Anonymous wrote:OP here for my check in! Things are still going pretty well. I’ve lost two inches off my waist and I’m down 9 pounds. Still tracking my macros, walking 10k+ most days, and strength training 3 times a week. I feel good! I still have more to go, but I feel like I’ve made really great lifestyle changes. I don’t feel like I’m dieting at all. I’m proud to have stuck with it this long, but I think it’s because I made changes that are sustainable. I’m posting this for accountability, but also for motivation if anyone needs some. You can do this!

Congratulations! And thanks for the update and inspiration. Keep keeping us posted!

Anonymous wrote:OP here for my check in! Things are still going pretty well. I’ve lost two inches off my waist and I’m down 9 pounds. Still tracking my macros, walking 10k+ most days, and strength training 3 times a week. I feel good! I still have more to go, but I feel like I’ve made really great lifestyle changes. I don’t feel like I’m dieting at all. I’m proud to have stuck with it this long, but I think it’s because I made changes that are sustainable. I’m posting this for accountability, but also for motivation if anyone needs some. You can do this!

Great job! Don’t forget to take pictures so you can truly see all your progress.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get weight loss medication. It’s a miracle drug and will make your stomach shrink like crazy.

I told myself that I'm going give a natural/lifestyle change a try first. My worry about the weight loss drugs (besides the unknown long-term effects) is what happens when you stop? I would be right back to where I started, because I wouldn't have changed any of my current bad practices. Maybe I'm thinking incorrectly about it, but that's one more motivation for changing my diet and exercise first, because I don't want to just lose weight. I want to have a whole lifestyle change where I prioritize eating well and getting strong.

It’s hard to make a lifestyle change without medication. The medication stops the food noise so that you have the space to make correct choices. Once you’re in the habit of making better choices, you can make them even in the midst of food noise.

Hey there, I don’t think you read through the entire thread. I have made lifestyle changes without meds and it’s working really well! I am not struggling with food noise (once I cut the sweets and salty down and prioritized protein, I don’t crave food!). I am not at all saying this will work for everyone, but it’s working for me!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get weight loss medication. It’s a miracle drug and will make your stomach shrink like crazy.

I told myself that I'm going give a natural/lifestyle change a try first. My worry about the weight loss drugs (besides the unknown long-term effects) is what happens when you stop? I would be right back to where I started, because I wouldn't have changed any of my current bad practices. Maybe I'm thinking incorrectly about it, but that's one more motivation for changing my diet and exercise first, because I don't want to just lose weight. I want to have a whole lifestyle change where I prioritize eating well and getting strong.

It’s hard to make a lifestyle change without medication. The medication stops the food noise so that you have the space to make correct choices. Once you’re in the habit of making better choices, you can make them even in the midst of food noise.

OP here for my check in! Things are still going pretty well. I’ve lost two inches off my waist and I’m down 9 pounds. Still tracking my macros, walking 10k+ most days, and strength training 3 times a week. I feel good! I still have more to go, but I feel like I’ve made really great lifestyle changes. I don’t feel like I’m dieting at all. I’m proud to have stuck with it this long, but I think it’s because I made changes that are sustainable. I’m posting this for accountability, but also for motivation if anyone needs some. You can do this!

Anyone believe "cold plunges" to activate "brown fat" works, or is this another scam?

Anonymous wrote:OP,what is your goal weight? I had to laugh at your original post because 167 is my dream weight. I wouldn't consider that 'fat' at all at 5'7.

I'm currently at 186 and would love to be in the 160s. I started well over 200 though so any weight that begins with a 1 feels like a huge accomplishment to me.

I have found that below the 200 threshold,every pound lost makes a huge difference for me unlike before when I could lose 15+ pounds and not see any changes.

Op here, honestly I don’t have a goal weight. I know I posted pounds lost, but that’s that one data point I’m using to see how my lifestyle changes (nutrition and exercise) are affecting my body. Everything is relative. For the past ten years, I have been carrying a LOT of fat in my stomach area. Not only do I not like this (clothes don’t me well and I look like I’m pregnant), I know it means I have a lot of visceral fat around my organs. I have a family history of several diseases, and I’m trying to minimize my risk of these diseases. I am also really motivated to age well, to maximize my quality years. This has been the biggest motivator!

OP,what is your goal weight? I had to laugh at your original post because 167 is my dream weight. I wouldn't consider that 'fat' at all at 5'7.

I'm currently at 186 and would love to be in the 160s. I started well over 200 though so any weight that begins with a 1 feels like a huge accomplishment to me.

I have found that below the 200 threshold,every pound lost makes a huge difference for me unlike before when I could lose 15+ pounds and not see any changes.

OP here, checking in. Have lost 8 pounds and an inch off waist so far. Feeling really good. I enjoy tracking my macros, it’s become sort of second nature and I find it interesting to see what types of food make me feel better and fuller for longer (yogurt and animal protein). I am also really enjoying my strength training and daily walks. This is the longest I have stuck with a healthy plan in years, so I’m feeling rather proud of myself too. More to go, but I am looking forward to it!

You can absolutely do this.

In addition to all of the good advice here, I’ve found that weight training / core workouts made a difference as I lost weight.

It helped me to think that I was becoming more stable as my waistline got smaller. Plus, you can see improvement in exercise (more reps, etc) on the weeks when the scale doesn’t move.

Yes you absolutely can.

If you can do dairy, for breakfast target something that involves greek yogurt or cottage cheese. I can't do dairy and have protein smoothie (oat milk, protein powder, fruit).

I second OP's suggestion of leftover meat for lunch. Rotisserie chicken is good. I use the instantpot to make shredded chicken thighs with mexican flavors and it's great to have aon hand. Canned tuna is good. Trader Joe's has pre-cooked lentils (though are also pretty easy to prepare ahead and have on hand).

For lunch, I often throw together a salad with greens, whatever meat I have that week, lentils, maybe a hard boiled egg, and then either leftover roast veggies or some chopped fresh vegetables. If you are at home, steaming shrimp from frozen only takes about 5 minutes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The glp1s are amazing for losing weight around your waist. It just disappears. I highly recommend them.

I don’t doubt that they are amazing - but I’m working on building healthier habits (eating well, working out) for my weight loss. So far it’s working for me, even though it’s slow. I want a lifestyle change, not a quick change.

Op again - no shade at glp1s! Just saying I don’t need those right now since what I’m doing is working well for me!

Anonymous wrote:The glp1s are amazing for losing weight around your waist. It just disappears. I highly recommend them.

I don’t doubt that they are amazing - but I’m working on building healthier habits (eating well, working out) for my weight loss. So far it’s working for me, even though it’s slow. I want a lifestyle change, not a quick change.

Anonymous wrote:I’m in the same situation as OP but struggling to eat consistently due to high stress job, busy kids, and little time for food prep. I usually start off well with breakfast but have a hard time with what to prep for lunch which results in late afternoon snacking. Any suggestions for easy breakfast and lunch on the go? I’m better with dinners.

OP here - can you do leftovers for lunch? This week I made a big batch of sheet pan fajitas (marinated and sliced chicken breast, sliced peppers and onions, bake). Had it for lunch for two days afterwards with a half cup of Trader Joe’s rice medley and 2 tablespoons of TJ’s salsa.

Another easy lunch meal is rotisserie chicken over salad with a piece of sourdough or a wrap. Get a rotisserie chicken on Sunday and shred it Sunday night - lasts about three days.