I was in your shoes. Lost a lot of weight. Now I don’t need the caffeine push, eat the same volume or more just better choices but still stuff I enjoy.

The easiest way is to hurt cut out pretty much everything that comes in a package.

I get roughly half of my daily calories (2500) from post workout protein heavy lunch.
500 cal for breakfast
1000 cal lunch
250 snack
500 dinner

250 cal fluff to use or lose

I’m on ozempic and eat whatever I want, just smaller portions. I am type 2. I’m losing very slowly, because I’m again, eating whatever I want, but losing. 15 pounds in 10 weeks.

Mid-50s here, and I go back and fourth, monthly, sometimes weekly or daily, between settling for being fat and happy, versus watching what I'm eating, losing weight, and being happier because clothing looks better, and I feel better about myself.

Currently in the watching what I eat category, since mid-January I have lost about 10 pounds, down 25 pounds from my all time high after sitting on my fat a$$ and stuffing my face during covid lockdown, but still 15 to go until I know I will feel better about how I look and feel.

The problem is (well, one of the problems is), I really like to cook, eat, and socialize, and even socializing tends to involve a lot of food...

Anonymous wrote:Realistically 5-10 lbs won’t make that big of a difference.

Just relax.

I lost 10lbs and went from high blood pressure to normal. It makes a gigantic difference. Life extending difference.

tip from a thin person --- make lunch your big interesting meal, and have a very small dinner (like a salad). Breakfast is something like a banana with peanut butter on it.

To OP - you must have at least some desire to lose weight given that you posted here.

A few recommendations:

Beck Diet Book has a 45 day mental plan. One of the first things you do is make a list of why you want to lose weight. Big issues for me were looking better for professional development purposes, easier clothes shopping and health. The cognitive behavioral plan helps you manage feelings and thoughts like "I don't care anymore".

If stress and exhaustion is your struggle, I'd recommend sleep tracking such as the Oura Ring. The podcast Weight Loss for Busy Physicians specifically addresses struggles with stress and exhaustion.

I used to get crashes in the afternoon too. I'd tell myself "If I don't eat that pastry I will DIE". You should eat to avoid blood sugar crashes. You could use a glucose monitor such as Signos or Levels and also check out the Glucose Goddess book. I don't get these crashes anymore.

I enjoy following people on instagram who are older than me and crushing it - Joan MacDonald, Susan Nierbergall and Jen Reed.

Anonymous wrote:OP I hear you. In the same boat.

I used to have a killer body, I was beautiful, watched what I ate, and exercised. But now, I just want to give up and do and eat what I want. But the consequence is I feel ugly, look ugly, I know I’m now the fat nobody disappearing into the background. I just have no willpower anymore and no idea how to get it back. I’m a ghost now. A fat, lazy nobody. I’m ashamed, but it’s so hard now to lose the 40 pounds I’ve gained. My world feels is stressful and adds to this weight gain. Wish I could do something else but it isn’t that easy.

You are so hard on yourself!! I've heard the quote "you can't shame yourself thin". Is a more positive outlook possible?

Look up Joan MacDonald on instagram. She was inspiring to me.

Take care.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For people who strength train at home, what weights do you have and where did you buy them?

Go to Target. pick up a pair of dumbbells. Lift them over your head. If you can lift 10xs, move up a couple of lbs until the weights are heavy after 8 reps. Those are your upper body weights. Then pick up a pair 5 - 7 lbs more for your legs. YOu can always do fewer than 10 reps, 8 works. Don't buy too light. Women underestimate what they can lift.

+1

I'm a strength trainer who took up barbell lifting in my mid 30s. The 3-8 lb dumbbells we tend to work with aren't doing that much for muscle development. Most of you could probably squat or deadlift at least half of your body weight if you have the right form. Like, I have taken ladies in their 50s who have mostly done yoga from squatting a 20 lb dumbbell to 75-90 lb within a few sessions.

Don't worry about getting bulky, because it doesn't happen accidentally. Trust me--I've been trying to get there for years.

Go lift really heavy.

As a strength trainer, you should understand that different bodies respond differently to strength training. Just because you’ve been trying to bulk for years doesn’t mean everyone tries (unsuccessfully) for years. Lift heavy for health, absolutely, just don’t assume that it won’t lead to changes in body composition that you didn’t necessarily intend. The guidance to women shouldn’t be “lift heavy, you won’t bulk,” rather, “lift heavy, it’s good for your health regardless of whether you bulk or not.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For people who strength train at home, what weights do you have and where did you buy them?

