...and hopefully exercising more.

My brother has lost 60 lbs in recent months. He doesn't have bipolar disorder, but has inherited the family tendency to gain weight in middle-age. He's been very active physically, mostly because of his job, but he didn't lose weight until he watched his food consumption. I know that is crucial, from past experience of my own.

His weight loss is inspiring me. Like him, I've decided to use MyFitnessPal as a tracking tool. I believe in well-rounded diets, but will try to cut down on cholesterol-ridden fats and refined carbs. I have high cholesterol, so want to lower it.

I want to lose 22 lbs to get back to a normal BMI. I know from the past that I can do that. I've lost even more in attempts years ago. The main challenge is my 450 mg of Seroquel XR, plus my fairly low energy levels. As for the latter, I can exercise. It's more a matter of motivation than lethargy. As for the former, I need to concentrate more on good choices. I do get hunger and carb craving spells. I'm hoping they will ease as I work on my eating, but rather than feel deprived, I want to just choose more wisely.

I hope people don't mind me writing about this here. I find writing about it reinforces my resolve. As a means of holding myself accountable, I have created the set up for a blog post series where I'll check in with results and reflections every Friday.

[Cornucopia]

I’m cheering for you.

I am on 400mg Seroquel, and I use MyFitnessPal as well.

For me, I have lost about 10/12 pounds last two months, it helped eating more protein and less carbs. If I eat carbs, I crave more.
Today I kind of stumbled a bit and ate a whole lot of chocolate. I just find it very hard to stop when I start. So, I try to eat carbs in the morning, healthy choices. And more protein the rest of the day, it keeps my cravings away. I do work out, but not really hard- I am re-programming my shoulders and spine before adding more weight to the work-out programme.

It is harder when medication or metabolism or other things are interfering with the body, but it can be done.

I am certain you can do it, and: small steps every day will get you there. And an important thing: a day of set-back is just that, tomorrow is a new day.

Wish you all the best, the road to a healthier body (and mind) is sometimes hard, but it is truly rewarding feeling the effect of it.

Big hug

[Shazerac]

Good for you for wanting to improve your health. I have a huge problem with motivation. I can literally wait months for that feeling of wanting to do something and it never comes. I’m finally at the point where I know I have to just do it. I make myself stand up. Then walk into another room. Then I forget why I stood up and go sit back down. But I don’t let myself off the hook. I stand back up and wander around until I figure out what it is that I wanted to do. It sounds rather tedious and silly, but at least I get some exercise while I’m meandering around in a fog.

Originally Posted by Cornucopia

I’m cheering for you.

I am on 400mg Seroquel, and I use MyFitnessPal as well.

For me, I have lost about 10/12 pounds last two months, it helped eating more protein and less carbs. If I eat carbs, I crave more.
Today I kind of stumbled a bit and ate a whole lot of chocolate. I just find it very hard to stop when I start. So, I try to eat carbs in the morning, healthy choices. And more protein the rest of the day, it keeps my cravings away. I do work out, but not really hard- I am re-programming my shoulders and spine before adding more weight to the work-out programme.

It is harder when medication or metabolism or other things are interfering with the body, but it can be done.

I am certain you can do it, and: small steps every day will get you there. And an important thing: a day of set-back is just that, tomorrow is a new day.

Wish you all the best, the road to a healthier body (and mind) is sometimes hard, but it is truly rewarding feeling the effect of it.

Big hug

Congratulations on your loss! Please don't beat yourself up about the chocolate. Just learn what happens and move on.

Thanks for sharing your experience and tips!

Originally Posted by Shazerac

Good for you for wanting to improve your health. I have a huge problem with motivation. I can literally wait months for that feeling of wanting to do something and it never comes. I’m finally at the point where I know I have to just do it. I make myself stand up. Then walk into another room. Then I forget why I stood up and go sit back down. But I don’t let myself off the hook. I stand back up and wander around until I figure out what it is that I wanted to do. It sounds rather tedious and silly, but at least I get some exercise while I’m meandering around in a fog.

That's a great way of looking at it.

I'm trying to "make" my spark by announcing my plan and my blog post series. I often need that pressure.

