Weight Loss Challenges

Susan_RD_101

I thought I would be the first to post in what will likely be an exciting forum discussion. I would love to find out what your biggest challenges to losing and maintaining weight have been. One that I can share from my experience as a dietitian is how frequently someone goes out to eat in a week. Has anyone else identified this as a challenge area as well?

mnanagrandma

yes , yes and yes. i do try to stay with a romaine lettuce salad and grilled chicken for the lowest carb i can. but it is difficult.

Susan_RD_101

@mnanagrandma It really is! One of the challenges with eating at restaurants is they like to cook with A LOT of oil. I have nothing against some oil here and there, but it can easily drive up the calories of your meal, without making you feel anymore full.

MarthaGee

Fat is satiating.

Cbteco

What experience with ketogenic diet and weight loss? How does cronometer best help you?

Keymash

"I would love to find out what your biggest challenges to losing and maintaining weight have been. "

This. Literally not figuratively.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQEnzrRyo3c

8 seconds.

The food, it be calling me.

Susan_RD_101

@Cbteco I'll let @Frank chime in, as I don't work with ketogenic diets, other than in a clinical setting. CRON-O-Meter does offer a number of features for assisting with a ketogenic diet, from tracking ketones, to altering your macronutrient targets. Best of luck!

Susan_RD_101

One challenge I would like to share that often undoes my fitness goals is if I procrastinate working out until after supper. It is SO hard to drag yourself to the gym after a long day. I'm not a morning person, but have started to swing by the gym on the way home. I also started playing sports as a way to get cardio in, without feeling like I'm doing cardio! Any other tips?

Dave_Prosser1

By switching to about a 90% veg and fruit diet, and varying the variety of both, I have gone from 169 lbs. in Feb. 17 to 128 lbs. presently. My energy levels have risen as well.
Present diet hovers around 61% carbs, 16% Protein, 23% Fat

Dezzy

Hi everyone! I came to chronometer via Dr Mercola, and research into prevention of dementia, cancer, diabetes etc which seem to be all around me.
An added benefit has been a steady loss of 33 lbs since May, with another 27lbs to go by New Year (I'm respecting the plateaux!!).
I LOVE cronometer as it does all the work for me. Over 3 months I've learned that I can maintain at 1700 cals per day, and lose 2lbs per week at 1300 cals per day.
I easily stay in ketosis (without any supplements) between .5 and 5, even with the very occasional treat, and find peak fasting suits me well.
I hover around 70% fat, 17% protein and 13% net carbs. Once or so a week I'll decrease the fat and increase net carbs to give the system a bit of a jolt.
This regime has completely done for all cravings for which I am so thankful.
I feel and see a huge difference physically, so clearly rejuvenating at a cellular level is paying off.
I don't have the motivation (or budget) for gym but like to walk around local hills (free and fresh air) and have also built in a regular 10 minute arm workout (plenty online) with 1k hand weights, 10 x 10 reps chair squats, and 4 min NO dump indoors, which I do if I'm watching tv or with music (sometimes even if I'm on the phone).
Best of luck all )

LCHF

Realising the difference between head hunger and stomach hunger! I've been eating low carb for almost two months now, and this way of eating has made me generally much much less hungry during the day, to the point where I've been able to realise that I was getting "hungry" according to the clock, and had lost the ability to listen to my actual body!!

LCHF

Also, I refuse to drive anywhere in my town. I can walk to anywhere in town in less than an hour (and usually less than 40 minutes to most places I'd want to get to). It also saves on petrol so I'm gaining £s whilst losing lbs!

Susan_RD_101

@LCHF You bring up a great point! Often we eat because we are bored, sad, happy, because the clock says it's time to eat or because the food is there. Successful weight loss also means understanding WHY you are eating. These are often the patterns that can undo our best of intentions.

Also high five for using your legs and not your car! That's pretty inspiring!

Susan_RD_101

It's also interesting how eating very different diets can result in similar weight loss outcomes. I personally promote a whole-foods, plant-based diet in my practice, but support any weight loss effort that helps someone reach their weight loss goals and leaves them feeling healthy, energized, and empowered! You all rock!

