How long is too long to be in a deficit?

25F SW:195 CW:173 GW:150 (or lower!!)

Ive been tracking my calories and weight since Jan 25th and have lost 23 lbs!! I started out at a much more gentle deficit of ~1900 but have been averaging 1550-1650 a week for the last 10 weeks now. Ive been consistently losing 1lb+ per week and I’m really happy with my progress. I read a lot about taking diet breaks to eat at maintenance to preserve metabolism/more sustainable weight loss. I have about 20-30 more pounds to lose before I’m at my goal weight, and of course I want to be there as soon as possible, but keeping it off is the most important thing to me.

I’ve tried tons of diets/CICO in the past that have worked (with lots of mental anguish) but have gained it all back. This time I feel supported by my lovely fiancé, my mental health is strong, and I’m in an awesome place. I honestly don’t even want to take a break but I want to do whats best for the long term!

So should I take a break to eat at maintenance now, ever? Should I wait till I’m at my goal?

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9 Healthy Ice Cream Recipes You’ll Melt Over

We don’t mean to burst your bubble, ice cream lovers, but the amount of calories, fat and sugar in a scoop of the sweet frozen stuff could really make you scream. That’s right: One cup of plain vanilla ice cream can clock in at 273 calories, 15 grams of fat and 28 grams of sugar. And that’s just vanilla!

Fortunately, here at Nutrisystem, we know that depriving yourself of your favorite foods can actually backfire, so we’ve got you covered with some super simple, delicious “Nice Cream” recipes.

Click here to get your FREE printable recipe book featuring our favorite healthy ice cream recipes >

When ice cream is nothing to fear, we call it “nice cream.” It’s a guilt-free, easy-to-make ice cream treat that is as diet-friendly as it is refreshing. Nice cream combines nutrient-dense frozen fruit with low-fat liquids to provide a sweet and nutritious treat that will cool you off in a pinch. Ice cream cravings are no longer something to be feared.

Check out this round-up of nine diet-friendly ice cream recipes that will keep your taste buds singing and your belly shrinking!

Note: If you’re a sorbet seeker, enjoy these sweet treats right out of the blender. Like your ice cream on the firmer side? Pour the mixture into a glass container and pop it in the freezer for an hour or so. Use an ice cream scooper to serve.

1. Banana Split Nice Cream >

Forget diet friendly, this dessert is dinner party worthy! Strawberries, chocolate, peanuts and banana combine for a flavor blast of sweet and savory. Bananas, vanilla extract and nonfat Greek yogurt make up the base of this creamy dish. Nonfat Greek yogurt is protein-rich and delivers a nonfat serving of your recommended daily dairy intake. Add the sweet and eye catching strawberry sauce for some extra vitamin C. Peanuts and chocolate chips are the perfect crunchy topping. One serving is packed with nutrition and just 259 calories. That’s one SmartCarb, one PowerFuel and two Extras. Click here for the full recipe! >

2. Cake Batter Nice Cream >

Birthday cake temptations, beware: There’s a new treat in town that won’t sabotage your weight loss. Using almond milk makes this recipe lower in fat. Belly busting bananas provide a dense base that may help you feel fuller. A serving of Nutrisystem Vanilla Protein and Probiotic Shake balances out the recipe to ensure you’re eating a creamy, dreamy treat full of protein to keep you satisfied. One serving is just 146 calories. That’s one SmartCarb and one Extra on the Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

3. Sweet Potato Pie Nice Cream >

A delicious desert with all the southern charm, Sweet Potato Pie Nice Cream sounds (and tastes!) like it belongs in a gourmet ice cream shop. But you can make it right in your kitchen. Using low fat dairy free almond milk and bananas creates a winning weight loss recipe of high fiber and low calories. Sweet potato creates a diet-friendly “Nice Cream” full of vitamin A, C and B6. Enjoy the flavors of fall with the excitement of summer, all for just one SmartCarb and two Extras for those following the Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

4. Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream >

It is amazing what a blender can do for your weight loss journey. Creating your favorite summertime treat is easy! And making it diet-friendly is even easier. Using fiber-rich, belly busting bananas, spinach rich in iron and calcium, low-fat almond milk and a few mini chocolate chips, you can enjoy a delicious treat without compromising your weight loss dreams.  This recipe counts as one SmartCarb and one Extra for those following the Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

