New and need support!
 

Hi everyone!
I'm new to this group and this is my first time joining a weight loss community. In the last 5 years I gained about 10-15 pounds and while I've wanted to loose that weight I haven't made a committed effort. If an event is coming up I'll try to watch my diet a little more closely or exercise a bit more than my regular but after the event I generally have gone back to my baseline.
I would like to loose some weight so that I always feel my best and don't feel excessive pressure when events are around the corner. I was very comfortable and confident in my skin most my life with my weight staying pretty steady around 115-120 pounds. I would like to make a more serious effort to get there and maintain which is why I need support!
A huge obstacle for me is a fear of stepping on the scale. I definitely feel motivated in my food choices and exercise habits when I weigh in daily, or at least regularly. The accountability of my weight is very motivating but sometimes devastating as well, hence the fear if it's been a while since I weighed in. I want to lose weight, want to weigh in and kick off with my goals in mind, and want accountability for myself and support from others. I'm hoping a group setting will give me the courage and commitment I need.

You just need to do it. Good luck and welcome! It's easier making smaller changes if you notice weight creeping up than trying to lose 10-15 lbs.

Yes I can see that now in hindsight! It would have been better for me to pump the breaks/stop bad habits while I was gaining the 10-15 pounds than to try to lose it now. Unfortunately I gained the weight during a stressful period of my life which I was making multiple adjustments. My health and fitness didn't quite make my priority list, which I really regret. Not just because of weight gain but also because I lost a sense of myself while putting my wellbeing on the back burner.
After becoming aware of that 2 years ago I quit my job and made a lot of changes to get back to my old self. I feel really great about my life balance now, my current work, my fitness level... the only thing that hasn't bounced back is my weight.
Can anyone else relate to this? I'm back to my baseline in terms of healthy eating, being active and fit but my new weight seems to be sticking around.

Then you are eating too much and/or are not active enough...bodies are fairly simple.

You can always see a doctor to rule out thyroid (unlikely but possible).

This isn't "support," but I'm trying to be honest and help.

Yes I think I am eating more than I used to. I consume nutritious foods but I do love food and I love to eat! I'm also currently in a social circle of big eaters... I'm sure that's affected my portion size when going out or serving up my plate. Also, I've been running more this last year and when I'm upping my training I get crazy hungry. Its hard for me to curb my appetite when I'm in that space and I'm nearly positive I'm eating the difference, which would prevent weight loss.
What I need is to reign in my appetite so I can actually create a calorie deficit. Personality wise I'm a bit of a free spirit so buckling down and simply willing discipline historically does not produce lasting success, in most areas of my life. In these past few days I've been trying to drink lots of water hoping it will help curb my appetite.

How badly do you want it? I want the cookie/bread/carbs or I want to weigh less?

Eating lots of "healthy clean" food is still eating too many calories. People have lost weight on a diet of oreos with a calorie deficit.

Try the Loseit app.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/

http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/junk-food-diet-jeff-wilser

I'm not recommending the diet above, but you get the idea.

Yes I need to keep that in mind and weigh the pros and cons. I do want to lose weight as that will likely make me feel better about my appearance and therefore improve my quality of life, but there's also something to be said about the quality of life I enjoy with freedom in regards to my eating and just being generally active / athletic.

When I weigh both options (eat the carbs vs lose the weight, as you put it) I would like the best of both worlds. Sacrifice some eating and take on a dieting mindset in order to lose weight, but not go completely disciplined so that I can still enjoy what I eat. Maybe this will produce a slow but long term weight loss.

Jen how long have you been a "featherweight" / on a mission to loose 10-15 pounds? Or maybe what I'm asking is how do you find that balance? Are you trying to slim down quickly or have you been making small changes hoping for a long term result?

I'm 5'5" 120 lbs, two pounds in either direction. I maintain. I'm not looking to lose. I work out daily, watch everything I eat, stay at 17% body fat and wear a size 2/4.

