I can't believe how quiet it is around these parts. Sad!
For summer I got down pretty low and ran two half marathons, then I couldn't stop bingeing so I'm back up. I'm tired of restarting so I'm determined to actually make it a life style change - not just a change for a couple of months and reverting back to bad habits. It's not healthy.
Lets do this!
How was your day 1 of the challenge? I woke up feeling really under the weather (I've got a cough and my period is kicking my arse), after pepping myself up so much the night before. I ended up waking up at 10am and stirring out of bed around 2pm. Then I stupidly told myself "oh hey, it's Labor day, I should just start tomorrow!" Ugh, how often have I said these words? Too many times.
Today I decided to get going with life and just go for it! I felt so much better this morning, I set my alarm to wake up at 9am (I know it's still kinda late, but considering my sleep pattern this was a big jolt for me!) and got up and I've just finished a workout. I'm doing Jillian Michaels "Winning By Losing" routine which is mostly focused on strength training with small bursts of cardio. For now it's my best option considering the heat and the fact I have a little gym to use. The boyfriend was really sweet and came with me to the gym to help and keep me company.
Now my body is aching and my arms are shaking so I consider that a successful workout. Today I weighed 169.8 lbs which is a 2.2 lb drop from last week, feeling good about that!
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Nightowl - Well done on pushing yourself a little harder on the bike!
munchey - Poor doggy! I remember once one of my dogs heard clay pigeon shooting in the distance and just took off. She ran all the way home! Thank god she wasn't hit by a car, the roads were relatively quiet back then.
Mimi - Welcome, welcome! Goal weight is your challenge goal weight, not your overall goal. What's the theory behind the diet you're doing? Glad you're feeling good on it!
torito - Great to see you! I feel ya on just getting this weight loss thing sorted and not really having to come back here anymore, despite how much I love the place! Congrats on 2 half marathons, that's awesome!
Happy Tuesday everyone! Hope you guys are having a great day so far.
To answer your question, Ris, the "Insulin Resistance Diet" is one that helps pre-diabetics (I think). The premise is that every meal has a specific protein to carb ratio: 7 grams protein to 15 grams carbs with no more than 30 grams of net carbs per meal. And sugars have to stay way way down.
It's all about keeping blood sugar (or is it insulin?) even.
The other catch is that you can only have 30grams of carbs every 2 hours, which basically means no snacking! But, the awesome thing is so far (Day 3) by sticking to this system, I haven't been hungry at all, haven't had one single craving for anything "off limits", and have had a ton of energy.
Wow, right? No afternoon slump, no dying for salty/sweet snacks, nothing. It's been crazy easy. My favorite thing about it is that nothing is really off limits. Of course, the goal is to eat healthy, but as long as you stick within the magic ratio, things are supposedly good. I haven't really tested the theory too dramatically but I did have a mini slice of pizza yesterday and added some turkey slices (which was kind of weird to do) on top of my salad and kept to that magic ratio pretty easily.
What diets do the rest of you follow? How successful are they?? I've done nothing but gain weight for the past five years...I was diagnosed with breast cancer then, and it seemed like all the surgeries and stress just made it impossible to stick to anything for more than a few hours (not kidding, either!).
This December will be my 5 year mark, which is the big milestone for cancer survivors!! Yea!! So to celebrate that big achievement, I set the goal to lose the 35 pounds I gained, and to walk/jog a half marathon in May.
I'm super excited to be a part of this Halloween Challenge, and can't wait to hear how you all are doing!
I'm off to a fairly good start, just have to keep up the momentum. I'm trying to comply with a 12-hour fast for at least 5 days during the week (aiming for 7, but 5 will be a must). So, the 12-hr fast means that if I have my last meal/snack by 7:00 p.m., I don't eat again until 7:00 a.m.
I'm, also, going to try getting in some level of exercising in the morning, prior to breakfast. I'm going to test a theory I read that when you exercise on an empty stomach, you will burn stored fat first (instead of breakfast).
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
RIE:
Jillian Michaels has some kick rear workouts. She and many other fitness trainers swear by circuit training as the best thing for weigh loss. I'm thinking there is a lot of potential for you with that type of training. It's great that your boyfriend is so supportive!
