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  #1   ^
Old Sun, Aug-23-20, 15:17
Alex123's Avatar
Alex123 Alex123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 139
 
Plan: own modified
Stats: 238/212/176 Female 180
BF:
Progress: 42%
Location: Queensland Australia
Default Beginning to get so dispirited!

At the end of May, weight in at 108 kg I decided for my health's sake I had to lose weight. Here I am 3 months later and although I am down by 10kg (22 lbs) it has been hard going and some days it is hard to hang on to the thought that it is worth it. I am not starving myself, just cutting down on carbs and sugars and keeping generally lowish calorie. I've also started to exercise on a bicycle every day.

What is even more dispiriting though is that I read that although you may not lose much in weight you are probably still losing inches. I'm not though. I've lost only around 2.5 inches on my stomach and 3 cm around my hips.

I don't want to give in and end up back where I was as I think at my age (75) I am not going to find it any easier in a year's time.

Sometimes when I see other people who are overweight I think 'I don't look down on them because they are plump' what does it matter, then I think I'm not doing it for what other people think, I want to be healthier than I am and live a little longer. But it's such slow going and I have no one around me to urge me on or even be supportive.
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  #2   ^
Old Sun, Aug-23-20, 16:29
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,176
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
Default

Cheer up !!! You have done great so far!!! KEEP GOING!!

The body is complicated and designed to preserve body weight. It uses compensatory measures to hold on to what it has. One I have read is the fat cells replace the fat with water. Eventually they give up the weight and the volume. Perhaps that is what is going on. Others will have more ideas.

Otherwise, how do you feel?? More energy? Less brain fog? Better sleep? Those slone are worth continuing.

There are a few members here who can only drop 1-2 pounds over many months and are able to stick with the program, accepting the turtle pace. They are amazing.

You have added exercise, which is great!! Good timing ,too. AFTER body has adapted to new way of eating.

I can only say, stay the course, and try to be patient . Learn how to make this a forever diet that you can enjoy.
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  #3   ^
Old Mon, Aug-24-20, 06:56
BawdyWench's Avatar
BawdyWench BawdyWench is offline
Posts: 8,791
 
Plan: Carnivore
Stats: 212/179/160 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 63%
Location: Rural Maine
Default

Alex, I agree with Ms. Arielle. You are doing GREAT! Losing 22 pounds in 3 months is amazing. I only wish I could do that. It can take me weeks to lose 2 to 3 pounds, and then if I loosen the reins ever so slightly, I'll gain it back AND MORE in a day or two.

Keep up the good work! Scan through journals to see what others are doing. I'm 65, and there are a number of us who are up there in years. It's definitely not as easy to lose at our age as it was when we were younger. Don't compare yourself to others. Know that you're on the right track and stick with it.

Good luck!
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  #4   ^
Old Mon, Aug-24-20, 08:50
deirdra's Avatar
deirdra deirdra is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,324
 
Plan: vLC/GF,CF,SF
Stats: 197/136/150 Female 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 130%
Location: Alberta
Default

Have you looked into Intermittent Fasting and keeping carb intake to <30g/day & <10g per sitting? Lowish carbs didn't work for me after the first ~20 lbs; very low carb was needed to get and keep up my fat burning. LCHF got rid of my hunger which made it easier to eat only during an 8-hr window (or even 12 to start). That got me into fat-burning mode 24/7, with 16 hrs/day for my human growth hormone to secrete and mobilize fat. Grains, dairy proteins (I can handle butter) & legumes also caused me to hold on to ~15 lbs of inflammation, so I ditched them one by one. I actually eat as many or more calories per day as I did on every other diet, but eating real foods and fats keeps me satiated. I'm almost 66 and eating like this is the ONLY WOE that has been sustainable for me. After the initial 10 lbs, I've always been a slow loser: 0.5-1 lb/week, then decreasing as I approached my goal. Keep up the good work!

Last edited by deirdra : Mon, Aug-24-20 at 09:09.
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, Aug-24-20, 09:47
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,176
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
Default

Perhaps looking into dr fungs work on fasting would be helpful.

One of the issues with prolonged low calorie diet is a permanent decrease in BMR. Not a good thing. Studies of participants in The Biggest Loser results in measurable decrease even five years later.

Fasting at 36 hours is when I experienced a surge in BMR....felt like a fever and hotflashes. At 24 hrs doing omad I dont get the heat but do drop a ton of weight fast.

36 HR fast is different than IF, and dr fung talks about it all in detail.

He has a website full of free articles well worth reading and studying.
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Aug-24-20, 19:41
Blue Ruby Blue Ruby is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 648
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 200/170/160 Female 5'7"
BF:
Progress: 75%
Location: BC
Default

I hope it doesn’t depress you to hear from one more woman who wishes she had ever lost that much in three months. OMG, yay you!!

Bawdy gives good advice...check out some journals and see what others are doing to keep their spirits up and their head in the game.

Ahhh, Patience .... I have read so many old threads on patience that helped me when I wanted it to go faster...

Please don’t give up, you are doing amazingly well especially, if I might say, at your age. I’ve read many women over 70 say weight is hard to lose...I find it hard enough at 55!

Maybe reading old thread in “Turtles” or “ The best of...” will help you feel that you are not alone, and see the path others have walked in this journey.

