Wednesday, February 3, 2021

I’m finally doing it!

High weight: 280 lbs SW: 263 CW:199.6 GW: 180 (initial goal) 31F/ 5’6”

I wasn’t going to post but I can’t help myself. For the first time since middle school, I am below 200 pounds. I actually did it! I have 20 more pounds to my initial goal and probably 40-50 or so to my final goal but right now I’m just sitting here crying.

I’ve been overweight since I was a toddler. Both my parents were morbidly obese. I was a size 16/18 in middle school. I never knew what portion control was and just never had healthy habits. My parents didn’t like to cook so we ate a lot of fast food and prepackaged foods. I reached my highest weight in 2016 at age 26 when my mom died from COPD and other health issues at age 51. Between 2016 and 2019 I lost almost 20 pounds but I seemed unable to lose more.

Last April I got engaged! I realized that I wanted to have a baby more than anything. I couldn’t have a baby at 263 pounds. I also don’t want to die young like my mom. My blood pressure and cholesterol were both high. My back and knees hurt. I needed to get it together if I wanted to have a baby and a healthy life with my fiancΓ© and family.

I started CICO and intermittent fasting (I fast 8 pm to 1 pm). At first, I didn’t change my eating at all just the amounts. Steadily over time I’ve paid attention to what I am eating - focusing on protein and vegetables. I haven’t cut all carbs because when I tried to I ended up binging on them. Instead, I eat 1 piece of bread or a small serving of rice instead of filling my plate with it. I started with 1700 calories a day, now I eat 1450. I also drink at least 1 gallon of water a day.

I also learned you can diet your way to weight loss without exercise. My exercise leaves much to be desired, honestly. My goal was to diet my way to under 200 and then start exercising. And now I really need to. I had COVID in august and my lung capacity is still building back up, but I’m able to run so I’ve been trying to ease into that a bit. I also need to do something to tighten up a little bit of loose skin - especially around my thighs and upper arms - so I’m buying some weights and a resistance band. Now that I’ve lost the lions share of the weight I needed to lose, I can exercise without pain!

My cholesterol is still not normal, but close. My BP is normal. My thyroid meds had to be lowered (I’ve been hypothyroid my whole life). My acne is largely gone.

I’m getting married in October and I’m confident I can reach and exceed my initial goal of 180 pounds by then, if not my final goal.

And I’m so damn proud of myself. I hope this post helps someone else. I know other posts like this really helped me!

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Am I eating enough calories?

20M 5"8 SW: 227lb CW: 219lb GW: 200

Hey everyone! I started dieting for pretty much the first time last month (started Jan. 10th) since I found out I have high cholesterol and I want to try and bump myself out of the obese category. I went from eating roughly 3,000 calories per day to 800-900, sometimes 1,000. The lowest I've gone was 650 calories one day. I've also been drinking more water (~70oz/day up from 34oz). I've been losing my appetite more and more each day, so I've been finding it harder to get anything down. I do have Diabetes and my sugar levels have been good despite eating so much less.

I'm pretty sedentary. I walk for 15-30 minutes a day every day, do basic exercises like crunches and squats etc. for 10 minutes 4x a week, then beginner strength training with free weights 2x a week. I do notice my weight loss has been slowing down though. I lost 3.4lb the first week, 1.8lb the second and 1.4lb last week. So far this week I've lost 1lb. Maybe that's a normal loss rate, I'm not sure. Am I just not eating enough? My girlfriend thinks I'm starving myself.

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It hurts...πŸ˜”πŸ™ I tried losing 54 lbs with the tips suggested to me on Facebook see my result.😞😩

I had excess fat that almost took my life i heared of different tips and tricks but all to no avail I bought a lot of supplement and took a lot of drugs but still did not notice any relevant change.

Well this is what actually help me. I started my weight loss journey carrying more than 600 pounds. Because of eating habits, I couldn't shower or bathe myself and was barely walking. I worked hard and lost weight by following a strict keto diet and a meal plan. I continued with my weight loss plans by eating healthy and exercising. I has lost more than 400 pounds and has changed life completely.

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For the Love of Chocolate: 14 Best Chocolate Menu Items for Valentine’s Day

Nothing quite says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like chocolate! It’s the quintessential dessert of the holiday. However, if you’re someone who has been working hard to make healthier lifestyle choices, then you might be worried that splurging on Valentine’s Day will set you off course.

Fortunately, Nutrisystem has lots of smart and satisfying chocolate menu items. They make a great choice not only for Valentine’s Day but any day of the year! These breakfast, lunch, snack and dessert items will have you feeling like you’ve made a decadent indulgence when in reality, you’ve stayed right on track.

