bpotts44 Member

Congrats on the weight loss. [edited by MFP staff]

You have taken the hardest and most important step. Identifying you have a problem and taking action to correct it. From here just keep disciplines, learning and adjusting until you reach your goals. I think if you apply yourself to the process you will reach your goals and it will have gone by quickly.

That's an amazing transformation. You look super cute!!

Life is tough man and you have persevered. You are working to get your life back on track and deal with your issues. I'm sure this was hard to write. Pat yourself on the back for those successes and for your weight loss as well. Use that and the trips to the gym to give you the courage to start getting back in the world…

You need to be consistently at your calorie, nutrition, and exercise goals for a LONG period of time to see results. The key is consistency. Start by reading the getting started posts for guidance to get your goals set up and then consistently execute and you will reach your goals.

I find if my macros stay inline my cravings are pretty much gone.

If you are going to gain weight then lift.

If you ate 10,000 calories of pure fat you better believe that aside from what calories were lost crapping your pants your body would be storing the excess.

Cocoa powder is an ingredient or a flavor where chocolate is a food you can eat. Cocoa powder is a nutrient dense food.

My wife has been the same weight for 20 years and I have been up and down 50 lbs twice now. Both times up I was not just throwing in the towel but trying to eat "healthy". Just for whatever reason I tend to overeat and she doesn't. I think IE might work for some people but not others.

PT really helped my low back pain. I also have gone to a network chiro and that as well helps. Its a mix of PT and more traditional chiro

Just vanilla extract would not be a problem. Generally a fat source also would not be considered breaking the fast, like cream.

Sounds like you have the awareness you need to change your habits. Its now a matter of implementing some controls around your weekends to get back on track. Maybe plan morning activities or premake your meals? Something practical to help you get on track.

The sugar is especially bad when you are eating excess carbs in total which is what drives up blood sugar. If you are eating in a deficit then its going to be hard to drive that blood sugar up too high given reasonable eating times, etc.

Don't make sugary junk a staple and you will be just fine.

I just have a cup of coffee. I do sometimes get a little hungry in the morning, but I work through it just fine.

I think you are right in that the patience required to be disciplined over the long period of time it takes to make a significant difference is the hardest part.

Good proof that Keto is not necessary and often times not helpful. Eating in a moderate calorie deficit works for most people. Keep up the good work.

I take string cheese and wrap it in ham with mustard to get my protein up for a snack

Some of the internet gurus will promote fatty coffee during a fast. I don't think its necessary or a healthy response. I usually have a little coffee or tea.

Green smoothie: 2 handfuls of greens of your choice, 2 servings of fruit, 8-10 oz of liquid (water milk etc), 1 extra flax seed, almonds, protein powder etc. Experiment as you wish until it fits your macro goals and taste needs.

What you were looking for is ketoacidosis which means your body is unable to burn sugar, vs dietary ketosis which is your body burning only fat because it has no sugar. They are two different conditions. One is a medical emergency one is a side effect of eating extremely low carbs.

Also, I lost something like 30 lbs doing the zone diet while deployed and eating only at military DFACs. I would skip breakfast and then eat any vegetable they had along with whatever meat they were serving.

I know you don't want to buy a blender, but a good blender like a vitamix or blendtec is a life long investment. Green smoothies are kind of a staple for me. Lots of recipes but I put a ton of greens, frozen fruit, water, and then some protein powder. I'm usually good for a long time. You can also cook eggs in a microwave.…

No one has succeeded at anything worthwhile without struggles and setbacks. It is 100% expected to have struggles and setbacks in anything you undertake in life.

I don't think a cheat meal or day is relevant to counting calories. It is more relevant to people on restrictive diets. I think you would be better served to find a reasonable calorie deficit and stick to it 7 days a week until you get to your goal weight. You will have much better success there and develop long term…

I find that once I cut it out of my diet I crave alot less of it. Now I will just have some fruit if I feel like I want some sugar.

I think you need to moderate your expectations. 1-2 lbs per week is a healthy fat loss rate. I would recalculate your calories and continue being diligent about weighing/measuring your food. The next step would be to incorporate some exercise into your routine. Good habits expressed over a long period of time is what is…

You can manage your volume and intensity either way. I've always liked using distance. For instance, I'm going to run 4 miles in zone 2 today or I'm going to run 4 miles in zone 2 and do 4 hill repeats in zone 4.