January/February weight management challenge

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Originally Posted by ny biker

I know one adult who is thin and does not need to watch his diet everyday in order to remain that way. He has that body type that struggles to gain weight (ectomorph? endomorph? I can never remember).

Every other adult I know who is not overweight watches his or her diet carefully. They may not measure and weigh all their food, but they make choices at every meal to make sure they're not consuming too many calories and too much unhealthy food.

(And that one naturally thin guy has to watch his diet anyway, because he has very high blood pressure.)

So I think it's a daily effort for many people, in one way or another.

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I agree. Even in a room full of skinny runners, I noticed that most of them were monitoring what food they put on their plates even though they all just ran a bunch of miles.

And every single person I know who has lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off is very diligent about what they eat. Those that aren't (myself included) are the ones who eventually gain some back until they get back on top of it again.

Even eating paleo, I can gain weight if I'm not paying attention to my total consumption. The only thing I eat with abandon are non-starchy veggies - everything else must be monitored.

I think it's the price we pay for living in a society where food is varied and plentiful. If all we could nourish our bodies with was what we hunted or fished, we'd never have to count another calorie!

127.4. I was sick for a week and on antibiotics so didn't work out, worked on maintaining.

Goal weight 123

151.6

After stalling through much of Dec-early Jan, looks like I'm back on track.

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Originally Posted by Jones

I am currently not in the weight management challenge although weight management is a huge challenge for me. I just wanted to say I have really enjoyed reading the conversation so far. I am surprised at how many people have to weigh every bit they take, it makes me believe that is were I am going wrong. I lose weight and then gain it all back because I don't think I have to count, weigh, measure anymore. I guess I need to realize it is a life time of counting calories or a life time of being fat. The chose is mine.

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I learned a lot reading about the people who are on the National Weight Control Registry. The people who are on this registry have lost at least 30 pounds and have kept it off for at least one year. A number of kept it off for years. I am hoping to join some day and provide data.

There is variety in how NWCR members keep the weight off. Most report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity.

78% eat breakfast every day.
75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.


http://www.nwcr.ws/

Here is some information they have culled out on those who regain weight:

Risk factors for weight regain included more recent weight losses (less than 2 years vs. 2 years or more), larger weight losses (greater than 30% of maximum weight vs. less than 30%), and higher levels of depression, dietary disinhibition, and binge eating levels at entry into the registry. Over the year of follow-up, gainers reported greater decreases in energy expenditure and greater increases in percentage of calories from fat. Gainers also reported greater decreases in restraint and increases in hunger, dietary disinhibition, and binge eating. This study suggests that several years of successful weight maintenance increase the probability of future weight maintenance and that weight regain is due at least in part to failure to maintain behavior changes.

I keep wondering about the fat calories because my diet is much fattier than it was before I started losing weight. I got fat eating a vegetarian diet that was pretty low fat. It is hard to know from this information if carbs also increased with the fat or was it fat alone that increased.

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

I learned a lot reading about the people who are on the National Weight Control Registry. The people who are on this registry have lost at least 30 pounds and have kept it off for at least one year. A number of kept it off for years. I am hoping to join some day and provide data.

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Thumbs up!

BTW, the National Weight Control Registry was discussed in the NY Times article Susan linked a few posts up. It's a really interesting (albeit sobering) article, and very timely to the discussion now.

This summed up my reaction to the NY Times article:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...untain/250748/

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Originally Posted by Susan Otcenas

Agreed! :)

I've tried that type of restrictiveness, and while it often works over a 3-4 week period, it usually just ends up making me feel resentful of everything I *do* put in my mouth. Then I rebound way off in the opposite direction. Bad news.

So, now, nothing is entirely off-limits. But there are, like nuts, definitely things that I am better served by eating only under particular circumstances (like nuts on a salad at a restaurant) or as special occasion "treats". Alcohol is a good example of that. I haven't had any since New Year's Eve and don't plan to have any until I reach my goal weight, except during just a few very specific upcoming special events and even then in moderation. Jeff and I used to toss back a few bottles of good wine a week. :o I like good wine (especially a nice bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir...MMmmm) but during this time period, I'm choosing to partake just a little and to savor every drop!

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HELP!!glad to read this post- since i turned 50- coinciding with more outdoor MT bike mileage- my weight is up 4 lbs.............(or 5) I have been trying to decide problem y/n? lose y/n? I am vegan with an addiction to my garden, mass quantities of veggies and berries...........my main vice being Chardonnay! yikes! Wondering if I should cut it out..............can't really afford a dietitian/coach and actually no particular training goals other than 5-8 times a year I ride Mt bike with my son (19- yes I die, but it is a blast at the time.....) I have not even really posted yet cuz i am not sure if i need to lose weight......... happy for any advice..........

