Weight loss support thread

[Milwaukee Macho Man]

What exactly does your diet consist of right now? And how are you tracking your workouts?

This is my current diet. I have followed this pretty strict over the past 3 weeks, the only variation being that I might not eat all of the vegetables in the container and instead only eat half depending on how full I feel. Before that I followed it, with the only variation being on weekends if I went out with someone, but I still often kept in line with my macros and calories only having trouble keeping sodium and sugar intact on those days.

I track my cardio using a Polar H9 Heart Rate Sensor around my chest.

Edit: I mix the cranberry juice with spring water, that's why it's only 2 oz.

I do not have diabetes, but my doctors told me I was on the verge of being prediabetic at the start of this year and at my last meeting with them on Friday they said that it had improved but not enough that I should feel okay with where I'm at.

 

[N. Gin]

Quick update on my progress, down to 200 lbs from the 237 lbs I was at the start of the year. It's honestly crazy how much better I feel compared to just a few months ago, already have so much more energy than I used to, and despite being considerably lighter the consistent weight training has made me a lot stronger than I was before. In January alone I lost 18 lbs, I've since slowed down and currently I'm dropping on average 2/3 lbs every week. If I keep going at my current pace, I'll be at my goal weight by the beginning of May. 37 lbs lost, 15 more to go.

Only downside is that a lot of my clothes are slightly too big for me now and I have to wear my belt at the tightest notch, but other than that I strongly recommend people to give weight loss a real shot, you won't regret it.

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

This isn't strictly weight loss, but part of the changes I made in January have led to my weight loss and this is a non-scale victory I'm very proud of.

In January I had blood work done and my a1c was a horrible 12.2. I had no idea I was off the rails that much. It creeps up on you when you don't pay attention.

I immediately changed my diet and went full on intermittent fasting and low carb. I don't have the autism for keto, or the desire to cook that much meat; I'm mostly a vegetarian. I keep my carbs under 75 a day and call it good enough. I eat a couple sandwiches, and low-carb vegetables and eggs for the most part. I do eat junk food from time to time, but no more than once a week.

I bought an at home A1c testing kit from Walmart Friday and it was delivered today. I took my a1c and it was 7.1!!!!

That's right where I should be as a diabetic, but I'd like to see if I can get it lower, so I'm going to cut back on the sandwiches and cheat days. I'm also going to add riding my stationary bike to the mix. I'm recovering from a cold, hopefully later this week I'll be able to start that.

I'm so freaking proud of myself right now. It's been so hard, but I can't tell you how worth it it's been. Plus I have started losing again, one pound away from an even 100 pounds lost.

Holy crap frens.

 

[Fliddaroonie]

Trying to push past a second plateau right now. I started December 1st at 228 and got down to 212 before hitting a plateau. I pushed through with the carnivore diet, not eating past 7 pm, and kickboxing (not sure which one contributed to the loss) which got me down to 200 but going back to eating regular food and work getting busier has put me back up to 206. Any ideas on what to do to get below 200?

Cut your calories. "plateaus" are bullshit. Fatties can take in more calories, normal people need fewer. If you're not losing, you're taking in too many calories and need to cut to take into account how much less you weigh. "plateaus" are Reddit tier copium.

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

Trying to push past a second plateau right now. I started December 1st at 228 and got down to 212 before hitting a plateau. I pushed through with the carnivore diet, not eating past 7 pm, and kickboxing (not sure which one contributed to the loss) which got me down to 200 but going back to eating regular food and work getting busier has put me back up to 206. Any ideas on what to do to get below 200?

Start weighing your food, if you aren't already. Like someone else said you're eating too many calories. It's easier to do that the less you weigh and the most accurate way of measuring your calories is via weight - by grams, not ounces. A cup of oats can vary in weight depending on how tightly packed together the oats are in the cup, but 100 grams of oats is 100 grams of oats.

Measuring liquids in cups and teaspoons is fine, because you can't compress or expand them, but all solids need to be weighed.

Be careful with the nutritional information if you use something like My Fitness Pal too. It's a user created database so the numbers can be massively off. I think there's an onion entry in there that has one serving, or maybe it's a whole onion, I can't remember, but it's set to like 1,000 calories for whatever unit of one. Really ridiculous. The usda has a pretty complete database of nutritional information that you can use if you do a lot of cooking from scratch. You can always just manually enter in your calories into your tracker.

But yeah, weigh your food and eat less.

 

[Milwaukee Macho Man]

So I saw a new doctor and got my thyroid tested on Thursday. He actually seemed upset that I'm not eating 2000-2200 calories and seems to think that while I should try to lose the 40 pounds I gained since my transplant that for my body composition I shouldn't be as worried about my weight as I am.

