Coming Back from the Holiday "Fun" -- Things I've Learned

I started doing keto and focusing on portion control 80 days ago. Between 20 Dec - 2 Jan I didn't do strict keto and while I tried to keep my portions small, I didn't always and I definitely was eating over my calorie goal for the day. I just wanted to share my somewhat surprising insights that I noticed, as well as how I'm feeling now that I'm back and hitting hard again since the 3rd.

1. Food that I used to love and thought I "needed" to be happy or as a reward at the end of the day for doing whatever goal I set (I'm looking at YOU Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream) didn't matter anymore. Sure it tasted okay but I didn't feel that same mental pleasure at eating it. That was the first time I felt that way. And now there is a pint left over sitting in my freezer that I have almost no desire to eat. This was probably the biggest change I noticed.

2. Eating crappy food like McDonald's destroyed my tummy. It never used to bother me. It does now. So yeah, the reward factor there has plummeted as well.

3. I generally noticed I was more tired physically and less able to focus. Brain fog is real and so is just wanting to be a slug on my couch. When I eat better I just seem to naturally want to get up and do more. I feel like I'm in high school again. (Back then I was very, very fit...the dream is to some close to that again someday!) AND I find myself thinking better and I'm much sharper when it comes to arguments and speaking (I play a lot of Among Us; the idea is to either lie to or convince your friends that you're not the bad guy imposter. It requires a lot of thinking on your feet.) Sometimes I surprise myself!

4. I was so bloated. Reading that eating certain foods causes water retention is much different than experiencing the difference. It's real. It took me 3-5 days to get rid of it.

5. I used to love that feeling of being (over)full. I now cannot stand it. Satiated is much better than stuffed. Being able to bend over and tie my shoelaces without gasping for breath is my new way of life.

So here I am, back at it again and looking forward to posting some progress pics in Feb. Still have about 30 lbs to go to be healthy. I'm hoping to be able to get to the gym; it's hard b/c the childcare portion is closed due to covid...maybe all this newfound energy will help me wake up at 5am to go to the gym before everyone is awake. I am not ready for that step yet (mornings are BLEH) but hey at least I'm thinking about it, so that's gotta count for something! I hope this has given you some insight or something to think about as you yourself work through your weight loss & fitness challenges and goals :)

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Calorie counting and intentionally giving up so I can eat more.

I am in a really good spot in regards to my weight loss approach.

In the last few months I have restructured my diet to include fuller and whole-r foods. I upped my calorie target significantly and stretched my goal timeline out to achieve safer and more realistic results. I am also learning about emotional eating and how it is impacting my life.

But in all this I have honed in on a behavior that I am looking for any insight to. Any place to start.

I frequently "give up" after a solid day of tracking so that I can eat whatever I want. Most the times I am not hungry. But say my calorie goal is 2000 and I am at 1950 and I want a 400 treat.

I will "give up" and eat the food, not track it, and then most times eat even more since I have stopped tracking.

Has anyone else gone through this? Do you have any literature or resources that I could maybe look into to begin addressing this?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

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I feel like I am cheating

TLDR: Was unsuccessful until I started medication for ADHD. Now the weight is melting off and I feel guilty, like I am cheating.

(This is a new account for privacy, but I've been reading/participating here for a long time on my main account.)

I'm 35/F, 5'6".

My weight has been up and down a few times over the years. Before I got pregnant I had settled in at 140 and was maintaining there for a couple years, with a lot of concerted effort. I gained too much with my first pregnancy, never lost of all it, then got pregnant again. When my youngest hit 6 months old last spring, I decided it was time to buckle down and lose the weight. It was a huge struggle. I very slowly made it from 170 down to 165 with what felt like massive effort - counting every calorie, working out religiously, feeling deprived all the time. I was plateaued around 165 for months and thought maybe I'd just be stuck there forever.

Then I restarted adderall for my ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADHD in high school and I have been on and off medication for it many times over the years. I recently decided (with my doctor) that my prior strategies for managing it without meds weren't working anymore. I had been on adderall several times before (including at my heaviest weight years ago) and it never helped with weight loss at all, so I was not anticipating any effect on my weight.

