Monday, April 5, 2021

Developing body dysmorphia the closer I get to my GW

Hey yall! I've been a lurker on this sub for a while and this is my first post here. So I started a weight loss journey in June of 2020 after going though a pretty tough break up. I wanted to be a better me and the first thing I thought of was getting in shape. I lived a pretty sedentary lifestyle for a while and weighed 226lbs back in June, which was my all time heaviest. If I had to guess, I'd say I was around 35-40% body fat and definitely obese in the BMI scale. As of right now, I weigh about 167lbs and have built a decent amount of muscle as well!

My big issue is that even though I'm so close to my goal weight, I've been having a tough time not being so negative to myself. I look at myself in the mirror and I'm just so disappointed that I'm not where I wanted to be by now. I see belly/side fat still and it crushes my self-esteem and really puts me in a dark place. These negative thoughts make it even more difficult to stick to my diet. It's like my brain won't stop telling me that I failed and to just give up cause I'll always look fat no matter what I do. It feels like the closer I get to my goal weight, the more hard I am on myself that I'm not there yet. I'm way harder on myself now than I was when I was legitimately obese and I don't get it!!

I've been stuck at my CW for about a month now, which continues to feed this dumb mental cycle that I been stuck in. Although I've been consistent with my workouts, I have noticed that I have been slipping on my diets lately, specifically with snacking. My current plan is to up the intensity of my diet and workouts a bit to push through this plateau. I'm worried that this body dysmorphia is going to make it extremely difficult to be happy with myself once I finally do reach my goal weight.

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6 Reasons Why Spring is the Best Season for Healthy Weight Loss

Whether you want to lose weight for your health or to get ready for swimsuit season, choosing the spring season to get started is a smart decision. Spring is your friend.

The warmer weather offers you some perks that the other seasons don’t, starting with the ones you know about (more opportunity to exercise outside in the sunshine) and a few you don’t (you may be automatically eating less anyway).

Here are six surprising reasons why you should “spring” into a new healthy weight loss plan like Nutrisystem when Daylight Savings Time kicks in.

5 Spring Weight Loss Tips Guaranteed to Work

1. You may already be cutting calories and not know it.

a couple eating breakfast on a sunny patio during spring

On average, people eat about 86 fewer calories in the spring than in the fall, according to one study, published in the journal Nature. Previous studies found a 222-calorie difference between fall and spring.¹

No one is really sure why. Some researchers think it could be that, like chipmunks, we tend to eat more to stockpile calories during the winter months. Then when spring arrives, we automatically cut back. However, other scientists think it could be due to the holidays and increased opportunities to indulge.² Whatever the reason, we love the fact that spring offers more opportunities to get active and enjoy lighter meals with fresher ingredients.

2. Exercising in the heat may burn more calories.

a couple walking their dog in a sunny park during spring

Yes, your body burns calories when you’re cold just to keep you warm. But it may do an even better job when you’re already warm. Some studies suggest that you might expend more cardiovascular energy pumping blood to your skin to make sweat to cool off than you do shivering to make yourself warmer, says the American Council on Exercise (ACE).³

There’s also more opportunities to get active with warmer weather. Take a walk at the park, go for a hike or do some yardwork. Spring cleaning will also get you up and moving. Check out the link below for nine warm weather activities that can help you boost your burn!:

9 Warm Weather Activities that Torch Calories

3. Lighter and healthier food is more available.

a healthy spring salad in a bowl

Farmers markets are starting to open, offering crisp lettuces, spring onions, fresh peas, slender stalks of asparagus, tender fiddleheads, sweet strawberries and cherries. Mac and cheese is now starting to look less appetizing, while lightly dressed salads and handfuls of fresh fruit are your biggest temptations (feel free to indulge!). And barring Easter, Passover and upcoming barbecues, there aren’t really a lot of holidays that are a minefield of delicious but high-calorie and fatty foods.

Not sure what’s in season during spring? Stock up these eight seasonal ingredients that are at the top of our spring shopping list! >

4. Sunshine makes you happier.

a woman riding her bike in the park during spring

Weather matters to your mood. Exposure to the sun may help you feel more positive and that can give you more impetus and motivation to lose weight successfully.⁴ Who makes that kind of huge undertaking while feeling negative and discouraged?