5. Salted Caramel Nice Cream >

The salty sweet combination can be a craving that is hard to tackle in a healthy way. Not anymore! Creating an ice cream that is low in fat and high in fiber right in your kitchen is possible. Using low-fat almond milk, potassium-rich bananas and protein-rich Greek yogurt, you’ll be eating a well-balanced snack. Sugar-free caramel sauce and a pinch of sea salt is all you need to satisfy that salty sweet craving. This ice cream recipe counts as one SmartCarb and two Extras for those following the Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

6. Blueberry Almond Nice Cream >

You don’t need heavy fat-loaded dairy to create perfect ice cream recipes. Banana and almond milk are a match made in heaven! They create the perfect low-fat, nutrient-dense base that delivers loads of creamy flavor. Frozen blueberries and slivered almonds boost the nutrition of this snack by providing antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. At just 111 calories per serving, this recipe takes all the guilt out of your summertime favorite ice cream. This recipe counts as one SmartCarb and one Extra for those following the Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

7. Skinny Pumpkin Ice Cream >

Pumpkin is a fall flavor that is craved all year round. Make up a batch of this Skinny Pumpkin Ice Cream and have it in your freezer ready for you when cravings strike. Bananas are the perfect base, providing potassium, B6, vitamin C and fiber. The fiber found in bananas may help moderate blood sugar and reduce appetite… perfect for your weight loss goals. Pumpkin puree is also rich in potassium and fiber helping you reach your recommended daily intake. Sugar-free maple syrup and pumpkin spice give this ice cream recipe the sweetness and spice it needs. One serving counts as one SmartCarb. Click here for the full recipe! >

8. Caramel Toffee Crunch Ice Cream >

Nothing screams indulgence like the decadent combo of caramel and toffee. And somehow, our recipe developers have figured out how to capture all the flavor of this delicious duo, and all the creaminess of everyone’s favorite sweet treat, without packing in a ton of sugar and calories. Featuring just four simple ingredients, bananas, almond milk, sugar-free caramel sauce and your Nutrisystem Toffee Crunch Cookies, this rich and creamy treat is as easy to make as it is to eat. The recipe makes two servings, and each counts as one and a half SmartCarbs, half a PowerFuel and one Extra on your Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

9. 3-Ingredient Mango Sorbet >

Mangoes have always been one of our absolute favorite fruits. They’re packed with vitamin C, plus they’ve got fiber and beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), too. But this recipe, made from frozen mango chunks, pineapple juice and almond milk, takes our appreciation for mouthwatering mango to a whole new level. Sweet, fruity and creamy, this sorbet is everything you want out of a warm weather treat. The sweetest part? Each serving counts as just one SmartCarb on your Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

Can’t get enough ice cream recipes? Click here for even more tasty ideas! > From Cinnamon Vanilla and PB & Chocolate to Mango Madness and Chocolate Cherry, we’ve got a flavor sure to make any ice cream lover scream!

The post 9 Healthy Ice Cream Recipes You’ll Melt Over appeared first on The Leaf.

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My TRUE journey begins.

Hi, everyone. I’d really like to post today because I’ve finally had some clarity as to why I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life.

I get anxious about things all the time. Things I have to get done, things that might happen, things that have already happened; you name it, I’ve gotten anxious over it before. As my anxieties developed as I got older, my way of coping with said stress was avoidance. Of course, putting things aside only makes the buildup of anxiety worse—but it was always easier to just think of something else. For the majority of the time, this something else for me became food. Food became an easy comfort, something familiar that I could never possibly stress over. Oh, how I was wrong. My stress constantly building up and my ever-increasing need to hide these stressors behind food lead to the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life.

Weight has something I’ve always struggled with, and I would approach my “weight loss” with the basics: calorie counting, intermittent fasting, fad diets. What I failed to realize was my main source of weight gain never left my sight and with my constant stress, my weight wouldn’t be going anywhere. When you’re stressed, your body produces more cortisol as a survival response, and cortisol makes it easier to store fat.

Today, I begin my TRUE WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY with a clear plan: I have to conquer my coping mechanisms for stress. With stress minimized in my life, this will make it easier to control my eating habits, leading to a happier and healthier me. I hope to return one day as a success story, and I hope this is relatable for someone that needed to hear this. We got this!

