"Drinking warm water throughout the day has helped enormously. It soothes me and keeps me satisfied for longer periods."

This is so interesting!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How strict do you want to be with your diet? because it will really all come down to diet. I’d say 10 lbs is reasonable.

Diet is so hard for me! I WFH and often just eat whatever I can find for lunch because I am in a hurry. I can’t find salad recipes I want to make, but I enjoy them when I get them from a restaurant. If I could Laetrile below 160 at this point, I’d be happy. Part of my problem is that I will lose a couple and then relax...and gain it all back. :/

Meal prep on Sunday and "pack" your lunch/daily meals just like you would if you were going to the office. Aim for 0.7-1g protein per pound of your goal weight and hit this every day. I'd also aim for 1500-1600 calories a day overall. Stick to only eating what you pack. I work out of the home and meal prepping/bringing my lunch is a huge calorie saver for me. Even on the weekends I try to eat my planned lunches and snacks, and stick to a similar meal schedule to keep from snacking all day and mindless eating. Working from home can definitely be challenging on the diet, but if you have a plan and stick to it, you can do it.

OP here again... my biggest trigger is procrastination, or when I'm struggling to write a deliverable. Until I get some momentum, it feels like I am constantly snacking. Ugh. The learning curve has been steep on this job and now, after 2+ years, I'm finally getting the hang of it, but this is how I gained the weight - and the job is still stressful. I like it, but I stress over it.

Same with me, OP. Totally same. I finally found success with intermittent fasting. It makes it so that I can't snack (or eat in general) in the morning. Then once I break my fast and eat a meal, I'm legitimately so full and satiated that I don't want to snack. I still want to procrastinate while I struggle to write a deliverable but I find myself reaching for tea or water or seltzer instead, because the thought of food is simply unappealing. I'm 5'8", and started at 178 pounds when I started IF on February 5. I'm now down to 171, and it's only been about 5 weeks. But I know the rest will take a lot longer to shed. But it is a nice way to kickstart and feel results.

NP. Wow. We have very similar stats. I am 5'8" and now 168 pounds. I was 178 pounds at the beginning of February. I eat berries(blue, rasp, and/or black) and a carrot for breakfast and then anything I desire for lunch. Dinner is light usually some protein(chicken, shrimp) and green vegetables (or banana) and a little treat(some gummies, popsicle, 6 ounce glass of lemonade etc).

What really works for me:
There is no magic. It's mostly about the calories. I tried losing in the gym from September through January, and nothing really happened(I did tone a little-my butt looks so much better).

I have drastically reduced my calories. I will estimate I am eating on average 1200-1400. I eat more some days and less on others. I don't count calories, but I have a general sense since this is not my first attempt at weight loss.

Weighing first thing every morning has been a huge success for me. It motivates me to see the scale drop even by a small decimal.

Drinking warm water throughout the day has helped enormously. It soothes me and keeps me satisfied for longer periods. I drink about 80 ounces of water a day(including about 1-2 bags of green tea a day)

I plan to be 148 pounds by memorial day. So 10 pounds a month. I did something very similar after I had my first child(gained all the weight back and then some while pregnant with my second).

OP, you need to make a major change in diet if you want to lose that weight. Don't worry about exercise.

Go cold turkey on any added sugar; change as much red meat and saurated fats as you can for lower fat proteins (eggs, fish, poultry, low fat cuts of pork) and veggies.

I’m the exact same height and weight, and also just started to get my act in gear. For me, I expect if I track food and eat well but not super restrictively, I can get down to 162 in about a month. Beyond that, it becomes exponentially harder to both lose and maintain. I might be able to get to 155 by Memorial Day, but it’s not worth the effort and probably won’t last. My natural set point seems to be around 160 and has been that way since 8th grade - so I’m not too hopeful I’ll hit 150 at 40, though that sure would be fun.

Download My Fitness Pal or a similar app and track everything you eat. If you like data that will keep you on track and be motivating. It will give you a calorie goal based on your goals and stats.