Keeping track on this site helps. I have not gained/lost yo yo dieted ever.

Health and fitness is my life. There's no balance since this is how I make my choices. I don't eat cookies, cake, sweets, bread, pasta, fried food, etc. I eat 1500 calories per day and don't lose unless I eat 900.

That's how I maintain balance. I won't eat 900 calories to lose.

My husband is a bodybuilder so we do this together and it's our lifestyle.

He does things a bit different. He is next to me drinking a chocolate shake. He tracks his calories and will include that in his total and won't go over.

You can do that too. Say 1500 calories. Nothing says 150 of those calories can't be oreos :)

Thanks for your perspective!
 

Thanks for the response, Jen! 👍🏻It sounds like you manage pretty strict schedule with yourself and this site really helps keep you in track and motivated. That's why I decided to join- I figured the social support would likely be a key piece to my success.
I've never been a dieter and have always been slim and active. The pounds I want to loose were gained, as I mentioned earlier, during a stressful period of my life when I wasn't active and eating more than I should. I guess the thinking that is motivating me is, "I should lose these10-15 pounds now bc if I keep up with this trend I'll eventually find myself having gained 30, 40, 50 pounds etc." Its better to address it now when it's a manageable loss.
I think your husband's routine would probably be more suitable for me, aka enjoying food but keeping within a calorie range. Although Oreos, cakes, and cookies are not the foods I would want! 😝 Mostly I just want the freedom to eat what I like which is not "junk food"/processed/packaged food but indulgent foods like wine and cheese and the liberty to enjoy happy hour or dinner out with friends.
I am already active and eat pretty well balanced so I am thinking if I make some cut backs on my intake I'll lose weight somewhat effortlessly. (Hopefully!) I started journaling my food this week and already it has been helpful. Even if I don't count calories writing down food and and portions makes it pretty obvious when I should skip out on an extra serving.
Ultimately I would rather lose 10 pounds slowly over a year due to a developed lasting awareness of my portion sizes than lose weight quickly in a couple months but potentially gain it back.
Oh and drinking extra water has helped curb my appetite! I NEVER feel thirsty... like never. I'm wondering if I was feeling hungry after running when really all I needed was some water after sweating buckets in the TX sun! Maybe my wires got crossed in my brain in regards to hunger vs thirst. So I'll continue with that habit!

You sound like you will do fine!

(When my parents passed, I lost weight from the stress. Guess we're all different)

Questions
 

Jen, how do you know your percent body fat? (You mentioned you like to maintain it at 17%) And what kind of physical activity do you tend to favor?
Also I'm curious if you feel deprived with food, as in you are willing yourself not to eat those mentioned "treats" or are you just not into those types of foods. I know for me when my friends are struggling over baked goods in the break room or bowls of candies or whatever they are really trying to self control where as I'm like "meigh." They just don't appeal to me. (Although I'll gladly polish off multiple sushi rolls or hold my own when it comes to stir fry or other savory foods!) Are you very strict with your diet or is it natural to you?
Also I'm curious what your motive is to watch your weight and diet so closely every day. Have you always been that way?
Sorry for all the questions! Taking on a dieting mindset is a little new for me and I'm curious about it all!

I need to look in the mirror and recognize myself. That's more important than eating foods that will make me look sloppy. I look at food as fuel and that food is what determines health. I refuse to have a heart attack because of a fried food addiction. Food can make you sick or extend the quality of your life. To me, that's good enough.

My husband is a bodybuilder, so we both highly value fitness. It's our lifestyle and a major part of who we are. It's all what's important to you.

I run and lift heavy. I do one body part per day and a half hour if I'm running or an hour if it's easier cardio.

Bodyfat- DEXA scan is the most accurate.

I have never been on a diet in my life and never will be. I'm not trying to lose weight, if anything, 1.5 lbs if you can call that wanting to lose weight. It's thinking of it as your life instead of a temporary fix. That's why I think diets don't work for many people. It's a long term thing.

