Down 65 Pounds Today - Feels like a Second Chance at Living

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Today, I'm celebrating a 65 pound weight loss since I began my journey on September 24th, 2018. From a life of double cheeseburgers, fries with extra salt and large sweetened iced teas to now waiting for the sweet potato I'll eat for lunch to cool from the microwave. I wouldn't have it any other way.

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I'm going to share tips with you and keep this short and sweet. Cut out the crap. Eat more fruits and vegetables. You can and should fit them into every meal.

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Do your research about snacks. You're better off just eating fruits and vegetables than some granola bar that is packed with crap, but advertises themselves as "healthy."

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Cook for yourself. Anything you can buy at a restaurant, you can make for yourself and it'll most likely be healthier if made at home, even if it is the same thing.

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Look into 16:8 and other fasting methods. Other than weight, I've lost nothing by eating within an 8 hour timeframe.

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Don't let your inspiration/motivation/self-worth/idea of success depend on anyone else's praise or opinion. Hardly anyone else is going to care and with the obesity epidemic we're experiencing, they're sure as hell not going to be happy for you for becoming healthier. (While they're most likely going the other way.)

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Read Lost Connections by Johann Hari. There's great information in there about the connection between obesity and anxiety/depression. This book was the key book that started my weight loss journey.

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I'm a 26 year old female who started this journey at 301 pounds. I am 15 pounds away from my lowest weight in college. (220)

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I'm 15 pounds away from the lowest weight of my adult life. And I feel great. I'm happy. That's what's most important. And you can do all of this too. Just start! Don't wait for the perfect pair of gym sneakers or some kind of magical motivation. It isn't coming. No one (okay - maybe close family or a spouse or something) is going to care about your health or your weight loss, but you should want to improve your quality of life for YOU.

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Use the internet to learn about what you're eating and find some kind of physical activity you enjoy. (Or just learn all that you can about food because exercise is such a small part of it anyway.)

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Note to Self

At my highest weight, I was 250lbs. About 4 years ago, I got my act together and tracked calories diligently at approximately 1500 calories per day. I went to the gym 4-5 times per week and lost almost 60lbs. Getting into one-derland was triumphant!

After a few months of hard work, I started slacking. My drive was gone. I would try to track calories, but it was like I was burned out and could never get back on track with that. I started over-indulging in food again. The scale started creeping upward to 215lbs and it has stayed there ever since.

I never stopped going to the gym because I enjoy it and have an awesome personal trainer. I like the challenges, pushing my body. I know that my consistent gym attendance is the only thing that kept me from completely losing control of my weight again.

I took up running last year and ran my first 5k last fall. I used to HATE running, but discovered the proper way to start so I didn’t get discouraged (hint: run very slow to start, build your speed through time and training... don’t rush it!). I was slow with my finish time, but I did it and got the medal to prove it! Despite this success, my weight still wasn’t significantly changing because my eating is my greatest self-sabotage.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how the hell I got into the proper mindset during my first bout of weight loss. I looked back at my food records to see what I was eating. It wasn’t anything unusual, just less. For the life of me, I couldn’t recapture that drive that I had.

A friend of mine wants to do a Spartan Race this year, so we started training together a couple of months ago. For me, my participation was contingent on me losing weight because Spartans are super tough. With our training, I was getting stronger, but not lighter.

This past Monday, it clicked in my mind that I only have a few short months until decision day. Will I physically be able to participate in a super badass race? If I didn’t change what I was doing, I definitely could not join in no matter how much I exercise. You can’t out run the calories.

After years of repeatedly telling myself, “this is Day 1 of my weight loss journey!” and “I am really going to do it this time!”, on Monday I put MyFitnessPal in a prominent spot on my phone’s screen and got to work. Over the years, reliving that Day 1 over and over felt really discouraging. Like I was drowning and couldn’t swim to the surface for a breath of air. But this time is different. I can feel it because I have felt it before. I started pre-planning what I was going to eat for the next day. I have plans for what to cook this weekend in preparation for next week.

