10 pounds loss Diary

Thank you for your answers! They really offer me great motivation and i think i need it a lot this time. The last days of the previous week weren't very good as concerns my diet. I had a lot of things to do, i was out all the day and i returned home late at night. The weekend i had a lot of housework so i didn't have time eating proper meals. I ate sandwiches, yogurt, fruits but if i don't have cooked meal i can't feel foul and i am always hungry and then eating again. So i am now 3 pounds above my lowest of the 2 previous months. I am concerned about it and i 'll try this week to return near my lowest point of the last previous month. While in October i have started at the lowest weight now at the end of October i have gained 3 pounds more. I want to lose these extra pounds as soon as possible. The real thing is the night eating. I ‘ll try this week to eat until 7-8 p.m. as you mentioned. Although I find it difficult I ‘ll make a try. I think this is that goes me back a lot of times.
 
Even when you feel like you have gone off target a bit, never give up, don't let 1 poor day disrupt a whole week.
 
Thank you Trusylver for your answer! It really helps keeping your advice. Now that i feel that i have got away a little from my goal i will remind your advice to myself. I just want to return to the point that i was at first of October as soon as possible. Maybe i should do a detox diet for 1 day to come to the point i was at the first week of October.
 
Although i had a lot of things to do and think about these last days i remain constant to my diet plan. However i didn't get still to the point that i was at the first of October. I can't really reduce my calories intake more at this time as i find comfort to food at some point. I just have very slow progress but i remain at least at a healthy diet eating. The weekend is ahead and i always should take care that as i relax from the daily routine i 'm always prone to eat more than working days. I try not let this happen this weekend. What about your weekend diet-exercise plans?
 
Hi Aby. While you may not feel able to reduce your calories if you are making more healthy choices then you should not be doing much damage. Are you able to get out, perhaps even just for a walk over the week-end to get away from temptations, or eating from boredom? I find walking really therapeutic & am going for a walk today.Hope you have a lovely w/e, xoCate
 
Thank you Cate. I really had a lovely weekend because i went out with friends and i was invited to a music-dancing event. I took care of my calories intake during weekend. However i couldn't resist eating delight food and get away from temptations when i went out during two days. I really like eating delight food when everybody around is eating. I think it's anti-social behavior when you are invited to an event not to eat at all. Certainly i took some care of calories intake but i didn't avoid delight food that was offered. I will try today to be back at normal and don't give up.
 
I have very slow progress as well. So frustrating, but I just keep pushing/going!

**We Can Do It!** ;)

Glad you enjoyed your weekend!
 
Thank you StacyH! It was really a lovely weekend. I still take care of my calories intake daily but my progress is very slow. I want to reach at the point i were at the first of October and i haven't get there yet. Yesterday i had a piece of pie with cheese,cream and meat. It was really delicious. I had a lot of time to eat something like that and i enjoyed it a lot. I still try avoiding treats at night before going to bed without much success everytime. What are you usually eating before going to sleep and how much time before?
 
Hello! Today i feel very hungry. I drink coffee to forget this intense feeling. Today i have a lot of things to do. So i don't know if i would have the energy to do all the things i have already planned. I would try not to overtake unneeded calories but the feeling to make all the things i have in mind maybe lead me to food as comfort or as a source of energy. Again there is a weekend ahead and i worry a lot that there is a possibility to be out of track. I just want to remind myself that i have tried a lot to be where i am and i shouldn't give up now. I think i need motivation and positive thinking now as i feel a lot of tired and discouraged. I want to change this feeling and be in more positive mood.
 
Sometimes hunger does strike when you are on a diet exercising portion control or counting calories........my suggestion is, ALWAYS pack on healthy snacks (low calorie fruits - apples, berries, etc.) or if you feel like some more comforting food...look at the supermarket for healthier versions, these days they are always available - there is healthier popcorn versions/chips/ice cream.......I mean, at least if you indulge, it's not on the real deal and a healthier option. By the way..........coffee makes me hungrier, are you sure it makes you forget this feeling? Or is it just postponing...sometimes if you have to eat, then eat...but try at least to have a yummy salad before going full force, you will get full faster thus avoiding indulging on a higher caloric item.
 