AnneEagle

Despite eating very healthy foods, I just enjoy food too much and love too cook too much -- living alone makes cooking a challenge, and even though you CAN freeze some things, many of the things I eat taste better made fresh. This is always a challenge for me. I am also an emotional eater, and foodie. Although I know strategies for dealing with emotions, I find it difficult I can lose 5, 10, or even 20 pounds and I regain it so quickly, So, always spinning my tires. I used to be very unhealthy - but my lab numbers are enviable even by people 20 years younger than me. I am 67, and 70 - 80 lbs overweight. My C Reactive Protein is only .9, my fasting glucose 4.5, my cholestrol is close to the top of the normal range -- but mainly because my good cholestrol is a little low, Blood Pressure 115/78, I eat a lot of veggies, and fruit - meat only 3 times a week, and no additives or prepared foods. BUT I need to lose weight because of my knees and back. I have been in many car accidents and have problems.

Greenflower

My biggest challenge is I lost most of the weight I wanted to lose- I don't really need to lose more weight, but I would like to still tone up a little more and maybe drop a few mote pounds, but now that I weight less, I have to eat less calories and I struggle on 1200 a day... I should say, it's just not possible for me. I add in excersize which allows me to up my caloric intake, but I am still starving. I am not sure if perhaps I burn more calories than what is calculated... I can't help myself, I have not been able to attain a deficit since I lost most of the extra weight... I just get too hungry. I am not gaining any weight, but not losing any either. So, I think I am going to focus on just maintaining my weight but building more muscle or something... I just don't know what else to do at this point.... Sigh,

Hungry Girl

BeckyL

Hi Greenflower I just recently started the Keto diet as laid out by Dr. Mercola in his book "Fat for Fuel", and I find eating a higher fat diet keeps me from being hungry at all. His program is more for healing and preventing illness, than weight loss, but weight loss is the major bonus for me. I know that per gram fat has more calories than carbs or protein, but that might be something that you could try - adding more healthy fats to your diet. I have an avocado every day, they really keep me full and satisfied. Just choose healthy fats and see how it works for you.

Becky

WellFed

Hi Greenflower, I agree with Becky. Add more healthy fats and it will help curb your appetite. I have a very low calorie threshold like you, and I have been thrilled to see that I can keep my calories in check and not have to starve.

Susan_RD_101

What a great discussion! I think @WellFed and @BeckyL bring up a good a point; If we are only focused on calories, not nutrients, we could be doing a disservice to ourselves. @Greenflower It's worthwhile to make sure your 1200 calories are coming from nutrient-dense foods that contain a variety of protein, fibre and healthy fats. And if you are hungry, loading up on extra veggies with a nutrient-dense dip like hummus is a great way to round out a meal. Exercise and building muscle can definitely help increase calorie requirements, but keep in mind that eating too little can interfere with weight loss if our metabolism has slowed.

Hope this helps!

Paul

Chop wood. Then after dusk sip hot coco, staring into a crackling fire—to the sound of two snoring-tuckered mutts, and whatever straggler, unsung aves, too crazy to migrate to warmer climes.

Winter. Sod every bit of it.

keljam69

I have been on a vegan diet for about 3 months now and find that consuming foods that are lower in caloric density are more beneficial to my on-going weight loss journey. Meats and cheeses are just loaded with calories and simply do not fill up our stomachs adequately such that our brain tells us we are full. I also use oil very sparingly except where I may need something to give me a calorie bump with my beans, greens and grains.

Surprisingly, I have been one of the fortunate ones in giving up meat and dairy in my diet. I do take a b12 supplement everyday...other than that I manage to get a good mix of micro/macro nutrients in my daily food choices on most days although I am still fine-tuning my efforts. I wish you all very good luck on your personal journeys.

Susan_RD_101

@keljam69

I'm so happy for your success so far! Eating a vegan diet can be very helpful in meeting your weight loss goals. I also follow this eating pattern, so am happy to answer any questions you may have in the future.

BeckyL

I'm on the Keto diet and I find that if I don't eat enough calories I can tend to gain weight (the body holding on thinking it is starving). So then the next day I eat more than my target and the weight loss starts again. Seems counterintuitive but it works for me. ????