As far as the foods, once in a while I'll have something if I want it. Last Saturday I got ice cream from Carvel. In a few weeks, I'll do something similar.

Great perspective
 

Thanks for your thoughts, Jen!
I agree that lifestyle is going to be more effective than dieting, so thank you for reminding me.
It's been a week now and I haven't lost even a half a pound. I'm not super worried but it tells me I probably need to tweek my lifestyle a bit and start forming new habits.
I've been working on mindfulness and being aware of my portion sizes this week and I definitely feel like that is my downfall. So I'll start counting calories and try to be more aware of cutting back intake. I'm going for slow and steady, as long as it's a lasting lifestyle change.
The featherweight community seems to be relatively quiet! I've appreciated our little convos daily as it's helped me feel more grounded and confident in stepping out in this direction. (Even just weighing myself felt overwhelming initially.) Even without any sign of weight loss yet I feel good about the movement I am making!

Cut out soda, juice, caloric beverages if you drink those. Drink water.

Get a food scale and weigh out your portions.

Join our thread :)

Good luck!

Hi SabineD!
 

Hi SabineD!

This is my first time on this site as well, and your situation sounds really similar to me. I've gained about 10 pounds in the last 4 years (and 4 years ago I was 5 pounds heavier than I wanted to be) so i'm also looking to lose ideally 15 pounds. My main obstacle is my husband and I love to cook and eat- we cook using fresh ingridents, and I try to not cook with obviously unhealthy things like heavy cream, etc very much. But I still love to cook and eat, so restricting my calories very low for long periods of time is difficult. Also I think when it comes down to it, I often want the food more than I want to lose weight, which I need to change. I'm also super swayed by cravings, which is a problem.

Have you had any successes or tips since your last post? Maybe we can support and motivated each other to make this change! I don't want to end the summer at the same weight I am now, I really want to take control of my health and make a lasting lifestyle change!

Update
 

So it looked like I fell off the map, but I didn't!

I still have the same goals, largely to loose about 10-15 pounds, stop pushing off that goal due to fears (such as the initial anxiety of weighing myself!), and feel in control of my weight.

I've been taking really honest inventory these past 2-3 weeks bc I think that was truly my downfall. I wasn't weighing myself so I could only assume the amount of weight I wanted to lose based on how my clothing fit and I wasn't really tracking how much I ate. I generally eat whatever I want and it's worked for me my whole life. I prefer decently nutritious foods, I'm not a snacker, eating usually only twice a day, and I generally don't like junk foods. I think that's innately limited how much I ate and kept me effortlessly slim.

In my honest inventory I've been weighing myself daily since my first post. That's been about 3 weeks of data to go off of. My weight definitely fluctuates and I don't have enough numbers to really understand how my period may influence my weight or salty meals or any other factors really. But I feel very empowered to be courageous enough to jump on the scale daily. In fact, it feels like a normal morning thing now and just a number as opposed to a frightening wake up call I was anticipating. After tracking my numbers I realized I have about 13 pounds to lose, so I was pretty accurate in my estimate. Honestly 10 pounds would be totally satisfactory.

I've also been tracking my caloric intake daily for 2 weeks now. I feel truly honest in my estimate of portions and calories so I feel I have an accurate daily average. My natural appetite, without attempting to cut back or restrict, came out to 1,478/day. So Jen I'm guessing I'm a bit like you. I've lost 0 pounds in these past few weeks so I think it's safe to say that 1,500 calories will maintain my weight and I probably need to cut close to 1,000 to lose, Yikes. That sucks! And I'm not sure how sustainable that is!

I kept up my normal activity level which is to exercise and jog about 3-5 times a week.

