Feeling Defeated by Depression

I've been trying to lose weight for years, and I feel like I've tried everything: counting calories, fasting, vegan, low-card, etc, etc, etc. I've had limited success with all of them, but my problem isn't with any weight loss strategy, it's that I fundamentally have a bad relationship with food. I'm depressed and eating is one of the few things that makes me really happy. It's an emotional outlet, it's a source of joy, it's a way to blow off steam, it's "self-care," it's everything. I'm so sick of it. Right now I don't have access to medication or counseling. I feel so hopeless and stuck. I'm not sure if this post is for the sake of advice, venting, or seeking similar stories, but I welcome any of the above. Thanks

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I created a thing to visualize non-scale goals related to weight loss. I'm a visual person and this has helped me improve and meet more goals. (5'1 F 160lbs)

I have been stalled for a couple months now and decided to start tracking some of my goals to see why I hadn't lost any weight in a long time. I've been hovering around 165lbs since May and couldn't seem to get below 160. I created this to visualize the areas that needed improvement. My goals are:

• Eat less than my TDEE, even if just 1 calorie under. My goal deficit is 500 but for this goal as long as I come in under my TDEE I'm good.
• Take a 15 minute walk in the AM and PM at work.
• Eat 0 snacks. Which just means don't eat outside of meals.

Since I started tracking this way, I've lost a few pounds and can see that one of my biggest downfalls is snacking and weekends. This month my goal is to have way more days with 0 snacks and more exercise on the weekend. Wish me luck!

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I don't understand calories

Long time lurker, first time poster. This sub has been incredibly motivating in the past. Thank you everyone for posting and helping each other out. I'm here with something that I just do not get.

The consensus on most subreddits dedicated to weight loss are that you should never eat less than X amount of calories a day or week. Currently I'm trying to lose weight (day 4/61) and my calories, if counted, are about 1000 a day. I'm 187 cm (6'1) and started last monday at 97 kg (214 lbs). I work in an office job and have recently stopped playing sports (but I do play drums about 4-5 hours a week). With all of this information, people would say I am eating too few calories and that this will result in a giant list of bodily malfunctions.

The catch being; I've done this before for 10 straight weeks. This was last year and I went from 104 kg (229 lbs) to 92 kg (202 lbs). A friend of mine even went above and beyond and lost 18 kg (40 lbs) total in those 10 weeks. Sure we were hungry, but we persisted. During those 10 weeks we never really felt tired, we never felt like we were fainting... The only "bad" thing is that our hands were cold as ice. Also, we went back to eating regularly but there wasn't really a case of a jojo effect. The 5 kg I've gained since has been building gradually for 8 months (and I know what caused it).

My question is, why shouldn't I eat just only 1000 calories a day if it's effective for me? If it has worked before, why not again? I get that I weigh less but would 12 kg in total really be enough to negatively effect my body?

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5 Tips to Lose the Baby Weight for Good

When you’re expecting, everyone comments on how adorable you look. Then your bundle of joy arrives and the pressure of losing baby weight sets in before you’re even wheeled out of the delivery room.

Every day we see magazine covers and social media images of svelte, bikini-clad celebrities showing off their rock-hard abs just days after delivery. This can leave you feeling like you should be strutting out of the hospital in your skinny jeans, erasing all evidence of the remarkable, nearly year-long transformation your body underwent.

It’s important to remember that if you didn’t gain the weight overnight, you can’t expect to lose it that fast. In fact, according to MedlinePlus.gov, you should plan to return to your pre-pregnancy weight about six to 12 months after delivery. Why so long? The Mayo Clinic indicates that you can expect to lose about 13 pounds during childbirth. However, the American Pregnancy Association recommends that most women gain more than that when pregnant.

Here’s a breakdown of their pregnancy weight gain recommendations:

• 25-35 pounds if you were a healthy weight before pregnancy (BMI of 18.5-24.9).
• 28-40 pounds if you were underweight before pregnancy (BMI of less than 18.5).
• 15-25 pounds if you were overweight before pregnancy (BMI of 25-29.9).
• 11-20 pounds if you were obese before pregnancy (BMI over 30).

