pinkpolkadots25 Member

Yes - there was one point where I honestly thought I was 180 and then it turned out I was 226. ..... that was a bad day. But it didn't keep me from gaining up to 260. Knowledge is so important and it gives you a real place to start!

I do not cheat. It's not helpful to my goals. I stopped feeling the need to "cheat" after losing the weight, actually. I think the key is that I eat ONLY stuff that I like. I don't eat anything just because it's available, or at the office, or because someone made it. By eating only what I want, within my calorie range, I…

Anything with trans fats... those are objectively awful for you.

Maybe twice a year. I make what I want fit my goals --- "cheating" has never helped me lose or maintain.

Avocado. Spinach has a ton - 200g has something like 1300mg. Butternut squash (or any winter squash/sweet potato) if it fits your carbs.

I stopped caring after a while. (44J --> 34B.) A good bra makes a world of difference!!

Exercise for sure. Personally, my HDL more than doubled. Here's a useful piece on it -- http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/cholesterolNEW.html

Raw spinach is a great source -- 100g has 558 mg (16% DV). Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, bananas, and avocados are also excellent sources.

Organic eggs! Best price of any I've seen at any store. Rotisserie chicken--I buy a few, take them apart, and freeze in individual portions. Produce can be hit or miss depending on where you are. We bought organic spinach a few times in a row and had it go bad very quickly, so I stopped buying that. Olive oil and coconut…

A little different, but my reward for maintaining is really nice clothing that I NEVER would have or could have worn when I was obese. I really don't want to mess up because I want to keep wearing cute things!

I'm around your height (about 5'5) and lost a ton of weight (about 137-139 lbs, from 260-121/122). I have loose skin but it's a heck of a lot more tolerable than being heavy ever was. Yes, it's there, but it seems that it's noticeable to me but not to others. It was worse and more noticeable at 150 lbs than at 130/120.…

I eat lower fat, especially in the summer when I'm filling up on produce. It just makes me feel better - fat tends to upset my stomach. 25-35g per day is pretty typical. It works for me---everyone is different, though.

You're off to a good start focusing on natural ways to feel full. One of the recipes I do is a ground beef/turkey/chicken bowl with a TON of vegetables... it's really easy and can be reheated for leftovers for days. (I love it for breakfast, too.) Given your schedule and goals, it might be worth a try. I saute any…

I have PCOS and have maintained a loss of 138 lbs for over a year. (260 to 122). Lower carb worked very well for me. Cutting out most processed foods made a huge difference. Feel free to add me or send me a message if I can help!

5'5, 122, maintaining on 2000-2200 calories of awesome and delicious food per day! (18% body fat, down from 260 lbs)

I travel a fair amount. I stock up on nuts & beef jerky, and portion them out in individual ziploc bags so I can grab & go. Bananas and other portable fruits work really well. Avocados also travel well. I raid the free hotel breakfasts for individual peanut butters. Many places will also have hard-boiled eggs; those make…

Mine puts me at a slight deficit, too. Not huge but I figure it's okay -- I'm sure my calculations for calories aren't 100% correct and that I underestimate some things. I like the wiggle room. I've been maintaining while eating almost all of the extra calories that the Fitbit gives me, though (for me, that's around 2100…

1. REAL foods (very little from a package). 2. Lots of walking every day. 3. I cut out all processed sugar. I just don't eat it. It wasn't hard after a few weeks; I go for carrots and peanut butter now over cake etc. 4. Never eat a carb without a protein. 5. Focus on good fats (avocado, eggs, etc.) 6. Metformin helped a…

Eggs!! Whole eggs are great. Hard-boiled eggs are perfect for snacks. 1 cup of egg whites has 27g protein; egg whites scrambled with vegetables in the morning will go far in hitting protein macros.

Eggs are really versatile. I do an easy omelet --- 1 c egg whites + 1 c chopped red pepper + 2 chicken sausage links depending on calories. My version turns out to be around 270 calories (each sausage link is 50 cal). I add a banana for a total of 375ish calories. 1 can salmon (180) + 1-2 tbsp light honey mustard dressing…

Oh my, I remember the constant hunger from breastfeeding! I nursed for 18 months. It was a challenge! For me, things that were very chewy worked best as those enabled me to get in the substantial "mouth feel" that I need to feel full. Things like chips, etc. -- simple carbs -- just dissolve too fast and weren't effective.…

Yes! I went from a 7.5 verging on wide, to a 7.0 medium. Totally unexpected and now I have many pairs of shoes that don't fit.

This is amazing. Congrats & best wishes for a healthy pregnancy!!

I have bad PCOS. I've lost 135 lbs, and am maintaining a weight of 124-126 lbs (I'm 5'5-5'6ish). It was harder at first but I found that it got a lot easier when I cut out most processed foods and started walking a lot. It gets better! And it's SO worth it - my symptoms improved immensely once I started exercising and…

Yes -- because I eat A LOT of fruits & veggies. Sometimes 1 lb of cooked veggies at one meal! Those calories do add up. And some fruits are very calorie-dense --- a large apple may have 150+ calories.

Easier for me. I have seen the results -- so I can be my own motivation -- and I know how much better I feel without all the extra weight!!

And - if you like to cook - what about doing meal prep on Sunday afternoons? Having some time to do that is really relaxing for me, and it helps keep me busy. Even chopping veggies and sorting them into containers for the week can take a while, and it really helps to make healthy options accessible for later in the week.

What worked for me was radically changing up the routine. I have to get out and walk a lot on Saturdays or plan activities with my family so that I have something to keep me occupied. I also stopped drinking more than 1 glass of wine on Friday and Saturday nights -- that helped a lot!

I lost 135 lbs in about 18-20 months and have maintained it over a year. Weight loss was not difficult for me when I stopped eating out, cut way down on alcohol, and started cooking a lot more at home. I tracked everything, every day, even "cheat days." I eat a lot of greens (8 cups for one salad is not unusual), lots of…

5'5ish 125 lbs 0-2 jeans XS shirts I'm naturally ruler-shaped--no curves for me--so it's hard to find jeans that don't gap at the waist or are loose in the rear. Started >250 lbs, size 20-24 bottoms, 2XL tops.