zaftiggirl Member

I did end up having the Mirena removed, ultimately - and I don't recommend anyone else do this, but I had my husband take it out for me. Just reached up there, grabbed the strings, and very gently pulled it out. I was shocked to see that there were cyst-like growths attached to it - I'm not exactly sure what they were (it…

Even plants and the tiniest insects need more than sunlight.

The ultimate NSV for me would be to toss the scale completely and be able to manage my weight intuitively. :) Along with that, there are a few poses in yoga that I can't wait to master, and I'd like to be able to squat my bodyweight x2 (when I weigh less, lol! :)

Women's bodies hold on to fat for much longer because our reproductive cycle is 9 months long, and our bodies intuitively try to keep at least enough fat on our bodies to last through that 9 months if we needed to. Men take 10 seconds to reproduce, and body fat isn't as essential to that process as it is for us ladies. I…

Great job! I can definitely tell there is a difference - you look happier, for one :) Your face looks much thinner and while I can't see the rest of your body very well, that tank top looks great on you. It takes a lot of weight loss for me to see the difference in myself as well - I like to think it's because I carry the…

Coconut oil is my favorite! I will sometimes coat pieces of chicken breast in coconut flour with a little salt and garlic, and then fry in just a bit of coconut oil... seriously amazing. I really like coconut though. I also will use that instead of butter on non-gmo popcorn.

I'm trying to look at a lower number as a side affect. No one can tell when I am at a higher weight, and it takes like 50lbs of weight loss before people can really tell I've lost anything. I can wear the same exact jeans at 200 or 250 lbs. So I'm definitely in for numbers but they are my measurements! I'm a 35 inch waist…

Great job! I've been at a plateau for almost a month now... ugh!

It's great to exercise during - I have *heard* that certain elevated hormones make you burn up to 30% more fat during PMS/mensies weeks if you DO work out, and that getting your blood flowing throughout your body can help you get rid of toxins especially during that TOM. If you can't because of heavy flow, try a diva cup!…

Yes - I just wasn't sure why it stalled.

Macros play a part in how I feel, so I prefer to watch those even though I know it's not * necessary* to lose weight. I'm going to stick with what I've been doing for the most part, but a bit lower on the calories, weighing food so I track it accurately, only eating out once or twice a week, and monitoring carb intake…

Yeah I definitely have a say in where we go, but sometimes I really want that lettuce wrapped hamburger, you know? Haha. We are going to try to reserve going out to eat for weekends, and only go once or twice. And my cycle is all kinds of weird and irregular because I have the Mirena IUD - thanks for reminding me of that…

Super helpful post about making sure I'm tracking everything correctly! Thank you for that. I guess I was afraid that I am some kind of special snowflake that actually has a much lower BMR/TDEE than the online calculators tell me. :) But getting back to measuring food to make sure my results are really on track is probably…

Oh, and I have been tracking the sodium, trying to stick to under 2500mg per day - but over the course of several weeks, I would think that even if I was eating a bit more sodium that it wouldn't completely mask weight loss.

I'm eating at -25% of my TDEE, and light cardio because I have to ride my bike to work - it's only a mile each way. And I like to hike with my husband on the weekends. Thanks for reminding me about the food scale, and yes I have a husband that LOVES to eat out so that has been a challenge!

I do have a food scale, but I haven't used it a ton - that's a good suggestion. Are you saying track the salt I sprinkle on food?

Just as a re-cap, I thought I should say... I ended up keeping mine in. I might get it out when I get health insurance again next year... but for now, I have been working at it from a hormonal balancing perspective. I do strength training with very little cardio, eat at a moderate calorie deficit with about 150 grams of…

I have grown to like exercise, because I have some pretty clear examples in my life of what happens when you do take care of your body and what happens when you don't. It's nice to look good now, but it's priceless to have better health as you age - and exercise matters just as much or more than diet, in that case. I…

This article is super helpful: http://myhormonesmademedoit.com/hormonology-guides/hormonology-guide-to-slimming-down/

I find discrepancies too... I try to prioritize it like this: First priority is to get within 10 grams or so of my protein macro. Second goal is to get within 100-200 calories of my goal for the day. Third is to make sure I've gotten my fiber in. The foods in the database could be logged wrong, but I don't think it makes a…

If I were in your situation, I would allow myself 2-3 treats a week so I could look forward to them and savor them, and do something other that steady-state cardio for exercise. Personally, when I am doing difficult exercise 3-5 times a week I crave sugar a lot less. Create a mental connection, that overeating treats = a…

Yeah; relationships are cool–but have you guys heard of chocolate fountains?

This happens to me too- sometimes even after eating 6-800 calories. I just ate a cup of berries, a cup of cottage cheese, and a scoop of whey protein powder about 20 minutes ago and I'm feeling more hungry than I was before I ate. I feel hunger, rather than satiety, 20 minutes after eating. And in my mind I know that I'm…

Your initial loss wasn't all fat (mostly water, probably) and your gain probably wasn't fat either (yes, probably water for the most part). There are so, so, so many factors that can contribute to a 4 lb overnight weight gain. Hormones, sodium, changing your workout regimen, changing medication or supplements... to gain 4…

Thank you for the replies :) as usual the most obvious answer is the more simple one.

I have a couple of mantras: "You haven't failed until you quit trying." "You can choose to lose fat slowly, or gain fat slowly. "No matter what you write down, the body keeps an accurate journal of what goes in your mouth." "Every day, in every way, I am getting better." I am typically a skeptical person, but after…

It is helpful to have a trainer show you (or remind you) of correct form - but I have found good trainers with blogs that will basically give you the same or better advice. Niashanks.com is one of my favorites. There are tons of trainers on youtube that can "train" you, if you've got good awareness of your body in the…

Food is fuel - if you don't like exercising, then your body won't need quite as much fuel. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight (in most cases). Let's say your body burns 2000 calories a day, without exercise. If you eat 1200 calories, and maybe burn 400 more calories with exercise... then you're…

I used to view food as a necessary evil, and would eat just enough to quell my hunger (I was convinced that I would gain if I ate over 1200, because I struggled to lose at 1200). Now, I view food as fuel for my body or something to enjoy! As Hippocrates said, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food." Another thing:…

Losing weight–in itself–rarely helps confidence and body image issues. Something that has helped me through my body image issues is to take 10 minutes a day to write about things that I am thankful for. Negativity can make a life miserable... and if you're projecting negativity to those around you, they'll avoid you. Or if…