Nutrition & Diet Going on a diet (weight loss)

[Fromper]

At 5'8" with a thin frame, I'd say my ideal weight is probably around 150 lbs. I weighed in at 186.2 a few days ago. The last time I went on a serious diet, I dropped from 180 to 160 at a rate of around 1 lb per week over 5 months, which is a healthy rate. But that was 4 or 5 years ago, and I need to do it again.

Anyway, I'm planning to go with the same weight loss plan that worked that time, which is surprisingly simple.

1. No more soda. (Duh!)
2. Limit myself to 3 snacks per day, using the snack sizes listed on prepackaged foods to keep those snacks down to around 140-160 calories each.

That's it. That was my entire weight loss plan when I dropped 20 lbs in 5 months a few years ago, and it worked just fine. I eat healthy enough meals that just cutting down the calories from the soda I drink too often at work, and not taking whole packages of chips, pretzels, or cookies to the couch with me when I'm watching TV, should be enough to get the job done.

I should probably exercise more, too. The last time I did this, I was at a job where I took the train to work, so I was spending around 40 minutes per day walking to and from train stations. At my current job, I drive to work, so I don't get as much basic exercise daily. With the weather warming up this time of year, I should be able to get outside more. But that's more of a general fitness goal than anything specific to my weight loss plan.

--Fromper

 

[Jeremy]

No soda is a great idea, calories and sugar that you really don't need in your life. The big thing is though, understanding what your body needs to drop the pounds and maintain after that. So if you're 5'8" and in the neighborhood of 185lbs if you want to lose 1lbs per week you would need to limit yourself to a net total of 1,600 per day. If you wanted to lose 2lbs per week you would cut down to 1,100 net calories a day. If you approach it in an honest and precise way you will lose the weight. When you make it down to your goal weight you want to think about making permanent changes. For me at least I have lost 60lbs - 70lbs and I still count calories so I stay the weight I want to be. My personal feeling is that "diets" are temporary, what is actually needed is forever lifestyle changes.

Meticulously counting calories is a big pain in the *** yes, it absolutely can be. What you do is you get an app such as Lose It! App, My Fitness Pal, or similar that has a user submitted database of foods for you to search and log, as well as the ability to log exercise you do. Pro Tip: the more you exercise the more you can indulge... I like to (over) indulge

 

[Fromper]

I don't count calories on meals, just snacks while dieting. They key is that cutting out the soda and limiting snacks reduces my intake by probably 500 calories per day on average, which is a pretty big reduction. I have no idea what my total calorie intake for a day is, and I don't care. I just know that it's less than when I'm not dieting.

Like I said, this worked for me around 4-5 years ago when I dropped 20 lbs over 5 months. Then I got lazy about maintaining it, and slowly gained back 25 lbs since then. I'm ok with "yo-yo" dieting if the gain rate is that slow. But I really should try to stay in the habit of taking a serving size of snack food to the couch instead of the whole package, even when I'm not specifically dieting.

Anyhow, I've been pretty good this week since starting the diet on Tuesday. I had one slip up on Friday, when I was tired at work and gave in to the temptation of getting a Coke from the machine for the caffeine. But I limited my snacking that evening to make up for it, so my total snack calories for the day, including the soda, was still close to my dieting goal.

I weighed in Saturday morning, and I was down .6 lbs (on a scale that rounds off to the nearest .2). So it looks like half a pound drop in half a week, but that's a small enough change that it could just be random statistical noise. I know better than to weigh myself too often. I usually shoot for weighing in only on weekends, always first thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom, but before eating or drinking anything.

--Fromper

 

[Second Summer]

I think permanent lifestyle changes are what one should focus on. I exclude soda from my diet almost in the same way I exclude animal products. I try not to eat sugary or otherwise not-so-healthful snacks on weekdays. I'm still a few pounds heavier than I'd like. Presumably, what I'm missing from my lifestyle is exercise.

 

[Chryssie]

I think giving up soda is one of the best ways to cut calories! Good luck!

 

[SuicideBlonde]

Cutting out soda will help. At your current weight your bmi is 28 (easy math lbs/inches height squared x703). Over 25 is overweight, but it doe not take body composition into account.
IBW is 157 +/- 10%. 142-172. (men is 106 +6lbs for every inch over 5 feet, Women 100+ 5lbs for every inch over 5 feet)
It takes 3,500 calories to drop one lb.
The Mifflin Equation | The best accurate method to determine calorie needs for fitness nutrition and weight loss | KSmith Media, LLC A site to show the calorie count.
There is some professional information.

 

[Fromper]

So I couldn't resist weighing myself again, and I'm down to 184.4 lbs. That's almost 2 lbs in a week, which is more than just random variation.

I'm not surprised. The first 3-5 lbs in the first 2-3 weeks are always the easiest. Then, even if I stick to the same plan for months, I may have several weeks of no obvious change, followed by a sudden drop eventually. It's kinda random. But the good start is always the easy part.