Thank you CaliGirl for your answer. These days i am fluctuating between 2 lbs up and down. When i lose 2 lbs then i get more relaxed and i gain back 2 lbs. I really can't avoid coffee in the morning. I 'll try to have healthy snacks with me this week in case that i want to snack. Another subject is that i like a lot food that is made of flour. Everything that is made of pastry like cake, break, pie, cookies, i really like and it's difficult to avoid them. I 'll try this week to limit these snacks of pastry to see if this really leaves me back. I often have the feeling that i need them although i read that they don't have necessary ingredients. I find them as comfort food. I don’t know why they give me a feeling of fullness and that I really need these snacks. May be i should change this feeling. How often do you eat snacks of pastry?
 
Hi ABY. I don't eat pastry at all & don't miss it. Protein is much more filling & more nutritious. I really don't like feeling over-full. Try to find something that is healthier, but will leave you feeling satisfied- a piece of a good quality cheese? Yoghurt with fresh fruit? I like to have raw celery, carrots, snow peas, cucumber etc & fresh fruit, like apples, kiwi fruit & oranges, in the fridge at all times. If I'm going out for the day I take a container of these cut up & ready with me(in a small cooler pack with a frozen gel pack). Not everyone can do this I know, but having them readily available at home makes life much easier. Sometimes I just take a banana. Any habits can be changed sweetie. It just takes time & effort. Cheers, Cate
 
Thank you Cate for your answer. I like your saying "any habits can be changed with time and effort". I have seen this when i try to change a bad habit with a good one. Sometimes it's really difficult because a bad habit maybe has been so frequent that demands a lot of time and effort to be changed. However this time i try to make little changes because i have a lot of things to do and think about so i need a lot of energy. I just can't reduce my calories intake anymore but just replace some kind of food full of calories with another more healthy and with less calories food. I just can't avoid a daily lunch or dinner this time because every day it's demanding so i just limit my calories intake as i can. Sometimes i have thought of taking cooked food that i have prepared the day before when i know that i would be a lot of hours outside home the next day but to make a prepared meal demands time and when it’s late at night the only i think about is resting as soon as possible. However i should think about it again and remind myself the beneficial of a homemade cooked meal even a simple one. On the other side i like making some simple healthy deserts during weekend and take them with me when i am a lot of hours outside home. They are easy to be transferred so there isn't any obstacle to have these with me during the day. Again the weekend is ahead and I think about not getting out of track. I like going out with friends so always there is possibility of forgetting daily diet plan. Anyway may be resting from daily routine is useful this time.
 
Hello! I didn't avoid eating delicious food at weekend and the result today is 3 pounds more than Friday morning. I was enough relaxed the 2 previous days as concerns calories intake so today i 'll try to eat as less as possible calories. I didn't avoid sweet chocolate and general food with a lot of fat. I had an interesting time with friends this weekend and it was really difficult avoiding tempting food. I really let myself relaxed for two days as concerns food. But i know i should get back on track today to disappear these 3 extra pounds as soon as possible. I have tried so hard to lose them so to get them back in just one weekend is so disappointing. However i have in mind to not leave myself today relaxed as concerns calories intake.
 
Hi ABY, sorry I have been away lately...only saw your questions now.

Like you I have a sweet tooth, but as I have said it before I try to make up for it by substituting for healthier options. For example, ice cream - I have found Dove's Ice Cream for just 60 calories a piece, and I eat an strawberry popsicle that is just 47calories...these are easier to burn afterwards rather than me taking a whole chocolate candy or a regular ice cream bar. As far as pastry goes, if it's a problem for you (for me it's not as much as I can get by with anything sweet - even fruits)...but I would earn those slip ups...for example, if you know that you are going out with friends and there is a HUGE chance of you overeating and not eating healthy, then only do so if you get a POWER work out that day (2hours)...trust me, you will feel less guilty and won't be as disappointed on the scale. Life is about moderation...you can't avoid going out forever, or being anti-social with family/friends because of food...but being healthy NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY...it is so easy to make up excuses of why you didn't eat healthy or why you didn't work out...but all you have to do is make up your mind that this is IMPORTANT, more important than succumbing to a craving because of this or that.