Today is day 5 of a perfect streak of tracking and exercising. Even a general meal plan is far easier than entirely winging it when mealtime comes and I have given food no thought until I was suddenly STARVING.

The last time that I was successful at weight loss, I knew that I needed one “cheat” day on the weekend, so that I didn’t feel deprived and end up binging. Knowing that day is coming helps with the strict days when I just want some damn french fries! I am looking forward to having some pizza tomorrow while watching hockey, but I also look forward to Sunday when I will be preparing healthy food for the week.

It is coming back to me how I was so successful the first time because this all feels familiar and like it’s the beginning of something amazing. I am writing this to remind myself of how that feels and what I need to do to get to this place for when I forget in the future because I know I will. If this post helps others, then that would be incredible.

To summarize for myself, Trisha816, here is what you need to do when you feel things are going off of the rails or are feeling helpless:

1. You stress eat. Find your calm. Snuggle your fur babies, hug your partner, read a book … anything to distract you from feeding your anxiety.
2. Track your damn calories. Yes, one indulgence isn’t the end of the world, but when you fill each day with many small indulgences, that adds up. Tracking helps you see that.
3. Something about tracking, seeing the numbers / hard evidence, signals something in your brain that you are not as hungry as you think you are. Seeing the number of calories you eat reminds you that yes, you have already fed your body a sufficient amount of food so you do not need to keep eating. Suddenly, you aren't as hungry as you thought you were.
4. Have achievable workout goals. Last year was a 5k. This year is the Spartan. Never stop setting goals.
5. Plan your food, don’t just wing it.
6. Cook all the vegetables. ALL of them. In bulk. You love the protein part of your meals, so you know you will get that done no matter how tired or busy you are. But when you are feeling ravenous and pressed for time, you consider vegetables optional when you should be filling up on those instead of the foods that are healthiest in moderation. Buy vegetables pre-chopped (organic grocery delivery is the best!) and just toss them in the oven with some seasoning. Very easy. No excuses. You just need to do it! The more vegetables you eat, the less room you will have for empty calories.
7. You don’t have to eat your entire meal at once. Eat a little bit until you are satiated, and then wait until you are feeling hungry again to eat a bit more. Slowing down and being mindful about your eating works wonders to stop the snacking and eating all the treats co-workers leave in the kitchen.
8. If your friends want to have junk food / fast food, you don’t have to join them. They know your struggles and support you, so you don’t have to worry about them pressuring you. Just… you do you and reap the rewards. If you don’t, you will definitely binge eat when you embark on that slippery slope.
9. The scale doesn’t know you. It measures your weight at one particular point in time. It does not know that you had a little more sodium than usual the previous day, it doesn’t know that you just finished your cheat day and are right back on track today, it doesn’t know you just drank a big glass of water an hour ago. It doesn’t know you and all the variables that affect your weight, so use those measurements to drive you further but don’t let them define your progress.

For everyone who has made it this far, I have one last recommendation. I thought I understood food, but there is so much false information out there, fad diets, fake “healthy” foods, people giving advice that is well-intentioned but misleading, and so on. The single most useful source of information about food I have found is a book called “What to Eat” by Marion Nestle. In my opinion, it was incredibly well researched and contained simple truths as well as direct information that guides my every day healthy eating choices.

Best of luck to everyone, today is a new day and let’s all live it to our best!

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I weighed myself for the first time in 6 years and I’m not afraid of the scale anymore

I apologize if this is the wrong sub for this but from what I can tell, the loseit sub is for all weight loss journeys- no matter the trajectory.