I've been dieting for over three weeks and i feel great! I usually write about it briefly in our daily check-in thread. I've also found it helpful to start a diary on a weight loss forum where i write in more detail. I've really been enjoying the weight loss forum. I use MyFitnessPal too. I've taken up walking and to my surprise i like it! A healthy lifestyle makes the day so much more pleasant! You are going to feel great! Yay BirdDancer! Hugs, Jane.

[Northchild]

Weight has been a lifelong challenge for me. I'm fairly happy with where I'm at, though I could stand to lose 20 pounds. A few things I've learned:

- Avoiding carbs is an all or nothing deal for me. I can't half-*** it and just have "a half a plate of pasta" or "one candy bar", and then expect the cravings not to lay into me with a vengeance the next day or week. The carb cravings can be pretty brutal, but if you avoid all of the refined carbs that you can, the cravings eventually fall away. If it helps, think of it like med side effects that diminish if you're steady with your medication.

- 60 grams of protein a day, all the zero or very low calorie fluid you can drink, all the fruit and vegetables you can stand, and a multivitamin seems to be a good diet for energy and weight loss.

- Protein bars and shakes may not be the world's most delicious treats, but they're really helpful. Avoid anything that replaces sugar with sugar alcohols if you don't want to spend 24/7 on the toilet.

- Don't count the calories that you expend during exercise toward anything, ever. The idea that exercise is going to directly lead to anything other than very minor weight is flat out wrong, unless you're an Olympian or a frequent marathon runner or something like that. Exercise because when you exercise, (to a point - find a balance and don't kill yourself with it), more physical, mental, and emotional energy will become available to you. Mix aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Moderate weight lifting will not make women, (and most men), musclebound or 'beefed up" in any way. I work out four days a week - 30 minutes on the elliptical and 3 sets of 10 reps on 4 weight machines each time I work out.

- Don't weigh yourself daily.

- Sugar free gum helps.

- Find new hobbies, or spend a lot of time with the ones that you already enjoy. Lots of downtime is not good when trying not to focus on food.

- Don't think of any action that you're planning to take as a "diet". That word is loaded with decades upon decades of social, (and possibly personal), baggage. It's worse than useless.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by whatever2013

I've been dieting for over three weeks and i feel great! I usually write about it briefly in our daily check-in thread. I've also found it helpful to start a diary on a weight loss forum where i write in more detail. I've really been enjoying the weight loss forum. I use MyFitnessPal too. I've taken up walking and to my surprise i like it! A healthy lifestyle makes the day so much more pleasant! You are going to feel great! Yay BirdDancer! Hugs, Jane.

That's so great to read, Jane! And thanks for the sweet hugs! I'll try to give occasional updates on the daily check-in thread, too. I'll check out the weight loss forum you mention. I do have one I have gone to, but it is very Weight Watchers oriented, even though they do welcome everyone.

The more I use the MyFitnessPal, the more I like it. Do you subscribe to the Premium version? I think my brother does, but I'm not sure I really need to given what they offer in the free version.

Hubby and I took a nice walk today. I just hope I can get into it during the week when I'm alone. I'd really like to start dancing again. I used to dance in my living room every day after work, but that stopped years ago.

Originally Posted by Northchild

Weight has been a lifelong challenge for me. I'm fairly happy with where I'm at, though I could stand to lose 20 pounds. A few things I've learned:

- Avoiding carbs is an all or nothing deal for me. I can't half-*** it and just have "a half a plate of pasta" or "one candy bar", and then expect the cravings not to lay into me with a vengeance the next day or week. The carb cravings can be pretty brutal, but if you avoid all of the refined carbs that you can, the cravings eventually fall away. If it helps, think of it like med side effects that diminish if you're steady with your medication.

- 60 grams of protein a day, all the zero or very low calorie fluid you can drink, all the fruit and vegetables you can stand, and a multivitamin seems to be a good diet for energy and weight loss.

- Protein bars and shakes may not be the world's most delicious treats, but they're really helpful. Avoid anything that replaces sugar with sugar alcohols if you don't want to spend 24/7 on the toilet.