Test results came back today and I guess I just barely classify as having subclinical hypothyroidism as my fT4 is normal and my TSH is 4.75 u[IU]/ml which is only .55 past the "normal" threshold.

His only idea as for why I'm not losing any weight is because my workouts are all high intensity workouts and that I'm basically just burning off carbs I eat instead of fat. And he thinks that the only reason my thyroid is acting up at this point is that I've continued my low sodium diet from dialysis days and that using table salt or iodine supplements may push me back into the normal range.

Also got a vague suggestion that I may have some sort of body dysmorphia but like I clearly have a gut now so...

 

[Battery Low]

Glad you got checked out and that things seem to be ok.

@Diet Coke 4 Life posted some really interesting stuff about cardio heart rate zones and fat/carb burning efficiency in the April Lauren thread recently. Given your medical history, i'd be cautious of jumping into anything without research/medical consultation but this post may give you some things to consider: https://kiwifarms.net/threads/april...own-wakeupbright.107599/page-42#post-11374581

 

[Milwaukee Macho Man]

Looking at that, it would seem that I'm mostly exercising in the right zone as it is. (My workouts typically keep me between 140 to 150 bpm, which would be the target for being just between Aerobic and Anerobic at 32 years old unless I'm being dumb and not calculating correctly)

I don't know. I guess I'll try eating a bit more and maybe try jogging instead of using the exercise bike but as it is I get pretty full just from my current diet.

 

[Diet Coke 4 Life]

140-150 bpm is just fine and dandy! You're actually strongly in aerobic, 150 being right at the bottom of anaerobic. Good job!

Your workout is not too high of intensity. What I might actually recommend, if you're getting bored and seeing no progress in weight loss or fitness, is varying things. Interjecting some running instead of cycling 2-3 times a week is a good start. Also, interval training on an exercise bike can really, REALLY spice things up. If you'd like some interval plans for cycling based on either power zones or heart rate zones, DM me.

Looking at that, it would seem that I'm mostly exercising in the right zone as it is. (My workouts typically keep me between 140 to 150 bpm, which would be the target for being just between Aerobic and Anerobic at 32 years old unless I'm being dumb and not calculating correctly)

I don't know. I guess I'll try eating a bit more and maybe try jogging instead of using the exercise bike but as it is I get pretty full just from my current diet.

Also, if you're getting full off your current diet, I would say not to force yourself to eat more. Your sensations could be a result of what you're eating and the workouts you're doing.

If you're seeing no movement and your goal is weight loss, I'd recommend revisiting your water intake, as well as your overall macros (especially fiber, which is something so many of us are deficient in). Then again, I'm no guru when it comes to this - I'm just a fitness junkie who tries to be as educated as possible so I can give sound advice and help people succeed (and help myself continue to be fit).

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

As of today I have lost 101 pounds! I've gone from the largest pant size at Catherine's (sister store to Lane Bryant, not as hip) to the smallest pant size.

This list is something I found on the MyFitnessPal's forums years ago when I started this whole weight loss thing, back when I didn't really even think I could do this. It's been a lot of fun over the years keeping track of how much I've lost and comparing that to real life things. I thought y'all would enjoy it too. It's easy to look at the scale and say "Oh, only three pounds down", but when you see that three pounds is a whole ass human brain it really makes you go "wow look at me go".

So far I've lost a 2 month old baby horse, by the time I lose an entire fashion model(!) I'll no longer be obese. (Soon)

I've lost a...

Spoiler

1 pound = a Guinea Pig

1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts

2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs

3 pounds = an average human brain

4 pounds = an ostrich egg

5 pounds = a Chihuahua

6 pounds = a human skin

7.5 pounds = an average newborn

8 pounds = a human head

10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year

11 pounds = an average housecat

12 pounds = a Bald Eagle

15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs

16 pounds = a sperm whale's brain

20 pounds = an automobile tire

23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year

24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super-premium ice cream

25 pounds = an average 2 year old

30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year

33 pounds = a cinder block

36 pounds = a mid-size microwave

40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg

44 pounds = an elephants heart

50 pounds = a small bale of hay

55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner

60 pounds = an elephants penis

66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year

70 pounds = an Irish Setter

77 pounds = a gold brick

80 pounds = the Worlds Largest Ball of Tape

90 pounds = a newborn calf

100 pounds = a 2 month old horse

111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year

117 pounds = an average fashion model (and shes 5'11")

118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica

120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month

130 pounds = a newborn giraffe

138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year

140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year

144 pounds = an average adult woman (and shes 5'4½")

150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary

187 pounds = an average adult man

200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds

235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger

300 pounds = an average football lineman

400 pounds = a Welsh pony

 

[Smoke Detector Beeps]

Losing weight while having untreated disordered eating is difficult, but it won't stop me from trying.

