I do great with counting calories during the day, but at home (night) all of my efforts tarnish…

So I do fine in the morning for breakfast and for lunch because it’s me who’s making, measuring and counting. But idk if the reason why I literally can’t stick to my calories when I get home from work is because I’m not eating enough protein and have all types of food around me where I can easily eat it. For example, yesterday I had for breakfast: coffee (kcup medium) with unsweetened almond milk and a white peach. Mornings are very hard for me to eat, it makes me sick. So I save the calories for lunch and dinner. Anyways, lunch I had a salmon fillet with a side of arugula/cucumber with lemon, one corn on the cob. I drink between 70-100oz of water a day. When I get home I’m so hungry and it doesn’t help that my aunt cooks bc it’s usually way past my calorie limit. I feel bad saying no to her since she goes out of her way to make dinner. It’s not like I can have a little bit. If I do, I then end up eating more because I’m tempted. After having just a bit of fried califlower I felt so hungry. I ate more of that, plus ramen, two small cans of Pepsi, chocolate covered frozen pineapple, and some cookies. I felt SO sick to my stomach and still paying for it. TMI just lots of bathroom trips. I started my weight loss journey 2 weeks ago with 1700 calories (bc someone suggested on here). Have over ate my calories 2x since starting, but have not worked out bc I’m just stressed by it all. Obviously I didn’t lose any weight but gained 1 pound. I feel disgusted by my actions…any suggestions? In the past I was working out 5x ate 1400 and lost 10 pounds in a month. I felt happier but idk if that’s too restrictive. I’m 5’2 in height.

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Rapid and sudden weight loss making me suspicious

So I started aggressively dieting two days ago. I’ve been eating only one meal a day and then just drinking lots of water and zero calorie flavored water throughout the day. I started at 258lbs two days ago. Weighed myself today and I’m 252lbs. Seems I likely just have been losing water weight or my scale is just inaccurate. If it’s water weight, I’ll just balloon up again and it means I don’t have any insight on how much I actually weigh.

What’s the best way to weigh yourself so you can get accurate numbers? Once a week? Once every two weeks? Curious to know what cadence ya’ll are using. Also, would be good to know how folks don’t let the water weight fluctuations discourage them.

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10 Foods for Better Gut Health

The health of your gut may not be top of mind when planning your meals and choosing foods, but here’s why it should be: According to experts at the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Your gut microbiome plays a major role in your overall health.” Your digestive system houses trillions of microscopic critters—mostly bacteria but also fungi, viruses and other microorganisms.¹

While this may not sound like a good thing, the majority of the bacteria living in your gut are actually beneficial to your health. Their presence may even help to decrease your risk of chronic diseases. “Keeping a healthy balance of good bacteria within your gut helps to decrease your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, and autoimmune diseases,” says the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.¹

Learn more about the importance of gut health and how it can impact weight loss at the link below:

Gut Health and Weight Loss: Everything You Need to Know

Read More

The key to a healthy microbiome is to maintain the right balance of bacteria in your gut. What you eat is directly correlated with this balance, as well as your health. To promote good gut health, you need a combination of pre- and probiotics in your healthy meal plan.¹

You’ve likely already heard of probiotics—these are foods that are typically fermented and actually contain live microorganisms. They are used to promote good bacteria balance. On the other hand, prebiotics act as food for the bacteria in your gut. They are generally fiber-rich ingredients that help maintain and stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria that are already in your gut.²

Before you scour supermarket shelves for strange ingredients that contain pre- and probiotics, check your fridge and pantry. Some common foods that you probably already have on hand are beneficial for gut health. Here are 10 foods that can help keep your gut healthy and weight loss on track:

1. Yogurt

It’s the go-to for gut health for good reason: It’s rich in probiotics. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, yogurt is created when the lactic acid in milk goes through a fermentation process.³ Heat processing can destroy active probiotic cultures and enzymes, so look for ‘live’ or ‘active’ cultures on the label.⁴

Choose a brand of yogurt with the lowest amount of added sugar. Eat it plain, toss in a few berries or try one of these parfait recipes perfect for every palate! >

2. Oats

These whole grains are loaded with prebiotic fiber that helps to promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria.⁵  The type of fiber found in oats has also been shown to slow digestion, suppressing appetite and helping you feel fuller for longer.⁶

Prep a power breakfast with overnight oats, satisfy a sweet tooth with an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Shake or try your hand at morning zoats! (Never heard of them? This is one breakfast trend you don’t want to miss. Learn all about it here! >)

3. Raspberries

Raspberries provide prebiotics to help nourish your gut microbes.⁷ However, these bright pink fruits are also low in calories, high in fiber (8 grams per cup)⁸ and loaded with potent antioxidants.⁹

Raspberries are delicious fresh but just as healthy frozen. Toss them into your yogurt, oatmeal or cereal; blend them into a smoothie (try this Raspberry Almond Smoothie recipe); or make this tangy Raspberry Chia Jam to spread on your Nutrisystem Honey Wheat Bagel.

