I also have a friend that harps on my about cutting out my one soda a day. It is seriously my only vice. I don't drink. I don't smoke.
Did I mention she drinks? lol Sugar is sugar. And I would bet in one evening I am still consuming fewer calories with my one soda compared to her numerous cocktails.
Post by schitzengiggles on Mar 23, 2015 12:27:36 GMT -5
There is a lot of great advice and I'm not going to add more other than don't give up. ESPECIALLY on the hardest days/weeks/months. You might have to try different things to see what works best for you - everyone is different.
It took me 30 years to figure it out for myself, but I lost 90 lbs (Size 22 to 6/8) over a period of 18 months. I've been maintaining for a couple of years now.
I was a hardcore food addict. I could eat something as innocuous as a bowl of cereal and be sent into a frenzy of eating the rest of the box, barely thinking about it. It's like I zone out and lose control. Even as I'm getting full, makes no difference....I'd eat until I was ready to pop and feeling awful. That's just cereal (for example). don't even ask about actual common trigger foods like salty or sweet snacks, fast food/takeout, etc.
That tendency will never go away. I still find myself lose control on occasion. but I've finally found a balance that I can mostly keep. now I at least know how to get back on track. Not that it's "easy" but it's at least "easier" than it once was.
Post by juliette21 on Mar 23, 2015 12:55:55 GMT -5
I also suggest you start slow, maybe aim to change 1-2 things at a time and see how that goes.
I've lost 37 pounds so far, and my husband has lost 50, from very small and gradual changes we've made over the past 2 years. Yes, that's kind of a long time, but neither have us have gained anything back and we don't even feel deprived because we took it one thing at time.
For me, I started with lunch. I saw all my healthier coworkers taking salads for lunch, so I decided to start bringing a salad 2x a week. I bought a cute salad container from Rubbermaid at Target to make it fun (I really sound like a dork) and just experimented with different salad combinations. I was careful with dressings and cheese, since those can make a salad get out of control.
Then, I switched from soda/diet soda to seltzers. I like the carbonation and flavor, and although it was a tough switch at first, I now really like them.
Next, my H and I tackled after-dinner snacking. We were SO bad with that. We love ice cream and treats, and we were really hesitant to give it up. We started having a cup of decaffeinated tea after dinner to still feel like we're having something.
Before I write a novel, I will just summarize that we kept tackling new challenges once we felt comfortable with the previous changes we made. Now, we eat very healthy and I started ramping up my efforts by exercising 4x a week and tracking calories on My Fitness Pal. I wasn't ready to do those things 2 years ago, it felt very overwhelming, but now I am excited to do even more.
I also feel so much better physically since we started this journey. My energy levels and mood have improved, and my cholesterol and triglycerides have dropped to "optimal levels" from before I started. That has been the motivation for me when my weight plateaus or I get in a funk.
GL and I wish you and your husband the best in your efforts!
Post by sweetptater on Mar 23, 2015 13:05:37 GMT -5
H and I were just discussing this last night. We both lost a lot of weight before a trip to Mexico last August by cutting back on carbs. Since then the weight has slowly piled back on. We decided to try to focus on cutting back our carbs again and see how it goes. I'd love to do something like Whole30, but I think going that strict would backfire on us. I like the ideas in this thread. I'm going to set a couple of small goals for this week. I tend to think big - lose 30 pounds! Exercise 6 days a week! No more rice or pasta! It's not very motivating when you keep falling off the bandwagon after 2 days.
Sugar addiction (self-medicated depression with sugary/high carb food) is how I got up to 320 lbs years back. I did really well for a few years, eating 80/20 Primal, and then the sugar/SAD cravings returned during my last pregnancy, and since then I've had to make a conscious effort to essentially detox from SAD. Truthfully, the weight loss journey came so much easier before once I made the switch. It was like a switch was turned and I adapted to the new WOE (way of eating) quickly and easily, and lost fat at a fast pace. It didn't feel like torture and it was a simple regimen that I really enjoyed. It was not so easy when I started the process again after having my LO. I *knew* what I needed to do to see results. I've spent the last four years researching nutrition science and new data on diet and fat loss, and my other attempts at losing fat and keeping it off worked amazingly well. But I found that the pregnancy and early postpartum months were difficult for me as far as sticking to the regimen. I'd give in to cravings and all that jazz. So each time I have a craving or start thinking of sweets and starchy/grain-based foods I have to make a conscious effort to nix the thoughts and stick to the plan.
I followed a calorie/carb cycling program before, and it helped a great deal, especially because I like things simple and straightforward. I don't like to have to think about meal planning or really counting calories and such. I'm back on the same plan now.