I'm not even sure if weighing myself is a good idea, but last I checked I was 212. Given, that was when I was eating 1 meal a day and losing 3 pounds a week doing it. Not healthy. But neither is being obese.

Anyway if any of you guys have advice on how to not send yourself into an obsessive spiral with food, let me know.

For now I'm trying a Meditteranean-esque diet without cutting out carbs or dairy entirely. Eliminating food groups never goes well for me, and I'll only restrict more and more in time. I figure reduction over elimination will do fine for now.

Of course I'm choosing whole grains over anything else for nutrition, and I never ate much dairy to begin with honestly. I'm replacing refined sugars with things like fruit and such. I'm essentially making all the basic changes they tell you to.

Not sure if focusing on ~non-scale victories~ is best for me purely because of how obsessive the ED brain gets. I know a lot of people think it's bullshit. Not really sure where I stand. Or maybe as my relationship with food mends, so will my relationship with scales. Who knows?

TL;DR it's annoying having to think twice about every food/weight loss decision you make to ensure you're not relapsing.

 

[Jimmy Olsen]

I'm currently at around 127 pounds, which is slightly overweight for my height, so I've figured it's time to drop a little bit. Since I'm not trying to lose a ton, getting back into my exercise routine and cutting back on desert will probably be enough to do it. Keep you posted.

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

Losing weight while having untreated disordered eating is difficult, but it won't stop me from trying.

I'm not even sure if weighing myself is a good idea, but last I checked I was 212. Given, that was when I was eating 1 meal a day and losing 3 pounds a week doing it. Not healthy. But neither is being obese.

Anyway if any of you guys have advice on how to not send yourself into an obsessive spiral with food, let me know.

For now I'm trying a Meditteranean-esque diet without cutting out carbs or dairy entirely. Eliminating food groups never goes well for me, and I'll only restrict more and more in time. I figure reduction over elimination will do fine for now.

Of course I'm choosing whole grains over anything else for nutrition, and I never ate much dairy to begin with honestly. I'm replacing refined sugars with things like fruit and such. I'm essentially making all the basic changes they tell you to.

Not sure if focusing on ~non-scale victories~ is best for me purely because of how obsessive the ED brain gets. I know a lot of people think it's bullshit. Not really sure where I stand. Or maybe as my relationship with food mends, so will my relationship with scales. Who knows?

TL;DR it's annoying having to think twice about every food/weight loss decision you make to ensure you're not relapsing.

Have you looked into intuitive eating? From what I understand that's the basic idea of ED treatment. It's not a weight loss diet, but apparently some people do lose weight as they restore their relationship with food and eating. There are books and websites that talk about the plan and it's guidelines.

I like non-scale victories. I think they are psychologically important, especially if you have a disordered way of thinking around food - which, let's be honest, if you've let yourself get to the point of obesity (hi, it's me) then you do. I like celebrating minor things. After a while, once you've worked on your relationship with food, celebrate scale victories too. I'd weigh yourself no more than once a month, but at first rely on clothing fit and body measurements. Something more abstract than a number that will fluctuate with water/poop.

Get yourself a book of stickers and when something you're proud of happens, put a sticker on that day on your calendar (you'll need a calendar for this too). Or go to the dollar store and buy yourself a greeting card and mail it to yourself (you could buy a bunch of postcards on Amazon and do this, write what you're proud of, and hang them on the wall). Do something to reward yourself that is cheap and not related to food.

 

[Smoke Detector Beeps]

Have you looked into intuitive eating? From what I understand that's the basic idea of ED treatment. It's not a weight loss diet, but apparently some people do lose weight as they restore their relationship with food and eating. There are books and websites that talk about the plan and it's guidelines.

I have. I'm just unsure if I can do it effectively without a team of therapists. Though I suppose anything's worth a shot. Thanks! Definitely will look more into that.

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

I have. I'm just unsure if I can do it effectively without a team of therapists. Though I suppose anything's worth a shot. Thanks! Definitely will look more into that.

Good luck no matter what. From what little I've read about it it seems really well thought out. I hope it helps, because God knows therapy isn't cheap.

 

[CharcoalChkn]

Guess I will check in again.