I guess I should weigh myself after not doing it since Christmas. The only mitigating factors against a noticeable tighter waistband: has been cycling (short distances) for past few weeks due to lack of snow (which is returning again in a few days) and snowshoeing in mountains in past few days.

It is often underlying vigilance/mindfulness at the very least for me, when I eat.

I have never counted calories yet - but instead in a haphazard way take notice of the fats, sugars and volume of food in my mouth. Sometimes I'm better discplined than other times.

One thing I have noticed in the past few years, is if my body/palate finds a type of healthy food enjoyable, I will want to have it regularily: lots of fruit, even a bowl of cornflakes late in the day (if there's nothing at home to "snack"), etc.

NY Biker, I totally agree with the response article from the Atlantic.
I am one of those people.
I lost 25 lbs. when I was 25 years old and I never regained it, even after being pregnant; I lost the pregnancy weight in 4 months, both times. And I did this by exactly what the article described. Losing weight at a glacial pace ( a year), changing my eating habits for good, and starting to exercise regularly.
When I started gaining again in my mid forties, I got disgusted with myself and I was bored with my exercise. That's when I started cycling and it didn't take me more than a year to get back to a reasonable weight for my size. While I didn't look as "big" as I did when I had to lose the weight the first time, because I was exercising, albeit, in a half-assed way, there is a picture of the 4 of us, about 2 years before DH started cycling and maybe 3 or 4 years before I did, that scares the crap out of both of us. We take it out as a reminder about why we have to be diligent. I will post it here if I can find it.

NY Biker, I totally agree with the response article from the Atlantic.
I am one of those people.
I lost 25 lbs. when I was 25 years old and I never regained it, even after being pregnant; I lost the pregnancy weight in 4 months, both times. And I did this by exactly what the article described. Losing weight at a glacial pace ( a year), changing my eating habits for good, and starting to exercise regularly.
Then, I started gaining again in my mid forties. I got disgusted with myself and I was bored with my exercise. That's when I started cycling and it didn't take me more than a year to get back to a reasonable weight for my size. While I didn't look as "big" as I did when I had to lose the weight the first time, because I was exercising, albeit, in a half-assed way, there is a picture of the 4 of us, about 2 years before DH started cycling and maybe 3 or 4 years before I did, that scares the crap out of both of us. We take it out as a reminder about why we have to be diligent. I will post it here if I can find it.

I agree that there is less weight loss research on those who lose weight over a long period of time versus those who lose very quickly and there should be more research on this issue. However, based on the weight control registry the successful people had a wide variety of ways they went about losing weight and their strategies have not seemed to correlate with success. Plus, there is the theoretical problem that the end result is the same, you lost a certain number of pounds and you still have fat cells. (Interestingly, the failure rate for bariatric surgery patients over the long term isn't good, but it is better than the long term failure rates reported on dieters, and the bariatric patients lose their weight fast). However, one thing that a slow loss may do that improves odds is you may have less of a risk of losing muscle along with the fat.

I lost my weight at about a pound a week over the course of a year. Any faster I would not have had adequate nutrition. Any slower would have driven me nuts as I needed at least some rewards and wanted to be able to do more things that were difficult to do at my weight. I think no matter how I lose weight (once I starved because I was sick, and 20 years later I lost weight slowly) I find it difficult to manage my food intake. But I can live with that.

More than how you lost weight the important factors seem to be how much you lost, how good you are at monitoring, whether you tend towards binges, how depressed you are, what kind of social support you have and how much you exercise. And maybe most important of all is your own genetic makeup, based on what has been found in twin studies. But more research is needed. I wouldn't assume though that the weight regains are tied to how the weight is lost.

I lost 60 pounds in a bit over a year and reversed diabetes 2...16 months later I've only regained just under 4 pounds. That isn't from my smallest weight (which was from over-doing things), but from where my weight settled at after backing off after a developing several over-use injuries at the same time :o I had carried that weight for about a decade, and it was actually much higher - I had lost about 35 pounds over the previous 4 years.

16 months later I certainly still have to focus on what I eat and the balance of nutrition and exercise. If that is what it takes to keep the weight off for life, prevent a return of the diabetes, and to feel as good/active/young as I do - then I've no problem with that. As I've a sedentary job I do expect this to be a challenge, and that is fine.

