Jump to content

Weight Loss Thread


Seventh Pup

Recommended Posts

So this is a general weight loss thread. Want to vent, grumble and moan? Have at it! Want to humble brag, or generally show off success? Go for it! Want to share something that has A: Worked wonderfully for you and melted away unwanted pounds, or B: Been a terrible waste of time and money? This would be a good place. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I did not want the OP to be solely about me, as this is a general thread.

 

But yeah it sucks. I have always struggled with my weight, but after a baby I am really stuck. My little guy turns one on Friday and I am still 20 pounds over weight. I am so tired! I am getting about 4.5 hours of sleep a night, and about a 30 minute nap during the day. I am also nursing. I am hungry all the time. What I crave more then anything is sugar, fat, and easy already prepared foods so I don't have to put more energy into preparing them.  Ice cream has become a very good friend of mine. However I think the relationship has turned a bit toxic.

 

I know what I need to do, I need to find time to work out and cook. I need to eating better, and I know if I eat better I will feel less exhausted. But damn Gina, it's hard to get started. Anyone out there in a similar boat? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in the same boat.  Eventually, I just gave up and then it was nearly yearly attempts that went no where.  It is hard,especially when you don't get enough sleep.

 

try snacks with good fats (nuts) and just small amounts of honey for sweetness; also making meals in advance to use on those especially tiring days

 

 

 

I was 50 pounds overweight for many years, and would sometimes lose as as much as 30 pounds, but then it would all come back and then more started adding on til I was 80 pounds overweight.

 

I am back in the same place now after losing 70 pounds, I have gained back 10 *sigh*  I am still working out (not as much though) but am not eating right :(

 

I know a lot of my issues are tied to my depression and I still haven't found something that works more than 6 months or so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to always be very comfortable with my body, at least regarding weight.  I went on a medication nearly two years ago, was on it for a bit and my weight exploded.  I knew weight gain was a possibility with this medication.  What I didn't know was just how bad the weight gain could be, nor did I know that study after study determined that this medicine had a significant impact on a person's metabolism that continues even after getting off the medicine.

 

While the medication was great for the purpose in which I was taking it, it ended up having a negative effect when the weight gain went out of control so I had to stop.  My body hasn't been the same since then and I've gone on to develop some very serious body dysphoria and depression regarding my body as it relates to weight.  For several months, I was eating nothing but a green juice for breakfast, some plain lettuce for lunch and then a piece of fish and side of veggies for dinner.  I ate everything on a tiny plate to control portion sizes, and still there was no difference.  I then spent a month on 500-800 calories a day.  No change.  I was walking several miles a day, doing workout videos, monitoring every single thing I ate and nothing was happening except weight gain on those occasions I ate too much.  

 

I've seen a doctor and a nutritionist about this, had blood work done, and both of them say that nothing is wrong and repeat the same tired "eat less, exercise more" bullshit.  Recently I joined a gym and weight watchers as sort of last resort things.  On WW, I halved the amount of points I was allowed each day, mostly because it was just too much food to begin with.  I was spending 30-45 minutes at the gym every other day, on top of my walking several miles twice daily (for my dog).  I fucking gained weight, now none of my jeans are fitting.  So I had to stop that ASAP.  

 

So, uh, probably not a helpful post for anyone else, but I've definitely needed to vent.  I think it bothers me a lot more than I admit, especially now that other decisions in my life are so affected by my weight.  I'm at a total loss, don't know what to do about it.  I have an appointment with a new doctor next month and I'll scream she says the same 'eat less exercise more' bullshit because I know with some sense of certainty that there is something wrong that is causing me to experience this weight problem. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I did not want the OP to be solely about me, as this is a general thread.

 

But yeah it sucks. I have always struggled with my weight, but after a baby I am really stuck. My little guy turns one on Friday and I am still 20 pounds over weight. I am so tired! I am getting about 4.5 hours of sleep a night, and about a 30 minute nap during the day. I am also nursing. I am hungry all the time. What I crave more then anything is sugar, fat, and easy already prepared foods so I don't have to put more energy into preparing them.  Ice cream has become a very good friend of mine. However I think the relationship has turned a bit toxic.

 

I know what I need to do, I need to find time to work out and cook. I need to eating better, and I know if I eat better I will feel less exhausted. But damn Gina, it's hard to get started. Anyone out there in a similar boat? 

