Anonymous
Post 12/08/2024 18:30     Subject: Excess fat bothering me on many levels
I hear you, OP. I'm in a similar position. I need to diet HARD and seriously limit carbs, or regain weight, I haven't found a sustainable middle ground. And I loooove carbs.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2024 18:06     Subject: Excess fat bothering me on many levels
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:5 pounds in 4-5 weeks isn't slow progress. You yoyo because you're impatient to lose too quickly. Aim for half a pound a week or even less. You'll be at your goal in less than a year.


I don’t know how to do otherwise. My regular diet, even slightly improved, does not work.

What worked in the past is a lot of mental focus when my body wants to have sugar, soda (after turning it down for say a week at a time). 1 hour walks every single day.

I can do this, I’ve done it. But why is there such as wide berth between like a fairly healthy diet and the one that changes my body? One is easy (weight stable), one is so mentally taxing but actually works and is also healthy.

I don’t know how to lose a medium amount.


I love power-walking. You need to walk so fast you cannot carry on a conversation. I look for hills to do repeatedly and stairs at my local park. I sweat like the dickens. I am 60 now and still in good (tight!) shape. I also stick to 1500 calories a day. No junk food. I am 5-1, 120, all muscle. Was 105 til menopause. Also light weights at home.
Anonymous
Post 12/07/2024 08:39     Subject: Excess fat bothering me on many levels
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Op here. example of a weight-stable behavior. Asterisk for a slow-loss improvement possibility.
-bagel with butter. An egg or two
-chips and apple snack
-salad with dressing, chicken, cuke, tomatoes at lunch
-home cooked dinner, small burger or veggie soup over rice
-not every day. Extra snack like popcorn or ice cream or a three cookies. Maybe a candy bar instead **could drop this + morning snack for slow progress. But there’s not really a “wall” to help me attack this mentally.
-lots of water daily, sometimes a Coke Zero.

This is comfortable but I stay the same.

________
And an example of effective, actual progress that takes months of mental dedication.
-scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt and fruit. If my stomach hurts, a whole what toast with butter to settle it. Alternatively protein shake.
-salad with homemade dressing, chicken, cuke, tomatoes at lunch
-home cooked dinner, burger in a lettuce wrap or veggie soup over rice. Big salad, roast veggies, bolognese over rice or veggies. I really really like these dinners.
-barely any snack. Maybe something outside of the rules 1-2 a week. If I’m hungry, apple, tea, water, pack of nuts.
-lots of water daily, sometimes a Coke Zero.

So you can see it’s not much change or sacrifice but my body attacks, attacks, screams mentally. This is a rally effective for loss if I can endure it.


Exercise similar on both. More time given for effective loss which I *completely enjoy* but it’s a sacrifice for my wfh.


I see the potential for quite a big calorie difference in what you listed.


There is a huge calorie difference. That’s why it works.

But it’s a paradox - not that different. Same lunch, almost the same dinner.

But it’s also different enough that my body has a physical/stress/mental reaction a few days in. A subconscious mental hunger that I’m trying to get past.

Rationally, I want to get past it. In reality, it’s harder. And someone told me to slower. I don’t know how to do something “in between” those two. Then there’s no rules and I revert to normal.


It’s not at all the same. With one you are eating a bagel with butter, chips and candy bars and the other you aren’t. It’s hardly some mystery why you would lose on one plan and not the other.
Anonymous
Post 12/07/2024 08:36     Subject: Excess fat bothering me on many levels
“Cuke” as in cucumber, OP?

Good grief.
Anonymous
Post 12/07/2024 08:35     Subject: Excess fat bothering me on many levels
Anonymous wrote:Try eating less. Yawn.


And add a basic writing composition class, OP. It’s painful to read your posts.
Anonymous
Post 12/07/2024 08:23     Subject: Excess fat bothering me on many levels
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Op here. example of a weight-stable behavior. Asterisk for a slow-loss improvement possibility.
-bagel with butter. An egg or two
-chips and apple snack
-salad with dressing, chicken, cuke, tomatoes at lunch
-home cooked dinner, small burger or veggie soup over rice
-not every day. Extra snack like popcorn or ice cream or a three cookies. Maybe a candy bar instead **could drop this + morning snack for slow progress. But there’s not really a “wall” to help me attack this mentally.
-lots of water daily, sometimes a Coke Zero.

This is comfortable but I stay the same.

________
And an example of effective, actual progress that takes months of mental dedication.
-scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt and fruit. If my stomach hurts, a whole what toast with butter to settle it. Alternatively protein shake.
-salad with homemade dressing, chicken, cuke, tomatoes at lunch
-home cooked dinner, burger in a lettuce wrap or veggie soup over rice. Big salad, roast veggies, bolognese over rice or veggies. I really really like these dinners.
-barely any snack. Maybe something outside of the rules 1-2 a week. If I’m hungry, apple, tea, water, pack of nuts.
-lots of water daily, sometimes a Coke Zero.