Use my fitness pal or weight watchers to write down what you eat and keep yourself accountable for snacking. Try to stay around 1200-1500 calories. I eat plant based and as long as I mainly avoid process foods I can feel full eating regular meals. I also Intermittent Fast and just eat from 11-7 (sometimes 8) A typical day-

Breakfast: Green smoothie with almond milk, 1/2 banana, 1/2 c pineapple, 1/2 scoop Vega one protein powder =225 calories
Lunch: salad with chickpeas, cucumbers, tomato, red onion, 1tbsp dressing = 150 cal
Afternoon snack: cup of black bean soup = 150 calories , apple = 80 calories
Dinner: 2 flour tortilla tacos w refried beans, veggie crumbles = 400 calories
Dessert: 1 c grapes 100 cal

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't do what I did. I lost over 5lbs eating low carb diet, I had some rice, but mostly ate veggies, fish, chicken and fruit. Then I decided to observe lent which in my Orthodox Christianity means no animal products( you can have some fish) within a day of eating clean vegan(I didn't eat fish either), I had brown rice with veggies, peas and lentils, and some tofu(not sure if tofu is healthy?). Within one day I was 4 lbs heavier. So yeah, so much for plant based clean diet makes you lose weight.

That's just water weight. Carbs hold water. You didn't gain 4 pounds overnight .

This! It is not possible to gain 4 lbs of fat overnight.

Are you guys sure? I was so crushed this morning! I ate so healthily yesterday, brown rice(not too much) peas and lentils, not too much, strawberries...etc. I kept up this morning and had oatmeal with blueberries, no added sugar or any kind on it.(I eat fresh fruit) Is it really possible to eat plan based diet and lose weight, people claim you can eat almost as much as you want if it is volume food, but not calories dense food and to eat oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, beans, etc.. Is it possible to be full on it? And not gassy like heck?

You can lose weight on ANY diet as long as you are in a consistent calorie deficit and patient.

As far as gaining 4 lbs overnight, yes, I am serious it is not possible to gain 4 lbs of fat overnight. Weight fluctuates bases on what you ate, how much you ate, your hydration level and so forth. You can't judge whether you are losing or gaining weight on one data point. You need to track it for many days and weeks to see where the trend line is going. Personally I weigh myself every day and track it in excel to plot the trend line. Having done this for 5 months now I have learned that weight loss is NOT linear, weight fluctuates a LOT, and when I hit a new low weight the next day my weight will go up and it will do this for a few days before coming down to a new low (provided I am consistent with my calorie deficit). Knowing how your weight fluctuates makes spikes like this so much less depressing and alarming.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't do what I did. I lost over 5lbs eating low carb diet, I had some rice, but mostly ate veggies, fish, chicken and fruit. Then I decided to observe lent which in my Orthodox Christianity means no animal products( you can have some fish) within a day of eating clean vegan(I didn't eat fish either), I had brown rice with veggies, peas and lentils, and some tofu(not sure if tofu is healthy?). Within one day I was 4 lbs heavier. So yeah, so much for plant based clean diet makes you lose weight.

That's just water weight. Carbs hold water. You didn't gain 4 pounds overnight .

This! It is not possible to gain 4 lbs of fat overnight.

Are you guys sure? I was so crushed this morning! I ate so healthily yesterday, brown rice(not too much) peas and lentils, not too much, strawberries...etc. I kept up this morning and had oatmeal with blueberries, no added sugar or any kind on it.(I eat fresh fruit) Is it really possible to eat plan based diet and lose weight, people claim you can eat almost as much as you want if it is volume food, but not calories dense food and to eat oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, beans, etc.. Is it possible to be full on it? And not gassy like heck?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't do what I did. I lost over 5lbs eating low carb diet, I had some rice, but mostly ate veggies, fish, chicken and fruit. Then I decided to observe lent which in my Orthodox Christianity means no animal products( you can have some fish) within a day of eating clean vegan(I didn't eat fish either), I had brown rice with veggies, peas and lentils, and some tofu(not sure if tofu is healthy?). Within one day I was 4 lbs heavier. So yeah, so much for plant based clean diet makes you lose weight.

That's just water weight. Carbs hold water. You didn't gain 4 pounds overnight .

This! It is not possible to gain 4 lbs of fat overnight.