 

It's nearly impossible to find the time to exercise and cook when you're getting 4.5 hours of sleep a night.  Assuming that it's the child whose keeping you up, you'll get more sleep soon (you're already past the hump in terms of baby waking up).  I wouldn't let the 20 pounds get you down in the meantime.

 

I'm a dude, but I also gained 20 pounds when my wife was pregnant and during the first 6 or so months.  No sleep = junk in the mouth (not so sure why I also gained weight during her pregnancy :drunk: ).  But I lost it later when I could manage the time for exercise and when eating garbage no longer was a necessity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was thinking about how desperate I am to shed weight when I saw this thread...

 

I've always been skinny and athletic, my weight had been the same my whole adult life: ~ 115 pounds.

Then a very abrupt change in lifestyle where instead of working 5 - 6 12 hr shifts a week + lots of exercise I was working from home on the computer 24/7. And you're working from home, you wanna be comfy, so sweatpants on all the time. When I finally woke up, I had put on a ton of weight - 4 st!!!! 

Started to exercise a lot and more or less control my diet - I had a healthy diet before, I like healthy food. So diet wise I just eliminated soft drinks and junky snacks < great when you're on the computer all the time. I did shed 1 stone in more or less one month. And then another drastic change in lifestyle and it all went down the drain. This last change in lifestyle was almost 3 years ago. 

I feel like shit all the time. I don't to go anywhere, and I only wear stuff that's 3 x my size - like, that's going to 'hide' me. Only it won't, it only makes things worse. I know this, and yet can't help it. 

 

When I lost that 1 stone I was cycling furiously, jogging, and doing this DVD workout. I've been thinking about all this for a while now, and yesterday I decided to start exercising again - only when I [tried] to do the 'fit test' from DVD - not even the Day 1 routine, just the test so that you can keep track of your progress, I couldn't finish it. Today I feel even shittier than usual. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was just terrifying myself by Googling around and reading about diabetes, when I saw this thread.

So I started putting on weight when I was 15 and got the contraceptive implant. Very bad idea. I put on about 3 stone in a year, and was never able to shake it. I tried *everything*. A few years ago, I gave up, and tried to get more comfortable with my body. I'm better now, but I still have some issues. I don't eat brilliant meals, and I do snack, and with my hip problem, exercise is difficult.

I hear you on the doctor thing. One year, when I was getting my pill, the nurse said the same old crap about eating less, moving more. But she also added, "No chocolates for you this Christmas!" Made me want to punch her and scoff down a whole box. I get this line every time I go to the doctors, but my blood pressure is great (beautiful, said the last doctor), and as soon as I mention my hip, they nod and say I'm right, I shouldn't push myself on the exercise front, but offer no helpful advice.*

I need to look at my diet. I love food, but I'm eating the wrong things too often. I've definitely put on weight in the last few years, but only on my arms and my tummy. The rest of me hasn't really changed. Sigh.

*Actually, I forgot - recently I was given a leaflet by the doctor, detailing what foods were good and what should be avoided. All the good foods were expensive cuts of meat, fish (bleurgh), and other crap I can't afford to eat every day. I threw it in the bin.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been reluctant to post my experiences, but this is a good topic for it and the folks posting here will hopefully take it charitably. My intent is not to offend, nor is it to offer any false hope. I'll first post this. 

 

First, this is a really great article. It emphasizes something I'm going to echo from my experiences - which is that what works for one person is not going to work with others, and what the most important thing you can do is is to do something that works for you, that you can do, and that so many problems are caused mostly by the damaging view of people who are overweight.

 I've removed the limitations that I once placed on myself, and it's because I lost 100 pounds.

I desperately wish that weren't the case.

I say that because everything I've just written perpetuates our noxious, damaging cultural narrative on weight and obesity. Ours is a culture that simultaneously incentivizes people to gain weight and stigmatizes them when they do, and then offers the bullshit promise of instant weight loss through some miracle diet or incredible exercise secret.

 

Just to be clear - this isn't me. But I'm in a very similar situation, and his article was brilliantly written while also being very true to my heart. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've gone through various stages of losing weight. For me, the easiest, best and most beneficial on my blood profile (cholesterol levels in particular) is a low carb regime. A lot of people think this is just a diet packed with meat, eggs and cheese, and while there is no inherent need to restrict consumption of these things, a proper low carb regime is also very heavy on non-starchy vegetables and plentiful consumption of non-psychoactive mushrooms. So lots of salads. If you don't eat decent amounts of low and medium carb vegetable then while you will still lose weight other health problems and feeling unhealthy will come along.

