MynameisChester Member

A couple of quick tips I can think of off the top of my head to manage (rather than overcome) sweet cravings. 1) Eat fruit and drink water. Fiber and water can possibly reduce craving/appetite causing you to eat less overall 2) Try to avoid keeping sweets in the house. If it's easily accessible, you're more likely to…

When I google searched London Andrews, I was expecting to see pictures of powerlifting since she looked thick and powerful. Boy was I wrong!

Does your friend do resistance training?

The first thing is to keep a diary of your food (which I'm assuming you do already w/ mfp) in addition to a diary recording your symptoms and bowel habits. See if you can find a pattern. If it is IBS (since GI tests are negative), stress seems to exacerbate the symptoms. Generally when people with IBS regulate their stress…

In my experience, motivation is really not the key for success. Motivation comes in waves: some days high, other days low, incredibly unpredictable. IMO, a combination of knowledge, skills, and a practical strategy trump motivation.

Also good job with the 20 pounds weight loss! =)

Eating at a calorie deficit is stressful to the body Working out frequently is stressful to the body Other factors you mentioned in the thread such as getting mad at yourself for letting yourself go and crying during your workout tells me that you are stressed and overwhelmed. But fear not. This is actually very common.…

That's understandable. I think it's common when people confront their weight, measurements, or any other personal thing, the first couple of times can be incredibly challenging and overwhelming. The truth however is you can't change what you don't acknowledge. In this case it's confronting what your measurements are. For…

Just curious. If I may please ask, why avoid the tape measure? I hear it from others as well but never really knew why sone dont like using it.

I took measurements of my waist, hips, chest, and extremities. I knew I was losing fat when I was losing inches off my waist.

This reminds me of the saying, "When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time." In other words, break down your weight loss into smaller manageable goals. I recommend giving yourself a 3 month time frame for your goal. I think 3 months is an appropriate, doable and realistic amount of time. Fat loss occurs at around .5…

Nooooooo!=(

Not weighing your food is most likely the culprit which is causing consumption of excess calories. The body always wants to stay in homeostasis so the increased activity causes your body to naturally stimulate a bigger appetite. You're not the only one though as tons of people overeat despite their best efforts not to…

At this time it appears IF is pretty inconclusive. Dietry adherence/preferable may be more important. http://www.alanaragon.com/an-objective-look-at-intermittent-fasting.html

If your jeans are tighter due to larger quads or glutes, then you're gaining muscle which is good. If the jeans are tighter due to a larger waist, then it's likely you're gaining fat. That's why I think it's imporant to measure your waistline and extremities to track your progress more appropriately.

Don't worry. I say its a combination of listening to your body when you're hungry or full and focusing more on weekly calories. So if my calorie goal for each day is 2000, my weekly goal is 14000. On Monday I may be full on 1500 calories but on Tuesday I'm full on 2500 calories. It still comes out to 2000 daily. As long as…

I make sure I break a fast with protein powder or any other source of complete protein.

I use smaller plates, it makes my serving size look bigger. You can also apply taller skinny glasses when drinking soda in the same vein. When making sandwiches or a burger, I replace the bun with lettuce wraps. Same goes for taco shells/tortillas I park my car far so it forces me to walk to the store I buy fruits/veggies…

I drink water with my meals and snacks. For the avg person that eats 3 meals a day and snacks 3-4 times a day, that's 6-7. To jazz it up, I just put a bunch of fruit in a pitcher, fill it with water and let it sit I the fridge. Amazingly refreshing and delicious!

Started at 220. Down to 181. People started noticing the difference around the 20-25 pound mark. The best feeling though is fitting into my old clothes again. Larger sizes are sometimes more expensive!

I would encourage you too. Taking measurements, looking at the mirror, and a photo every 3 months or so has shown me better results than the scale ever did. Best of luck!

Protein and fiber as mentioned above.Also make it a habit to drink a glass or 2 of water with each snack and meal. That way you don't have to think about drinking more water. It just sort of happens automatically with each snack/meal. It'll keep you full and you"ll look and feel better too!

I love how you used 12 weeks! IMO I think that is the most appropriate time frame to see significant changes in their composition. I think 1 month is too short and beyond 3 months might seem overwhelming at first. Instead I like breaking goals into 3 month intervals. Instead of saying' "OMG! I have to lose 45 pounds!" Just…

Great job! I would like though is how did you make yourself a priority when life gets in the way (long work hours, taking care of family)? Did you have to make other sacrifices, find a new way of doing things, etc?

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and thoughts! I think it really helps open up perspective! Anyways, I also wanted to share my thoughts, what I've read, and personal experience in response to those who believe why people are fat or lazy or make excuses. First of all, on a physiological level, people are fat…

I agree!

I'm glad for your commitment! Some people just shrug and say " well being overweight is just who I am". If I can ask, what helped you get started again? Was it an epiphany, get help from someone, etc?

I really hope it doesn't come down to that. When I hear these statements about being lazy or make excuses, it makes me sad. I was wondering if others felt the same.

Muscle retention has more to do with your macronutrient breakdown, more specifically protein intake. Studies suggest 0.7 to 1.5 g protein per pound of bodyweight is needed to retain muscle, and that number depends also on how active you are, if you'redoing any resistance training and also you're body fat percentage.…

If you're looking for sustainability, I always liked applying the 80/20 rule. It's not perfect but it's good enough. So In your case you can apply a 80 %Atkins-ish approach and reserve the 20% for wonderful wonderfull carbs!