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My weight loss journey as a cardiologist that lectures on weight loss

Just a quick introduction. Recently joined. As a physician who lectures on weight loss it was hard for me to accept that I was actually over weight. It was embarrassing being asked to lecture all over the world on weight and be overweight myself. Here's my weight loss journey.

I'm a cardiologist and a certified personal trainer. Like many people I've been on multiple fitness journeys. I grew up in Ohio. Played football my entire life. And now coach football and other youth sports; soccer, golf, baseball, softball, weight lifting, strength and conditioning, and basketball. It's a fun way to volunteer and give back.

Yes, the picture on the left is real. It's probably the worst picture of myself at my heaviest weight. That picture is from January 2018. I remember not liking what I saw and deciding to make a change. I started doing 100 body weight squats per day and 100 push-ups per day. After 30 days, I was stronger, but still looked the same.

So then I started a fad diet, keto. I lost 17-18 pounds, but my weight wouldn't go any lower. I was still overweight. I was skinny fat. With these fad diets, you lose weight by creating a gimmicky calorie deficit until your caloric needs meet your caloric intake, then you stall or your weight starts going back up because you eat more.

Not knowing any better, by October 2018 I joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. I got stronger and was more fit, but I looked the same. I was a strong fat guy.

So then I went on a real journey. I bought a bunch of books on weightlifting and body building. I figured that if those guys can do it and crack the code, then certainly a cardiologist could too. How hard could it be? I read 10+ books on bodybuilding and watched hundreds of YouTube videos. I even did a consultation with a coach that prepares bodybuilders for shows.

I learned a lot. I was still lifting weights like crazy and I modified my programs to match my needs. I got stronger and bigger but was still basically a strong fat guy. What's the point of being able to bench 300 pounds if you also weigh 300 pounds? I didn't like where I was going. Did more research and more searching. More books and videos.

My personal trainer moved away in December 2018, so I decided to become a personal trainer myself. Mainly for the education and to help me train and coach the kids that I coach better and in a more useful way. By May of 2019, I was an NASM certified personal trainer.

February 2019 I took all of my knowledge and decided to go into a calorie deficit. A true calorie deficit. I experimented with various calorie counts until I finally figured it out. Weight started coming off like crazy.

By July 2019 I had lost an additional 28 pounds, which was incredible! I hadn't weighed this low since high school. It was remarkable really. Every week I would be at a new low. I eventually ended up at 147.5 pounds. Down from 195. Lost 47 pounds on a frame and body that I never thought was really that overweight. But obviously I was.

This was definitely a battle and a struggle. It wasn't easy, but at the same time it was the easiest thing I ever did. I ate whatever I wanted, as long as it was below my calorie count! It was very liberating. I could eat whatever I wanted and still lose weight.

I got down to 7% body fat and was super shredded and very lean. I had finally accomplished what I had never been able to do before. I had always been an athlete and played sports even into my 40s. But now I'm lighter, faster, and stronger. Feels awesome! And I keep learning more and more.

I've always given lectures on weight loss (DrAlo.tv). I've traveled the country speaking on weight loss, but this was very eye opening. I learned so much and could offer my patients, and the physicians that I taught, so much more now. Many of them didn't recognize me at 6 month visits.

If I could go back and do anything differently, I would definitely not have gone into such a severe calorie deficit and would have eaten more protein. I didn't know that you should eat 1g per pound of lean body mass per day of protein. I was eating random amounts that sometimes would add up only to 70 or 80 grams a day, which is still more than most people consume. I was using whey protein shakes daily. The calorie count that seemed to work for me was about 1400 to 1500. If I were to do it now I would have used a calorie count of 1800, which is not as severe of a deficit but would still cause weight loss for me. But I would have retained more muscle mass. Because when I got down to 147lbs I was literally skin and bones, very defined skin and bones, but didn't have very much muscle mass left. Sure when I took close up pictures in the right lighting it looked good, but I looked like a small 12-year-old boy.

So for everyone struggling with fitness, you can do it. If a 44 year cardiologist can do it, so can you!

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Saturday, 22 May 2021? Start here!

Today is your Day 1?

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Welcome to r/Loseit!

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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.

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Why you’re overweight

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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.