When I started the adderall November 1, I weighed 162.8. Today I weighed in at 147.2. In the past two months I've put *less* effort into losing weight than I was for the six months before that, and the weight is just melting off. It feels like a switch flipped. My adderall dosage is very low - it's not like I'm not hungry all day or forget to eat. But suddenly it's super easy for me to eat a reasonable size meal and then stop, and to avoid snacking in between meals. I even stopped counting calories because I mostly eat the same meals over and over and I can now comfortably stay at a deficit each day without tracking. I feels so easy.

I feel so guilty because I feel like I was a failure on my own and now I'm only succeeding because of a pill. Friends have asked me and I tell them (truthfully) that I'm working out a lot and loading up on protein and veggies, but I conveniently leave out the adderall part. (I've discussed the weight loss issue with my doctor and she is comfortable with everything.)

I don't know if there's a point here, I just needed to get it off my chest. For what it's worth I have been eating very cleanly and working out, so it's not like total magic. I just don't know why I couldn't make those things work for me on their own, prior to the medication.

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Struggling a bit with fluctuation

SW 187 CW??? Goal weight 160lbs

So I am finally starting my weight loss journey after having my daughter 7 months ago. The idea is to get to my goal weight before her first birthday.

My healthy ways include calorie deficit 1600
150 mins cardio a week, and a gallon of water a day. I started 1/4/22. ( I started at 185) I lost the 2lbs before Christmas.

My frustration is because I see results then the scale creeps up again. Example yesterday I got down to 181 then today I am at 183. I drank a sip of coffee and back to 184. I hate to be this person could it be my scale ? I did not eat a ton of salt. I am slightly constipated and having trouble but other than that no changes and all calories tracked. Please someone help me before I give up again I am trying so hard.

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NSV - my scrubs *literally* fell off!

This is sort of long, but I promise is it weight- loss related!

I’m a nurse, so I wear scrubs to work. Up until Dec of 2020 I rotated through the same pairs- I certainly had my favorites and some that were more snug than others (read: all of them by Dec 2020). I was working on a Covid unit, finishing my Master’s degree, and struggling with mental health problems (including a wildly progressing drinking problem) and I really reached a breaking point by the end of the calendar year of 2020.

In Dec 2020 I unfortunately reached a point where my drinking problem was so out of control that I was caught at work. It was absolutely a bottom- I can’t believe I was struggling to a point where I could have potentionally put my patient in danger, thankfully I didn’t and nobody got hurt.

What this means is I am now monitored by the nursing board in my state (understandably)- I had to take the entire last year off from clinical practice while being monitored monthly. I am also now over a year sober and extremely grateful to be sober.

To physically remove myself from drinking I had to go to detox, then rehab. When I returned home I allowed myself to just eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted because I was solely focused on staying sober. Prior to getting sober I already had weight I wanted to lose- I had easily gained about 40lbs over the decade prior (mostly in the 5 years prior with full time work/school/ non stop drinking/stress). Allowing myself to eat whatever I want meant I added another 30lbs in 3 months. Truly I was eating entire bags of Hershey’s Kisses (and unwrapping each and every one) every single day (my husband doesn’t understand why this was my chocolate of choice but whatever).

My actions and the resulting time away from clinical practice led me to analyze my own behavior. I could see how I had long been using food for comfort and to fill the same void that I used alcohol for. At about 6 months of sobriety (and a lot of therapy later) I finally felt mentally and physically stable enough to start taking some steps towards small goals in my life. I hit a point when walking my dog down the street where I felt winded from walking two blocks. I also felt horrible in my own body, lethargic, and unsexy. I had hypertension and an elevated A1C which was creeping up. I had also just turned 30. I decided I wanted to intentionally lose some weight.

I joined a weight loss program I had seen a friend have success on—Real quick disclaimer: I did NOT realize it was an MLM, I did this program for a month before realizing what it was about. Once I realized, I quit the program- but what I did take with my was a bit of initial success and some motivation. I also found the idea of eating small meals throughout the day appealing. SO- I joined this sub! And r/volumeeating and r/1500isplenty ! And I joined a fantastic MLM-free Facebook group. And I learned about my TDEE and installed MyFitPal on my phone and began eating at a sustainable calorie deficit.