 

I have, over time, come around to a less weight focussed approach and a more health focussed approach. Eating a sensible diet and getting regular exercise is the aim, if I lose weight at the same time that's an added benefit, but it's not the primary motivation. As I am firmly in the middle years of life I find that directly trying to lose weight takes more effort than trying to make healthy decisions. My attitude might change if I suddenly found myself single and wanting to get into the dating game, but I'm planning on having my wife outlive me so I don't see that kind of motivation ever becoming a factor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dr. Pepper, that sucks by the way. And is really mysterious. I've been saying this a lot to various friends - see a nutritionist. 

 

And the tl;dr thing here is this: the most important thing is to try things that work for you that you're willing to do, and then do that. Don't feel bad that something doesn't work, because everyone is different. It isn't your fault and you're not doing something wrong. 

 

I've been struggling with my weight for a few years now. Okay, really struggling. I've always had problems with my weight, but I was at least in a place that was comfortable for me and maintaining it. Then I had kids, and then I had IBS issues.

 

Since I've had kids I've gained 120 pounds. That would be about 6 years. I had become less active, though not insanely so. I hadn't particularly changed what I ate, or how much of it I ate. I had seriously far more cravings. My thyroid went somewhat bad, and taking the thyroid medication appeared to actually make it worse. The only way I lost any weight was to seriously cut down on calories, to a 500-1000 per day diet. And even then that didn't work all that well. 

 

I had pretty much given up on getting better. I was resigned to having these problems or getting bariatric surgery to fix it. Then, on my doctor's recommendation and my wife's urging, I went to see a nutritionist. 

 

Here's the thing: I did not set out to lose weight. It would be a nice thing to do and I had hope, but I wasn't doing this to lose weight. I was doing it to hopefully change some of the IBS stuff, feel less tired, and help with the thyroid issues. 

 

She put me on a fairly restrictive diet similar to a paleo diet, though with some things (cheese) and without others that are common (like rices or honey). The diet is 'no starches, no sugars' - though fruit is fine. I wrote down every day anything that I hoped would help with causation - a detailed log of everything I ate, any bathroom uses, the time I woke, the time I took meds. The effects were shocking in how transformative they were. I immediately noticed energy changes, dramatic ones. My mood was significantly improved to the point where I was almost manic at times. My body ached far less. My IBS stuff went significantly down. I was sleeping better. 

 

And I've lost 60 pounds in 4 months. I'd likely have lost even more had I not tried a fix for the IBS involving a lot of antibiotic treatments; during that month my weight stayed stable. As soon as I was off that, I was back to losing weight. 

 

The reason for my weight loss is not due to lack of calories; I don't restrict how much I eat particularly at all. I eat snacks, I eat when I'm hungry. I don't worry about it. If I have a craving, I'll eat then. I'm not particularly trying to lose weight, and I think that's one of the big things about it. I'm trying to be healthy. The weight loss is an awesome side effect. 

 

And this will almost certainly not work for anyone else. It works for me because it is likely my weight gains were due to a lack of vitamins, inflammation caused by something I was eating (likely gluten, but possibly a few other things), and poor absorption of nutrients due to the stomach issues. We still don't know what the root cause is. It might be years before I find out. Until then, I'll likely be on this diet - and chances are decent I'll never not be on the diet. That's not going to be the case for everyone. Not everyone's weight gain will be caused by lack of absorption or by inflammation. Most people's won't be. 

 

Folks have asked me what my goal weight is - and I don't have one, precisely. I want to get down to a weight where I can do something that I was stopped at doing - the powered hang gliders in hawaii. But that's not really the point. 

 

As to staying on the diet, personally I've found it far easier to stay on a diet that says, flat out, 'no' to things. Binary options are pretty good for me. It's easy to say 'I can't have that' instead of 'I can only have a bit of that'. There are a few things that I miss, but not nearly as many as I thought there would be; I have zero cravings for sweets any more, for instance. The hardest thing about the diet has been finding foods that don't have sugar in them. 

 

I've also gone off the diet at points and it's remarkable how completely shitty I feel when I do. That also makes it really, really easy to stay on the diet.

 

The thing that was most important for my success on this was my wife's unwavering, wonderful support. She embraced the change and has worked incredibly hard to figure out foods I can eat, recipes that will work, and changes to everything. She's been awesome, and it would have been impossible to do this without her. My kids help too - it's surprising how well my kids telling random strangers 'he can't eat sugar! don't give him sugar!' works in avoiding any temptation. :) And my wife is a good argument for the one size doesn't fit all theory. She's basically on the same diet I am and has lost basically nothing in weight, feels more grumpy without as many carbs and nothing has changed for her that much. It has far less  to do with 'do this one specific thing' and much more to do with figuring out what works.

