Weight loss and exercise #2

Rounded up to 159 this morning; in the danger zone since my maintenance range is the 150s. Must flip the switch to discipline.

If you were tracking calories, it would show a calorie deficit since you lost weight. But you can make the math work without doing the math, just like you can live within your means without tracking every penny. You make thrifty choices and watch the balance rise until you get a buffer you are comfortable with and then you keep an eye on that balance and adjust spending habits to keep it reasonably stable.

I am not diabetic and I enjoy treats too much to give them up if I really don't have to. But I can't seem to keep it under control without tracking, at least not yet. It's difficult to allow calorie dense foods without tracking, though you can do it by watching the scale and/or how clothes fit.

I have lost weight in the past without tracking, but I would do it by adopting a diet that I couldn't sustain long term; radical departures from how I had been eating. With tracking I have been able to adjust portions and frequency of high calorie items.

I hope I am able to learn to do this without tracking everything every day. I envy people who adjust to a sustainable diet and get to a healthy weight and maintain it. By sustainable, I mean a diet you can be happy with indefinitely.

I had to go back on my topamax. The withdrawals were too much for me. I had no idea the topamax controlled my depression, anxiety, and mood swings so well.

My diet has gone to pot,I ate and ate and so it is ruined.Gonna sit on it for a couple of days and then start again and stick to it,my birthday is over now so no excuses.

I feel and I look like I weigh 180 pounds. My clothes are not fitting either. But the scale only reads 155 at night. I can’t figure out what’s going on but it’s really frustrating me.

I wish you success. I used to diet (count calories) but then I was very unhappy doing it. So I decided I would find a way of eating that would be healthy and promote a good weight. The diabetes scare was the thing that really did it for me. Every once in a while I have a treat but I just keep my carbs around 45 per meal. And it works for me.

Thanks. I am 60 and prior to dropping below a BMI of 25 a little over a year ago, the last time I was at a healthy weight I was in my 20s. I didn't get substantially overweight until I was in my 40s. I have been over 70 pounds heavier than I am now a number of times in the last decade or so.

Making bad choices and eating too much is pretty deeply ingrained. Tracking helps me curb that. It doesn't make me unhappy to do it. It actually makes it easier for me because I don't deny myself things; I just have to make them fit. I am also aware of how much protein, fat and carbs I get. This helps me make better choices but still gives me freedom to eat foods I like.

I did exercise some discipline yesterday and didn't let my sweet tooth go nuts. I indulged it with a few carefully tracked treats and I even had a slice of pizza for lunch. But I managed to keep it under 1500 calories.

157 this morning, down 2 pounds from yesterday's spike. I have managed to stay in the 150s for several months now; I have not even spiked out of the range. But I want to get back in the lower half below 155.

I did not do my regular Saturday night cardio. I walked 5 miles Friday and was only a little sore. Yesterday afternoon, I walked maybe a mile fishing at the neighborhood pond. Last night my calves were so sore I could barely climb stairs. Same this morning. This is odd because my regular cardio is the arc trainer 3 times a week for an hour or more at a time with high resistance. It works my calves pretty good. Not sure what I did different that made me so sore.

EDIT - Soreness getting better. I was concerned because of something that happened in the past. I had textbook myositis (including the creatine kinase levels spiking in a blood test) that seemed to come out of nowhere and then disappear. At the time I was warned that it is very unusual for it to happen just once and never again. Ever since then I get spooked whenever I have unexpected muscle soreness.

I was 151.2 today. I was expecting to be 153 or 154. For breakfast I had a sandwich which I put at 400 calories. It wasn’t very big but it had some oil on it. I’m not sure though. Besides that I had a can of soup, a small bag of popcorn and a Muscle Milk shake. Everything added up to another 535 calories. Dinner is going to be 6 gold potato’s at 220 calories. My calculator says 1,155 and I’m going to leave it at that.

Today I didn't overeat but I did eat chips and I also had chocolate.I am not back on the diet yet,but I will get back to it soon.

Rounded up to 158 this morning. I did go over and did exercise and think it was a pretty even day yesterday.

EDIT - tomorrow I will exercise early AM and weigh next on Wednesday.

I was 149.4 today. So far I’ve had 970 calories.

So I haven't stuck to the diet like I was meant to but today I am back on track,I ate 1349 calories.My waist is down one inch to 52 inches,down from 53 and a half when I last measured,and from 55 and a half when I first started dieting.Weight loss has slowed considerably but I am hoping to lose more this next month.