Winter is the worst time for people who suffer from mood disorders.⁵ There is even a specific type of seasonal depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a condition often treated with light therapy.⁶ Speak to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about SAD or any other mood disorders.

The difference between winter and fall versus spring and summer? More sunlight and more serotonin. According to ScienceDaily, serotonin regulates emotions, mood and energy. Citing research out of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, they explain that “serotonin transporter levels,” which remove serotonin, were greater in study subjects in the fall and winter in comparison to the spring and summer. Therefore, “this discovery argues that there is more serotonin removal in the fall/winter as compared to spring/summer. Also, the higher serotonin transporter binding values occurred at times when there is less sunlight,” says ScienceDaily.⁷

5. You may synthesize more vitamin D.

a person reading a tablet on a grassy lawn

Another benefit of having longer sunny days in spring is that you’re outside more and your body is producing more vitamin D. The fat-soluble vitamin is found in very few dietary sources. It is made naturally in the body when the sun’s ultraviolet rays land on the skin, says The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.⁸

According to research, published in the journal Nutrients, low vitamin D levels are associated with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and obesity. On the other side, weight loss has been shown to lead to increased vitamin D levels.⁹

There are many theories on why this association exists and more research is needed on the matter. However, it’s no secret that vitamin D is needed for proper health. This fact alone is a good excuse to get outside and get a little sunshine, making spring a great time to start that outdoor walking regimen.

6. You may sleep better.

 a man waking up in a sunny bedroom

Another benefit of spring’s increased hours of daylight is that it can help adjust your body’s own natural sleep-wake rhythm so you’re more likely to be sleepy at night and perkier in the morning, according to the Sleep Foundation.¹⁰

What does sleep have to do with weight loss? According to the Sleep Foundation, study after study has shown that getting too little sleep can increase your risk of weight gain and obesity. One reason: Lack of sleep can affect the production of your body’s appetite hormones, increasing the one that tells you to eat and decreasing the levels of the one that tells you that you’re full and to stop eating. Research has also found that not getting enough sleep can make you hungrier, especially for quick-energy foods like refined carbohydrates (bread, cake, cookies, and other sweets).¹¹

Another reason that the spring season is the best time to help you lose weight? All that sunlight can help boost your vitamin D levels. Just as vitamin D may brighten your mood, it can also help regulate your sleep cycle. Low vitamin D levels are linked to sleeplessness, short sleep duration, poor sleep quality and sleep disorders, according to a 2018 review article, published in the journal Nutrients.¹²

Spring into weight loss and get healthy this season with a convenient meal delivery service! Get started with Nutrisystem weight loss plan today >

How to Spring Clean Your Way to Weight Loss

Sources:

The post 6 Reasons Why Spring is the Best Season for Healthy Weight Loss appeared first on The Leaf.

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I’m trying so hard but verbal abuse makes it harder.