Choose This Not That: The Mom’s Guide to Snacking While Losing the Baby Weight

Read More

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), data reveals that nearly half of all pregnant women gain more weight than is recommended. It’s no wonder it can take a while to shed the baby weight. The good news is that losing baby weight isn’t impossible. Sure, it might feel that way when you’re in survival mode adapting to life as a new mom. However, you can start losing the baby weight if you follow a few simple guidelines.

The important thing to remember is that slow and steady is the best approach. According to Medlineplus.gov, it’s recommended to wait six to eight weeks before actively trying to lose weight. This allows your body time to recover and to establish a stable milk supply if you are breastfeeding. After that, strive for a weight loss of about a pound to a pound and a half per week. This is a rate that is both achievable and sustainable long-term. As always, speak with your doctor before starting a weight loss program to ensure it fits your specific needs.

Loving Your Postpartum Body: 8 Tips for Feeling Your Best Post-Baby

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Here are five tips to help you with losing baby weight for good:

1. Make it Easier to Eat Healthy

If you want to lose the baby weight while staying healthy and strong for your little one, you must eat a nutrient-rich and well balanced diet. That’s easier said than done when you’re tending to a newborn 24/7. In the first few months after having a baby, getting to the grocery store and cooking a healthy homemade meal can feel like a distant dream.

If going food shopping is impossible, it’s a great task to give a friend or family member who has been asking how they can help. Send them to the supermarket with a list of healthy, prep-free snacks like veggies and hummus, berries and string cheese or English muffins and avocados. Find a few simple slow cooker recipes that can be tossed in the crockpot and forgotten about until mealtime. The leftovers will be a lifesaver on days that you’re too busy caring for your baby to worry about assembling a meal.

Make it even easier on yourself by considering a meal delivery service that will send healthy meals to your home. This will mean no shopping or cooking is necessary. Nutrisystem programs are a great option because you’ll get healthier meals and snacks that are portioned for weight loss right to your door. Make sure to reach out to our Weight Loss Counseling Team if you’re breastfeeding. It’s convenient and will help you lose the baby weight, a win-win.

6 Slow Cooker Recipes You Need to Try This Season

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2. Move More

Once you’ve got the diet down, consider squeezing in some physical activity each day. Easier said than done with a needy newborn, we know. However, if you make a daily stroller walk a part of your routine, you can burn calories with your little one in tow. Other options? Pull up a workout video on your computer or TV that you can do while the baby naps. Try to join a “Mommy and Me” workout class near you. We also have some easy ideas for working out when you’re busy with your baby. Check them out here! >

3. Track Your Calories

A new study out of Duke University shows that people who track what they eat via a Smartphone app have great success at weight loss. Download an app like NuMi and digitally record your daily intake! It’s a great way to hold yourself accountable and will help you get a realistic picture of how much you’re eating.

Keep in mind that if you’re exclusively breastfeeding, you’ll need to eat more than you did before you became pregnant. Your body needs about 300 to 500 extra calories each day says the American Pregnancy Association. Talk to your doctor before you start cutting calories to ensure you do so without compromising your milk supply.

12 Reasons Downloading the NuMi App Will Help You Lose Weight

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4. Don’t Pick

A handful of crackers here, a scoop of ice cream – the calories can really add up. When you’re constantly tending to someone else’s needs, it can be much easier to pick all day instead of eating real meals. Those sneaky calories can pile up fast and make losing baby weight difficult. Try your best to keep mealtimes intact, even if that means you need to change them up to coincide with nap-time.

It’s also important to make sure you’re only eating when you’re hungry, not because you’re exhausted, bored or feel like you deserve a treat. If you find yourself heading to the pantry for a snack between meals, ask yourself if you’re eating out of hunger or another reason. Boredom, loneliness, stress or exhaustion can all lead to grazing. Not sure if you’re actually hungry? Click here to find out. >

5. Breastfeed

The decision of whether or not to breastfeed is a personal one. There are plenty of reasons women decide against it. If you do decide to breastfeed, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics indicates that it can burn up to 500 calories per day and ultimately lead to weight loss in many women.

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that breastfeeding helped women return to their pre-pregnancy weight by six months postpartum. Another study in the International Journal of Obesity (that included nearly 750,000 women) found that those who had breastfed their children had a lower BMI at 50 to 64 years old than those who did not.