 

For diet plans, I do recommend trying something like Whole30 if you can't see a nutritionist. Cutting out almost all foods that are problematic can be, for some people, a huge eye opener in their life. I've met a lot of people who had no idea they had intolerances to things like tomatoes or garlic or wheat or milk, and that they had lived their whole lives not knowing that things could be better. It also promotes the don't weigh yourself every day thing, because again - that's not the point. If that diet doesn't work for you or you don't want to do it - don't. Find something else. 

 

Good luck, all. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To agree with and provide contrast to Kalbear, I dropped approx from a lifetime high of 135kg (310lb?) down to 115kg (260lb) - the lowest I've been since 2008 - over the course of 2 years or so by drastically upping my exercise levels and simply keeping track of what I eat. No particular diets, just limiting myself to fewer calories and trying to emphasise protein and healthy fats over sugar or carbs.

Fad or extreme diets are the enemy.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I could have written Kalbear's post, up to the support of family.  I think one of the biggest difficulties I  have had is that my family doesn't support me in any way with the dieting.  It is so hard to keep with it when other people are constantly bringing in things that you can't have.

 

I think it is very important to talk with your SO about what changes you need and to ask them for their support, they can truly make the difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really feel for all of the mothers out there.  The weight loss journey is quite exhausting both physically and mentally.  I found my greatest tool in My Fitness Pal.  That was a game changer.  I'm also quite physically active.  I do a boot camp style workout 4 days a week, dance class 4 days a week, and 3 days a week I run and do strength training on my own.  This is only because I don't work in the summers.  When I return it's a lighter load.  I've had a 45 lb weight loss and am finally loving my body.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was shocking to me that after we were married and my wife and I were eating basically the same breakfast and dinner and packing the same lunch, eating out maybe twice a month that I began to gain half to a pound a week and she began steadily losing half a pound a week. And my job required me to walk 5000-8000 steps per day around the office floor, from my station to the server room and all around interacting with coworkers, easily quadruple her jobs minimal walking.

Her secret, she figured out she was celiac and we cut out gluten. My problem, I wasn't sleeping enough--I went from living in a dark groundfloor apartment I loved (and I'd blacked out the windows with duvetyne years earlier when I'd been working nights and never took it down) to a relatively bright and airy groundfloor apartment with mere curtains--result, I slept less and less well in the newer brighter environs.

When it comes to weight loss and weight gain the primary controlling factor is sleep quantity and quality.

If I'm not getting adequate sleep, it doesn't matter how much or little I exercise nor how much or little I consume, the sleep factor trumps both. And if I didn't get my sleep right, diet nor exercise did nothing for me.

I've also found that exercise is useless for weight loss. Exercise makes me feel good when I'm in shape, but the only thing that works for weight loss is daily walking. Not running nor jogging--those are exercise, but just walking. If I exercise I'm going to involuntarily and efficiently eat more or my metabolism will involuntarily and efficiently collapse an equivalent amount to conserve energy (offsetting the exercise), neither of which are good nor useful outcomes. Walking doesn't trigger either of these reactions. Walking outside is more satisfying, but walking on a treadmill can include a 3% incline and wind up being more efficient by maintaining a constant speed and set duration.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really am getting to the point where I am genuinely disgusted with my body and because I have a tendency to be a horrible pathetic depressive I have just been burying my head in the sand for ages. Only recently have I started to shed a few pounds and hopefully this will continue. Am walking a LOT more and am trying to sort put sleep and food habits because I couldn't bear to put on any more weight. Annoying thing is I LOOK kinda reasonably slim so people are always dismissing how I feel about my weight and encouraging me to just love my body but I CANT when its so uncomfortable and fat and a new stretch mark is popping up all the time and I'm only 21 :( :( :( I used to be very fit and sporty and want to be that way again but it seems hopeless and far away like it will never happen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I absolutely adore kalbear's post and the article he linked. I've lost 20 lbs., and am basically doing nothing but walking 45 minutes a day and eating right. That's it. I'm also sleeping much better, but that's because I'm out of an abusive relationship and much less stressed.