And really, I'm more interested in decreasing my waist size than my weight. Weight is just a number, but waist size can been seen and felt. They'll generally go together, but sometimes I see a reduction or increase in one, but not the other.

--Fromper

 

[Poppy]

At 125, I'm 15 pounds over my ideal weight according to the formula SB provided, as I'm just at 5'2". I honestly don't think it would be possible to weigh that little anymore. When I was in my 30s I weighed around 110 - 112. Now that I'm in my upper 50s I just don't see how it would be possible. When it comes to weight management, the love of food and cooking is quite inconvenient!

 

[PTree15]

Fromper, that's great about cutting soda, as it has so much sugar and so many calories. Drinking soda also makes one crave even more sugar, according to materials I've read over the years. I gave it up years ago, and I couldn't be happier. My stomach also feels a lot better when I don't drink it. Good luck on your weight loss and keep us posted!

According to the formula cited by SB, I should be 130, which I haven't weighed since high school, haha. I'm not that far off, though, and my plan has been to stay under 140 pounds. When I get over that, my clothes start to feel tight, so I am in maintenance mode these days.

There are so many approaches to weight loss, and different methods work for different people. For me, I had been a yo-yo dieter for decades, pretty much since my teens. I was tired of the whacky diets, the deprivation and even the sensible diets that work for a lot of people, like Weight Watchers. About four years ago, I decided that I had to really make lifestyle changes so that I could get off the dieting merry-go-round. I didn't want to be in my 50s and look like some of those women with the big spare tires around the middle. I guess I'm a little vain in that regard, but I didn't want to look middle-aged even if I was middle-aged. I also wanted to be able to go hiking and remain active and stay fit. That was a huge motivator.

So what I did was look at the amount of food that I would typically eat at each meal. And then I cut everything in half. I also cut way back on junk food (I'm a chip-aholic, really, anything crunchy), and I decided I had to make better choices overall. I also gave myself one day a week to sort of have what I wanted. If I wanted some vegan wings and beer on football Sunday, I'd have that. But as soon as Monday rolled around, I was back on the health train. This is the longest I've ever gone in maintaining my weight, and I still live in fear that I will slip back into old habits and gain all the weight back (I lost about 40 pounds). To be honest, though, there is no way I could get back to eating as much food as I used to without feeling really sick on the way. What I do now to maintain is sort of stay in "diet mode" during the work week: no crunchy stuff, healthy portions, limits on wine and such (I do like red wine with dinner), and I watch the white carbs, pretty much having them at only one meal a day. On the weekends, I might treat myself to something sweet or something decadent, like vegan ice cream or french fries. I find that I just feel so much better when I eat my veggies (just like mom said, hehe) and keep the junky stuff in check. I also exercise regularly, 5 to 6 days a week for cardio. It seems I make better food choices when I start the day with a good workout.

 

[Fromper]

So the diet kinda went to hell today.

My recurring insomnia problem kicked in hard last night, so I only got 4 hours of sleep. I couldn't skip work, so I picked up a soda from the machine in the office for the caffeine. And being tired has thrown my whole body off, so I was feeling hungry in the afternoon and had an extra granola bar (one "healthy" snack like that per day at work is an expected part of my daily "meal" intake, but more counts as snacks). But I think I had a smaller than average lunch, so that snack is probably ok.

Anyway, one bad day per week probably isn't too bad.

The bigger issue is that I really need to get some solid sleep tonight. I have some major activities coming up this weekend, so I can't just veg at home and catch up on sleep all weekend. Luckily, I can sleep late Saturday, since I don't have anywhere to be until the afternoon. Unfortunately, my Sunday activity requires prep work in advance, which I won't have time to do if I sleep too late on Saturday, unless I stay up late Saturday or wake up early Sunday. So I'm likely to be very tired by Sunday evening and not have a chance to get out of my insomnia rut.

--Fromper

 

[PTree15]

Sleep problems are such a pain. I hope you get some decent shut-eye, Fromper. And you are right, one bad day won't hurt, just start fresh the next day or even the next meal.

 

[KLS52]

The bigger issue is that I really need to get some solid sleep tonight. I have some major activities coming up this weekend, so I can't just veg at home and catch up on sleep all weekend. Luckily, I can sleep late Saturday, since I don't have anywhere to be until the afternoon. Unfortunately, my Sunday activity requires prep work in advance, which I won't have time to do if I sleep too late on Saturday, unless I stay up late Saturday or wake up early Sunday. So I'm likely to be very tired by Sunday evening and not have a chance to get out of my insomnia rut.

--Fromper

This is my problem. I had several weeks of doing really well. Then all of a sudden, I'm back to the biphasic sleep pattern. It's so annoying and I can't find a reason for why I keep going through these crazy cycles. I may cut out caffeine altogether, for awhile, and see if that helps. I'm not confident that caffeine is the issue, though. I only have one six ounce cup when I get up in the morning.

