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myleanbaby

myleanbaby

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Aloha and hello all!

I am looking for a positive community and support with the physical and mental health changes I have been working on for the last couple of months. I have a long history of being overweight from being a little kid through college, when I struggled with an eating disorder, lost a lot of weight in very unhealthy ways, then got into recovery and gained it all back.

For many years after that I did not feel "safe" to focus on my weight, eating habits, and exercise because it was triggering for me, but over the last several months I have been doing a lot of mental work and now I'm ready to work on my physical health. My goal is to get to the center of my healthy BMI range for my height and to increase my strength and endurance so I can be better at the things I like to do (hiking, backpacking, etc), and I have a concrete goal of trekking the Inca Trail for 5 days to Machu Picchu in Peru in September!! I want to be healthy and strong and do it in the RIGHT way so I can maintain when I reach my goal weight.

As for my day to day life, I work more than full time (about 50-60 hours/week) on the graveyard shift, and I live with my boyfriend of 11 years and my Golden Retriever in Honolulu. I have recently gotten back into yoga which I love, and started on a meal alternative called Huel which has helped TREMENDOUSLY with my ability to work with a calorie deficit without the triggering struggle of feeling hungry and desperate all the time. I have also just finally last week worked up the courage to go to my first beginner's class at CrossFit, which I have wanted to do for many years, but was always too self-conscious to try.

I'm super excited about and want to share a lot about Huel (don't worry, I don't sell it or anything, but I would if that were an option!)! It's a product made by a British company that is NOT specifically for dieting or weight loss, but actually is meant to be a sustainable, vegan, complete nutrition food source that has minimal waste and is super convenient.

The company's founder intended the product to be fast and easy to prepare and to provide all of your daily nutrients (or just for one meal) and *not* to be particularly delicious as he has identified cheap, salt, fat, and sugar crammed foods that are so easily available and that we get addicted to as one of the key components in the escalating issues we're facing with overweight and obesity rates in the UK and US, etc.

ANYWAY, I just wanted to share how much it has been helping me with my calorie deficit goals. Because of my history with eating disorders, it's really important or me to maintain my mental balance, and being hungry and getting that desperate feeling between meals and having repetitive thoughts about food is really unhealthy for me. Huel has REALLY helped me because I stay full between meals and I don't have all the stress around shopping, cooking, cleaning up, obsessing over how many calories in each component of each meal, and the peace of mind in knowing that I am getting both the calories and the nutrients I need.

I am currently focused on a 500 calorie/day calorie deficit, so eating between 1450-1650 calories per day with the goal of losing 1-2lbs per week, so my goal is to hit my GW of 128 around August 2nd. I also follow a 3 hours eating schedule, alternating meals and snacks, which again helps me to not get so hungry that I risk binging, stress eating, or other unhealthy behaviors.

My regular diet basically looks like this (for graveyard days, I swap out the AM/PMs on my days off):

9pm breakfast
400 cals Huel

12am
100 cals snack

3am lunch
400 cals Huel

6am
100 cals snack

9am dinner
400 cals "real" food

This is a baseline of 1400 calories and allows for additions like adding fruit or matcha to the Huel, or to have a 120-130 cal snack if I want, or to have a low cal drink or two on the weekend (I know this does not support my weight loss--but it's social and I want to allow for it in my diet).

So far I have been using Huel 2 meals per day for 4 weeks and have lost about 10lbs. It is the first time in many years that I have lost weight in a healthy, sustainable way, and I am just so thankful for the product I feel compelled to share about it. I'm basically a super fan and hoping to find some others who are using the product or interested in chatting about it along with everything else!! I'm excited to be here and hoping to find some friends and give and receive some support as we go forward :)
 
-- How much weight do you want to lose?
30lbs total, 19 left to go!

-- What is the timeframe for reaching your target weight?
my goal date is August 2nd, based on a goal of losing 2lbs/week from my starting date (april 19, 2019). I got a little jump start with water weight the first week, so I'm hoping even if I have a couple of 1lb weeks, I'll still be close

-- How do you want to accomplish your goal (what methods do you want to use)?
I am using Huel meal replacement, tracking ALL calorie intake with myfitnesspal, and some exercise so far, planning to increase that

-- Who or what can support you in reaching your goal?
I am hoping this community can help! I also just joined CrossFit last week and have been blown away by the positive environment and encouragement there. My partner is also supportive, even though he is 6'4" and 140lbs and can eat like a 17 year old boy :p

-- How realistic is your goal?
I think it is realistic, and I am working hard to keep my focus is on being strong and healthy. My biggest concern is not being satisfied if/when I reach my goal, or relapsing with unhealthy, eating disorder behaviors

