F/22/5'6'' [82lbs lost) Struggled with a plateau, and then maintenance, and am now finally active and at my goal range!

Pictures here!

Hey all, I recently arranged some pictures that show my health journey so far and figured I'd share. I love to encourage and support others that are trying to make progress on their own health, and would be more than happy to provide recommendations, encouragement, advice, and so on to anyone that needs it!

I don't truly know my highest weight, but the highest I ever saw on the scale was about 210lbs. It was at this point that I knew I needed to make a change, and I decided to be more mindful of what I was eating and try to ride my bike more often. This lead to a loss of about 35lbs over the course of a year or so. I still wasn't counting calories or anything like that at this point, but it was a start.

I hit a plateau for a couple years, and began to gain a few pounds after a while, as I began to fall back into bad habits. I kept thinking, "Oh, I'll get the rest of the weight off eventually! One day..." but would never make a change or follow through. Then, one day in June 2017, I found /r/loseit. I started to count my calories, and went all in. I ate at 1,200 a day, and NEVER had a cheat day (I have no idea how I fostered such iron willpower so early on). I lost another 40lbs this way in the span of 6 months!

I hit 135lbs and began to finally process that I had done something worth being proud of. I began to focus on slower weight loss and maintenance, and continued to count. Over the next 6 months, I slowly got down to around 131-132lbs through slight calorie restriction. Then, vacation happened.

My boyfriend and I went to Disney World and the Bahamas, and it was my first major vacation since losing the weight. I went crazy on the food, and ended up gaining around 8 pounds over the course of a month. Thankfully, I went right back into my dieting lifestyle once we got back home, and lost the weight I had gained.

About 5 months ago, I made the decision to start including exercise in my daily routine. I began to go on more walks, and would also frequent the exercise bike. I've since upped that even further, and spend at least 35 minutes on the exercise bike, cycling at what I'm pretty sure is a high intensity. I am always drenched in sweat by the end of the session, and try to aim for about 17-18mph at intensity level 8-9. I also track my macronutrients now, and while beforehand I ate very high carb, I now focus on eating lower carbs and higher fat/protein content. I also eat at maintenance (~1,650 calories) on week days and go over by about 200 on weekends (which I'm okay with because of the exercise). I feel AMAZING and healthier than I ever have before. I want to start doing body weight exercises more as well, and also challenge myself by jogging more often.

I still struggle with disordered thinking a lot of the time when it comes to food, and am slowly working on changing my relationship with it. As I sneak up on my ultimate goal (125lbs), I've allowed myself more cheat days here and there (although I do struggle with the occasional binge in these situations, and am working on that too). It's a constant work in progress, but I'm excited to see where I go from here. There is still a lot of improvement that I can make in regards to my health, but I'm very passionate about it! If anyone has any questions, hit me up! I love to be of help.

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Need Motivation and Advice (Injury during weight loss program)

Hey all,

So I've always been fat and gained more weight while I was doing my masters thesis and finally reached a point where I took charge and did something about it. I used to weigh 255lbs and I'm around 6' tall.

I contacted a personal trainer and she put me on a diet and exercise regimen for 2 months. I meal prepped every week, went to the gym 6 days a week and worked super hard and lost 25 lbs and I was feeling great and I had much more fat to lose and more muscle to gain.

Then one day while I was going down the stairs at home (on my way to the gym funny enough) I slipped and fell on my ass and fractured my tail bone. That was five weeks ago. In those 5 weeks I fell off the wagon HARD!!! The doctor recommended I don't exercise to allow for proper healing and instead of sticking with my diet, I went with the "f*** it" approach and just abandoned that completely. I don't want to gain the weight back but I am unfortunately.

Whenever I think, "ok you need to get it back together" I think of all the hard work that goes into it and I just stop and take the easier route of going to a drive through.

My tailbone still hasn't completely healed but it's healed enough for me to go back to the gym and do exercises that I know won't affect my tailbone.

So beautiful people of reddit, if you've had a similar experience of having an injury which completely threw a wrench in the system you've had and fell off the wagon, what advice would you give someone such as myself who is going through the same thing?

Thanks :)

​

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from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2uQh3dR

8 Tiny Kitchen Tweaks for Big Weight Loss Results

Your new secret weight loss weapon: Reorganizing your kitchen. You may think that keeping snacks out of sight is a “duh” tip, but there have actually been well-done research studies proving that it really works. Here are a few other scientifically vetted housekeeping suggestions that may also help you peel off the pounds:

1. Clear the clutter.
A messy kitchen can make you feel stressed and out of control and encourage you to eat more, according to a study published this year in the journal Environment and Behavior. In fact, the women in the study, who were exposed to a neat kitchen and one strewn with mail, newspapers and dirty dishes, ate twice as many cookies in the messy kitchen as in the tidy one.

