Thursday, November 1, 2018
An interesting observation
This is my third time losing over 90 pounds. Each of the previous two times, I gained it all back, plus more. Thanks to my meticulous tracking during my periods of weight loss, I have data going back over 15 years.
When I put it all into one spreadsheet and created a graph, I noticed something interesting. When I gained weight back the previous two times, I stopped weighing myself regularly before I experienced significant weight gain. This created a horrible cycle:
Binge/overeat --> don't weigh self because I don't want to see the result --> keep eating because I don't have to see the result
And eventually I'd regained everything I'd lost plus some. This time around, I'm trying to learn from the lessons of my previous experience so that I'm not doomed to repeat the same cycle. This has been a huge insight for me, and I hope it can help someone else!
I find it helpful to weigh every day, but a lot of people find that it becomes too obsessive. You don't have to weigh daily, but if you're anything like me, you should weigh regularly - whether it's weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Thursday, 01 November 2018? Start here!
Today is your Day 1?
Welcome to r/Loseit!
So you aren’t sure of how to start? Don’t worry! “How do I get started?” is our most asked question. r/Loseit has helped our users lose over 1,000,000 recorded pounds and these are the steps that we’ve found most useful for getting started.
Why you’re overweight
Our bodies are amazing (yes, yours too!). In order to survive before supermarkets, we had to be able to store energy to get us through lean times, we store this energy as adipose fat tissue. If you put more energy into your body than it needs, it stores it, for (potential) later use. When you put in less than it needs, it uses the stored energy. The more energy you have stored, the more overweight you are. The trick is to get your body to use the stored energy, which can only be done if you give it less energy than it needs, consistently.
Before You Start
The very first step is calculating your calorie needs. You can do that HERE. This will give you an approximation of your calorie needs for the day. The next step is to figure how quickly you want to lose the fat. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week you will need to consume 500 calories less than your TDEE (daily calorie needs from the link above). 750 calories less will result in 1.5 pounds and 1000 calories is an aggressive 2 pounds per week.
Tracking
Here is where it begins to resemble work. The most efficient way to lose the weight you desire is to track your calorie intake. This has gotten much simpler over the years and today it can be done right from your smartphone or computer. r/loseit recommends an app like MyFitnessPal, Loseit! (unaffiliated), or Cronometer. Create an account and be honest with it about your current stats, activities, and goals. This is your tracker and no one else needs to see it so don’t cheat the numbers. You’ll find large user created databases that make logging and tracking your food and drinks easy with just the tap of the screen or the push of a button. We also highly recommend the use of a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Knowing how much of what you're eating is more important than what you're eating. Why? This may explain it.
Creating Your Deficit
How do you create a deficit? This is up to you. r/loseit has a few recommendations but ultimately that decision is yours. There is no perfect diet for everyone. There is a perfect diet for you and you can create it. You can eat less of exactly what you eat now. If you like pizza you can have pizza. Have 2 slices instead of 4. You can try lower calorie replacements for calorie dense foods. Some of the communities favorites are cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash in place of their more calorie rich cousins. If it appeals to you an entire dietary change like Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian.
The most important thing to remember is that this selection of foods works for you. Sustainability is the key to long term weight management success. If you hate what you’re eating you won’t stick to it.
Exercise
Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.
It has it’s own benefits though. You will burn extra calories. Exercise is shown to be beneficial to mental health and creates an endorphin rush as well. It makes people feel awesome and has been linked to higher rates of long term success when physical activity is included in lifestyle changes.
Crawl, Walk, Run
It can seem like one needs to make a 180 degree course correction to find success. That isn’t necessarily true. Many of our users find that creating small initial changes that build a foundation allows them to progress forward in even, sustained, increments.
Acceptance
You will struggle. We have all struggled. This is natural. There is no tip or trick to get through this though. We encourage you to recognize why you are struggling and forgive yourself for whatever reason that may be. If you overindulged at your last meal that is ok. You can resolve to make the next meal better.
Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.
Additional resources
Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.
- Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!
- Loseit Compendium - Frame it out!
- FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!
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Wednesday, October 31, 2018
30 Day Accountability Challenge - October wrap up!
Happy Halloween everyone! It is also the last day of this fabulous month. I hope you have conquered & taken joy in October! I'm taking a hostess break for November but I will be around & cheering y'all on! The lovely Joisan08 is hosting, here's the sign up post - https://redd.it/9rz0y9
Goal wrap up -
Stupid extra toothpaste: I did mediocre here. I will keep this goal until it is the final step in my stupid oral hygiene routine.
Weight by end of the month < 300: Started the month at: 310.4, 311 trend weight. This morning: 294.4, 297.6 trend weight. Delta: 16 lbs, 13.4 trend weight.
I call this a mother fucking victory.