If I don't count calories/WW points, I don't succeed with weight loss/maintenance. The last year has proven that. I hate it. It's too restrictive.

 

[Fromper]

I think cutting the caffeine from soda and exercising do more to help with my sleep issues than anything else. So dieting is good for my insomnia, not just my weight. Sometimes, my sleep patterns are fine for months on end. Other times, I have major problems.

I've actually been mostly good lately, with a few days of slightly less sleep than usual, but nothing terrible. Thursday night was a specific bad day leading to bad night. I almost told my boss's boss at work to go f*** himself, and I was angry all day after that, which is the main thing that kept me up that night.

Anyway, I only had a tiny snack after dinner last night, so I made up for most of the extra calories during the day.

I had plans with friends in the evening, so I couldn't just collapse and sleep early, and ended up staying up past midnight. But I was so tired I fell asleep quickly, which is good for me. Sometimes, being that tired makes it harder for me to sleep. I woke up to pee and give my bunny his breakfast around 8 AM, then went right back to bed until my alarm went off at noon. I got over 11 hours of sleep, so I surprisingly managed to recover from the bad night immediately, which is rare for me. Usually, one bad night just makes the problems worse and harder to recover from. I am a little tired today, but not too bad. I can sleep a little late tomorrow, though not too late, since I have to be somewhere at noon. And I still have prep work to do before that, which I don't really have time for.

But back on the dieting front, I weighed myself this morning, and I'm down to 183.6. So I've lost about 2.5 lbs in a week and a half. It's a solid start. But as I said before, I think the first 3-5 lbs are the easiest. After that, it always gets tougher.

Also, the event I'm going to tonight is a dinner thing that's famous for its dessert buffet, so the temptation could get to me. But I slept late today and skipped breakfast, so I figure if I'm only having 2 meals today, I can afford to eat a few extra dessert calories. I just need to keep the dessert portion size down when I indulge.

--Fromper

 

[KLS52]

I ended up taking a two hour nap. I know the experts say not to do that, but I've been known to sleep better at night when I nap. So I get it when you say being over tired makes it hard for you to sleep. Congrats on the weight loss. I hope you have luck continuing it.

 

[PTree15]

Wonderful job on the weight loss, Fromper. Keep up the excellent work!

 

[Fromper]

So I thought I caught up on sleep over the weekend, but then my insomnia kicked into high gear again. I've been getting a Coke at work for the caffeine every day this week, so it's really throwing off the whole diet.

I'm still limiting snacking, though, so hopefully, it won't set me back too far on the diet, and I'll be able to get back on track right away once I get the sleep issues sorted out.

--Fromper

 

[shyvas]

Is there any reason why you don't drink coffee if you need caffeine or even Diet or 0 Pepsi ?

 

[Fromper]

Taste. I'm not a coffee drinker. Never have been.

And I hate diet sodas. They may not have the calories, but they're just as unhealthy (or worse) in other regards, and they taste awful.

Besides, I really do need to cut back on the caffeine. If I could get the sleep and exercise under control, I could cut the soda and not need the caffeine, which would help with the dieting, too.

--Fromper

 

[shyvas]

Taste. I'm not a coffee drinker. Never have been.

And I hate diet sodas. They may not have the calories, but they're just as unhealthy (or worse) in other regards, and they taste awful.

Besides, I really do need to cut back on the caffeine. If I could get the sleep and exercise under control, I could cut the soda and not need the caffeine, which would help with the dieting, too.

--Fromper

I see. Peoples' tastes differ.
I don't think the diet drinks are bad for the health as long as they are consumed in moderation.

 

[Fromper]

So after the one terrible night's sleep early in the week, I kept having normal nights. That sounds good in theory, but it means I never compensated for the earlier bad night by getting extra sleep, so I was still behind all week. So I've been tired during the day and having a soda every day this week.

Until last night. When I got home from work yesterday, I actually exercised, despite being tired. The weather's warmed up, and the ground was finally dry on the same day it was warm, so I took my basketball out for about 40 minutes to shoot some hoops. As I hoped, this wore me out even more. So after I got home, showered, and had a quick dinner, I went to bed early. Because I still had to be up for work today, I still only got about 10 hours of sleep, when I probably could have used 11-12, but it's a pretty big step in the right direction.

So today, I'm not as tired, and I didn't have a soda this morning to help me wake up. And I don't have any reason to wake up early tomorrow, so I'm hoping for another long night's sleep tonight.

Despite drinking soda 4 days this week, I've been keeping the snacking down, so I haven't totally fallen off the wagon for the diet. I weighed myself this morning, and I gained back .2 lbs since last weekend, but that's negligible. So I didn't make any progress on the weight loss this week, but at least I didn't go backwards by any significant amount. I'm ready to pick up the diet where I left off and get back to losing weight now that I'm better rested.

--Fromper