2. Hide the snacks.
If you have to have unhealthy snacks in the house, make sure you need to use a stepstool (and maybe a map) to find them. Studies from the Food & Brand Lab at Cornell University have found that when they’re out of sight, they’re also out of mind. Also, they point out, when you have to pass yummies a lot you’re constantly making the same decision—eat it or not—and you’re likely to eventually wear yourself down and succumb to temptation. Forget those cute little glass containers. Store goodies in opaque containers and use aluminum foil, not plastic wrap, for fattening leftovers in the fridge. (Cornell researchers have found that the average kitchen has four or five snack cupboards and recommended isolating treats to just one.)

5 Things You Learned as a Child That Cause Weight Gain as an Adult

Read More

3. Put the good stuff where you can see and grab it.
Don’t get rid of those little glass containers or the plastic wrap. They’re perfect for the healthy food you want to eat. Likewise, it’s okay to have a few things on the counter, like a fruit bowl maybe, filled with grapes on the vine that you’ve snipped into easy-to-eat portions. Other research at Cornell—recounted in the book Slim by Design by the head of the lab, Brian Wansink, PhD—found that having healthy food where you can see and reach it makes you eat more of it. And the sweet spot? The middle shelf in the fridge. That’s where to keep your celery, carrots, apples, oranges and other healthy fare, not in the produce bin.

4. Consider buying little red plates.
A study published this year in Journal of the Association for Consumer Research found that downsizing your plates by 30 percent also downsizes the amount you eat by 30 percent, in part by cutting back the amount you serve yourself. Why red? Cornell research found that plate color also tends to affect how much you serve yourself, particularly if the plate and the food are highly contrasted. Portions of white food, like pasta and rice, look much larger on a darker plate, the researchers say. You’ll eat less of darker foods on lighter plates too. Mix and match?

5. Ditch the stools and chairs in the kitchen.
Or, at least, make your kitchen less comfortable as a hangout. The more time you spend in the kitchen, says other Cornell research, the more you’re going to eat.

How to Fool-Proof Your Fridge for Weight Loss

Read More

6. Serve from the stove, not the table.
You’re less likely to overeat if you have to walk to the kitchen for seconds, rather than just reach for the bowl or platter on the table, say the Cornell researchers.

7. Invest in healthy kitchen utensils.
Have you tried “zoodles” yet? Those are the “noodles” made by using a special device to spiralize zucchini. For as little as $30, you can get a spiralizing device that turns out piles of noodle-like veggies—all kinds—that you can use in place of pasta. Consider a collapsible metal vegetable steamer that not only lets you steam veggies, but other healthy foods like tofu or homemade spring rolls made with shredded veggies. And take the guesswork out of portion sizes by keeping a counter-top food scale. You can find one that’s only about six-by-two inches so it won’t add to a cluttered look.

8. Keep an aromatherapy diffuser in the kitchen or dining room.
Studies have found that just sniffing the scent of fruits such as apples, bananas and grapefruit can help you eat less. A 2012 Dutch study in the journal, Flavour, also suggested that strong aromas—things like onions, garlic and chiles—may encourage you to take smaller bites.

The post 8 Tiny Kitchen Tweaks for Big Weight Loss Results appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf http://bit.ly/2IkVkTm

One year down the road!

https://imgur.com/a/wSeallQ Progress pics first obviously.

This turned out longer than expected but I hope it helps paint a vivid picture of my last year I just wanted to update some past information I put out about my weight loss journey. 1 year ago this past Saturday, I had a doctor's appointment and weighed in at 306 lbs. I have always been big, but there was something about seeing that number that seriously bummed me out. I've tried losing weight in the past and every single time I would let something get in the way of that goal. Whether it be an upcoming event, or the ever changing start date of " maybe next Monday". Something changed in my mind a year ago and I set about changing my food choices. I lost about 30 lbs in the first 3-4 months just eating fewer calories. For those that are wondering, I use MyFitnessPal and count every single calorie that goes in my mouth. A food scale was the best thing I did. I started running last August and it was a struggle to get to the end of the block. I am now running upwards of 20 miles a week and am starting to incorporate weights to re-composition my body. In 1 year I have officially lost 82 lbs. If I can do it, anyone can. Failure is a part of the process. I have failed more times than I can count over the last year, but I pick myself up the next day/meal and make better choices, learning from each experience. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the last year. It honestly feels like a new beginning in my life and I am seriously looking forward see where the future takes me.

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from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2G9HSjK

Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Monday, 08 April 2019? 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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Let’s try again...

Here I am again in the same situation. Every time I start a new weight loss journey it seems I am at an all time high.

I have yo-yo’d over most of my adult life and in my 40’s now. I get in the mindset that it is an all or nothing. An example of this is if I’m not counting calories I will eat anything without a care in the world. Go out to eat for every meal, not sure why I do it. It is extremely disappointing.