4. Sauerkraut

The literal translation of sauerkraut is “sour cabbage.” It’s made from cabbage and salt, and the fermentation process creates probiotics. In fact, sauerkraut is one of the richest sources of probiotics.¹⁰ Plus, cabbage is packed with bone-building vitamin C and vitamin K.¹¹

Pair sauerkraut with sausage in this simple, one pan dish or give a childhood favorite an adult spin with tomato and sauerkraut on a grilled cheese sandwich.

5. Bananas

Rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, bananas also contain inulin—a type of soluble fiber that helps good bacteria grow.^12,13 And if you like your bananas on the not-so-ripe side, your gut is in luck: green bananas are high in resistant starch, a type of indigestible fiber that feeds the microbes in your gut.¹⁴

Sure, you can just peel and eat ’em. However, if you’re looking for some creative ways to enjoy this versatile fruit, here are 10 banana recipes you’ll go, well, bananas for! >

6. Garlic and Onions

You know they add flavor and nutrients to your dishes, but what you may not realize is that both garlic and onions contain the prebiotic inulin that promotes helpful bacteria in your gut.¹ This makes them wonderful and delicious foods for gut health!

Read more about the greatness of garlic here, then check out how to cut an onion—without crying.

7. Cottage Cheese

You taste buds love it mixed with fresh fruits. your bones appreciate the extra dose of calcium and your gut is thankful for the probiotics it delivers. (Doublecheck food labels to make sure it says live or active cultures—code for probiotics.)

Every try cottage cheese in a pita? Check out this light sandwich that’s perfect for lunch. But if cottage cheese is not your thing, no worries: some aged cheese provides probiotics as well, such as mozzarella, cheddar and Gouda. Just stick to proper portions to keep your weight loss on track.

8. Asparagus

It serves as a beautiful side to your chicken or salmon, provides good-for-you nutrients and antioxidants, and contains the prebiotic inulin to help boost gut health. One cup only contains 26 calories. Here are six fresh recipes starring these fancy green spears! >

9. Jerusalem Artichoke

Totally different than the green, globe artichokes you may be more familiar with, these Jerusalem artichokes—also known as sunchokes—are a tubular-shaped, thin-skinned root vegetable that come from a type of sunflower.

If you see them in your grocery store, give them a try: they are super rich in fiber, a good source of iron and loaded with inulin to help feed your gut critters. Sunchokes can be eaten raw or cooked.

10. Green Tea

There are so many reasons to drink green tea—from helping protect against cancer, to keeping your brain healthy and even fighting bad breath. (Read about them here! >] The polyphenols, or plant chemicals, found in green tea also serve to feed your gut microbes, which then produce beneficial substances. Other good sources of polyphenols include: cocoa and dark chocolate, red wine, almonds, blueberries and broccoli.

Sources:

1. https://eatrightpa.org/members/blog/prebiotics-probiotics-and-your-gut-health/
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/probiotics/faq-20058065 
3. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/80/2/245/4690304
4. https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/stories/2015/10/yogurts-equal102615.html
5. https://eatrightpa.org/members/blog/4-foods-already-eat-promote-gut-health/
6. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/oats/
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0023643820311294
8. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167755/nutrients
9. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/283018
10. https://www.livestrong.com/article/413921-does-sauerkraut-have-all-the-probiotics-i-need/
11. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284823
12. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/129/7/1407S/4722578
13. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318593
14. https://hopkinsdiabetesinfo.org/what-is-resistant-starch/

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A comment by my boyfriend still makes me laugh

Yesterday, we were laying in bed and talking about all sorts of random things. I got into my weight loss story (-110lb), and I was showing him various stretch marks and loose skin as I was talking.

At one point, I was saying how maybe if I had the money, I may try getting loose skin removed one day since I’m curious how much weight it keeps on me. Then, I said I don’t know if I’d want to risk messing around all the nerves around my boobs to make them perky. I often call them grandma boobs bc it’s true lol

He said, “well, I love them and when we’re in our 80s and you’re complaining of having grandma boobs, I can happily tell you that they haven’t changed since your 20s!”

