Critique my weight loss plan
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Anonymous
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I'm a 54 year old female just hitting menopause. I am 5'8" and over the pandemic, my weight shot up to about 205 pounds. Since returning back to in person schooling last spring (I'm a teacher) I dropped 10 pounds but then have been stuck at 195 as apparently my new set point. Before turning 40 my weight was at its highest about 145, so being this overweight has been something that happened later in life and after having children.
The only things that have helped me lose weight in the past ten years have been low-carb or more recently the Wahls Protocol (which I really loved and felt great on, but it isn't sustainable in my current family life and with my responsibilities. It also was more expensive than I could afford.) I need to start turning things around now or I am going to be in big trouble. I started 12-12 intermittent fasting a month ago and am seeing slow weight loss. It feels sustainable and has helped me completely cut out my evening snacking which was a HUGE problem now I realize. I am at 189 pounds for the first time in years. So I think my goals will be: 1) Continue 12-12 intermittent fasting and get the whole family on a schedule where dinner is over by 7 PM. (or they are on their own for meals etc. but it needs to include cleanup on their own, because clean up is where I start snacking again!) 2) Try to gradually extend IF to 7PM-11:30 AM when I can eat a pretty big lunch at school? 3). Build up good gut bacteria -- Add pre-biotics and pro-biotics (inc fermented foods) to my diet -- these are supposed to help with weight loss I think? -- eat more polyflavenols (berries, dark chocolate) 4) Figure out a way to get more of the foods I did so well with on the Wahls Protocol -- (leafy greens, kale, cabbage mushrooms onions etc) especially for lunch at work. This is a lifestyle change issue since it is so hard to eat really well at school in just 30 minutes and having to remember to pack it since I can't really go out for lunch. Also add more protein like oysters, sardines, fish. My evening meals at home are not usually a big problem -- but I could reduce carbs and up my intake of leafy greens. Continue to cut out all meals past 7 PM. 5) Start some weight bearing low impact exercises and work them into a simple daily routine that is sustainable. I'm thinking to try some simple dumbbell type curls in the morning before I shower or something like that -- nothing too extensive or I will not incorporate it into a habit. OK, what do you think? |
Anonymous
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Do you have a friend with a Costco membership? They carry all those items and for cheaper. Also Aldi has cheaper veggies. I don’t remember if they have sardines though.
Weight loss really comes from diet. But it’s important to add strength training because muscle burns more calories than fat. |
Anonymous
| You’re overthinking it. You need to eat less, move more. It’s that simple. |
Anonymous
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I think your biggest win is going to be if you can find a sustainable lunch that you can pack every day and be content with. For me, that was a mixed green salad made with super greens like baby spinach, kale, chard. The grocery stores sell packages of those baby greens. Add some other vegetables, I liked peppers, cucumbers, and shredded carrots plus blueberries and keep olive oil and vinegar at work to dress your salad when you eat it. Ideally, you should add a protein in there like a hard-boiled egg or chicken strips or a piece of grilled fish. I also like to add sunflower or pumpkin seeds. With that, I have one serving of whole grain crackers (I like wheat thins or triscuits) and either a glass of milk or cheese stick. Pack a serving of nuts or a nut-based bar and do that every single day. I'm not going to lie, packing your lunch every day is a huge drag, but it was what kept me healthy.
Your plan to IF from 11:30 AM to 7 PM seems fine, but I'd like to see you get a walk in before work every day if that's possible. I do 30 mins of cardio plus 10 min weight training each morning because that is sustainable for me. That's either a spin workout or outdoor walk or treadmill. I found weight exercises that work for me and rotate them each day. I don't like weights but I can usually get myself to do them for 10 minutes. Good luck. |
Anonymous
Thanks so much, I really appreciate your comments. Yeah, I think you have identified the key issue about making the work lunch (at elementary school) sustainable. I just need to figure it out. I think the small packs of healthy greens are a good idea. I am good about making delicious homemade dressings and packing leftover proteins that I can add. I just need to remember to bring it to work and have it there to eat. If I forget to bring something, the only option is the vending machine and that's really bad for me. I do walk a TON every day in my job as a teacher. I counted my steps once upon a time at it was up close to 20,000 in one day (but that was during state testing so it added a lot of course since we have to constantly circulate). Of course I'm not getting my heart rate up or anything during these walks, but I think it's the reason I gained wait last year when we went virtual and took off a bunch when we returned to in person. My feet hurt to be honest so throwing an extra walk in after work isn't my ideal. I do walk with a friend about 3 times a week though so I could include more. I was hoping if I could lose another 10 pounds, my feet and joints would hurt less when I walk, though. |
Anonymous
I just reread this -- you suggest a walk *before* work? I am thinking about this. I am intrigued by the IF idea that only after 12 hours fasting does your body switch to fat burning mode. In that case, exercise done before my first meal of the day should help burn more fat, correct? Versus exercise at 4:30 PM when I ate at 11:30? |
Anonymous
God I’m so tired of hearing this. Weight loss is anything but simple. |
Anonymous
OP here -- at my age, I just ignore comments like the one you are responding to. Life's too short to respond to stuff like that, and it distracts from the serious business of trying to make sustainable changes. |
Anonymous
DP. It's simple, especially since OP is open to IF. Exercise same time everyday, eat two meals a day, 800 calories each. And no snacks. The more complicated you make it, the harder it will be to follow. |
Anonymous
+1. OP, I'm following your thread closely since I could have written it. I'm 54yo and 5'4" now hovering around 200 lbs after being 125 lbs my entire adult life5 lbs but my weight shot up during the pandemic. Trying to focus on getting it off but am having trouble budging the scale. Good luck to you. |
Anonymous
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I think you have a great plan OP! I hesitated to comment too much on it since I am a decade behind you and haven’t yet faced merge same hormonal changes. But I would try the gradual IF increase so you eventually skip breakfast. For lunch I usually dump one of those bags of chopped salads in a container with a couple hard boiled eggs and use 1/2 the dressing packet.
Start with a few changes and add on from there! Maybe a strength training session when you get home? Dedicate just 10 minutes to it to start the habit and build on it. Good luck! |
Anonymous
PP is right though. It really IS simple, it is just not easy. Calorie deficit is what your need. You need to find the most sustainable way to accomplish it. If that is IF great, but I have no problem to eat too much even on two meals a day. Calorie counting is definitely the most reliable method. And it works at all ages. |
Anonymous
OK, I'll count my calories, too. |
Anonymous
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OP again. I think I'll wait until I am at 180 pounds to count calories though. See, for ME counting calories isn't sustainable. I'm trying to do all the small things I can that are sustainable, first, like 12-12 intermittent fasting and reducing carbs (not eliminating them).
I'm not sure about the gut biome stuff, but I am intrigued by the research that different types of bacteria living in your gut can basically extract more calories from your food. I want skinny people bacteria! If changing my gut bacteria or eating more prebiotics like inulin can even help me lose just 1/2 pound a month, that would be a tiny sustainable nudge in the right direction. So maybe I'll lose what I can without counting calories, and just work on simple routines like weight bearing exercises and IF and such. Then when (if) I hit say, 180 pounds and stall, I will add in counting calories -- I just hate that part. SW 195 CW 188 GW 180. -- my first goal anyhow. Oh, I'm 5'8" for what it is worth! |
Anonymous
Thank you so much! so, I actually added a 3 minute baby steps strength workout to my morning routine. 5 exercises for 30 seconds each! Trying not to overgoal... |