Anonymous wrote:Don't do what I did. I lost over 5lbs eating low carb diet, I had some rice, but mostly ate veggies, fish, chicken and fruit. Then I decided to observe lent which in my Orthodox Christianity means no animal products( you can have some fish) within a day of eating clean vegan(I didn't eat fish either), I had brown rice with veggies, peas and lentils, and some tofu(not sure if tofu is healthy?). Within one day I was 4 lbs heavier. So yeah, so much for plant based clean diet makes you lose weight.

That's just water weight. Carbs hold water. You didn't gain 4 pounds overnight .

Don't do what I did. I lost over 5lbs eating low carb diet, I had some rice, but mostly ate veggies, fish, chicken and fruit. Then I decided to observe lent which in my Orthodox Christianity means no animal products( you can have some fish) within a day of eating clean vegan(I didn't eat fish either), I had brown rice with veggies, peas and lentils, and some tofu(not sure if tofu is healthy?). Within one day I was 4 lbs heavier. So yeah, so much for plant based clean diet makes you lose weight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How strict do you want to be with your diet? because it will really all come down to diet. I’d say 10 lbs is reasonable.

Diet is so hard for me! I WFH and often just eat whatever I can find for lunch because I am in a hurry. I can’t find salad recipes I want to make, but I enjoy them when I get them from a restaurant. If I could Laetrile below 160 at this point, I’d be happy. Part of my problem is that I will lose a couple and then relax...and gain it all back. :/

Meal prep on Sunday and "pack" your lunch/daily meals just like you would if you were going to the office. Aim for 0.7-1g protein per pound of your goal weight and hit this every day. I'd also aim for 1500-1600 calories a day overall. Stick to only eating what you pack. I work out of the home and meal prepping/bringing my lunch is a huge calorie saver for me. Even on the weekends I try to eat my planned lunches and snacks, and stick to a similar meal schedule to keep from snacking all day and mindless eating. Working from home can definitely be challenging on the diet, but if you have a plan and stick to it, you can do it.

OP here again... my biggest trigger is procrastination, or when I'm struggling to write a deliverable. Until I get some momentum, it feels like I am constantly snacking. Ugh. The learning curve has been steep on this job and now, after 2+ years, I'm finally getting the hang of it, but this is how I gained the weight - and the job is still stressful. I like it, but I stress over it.

You really have to purge your kitchen from snacks. I work from home, but only keep healthy snacks: sliced cucumbers, red pepper slices, etc. I keep a bag or two of Quest chips on hand if I get the munchies. They are high in protein, and make me drink a lot of water after.

OP here. I totally agree. Right now, as a mom of Girl Scouts, my house is loaded with those damn cookies. Frankly, with two kids and a husband who wants "snacks" (like tortilla chips and cheese crackers) it feels impossible to eliminate them!

You can’t avoid being around food. There is so much food everywhere. Instead you have to accept that what you put in your mouth is a choice and that you need to snack. It’s a mindset. I like being thin so I don’t snack. That’s it. Don’t overthink this. Find other things to focus on instead of food.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How strict do you want to be with your diet? because it will really all come down to diet. I’d say 10 lbs is reasonable.

Diet is so hard for me! I WFH and often just eat whatever I can find for lunch because I am in a hurry. I can’t find salad recipes I want to make, but I enjoy them when I get them from a restaurant. If I could Laetrile below 160 at this point, I’d be happy. Part of my problem is that I will lose a couple and then relax...and gain it all back. :/

Meal prep on Sunday and "pack" your lunch/daily meals just like you would if you were going to the office. Aim for 0.7-1g protein per pound of your goal weight and hit this every day. I'd also aim for 1500-1600 calories a day overall. Stick to only eating what you pack. I work out of the home and meal prepping/bringing my lunch is a huge calorie saver for me. Even on the weekends I try to eat my planned lunches and snacks, and stick to a similar meal schedule to keep from snacking all day and mindless eating. Working from home can definitely be challenging on the diet, but if you have a plan and stick to it, you can do it.

OP here again... my biggest trigger is procrastination, or when I'm struggling to write a deliverable. Until I get some momentum, it feels like I am constantly snacking. Ugh. The learning curve has been steep on this job and now, after 2+ years, I'm finally getting the hang of it, but this is how I gained the weight - and the job is still stressful. I like it, but I stress over it.