One word of caution: While breastfeeding does burn calories, it can also cause a tremendous increase in appetite. If you’re not careful, you could end up overeating and making it difficult to ditch that pesky baby weight. Always make sure to speak with your doctor to ensure you are properly eating for your specific needs.

5 Reasons Baby Weight is No Match For Nutrisystem

Read More

The post 5 Tips to Lose the Baby Weight for Good appeared first on The Leaf.

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Thursday, 05 September 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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3 years from Day1

Stats: 29F 174cm SW:89kg CW:65.5kg Initial GW:68kg Current GW: no-idea-but-superhero-body

Before and after: https://i.imgur.com/YZPBgKK.jpg 84.1 kg on the 20th of October 2016 (i have no SW pictures) vs. 65.5kg on 29th of August 2019

​

It recently occurred to me that I started my weight loss journey in the beginning of September of 2016. Being a long-time lurker, I decided to share with you guys some of the things that I have learned over the past 3 years, perhaps they will be of help to someone.

I'm going to try to keep this short:

Three years ago I was at my highest, 89kg. I have never been very slim, I had a history of gaining and losing (i was 83 kilos at 18 and back to 68kg at 22) but I gained about 20 kilos over the course of 4 years by over-eating. The over-eating was partially caused by mild anxiety and very mild depressive episodes, but the main reason was: I like food and I live for carbs.

I had previously attempted to diet, but with no success. Looking back, it wasn't the diet at fault, but the fact I had no knowledge on how to do that right, starved myself for a few days (weeks perhaps) and then got sick of it and went back to my previous habits.

What triggered me to actually do something was the fact that I was so close to 90 kg, and I knew that if I go over 90 I will get used to it and move on. Also, two of my best friends (both of them were over 120kg at their SW) had started losing, so this kinda motivated while also scaring me. It might sound petty, but I didn't want to end up being the fattest one. So one day I decided that starting that day I will join the gym. No starting Monday, no starting the 1st of the month. Starting today. And I did, started with treadmill and some light lifting.

Didn't change my diet for a while, but I went to the gym consistently 2 or 3 times a week for the first month and started seeing some improvement after a few weeks. In my case it was normal for some immediate progress since I spend 8 to 10 hours a day in front of the computer at work, don't do any sports, don't walk since my office is 300m away from the house, etc.

After seeing the first results on the scale (back then I used the scale as my primary means of measuring progress) I started doing some slight changes to my diet by trying to eat smaller portions (my main meal was and still is around 10.30 PM). Again, it worked.

Our (bf's and I) diet is mainly pasta based since he's usually the cook and he's Italian. At this point I have started counting calories with MFP and I noticed that pasta is A LOT of calories. So we ended up agreeing that we'd alternate pasta nights with steak and vegetables nights (I realize that I am so lucky to have had such a supportive person next to me throughout the whole process) . This also helped for a while, until I started feeling the weight loss was slowing down.

So I decided to go for a personal trainer at the gym for a few months. And this worked miracles. Having a professional look after you does wonders. Not only he gave me nutrition tips and taught me the basics of how macros work, but he also knew when to stop me if I was pushing myself too hard. I started paying more attention to macros, and kept around 1400 kcal/ day, with the occasional cheat day.

Starting June 2017 I plateaued at 75 kilos. I occasionally managed to go down to 73 but then went back to 75. Tried staying around 1200 kcal, it didn't do much. However I wasn't feeling bad about it. I was already feeling like my body wasn't a blob anymore, I was still seeing some changes even if they weren't showing on the scale. I kept on with my normal 3 times per week gym schedule, and saw improvements with cellulitis. I was ok with that. What I noticed was that I took breaks from the gym for long vacations (1 month long vacations) I gained little weight (1-2 kg) but the gym break was noticeable on my body.

March 2019: a friend suggested that I might want to try lifting heavy. So I tried out lifting slightly heavier. I immediately started losing again. I guess my body was used to my normal routine and just needed slight a push. I seem to be plateauing at 65-66kg now, but I am more than fine with it. I can finally see some of the abs that I have been working on for the last 3 years, the cellulitis is improving, my booty has a shape. I don't care about the numbers anymore, my goal right now is to build some more muscle. I want a superhero body.

I am still eating simple carbs. I occasionally eat junk food. I hate IF (it's just not for me, I get hangry). My main meal still is at 10.30 PM. But now I am keeping it under control.