MIMI35:
I'm so glad you will reach your 5-year cancer survival milestone in December. It is definitely something to celebrate.
For my diet, I'm focusing on calories and eating low cal foods that I enjoy. I eat lots of veggies and salads. I eat so much chicken, I think I might start clucking, lol. I've grown rather fond of spagetti squash. I try to vary the things I eat, but my focus is on having enjoyable meals. If I don't feel deprived, then I don't feel like I'm on a diet. Raw almonds and walnets are my snacks when I feel hungry and it's not time for a meal. TORITO:
You are right, we can do this! You aren't alone, I think most of us have lost weight, only to gain it back. Guess we need to write ourselves a note, "dear self, the food binges aren't worth the aftermath".
Hi, guys! I've noticed that when I eat a high protein, high fat, and low carb breakfast, it kills my appetite. Have you noticed that too?
For example, yesterday I made a cheeseburger omelet for breakfast. I ate it at about 7 am, and I had no appetite at all until after 5 pm! (It was 450-500 calories.) I looked online about why protein affects me so much, and I found an article about how high protein meals release a hormone, Peptide YY, that is an appetite suppressant. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670018/ It certainly works for me! I've noticed around 30 grams of protein at breakfast does the trick for me. Fat also seems to be an essential component for me. Yesterday, I had way too much protein at breakfast though, almost 50 grams. I think that's why it made my appetite feel too suppressed. Just the thought of food made me feel kinda queasy until after 5pm. So yeah, that was too much.
What's interesting to me is that it's key that I eat this for my first meal of the day to get that effect. The same meal doesn't suppress my appetite to nearly such an extent if it's not the first thing I eat.
Mimi - Congrats on the 5 year mark coming up - that's awesome! One celebratory dance for each year.
The Insulin Resistance diet sounds like a healthy and effective WOE.
munchey - I love your visuals and artistic posts. You make me want to draw and color!
Rosinante - I'm glad you had a nice visit with your brother! My sister treated me to rice and curry last night. Siblings and their carbs. I think it's good though, helps keep our diet balanced.
Have a great day, all!
Last edited by Chunkahlunkah; 09-07-2016 at 02:12 PM.
Good Morning! It's Wednesday, and I'm on day 3 of IR diet. So far so good.
Munchey: I'm super impressed you can do the 12 hour fast! And do it because you want to, not because you're having some medical procedure which states "nothing to eat 12 hours prior..!"
Phae: I agree. I think there are a few looking but not posting. And I also agree that a slower challenge is great. I've tried so many times to lose a pound a day, only to be super discouraged after 2 days of losing nothing or gaining. This time around I'm retraining my brain to the "slow and steady" way of thinking, and hopefully I won't get so discouraged. This takes a huge amount of practice though. My goal is literally to lose 1 pound per week. Painfully slow, I tell you!
Chunka: I think there is definitely something to the higher protein/ higher fat way of eating. That's what the Keto diet is all about, right?
Thanks for the well wishes on my 5 year mark. Cancer sucks. It really does. It's so great to be five years out.
Have a fabulous day, everyone. Great job on sticking to it!
munchie sounds like a solid plan, I've heard about and tried fasted cardio - don't know how much it really helped me but it felt like it should!
Phae nice of you to join us!
chunka they've always said breakfast is the most important meal for the day, but that's a long time to go without food!
mimi good job! Being cancer free is so amazing, I've lost and know so many people going through it right now, it's sure tough.
My week has gone by very quick, I've been dealing with the stress of trying to buy a house and working day. And last night I worked till midnight, but the midnight person called in sick and no one would come in so I had to stay and have a 16 hour work day. I still managed to go to the gym after though! I'm still exhausted though, looking forward to a good nights rest
Torito - GL with the house buying! The process can be pretty stressful, but it's worth it. I hope you got a great sleep after such a long shift! Have you already found your house?
And yes, 10 hours was a long time to go w/o food! I didn't like how much it killed my appetite. It made even the thought of food make me feel sick. I've decided not to eat that many protein and fat grams in the morning since it affects me so extremely. Every now and then, I go mad scientist and like to do experiments, checking out how different ways of eating impact me.