I have spent the last 5 years in an extremely hostile environment. I had breast cancer, and between dealing with that and my home environment, I was basically a hot mess. Getting my personal life straight, and creating a restful, calm environment where I live has been the biggest help to me. I wake up early and walk 45 minutes outside every morning and it's unbelievable what that does for me. I work up a good sweat, but I also pray, meditate, and just enjoy the freedom in being alive and happy for the first time in a very long time.

I have had to deal with a lot of self image issues in the last 5 years. Having a double mastectomy will screw with your head, let me tell you. One of the biggest reasons I believe I was able to go through with a divorce and get my head back on fairly straight is finally being able to accept who I am now, what I look like now, and being okay with it. I'm at a place now where I'm actually proud of my scars and flat chest. I freaking survived, dammit. I'm here. I'm alive. And I'm perfectly fine and awesome exactly how I am right now, 30 lbs extra and all. Some of you may remember how much I have struggled with this over the years.

Life is hard enough, and it's gone in the blink of an eye. I want to hug every single one of you in this thread; I have met some of you, and wish you could see how lovely and special you are. Did you notice my 30 extra lbs? I didn't think so. Did it bother you? Nope. You liked me anyway. <3

Part of being good to myself is my 45 minute walk every day, the food that I lovingly prepare for myself, and the breaks I give myself because I've had a freaking hard time over the last 5 years. I wish you guys would cut yourself some slack and realize how awesome you are. Theda, Kissd, Lany, Kal...you guys are so awesome and fantastic.

Sorry for the touchy/feely post...I just really believe the reason why I'm able to shed weight now is that I''m not stressed 24/7, I'm sleeping reasonably well, and I'm taking better care of myself and eating fruits and veggies instead of crap, but that's only my experience.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been overweight for a while and for me it is really about access to food. My body wants to be around 200 pounds and will always try to adjust to get to that weight. If I exercise more I eat more and if I eat less I have not energy. At the moment I am working down the road from a row of takeaways and cafes and where I'm sure the meals have twice as many calories as home made stuff but I just love getting out of the office and sitting somewhere else to eat (and it needs to be somewhere indoors, I live in the UK). I think the only answer for me is either a very strict regime (I can keep these up for years but give up eventually) or to just stay away from high caloried food. Luckily I am moving to a job where there is one cafe on site and nothing else for miles so that should encourage me to change my habits. 

 

I have joined the gym recently and have been going regularly but I have actually managed to put on a couple of pounds so I've started cutting out chocolate and snacks in general. I am thinking of going back on a slow-carb regime I had a lot of success with but I gave up because I stopped losing at 160 pounds and stayed there. However I am not really bothered about being thin, I'd rather be healthy so moving from an obese to overweight BMI is as good a goal as any. I have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, low sugar and no cancer in my family so it isn't really a health issue at the moment, more a vanity issue.

 

I recently read some of Johann Hari's stuff on drugs and I think most of his ideas apply to over-eating as well. I couldn't believe in food-addiction when I believed the chemical hooks theory on addiction but if you think of addiction as a replacement for human bonds then food addiction makes a lot of sense. For instance my going out and eating lunch on my own is highly enjoyable for me because is a replacement for sitting with someone else. I have noticed that there is a big difference in people when they eat together. Me and other fat people concentrate on the food while the thin and normal weight people concentrate on each other. Food throughout human history has been a social thing so the brain probably equates eating well with being a member of a group and being loved. If you can feel loved through food then you don't have to make an effort with others. A chip never asks you to clean your room or has an argument with you about what to watch on the telly so chips win out over people every time.

 

This may seem a bit extreme (and a bit mean and nasty) but the thing I'm leaving out here is that people with addictions usually have something serious in their past which causes them to stop trusting people, not want to give others their time and to become self-reliant. The withdrawal from other people comes first and then the addiction. Mine came from severe bully I suffered at school between the ages of 4 and 11 but I didn't become overweight until I was 20, had complete control of my diet and started comfort eating. My lack of connection with people not only causes me to overeat but also causes addictive behaviour in regards to other things such as internet forums, twitter (that was embarrassing), games, hobbies, etc, basically anything which creates a false sense of interaction, gives the promise of future interaction or is sort of human interaction but not quite.

 

I am now working on connecting with people. I no longer do that "alone in a crowd" thing that I basically did throughout the whole of my teens and twenties. Luckily that  was cured merely by a change in attitude. However I am still sat silently in an office oblivious to what everyone else here is doing and talking to you lot instead. I will have to go and get them a coffee or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...