CynthiasChoice Member

Thanks for sharing the links! After listening to a bit of the second link you posted, part 1, Lyle McDonald states that the two most important things women can do to help their bodies burn more fat is lift heavy weights and eat more protein. For some reason, his voice puts me to sleep! Finally - the sleep remedy I've been…

After hearing about and reading the Matador study, and discussing the ins and outs with you, Nony_Mouse, I decided to go on a controlled diet break. I began last Monday, and have been finding it really hard to reach 150 grams carbs every day, but I get close. One thing I didn't consider is "net carbs" which I've never paid…

Congratulations! So happy for you! I began limiting sugar and carbs last December, and it has been life changing for me as well. I used to live for my next carb/sugar fix and was so scared of what my life would be like without my favorite foods. After a week or two of eliminating (or nearly) added sugar and flour, my brain…

It's pretty common to have water weight gain when returning to a higher calorie and carb diet. Try not to let that deter you from doing what you think is right. If you continue to increase in weight over a few weeks, then you can assume you're eating too many calories or not exercising enough. Also, be careful about how…

I'm not completely understanding your post. Did you get sick and take drugs as treatment? Did you take drugs for a condition and the drugs made you sick? Did you have a stomach flu? Are you still on the same drugs? If drugs are making you lose your appetite, please tell me what they are - lol!! No really, if that's the…

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/40608861#Comment_40608861 I found this ^^ really interesting. I think hormones can affect how we process calories. I've always thought I was very precise in counting and logging my calories until just recently when I decided to do maintenance for two weeks to try to…

Nony_Mouse - Thanks for this link: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss/p1 I can wrap my mind around it better now. As for using my own data...thanks for the prodding. I resist math. :s I wish MFP had a button to "Calculate my daily calorie average…

When I searched the MFP posts for MATADOR Study I was amazed that there were no results. I thought it would be a hot topic for sure!

Thanks for the encouragement! And congratulations!

Thanks for your blog link! I'm having a hard time sorting through this, but what I think I gleaned so far is that after 9 months calorie restriction my TDEE is probably about 496 calories below MFP's best guess of 1690. If I stay at this "new" maintenance (1690 - 496 = 1194 calories per day) for three months, I'm likely to…

For those of you who completed diet breaks, did your weight loss speed up for you in the months afterwards?

Thanks for the Lyle McDonald article! Looks like I should try a 10% reduction in MFP's maintenance calorie recommendation. 1521 calories doesn't sound as scary to me. Lol - I'm beginning to sound like I have an ED!

Thanks so much Nony_Mouse!! :) :) I'm anticipating that I will see a slight gain during the two weeks due to more carbs and water weight. MFP recommends 1690 calories for maintenance for me, but I think that's high, especially if my metabolism is compromised. I'm sedentary due to a shoulder and knee injury, so there will…

Thanks everyone for the great responses! I wonder why the intermittent dieters were so much more successful at keeping weight off after 6 months. Is it just that their metabolisms survived better than those on the continuous diet? Or also, maybe the 2 week maintenance periods gave them more practice at developing healthy…

Your bowl looks fantastic! You are doing so well! I'm so impressed with you! I love this community - they have already given all the advice I would give plus more! :) I'm a Trader Joe's fan myself, and love their frozen foods and also their selection of cleaned and prepared raw veggies, lentils, beets, salads, etc. A few…

Eating very few calories can impact hormones such as estrogen, cortisol and thyroid function, and this can alter your metabolism. If there's any way you can see a registered dietitian to help you reach health goals, please, please make it a priority. You are young and beautiful and that 5 pound loss you want to see before…

I like greens with marinara too! And a bit of Italian sausage mixed in. Has anyone ever mixed zoodles with linguini? I'm thinking you could do 1/3 linguini and 2/3 zoodles and get a filling pasta fix.

An unripe persimmon will make your mouth pucker and feel very dry. It's unpleasant and the effect lasts a while. But a ripe one is wonderful. There are some persimmons that are long like a plum tomato, and those must be soft before you can eat them.

I like Jasmine Green Tea, Chai, and an herbal tea by Celestial Seasonings called Bengal Spice. Bengal Spice is my go-to if I need to quite cravings for sweets. I like both Stevia and Monk Fruit sweeteners, but you might need to mix them with sugar at first until your taste buds become accustomed to it.

LOL! I thought I read that your boyfriend was 11! I need new glasses! It's hard to find a low sugar spaghetti sauce. I like Trader Joe's Organic Marinara with 3 grams sugar. And Lilly, you can add eggs or egg whites to veggie dishes for lunch or dinner. I'm with you - turning on the stove in the morning isn't appealing!

I think if you get super motivated to weigh everything you eat, log it, and stay within your calorie allotment, you will lose weight. Choosing a low carb diet is more about how it makes you feel. For me, eating higher protein and fat and lower carb (90ish) helps me comply with a calorie deficit. I'm not as hungry and don't…

If you're really dedicated to a vegetarian diet, you'll have to work extra hard to find high protein, low carb foods. Do you like plain Greek yogurt? I eat it sprinkled with chopped walnuts and blueberries, and I really like it that way. Egg whites might also help you meet your goals. I changed my diet a few years back…

I like the Chocolate Chunk Quest Bar. This flavor doesn't have sucralose. I only like them if I take tiny bites, like the size of an M&M. That's actually how I eat any protein bar, otherwise they're too dense for me.

This is the best advice! It sounds like your weight struggle isn't a one-time thing. If that's true you need to think LONG term. Very long. Like forever sticking with an eating plan you know is best for you. Eventually you will lose, and that's better than giving up and gaining, right? You could think of it this way: The…

I prefer it in the garbage can! Sorry.

I would be very surprised if you ate 200 calories of seasoned rice vinegar. I'm sure all your efforts will pay off!

I think I was unclear, and that lead to the woo conclusion. My nutritionist (only person I know who does IF) fasted from 6 PM to 10 AM. I would assume that's safe for everyone except diabetics, athletes and underweight, as you said. It becomes unsafe for some females if they choose to regularly fast for a longer period of…

You need to discover what kinds of things lead up to you cheating. Keep a diary. Try to name the emotions, the place you're in, the people you're with, the state of your most important relationships, your activities that day, if you've consumed alcohol, your frame of mind about your diet, etc. Once you know what leads to…

To MessyApron: If you do have BED, I can't advise you except to say please get professional help. If you compulsively overeat and feel out of control often, I would suggest a trial of lower carb dieting where you eliminate nearly all added sugar and flour, without exception, for a few weeks. Increase protein, healthy fats,…

Beautifully said! It's great that you are learning to be more mindful and not turn into a zombie. I know exactly what you mean. I've found that the Calm app is great for guided mindfulness meditation. I struggle with finding the time to do it, but it really takes no more time than eating that extra snack I don't need!