Between 2006-2013 (14-21yo) I was weighed by high school and college coaches twice a week (at least) and had an official weigh in every Saturday. If I was over 110lbs, my position was docked and someone just under 110lbs would get my spot until the next weigh in. 110 was referred to as the perfect weight for 7 years. Not too heavy to be extra “dead weight” , but not too light that I would have to carry sand with me to get my “dead weight” to 110. When I quit the sport, I threw away my food journals, threw away my scale, and tried to adjust to being a 21 year old girl who was 5’8 and had no one monitoring my weight. It was hard. It was SO HARD. For my entire adolescence I had associated my weight with success, scholarship money, and attention. Now what? So For 6 years I’ve been quite literally afraid of the scale. When I go to appointments I turn around so I can’t see the number. I just didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to know how much I had gained or how far off I was from *the perfect weight * . I’ve obviously gained weighed over the last 6 years and I have work to do to get myself toned and my fitness level to where I want it (fit >skinny) but on Wednesday I got on the sale for the first time. And it wasn’t scary. I now weigh 134.3 lbs. I’m relieved to say that after the weigh in, I’m aware of the number, but I’m not obsessed with it and that’s worth more than any medal I’ve won.

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Science-backed reasons to stop ignoring stress

With over-packed schedules, career demands, busy family lives, and even fitting in important healthy habits like meal prep and exercise, there’s little time for rest and recovery. It’s the American Way. We’re inundated with stimuli all day long, from the moment we wake up until our head hits the pillow. What’s more, we pride ourselves in being busy and productive. Many of my clients tell me they thrive off of the stress and even label self-care as lazy, self-indulgent, or just flat-out unnecessary. I, too, am guilty of powering through and ignoring the warning signs of too much stress.

from Life Time Weight Loss Blog http://bit.ly/2TYPMQt

Rebuilding your wardrobe after losing weight

So I’m really close to my goal weight and am starting to get ready for maintenance. One thing I was very much looking forward to was kind of “rebuilding” my wardrobe to fit my new size. Although my weight loss isn’t as dramatic as some transformations I regularly see on this sub, it’s still significant enough - I like to believe - to get some new clothes!

I’m kinda intrigued by all of the “basic wardrobe essentials” guides that can be found all over the internet but it also feels quite overwhelming.

For the maintainers still out there on this sub, what did you do? Did you start from scratch, add some new items along the way, followed wardrobe guides or something else?

For the losers, have you thought about this yet? Do you have any plans or ideas and if so, what are they?

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Weight loss and fluctuations??

Sometimes I see things online where people will make a chart or something, and cross off when they lose each pound. My question that feels fairly obvious is... how??

Like this past week, I’ve weighed myself four times, and every time it’s been different. I started at 141, after a 15 mile hike it went up to 144, after 2 days of rest it went to 146, and now I’m back to 143. My diet has been not strict, but healthy and consistent. I’m eating within my TDEE-not on a serious calorie deficit, but not going way over and above either. (Except for hiking day, on which I burned 2000 calories by activity alone and let’s face it, I’m not going to eat 3600 calories in one day unless I hardcore break out the Easter candy)

That can’t be solely attributed to muscle gain and water weight, right? This is a common thing for me no matter the time of the month. How are you guys tracking your weight pound by pound? Is this something I need to bring up with my doctor? So confused.

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How to Stop Eating So Much on the Weekend

If you’re trying to lose weight, the weekend can be a minefield. That’s because for many, being away from work also pulls them away from their plan. Research suggests that a large percentage of both men and women overindulge on the weekends, some even consuming 10,000 extra calories over the course of two days. But the end of a work week comes with many temptations and leaves us wondering how to stop eating so much on weekends.

Don’t let two days undo five days of smart choices and hard work. All it takes is what gives you that success during the work week: A plan. Make that even better by doing a bit of plan-ning.

How to Stop Stress Eating

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Check out these six strategies to learn how to stop eating so much on weekends:

1. Plan your wake-up call: Set your weekend alarm for the normal time.

This one is a no-brainer when learning how to stop eating so much on weekends. It sounds like torture, but avoid the temptation to sleep in. Shifting your wake-up time by even a few hours can lead to a “jet lag”-like experience, even if you don’t fly. In one study conducted by Örebro University, 2,700 high school students who shifted their sleep on weekends experienced a dip in performance and a disrupted sleep schedule the rest of the week. And that disrupted midweek schedule could sabotage your weight loss results: Losing as little as 30 minutes of sleep each weekday can result in weight gain and increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes.