Mimi - Yes, it's somewhat similar to ketosis, which from what I understand is when the body uses fat for energy instead of glucose. I'm pre-coffee though, so I may be remembering that incorrectly. With this though, I don't think I was in ketosis b/c I eat carbs later in the day (dinner was oatmeal with blueberries, and the prior night was rice and veg curry), but it's a hormonal response exaggerated by high protein and fat that tells your body you're full. I think I'm reeaaalllly sensitive to that hormone.
Happy Almost-Friday, guys!
Last edited by Chunkahlunkah; 09-08-2016 at 06:00 AM.
HEY EVERYONE:
Hope everyone has a great weekend! So far, so good for me.
I've managed to stay consistent with my exercise and diet. I almost, had some Popchips on Wednesday night, but I successfully reminded myself that I have a goal for a 12-hour fast. So, I decided I didn't want to wait until 9:00 in the morning for my next meal and managed to talk myself out of the chips. A small success, but they will all add up in the long run.
Chunkahlunkah:
It can be interesting to go "mad scientist" occasionally, lol. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Got to find what works for each of us. When I'm really hungry, I generally need some protein.
Coloring books are in these days, even on Ipads. I've collected graphics to a Photobucket account for several years. It's been a bit of a hobby. Mimi35: I'm glad things are going well with your diet.
Phae1963:
What phone app are you using? A "lifestyle change" is the good way to approach weight loss. If we find a method that we can live with, we are more apt to succeed and maintain. Rebelle: You aren't alone with gaining back weight. Best wishes with this challenge. I know we can all make accomplishments towards our goals. Torito: Best wishes with house hunting. It can be exhausting and exciting at the same time. A tough combination with working long hours. Take care to try and get enough rest, as it can be instrumental in weight loss.
Happy Friday everyone! Munchey, your graphics make my day! Thank you!!
I'm a bit down about my weight loss, guys. I know it's going to be slow and tedious, but its reeeeaaaaallllyyyyy s....l....o....w. As in I hate my scale slow. It's very hard to retrain one line's of thinking regarding dieting and slow weight loss. I just can't seem to embrace it. I'm sticking to it, but it's awfully hard not to jump ship and go try something else. Not sure any of you are low-brow enough to watch Bachelor in Paradise, but we are super low-quality tv fans at my house (yes, I did write 'Low- quality") and right now I feel like the Lizzy to my diet's Vinny.
Down. .2 pounds today, which I'll take. Like I said, it's slow.
Mimi - I hear ya! Been a sad week between me and my scale. I had to eat out 3 times for work this week and am up a pound from Monday. I think it is mostly sodium though as I don't use salt at home and I didn't really go too far outside my WOE even with eating out other than a few glasses of wine. I was able to put 61 miles on the bike and hope at least another 20 this weekend. So, fingers crossed it all evens out by Monday.
Good luck everyone!
Last edited by Nightowlrn; 09-09-2016 at 06:08 PM.
Rie - it's always great to be part of one of your challenges. I've only got about 5 more pounds to go but I would like to join to keep myself accountable.
I'm so glad to see this challenge -- it's exactly what I need right now.
I reached a weight I loved a few years ago, but life and taking my eye off the prize allowed all those pounds to creep back on. This time I'm determined to get rid of them again (plus a few more) and this time focus on maintenance instead of thinking the job was done.
12lbs is a bit of a stretch for me over 8 weeks, but it will bring me out of the obese range so I'm trying for it anyway.
Late to this challenge - but glad I found it. Been working on cleaning up my diet for the past 2 months. Now I'm ready to move forward with exercise and and 1600 calories.
munchey - Well, you did it! Had me craving the arts so bad, I busted out my drawing pad and crayons. I had them resting on my kitchen table. My brother ended up seeing them, and together we hung out drawing and coloring. Two adults having a blast.
Just the thought of food made me feel kinda queasy until after 5pm. So yeah, that was too much.
Have a great day, all!
I hope you got a great sleep after such a long shift! Have you already found your house?
With this though, I don't think I was in ketosis b/c I eat carbs later in the day (dinner was oatmeal with blueberries, and the prior night was rice and veg curry), but it's a hormonal response exaggerated by high protein and fat that tells your body you're full. I think I'm reeaaalllly sensitive to that hormone. 