1. Double Chocolate Muffin >

double chocolate muffin

A high-fiber breakfast is a great way to start your day off on the right foot—feeling full and satisfied! With this muffin, you’ll not only get your fill of fiber, but you’ll also have a chance to satisfy your sweet tooth. This chocolaty muffin is packed with real chocolate chips for double the sweetness. But it still has only 180 calories.

2. Chocolate and Hazelnut Flavored Granola >

chocolate and hazelnut flavored granola

If you’re someone who likes to start their day with some crunch, then you’re going to love this granola which goes great with some milk or even tossed in a yogurt. It has the rich flavors of chocolate and hazelnut that make it feel like a decadent splurge—when it’s really only 140 calories. It also packs in 9 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein!

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3. Chocolate Brownie Sundae >

chocolate brownie sundae

Chocolate, brownie and sundae are three words that don’t sound as though they should be able to fit into a weight loss plan. But this Nutrisystem dessert not only has a mere 160 calories, it’s also a good source of protein and fiber! With chunks of brownies and divine ribbons of fudge folded into chocolate ice cream, it tastes completely indulgent without actually setting you off track at all.

4. Chocolate Flavored Pretzels >

chocolate flavored pretzels

The combination of sweet and salty is what makes chocolate dipped pretzels a snack time favorite. With our version, it’s a diet-friendly choice, too. Not only is a serving a mere 140 calories, but this delightful snack is also a good source of fiber. It’s a great option to grab for when you need to satisfy a craving for chocolate.

5. Chocolate Cupcake >

chocolate cupcake

It might sound too good to be true, but you can absolutely splurge on a chocolate cupcake and still stick to your weight loss goals (when you choose our version, that is). There’s a reason this rich chocolate cupcake is one of our best-selling snacks. It’s packed with whole grains, is a mere 140 calories and is a good source of protein. Of course, it tastes amazing, too!

19 Delicious Desserts to Add to Your Valentine’s Day Menu

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6. Red Velvet Cupcake >

red velvet cupcake

If you’re more of a red velvet fan—which is made from cocoa powder—then you’re in luck. Our red velvet cupcake is another Nutrisystem favorite. Like our chocolate cupcake, it’s a good source of fiber and doesn’t skimp on taste. At just 130 calories, it may taste like a splurge but is actually a diet-friendly choice that won’t set you back.

7. Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcake >

cream filled chocolate cupcake

This chocolate cupcake ups the ante even more! It’s bursting with a creamy vanilla filling and tastes like it’s straight out of your favorite bakery. It clocks in at 130 calories and is a good source of fiber. It’s truly a luscious treat you can feel good about.

8. NutriChocolaty Wafers >

nutrichocolaty wafers

If your go-to splurge is chocolate morsels, you’ve got to try these bite-sized chocolate wafers with just the right amount of caramel. They’ll help keep your weight loss eating plan on track by satisfying your sweet tooth without overindulging. They are 140 calories and also happen to be a good source of protein.

Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts That Don’t Involve Food

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9. Chocolaty S’mores Pie >

chocolaty s’mores pie

Biting into the ooey-gooey goodness of this s’mores pie will summon a welcome feeling of sitting around a campfire and indulging in a good, old-fashioned s’more! Decadent chocolate and fluffy marshmallows are baked inside of a graham cracker crust for a treat that just may become your new favorite dessert. Plus, it’s only 140 calories and is a good source of fiber!

10. Dark Chocolaty Sea Salt Nut Square >

dark chocolaty sea salt nut square

For the sweet-and-salty fan, this delectable square treat is a must-try. It combines sea salt-dusted peanuts, almonds and walnuts, with a dip and drizzle of luscious dark chocolate. It also has a whopping eight grams of fiber and six grams of protein, helping to fuel you up while allowing you to treat yourself to something yummy.

11. Coconut Almond Bar >

coconut almond bar

If you love the combination of coconut and chocolate, ditch the traditional candy bar and give our diet-friendly version a try. It features soft and chewy coconut with slivers of roasted almonds—all enveloped in creamy milk chocolate. But unlike your typical candy bar, it’s a good source of protein and will help keep you on track with your weight loss goals.

Sweet Tooth? 3 Must-Try Desserts for Valentine’s Day

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12. Chocolaty Fudge Bar >

chocolaty fudge bar

This frozen treat is reminiscent of a childhood favorite treat is one of our most popular dessert choices. You can indulge in the creamy goodness of frozen fudge while knowing that you’ve only added a mere 80 calories to your daily total. Not only that, but this dessert is a good source of protein and fiber, too!