This time last year I was around 155lbs, currently around 120lbs (fluctuate pretty heavily depending on the day of the week).

It's muscle growth and toning time now but I really have no idea how to handle the excess skin in my lower stomach/abdomen area. Putting quite a damper on how happy I can be with my progress.

My main goal is to be quite muscly so I am not so much focused on my weight but how my body looks. Vain, I know, but I want to be able to see all my efforts!

 

[veri]

today i ate a shit ton of grapes and drank water and metamucil in between. it was good for killing my appetite for a while and even though grapes are high cal, if you drink a lot of water with them you’ll get full pretty quick especially considering grapes are kinda dense.

intermittent fasting + high volume low cal foods makes losing weight a lot easier especially if you drink hella water in between bites it’ll make you full so much faster.

another advice i’ll leave here is sugar free yogurt is a godsend. if you ever get tired of it just add flavored stevia or some granola (yeah it’s high cal just don’t put too much, just enough to add some flavor plus it’ll make you full too). in highschool i lost 10lbs in less than a month off of greek yogurt and chocolate chips, didn’t even have to count calories.

these tips have probably been posted here before but just joining the thread for weight loss accountability to reach my ugw in the next few months, definitely recommend trying the yogurt trick though it works great

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

another advice i’ll leave here is sugar free yogurt is a godsend. if you ever get tired of it just add flavored stevia or some granola (yeah it’s high cal just don’t put too much, just enough to add some flavor plus it’ll make you full too). in highschool i lost 10lbs in less than a month off of greek yogurt and chocolate chips, didn’t even have to count calories.

Try cooked oatmeal with yogurt mixed in. Add some berries or dried fruit (watch the serving sizes). It's so good and super filling.

 

[Fliddaroonie]

Have you looked into intuitive eating? From what I understand that's the basic idea of ED treatment. It's not a weight loss diet, but apparently some people do lose weight as they restore their relationship with food and eating. There are books and websites that talk about the plan and it's guidelines.

I like non-scale victories. I think they are psychologically important, especially if you have a disordered way of thinking around food - which, let's be honest, if you've let yourself get to the point of obesity (hi, it's me) then you do. I like celebrating minor things. After a while, once you've worked on your relationship with food, celebrate scale victories too. I'd weigh yourself no more than once a month, but at first rely on clothing fit and body measurements. Something more abstract than a number that will fluctuate with water/poop.

Get yourself a book of stickers and when something you're proud of happens, put a sticker on that day on your calendar (you'll need a calendar for this too). Or go to the dollar store and buy yourself a greeting card and mail it to yourself (you could buy a bunch of postcards on Amazon and do this, write what you're proud of, and hang them on the wall). Do something to reward yourself that is cheap and not related to food.

IE is a fucking appalling, terrible god awful fucking nono of an idea for anyone with a disordered relationship with food that leads to overeating. Fucking no. Just no.

Being fat means eating too much. Eating too much stretches your stomach. A stretched stomach has a larger surface area, meaning more stomach tissue to produce fucked up levels of leptin and ghrelin, meaning you don't know when you actually need to eat and when you're really full.


If you have a hard time with hard rules and accepting doing a thing because you're heading to an early grave or poor health, then that's chantal level ODD territory.

If anyone loses weight on that diet, then they're a serious outlier and it's probably coupled with a large amount of therapy, and tremendous care needs to be taken with it.

 

[5000% Sure]

Being fat means eating too much. Eating too much stretches your stomach. A stretched stomach has a larger surface area, meaning more stomach tissue to produce fucked up levels of leptin and ghrelin, meaning you don't know when you actually need to eat and when you're really full.

I don't think the physical volume of the stomach has much to do with it, or at least I haven't seen any evidence that it's related (I mean yes, if you do surgery to reduce stomach volume then you will lose weight due to not being able to eat as much, but the real underlying issue with overweight people is that they aren't eating foods that give them proper satiety signals; fucked up signals or not, if you're only eating processed sugar/carbs, you're never going to feel full until you reach the physical volume of the stomach).

In my personal experience I went from completely fucked up hunger signals/diet which caused me to eat every 2-3 hours (not good food either, almost always junk food/carbs) to almost never eating due to always feeling full within 4 days of a major dietary transition (eating 90% shit processed food -> full carnivore), which I don't think is enough time for a serious change in stomach volume to happen, and also leads me to believe that fucked up signals play little to no role in long-term weight loss if it can be completely reversed that quickly with a diet change. As in, it's almost all about which foods you eat, because some just inherently fill you up more than others due to better macros, and not so much what you've already done to fuck up your health. You have the right general idea though.