Try to eat healthy right before going out with friends, satisfying a craving is different than overeating...if you just want a taste of it, you will have a bite but not the whole thing.

About your question on work-outs, I personally have a lot of energy and always had an active life-style. I don't beat myself up if I had absolutely NO TIME that day to work-out...BUT, if you have 1hour to watch TV a day, then I am sure you have 30 minutes of your day to get your body moving. I work-out daily and do a minimum of 30 minutes, max of 2hours (if going on a hike)...because of my job (I am a social worker and do therapy with kids/adolescents/families) I deal a lot with other people's problems...I see a work-out as a way of self-care and de-stress........specially cardio which burns a lot of energy/calories...that's the way I have found to get a good night of sleep.

Do an experiment...do an intensive work-out for 30 minutes EVERY DAY for a week, put it on your schedule and make it happen. After a week of doing it, write down every day how hard it was.........was the work-out hard? Was taking 30 minutes of your day to do that hard? How did you feel before and after work out? Sometimes you have to take on goals and challenges that are realistically not punishing...if you want a lifestyle change then perhaps it is more important to seek healthier food options and view exercise as a necessary medicine for your body, than to be worrying constantly about calorie intake.

Hope this helps sweetie...take good care of yourself. If possible, consult with a physician and a nutritionist to better assist you on your journey....being healthy isn't rocket science, BUT there are other factors (stressors) to be taken into consideration, so please be safe and take it one day at a time.

Xoxx
 
Thank you CaliGirl for your detailed answer! You are offering great support to me. I like your saying that "to eat healthy and to work out...is IMPORTANT, more important than succumbing to a craving because of this or that" and i try to keep it in my mind. As i know i can't avoid completely cravings for sweets the most times, i'll try to limit them to as few as possible. And the tip of just rather tasting a food than eating it if you can't avoid craving it's very useful. You have right, satisfying a craving is different than overeating. My weak point is satisfying a craving and the most times cravings for sweets or pastries. I really admire you that you can replace these food with other more healthy options like fruits. I have this in mind but during the week some days i feel tired with eating just fruits and i feel cravings for more tempting but less healthy food. I am thinking of adding more food with protein in my diet so i 'll have the feeling of fulfilment more easily.
As for exercise, i don't like to do intense exercise when i am getting back home. I prefer exercising during the day, after work if possible and not so much when i get back home and i want to relax. I don't have treadmill or any other machine for intense cardio exercise. I think the machines for cardio exercise need a lot of place in a room so it's difficult to acquire one. I don't know if there is a machine for cardio exercise with small dimensions. When you say 30 minutes intense work out every day are there some exercises that you are suggesting? Anyway Caligirl you are an inspiration for us i think and i'll try to follow your useful advices.Many thanks again!
 
Hello dear, hope you are doing well!

You definitely don't need a big machine in order to break out a sweat...I look up pilates work-outs on youtube, Stacy from the forum has done some great DVD workouts, and when I can't make it to the gym, I dance at home, I do squats in my kitchen as I am waiting for something to cook, I do calf-raises as I am brushing my teeth...like I said, it's easy to make up excuses...but if your goal is to lose weight and get healthier, without being EXTREME about diet, then it's a very easy math calculation...you can't expect to eat all you want and not burn it...I eat healthy because it feels well on my body...I allow myself to have 2 cheat meals a week where I can eat whatever I want, and then for the rest of the week I really go for healthy food because I know that I need nutrition over calories. As far as exercise goes, if I am moving my body, jumping up and down, taking stairs instead of elevators, walking to places instead of taking the car if it's a short trip, doing outside activities with the kids...then I am keeping my body active! Again, depending on where you are on your weight loss journey a goal varies from person to person...but I see this a lifestyle choice...I want to grow old AND healthy...and see this as a forever goal, not a quick fix!!
 
Hi Aby, Re. your body fat percentage question.