13. Peanut Butter Chocolaty Square >

peanut butter chocolaty square

What’s not to love about peanut butter combined with chocolate? They are truly a perfect pair! With this delicious treat, you’re able to indulge while only taking in 170 calories. It also packs in seven grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein! When’s the last time your dessert choice did all that?

14. Double Chocolate Caramel Bar >

chocolate caramel bar

Another flavor pairing favorite—who can resist the delectable combo of chocolate and caramel? Enjoy chocolate for lunch with this rich, chocolaty treat filled with milk caramel. In this crispy and gooey bar, you’ll get more than enough of your caramel and chocolate fix while also knowing that you made a smart choice. This bar is only 180 calories and also a good source of protein!

11 Tasty Smoothies You Can Make With Your Nutrisystem Shakes

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The post For the Love of Chocolate: 14 Best Chocolate Menu Items for Valentine’s Day appeared first on The Leaf.



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It’s getting easier!

29F 5’5” SW: 251 CW: 224 GW: 150

I’ve been obese for all of my adult life. I’ve dieted before with varying degrees of success, but I always ended up gaining everything I lost back and more.

But I really feel like this time is different. In December I went to the endocrinologist and he told me I was pre diabetic and that I needed to lose weight. My father and grandmother have/had diabetes and I do not want to go through what they have gone through. I also have high cholesterol. So my short term goal is to lose a good amount of weight before my next doctors appointment in mid March and get my insulin levels down. My longer term goal is to impress my primary care physician when I have my physical in September and get my cholesterol down. I think it helps accountability to have set dates to see doctors.

How I’m doing it this time is different though, and that’s why I’m hoping it will stick. On previous attempts I would count every calorie and it led to some really unhealthy behavior. I would try and get as low of a calorie count as I could (usually between 700 and 800 calories a day), while still eating mostly junk food, which obviously wasn’t sustainable, so I would just end up binging, getting discouraged, and gaining it all back.

I’m not counting calories directly this time. I stopped eating junk food. I just refuse to buy it anymore. For me it is much easier to not buy something than to resist it in the home. I also have all my groceries delivered so I don’t have to resist temptation at the store. My fridge is full of vegetables, meat, fruit and Greek yogurt, and that’s it. Each week at I’ll prep a bunch of meat that I can have for dinner for the week and I’ll steam a giant pile of vegetables to go with it. For lunch I’ll usually have a homemade vegetable soup. For breakfast I have one container of greek yogurt. If I get hungry during the day I’ll have a piece of fruit. I also had a bad habit of ordering delivery takeout, so I deleted all of my food apps. I have no option but to eat healthy or actually go out somewhere, which I have only done twice, because eating at home is now the easier option.

At first I was really hungry. I had a lot of cravings. But everyday it’s getting easier. I have found myself actually preferring the healthy options at home. When I see ads for food, I don’t really want it anymore, I’d prefer my chicken and broccoli. That’s why I really think it’s going to stick this time. I’m changing my lifestyle, not just focusing on a calorie number. Obviously, it is still CICO, all weight loss is, but I know myself and I know I’m not going to enter every gram into MFP for the rest of my life, so I need to do something that I can do for the rest of my life. I know I am still in the beginning and I have a long way to go, but I’m really hoping I can get healthy this time.

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Wecipe Wednesday - February 3, 2021 - Sandwiches!

Welcome back to Wecipe Wednesday. I volunteered to lead a return of this longstanding regular thread at r/loseit at least until the end of March 2021.

I have selected 13 meals or dishes that I keep making over and over that should be compatible with most diets. I'll include the ingredients list, nutritional information along with other hints. Some recipes are vegetarian/vegan, others not so much.

Post your favourite healthy recipes here to share with the rest of the loseit community!

Due to the spirit of the sub, please try to include the calorie and nutritional information if at all possible. MyFitnessPal has awesome recipe calculators you can use!

For the most part, I target my meals to have a component in the 350-550 kcal range. My lunch and dinner tend to be right around 400 kcal each and dinner can be a bit heavier, or include a side dish to bring the calories up a bit. When I was eating 1650 kcal/day the breakdown was roughly 400/400/600/250 for breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks.

Anyhow: enough background on to the recipes!


Sandwiches

Sandwiches can be things of beauty, but a common refrain heard around weight loss is that bread should be avoided, and yet I declared that I wanted to be a smaller guy who eats bread. Could I find a way to fit a good sandwich in to my rotation? If so, were there any tricks that I could take advantage of to help them fit into my diet? Can be such an easy lunch, so how can I make it mine?

