IrisFlute Member

Thanks! I probably do roughly the same amount, overall. I don't go to the gym or work out, but in the normal course of living I end up doing quite a bit of bike-riding, walking and gardening.

OP: Sometimes I just visualize that the plate of cookies / box of donuts had something really gross happen to it before it was put out on the counter. Or I imagine that it has bugs. Somehow I just make it unappetizing in my mind... then it's easier to resist the temptation.

OP - Congrats on the pregnancy! At 5'8", you're very slim at 138. (I'm at that exact weight and height right now myself, with 2 more lbs to go to hit my goal weight.) I hope you'll feel comfortable with gaining weight as your pregnancy progresses. It's really good that you're working out, but be sure to allow yourself to…

Drink as much as you are thirsty for. Period. Unless (as Kalikel said) you have some diagnosed physical or mental problem, your body will tell you how much fluid you need. Worrying about drinking enough water is like worrying about breathing enough air. Seriously, this whole water obsession has gotten out of hand. There is…

Hi - Congratulations on expecting a baby! It's crucial to your baby's lifelong health that you eat plenty of nutritious foods during pregnancy without being concerned about your weight. Larger babies do better during birth and throughout their lives, and your body needs some extra fat in order to handle labor and delivery…

I've eaten at 1200 net calories for over three months and I've lost weight at a steady 6 lb per month. You can do it, but it takes careful planning: First, don't drink anything with calories in it -- just water, tea, coffee. Second, eat plenty of protein and fat because they help you feel satisfied for longer. Third,…

Eat small portions of everything and engage in non-food-related conversation. People mostly won't notice that you're eating less.

Hi - I have 2 and a half pounds left to go til I reach my goal weight, and I'm now at BMI 20.8. I'm guessing you're underestimating calories a bit; at 1200 calories, you'd lose more than 1 lb every 6 weeks. I've been eating 1200 calories a day for three months. I've lost a steady 6 lb per month, and the rate hasn't changed…

OP: Congratulations on losing 80 lbs. That's awesome. You definitely know how to do this. My personal way of dealing with that psychological sense of not being satisfied is to expect it and consider it the current "normal." After all, at a cellular level your body doesn't know you're only planning to lose weight until you…

For me, lower carbs and higher fat made me feel less hungry.

First, make sure you're eating enough protein, fat and fiber, because those fill you up for longer than simple carbs. But I think if you're eating at a deficit, you'll still feel a bit hungry for a lot of the time. I tell myself that low-level hunger is a positive sensation; it's proof I'm doing it right. Being hungry…

Congratulations and kudos for staying with the breastfeeding. That will give your baby lifelong benefits. I wouldn't worry too terribly much about your weight while you're doing that: your job right now is to eat enough to be comfortable and make plenty of milk. You have years ahead in which to change your way of eating…

This morning my breakfast was sliced leftover roast beef, fresh garden tomato slices, and black coffee. Super-satisfying.

Develop a positive attitude toward a (mild) sensation of hunger. Interpret it as evidence that your body is doing the right thing. It's not actually painful to be just a little bit hungry, and you can retrain yourself to feel it as a sign of progress instead of a problem.

I buy sliced raw almonds, because an ounce of them looks bulkier than an ounce of whole almonds. Sometimes the appearance of food really makes a difference.

OP: No one who works as a waitress, even part-time, could be considered "sedentary." Definitely "lightly active," at least.

Here's a pretty good article in mainstream media about a sugar-pain connection. Light reading, but plenty of legitimate citations: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/20/health/food-cause-pain-daniluk/

Especially avoid processed meats like bacon, hotdogs, beef jerky. Pickles are sodium-bombs, too. And many kinds of cheese. Look at the individual foods in your diary and see which are the really bad ones, and then go easy on those. Potato chips and almost any sort of fast food involves lots of sodium. Fresh vegetables and…

I've been eating 1200 calories for two months. It's not easy, but it works. You can look at my diary if you want; it's open. Eating fewer carbs and more protein and fat helps me not be distracted by hunger. I do feel mildly hungry a lot. That sensation probably has to be OK with you if you want to eat at a 1200 cal. level.…

Small containers of yogurt. They will be fine unrefrigerated for half a day, and they are high protein (especially "Greek" yogurt) so they're nicely filling.

For heaven's sake, if you're going to treat yourself, why waste the calories on crappy fast foods? Why not head for the artisan pastry shop or the part of the freezer aisle where they keep the most ridiculously overpriced gourmet ice cream? You won't be able to afford enough to do real damage, probably, and the indulgence…

Yes, the same thing happens to me. No loss for days and days and then from one day to the next I'm down by a couple pounds. Bodies are mysterious. I deal with it by not weighing myself very often.

Yes, "diet" as a noun simply means whatever one eats. However, "diet" as a verb (the way OP used it) means: (according to Merriam Webster) : to eat less food or to eat only particular kinds of food in order to lose weight : to be on a diet That said, what's up with the urgency on MFP about avoiding the term "dieting" or…

Here's how I look at clean eating: You sit down to breakfast. There are two pitchers you can choose from to fill your glass. One pitcher contains: water high fructose corn syrup Less than 2% of the following: concentrated juices of apple and orange vitamins C, E, and A citric acid natural flavors pectin canola oil modified…

I'm 59. My local transportation is a mountain bike and I bike on hilly dirt roads for an hour at least four times a week. I haul water for laundry and dishes, carry firewood and 5-gallon gasoline containers, and haul groceries, chicken feed and building materials. I also fight the encroaching blackberry jungle.

It was hard at first (I'm eating net 1200 calories) but then I changed my foods to include more fat and protein and fewer carbs. Now I don't feel too hungry anymore.

Would it work to tell your sister that you appreciate her caring, but that you feel weight loss starts with internal, personal decision-making, and you'll feel more successful if you just work out your own foods and schedules all by yourself?

Definitely cheese, if the salt is OK for you. Zero carbs. I let myself buy fancy kinds of artisan cheeses, and eat one ounce of one as a snack sometimes.

1/2 T olive oil in a pan, then I saute some combination of: onion, zucchini, eggplant, green pepper, hot pepper, mushrooms. I eat the big plate of hot sauteed veggies with some salsa and one or two scrambled eggs. And black coffee, fresh-ground and strong.

I don't mind telling family and best friend, but don't mention weight loss with anyone else. Paradoxically, I'm a bit shy about bringing it up because I'm only trying to lose a little for health reasons, and if I talked about it, people would just tell me I look fine as I am. So, I'm 5'8" and started at 157 lb. Which was…