- Don't count the calories that you expend during exercise toward anything, ever. The idea that exercise is going to directly lead to anything other than very minor weight is flat out wrong, unless you're an Olympian or a frequent marathon runner or something like that. Exercise because when you exercise, (to a point - find a balance and don't kill yourself with it), more physical, mental, and emotional energy will become available to you. Mix aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Moderate weight lifting will not make women, (and most men), musclebound or 'beefed up" in any way. I work out four days a week - 30 minutes on the elliptical and 3 sets of 10 reps on 4 weight machines each time I work out.

- Don't weigh yourself daily.

- Sugar free gum helps.

- Find new hobbies, or spend a lot of time with the ones that you already enjoy. Lots of downtime is not good when trying not to focus on food.

- Don't think of any action that you're planning to take as a "diet". That word is loaded with decades upon decades of social, (and possibly personal), baggage. It's worse than useless.

Good luck!

Thanks for all of your great advice, Northchild!

The MyFitnessPal recommendations for daily carbs, fat and protein are actually quite similar to what a dietitian prescribed a long while back. Actually, the dietitian wanted me to eat no more than 60 grams net carbs. I'm not going to limit myself that much, but will shoot for 100 grams carbs max, which is fewer than the MyFitnessPal suggests and sufficiently low, in my opinion. The max fat grams MyFitnessPal suggests are fewer than my old dietitian allowed. I'll try to stay under the MyFitnessPal recommendation, especially since my cholesterol is high, though I do intend to keep most all of the added fats I do consume "good" fats. I want to get the recommended amount of protein.

I have to say that I detest diet shakes and have never liked chewing gum. I do like frozen fruit smoothies, though, but I make them without added sugars. I have consumed sugar alcohols, and they don't bother me that much, unless I REALLY overdo them. I think that when I need snacks I'll turn to fresh fruit, tea, espresso, light fat free yogurts, and an occasional spoonful of Peter Pan 1/3 less fat peanut butter. I can actually stop at 1 tsp.

Your advice to not eat the exercise calories seems good. I'll try not to do that. I'm also not a daily weigher. I usually only weight myself on "weight-in day", which will be Fridays.

I don't mind the word "diet", just like some people here (but not me) don't mind the whole "I am bipolar" thing.

[Northchild]

In my case, fat was not a factor as long as I wasn't eating Crisco straight out of the can, but if I look at carbs I gain 25 pounds. 100 grams of carbs a day (gross/net/whatever) would have been obscenely high for me when I was actively working on losing the 140 pounds that I lost. My dietician would have politely encouraged me to lower the carbs in the same careful vocal tone that a firefighter might use to coax a potential jumper down from a rooftop if she had found out that I was carbing out like that.

It's probably one of those "everyone's different" things, like psychiatric meds. Maybe different dieticians would tell you different things.

My favorite yogurt is the Dannon Light & Fit Greek kind. Great taste, lotsa protein. Whatever flavors you like - you can't go wrong.

Greek Yogurt | Light & Fit®

[UpDownAround]

Congrats on making the decision and taking steps.

I am a big believer in the mfp way. It really isn't that new - just track everything, everyday, keep your total calories under your limit and try to hit the macros. I'm still using mfp and for the last 4 weeks, I have been tracking for maintenance! I am continuing to track and will for sometime, to some degree maybe forever. I have yoyoed in the past. I was 60 pounds heavier last summer and I am now just below a BMI of 25.

Today, I made a commitment that I am staying the course and not gaining it back. The Goodwill pile I donated earlier today:

[UpDownAround]

BTW - I am at the other end of the spectrum on weighing yourself. I do it at least every other day, sometimes more often. I like having the data and seeing the swings so that I know some days are up and some are down. It isn't always obvious which will be which either; if you only weigh once a week you can't be sure if you are seeing a spike up or down.

I don't use any artificial sweeteners or eat things that contain them. I eat things with low sugar, but real sugar. I think artificial sweeteners increase your appetite for the real thing (and there is a lot of evidence to suggest that's true).

Recommended protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight plus some extra if you are exercising. For me that means around 60 (I weigh around 162) and maybe another 15 because I walk a few miles most days.