It just puts a smile on my face thinking about it. It’s oddly reassuring and I just wanted to share!:)

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Slow and steady weight loss, celebrating small achievements

It's been 30 days since I started my weight loss journey! I'm slightly overweight when I started (170cm, 75kg, BMI 26.0), and I've lost quite a bit of weight when I weighed myself today (70.4kg, BMI 24.4). used to think that losing weight is about exercising more, but I'm fully convinced now that it is simply about eating less and eating healthier.

I've always had a sweet tooth, and so I consume a lot of sugary drinks after meals. I do so less nowadays, and when I feel that same craving, I have fruit juices (0% sugar added) to curb that craving. In the day and in between meals, I drink as much water as I possibly can. Going to the toilet repeatedly is less of a hassle now that we're mostly working from home.

The salty snacks I used to eat in between meals have basically been replaced by lots of water and small-packet portions, which makes it much easier to stop. Instead of cooking something late at night for supper, I've changed to instant oat cereals or greek yoghurt mixed with strawberries, blueberries, and granola.

On the weekends, I let myself eat more of what I usually does (i.e., unhealthier stuff) because I love food, and there's no way for this whole calorie-counting to be sustainable if there is no light at the end of the tunnel. However, even though I've self-designated "cheat days" to be on the weekends, I felt like my appetite has shrunk drastically. So I no longer over-eat, even though I still get to eat what I like.

I started counting calories for the first 2 weeks to get an idea of how to keep within the recommended daily caloric intake, but I've not been doing so for the last 2 weeks. I just weigh myself everyday, drink lots of water, eat normally but with healthier alternatives, and the weight keeps dropping (slowly).

I think my main takeaway from this is: (1) weight loss does not have to feel torturous and can become part of your lifestyle, (2) if you love food, look for healthier and tasty alternatives (there's some experimenting involved), and (3) drink lots of water to curb your appetite throughout the day!

I'm pretty proud of myself for this, just wanted to share! My target weight is 70kg, 65kg, then 60kg (I'm breaking them up into parts so I have something else to look forward to).

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My experiment and findings with fat loss, maintaining fat loss and maintaining muscles during fat loss and role of gene expression.

So here is what I discovered so far. Forgive any typos because English isn't my first language.

I started at 216lbs and I am a 5'9 guy so that was in a bad BMI. In past 3 months I went from 216 down to 192 (I got to 192lbs today) and that was in a lazy way, not even putting a lot of effort into it. I am gonna share all my findings and my experience to help future Redditors searching Google and current ones viewing this post because I read in the past about a lot of Redditors posting "I can't lose weight" or "I can't lose weight no matter what". The simple answer is calories in vs calories out but I believe for a lot of people something more than just calories in vs calories out plays a role.

I believe DNA expression plays a role. All of our cells contain the same DNA and what makes a cell express certain genes is some special proteins from what I read in a DNA science article. So my theory on what happens during intense physical activity periods is that the special activator proteins tell metabolism cells and fat cells to switch to burning mode for energy. I believe this is what happens because I noticed after I stopped doing intense cardio for weeks, I was still losing weight when I stopped the caloric deficit and went back to eating exactly what I used to eat before and the times I used to eat them and at a surplus often too (did running cardio every other day for 2 weeks btw). Prior to the running I started to start the weight loss journey, I was not active and didn't workout or do any physical intense activities, so my eating habits always kept making me gain weight and I kept gaining until I hit 216 pounds at the peak, this I believe was do the genes that were active to tell the body to have slow metabolism and to keep storing some food as fat. I noticed the sugary drinks stored as fat the fastest and easiest and this possibly do to the fact that is liquid and easier for body to convert to fat than a solid that has to be broken up to get fat and other nutrients out of it. Some fat is healthy for the human body and no one can ever be fat free or else they will die. The reason Ron Coleman and others have insane low body fat percentages of like 3% is because they always have their body in intense cardio mode from constant heavy lifting or other cardio.

