puppy today. at least I did manage to clean up the sidewalk and path and the car can get out tomorrow.... all in between postings!

Welcome Kelli! We work hard at supporting and helping each other. Please take some time to read older posts if you can. There’s some valuable information there. Looking forward to hearing more from you 😁

I’m from Texas too - Austin.

Hey all,

I’m Joe. I need to lose somewhere between 200-250#. I have been back on the horse for a week and a half, once I found the horse again.

I, too, have lost 60-100+ more than once and had it come back on. Starting to track again and just needing some consistent community as I know that has been part of my success mode in the past.

I always thought of horses as dangerous beasts!!! <nevermind><goes back to loggin dinner>

Hi, Bethany.
I love your energy! Glad you are here - and hope you join us on the threads. Some are languishing - but I promise we'll jump right back in if they fit you at the moment.
There are some very fine older posts/threads by Novus Dies - definitely worth reading for inspiration and a bit of "bit" weightloss wisdom.
I've personally spent the last year gaining back a chunk of the 115 pounds I lost after an okay year of maintenance. I'm on my way down again because I really really didn't like how that weight felt.
I too have always been an active overweight person. Being active is so much easier when you are lighter. Especially when you add a few years. I'm 59 (60 next week) and the knees like to remind me of every pound.

Hi I am Naz
I am 141 kg. This is the highest of my weight. I am so mad at myself for not being on track. One year and all my progress gone. I am an emotional eater. I had some big changes in my life over the last 1 year. I couldnt handle it and let myself find comfort in food. I know how to do it but I am disappointed at myself for giving in.

Welcome, Naz.
Your are taking the first steps back onto the path to a lighter healthier you. It is very very hard to get over the disappointment. But it can be done. For me I had to stop looking at my scale weight and focus on a new goal. Friend and I challenged each other to lose ten pounds in a month and that ten pounds became my focus for awhile. That was enough to get me back on track - and steer my eyes/attention away from my new weight which was just unbearable to acknowledge.

Sending you positive energy. Once you get back on track for a bit - you'll catch that high and it will be easier.

Welcome Genesis! We’ve all been there and sometimes repeatedly. But losing weight is doable - I’ve lost about 100 pounds. The real success is being able to keep it off.
You might want to look at some older posts which have a lot of wisdom and experience.

I think the key for me was accepting that I’d have to learn new habits and lifestyle changes. Dieting lasts only as long as you’re losing weight or as long as you can stand it. New habits and knowledge last a lifetime. Start making some easy changes can live with forever. Log and measure carefully to start.

Jeanie - good to read about you
Your story feels so familiar. We are all on this journey - avoiding starving ourselves/remember to enjoy foods we love in moderation. Both very necessary components of long term success. Glad to have you on our team. Together we'll figure out how to live well - without the extra weight that comes from using food as our only coping mechanism.

I admit to being very much so on the "easy" and "fast" food category myself.

Where I would fail to deliver help in where you have to balance this against the multitude of peops you have to feed at home!

I don't see how a mom of four who ALSO works could POSSIBLY be sedentary (around 3500 steps a day, definitely under 5,000). I would think you would find yourself closer to the 7500 "top edge" of the "lightly active" category without even trying.

I guess it might involve a lot of school politics and such but as the school nurse is there a chance you might have a platform to organize 'during the work-day' "active breaks" (lunch walks or similar?), perhaps with a PE teacher involvement?

I'm probably from a way too far removed reality I admit... so maybe I'm tilting at windmills here!

But more the power to ya with four munchkins... I mean that's a heck of workday right there and then without even adding food management!

Oh I 100% modified and continue modify fast food. From no mayo, add mustard, add slivered onion 3x (and it's just about the only add on that's still free! ) , no butter (on all the breakfast sandwiches), adding extra round eggs to breakfast sandwiches (making them two egg ones) or adding an egg or an extra beef patty to say a double hamburger and skipping the fries (or on splurge meals I had even added a fish fillet patty to a mcdouble to turn it into a surf and turf!!!!!) .... the poor McD people try to hide when I approach!

But at McD each egg is ~78 Cal (50g large round egg, steamed), each 10:1 patty (10th of lb) is about 92 Cal and you can add in the buns, 50 to 60Cal per slice of cheese etc. So if I can increase satiety for an extra 1 or 200 Cal and at less than the price of half a sandwich, or some fries... why not!

Other trick I found useful when losing with a larger deficit was eating an apple while preparing/logging meals... and not eating before logging. The apple would help give me enough time to do the rest without breaking down and attacking everything and everyone!

I have had a crazy year so far!…I am going to do this one more time!..I have missed everyone!

Yep, it is me!….still alive and still overweight!….I am going to do this again…the weight on my body is killing me….it feels good to actually get back in control!

Hi Connie! I still don't get how you can handle your zoo! I get a headache just envisioning all the comings and goings!