Suggestions on weight loss?

[Veronica73]

So....

I’ve generally been quite fit. There’s been a few times when I have gained a few pounds, and gotten a little chubby, like maybe 155, but still, according to BMI (which I know isn’t the greatest measurement or anything), I was normal. And I was still fit. To give an example, I am 5’8, and have mostly stayed between 130-138lbs. And I pretty much was always fit, meaning I worked out regularly. Both weight training and cardio. I used to be a competitive runner, even at the college level. But then I got a permanent foot injury, so I can’t do that anymore which is a bummer. Because it was something I was good at and enjoyed. And I could get a great workout in 20-40 minutes with nothing more than a pair of running shoes. But then I did weight training and boot camp style workouts.

 

And when I was married, I kept myself in pretty good shape. Better than average. Especially for the Midwest, which is where I lived. But I got divorced in 2015. And since then, I have had a really, really hard time being motivated. And there isn’t anybody I’m interested in. And I have gained a TON of weight. Like I’m around 190lbs right now (5’8” and 45 years old). And I hate it. I never thought I was down on other people who are overweight, but when I am overweight.... I don’t know how to deal with it. I have never been overweight before in my life. I’ve gotten myself into a deep rut or something. I even find myself avoiding doing things because I’m afraid I’ll run into people who I knew from before and they won’t recognize me or will gossip about me or whatever. I’m pretty embarrassed that I let myself go this far.

 

And I know that what I’m saying will probably draw criticism. Because it will sound like I’m criticizing other people who are bigger or overweight. I know that and I apologize. But I really don’t give a crap about other people’s weight. And I kind of know that you shouldn’t hold other people to different standards than you hold yourself. But I guess I’ve always been pretty fit and lean before.

 

Does anybody have any suggestions?

[Veronica73]

And I think I do understand the basics of what I need to do. I think I need to eat plenty of lean protein, lots of veggies, and track things on My Fitness Pal. Get most of my carbs from non-starchy veggies. And get back into working out regularly. And I think strength training is important. But diet is probably the most important. I think I’m just so demoralized right now, I could help with a little motivation or something. If that makes any sense. :\

 

I don’t even look like myself.

[Foxhall]

not easy, I like my food myself thou am not overweight because I do a lot of sports, its a gradual process really, it may be difficult to suddenly transform your diet, you have to get the carbohydrates down , cut out white breads, try to eliminate biscuits and pastries, maybe a small amount of dark chocolate is ok as a treat, get active join some fun group activity like aqua aerobics, join a weight loss management group. get swimming or cycling. you will feel better mentally and physically if you lose a few pounds,you will have more energy and it will be easier find romance again. you want to live a long life so take action now to give yourself the best chance.

[mrs rubble]

You know how to fix this, and I'm sure you will!! Stop being so hard on yourself, hormones could also be playing a part in this. I lost a load of weight when I gave up drinking fizzy drinks and juice and took up drinking lots of water and walking as much as possible.

[Veronica73]

You know how to fix this, and I'm sure you will!! Stop being so hard on yourself, hormones could also be playing a part in this. I lost a load of weight when I gave up drinking fizzy drinks and juice and took up drinking lots of water and walking as much as possible.

 

Yes, I do know how to fix it. I don’t know why I’m having such a problem with it.

 

When you say giving up drinking fizzy drinks, are you including seltzer? I love seltzer, and it doesn’t have any calories. I do drink lots of water and I do walk a lot. I go for hour-plus walks in the mornings before I eat anything. That’s why I think it is mostly a diet issue. (Even so...I need to get in better shape. I get out of breath and start sweating just walking up a few flights of stairs, which is a first for me.)

 

I’ve seemed to have lost all self discipline, after being a highly self-disciplined person for most of my life.

 

My sister has PCOS, and I have considered getting tested for that. But I think I should try a good period of time of being super-disciplined and strict and see if I can improve that way first.

Edited May 27, 2019 by Veronica73

[Blanco]

Tracking what I actually ate was pretty eye opening. There are some good free mobile apps out there where you can track your food intake. I focus more on macro (protein, fat, and carbs) intake than just caloric intake, since that will affect body composition rather than just scale weight.

 

I also use a food scale when preparing my own meals. I know to some that seems obsessive, but most people aren't any good at eyeballing portions, and using a scale can really help you develop a better eye at what serving sizes of some foods look like.