135.6 today :)

Do we have the spreadsheet yet? No problem if it isn't ready yet, just checking to see if I've missed it ;)

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I lost 60 pounds in a bit over a year and reversed diabetes 2...16 months later I've only regained just under 4 pounds.

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Sign up for the weight loss registry!

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I lost 60 pounds in a bit over a year and reversed diabetes 2...16 months later I've only regained just under 4 pounds.

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Sign up for the weight loss registry!

I just sent in my application for the weight loss registry - feels good to be able to do that :)

Since I posted a couple days ago, I've gained. Up to 179.5 today. I've been in a post break up funk and my diet reflects that. Also haven't been running due to a cold, but I was back at it today.

NY Biker - how did your 4.7 get cracked? Karen (klesko)
"<CRACKED> Gray Trek Madone 4.7 road bike with Bontrager Affinity R saddle"

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

Sign up for the weight loss registry!

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I didn't know there WAS such a thing until this thread...and I have signed up for it.

Klesko, Catrin, congratulations on the weight loss and maintenance. Keeping off weight is such a tough nut to crack and anything we can learn from people who are successful may help the rest of us, so thanks for joining the registry.

I don't FEEL very successful, but really I am stressing out over an entire 4 pounds total gain in the last year when I've actually lost an entire 75 pounds from my heaviest? I need to get this into perspective. I just would like to be 10 pounds lighter, and in the scale of things, that really is nothing. But I still want to see 125 pounds...

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Originally Posted by Catrin

But I still want to see 125 pounds...

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Are you sure 125 pounds is appropriate? If I weighed 125 I'd only have 5 pounds of body fat! And I'm not super tall - only 5'5".

Veronica

225.4

'nkay

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I don't FEEL very successful, but really I am stressing out over an entire 4 pounds total gain in the last year when I've actually lost an entire 75 pounds from my heaviest? I need to get this into perspective. I just would like to be 10 pounds lighter, and in the scale of things, that really is nothing. But I still want to see 125 pounds...

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You are so incredibly successful. You are an inspiration to the rest of us!

I am only 4'11" and probably should weigh closer to 95 pounds, like I did when I was first in college, rather than the 108-110 I weigh now. But I feel like I have met my limit. But I understand wanting to be 10 pounds lighter. What I am trying to do is concentrate on building/maintaining muscle. I still remain way too high on body fat, but of course, not near as high as I was when I was heavy.

I understand how you feel Catrin.
Everything I read says I should weight 105. But, I look fine a couple of pounds higher. My body fat is consistently around 16-18%, goes down in the summer. I'd really like it to be around 15% and am working on that at the gym. I guess the reason I want to shed a few pounds and get down to 105 or even below, is so I have some leeway here. I know I cannot live the rest of my life not eating bread.

As another short gal, I get it! My range at 5'1" is theoretically 105-120 something, but at 117, I have quite the extra tires around my middle and though some people wouldn't think this is a problem, at the bustline. At 112 I felt like my weight was almost proportional to my height, but still had some extra padding and I think that 105-107 would be better. For what it's worth, at 117 a lot of medium cycling tops are too tight!

I lost 38 pounds starting 3 years ago, and have pretty much kept all but 5-7 lbs off (currently 5). It takes constant focus and a lot of bike miles or I start gaining.

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Originally Posted by Veronica

Are you sure 125 pounds is appropriate? If I weighed 125 I'd only have 5 pounds of body fat! And I'm not super tall - only 5'5".

Veronica

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I used to be 5'4", but am now 5'2.75". Normal but it is a little frustrating.

At 135 pounds I've still a significant spare tire - traditional 'apple' shape. Now part of that is due to having had two major "female" surgeries - the first one of which they cut those muscles all the way across. I will never have a 6-pack (even if I cared about that), or even a flat stomach.

At my smallest I was 128 (back when I was way-overdoing things), and I still had that spare tire...however you could see the bones in my upper-chest above my breasts? I am unsure what you call that those bones... I think I would be happy back at 130, if I can dip a bit below that during prime riding season then that would be good :) There are still a good number of medium jerseys I can't wear - mainly due to my boobs but that tire doesn't help.

I seem to carry my weight more like a man (only around my middle). I never did have a butt or large thighs - certainly not in proportion to my stomach :eek: Thankfully things are more in proportion these days, but that remaining tire is maddening :o

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Originally Posted by channlluv

225.4

'nkay

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So how has the recovery been going? How much exercise are you able to get? Are you still on the many-small-meals plan?

164.3 yesterday morning. Every little bit of downward motion is good, even if I'd like for it to fall off faster than it is. ;)

I'm hoping that once the stress fracture heals and I can run again I'll drop some more. Not being able to run for the last 8 weeks has *really* hampered the weight loss since running is the only thing that really does it for me.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I used to be 5'4", but am now 5'2.75". Normal but it is a little frustrating.