(Nope, I didn't manage to keep this short)

I am going to sum up some of the things I have learned:

• Take it slow and give it time. Thanks to taking it slow I have very little loose skin for the 23 kilos lost, that can only be seen in certain positions.
• Make small, gradual adjustments. This way your brain will be tricked into thinking that it's not that a big of a deal. Making all the adjustment at the same time will overload your brain with negative thoughts and feelings.
• Educate yourself in order to make the adjustments. Learn a little about nutrition and macros, it will help you take better decisions. Also learn about various types of training, so you can choose the best fit for you. There are so many resources out there.
• Don't beat yourself up over the numbers, but be consistent with your schedule. I have seen 2 kg variations in the same day due to water retention and bloating. A number is just a number.
• Workouts: change your routine every once in a while. Your body will get accustomed to the same routines and might stop collaborating.Also, as a sidenote: you might not like working out. I still don't like the feeling of my muscles burning and the shortness of breath, but try to find something that you dislike less. Soon enough you will start enjoying the endorphins flowing in after a good workout and you will start pushing yourself so you can get that feeling.
• In my case, eating carbs before a workout does wonders on an energy level. I strongly suggest you try that out, they give me that little extra fuel I need. I have a snack consisting of a piece of toast with something or a banana or a yogurt and cereal 1 hour before I leave for the gym. I also have a protein shake after the workout, but that is mainly for helping muscle development, but it will also keep me quite full for the evening (so I'll eat less at dinner).
• Educating yourself will also prevent workout related injuries. Lifting heavier has caused me a slight injury - also related to a small defect in my knees that I didn't know about. Not a big deal, but again, taking things slow helped. I would have probably injured myself much worse if I would have jumped right into lifting even heavier.
• Your goals might change and that's ok. I started working out so I can jumpstart the weight loss. My goal was skinny. My goal has changed, I want to build some extra muscle now.
• Your body might have more than you thought imperfections when you reach (or are close to) your goal. That's also ok, I consider them "scars from battle". Work towards fixing whatever you can and accept whatever you can't. We're all perfect with our imperfections.
• This is for the ladies: there will most likely be significant loss in bra size. Don't worry about that. You might feel disproportionate for a while, but give your body time to adjust.
• Self-image: in my case my self-respect has increased so very much. I avoided having my picture taken before. I love it now. I feel stronger than ever, physically and emotionally, and I felt this inner-strength developing. I take better care of myself. Also my sex drive has sky rocketed since I feel much more desirable.
• Take progress photos. The differences you see in them will keep you motivated.
• Treat yourself when you have done really well. Buy that fancy shirt or dress when you have lost a size. For example, I am treating myself with a new tattoo next week (which also has the purpose of covering up a rough patch of very stubborn cellulitis).
• Last but not least, try to have fun with it and pat yourself on the back when you've done well.

​

P.S. I am so damn scared for posting this with the before and after, even if I should be proud.

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Reached goal ... now what.

I’ve recently lost 15kg/33lbs and I’m struggling to keep motivation to remain here and feel a little uncomfortable in my skin.

I’m 178cm (around 5’10”), and was 83kg (183lbs) and now I’m down to 68kg/150lbs.

It took me 2 slow, gentle years to drop the weight through some healthier choices and a touch of Intermittent Fasting at a plateau. No mayor changes, just some small smarter choices.

I ran my first 10km in my life recently, and did it again a couple times. And I’m just kind of feeling indifferent now that’s I’ve reached my goal and did something hard like running that far (I’m not a runner!).

Have you lost your motivation before? How did you re-write your goals so that they fire you up still to be better? I was never unhappy with my body, but I guess I thought I’d feel a bit more proud or confident with 15kg down. Instead I just feel a bit ... awkward.

I’m pretty lanky (haha) and know that I should gain some muscle but find that progress harder to measure. I maintained my weight loss for 5ish months and purchased my reward jeans which are the same size and brand I wore when I was 22 and I’m nearly 33 - so that feels like. I want to remain here to keep fitting those expensive jeans! I thought I’d switch my goal down to 66kg/145lbs just to see if I could but my partner has told me I did look a little gaunt there for a bit and I’ve lost all my ass - so I don’t think I should refocus the weight target.

Thanks for the space to share! I’d appreciate your thoughts and any wisdom you have to share. :)

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