-- When will you start?
I started officially on 4/19/19 with my diet, but did a couple of months of mental work prior to that, outlining my goals, visualizing my success, practicing engaging in other types of self-care, etc

What is your current height and weight?
5'4", 147.5lbs (BMI 25.2 Overweight)

If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
128lbs based on taking an average of all of the "ideal weight" results for the five or six different main methods for calculating ideal weight (based on google anyway). I have been that weight once before and I think it's appropriate for my frame, though if I gain muscle I may have to reassess if being a little higher is ok for me

At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
In 4 months I hope to be at my goal weight, maintaining, and training for my trek to Machu Picchu

Why do you want to lose weight?
I want to lose weight to feel better about myself. My insecurities can sometimes interfere with my relationship (I find I need a lot of reassurance that my partner loves me) and socially because I don't want to go out and do things because I'm not happy about how I look

Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
I chose my goal date based on the lbs/week I'd like to lose, and my bigger goal is to be in great physical shape before my Machu Picchu trek so I can really enjoy it

What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
Relapsing to eating disordered thoughts and/or behaviors. Not seeing "enough" progress also discourages me. Also, I do like to drink alcohol... I am making allowances in my calories for any alcohol I consume.

Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
I have been overweight my whole life probably from about age 5, except during my eating disorder. I was 175-185lbs (obese BMI) from about age 13-22, when my eating disorder began and I lost weight. I think I was brought up with bad eating habits (soda, chips, large portions) and I know that I eat when I'm stressed or sad or anxious

What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
I want to have more social support. I don't have a lot of friends and I don't have any family near where I live, and anxiety often keeps me from connecting with people, feeding into the cycle of feeling bad and staying in. Also I need to prioritize time for me and for working out so I can reach my goal of getting stronger

Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
Yes, about 65lbs (185 to 117). I was successful using the 3 Hour Diet until I plateaued (around 140lbs) and then slowly began engaging in unhealthy eating habits/thoughts which lead to several years of eating disorder.

Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
I gained the weight back as I recovered from the eating disorder. As I slowly stopped engaging in those behaviors and obsessive thinking, I ate more and over time went back to my stress eating and away from healthy food choices, getting back up to about 165lbs

What, if anything, has not worked for you in the past in helping you to lose weight? Why do you think it did not work?
I have tried all kinds of unhealthy and terrible things during my eating disorder, and I know none of those things are sustainable. I want to do it the right way now.

Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
Yes, I use myfitness pal since starting calorie deficit april 19th. I plan to do this until I reach my goal weight and probably at least 6 months after that so I can make sure I maintain in a healthy way

Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
Yes, on Sundays I make meals for the week and refrigerate or freeze. Usually this is stir fries or fish or tofu/veg/rice dishses. I also love Japanese food and have been learning to cook that!

How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
Not often at all, maybe 1-2 times per month. Usually my bf and I will go to a Japanese restaurant or sometimes for pizza as a date

What are your three favorite foods?
Sushi, pizza, greek food

What are your three favorite restaurants?
Sansei Sushi & Japanese food in Waikiki, Sophie's Pizza at Koko Head Marina, Poke & Box at Ala Moana

What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
-Eat on a schedule, this reduces risk of binging or bad choices because food is only ever an hour or two away, so it eases the mental/emotional desire to eat
-Allow myself to eat things I like, just make sure to track the calories accurately, and eat both ENOUGH and not TOO MUCH calories each day
-Continue to use Huel to help with my fullness and keeping food choices convenient and easy to follow through with

If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
I would not have large fat deposits on my stomach/thighs/back, I would have much better upper body strength, and I would have better endurance and cardiovascular fitness. I would feel confident in my clothes and in a bikini (we spend a lot of time at the beach in Hawaii....)

Do you eat when you are not hungry?
Yes, usually due to stress or boredom. 3 hour interval eating is helping tremendously with this.

Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
Yes, usually when I have waited too long to eat and get overwhelming feelings of hunger, or alternately when I am feeling very stressed or sad or anxious, it is acts as a coping mechanism

Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
Yes, when I am binging.

Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
Yes, 3 hour interval eating is helping with this

Do you eat as a reward?
Yes, ^

Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
Yes, ^

What do you normally eat for a meal?
400 cals Huel or a meal of whole grains, veg, and either fish/seafood or meat alternatives 400-500 cals

What type of snacks do you eat?
100ish calorie snacks... anything from goldfish, to raisins, to mini granola bars, to tuna, to animal crackers... this is my "you can still eat that" bargain with myself which helps to keep me mentally comfortable

In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
I have been getting back into yoga at home for about the last 6 weeks, about 3-4 days per week, just 20-40 minutes with YouTube beginner videos. Last week I accomplished a big goal by going to my first CrossFit class (something I have ALWAYS wanted to do but was too insecure to try) and I have decided to join their gym and will be going to 2 CrossFit beginner's classes per week Monday/Wednesday and plan on doing their yoga class Tuesday/Thursday

Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
^

What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
My favorite exercises are hiking/backpacking, yoga, and snorkelling :)

What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
I am weighing myself weekly and I have my big goal of my Machu Picchu trek in September

Do you have rewards for certain goals?
No, but I love that idea! Maybe for hitting 140, 130, and then my goal!
 
Hey MLB and welcome! I love your goal of being fit and hiking to Machu Pichu and I am already jealous of that trip :)
Losing an average of 2 pounds a week for several months is a lot (and would take a 1000 kcal/day deficit if you're logging all your exercise calories) but doable if you're dedicated. The real question is how you're going to maintain. If your packaged meals are affordable enough to stick with in the long run you're probably fine but otherwise it may be helpful to start looking at recipes already so you can start a solid (quick&tasty) meal rotation as soon as you're ready for maintenance.
Best of luck, LaMa.
 
Thanks for reading and commenting! I’m logging food calories only and maintaining a 500 cal deficit there, any exercise is on top of that, so it’s variable. My biggest focus is not to put too much pressure on myself around the lbs number but to hit my intake deficit and work on getting fitter and let the rest come with time. Huel is quick and easy and I plan to use it into my maintenance, it really isn’t a diet product, it’s more of a nutrition product. It’s also convenient for things I like to do like hiking and backpacking it’s also $1.77/meal so WAY cheaper than packaged food options and on par with cooking portioned meals at home, but faster and saves energy.
 
Firstly WOW information overload!

Good on you doesn’t really do your post justice so I’ll say GREAT on you. You’ve clearly set out a plan for yourself.

The only think I’d warn against is following such a strict plan can often lead to cravings and ultimately breaking the diet. If you can make it work great though. Make sure you learn about nutrition and what your current lifestyle demands of your body and diet. If you exercise more you may need to change your diet to include more protein etc etc.

Looking forward to seeing your succeed!
 
Hi all!

Been busy at work and then got a terrible cold this week, so I haven't spent much time reading around here (or working out) since joining. Updates for me are I am still really enjoying Huel and it is making me feel comfortable and confident with hitting my calorie goals each day. I should say, according to several of the BMR calculators, with my height/weight/sex/activity level, 1450 calories/day is what is recommended for me to lose 1lb/week. I have gotten comments here and also on the Huel facebook group I participate on about the low calorie intake, but the goal is based on a healthy rate of weight loss, but I think because I am a smaller person (and aging female) without a super high activity level, my intake needs are just less than many people are used to for themselves or what they think people in general are supposed to intake. At my size, to lose 2lbs/week I would need to cut down to less than 1100 cal/day, which is below the safe limit, so I'm just focusing on staying between 1450-1650 depending how much exercise I do on a particular day to maintain an appropriate calorie deficit.

This is the specific calculator I am using if anyone is interested in trying it out: How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day to Lose Weight?

When I reach my GW at 128 I will need to increase my calories to around 1750 to maintain that weight, but I'll just never be a 2000 cal/day girl unless I start doing serious athletic training, which I don't intend to do as of now. Furthermore, because I have previously struggled with eating disorders for many years by bingeing, starving, abusing laxatives/exercise, etc, and because I lost weight in unhealthy, unsafe, and extreme ways, my metabolism will continue to try to keep weight on my body (see article below).

[if you are ever considering extreme methods of weight loss, don't do it--its not worth it!!]
6 Years after The Biggest Loser, Metabolism Is Slower and Weight Is Back Up

Anyway, the good news is that I have been able to continue to hit my calorie goals over the last two weeks within +/-100 cals, though as I said I did not exercise this week at all due to being sick. Friday is weigh in day for me, so I'm happy to report I'm CW 142.4lbs, down 16lbs and 10.2% total body weight since I started focusing on my diet and doing some light yoga, walking, etc, 2 months ago :) This also means I am back into the "normal" BMI range for my height from the "overweight" range for the first time in almost 10 years!!

I have about 15lbs to go to my GW, and I know my weight loss is likely to slow as I get lower in weight, so I am trying not to put any pressure on myself going forward, but to continue to feel positive about making good choices with my food and the way I treat and talk to myself. Also plenty to celebrate myself for as I'm now halfway there!!

Hope everyone is well!
 
Good to hear back from you... sorry that you've been sick! That's never fun. Glad to see that you seem to be making healthy choices and sticking with a small caloric deficit for gradual weight loss!

