its_betty Member

I get frustrated with fluctuations, too. When I only lose a half pound a week, 'normal' 2 pound fluctuations are really discouraging. To deal with it, I've been using an app called HappyScale on my iPhone. (There is another called Libra for Android. Or you could do the math yourself.) I weigh myself every morning and enter…

If the problem is just portion control, would it help to buy individual packets of peanut butter? For example, Justin's brand has individual squeeze packs of peanut butter, 1 packet = 190 calories. Still high, but much easier to fit into a lower-calorie day. Somehow having pre-measured single serving containers makes…

I'm a slow loser, have about 20 pounds to lose, and my weight fluctuates. It wa very discouraging to see the number on the scale down one day, up the next. I found the iOS app Happy Scale and it is amazing. Weigh daily, enter into the app, and it calculates average weight lost. Smooths out the fluctuations. Highly…

Yes, I weigh most days. I don't write it down very often. Weighing each day lets me see the trend while ignoring the day-to-day fluctuations. I think about the trend: over the past week, has my weight generally gone down? Great! What did I do to help that happen? And if the trend is up, I can usually figure out what caused…

Congrats on the tv opportunity! I have no advice on losing the weight that quickly: slow and steady is the best bet there. You've done it before; you can do it again. But I suggest you hire a stylist who can help you buy some clothes that will help you look great (and slimmer!) on camera. Someone who is experienced with…

Your best bet is to weigh the chicken breast before you cook it. It's unlikely that each breast is exactly 4 oz but that is what the serving size is, so you'll need to adjust the nutrients you record for the actual size of the chicken breast(s) you eat. (When I buy chicken breasts at Costco, they tend to weigh out at…

It's not all or nothing. If you don't feel like going to the gym, can you get out for a walk or bike ride? If you want chicken fingers for dinner, can you skip the fries and eat a healthier breakfast and lunch? Celebrate when you stick to your plan, but don't beat yourself up if you don't: just pick yourself up and do a…

Maybe the crockpot is putting more moisture into the air?

Hey, you are exercising most days, weight training, eating pretty good (eating enough but not too much?). It would be so much easier to sit on the couch and eat junk everyday, but you've chosen to take care of your body. You should be proud of yourself. Pat yourself on the back.

I mostly wanted to say congrats on the weight loss so far. You must be doing something right! And hang in there. Your appetite probably isn't ridiculous given the exercise that you are doing and your body's need to be nourished. So make sure you are eating enough. You don't mention how often you exercise, but maybe you…

Some people have posted that they can't eat just one brownie, or just one serving of chips. Me neither. So if I really really want to have something like that for a treat, I buy a single serving. Yes, it costs more per once. But I can only eat what I have. And I enjoy the one treat more than I would if I had an endless…

I didn't read all the comments, but there are people who have medical reasons for a super-high metabolism. For example, my sister-in-law had Grave's Disease, or hypERthyroid. She had to eat a lot to keep weight on, plus she was hungry all the time. She also likes to exercise, so she had to eat even more. She was the person…

Let us know how the experiment goes. Actually sounds like a great idea: I could stick to eating very well for a week, and I bet I'd enjoy it (once the chocolate cravings diminished). Once the week is done, though, remember that it is not all or nothing. Stick with eating mostly healthy and it won't matter so much if you…

I'm not a doctor, but pretty sure that anemia can cause you to feel cold. If this coincides with the the timing of your vegetarianism, it could be the cause. Consider taking a vitamin with iron in it. Thyroid issues (hypothyroid) can also be a cause. Worth talking to your doctor. Edited to say: I didn't look at your diary,…

If you are like me, you need a plan and a log sheet. Does your gym offer an orientation? Or can you pay for one session with a trainer? Or even look in a book or website to figure out a few weight exercises and write them down. Then bring your plan to the gym: I feel much more confident when I can look at my log sheet and…

After about 20 years on Synthroid, my doctor recently switched me to Armour. Before the switch, I was feeling very blah: not sad depressed, but very tired all the time and not caring about much. I was functioning but not well. After a couple of weeks on Armour, I am feeling better. I can think more clearly and have more…

I find it interesting that so many offices ban these. I used to work for a large natural foods market (in the corporate office). Probably 25% of the people had balls for chairs: they even had a pump that everyone could use. I never heard of an injury caused by the ball. Although one guy rolled onto something sharp (paper…

Fluctuating weight is why I weigh most days, even if I only write it down on occasion. My weight goes up and down by a few pounds. I look for a downward trend over a few weeks: if I don't see that, it's time to reevaluate how I'm eating and exercising. Other things: different scales will give different weights. Using the…

I don't have too much to lose, and I tend to lose weight very slowly. My normal weight fluctuations are more than the amount I try to lose in a week or two. If I only weighed weekly and happened to hit a day when I fluctuated upwards, it would look like I gained--not good for my ego! By weighing daily, I can see the trend…

I'm not a scientist or nutritionist or doctor, so I may not have the details exactly right, but the key is that you are "eating healthier." That likely means that you are eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grains: foods that have a higher percentage of fiber. Not all fiber is digested by the body: some of it is…

I get this too. My doctor didn't have an answer. A dermatologist friend of mine said that it could be that I have an enzyme that breaks down protein in sweat. Not dangerous. If it happens all the time, some people have their sweat glands treated with botox injections. No thanks, I'll just shower.

I didn't realize that dairy (is it the calcium?) interferes with thyroid meds. (Soy does too, btw.) If you are able to eat roughly the same type of food each morning and get your thyroid rechecked soonish, you could try just eating what you want realizing that you may need to increase your thyroid meds again to make up for…

5'6" with a goal of 140. Currently at 150.

I log everything. I try to think of it as data, not a judgement. I like to be able to go back and see when I had a lot of days (or weeks, yikes) with extra calories eaten, and how that correlates with my weight.

Assuming you mean a JOB interview: I'd only use "weight loss" as an answer if you can back it up with work related skills. "I researched nutrition and exercise, tracked my weight loss data with a custom-designed spreadsheet, helped manage a fitness group for others, and over time I lost a significant amount of weight and…

Just wanted to give you some support. I believe that you can do this. Slow and steady weight loss is the way to go. As @jenkinsjerry wrote, if you aim to lose 2 lbs a week, you could be be a 400 pound man next year. Then 300 the year after, then 200 (or whatever your goal is) for the rest of your life. I want to urge you…

I love party food. I've found I eat less and feel more satisfied if I: 1. Wait--don't be the first person to dig in. 2. Look over all the choices. Make up a plate of food that I really want, focusing on "special" foods. (So I avoid cheddar and ritz crackers, but might take some baked brie.) Take enough to be satisfied with…

Please, talk to your doctor about your weight loss goals. Your doctor can help you set a reasonable, healthy goal. If the doctor says it's reasonable and healthy for you to lose weight at this time, then here's my answer: slow is fine, even 1 pound a MONTH or less. Eat to fuel your body, do some exercise to get strong (but…

Shoes. The shoes will help you exercise and get fit. The HRM only measures the level of fitness you are attaining.

Thanksgiving week: spent at relatives' house. Ate more than usual. Especially pie. And chicken wings (relatives are near Buffalo NY.) Traveled home on Saturday. Sunday morning: scale shows up 4 pounds. Ate healthy foods (fruit salad, green salad, grilled chicken), drank a lot of water, exercised. Monday morning: scale…