So set Saturday and Sunday’s alarms for the normal time. Brew up an extra cup of coffee to get through it, and you’ll sleep better—and have better weight loss results—the rest of the week. Plus, if you need it, you can take a mid-afternoon nap.

2. Plan a protein-rich breakfast.

When you start the day with protein, you may eat fewer high-fat foods and snacks the rest of the day—without even trying. That was the finding of a 2013 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, where females ate either 35 grams of protein for breakfast, 13 grams, or skipped the meal all together. Those eating the most protein had the longest feelings of fullness throughout the day. And that’s not surprising: Protein takes longer to digest, so you feel fuller, longer than you would with a fast-digesting breakfast of carbs.

6 Signs You’re Not Eating Enough (Yes, It’s Possible!)

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3. Hanging with friends? Plan an activity that isn’t focused on food.

Many friendly get-togethers fall prey to the “what are we going to do?” syndrome: No one’s decisive, and you wind up at the same old haunts—probably eating. Take charge: Use some midweek time to come up with some non-food-focused options for you and your friends. It can even be active: Do some research for the best places to hikes, parks to visit and free museums in your hometown. Find one you haven’t been to in a while—or haven’t tried before—and catch up with everyone somewhere that isn’t just slinging grease.

4: Plan out your munchies in advance.

Whether you think you might spend part of the weekend curled up on the couch to binge-watch, or if you’re going to be running the kids from one event to another, chances are you’ll snack. According to Mintel, research has shown that 94 percent of Americans now snack every day. Those snack calories can be a danger: If you’re on the couch, you could wind up mindlessly munching something you weren’t planning to eat at all. And if you’re on the road, you may have to grab whatever’s fast and convenient—often something high in calories and sugar.

So plan ahead: Spend some weekday time chopping up vegetables and fruits into pre-portioned, bite-sized pieces and putting them in containers to stock the fridge. Having them available means that you’ll be able to make healthy choices more easily, and the act of cutting the vegetables could help you lose weight on its own. And don’t forget to stock up on your favorite Nutrisystem snacks. They’re perfect to grab on-the-go, and they’ll keep you on track with your healthy diet.

If you don’t have tons of time to prep, or if you want something that’s easier to pack, Nutrisystem makes it easy. The plan includes delicious pre-portioned snacks, many of which are your favorite munchies, anyway—cheese popcorn, chocolate-covered granola bars, cookies and crackers.

7 Morning To-Dos to Help You Lose Weight All Day

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5: Make a going-out game plan: Look at Saturday’s menu now.

If you’ve got dinner plans, arm yourself with information from our Dining Out Guide before the waiter hands you the menu. Look at the restaurant’s offerings online on Friday so you can pick out a meal that’s fits into your healthy diet. It’s also easy to specially request a balanced meal containing PowerFuels, SmartCarbs and veggies! Most restaurants will be happy to accommodate you.

If the meal is planned as a meal with Extras, find the thing you’re really craving ahead of time, so you’ll be extra-satisfied with your order. Either way, you’ll know going in what you’re ordering—so you can be confident and won’t be left wondering how to stop eating so much when out to eat.

6. Plan to order a water with every drink.

Nutrisystem plans ask that you abstain from alcohol during week 1 and keep your alcohol intake to two servings per week for the remainder of your time on Nutrisystem. We also suggest sticking to light beer or dry wine. If you do decide to indulge in a serving of alcohol, be sure to order a water with your drink. Sipping water between each alcoholic beverage really does help you metabolize the alcohol, so you don’t get as buzzed. And while that might sound like a, well, buzzkill, it also can help you stave off cravings for foods or portions that aren’t on plan. Being tipsy really does make those cheat foods more appealing: A 2015 study of 35 women published in Obesity Society found that those who had alcohol in their systems had more sensitive brain responses to food aromas and wound up eating more food than the study participants who were sober. Long story short—reduce your alcohol intake for a simple trick to learn how to stop eating so much on the weekends!

Stay on track even on weekends with the help of a Nutrisystem meal plan. Get started today! >

The post How to Stop Eating So Much on the Weekend appeared first on The Leaf.

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