So you can see it’s not much change or sacrifice but my body attacks, attacks, screams mentally. This is a rally effective for loss if I can endure it.


Exercise similar on both. More time given for effective loss which I *completely enjoy* but it’s a sacrifice for my wfh.


I see the potential for quite a big calorie difference in what you listed.


There is a huge calorie difference. That’s why it works.

But it’s a paradox - not that different. Same lunch, almost the same dinner.

But it’s also different enough that my body has a physical/stress/mental reaction a few days in. A subconscious mental hunger that I’m trying to get past.

Rationally, I want to get past it. In reality, it’s harder. And someone told me to slower. I don’t know how to do something “in between” those two. Then there’s no rules and I revert to normal.




Try every second day or something that works for you…. I also have a tough time mentally being hungry so I have to pace myself and not try so hard. My TDEE is about 1700. So will eat about 1300 Monday; 1400 Tuesday; 1500 Wednesday; 1600 Thursday; the 1700 for the rest of the week and then start again. Yes it’s slow - less than around a week. But I am down about 20 pounds this year and while meal planning was difficult in the beginning it has been much less of a mental challenge. It was hard to discipline myself to work less hard at weight loss to have more success if you know what I mean. I have more still to lose but this feels sustainable.

Hope this helps
Anonymous
Post 12/06/2024 08:57     Subject: Re:Excess fat bothering me on many levels
Do you lift, OP? I didn't start lifting to lose fat, I did it go gain strength and muscle mass, but heck if it didn't also make me lose body fat. I've been consistently lifting (heavy for me) for a year now and am really starting to see results. It doesn't happen over night and you have to start SLOW, but if you are patient and stick with it, you WILL see results. And bonus - your bones and muscles will get stronger. I don't really run, but I do a lot of fast walking to supplement.
Anonymous
Post 12/04/2024 16:38     Subject: Excess fat bothering me on many levels
I’m going to do it. Talking this through, I just need to come up with ways to think more rationally when eating better. I *like* eating better. I also become flexible enough, it’s not even that hard.

But I’m going to work through this mental obstacle and get there. I’ve done it before and it’s important to me to try again.
Anonymous
Post 12/04/2024 16:34     Subject: Excess fat bothering me on many levels
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Op here. example of a weight-stable behavior. Asterisk for a slow-loss improvement possibility.
-bagel with butter. An egg or two
-chips and apple snack
-salad with dressing, chicken, cuke, tomatoes at lunch
-home cooked dinner, small burger or veggie soup over rice
-not every day. Extra snack like popcorn or ice cream or a three cookies. Maybe a candy bar instead **could drop this + morning snack for slow progress. But there’s not really a “wall” to help me attack this mentally.
-lots of water daily, sometimes a Coke Zero.

This is comfortable but I stay the same.

________
And an example of effective, actual progress that takes months of mental dedication.
-scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt and fruit. If my stomach hurts, a whole what toast with butter to settle it. Alternatively protein shake.
-salad with homemade dressing, chicken, cuke, tomatoes at lunch
-home cooked dinner, burger in a lettuce wrap or veggie soup over rice. Big salad, roast veggies, bolognese over rice or veggies. I really really like these dinners.
-barely any snack. Maybe something outside of the rules 1-2 a week. If I’m hungry, apple, tea, water, pack of nuts.
-lots of water daily, sometimes a Coke Zero.

So you can see it’s not much change or sacrifice but my body attacks, attacks, screams mentally. This is a rally effective for loss if I can endure it.


Exercise similar on both. More time given for effective loss which I *completely enjoy* but it’s a sacrifice for my wfh.


I see the potential for quite a big calorie difference in what you listed.


There is a huge calorie difference. That’s why it works.

But it’s a paradox - not that different. Same lunch, almost the same dinner.

But it’s also different enough that my body has a physical/stress/mental reaction a few days in. A subconscious mental hunger that I’m trying to get past.

Rationally, I want to get past it. In reality, it’s harder. And someone told me to slower. I don’t know how to do something “in between” those two. Then there’s no rules and I revert to normal.
Anonymous
Post 12/04/2024 16:31     Subject: Excess fat bothering me on many levels
Anonymous wrote:Why would you stop running? Yes, weight lifting is very important at our age but so is cardio.

I have 10 pounds that crept back on. Ir re-joined noom last night to get me ready for winter break.


Op here. I felt like I was hitting new PRs (at least for the decade I am in).. so I was doing well. But after I improved in running quite a bit, I thought, I can’t run any better / maintain unless I drop fatty pounds. And actually worried that running with an extra 30 would be detrimental to joints faster.

I walk a lot. I miss running, but I won’t do it until I’ve lost excess fat.