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Really?! That seems like a lot for someone your age (if I am recalling the ballpark approximately). Just curious....

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Originally Posted by Blueberry

Really?! That seems like a lot for someone your age (if I am recalling the ballpark approximately). Just curious....

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The truth of the matter is I may have been wrong about being that tall...during my recent neck x-rays due to the whiplash the original technician "saw" moderate osteoporosis in the images which caused my doctor to panic as I am only 52 :rolleyes: Off to the super-duper whole-body bone-density scanner...and that technician was SO wrong - my bones couldn't be in better shape :D

I suspect that I was never as tall as 5'4", that I just had that in my head. I WAS 5'3 a couple of years ago, so I've not shrunk much so far.

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Originally Posted by ny biker

So how has the recovery been going? How much exercise are you able to get? Are you still on the many-small-meals plan?

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Thanks for asking, NY Biker. I'm still not in the pool or on my bike, but I have been walking the dog a mile and a half several times per week. I was eating the small meals up until last week, when suddenly my appetite turned ravenous. No idea why, but I'm constantly snacking. Mostly healthy stuff, but still.

I believe I'm fine to get back on the bike and in the pool, although I don't have official medical release to do so. My wounds are closed, and mostly fully healed (one has a little hint of a scab still going). I've been lifting heavy boxes and things with no problem, although I do get a little twingy in my pancreas from time to time.

Mostly I'm better, though. Just need to get back on the right eating and exercise path.

Roxy

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Originally Posted by channlluv

I believe I'm fine to get back on the bike and in the pool, although I don't have official medical release to do so. My wounds are closed, and mostly fully healed (one has a little hint of a scab still going). I've been lifting heavy boxes and things with no problem, although I do get a little twingy in my pancreas from time to time...

Roxy

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This is good to read, I am glad that you are feeling better :)

I've also lost some height, but I do have osteoporosis. I used to be 5' 1" and I have probably lost 1/4 of an inch. Not so much, and hopefully it's stopped, as I am finally on a medication that has not caused side effects. I won't find out until May, when I have my Dexa scan.
Roxy, I hope you can find your way with your nutrition. It sounds like you are healed physically and soon enough you will be on your bike.

Would love to hear people's reactions to this article/photos:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...-industry.html

I must say, it made me feel much better about my own shape and size as I'm busily obsessing about a few extra lbs. on my basically slim shape. I am 50 now, and maybe I shouldn't expect to weigh exactly what I did at 25.

Food (pardon the semi-pun) for thought...

I think extremes are bad. I wonder why they couldn't find a plus size model who was more fit, that would make a better statement. Rolls of fat are not attractive and neither is being so skinny that you can't lift a 5 pound dumb bell.

Veronica

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Originally Posted by Veronica

I think extremes are bad. I wonder why they couldn't find a plus size model who was more fit, that would make a better statement. Rolls of fat are not attractive and neither is being so skinny that you can't lift a 5 pound dumb bell.

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I wonder if there are any really fit plus-sized models, though? Seems that perhaps the whole model/fashion lifestyle doesn't really lend itself to spending a lot of time on fitness, but I could be wrong, since all I know of it is is watching "America's Next Top Model" in the past, and that show never showed the models working out or even talking about any athletic endeavors, that I recall.

I actually thought the plus-sized model looked attractive, despite having some obvious body fat. Surprised me that I felt that way -- perhaps because she was tall and had long legs and beautiful skin (probably airbrushed, though).

I thought the plus woman looked fine. She sure looks a lot better than me as a 57 year old woman who has had children and has lost a third of her weight.

I'm conflicted. The plus sized model is a very attractive woman, but... the rolls of fat don't look healthy or athletic to me. Not sure if the modeling lifestyle at any size is compatible with being athletic. I remember when I was in high school, a couple of my friends took a modeling course and I went to the runway show. It was really creepy.
As someone who is smaller, take this as my opinion. I do think, though, that clothing manufacturers should take the plus size market seriously and should have the same choices as "regular" sizes. And they should remember that short people buy clothes, too, no matter what their weight is.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

And they should remember that short people buy clothes, too, no matter what their weight is.

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+1. They make larger sizes longer - which just makes them look worse on me. Bleh. At 5'4", I'm not even *that* short.

Focusing on the fitness and gradually cleaning up the diet. Ate like crud over the holidays and didn't gain weight - clothes are looser. Now to work on actually losing weight!