I feel well and I know I have a healthy diet and exercise regimen. When I ask myself what my goals are truly I guess it can be simplified as this: I want to be a bit slimmer and toned out of vanity and I want control/no fear/understanding of how my diet affects my weight and appearance. Here in TX it's already bikini season and I'm wishing I had launched this honest campaign a bit earlier in the year! Ah well! Just glad I'm getting there!

Hi Marie!
I haven't lost any weight but I do feel I've had success in other ways! I'm weighing myself without fear daily and tracking it using the WeightDrop app so that I can view my trends. I also started honestly appraising my intake and recording my calories it in a little notebook. I've been tracking it by hand bc there is strong research that suggests journaling and goal setting make more powerful synapses in the brain via pen and paper than via text or typing.

I'm feeling more equipped mentally and emotionally to lose weight rather than looming thoughts of ah **** I gotta lose probably maybe ten pounds before that pool party or vacation or whatevs. My next obstacle will be to intentionally restrict calories and I haven't figured that out yet. I want a sustainable amount cut so that I can maintain a weight loss. I need to weigh lifestyle and enjoyment of life, social activities, and physical activity into the equation of what is ultimately realistic and sustainable.

I'll keep you posted and I would love to be a support buddy with you. Just pop in often and keep the conversation going...I think that does a lot.

please exercise more.

Yup. I maintain on 1500, also eat that naturally, and lose on 900-1000 which I refuse to do unless I'm really seeing an upward trend.

Your food choices might be the issue at this point. Check out this eating plan, this is pretty much how I live and maintain and keep a low body fat and have muscle:
(It's 1500 calories!!)

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-female-training-bible-everything-you-need-to-get-the-sexy-body-you-desire.html

Scroll ALL the way down for the nutrition. The training isn't bad, but I don't lift like that. I do a body part per day, abs a few times a week.

Lift weights. You will see a change in how you look. It's much more effective than cardio. My husband has a six pack and does no cardio. Most fitness competitors mostly lift.

I definitely agree with weight lifting. It will transform your body. At 125 lbs now I'm a size 4 where in the past I was a 6/8. I love bodybuilding.com and I hardly ever do ab exercises and I have nice obliques and a 2-pack (lol). We use our abs all day everyday.

Great input!
 

Thanks for the input!

The diet actually looks pretty similar to my food choices except I rarely eat meat. I eat fish somewhat regularly but on a daily basis my protein comes from legumes and eggs. Also I don't like eating throughout the day. It's just never been my pattern. I prefer lunch and dinner... except I usually enjoy wine or a drink with dinner or afterward. Not everyday but definitely often enough that it contributes a couple hundred extra calories to my diet.

Question: Do you guys eat the same calories everyday? I have been tracking my norm and I noticed I def do not. Some days, aka social days, I consume quite a bit. Maybe 2,000 calories. Usually if I'm going out with friends I have drinks and appetizers with dinner. But the next day I'll naturally adjust and eat very little. It's automatic for me and not a forced effort. All to say that my average intake was 1,500 daily but I did not eat 1,500 calories a day. Any thoughts on that?

I definitely will look into weight lifting! I prefer to get outside, hit the dusty trail, and just run. My roommates are always asking me to come lift with them (we have a gym in our building) so maybe I'll head down to the gym regularly and build it into my routine. I just feel so out of place, I'm not sure what to do, and I get bored. Maybe if I had some structure. They have their routines but they are men and I'm never sure if I should be doing the same stuff. For you ladies out there, do you have a different approach than men or is it all the same? I do not want to end up looking like them... haha. I need some guidance from women!

I track calories with loseit (phone app) and it's not always the same number but my weekly goal is the same.

Bodybuilding.com has plans for women and men but also don't be afraid to do a program designed for men. Unless you are taking steroids you won't bulk up. There is an option on bodybuilding.com that will find a workout plan for you.

Lift just like the men! (Within reason, we will likely never bench 300 lbs like they do :)

Don't settle for those five and ten lb weights. Try bodybuilding.com.