What really seemed to work for me was eating about every 2-3 hours. I found low-calorie, protein-dense snacks that I ate with frequency throughout the day and then made a larger, veg & lean protein-heavy dinner. I also let myself have things from time to time if I went out for a special dinner or went to a wedding or just wanted a bowl of ice cream (though tbh NICK’S ice cream is an incredible low-cal ice cream substitute I can recommend enough).

Anyway this week I finally got to go back to clinical practice. It was hugely emotional for me. Dealing with the nursing board was a doozy, getting sober was a doozy, but losing weight ended up being one of the more empowering parts of the past year for me. I don’t think I could’ve done it without realizing I had the discipline I had to do the other parts of the year, if that makes sense.

Anyway, I went to the basement to grab the scrubs I’d packed away a year ago - and low & behold- every single pair literally fell off. Even pulling the drawstrings as far as they would go looked comical. This is the best problem I’ve had in a long time and I am so, so grateful.

If you’ve taken the time to read this far, thanks. Keep going 💪🏼

(IWNDWYT)

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Ketosis

Please forgive my naive-ness in this post. I am new to weight loss community. I have done research on best way to lose weight. It seems many say keto is the way to go. I try really hard to follow but i often cave and eat fruit and other foods with carbohydrates. Is entering the state of “ketosis” the only way to lose weight? if I follow most keto foods and keep a calorie deficit, I believe I will still lose weight? Many people I have spoken too say it’s useless if i follow the diet except not keeping carbs under 30 g a day. I just feel like that is so hard for me, will I still lose weight if I don’t enter the “state of ketosis” or whatever? I just really don’t think realistically I can cut all carbs out of my diet. Thanks x

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Marie Osmond’s Top Tips for Getting Started on Nutrisystem

Start your weight loss journey on the right track with a little help from someone who’s “been there, done that.” Singer and actress Marie Osmond shares her top tips for people who are just getting started with their Nutrisystem plan.

“Nutrisystem changed my life. I couldn’t have done everything I’ve done without them,” shares Marie. I never would have been able to perform five days a week in Vegas for 11 years with 50 extra pounds* on my body. It would have been impossible for me to sing and dance. Before Nutrisystem, I couldn’t even walk up a flight of stairs carrying laundry without being winded.”

From meal plan tricks to motivational tips, Marie provides some Nutrisystem words of wisdom to help you succeed like she did. Check out her top tips for success below!

1. Download the NuMi app

“Did you know when you join Nutrisystem you not only get delicious food delivered to your door, but also FREE access to the FREE NuMi weight loss app? You have everything literally right at your fingertips,” says Marie.

NuMi is the official online tracking tool from Nutrisystem that provides the perfect place to stay on track and organized throughout your weight loss journey. Log your food, water, exercise, weight loss and measurements. Get easy access to healthy recipes and participate in fun challenges. You can even shop for your favorite Nutrisystem foods!

“With the NuMi app, you are able to track your food and activity AND stay motivated with challenges and prizes! It’s proven that using a digital app keeps you on track to achieve your goals,” explains Marie.

NuMi 101: A Comprehensive Guide to Our Free Tracking App

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2. Reach Out to Weight Loss Coach

“Nutrisystem is here for you,” says Marie. “The Nutrisystem coaches are amazing—they offer help anytime you need it. It’s real one-on-one coaching with an expert—you’re not talking to a prerecorded message. And did I mention it’s free?! I love my coach and you will too! ”

Have a question? Call a Weight Loss Coach. Need some motivation? Call a Weight Loss Coach. Want to share your weight loss success? Call a Weight Loss Coach! They are available to help you, encourage you and celebrate with you. And it’s free! When Marie found herself falling off track during the COVID-19 pandemic, she reached out for a little extra support. “I called up Nutrisystem and talked to my person there and she coached me, which is so helpful.”

You can reach out to a Weight Loss Coach by phone, online chat or email right here! > “Nutrisystem gives you the tools to change your life forever. I am living proof of that,” says Marie.