Same with me, OP. Totally same. I finally found success with intermittent fasting. It makes it so that I can't snack (or eat in general) in the morning. Then once I break my fast and eat a meal, I'm legitimately so full and satiated that I don't want to snack. I still want to procrastinate while I struggle to write a deliverable but I find myself reaching for tea or water or seltzer instead, because the thought of food is simply unappealing. I'm 5'8", and started at 178 pounds when I started IF on February 5. I'm now down to 171, and it's only been about 5 weeks. But I know the rest will take a lot longer to shed. But it is a nice way to kickstart and feel results.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How strict do you want to be with your diet? because it will really all come down to diet. I’d say 10 lbs is reasonable.

Diet is so hard for me! I WFH and often just eat whatever I can find for lunch because I am in a hurry. I can’t find salad recipes I want to make, but I enjoy them when I get them from a restaurant. If I could Laetrile below 160 at this point, I’d be happy. Part of my problem is that I will lose a couple and then relax...and gain it all back. :/

Meal prep on Sunday and "pack" your lunch/daily meals just like you would if you were going to the office. Aim for 0.7-1g protein per pound of your goal weight and hit this every day. I'd also aim for 1500-1600 calories a day overall. Stick to only eating what you pack. I work out of the home and meal prepping/bringing my lunch is a huge calorie saver for me. Even on the weekends I try to eat my planned lunches and snacks, and stick to a similar meal schedule to keep from snacking all day and mindless eating. Working from home can definitely be challenging on the diet, but if you have a plan and stick to it, you can do it.

OP here again... my biggest trigger is procrastination, or when I'm struggling to write a deliverable. Until I get some momentum, it feels like I am constantly snacking. Ugh. The learning curve has been steep on this job and now, after 2+ years, I'm finally getting the hang of it, but this is how I gained the weight - and the job is still stressful. I like it, but I stress over it.

You really have to purge your kitchen from snacks. I work from home, but only keep healthy snacks: sliced cucumbers, red pepper slices, etc. I keep a bag or two of Quest chips on hand if I get the munchies. They are high in protein, and make me drink a lot of water after.

OP here. I totally agree. Right now, as a mom of Girl Scouts, my house is loaded with those damn cookies. Frankly, with two kids and a husband who wants "snacks" (like tortilla chips and cheese crackers) it feels impossible to eliminate them!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How strict do you want to be with your diet? because it will really all come down to diet. I’d say 10 lbs is reasonable.

Diet is so hard for me! I WFH and often just eat whatever I can find for lunch because I am in a hurry. I can’t find salad recipes I want to make, but I enjoy them when I get them from a restaurant. If I could Laetrile below 160 at this point, I’d be happy. Part of my problem is that I will lose a couple and then relax...and gain it all back. :/

Meal prep on Sunday and "pack" your lunch/daily meals just like you would if you were going to the office. Aim for 0.7-1g protein per pound of your goal weight and hit this every day. I'd also aim for 1500-1600 calories a day overall. Stick to only eating what you pack. I work out of the home and meal prepping/bringing my lunch is a huge calorie saver for me. Even on the weekends I try to eat my planned lunches and snacks, and stick to a similar meal schedule to keep from snacking all day and mindless eating. Working from home can definitely be challenging on the diet, but if you have a plan and stick to it, you can do it.

OP here again... my biggest trigger is procrastination, or when I'm struggling to write a deliverable. Until I get some momentum, it feels like I am constantly snacking. Ugh. The learning curve has been steep on this job and now, after 2+ years, I'm finally getting the hang of it, but this is how I gained the weight - and the job is still stressful. I like it, but I stress over it.

So if my goal weight is 150, I'm aiming for 105-150 g of protein daily? OMG. I had to go to a plant-based diet per dr orders late last year, and protein is a massive struggle. And I hate tofu, and beans are so hard on my digestive system!

What about plain greek yogurt and/or cottage cheese?

I'm also about 15-20 pounds overweight and I'm 5'4". Looking to lose it by Memorial Day. Maybe we can check in here to keep each other accountable. I'm aiming for 130-135 pounds protein. I lift heavy weights 5-6x/week. Will adjust carbs/cals and cardio depending on how much I lose weekly.

OP here - I really have to work on my cholesterol, so I've been trying to eat vegan before dinner and then moderate the animal sourced food at dinner. I'd be fine with those suggestions otherwise!

I would LOVE to check in weekly.