I dropped around 60 lbs in 4 months or so the last time I decided to lose weight and felt good. Then I stop caring. Not sure why. I find weight loss super easy but it is keeping it off is the problem. Currently I have lost a ridiculous 22 lbs in 25 days without really even trying that hard. The weight just flies off but I put it on almost as fast 😳 if I don’t watch. Basically cut out the liquid calories, was probably consuming a staggering 1500-2000 calories a day in pop and chocolate milk. This is on top of all the crap I was eating. Just an unhealthy lifestyle.

This time is different. I sense it, I will not fail this time.

I am a male with a start weight of 286.6 lbs and currently weigh 264.0 lbs. Goal weight is around 190 lbs. I always lost weight to around 215 or so and just packed it on again.

I am walking, cutting calories. Will be running soon in a month or so. As for eating I never really go hungry, eating around 1800 calories a day.

Looking for recommendations on how to keep the weight off. The only thing I can think of is track calories forever. Thanks for your time.

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from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2ImpntF

Please don't give up!

If you feel like your weight loss journey doesn't make any sense... I hope my experience can help you a little bit.

I was always overweight. As long as I can remember. Even in kindergarten (preschool?) kids were making fun of me. It felt terrible. When I was 15 I was already stage 2 obese. I wasn't eating SO much, but I was never going out beside to school, due to developing anxiety and depression, also... I had no friends anyway. My parents tried to help but what can they do. I had my own money. Gift from someone, my pocket money etc. What could they do? I'd always find a way.

The year before I went to high school I decided to lose it all. I decided high school is going to be my time, and my new life. So I started exercising, weighting myself every day, eating much less, etc. At first it was going fast. I lost first 10 kg without much of a trouble.

And then, something happened in my life. Something horrible, that I'll be scarred with for the rest of my life. I don't want to say exactly what, but it was extremely traumatic. And then it began. To get my mind off it I started being obsessed. I was exercising till I passed out. I wouldn't eat anything whole day, just to eat maybe 800 calories next day, and it went like this for weeks. Starved, I finally binged. I ate crazily much... and then I puked. All of it.

I lost the weight. I was normal. Still a little chubby though, and there were days I LOVED it. It looked cute, but healthy. But there were days I hated it and hated myself. Because whatever I ate, I purged. I ate half of a big pizza, just to puke in the forest that was close to my block. I hid it well. Bulimia, binge eating, anemia. I was weak. I was fainting all the time. I was cold. My veins got so weak I'd bruise like a peach.

I was close to dying, but everyone congratulated me. Everyone was so proud of me. My entire family. "BlueberryBananas isn't fat anymore! Amazing!" So I didn't seek help. I was tying my waist with a damn SHOELACE to make sure I wouldn't eat too much, and every... 0.1 of a kg on a scale meant either fasting all the next day or purging everything I ate today.

Finally... I couldn't handle it anymore. I dropped out two months before graduation. I moved out of the country, away from my parents, to my boyfriend at the time. I wanted to stay there for just a short while to get a job then and get my own apartment, but he saw in what terrible state I was and let me stay.

And then... the depression happened. I don't remember that two years. I just don't. Every single day same as the other. Emotional outbreaks, eating trash, not going out for weeks. I'd get money from my parents, being paid shit for some stupid articles to minor magazines nobody ever reads... and I just existed.

I woke up one day. Having gained half of the weight back. I started purging again. At some point we both held a bunch of pills in our hands, sure that we both want to go. We both want to die. But then... WE MOVED OUT. We moved out of this old, disgusting flat, he finished his school, he was now a professional programmer. He got a great job. We got a beautiful flat and I... Something changed it me. When I saw him achieving all this I wanted to do it too.

I started exercising again, slowly changing our diet to contain more vegetables and fruit, less unhealthy fat, soda etc.. I wanted to make sure it would be a lifestyle change, not a "diet", I'd inevitably drop and start binging and purging again.

It's been 8 months. I still struggle sometimes. I still feel the urge to puke after a larger meal. But I stopped looking at the scale. I just count calories (NOT MUCH, I just add more or less to MyFitnessPal), I make sure I get all the proper nutrition, but I also sometimes eat a burger, or a pizza. But I'm able to eat just a piece or two, and eat the burger on half with someone or slowly, and exercise a bit more the next day. It's a fight. A fight you can win, only if you learn healthy habits.

Today I fit in my old jeans. The ones I had when I was approaching healthy weight. I am working with a publisher, to get my book printed. I'm engaged. I have a beautiful flat, I'm able to keep clean. I have three cats. I'm getting better. Progress feels amazing. Don't give up guys. It will be worth it.

((EXPLANATION, before I get the questions. I moved from Poland to Germany, I do know the language, partly, but not enough to feel comfortable with speaking fluently every day (due to anxiety as well), what was a source of my problems with getting a job here. I moved out when I was 18, soon to be 19. This is when you pass final exams and graduate high school in Poland. I was studying pretty well, that wasn't the reason why I left.))

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