Originally Posted by Northchild

In my case, fat was not a factor as long as I wasn't eating Crisco straight out of the can, but if I look at carbs I gain 25 pounds. 100 grams of carbs a day (gross/net/whatever) would have been obscenely high for me when I was actively working on losing the 140 pounds that I lost. My dietician would have politely encouraged me to lower the carbs in the same careful vocal tone that a firefighter might use to coax a potential jumper down from a rooftop if she had found out that I was carbing out like that.

It's probably one of those "everyone's different" things, like psychiatric meds. Maybe different dieticians would tell you different things.

My favorite yogurt is the Dannon Light & Fit Greek kind. Great taste, lotsa protein. Whatever flavors you like - you can't go wrong.

Greek Yogurt | Light & Fit®

100 grams of carbs is considered fairly low carb, unless you're specifically on a low carb diet. I'm happy to say that my last blood tests showed that my triglycerides finally normalized after a few years of being high. Believe me when I say that I was eating a heck of a lot more carbs than 100 g just prior to that normalization. I do intend to concentrate primarily on whole grains in the future. They obviously have more fiber, and if fiber is subtracted, net carbs will be lower than 100 g. You say I shouldn't use the word "diet". I'm assuming "eating lifestyle" would be better? The fact is that very low carb eating is not a sustainable lifestyle for me. It just isn't. Everyone has their limits to how low they can go.

I mostly eat the Danon Light & Fit Greek yogurt, too. That's probably what I'll continue to eat most of, but I'll admit I sometimes like non-Greek yogurts.

Originally Posted by UpDownAround

BTW - I am at the other end of the spectrum on weighing yourself. I do it at least every other day, sometimes more often. I like having the data and seeing the swings so that I know some days are up and some are down. It isn't always obvious which will be which either; if you only weigh once a week you can't be sure if you are seeing a spike up or down.

I don't use any artificial sweeteners or eat things that contain them. I eat things with low sugar, but real sugar. I think artificial sweeteners increase your appetite for the real thing (and there is a lot of evidence to suggest that's true).

Recommended protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight plus some extra if you are exercising. For me that means around 60 (I weigh around 162) and maybe another 15 because I walk a few miles most days.

Congrats on losing that 60 lbs. That's great! It's good for me to read about people committing to maintenance tracking, too.

For me, once per week tracking works best. Things like water weight and the like can make daily tracking frustrating for me.

[Northchild]

Originally Posted by BirdDancer

100 grams of carbs is considered fairly low carb, unless you're specifically on a low carb diet. I'm happy to say that my last blood tests showed that my triglycerides finally normalized after a few years of being high. Believe me when I say that I was eating a heck of a lot more carbs than 100 g just prior to that normalization. I do intend to concentrate primarily on whole grains in the future. They obviously have more fiber, and if fiber is subtracted, net carbs will be lower than 100 g. You say I shouldn't use the word "diet". I'm assuming "eating lifestyle" would be better? The fact is that very low carb eating is not a sustainable lifestyle for me. It just isn't. Everyone has their limits to how low they can go.

I mostly eat the Danon Light & Fit Greek yogurt, too. That's probably what I'll continue to eat most of, but I'll admit I sometimes like non-Greek yogurts.

You said "diet" worked for you, I'm not going to argue with that. It's cool!

Low carb diets (around 50/day without distinguishing net and gross) seem to be particularly effective for me. My longest stint with it was 8 months. It's not something that I relish the thought of and it's not something that I'd want to do the rest of my life, but if I need to drop weight quickly it's useful and after half a week to a week and a half I have no cravings. It's not a strategy that I pulled out of mid air, I was monitored the whole time and given pointers by my doc.

I honestly had no idea 100 was also low carb. I have not researched this very much at all. Now I know, and I wish you good fortune with it.

I'm pretty pedestrian when it comes to yogurt. I like Dannon and the Oikos off-shoot brands, but I havent tried any fancy yogurt. Have you tried different types or brands? Any recommendations?

I think the Danon Light & Fits are probably a good bet for most. I know the Greek style has more protein than the regular, which is something I need. I do use Stoneyfield Organic plain fat free for fruit smoothies and the low fat for parfaits. My very favorite yogurts are not diet friendly. There is this new "Oui" brand sold in glass cups. Not diet friendly.