 

I find that I'm better at adhering to good eating if I'm doing the above things rather than just trying to intuitively "eat better."

[JuneL]

Check out the other thread on intermittent fasting, OP!

[Veronica73]

Yes, when I have a food scale, and when I’m being disciplined I measure everything.

 

And I’ll look at the thread on intermittent fasting. My brother fasted 2 days a week, from 8pm to 6pm, and he lost about 10 lbs in a month just doing that.

[mrs rubble]

Yes, I do know how to fix it. I don’t know why I’m having such a problem with it.

 

When you say giving up drinking fizzy drinks, are you including seltzer? I love seltzer, and it doesn’t have any calories. I do drink lots of water and I do walk a lot. I go for hour-plus walks in the mornings before I eat anything. That’s why I think it is mostly a diet issue. (Even so...I need to get in better shape. I get out of breath and start sweating just walking up a few flights of stairs, which is a first for me.)

 

I’ve seemed to have lost all self discipline, after being a highly self-disciplined person for most of my life.

 

My sister has PCOS, and I have considered getting tested for that. But I think I should try a good period of time of being super-disciplined and strict and see if I can improve that way first.

Is seltzer fizzy water/tonic water? If so no, there's no need to give it up.

[alphamale]

learn the calorie count in EVERYTHING you eat. Then start to eat 250 calories less every day and exercise to burn 200-300 calories per day. Set a maximum calorie intake per day (mine is 1,800/day). You can even eat whatever you want as long as you don't go over your limit.

 

 

Over time (months) you'll lose about 4 pounds per month or 1 pound per week. And you will be much more likely to keep it off.

[major_merrick]

Start really paying attention to your food. I've been doing this for the last couple of years, as I didn't want pregnancy to make me fat. The big thing has been to cut the useless carbs. Note that I say "useless." Some carbs can be good. Stuff with fiber, stuff with organic whole grain, etc... don't cut those out completely. But pretty much anything with rice, potatoes, white flour, all of that is junk that just goes to your waist. Switch it out for more meat and leafy greens. You don't have to be afraid of fats such as meat and dairy, as long as you keep your total calories in mind. You're kind of trying to train your body to burn the fat that is on you, so eating some is okay.

 

Sugar is your enemy! I gave up sugar and alcohol when I got pregnant, since sugar is basically a drug. I've been almost totally sugar free for the last 17 months, and it is easier to keep the weight off when you aren't fighting those useless calories. Seltzer water is good. Add some lemon juice or flavoring to it, and it is like having soda but without the bad stuff.

 

I'm 5'5" to 5'6" depending on the day, although I think I used to be a bit taller. Usually I'm around 150 lbs, but I'm more around 165 due to being pregnant. Keeping one's weight in range is a chore, especially if you have a Russian physique like mine and the drive to eat high fat stuff and root crops like beets and potatoes and drown yourself in liquor.

 

Going from 190 to perhaps 160 is very doable in a reasonable timeframe. As others have said - 1 pound per week, or maybe 4 pounds per month. Then keep it off by maintaining the habits you learned. You can't out-fast a poor diet, you can't out-exercise a poor diet, especially if you have injuries.

[Mr. Lucky]

But then I got a permanent foot injury, so I can’t do that anymore which is a bummer.

 

There's many low-impact exercises you can do, from walk/run in a pool (if you have access) to hand bikes. Here's some info:

 

https://www.livestrong.com/article/303861-cardio-exercise-foot-injury/

 

Getting back into exercise will improve your mood, determination and discipline...

 

Mr. Lucky

[Veronica73]

Is seltzer fizzy water/tonic water? If so no, there's no need to give it up.

Yes. I drink Klarbrunn or La Croix. There’s flavoring, but there are no calories, and I don’t think they have artificial sweeteners.

 

learn the calorie count in EVERYTHING you eat. Then start to eat 250 calories less every day and exercise to burn 200-300 calories per day. Set a maximum calorie intake per day (mine is 1,800/day). You can even eat whatever you want as long as you don't go over your limit.

 

 

Over time (months) you'll lose about 4 pounds per month or 1 pound per week. And you will be much more likely to keep it off.

 

Yes, I will try to do this. Thank you. 4lbs/month seems so slow! But I know at my age that’s probably about the best I can do.