3. Don’t Skip Meals

One of the biggest mistakes that people make on Nutrisystem is skipping meals and snacks. During the first week, you will be eating five times a day (three meals and two snacks). Going into week two, you will eat six times a day (three meals and three snacks).

Before Nutrisystem, Marie mistakenly tried to lose weight by skipping meals. “I realized that I had slowed down my metabolism by not eating and then overloaded my body when I was hungry,” she explains. “My metabolism was dead. So it took a while to get used to eating six times a day, but when I did, I lost weight because I was keeping my metabolism revved up.”

4. Fill Up on Veggies

Non-starchy vegetables are key on Nutrisystem. We recommend eating at least four servings each day. However, they are unlimited and you can always have some more if you’re feeling hungry! They are a great snack to enjoy during the lower calorie first week.

Marie recommends getting creative with your veggies and using them to stay satisfied. “I love cucumbers with soy sauce and wasabi mixed in. I’ve even learned to love salads, which I used to hate,” says Marie.

Pro Tip: Low-sodium soy sauce and wasabi are considered unlimited Free Foods, so you can enjoy them in your first week. Check out these other Free Foods for your weight loss plan! >

What the Heck Are Non-Starchy Veggies, Anyway?

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5. Keep Your Favorites on Hand

With Nutrisystem, you don’t have to ignore your cravings while trying to lose weight. You can satisfy them with our perfectly portioned versions of your favorite foods! Discover what you love in your first month and then customize your second month to include your faves.

Marie recommends stocking up on your top picks so you always have smart options on hand throughout your journey. “I keep Nutrisystem ice cream sandwiches on hand when I want chocolate. They’re full of protein and are so addictive,” says Marie. She also loves our NutriChocolaty Wafers and Butter Popcorn. “I have a sweet tooth, so to be able to have chocolate made losing weight even easier,” she says. “I love that it’s possible to eat craveable treats.”

Check out Marie’s favorite Nutrisystem foods here! >

6. Walk and Listen

While exercise isn’t required to lose weight on Nutrisystem, getting moving can really help you reach your goals. After the first week, we recommend 30 minutes of activity every day. Marie incorporates walking into her daily routine, which is an easy activity that most people can do. “When it comes to keeping my body healthy, walking is the key to keeping my core strong,” says Marie. “I love to take walks, I grab my audio books and listen to them when I am outside. It’s relaxing. It doesn’t even feel like a workout.”

Marie starts her day on the right track by walking first thing in morning. “I try to keep my tummy tight while I walk. I am really loving podcasts these days, so my trick is to walk and listen—it’s a great way to stay motivated and get out, move your body and keep it simple,” she explains. “To me, moving is just more important than anything. While you’re out there, you can stretch, get fresh air and you’re keeping your mind alive with topics and things that are positive and interesting.”

Want to boost your burn? Try these eight tips to burn more calories while walking! >

7. Fall Off Track? Just Get Right Back On

Life happens and nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes and fall off track from time to time. Marie explains that if she overindulges on a holiday or vacation, Nutrisystem is always there to help her get back on track. “It helps me reset when I need it. I don’t deprive myself, especially around the holidays,” says Marie. “We have a big family and we love to cook together! If I find I have gained a few pounds, I jump right back on Nutrisystem and that weight comes off. It’s simple and effective.”

Fall off the Nutrisystem Track? 10 Ways to Jump Back Into Your Weight Loss Program

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8. Stay Positive

Marie’s final words of wisdom are the most important: Self-love and positivity are essential, especially on a weight loss journey. “Life can be so much more fun when you learn to love your body,” says Marie. “I’ve been trying to be better to my body and stay positive.”

While change can be scary or intimidating, it can also help you grow. “It’s hard to change as you get older, but I think you should try to learn something about yourself every day,” explains Marie. “It’s really important to try every day to be a better version of yourself.”

*Weight lost on a prior program. Expect to lose an avg. of 1-2 lbs per week.

The post Marie Osmond’s Top Tips for Getting Started on Nutrisystem appeared first on The Leaf.

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