BirdDancer—good for you on getting healthier!

RE: carbs Mark Sisson/Mark’s Daily Apple/the Daily Apple site is one of the largest gurus in the Paleo sphere. He lists below 50 in the keto range and 50 to 100 in the weight loss range.

The big guru in low carb, Atkins, starts with an (extremely low carb) induction phase and lets you add carbs back over time to see how you do.

I did 100-ish carbs for a long time. People would pick at me on a low carb forum where I liked to hang out, so I called it moderate carbs to avoid arguing, but I think 100 to 150 is more like moderate.

My plan is also somewhat low fat. I do not want an extremely low carb diet. I really dislike very low carb diets. I struggled in the past when I was only allowed 60 grams. I joined low carb forums and they considered 60 grams per day moderate, but I was suffering eating only 60 grams. I think 100 grams will be better. Yesterday I didn't reach even 1,000 calories when my suggested for weight loss is up to 1,260. I didn't exceed any of my other daily suggested amounts either (carbs, fat), except sugars which I exceeded only by 6 grams (almost nothing). I think my plan will be fine. At the end of the day I received a message that I didn't eat enough.

The 100 grams carb per day limit is actually my choice. Yesterday I ate 112 grams. MyFitnessPal allows more than that. Their suggested carb goal per day is 163 grams per day. I would have been under 100 grams, but my breakfast included the last of a non-diet item (Pineapple Carrot Bread). The rest of the day I made better choices, because it was at lunch that my diet officially started. Breakfast tomorrow (actually today since it is now almost 2:30 am) will be better. I'm thinking Cottage Cheese Pankakes, which are not that high in carbs and have very little fat. I'll top them with low sugar jam and lots of fresh berries.

[Pookyl]

BirdDancer,
I’ll join you in the focus on health and weight loss if I may?
Because of surgery I’m still under doctor’s orders to do diddly squat for another 3 weeks, but after that?

BirdDancer: I just use the free version of MyFitnessPal. Just a note, i find the forum on MyFitnessPal kind of aggressive so i would avoid it.

NorthChild: Congratulations on your 140 pound loss! That's fantastic!

Hugs,

Jane.

Pookyl, I'd love to have your company on this journey!

Jane, thanks for the heads up about the MyFitnessPal forums. I certainly don't need to read agressive posts. I will likely visit a forum I've visited a lot in the past. Everyone there seems to be so sweet and supportive. They are mostly Weight Watchers members, but it is not strictly a Weight Watcher's forum. That's at Home | Weight Watchers Message Boards

[avlady]

Good luck to all of you, i need to lose weight too!!!Maybe I'll start soon to get myself the motivation up to actually do something about it!!

[liveforsummer]

Best of luck to you!!!!

[UpDownAround]

BTW, the differing focus on how much of this macro or that you should have in your diet, things you should or should not eat and how often you should weigh are all really side issues; you will find people who succeed with differing opinions/beliefs on all those subjects. What you will find in common is discipline and commitment. Any diet will work if it results in eating less than you burn, but I think the best chance for long term success is to eat like you want to eat all the time, just with smaller portions and some things not as often. Then you just adjust to bump things up a little as you get close to target and finally you are at target and just continue with what you are doing. My mistake in years past was to eat completely differently while losing weight; denying myself treats and using a very limited menu of low cal choices. Then when I got to goal, I really didn't know how to eat to maintain. I would end up in yoyo cycles until one time I let it slip too far and gave up. I am very determined not to let that happen this time.

I used to be such a very health conscious eater for most of my life eating plenty of veggies and lean proteins. I also grew to prefer eating whole grains. Somehow at one point that fell to the wayside. I want to get back to it and continue better eating from this point on. I know how to do it and am not deprived by it. Just the opposite.

My only major weakness that I'll need to work around is my desire for a daily sweet each day. I'm going to try to figure out how to have that without it hurting me. I do like fruit, but do need to find other reasonable options because fruit as a sweet spot 100% of the time gets old for me. I do have a few ideas for alternatives, from Clafouti to sweet omeletts, to custards.