 

Start really paying attention to your food. I've been doing this for the last couple of years, as I didn't want pregnancy to make me fat. The big thing has been to cut the useless carbs. Note that I say "useless." Some carbs can be good. Stuff with fiber, stuff with organic whole grain, etc... don't cut those out completely. But pretty much anything with rice, potatoes, white flour, all of that is junk that just goes to your waist. Switch it out for more meat and leafy greens. You don't have to be afraid of fats such as meat and dairy, as long as you keep your total calories in mind. You're kind of trying to train your body to burn the fat that is on you, so eating some is okay.

 

Sugar is your enemy! I gave up sugar and alcohol when I got pregnant, since sugar is basically a drug. I've been almost totally sugar free for the last 17 months, and it is easier to keep the weight off when you aren't fighting those useless calories. Seltzer water is good. Add some lemon juice or flavoring to it, and it is like having soda but without the bad stuff.

 

I'm 5'5" to 5'6" depending on the day, although I think I used to be a bit taller. Usually I'm around 150 lbs, but I'm more around 165 due to being pregnant. Keeping one's weight in range is a chore, especially if you have a Russian physique like mine and the drive to eat high fat stuff and root crops like beets and potatoes and drown yourself in liquor.

 

Going from 190 to perhaps 160 is very doable in a reasonable timeframe. As others have said - 1 pound per week, or maybe 4 pounds per month. Then keep it off by maintaining the habits you learned. You can't out-fast a poor diet, you can't out-exercise a poor diet, especially if you have injuries.

 

Thank you. I agree that diet is going to be the main thing. And yes, looking at 160 as a goal for right now is probably way more reasonable (and less demoralizing) than looking at 135 as a goal. 135 seems impossibly far off. Plus, maybe if I weight-train and eat enough protein, maybe I might be happy with a heavier weight than I used to be happy with. Maybe I could put on a little muscle (Although I know that is difficult for women. Especially for lanky/long-limbed-slender women, which is what I was in the past). I’ve been pretty slender in the past (like a distance runner). But maybe I could put on a little muscle. That would help.

 

There's many low-impact exercises you can do, from walk/run in a pool (if you have access) to hand bikes. Here's some info:

 

https://www.livestrong.com/article/303861-cardio-exercise-foot-injury/

 

Getting back into exercise will improve your mood, determination and discipline...

 

Mr. Lucky

 

Thank you. Yes, I agree that exercise is important. Not just for health, but also for mood. And probably, the more I do of it, to a certain extent, the better I will feel. I’m seeing both a psychiatrist and a psychologist right now. And the psychiatrist in particular (I saw him last week) has stressed how wonderful exercise is for your mood. He says that exercise will help me more than any medication that he can prescribe. And he told me (almost prescribed, really) that when I’m having a really difficult time with things, I should work out really hard for several days in a row. Which is actually the first time that I have heard of that. I always heard that stress is stress, no matter where the stress is coming from, so if you are under a lot of stress, you should give yourself a bit of a break in workouts. But he said the opposite. And he does seem to be a good doctor, so I think I’ll try his recommendation. See how it goes. I guess I used to do that when I was younger (and had fewer responsibilities), and didn’t have any ill effects from it.

[Veronica73]

I don’t feel like I can do anything in the pool right now. I’m just too self-conscious about my weight. But I do have an indoor rowing machine that I can use. And I can do weight-training. As long as it’s not anything like lunges or mountain-climbers. (My foot injury is at the base of my big toe.) I just bought some inline skates. I’m hoping that will be fun and get me out. In a similar way that running did. And the boot is really stiff and supportive and you don’t bend your foot much doing that. So I hope that is something I will be able to do without hurting my foot.

[d0nnivain]

Download a calorie tracking app. It's all about calories in < calories out. You have to expend more calories then you consume, especially if you are sedentary. You are going to be shocked when you learn more about portion control I was. My downfall is I drink my empty calories: wine, soda, juice so when I diet I have to be very mindful of the liquids.

[JuneL]

Biking (or stationary biking) is another great low-impact exercise, if you don’t feel like swimming.

[mark clemson]

learn the calorie count in EVERYTHING you eat. Then start to eat 250 calories less every day and exercise to burn 200-300 calories per day. Set a maximum calorie intake per day (mine is 1,800/day). You can even eat whatever you want as long as you don't go over your limit.