Hope you're feeling better now!
 
Sounds like you´re doing great despite having been sick. Congratulations on returning to the "healthy weight" category!
 
All right crew, back again! Just officially got out of the 140’s at today’s weekly weigh in! Things have been going really well, I’m focusing most on just staying consistent with my diet and supporting my efforts with work outs 3 days/week. I am really starting to enjoy learning CrossFit! I have now been on this diet plan for 8 weeks and started CrossFit 4 weeks ago and I definitely feel better and my smallest old jeans from when I last made this major life change can almost barely close

I am reveling in the feelings of success but also cautious in my expectations for myself going forward... my BMI is now 23.9 so weight loss is definitely likely to slow down even more than it already has. I have 49 days until my goal weight date, and 11 more lbs to lose to my ideal weight, so that’s still about 1.5lbs per week needed. Now that I have some foundations in training with the beginners classes at CrossFit, I’d like to add one “real” CrossFit class per week, maybe starting from next week, and I think that will help with the continuing progress on the scale as well as keeping me feeling positive about the difference I can start to see and feel in my body after these first 8 weeks, regardless of the number on the scale.

I also have a fairly long vacation coming up July 11-July 27 where I will be traveling to Alaska! My boyfriend and I plan on doing quite a lot of hiking and camping, and then staying in a resort type lodge at the end of the trip, so I am DEFINITELY concerned about how that is going to impact my progress. I will be taking along my favorite—Huel!—to help with convenient meal prep both while traveling and in the backcountry, but traveling is always a weight loss roller coaster!

Anyway, wish me luck and I’ll report back as soon as I have the chance!
 
Aloha folks!

Well, its weigh in day for me again and I have a BIG milestone to share! Today marks 9 weeks of calorie deficit and I have officially lost 20lbs!!! Feeling really happy with my progress. I am working out three days per week, two hours of beginners CrossFit, one hour of yoga. I have been going to the beginners/intro classes for CrossFit for 5 weeks now, and I would really like to try a "real" CrossFit class, but I'm feeling kind of insecure about going since my fitness and strength is so much less than most of the people that work out at my gym. I'm not sure if I'll be too slow or in the way of other people, or that I'll know what all the exercises are or how to do them correctly... social anxiety hard at work! :rolleyes:

On the plus side, working out there has helped me find muscles that I literally didn't know that were there lol... for example, whenever I've been in a class or doing a workout video and they are like "ok, engage your core/ab muscles" I'm like ok, but I don't feel anything doing anything...? For the first time (I think in my life?) I can actually feel muscles between my ribs and navel doing something when I ask them to! Also, I have a muscle that I can flex on the top side of my arm between my wrist and elbow? Never seen that one before... Weird and strange moments in my fitness journey lol :rotflmao:

Anyway, being 138.0 now means I have exactly 10lbs to go to my goal weight, 6 weeks to get there, 3 of which I will be on vacation... Still feeling pretty anxious about trying to maintain my weight loss (and hopefully progress) while on vacation and especially when out hiking and backpacking. I know I will burn calories in those activities, but I've come to rely on my phone to track my food intake calories and my apple watch to track my steps and calories burned, and its likely both of those will go dead after a day or two out on the tundra. I'm thinking about bringing a notebook to write down my calories, but not sure I can justify the weight (every gram counts when you backpack for more than 7 days).

I think that's really all for now, I plan to keep following my same intake plan with Huel for breakfast and lunch, 3 hour interval eating, and my 3 beginner workouts per week for now... maybe I will get up my confidence to go to a real CrossFit class next week :confused:
 
G'day/Aloha. Wow! Congratulations on the 20 lbs lost. That is absolutely awesome! You should be well aware of how much you are consuming & burning now & I'm sure you will be burning up more than you consume whilst hiking. You've got this :D
 
myleanbaby said:
Arent cravings odd? Sometimes I'll get the strongest cravings, and I'm practicing examining them and "sitting with" the discomfortable feeling, trying to identify the source or root cause of the feeling. I can know that I am not physically hungry, not lacking in any nutrient, but that I am having an emotional reaction, and yet it also feels like a physical need. The mind is a strange and powerful thing.
Click to expand...
Odd is the nicest word I can think of for them. I prefer insidious. My working theory is that its just instinctive, we evolved in a very different environment than the one we live in today. Food was very scarce, particularly high calorie food. Back in that place eating all you could lay your hands on was a good thing. Not so much today..........

And congrats on the weight loss, that is very impressive!
 
Congratulations on your weightloss! Isn´t it the most amazing feeling to develop your strength and physical abilities?
 
Oh, well done on 20 lbs down! Go, you! :)
 
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