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Before You Start

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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.

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Tracking

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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.

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Creating Your Deficit

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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.

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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.

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Exercise

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Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.

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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.

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Crawl, Walk, Run

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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.

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Acceptance

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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.

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Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.

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Additional resources

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Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.

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• Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!

* Lose It Compendium - Frame it out!

* FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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Update - I'm lost within my weight loss identity

4 weeks ago I post that I was lost in my previous weight loss and subsequent weight gain, which can be found here

This post is more about my reflection and I honestly don't expect you to read past here, but if you do hopefully you'll get something out of this.

Normally when I set myself a fitness goal it'll be quite strict with every day expected to hit 1500cal, 10,000 steps and a weekly/monthly weight loss target (which is normally unrealistic). I would inform my social circle so they would know why I wouldn't go to group dinners and so they wouldn't pressure me into unhealthy choices. It would be a list of goals longer than the lord of the rings and would always end in me feeling disappointed in myself.

So 4 weeks ago I broke down what my goals were. The goal seeming to be to lose weight but it wasn't. The first goal was to stop putting weight on! I used a TDEE calculator and worked out that my goal for 4 weeks was to not eat over 2446 calories per day. That was it!

The funny thing about setting only one very simple goal is that everything else just happened naturally, which means I set myself up for the easiest success of my adult life. And the only person I've told about this goal is my partner.

I've averaged 1600cal per day, some days are 1400 and others are 1750, but always under 1800 which was a complete accident, I just started to eat healthier and stopped eating when I was full. I've never felt hungry or like I've had to go without. I put my planned food into MFP in the morning so if during the day I feel like a snack I already know what I've got left to play with.

This is the list of things I've learnt or achieved in the past 4 weeks:

• I've done 46km of walking (compared to the 12 months previous where I did only 73km)
• Which equals approx 11 hours outdoors in the sun getting vitamin D & listening to podcasts
• During those walks, I've noticed a man lives in his car a block away from my home
• My PT sessions have increased in intensity
• My sleep is better which in turn means my mood is better - less anxious as a whole
• My old knee injury hasn't flared up
• I haven't purchased ANY food while at work and no longer go to the vending machine
• I've learnt to feel comfortable telling my partner that I'd like to serve my own food when they cook
• I've gone from 3 coffees a day, all with 2 sugars down to 1 coffee a day with no sugar
• Baby peas have a ridiculous amount of fibre in them!
• Low-calorie dips are a great way to make omelettes interesting (highly recommend a tsp of a spicy capsicum dip)
• I felt genuinely excited during my last food shop because the trolley was 80% filled with fruit and veg
• My partner is obsessed with my legs now they are getting more defined
• Self-care that I did only at my lowest weight I've brought back eg. moisturising daily (this was advice that was given in response to my last post)

I'm sure you get the point! all of this and so much more just because of ONE goal.

This months goal is just to be consistent. The same goal of don't eat more than what I burn. I'll aim to do another post mostly for some accountability and it's nice to sit here and reflect and remind myself I've got this.

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Oh, and yes, i have lost weight. But I'm not going to post it (at least not for now) because that's not the goal. It's a byproduct of my goal.

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If you've made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my rambling. I hope you found something in it that may help you and if you haven't heard it today, you are worthy!

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Another one for the number fans, fun with averages, actual vs calculated results

Here's a sample of my actual weekly change in weight vs what what calculations said based on average daily intake. Actual, on the left, is all over the place. I drop 3lbs, then 0lbs, then gain weight. Meanwhile, the calculated changes in weight precede getting gradually less and less as my TDEE gets lower from weight loss barring occasional higher calorie weeks.

Since I started tracking on 10/23 to yesterday, the average weekly weight loss I was calculated to lose based on what I actually ate each week was 1.67 lbs. My actual average loss was 1.63 lbs. (Now, that's enough that I'm projected to hit my goal 2 weeks later than hoped, but eh)

If you're just starting on losing weight, this is why your concerns about how your weightloss is going are immediately answered with "it's water weight". Because in the short term, and short term is like two months, water weight drastically affects your weight.

Comment with some of the weirdest water weight effects you've experienced!

Edit: Just realized I didn't crop out several weeks of projected data at the bottom. It should be pretty clear where actual results end and projected results begin though, so I'm not going to bother.

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