After my initial interesting results of losing 20+ pounds from the running I was doing for 2 weeks and the caloric deficit of 2 months, I went back to my old ways just to test things out and see if I regain my weight or if I maintain because I've read about people regaining all the weight they lost. So for the past 1 month I haven't been doing any cardio like the running 3 miles around the lake. I noticed that despite going back to my old ways and eating in surplus and sometimes drinking sugary drinks and eating McDonalds, this time I wasn't going past 195 lbs. I was like wow I eat what I want, drink Starbucks sugary and carb filled lattes and eating fried foods and I am still not getting past 195 without even exercising. This made me strongly believe that Genes are playing some role in this "no longer gaining weight " despite going back to my old ways for a month. 23andMe and Nebula Genomics mentioned that I was in the group of 80% of people that reported they can't maintain weight loss unless they do intense cardio or something to that wording. So there you have it, one of the Genes in 80% of people requires intense cardio to maintain weight loss, but it doesn't mention how often that intense cardio should be. it may be that if I kept my bad habits of eating a lot and not working out at Gym or doing cardio, that I will regain all that weight when the cells get told to switch to fat storage mode.
This may be do to human survival evolution where some periods required fitness to hunt or fight or flight mode and other periods required fat storage mode when there is prosperity and plenty of food with no physical activity and being lazy.

There was one time in Winter in my state where I was walking and started slipping and started falling down a small hill near my house and I landed stomach and chest first, and at that time I was not fit and more fat with noticeable belly fat, then in the next few days I noticed I was slimmer in the belly area with reduced fat, so I believe that intense moment where the body believed it was in danger activated some fight/flight genetic natural weight loss that instruct fat cells to start burning off as some sort of danger has been encountered and to get more stronger muscles, I felt more stronger ab and back and all around muscles days later. After months since that slipping down hill belly first incident, I noticed I started regaining fat again and went back into old self so I believe the body special proteins instructed cells to resume fat storage mode as there is no more danger. This made me get a funny thought. I wonder if we put a tiger on a leash and scare someone by bringing the tiger close enough but not too close, this can put that person into fat burning mode as body now believes it is danger and will start favoring fitness and ability to escape that danger, but that is just a silly thought idea of mine and I don't want someone dying of a heart attack when they suddenly see a tiger or lion LOL.

So basically for me I gotta keep doing some running cardio or HIIT once every 2 months or so to keep my weight loss and metabolism high. If I just do CICO without cardio HIIT, it won't make much of any difference. I believe with the running people do, they make the body believe that the person is running to catch food or running to survive so it needs to keep on having high metabolism and keep burning fat and favoring fitness.

I am about to hit the 180s next week at rate fat burning is happening and I now see my abs beginning to show but bottom part of belly still has some fat, body gets fat out of belly the last because of the first come last out deal. With regards to the Muscles, I 100% believe the body does not use muscles during the intense cardio and caloric deficits. It takes way more energy for body to break down muscle fibers to use for energy, so body goes for fat until fat stores get very low then it switches to muscle fiber burning mode.

This week I wasn't in any caloric deficit nor doing any cardio or weight lifting and was still losing fat/weight due to the increased metabolism and cell Gene expression/activation to tell fat cells to keep being in burn off mode. Today I just hit 192 for the first time in years so the 180s and 170s are around the corner, each 10lbs of fat I lose has effect of showing more and more of my muscle definition beneath the fat. Double chin is gone now too.

https://imgur.com/a/6loOz7f

Here are some other pics of my 216 to 192 journey so far https://imgur.com/a/CEaGRwc

I feel good and healthy and still have my muscles and strength, I can even do more pushups now than when I was like Category 2 Obesity at 216lbs. In the past before starting the initial every other day for 2 weeks running around lake, anytime I hit Onederland with CICO only, I would get taken back to over 200s again, and hitting Onederland with CICO was harder and took longer than doing the cardio running around lake. So my conclusion is that Cardio has a bigger effect on telling body to get into fat burning mode and stay in fat burning mode. With CICO alone I suspect body will believe there is starvation times and it should get into fat storage mode whenever it gets opportunity so the next cheat day a person takes, the body does extra storing of the fats in the foods the person eats.

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I promise to make my actions match my intentions.

This post is my starting point. Today is technically my day 5 but I’m just going to count it as my day one.

I currently weigh 380 lbs, yes, 380 lbs. My overall goal is to lose 175-200 lbs. I want to lose the weight, pay off my debt, and start saving money for my future. I want to get my mental health under control. I /am/ going to get my mental, physical, and financial health under control.

I’m going to use this Reddit account to track my weight loss journey. The good, the bad, and the mentally ill parts of my journey will be posted here.

I’ve been in this group on my personal account for at least two years now, but now I’m actually going to do something about my weight.

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