I’m not sure on my exact calories. I had a muscle milk shake at 180 calories. Then I had a piece of a sandwich with some oil on it. The sandwich wasn’t big but I just wasn’t sure on that oil. It was kind of gross so I only ate 2/3 of it. Then I got a sirloin steak and steamed zucchini from Denny’s. According to the nutrition facts everything had 390 calories. Dinner was 6 gold potato’s at 220 calories total. Then I was still hungry and had a Pure Protein shake at 160 calories.

So according to my calculator I’ve had 1,350 but I’m just not sure on that sandwich. I think I can have 1400 calories a day and still lose. So I should be good.

The sandwich must not have had as many calories as I thought because I was 148.6 today. I’m finally getting down again. I think going off my topamax for a week did in fact jumpstart the appetite side effect. I’ve had 710 calories so far today.

I found some post menopausal bleeding today,the cancer I had in 2016 might have come back.I needed to comfort eat today and I want ice creme tonight,I am going to be over 2000 calories with what I have eaten today.Toasted buttered crumpets,chocolate and ice creme are my downfall.Tomorrow I start over with a very low calorie,salads and anti cancer foods diet.

Two days ago, when I started the day at 158, I had another crazy eating day. I did cardio for a little over 90 minutes yesterday and then kept pretty close to goal to try to make up for it. This morning I was 159, but I had a lot of sodium yesterday, I will try to stay near goal going forward as I am so close to the top of my range. I will exercise tomorrow morning and weigh next on Friday. I expect some drop from water retention and better behavior.

I weighed myself today thinking I was 147. 6 yesterday and thinking I had only lost 4oz today. Then I remembered yesterday I was actually 148.6 and today I was 147.2. So I actually was down 1.4 pounds from yesterday. I can see why they tell you not to drink weight loss shakes when you really don’t have a lot to lose. I know my doctors would be upset to know I’m drinking them in addition to the other stuff I do to lose weight.

I don't know why your doc would be upset if you are getting enough nutrients. The meal replacement shakes and bars are pretty nutrient dense in good proportions. My biggest issue with them is that it isn't sustainable - I can't replace many meals long term with them. They just aren't satisfying. If I lean too heavily on them as a way to keep calories low, I will likely fail. I do use them (usually bars) if I am rushing out the door and won't really have time to stop for a meal or if I didn't bring a lunch and don't have time to go out. Filling in for a meal that I would have skipped if I didn't have a quick choice is a fine use for them IMO.

I try to only eat 1200 calories a day. 160 calories of that is a shake. I am also on topamax as well. I really don’t eat a lot most of the time. However, my mom and I go out to lunch every once in awhile and she sees me clean out a buffet or chow down an appetizer, plate of ribs and steak, and a dessert. She knows I don’t have an ED or issues with food. However a doctor I only see every 3-6 months might think otherwise. Which is why I just don’t mention the weight loss shakes or my eating habits to him.

148 today. I’m not sure what happened. I stuck to 1200 calories yesterday. It was probably the sodium in the soup I had for dinner. Today I had a couple Dave’s singles with cheese from Wendy’s. I got them just with cheese no mayo or anything. So I think they have 490 calories plain. I’m just going to have a protein shake for dinner and my calories will even out.

I'm down 2 more pounds. I met my FitBit goal from a year ago. I'm really happy about that. I'm focusing on 5 more pounds. But mainly I want 20 to be my next goal.

Has anyone ever tried eating all their calories in one meal and then not eaten for the rest of the day? I guess it’s another form of intermittent fasting called OMAD. I ate around 1000 calories for lunch and then just 160 calories for dinner. I don’t think I can do it constantly but today it worked out fine.

I’ve read people do it when they are going out to eat for dinner or something and want to indulge but don’t want to go over their calorie budget. So they just skip eating all day.

I would have trouble with OMAD. I did 5:2 IF for a while, but the two "fasting" days were actually just VLC (very low calorie) days of ~600 calories. I still spread that across meals, eating a banana for breakfast, an 80 cal pouch of tuna or chicken with plain salad for lunch and then had about 350 left for dinner.

I tend to make up for overages rather than plan for them. I have been doing that too often lately. I have still managed to stay in my maintenance range but have been on thin ice lately. I stayed close to goal today and did about 100 minutes of cardio this morning and didn't log it, so I am really coming in well below goal. I am hoping for 157 in the morning.

I've done that before when I was younger. Now it's hard for me to do intermittent fasting. I've tried. I don't last more than a couple of days. My issue is I don't sleep at night straight through. I'll sleep for 3 hours, up for 2 and then sleep a couple more, up again, etc. I get really hungry at night.

As I hoped, 157 this morning.