Stay within calorie goal of 1650: My net calories were in goal/lower than goal. I took an extra maintenance day. I tried to let myself have extra calories when it felt like my body not my brain wanted it. Brain versus body hungry is still sometimes tough to discern. But the rate of loss told me I was okay to have a little more when I felt my body needed it.
Exercise 5 days a week & really get a sweat on: 22/31 for the month. I pushed myself for more intensity when I work out & I think it really paid off as far as results. I still have a lot of fat but damn if I'm not feeling muscle tone under it. Plus my butt changed shape.
Improve my relationship with food & my body: It can be tough to roll with all the punches when you wake up in a different body damn near every day because of weight loss shenanigans. I think being mindful & appreciative of those changes is important. I was much more pleased with my body this month than last.
Journal once a week, uninterrupted 60 minutes about stuff that matters (in addition to other journaling I already do): 4/4 weeks down. Keeps me closer to sane.
Self-care treat once a week: 4/4 weeks down. I'm getting pretty okay at taking care of my self.
Let's hear about everyone's month long journey, shall we? And tell us if you're dressed up! :)
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[Daily Directory] Find your quests for the day here! - Thursday, 01 November 2018
Welcome adventurer! Whether you're new on this quest or are towards the end of your journey there should be something below for you.
Daily journal.
- [Q&A] "I have a question."
- [Day 1] "I am starting my weight loss journey."
- [SV/NSV] "I have an accomplishment to share."
- [24hr Pledge] "Today I am going to..."
Interested in some side quests?
- [Motivation Monday] Share some motivation, get some motivation.
- [Tantrum Tuesday] Need to vent? People getting on your nerves?
- [Weigh-In Wednesday]
- [Track with Me Thursday] Did we just become best friends?!
- [Free Talk Friday] What's on your mind?
Community bulletin board!
- [Running with Loseit] Run with losers. Avoid arrows.
- [Wecipe Wednesday] Swap and discuss recipies!
If you are new to the sub, click here for our posting guidelines
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Cheat days do not work for me. Should they?
Hi everyone! First time poster, long time lurker. 29/m and 52 lbs (24kg) lost.
So I know Cheat days are pretty common thing in weight loss and I've tried to do them, however, they just arent working for me. When I started my journey back in July, I didn't drink for 4 weeks. Then I had a beer and said "Well, it is Friday, maybe I'll just drink on Fridays". Well. That turned into drinking just on weekends and now it's started to bleed into weekdays.
I guess I know it's becoming an issue because I'm stopping again, but food is also a problem where I would allow myself one "fat day" of all the good(bad) stuff, but that's started bleeding over too.
I don't know how to stop this from happening, like, I can only be good for so long it seems. Does anyone have any kind of advice on how to do Cheat Days correctly?
Thanks
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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2AFEo5P
Hello Onederland!
I am a long time lurker and first time poster. I've never commented on anyone else's weight loss stories but I have up voted many. Anyway, in January I realized I am starting to get close to 40 years old. I have been overweight my entire life. I know my parents (who are also overweight) have had all sorts of problems. Knee replacements, diabetes, heart issues, etc. I also know that I want to avoid as much of that as I can. I have a wife and a daughter who need me to be around and healthy as long as possible. I decided it was time to get in shape and loose weight while I am still in my 30's.
I really don't know what my ultimate end weight goal is. I do have a lot of muscle mass and don't think I will ever hit ideal BMI. I set what I felt was a very obtainable goal to hit 199 by Christmas of this year.
I started doing CICO and intermittent fasting in January. I really just started skipping breakfast because I realized I was almost never hungry in the morning and was just eating out of habit. I have an elliptical and started doing that for 35 minutes 5 days a week at a moderate jog. I have now lost ~76 pounds and when I weighed myself this morning the scale said 199!! A full 2 months before my goal date! I haven't been this light since middle school. I still have a ways to go still for sure. I think I am setting 180 as my new target.
I don't think I am alone in this but when I look in the mirror I don't see a ton of differences in my appearence. I think my biggest issue is that I never saw myself as big as I got. My self image was always smaller. So it's been frustrating at times that I don't think there's much of a change. Then I go and look at pictures (like the progress pic I posted below) and the difference absolutely blows my mind.
Here are some changes I've noticed:
- Down from almost 3x to a large (probably getting close to medium) shirt size
- Down 2 pants sizes
- almost on a second new belt
- starting to get cold a lot easier
- starting to notice sagging skin (I was hoping it wouldn't be too bad but I think it will)
- my resting heart rate is usually around 60 BPM (I think this is mostly due to the jogging)
- my wife says I don't snore anymore
- I can't sit on hard surfaces anymore because my butt hurts!
- I can see the outline of the bottom of my rib cage
Anyway enough rambling. Thank you to all of you out there who posted your inspirational stories that helped me see what is possible!
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