Greenflower

I eat very nutritious foods most of the time. Pretty high in fat though, since the majority of my fats come from the seeds and nuts I incorporate into my raw fruit bowl and my raw salads. I think I am burning more calories than I realize and that is why I am so hungry. I realize I have been eating over my calorie range for weeks and haven't gained a pound. I think I am just burning more calories than I track- it's hard to know what you are burning. I do HIIT about 3 times a week and they do say it can boost your BMR for up to 48 hours... maybe that's what is happening.

Susan_RD_101

I've been working in the field of weight loss for a long time and the only thing I am certain of is that there is no one size that fits all. Any dietary pattern that is chosen should be (fairly) easy to follow and most importantly, enjoyable. The body is also amazing at both conserving and burning energy, depending on the conditions we provide it.

robeiii

@Susan_RD_101 , regarding working out in the AM. Yeah, I used to try to workout in the evening but I found that I was dragging through out the whole training session. I was NOT a morning person but I found that when I worked out in the AM I had more energy during work out and throughout the whole day! So I MADE myself a morning person. If you say you are something "not a morning person" you will be that, self fulfilling prophecy. If you say you are a morning person you will become that.

(I'm a newly WFPB Vegan thanks to "what the health", Cronomoter helps me keep on track)

Emerald

On the concern about oils and fat - fat doesn't cause you to gain weight, sugar does. Health Canada is changing its rules on FAT in the diet AND breads, rolls etc are the things to watch. They are full of hidden sugars and they will increase your sugar [diabetes] levels, cause your mid section to expand and your weight to increase.

I also find that a good probiotic increases the rate of weight loss. KEFIR MILK is an excellent source of probiotics and I eat 1/2 cup per day with pureed frozen fruit or Majool dates for sweetness. It will help keep you regular and kill all the grungies in your digestive tract, stomach, and intestines.

Watch 'Butter Bob''s videos on You Tube and you will change your mind about fat in your diet. He lost l00 lbs eating fat over a year [deep fried chicken legs with fat, butter, etc.] It's the quality of the foods you eat, i.e. salad, green veggies, fruit [natural sources of sugar]. GOOD LUCK!

keljam69

Emerald - They should probably focus their efforts on highlighting processed foods...that is the culprit. The closer to whole food, the better.

Susan_RD_101

I have noticed another challenge that I think others may struggle with... SOCIAL EATING!

My partner and I have made friends with some new couples who love to host potlucks where there is a lot of delicious food and plenty of accompanying drinks . I noticed that I was mindlessly snacking on the appetizers and beverages while chatting and waiting for dinner to be served. To combat this, I decided to be more mindful of my choices and only eat when I was not having a conversation with someone. This has been hugely beneficial since eating while distracted is likely to lead to overeating (which it was!). I also started setting some ground rules around alcoholic beverages, limiting myself to 1-2. I shared this rule with my husband who was (annoyingly) great at keeping me accountable.

Anybody else have tips for how they handle social eating situations?

sherbert

Hi Everyone I'm 70 and have gradually gained weight over time. Used to be skinny. I use cronometer to track calories and love the ease of use. My cholesterol is now to high. Even though I used to track my calories, I didn't pay attention to cholesterol. So now I do. Didn't realize how even chicken "a lean meat" carried so much, let alone cheese, my favorite. So...I'm trying to avoid medication and made a deal with my PCP to give me a few months to get my numbers down. Started swimming vs. treadmill, sationary bike, etc. Feel better with swim. So...any advise welcome. Thanks!

Susan_RD_101

@sherbert

Great work on taking an important steps to improve your health. As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass, which has a negative impact on metabolism and our weight. You may want to incorporate strength training into your gym routine to help with this.

When it comes to blood cholesterol, cholesterol found in food doesn't appear to have as significant impact on blood cholesterol as certain types of fat. Although there is some debate, saturated fat has been linked to increased LDL (or bad cholesterol). We also want to try to minimize our intake of trans fat, which is found in stick margarine, processed foods, and baked goods.

What I've found from research and my experience as a dietitian, is eating an unprocessed, mostly plant-based diet is incredibly effective at helping to decrease cholesterol levels. Achieving a healthy weight, not smoking, regular activity, and stress management are also key.

Best of luck!