I have lost 30 since 12/1. I started doing crossfit which scared me to death to walk in the first day but I keep going back. I started that 9/30 and lost some but I was to ashamed to step on the scales so I do not know how much. I find going to a class regularly works best for me because people wonder where you are when you do not show up. I go at 5AM because everyone in my house is asleep so I do not have to worry about missing class. I go 5 days a week and probably only missed 5 classes since I started. I started yoga at night the middle of Feb and that is hit or miss with child care for my DD2. I do not watch what I eat so much but I am often mindful of how hard I am working to get it off so I try to control portions. I want to loss 20 more by 5/30 so that is the goal for now that I set 2/14 for a total of 50. I will probably stop the yoga when I reach 50 pounds but I still have more to lose but I hope to do more hiking and such this summer. Good luck. I have tried many times to loss the weight but I just really got down on myself and had to do something. I am wearing closes I have not in years and am super excited to continue this journey.
Losing weight is hard and it becomes harder with certain health problems. I am hypothyroid and have food sensitivities that lead me into a spiral. If I eat anything that has vanilla or potato starch I become ravenous within an hour, so much that I feel like I am dizzy from low blood sugar. At these times there is no way that I would ever have enough will power to stop eating because I am so hungry I am nauseous and dizzy. While this may not be relevant to you, it might be worth your time to look into it.
The only way to discover food sensitivities is to keep a detailed food journal. It is annoying, but it might be worth your time to try it for a week or two to see if there are any common ingredients that are causing you to not have the will power to stop eating.
Yesterday I did really well. I drank a ton of water, ate fruit and veggies, hit my calorie goals AND worked out. I did have a beer out with a friend, but whatever.
This morning, I've already had a donut and a latte, unfortunately. I'm calling those my treats for the day and plan to turn it around from here on out. I can only move on! And they were delicious, so I'm trying not to beat myself up.
ETA: Sleep is a big issue for me. Right now especially, but always. I usually get about 3 hours, awake an hour, then another 2.5 or so. I don't think I can deal with making that change just yet.
This is what I struggle with a lot. If I have something delicious and not healthy, I feel bad about it for a long time because I shouldn't have had it, and then I get more upset because I wasted the calories on something that I'm not even looking back fondly on.
I need to work on enjoying the food I eat, even if it's bad. The regret sucks all the fun out of it for me.
Post by firelight1210 on Mar 24, 2015 10:00:07 GMT -5
I tried to start today making better decisions. When my H drives me to work, we usually stop at McDonald's or Jack in the Box for breakfast (THIS IS WHY I'M FAT). We did that this morning, but instead of my bacon egg biscuit, I tried the egg white delight. YUCK! I only ate half of it and the hash brown. My h said I could have his hash brown, but I restrained, so yay for me? That's all I've eaten so far (it's only 8am here). For lunch, there's a seminar we're hosting that should have leftover lunch boxes, so I'll have a turkey sandwich and chips, and will have a diet Coke instead of regular. Dinner we're going to have to eat out because we won't be home, so I will play by ear and try to make the healthier choice.
For me, this is harder than going full throttle diet, lol. I feel like I'm making "better" choices, but it's still not healthy food. But I guess baby steps?
Also, I checked out that 100 days of real food, and signed up for the newsletter. The meal plans look doable, so I think I'm going to take this week to get used to making better choices, and start in earnest beginning of April.
Post by firelight1210 on Mar 24, 2015 10:12:18 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm going to see if we can get something "whole", but we're going to try and dine out on the cheap. Maybe I can get a salad somewhere.. I love salad with chicken on it.
That's fantastic news about the diet soda change! I can do that I think, for sure.
I tried to start today making better decisions. When my H drives me to work, we usually stop at McDonald's or Jack in the Box for breakfast (THIS IS WHY I'M FAT). We did that this morning, but instead of my bacon egg biscuit, I tried the egg white delight. YUCK! I only ate half of it and the hash brown. My h said I could have his hash brown, but I restrained, so yay for me? That's all I've eaten so far (it's only 8am here). For lunch, there's a seminar we're hosting that should have leftover lunch boxes, so I'll have a turkey sandwich and chips, and will have a diet Coke instead of regular. Dinner we're going to have to eat out because we won't be home, so I will play by ear and try to make the healthier choice.
But you didn't eat the other hash brown. That's 150 calories that you didn't put into your body. If you continue to do something like that every day, all of the little changes will add up and make the difference.
Post by wanderlustmom on Apr 1, 2015 17:18:22 GMT -5
Great advice and I agree with Cleo about how it is very personal. I can't give up my nightly 1-2 glasses of wine and I still lost weight successfully. I also would never do a strict plan. WWers, portion control and lots of cardio and toning work for me. Good luck, I know how hard it is to lose and also to maintain