Here's one such recent outing https://i.redd.it/j5381l75o9f61.jpg

  • 55g baguette bread cut in half - 140 kcal (Approximately 1/5 of a standard baguette)

  • 32g Honey Ham - 35 kcal

  • 28g Provolone (1 slice) - 80 kcal

  • 1 tbsp Whole Grain Dijon Mustard - 10 kcal

  • 1 leaf Romaine lettuce - 0 kcal

  • Chobani Hot Chocolate Yogurt - 140 kcal

TOTAL 405 kcal (48/11/25 grams of carbs/fat/protein)

So what are the tricks?

  1. Choose good bread in appropriate portions. Hard to make a 400 kcal sandwich if your bread already adds up to more than that.
  2. Mustard is amazing. I usually have several kinds open and it has become my go to "spread" for sandwiches. Yes mayonnaise and butter have their place, but most mustard I can slather on without measuring.
  3. Veggies. I try to throw some greens into my sandwiches. lettuce, baby spinach, dill pickles (not sweet bread and butter).
  4. Cheese. It's a tricky one. Here I threw in a whole slice, but I will often cut that back to 14-20 grams, half a slice or slice my own from a
  5. Cold cuts tend not to be calorie dense unless they are very fat (salami, proscuitto) so pile them on. Some days I may have closer to 90-120g of leaner meat in my sandwich and skip the cheese.
  6. You can substitute lower calorie cold cuts like turkey or chicken if you want to cut the fat content a bit more.
  7. Consider your side. Depending on my mood, I can swap out my yogurt side from this meal for lots of other choices. (Note I usually enjoy the Chobani less sugar varieties). An ~80-120 kcal cup of soup, a piece of fruit, some cottage cheese, a small salad. I rarely make time for chips though, I prefer to use my carbs for good bread.

Overall, once you portion your bread and cheese or other fats appropriately, it just works. You can stuff the sandwich with low calorie density stuff and have a tasty satisfying meal. I will also sometimes have a similarly sized sandwich as a snack after a 10K run.

What about you? What's cooking for you this week?

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Weekly Accountability Update/Week 2, SW 231.5/CW 218.4

Still losing weight! I love being able to check in every few days on my scale. It’s super convenient and I don’t have to guess and wonder if what I’m doing is right! I had a big challenge over the weekend, and did have some days “in the red” where I went over my calorie limit. I always have a sweet tooth after dinner and we had some Kit Kat bars. And cans of coke. I love regular coke and treated myself. One night last week, for dinner, my husband made enchiladas (so good!!) and I ate more than I should have. I felt the stopping point and went beyond, because they were good and I didn’t want to stop eating. Turned out to be like 1000 calorie meal once I plugged it into the app, and I went over my limit by about 400 calories that day. It felt so heavy, like I’d eaten a rock for dinner. I’ve decided not to have a “cheat day” or day off from dieting/counting calories, and instead to have the occasional treat here and there. Maybe that will change in the future, but it’s working for me now. At least I’ve gotten rid of most of the temptations in the house by now, either by eating them or sending them away. I have noticed that I’m much more energetic now, before I NEEDED a 1-2 hour nap every day just to make it to bedtime. Now I don’t need a nap at all and feel fine throughout the day. So that’s a super nice change, because I always wondered why I seem to need so much sleep. Another struggle I’ve had is drinking enough water. My dietician wants me to drink at least 100 oz per day and the best I’ve been able to do is 50 oz on one day. Average seems to be about 40 oz. That’s something I really need to work on, I saw a post on here suggesting that being dehydrated can slow down or stall weight loss. Like anything else I suppose it takes practice and commitment. I’m starting to recognize thirst cues and keeping a big glass of water nearby. I’ve also noticed my lips aren’t so peely too. I guess I just get caught up in my day-to-day and don’t think to refill my glass as often as I should. Having a straw in my glass helps, and I got an app to remind me to drink—Plant Nanny. It’s like a sort of game to keep this virtual plant alive, and you have to drink water and log it before the thing dies. It sends notifications when your plant is thirsty! It’s a nice reminder. I’m also thinking of getting this device that you can put around your glass or water bottle, whatever you’re using, that tracks your drinks and lights up when it’s been a while since you’ve had a drink. It’s about $25 so I think it’s cheap enough to be worth the shot! Anyway, thanks for sticking with me, and good luck on all your weight loss endeavors!

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