I started my weight loss (initially in secret, which is nigh on impossible when you live with your parent(s) ) on the 16th of March this year. I have a parent who takes after their own father (my deceased grandfather) and sometimes is a wonderful parent, and at other times is endlessly verbally abusive, sometimes hits at or slaps me. I’m not saying it’s so bad I end up in hospital or anything like that, but it almost always leaves some form of red swollen area or sometimes even a few bruises, I’ve had the things I’ve bought with my own money (possessions) smashed, thrown, dented or even destroyed over the years, I used to retaliate but as I’ve gotten older I do not believe in violence of any kind, and whilst I may verbally retaliate, I will never physically retaliate because it goes against my own philosophies. I’m 26 y/o and can’t afford to rent anywhere. Two friends of my family lent me the money for my first car in 2019 and since then I’ve earned my own wages since doing my degree and paid to keep my car on the road, as well as paying a small food contribution each month to my parents as I can’t afford anything more to live in their home. So to simplify: it was either the car or renting somewhere and I needed the car to get a job so I went with the car. In some ways I have since regretted this as I am essentially trapped where I live.... anyway that’s not really why I’m in this thread. I started my weight loss journey weighing 79.5kg / 175.267lbs on the 16th March this year. I’m 26, (F), 5ft 4”. I have since lost 4.7kg / 10.362lbs through exercise 3 - 5 times a week (15-30 minutes of intense aerobic exercise, because I was the most horribly unfit person imaginable and didn’t do ANY exercise at all prior to this, at least not since I was a child) and careful and considered calorie deficiency. I kept it initially secret from my parent as they are always verbally abusing me, calling me “fat” followed by another rude word, “fatty”, and other really unhelpful comments, and I knew my motivation would BOMB with them around knowingly seeing me work hard. I’ve been furloughed from work for three months and during this time worked hard to gain an additional and new qualification besides my degree so that I can hopefully leave my job and do one that I enjoy more and hopefully earn a little bit more money. (I have since been offered a temporary summer job in this field starting in June I believe, I’m waiting on final details and contract to come through). My parent was not furloughed but I was suddenly told they had taken 2 week holiday leave so the last two weeks have been a mixture of spending “nice” time with this parent and also utter hell, endless verbal abuse because I’m not the tidiest person and often leave my things around the house, or wash up a bit later than this parent would want me to. Basically, we do not agree on hardly anything. When we get along, we are fine, really close even, but this parent switches very very quickly. They use me a lot to help them with their technology issues even though I don’t know anything particularly about the field. I’ve worked so hard to lose this weight, it’s not much I know, but I find it so much harder without any support. They use the money I give them to buy the healthy food for me that I ask for, (which is supportive, yes) but if I have one of my rest days of not doing any exercise because my body is telling me I need to rest, this parent calls me lazy/useless/a slob, just because I feel tired and need to have a rest day (aka no exercise but confining my healthy eating plan). I don’t know, I just needed somewhere to vent I guess. Thank you so much if you took the time to read this.

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Need a weight loss buddy! Im 19f

My time zone is CEST

Hey! I'm 19f been losing weight for a while, but just can't seem to get these last 10kgs off. Looking for someone I can talk to about what we eat everyday, how we feel. Sometimes I grt frustrated cause I think about weightloss too much but I dont wanna tell any of my friends about it.

I'm not a vegetarian but I try to eat less meat. I am 161cm and 64 or 64kg currently. Just went throufh two really sad weeks and I wasn't tracking much. Usually I try to eat 1300cals with a bunch of protein.

I'm trying to exercise more but tbh I dont really like it. Im trying to change my eating habits instead of working out hours and hours. Its just what will be sustainable for me.

Anyone interested? Im thinking of chatting here or on another app! Let me know on my inbox!

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Sunday, April 4, 2021

Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Monday, 05 April 2021? 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!

* Lose It Compendium - Frame it out!

* FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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looking for a weight loss buddy

i (17F) started working out in january and in that time i managed to gain 8lbs (and no not muscle, fat). and if im counting the weight gain since quarantine i''ve gained a total of 11 lbs. of course this means that im eating more calories than i'm burning but i think it's because of my binge eating disorder. it's so hard to lose weight when i turn to food for everything. every time i finish a plate you should see the way i look in the mirror. pure disgust. i'm hoping i can find an online weight loss buddy. someone i can set realistic goals with. someone that can help me with calorie counting, exercise methods, and give updates to. is anyone here willing?

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I Lost ~15 Pounds. I am now 7 pounds away from being in TwonderLand.

I started a weight loss challenge with my co-workers/friends. Most people lost steam around the first month (60 days total) but myself and another girl have kept it going. I am officially down from 322 to 307!!! If I keep this up I am going to be 299 in a few weeks and I am so excited.

We end on the 10th this month, so I just have to keep losing to win!!!

But most of all, even if I don't win the money, I finally have hope I can beat the weight. It has been such a depressing yo-yo. I have not binged in a month, I have not craved coffee. When I did finally have some the other day, I had a small and didn't even want to finish it. :3

I am not having cheat days, because I feel like that would make enough of an excuse to go back. At least for me. Some people can handle that sort of thing, once I get back on the binge train we are forever gone.

But most of all, I honestly think I can get down to the weight I was before I was assaulted. And it's an amazing feeling for people to see, know I have worked hard, and say "you look great. Good job. Keep it up." I FEEL great.

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