 

Over time (months) you'll lose about 4 pounds per month or 1 pound per week. And you will be much more likely to keep it off.

 

 

^^^^ This. I do it as well and find it very helpful to maintain a decent weight. Keep in mind there's a different cal/day number for women (lower of course) . Suggest you research 1800 cal/day diet or 1700 cal/day diet on the internet and then look at the equivalent recommended numbers for females. Ask a doctor first, just in case you have an issue (e.g. blood sugar issues) and don't skip the exercise (assuming doctor says ok).

 

I actually enjoy counting cals, and knowing, for example, that there are normally 10 cals in a tortilla chip. Guess I'm sorta a geek at heart.

 

Of course different things work for different people. If you can't stand counting cals, another possibility is a food combining diet such as South Beach, Atkins, etc. There is even one that lets you do both carbs and proteins by Suzanne Somers (of all people).

[Veronica73]

https://www.loveshack.org/forums/mind-body-soul/physical-fitness-health-weight-management/684202-anyone-tried-intermittent-fasting

 

https://www.loveshack.org/forums/mind-body-soul/physical-fitness-health-weight-management/675255-weight-problems

 

I just posted those because they are useful threads and it will make it easier for me to find them in the future.

 

I do have My Fitness Pal on my phone. I need to get back to using it. Calories in, calories out. I’ve also seen that paying attention to macros can help as well. Particularly in getting enough protein and not too many carbs. I guess if you focus on those two things fat will take care of itself.

 

And I do want to get back into working out. Not just for the calorie expenditure, but also for the mood and general health benefits. I’ve never been more out of shape in my life.

 

I never should have let myself go downhill this far. It’s going to be a long road to get back to where I want to be. But I guess it’s not useful focusing on that.

 

Thank you for all of your suggestions. I appreciate it.

[Veronica73]

I’ve gotten so fat I actually worry that my skin will be saggy once I lose the weight. Ugh. I hope not, but even so, it’d be better than being where I am now. And I should get my ass in gear. I assume it will be even harder to lose weight once I hit menopause.

[d0nnivain]

You are on the right track! log every bite & sip. Remember slow & steady wins the race. You didn't get to this weight in 2 weeks. You won't be back down to 150 in 2 weeks either.

[alphamale]

You are on the right track! log every bite & sip. Remember slow & steady wins the race. You didn't get to this weight in 2 weeks. You won't be back down to 150 in 2 weeks either.

 

great advice!

[alphamale]

I’ve gotten so fat I actually worry that my skin will be saggy once I lose the weight. Ugh. I hope not, but even so, it’d be better than being where I am now. And I should get my ass in gear. I assume it will be even harder to lose weight once I hit menopause.

 

you are not morbidly obese so I doubt you have to worry about saggy skin

[Veronica73]

you are not morbidly obese so I doubt you have to worry about saggy skin

 

God, I hope so. I’ll really be kicking myself if that happens. But I’m close to being obese, ugh.

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

Can someone please explain "Macros for Dummies?" I do not get this term "macros" at all. In fact, the very word practically gives me hives because it reminds me of one of my least favorite college classes....macroeconomics. (Micro was equally bad)

[devilish innocent]

Thank you. Yes, I agree that exercise is important. Not just for health, but also for mood. And probably, the more I do of it, to a certain extent, the better I will feel. I’m seeing both a psychiatrist and a psychologist right now. And the psychiatrist in particular (I saw him last week) has stressed how wonderful exercise is for your mood. He says that exercise will help me more than any medication that he can prescribe. And he told me (almost prescribed, really) that when I’m having a really difficult time with things, I should work out really hard for several days in a row. Which is actually the first time that I have heard of that. I always heard that stress is stress, no matter where the stress is coming from, so if you are under a lot of stress, you should give yourself a bit of a break in workouts. But he said the opposite. And he does seem to be a good doctor, so I think I’ll try his recommendation. See how it goes. I guess I used to do that when I was younger (and had fewer responsibilities), and didn’t have any ill effects from it.

 

Yes. Exercise naturally increases the serotonin levels in your brain as well as releasing endorphins. I have a mood disorder that had gotten quite bad and decided to try exercise and therapy first to see if I would still need medication. The exercise has been so helpful and my issues have been pretty minimal over the past month.

 

You just have to find a way to make the exercise enjoyable so that it will be easier to stick with it. I bought an exercise bike so I just use that while watching television.