I have done this exam to find out my body fat about 5 times. I either do it with my nutrologist or with a personal trainer to find out. Please note that this is not regarding BMI (which stands for body mass)...you can find out if your body mass is within the correct range online by entering your height and weight. But for body fat percentage and a detailed report on body composition you need other info, thus the reason I go check it with a professional.

The correct range of body fat percentage varies from person-to-person based on a number of factors. Such as age, body structure, overall health, fitness level, diet and activity performed, etc. Many professionals will consider the body fat percentage a more important number than the body mass index. That's because of the details an exam with body fat percentage can provide about the patient.

For example, I was at 13% of body fat after doing 40days of clean-portion controlled eating (I decreased sugar consumption A LOT during this period)...when I went for my exam I was at 57kg...but here is the BIGGEST DIFFERENCE...when I did this same exam back in the day, I weighed at 58kg - just 1kg above - I was working out regularly and eating normally (no extremes - healthy and unhealthy food mixed and no portion control) and my body fat percentage was 22%.

Now, 22% is considered healthy for a female my age, height, and weight, but the percentage was WAY higher compared to now, likely due to changes I made in my diet.

I don't think there is an specific time to do the exam, I know the professional can do it manually, but I did it in a machine...using the machine I had my clothes on, had it done in the afternoon (after breakfast/lunch) and it still gives you an accurate measure. Specially because it's not 1 meal that will make the difference, if you are eating healthy it will show, and if you are eating unhealthy it will show too...this is about overall fat inside of you, not WEIGHT!

The exam detects all body composition, including places where fat is most likely to storage and what areas need work. When I lose weight, it shows right away on my upper body (waist up), so my doctor asked me to lift weights in order to get more mass in there bc I am too skinny in this area and need better support........whereas on my problem areas (thighs and glutes) there still has a higher concentration of water/fat retention. Overall, I don't want to decrease my body percentage anymore because your body needs a minimum of 8-11% for an emergency...but going from healthy to athlete range made me very happy since I did put a lot of work both on fitness and on improving my diet. I also regularly have a fitness activity that requires me on a lower range (running, doing 5-10k and marathons)...depending on what fitness activity you target, you may need a higher percentage to store on energy.

Check in your area where you can get that exam/report done...it's painless and it gives you a good idea on what you are working with. Online doesn't offer a detailed report as a professional, specially because it doesn't take into consideration overall health and body composition. But here is a rough prospect of what it's said about appropriate fat percentage.

Acceptable Body Fat Percentage

Description Female
Essential Fat 10-12%
Athletes 14-20%
Fitness 21-24%
Acceptable 25-30%
Obese 31%+

and here is another link about it:

http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/normal-ranges-of-body-weight-and-body-fat
 
Thank you CaliGirl for your detailed reply! The distinction between BMI and fat percentage that you have mentioned is very useful. I haven't thought as different things these two before. I 'll do this exam about fat storage because as you have explained is very useful. It shows the areas that need to work with. I think it will show body fat at my waist because there is the area that i store fat and is the last point from which i lose fat when i am dieting. But if i 'll do this exam i would know how much fat i should lose from this area. And the link that you added is very helpful. As you work both on fitness and diet do you think that abs exercises that i can find online are effective for reducing body fat at waist or it is more useful to take care of diet and what food do you think should I avoid in order to be more fit at this area? Thank you again for your time and your really helpful answers. I think the experience from you that you are doing very well is valuable to us who we try.:seeya:
 
I haven't progress so far. I only get or lose 2 pounds and can't really have progress. I feel tired a lot of time and i think i need to eat. Now during winter time i feel more difficult to stay on track. The feeling of cold leads me to more eating than i really need. The previous last days i was going out with friends and i couldn't really limit my food calories intake. I am 4 pounds above my least in the last four months. I just try to lose these extra 4 pounds until the end of year. I feel that i can have treats like sweets and other delicious food with a lot of calories during this festive days of year but that isn't really right i think. All the previous work of the last 4 months seems to be lost. I just don't want to lose what i have achieved during the 4 previous months because there are festive days ahead. I am just looking for motivation tips in order to stay on track. The fact that i stay a lot in inside places because of cold weather and not so much to outside places leads me to more eating because i feel more stress, i think. How are you doing with your diet this time of year?
 
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