Go to Target. pick up a pair of dumbbells. Lift them over your head. If you can lift 10xs, move up a couple of lbs until the weights are heavy after 8 reps. Those are your upper body weights. Then pick up a pair 5 - 7 lbs more for your legs. YOu can always do fewer than 10 reps, 8 works. Don't buy too light. Women underestimate what they can lift.

+1

I'm a strength trainer who took up barbell lifting in my mid 30s. The 3-8 lb dumbbells we tend to work with aren't doing that much for muscle development. Most of you could probably squat or deadlift at least half of your body weight if you have the right form. Like, I have taken ladies in their 50s who have mostly done yoga from squatting a 20 lb dumbbell to 75-90 lb within a few sessions.

Don't worry about getting bulky, because it doesn't happen accidentally. Trust me--I've been trying to get there for years.

Go lift really heavy.

Anonymous wrote:OP I hear you. In the same boat.

I used to have a killer body, I was beautiful, watched what I ate, and exercised. But now, I just want to give up and do and eat what I want. But the consequence is I feel ugly, look ugly, I know I’m now the fat nobody disappearing into the background. I just have no willpower anymore and no idea how to get it back. I’m a ghost now. A fat, lazy nobody. I’m ashamed, but it’s so hard now to lose the 40 pounds I’ve gained. My world feels is stressful and adds to this weight gain. Wish I could do something else but it isn’t that easy.

Don’t give up! This is how I felt about the 40 pounds I gained over the years I had children. I have lost half of it and things are much better.

Focus on developing one small habit at a time. For me I slowly built up to cutting most carbs and sugar out of my diet. I try to make the majority of my diet fruits and veggies. It’s very hard to overeat baby carrots.

OP, it sounds like you're talking about vanity weight, if this is about going from a 4 to a 2.

The reality is that unless you're someone who has a poor appetite, it's hard to maintain a low (I mean legitimately low) weight. It takes some forethought and discipline. If you haven't got it in you right now, being a size 4 is also great and many people would love to be that thin.

Personally, I normally keep to a size 4. When something is coming up and I want to look snatched, I take a couple months to diet off the extra weight. But the level of discipline it takes to be that thin is not sustainable for me for normal daily operations. If I just always stayed really skinny, I could never eat cake, drink wine, or eat over 1400 calories in a day. This is why I am fine with dieting down when needed for a special event. I suspect that a lot of people do this.

Anonymous wrote:For people who strength train at home, what weights do you have and where did you buy them?

Go to Target. pick up a pair of dumbbells. Lift them over your head. If you can lift 10xs, move up a couple of lbs until the weights are heavy after 8 reps. Those are your upper body weights. Then pick up a pair 5 - 7 lbs more for your legs. YOu can always do fewer than 10 reps, 8 works. Don't buy too light. Women underestimate what they can lift.

Print out the pictures and tape them to the fridge.

Anonymous wrote:OP I hear you. In the same boat.

I used to have a killer body, I was beautiful, watched what I ate, and exercised. But now, I just want to give up and do and eat what I want. But the consequence is I feel ugly, look ugly, I know I’m now the fat nobody disappearing into the background. I just have no willpower anymore and no idea how to get it back. I’m a ghost now. A fat, lazy nobody. I’m ashamed, but it’s so hard now to lose the 40 pounds I’ve gained. My world feels is stressful and adds to this weight gain. Wish I could do something else but it isn’t that easy.

Oh my gosh, you need to be kinder to yourself! You are not a fat, lazy, nobody! People love and respect you and you are worthy of that love and respect, no matter your size.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I could have written this. I definitely can cut back on portions and snacks. But I enjoy food and because of sluggish midlife metabolism I am really not eating copious amounts of food. But definitely not restricting or avoiding carbs or anything like that.

PP, 5-10 lbs will make a big difference for some. Not sure why you would say that.

5-10 lbs would make a big difference for me! 10lbs would take me down from a size 4 to a size 2

Pretty sure the original poster isn't trying to go from a 4 to a 2. Get out with your not-so-humble brag.