weight loss musings (Noom)

[doctoranda]

I started Noom five days ago. I saw myself in pictures and did not recognize myself anymore plus less and less clothes fit so I had to do something (don't even mention the Caribbean vacay i just booked ). I am not teaching and so I thought: perfect time to try this weight loss program while working on my research from home. The psychological stuff is just meh for me. No real revelations. Meticulous tracking of calories in and out is what is the most helpful. I lost about a pound a day so far BUT man I think about food all the time. Also, I can imagine this triggering eating disorders in some folks. I only exercised vigorously one day on the regimen and I went into that weird state of mind where you really need some sugar into your system asap. I am just here to share in case people were curious about the program. If anyone is interested I'll keep you posted past the "honeymoon phase." I am hoping I get more used to operating on a calorie deficit. 

[sadlebred]

How many calories are you eating per day? It might be too low, which is why you are thinking about food. You can't underfuel your body.

I'm trying to drop weight right now but using something I've never tried. 1 pound down so far in a week, which is the goal. .25-1.0 pounds/week.

[doctoranda]

sadlebred, it certainly is very low but it is based on your age, gender, exercise level etc. It adjusts it when you log exercise. But it is a big difference going from just eating whatever to having an allotment of calories.

[scm1011]

I joined WW a week ago today for the same reason as you and agree that I can see how these type of programs could trigger eating disorders. I'm thinking about food a lot, not because I'm hungry, but because I'm constantly planning out my day so I stay within a reasonable amount of points. Hopefully as I get used to it it'll be less mental work. I lost 5.5 lbs the first week, so its working at least ha. I'm only looking to lose 15-20 total (my covid weight gain) and then I'll reevaluate whether I stick with WW or not to maintain.

Before I joined I tracked calories for a few days and realized I was easily eating 2500-3000+ cals a day most days and needed help reining it in. I found the MyFitnessPal app really tedious and really like WW's and how it syncs with my Garmin to earn extra points.

[sadlebred]

doctoranda You may actually be eating too little. You might want to try to increase it 200-300/day regardless of whether or not you exercise. No adult female should really be under 1500 calories/day. 1200 used to be the norm, but now it seems to be 1500.

[simpsongal]

doctoranda, thank you for sharing! I'm trying to revise my diet too as I was a little too quick to reach for empty calories and alcohol over the winter. I probably put on about 10 pounds, plus my LDL was a little higher than I'd like (still normal, but not great). I've lost 6 lbs over ~3-4 weeks. and hope to lose another 4-5 and just keep a healthier diet going forward. I was already exercising regularly, so I didn't need to adjust there, although I am getting back into running.

I definitely get those sugar cravings! And I have certain trigger times I need to actively acknowledge and not just "reward" myself w/something tasty (that I'll forget I even ate ~5 minutes later). It's getting slightly better/easier? I'm trying not to go too restrictive/low calorie so this is healthy and sustainable, but I've worked in some new snacks and meals (lots of chickpeas, quinoa, avocado, apples), and have cut back a lot entirely on nutrient deficient foods (tortilla chips, cheese, added butter, sweets). I stock tons of Perrier other seltzers, and reach for those instead of beer. I'm also drinking many herbal teas w/o sugar, though I'll enjoy it w/sugar once in a while too. I've tried to limit portions too. We had bison bugers the other day, I ate 2/3rds, gave it to DH and ate more of the string bean salad I made. I snacked on nuts after dinner while we watched a move.

I still split a bottle of wine and have cocktails w/DH on weekends and eat dessert here and there.

Good luck!

[doctoranda]

simpsongal, thanks for sharing your journey and tricks! The thoughts of food are started to get less now and I feel my body is getting used to the new normal. I do a fair amount of thinking of food in terms of planning though. Making sure I do not go over my allotment of calories. Vegetables are my friend. Lots of veggies and fruits. But I have been very encouraged since I am losing weight steadily in just a few days (you have to weigh in every day) since I have started. I know that will stop soon as it isn't healthy. I have never had to diet because I have never been overweight since I exercised a lot, ate healthy, and I guess genetics but during the pandemic I gained almost 30 pounds and all of a sudden I was too heavy.