Rooting for you!
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  #7   ^
Old Tue, Aug-25-20, 07:49
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 14,602
 
Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: USA
Default

Guess what? You've discovered how to lose 22 pounds and keep it off.

Seriously, this is a process. You've changed some things and seen results. Now, to see more progress, you probably need to change more.

The way I eat now is light-years in difference from how I ate before low carb. It's rather different from how I lost down to 150. Then, I changed even more, and lost down to 123. In my early sixties!

Every single step? So worth it. What I got was so much more than what I gave up.
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  #8   ^
Old Tue, Aug-25-20, 19:13
Alex123's Avatar
Alex123 Alex123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 139
 
Plan: own modified
Stats: 238/212/176 Female 180
BF:
Progress: 42%
Location: Queensland Australia
Smile

Could I thank everyone who responded to my posting and say it does help to hear positive comments, suggestions and calls to 'hang in' and it will happen although more slowly than I might like. I will look at the postings as suggested and will continue to post to upgrade on where I am at.

I am a 'picker' as far as meals go. In fact I would go so far as to say I have not been having 'meals' just constant grazing. This I know is not good as looking back at a days grazing I can see that calorie and carb wise it has been disastrous. Also I used to do little exercise.

I started to come to terms with what I needed to do and realised that I needed to increase the exercise (I bought an exercise bike), eat meals - watching content, and also have something sweet that I could nibble on for the inbetween times when I could down a full bar of chocolate, and for that I have purchased some atkins chocolate bars which are low in both calories and carbs. If I nibble these slowly it staves of that 'I need sugar' feeling.

Since starting my bike exercise I have managed to ride 2500 km which i 1553 miles - and half way to see my grandson (our state borders are all closed in Australia and I haven't seen him for 8 months) So I am proud of that as hopefully, even if the weight is not falling off then surely my blood pressure should be improving.

My husband and I live fairly isolated and he is hopeless. I just don't discuss it anymore with him and have just ended up telling him its for my blood pressure. That he understands.

So being on the forum is so I can say out loud that I am feeling down if my loss in a given week isn't as good as the week before. It's also the hints that you give and the encouragement. That helps me stay on track.

I have been living in loose baggy dresses since putting weight on, and more so since Covid-19 started. I think I need to raid my wardrobe and find something that fitted in my pre plump days and try that on every couple of days instead of relying on the tape measure (I can never tell if I'm pulling it tighter one day than I did the other). I do have a skirt and jacket from 2005 when my son married so I will find that, whilst also make allowances for probable loose skin.

Thank you everyone and I look forward to hearing from any of you again.
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  #9   ^
Old Tue, Aug-25-20, 20:12
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,176
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
Default

As long as husband doesnt interfere you are goid there.

Consider eating meals with no snacks between. A constant state of high insulin is exactly what to avoid. If insulin is up, then in gain mode. If insulin very low, fat mobilizes.

You will find your way.
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  #10   ^
Old Tue, Aug-25-20, 20:56
Alex123's Avatar
Alex123 Alex123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 139
 
Plan: own modified
Stats: 238/212/176 Female 180
BF:
Progress: 42%
Location: Queensland Australia
Default

Thank you for the very prompt reply, it was lovely to hear from you. I think that I am slowly getting to meals at meal times but am finding that after so many years of living on a grazing diet it is going to take a while and like the losing weight is not something I will achieve overnight.

My husband bless him doesn't interfere at all. He just can't see why I am not happy the size I am. But if I am concerned about my health then he is and so will help me.

I look forward to posting in a few days and I will see where I am up to.

Once again thank you.
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  #11   ^
Old Wed, Aug-26-20, 04:15
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 14,602
 
Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: USA
Default

I love the clothes idea to see how it's going. I didn't weigh at all, just went by pants.
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  #12   ^
Old Wed, Aug-26-20, 04:54
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex123
At the end of May, weight in at 108 kg I decided for my health's sake I had to lose weight. Here I am 3 months later and although I am down by 10kg (22 lbs) it has been hard going and some days it is hard to hang on to the thought that it is worth it. I am not starving myself, just cutting down on carbs and sugars and keeping generally lowish calorie. I've also started to exercise on a bicycle every day.

What is even more dispiriting though is that I read that although you may not lose much in weight you are probably still losing inches. I'm not though. I've lost only around 2.5 inches on my stomach and 3 cm around my hips.

I don't want to give in and end up back where I was as I think at my age (75) I am not going to find it any easier in a year's time.

Sometimes when I see other people who are overweight I think 'I don't look down on them because they are plump' what does it matter, then I think I'm not doing it for what other people think, I want to be healthier than I am and live a little longer. But it's such slow going and I have no one around me to urge me on or even be supportive.


Welcome to the "discouraged" club. It can be so so slow. Here I am over 8 months into lower and lower carb consumption and am still waiting to lose the 20 pounds I set out to lose. None of the advice worked for me. Or so it seems. IF didn't work. Carnivore didn't work. Induction didn't work. Faithfully weighing and measuring, daily weigh-ins, exercise and on and on - I am still trying to lose the last of those pesky 20 pounds.

I know, for myself, eating more carbohydrates will put on the pounds faster than a spinning top. There is no other pathway to losing for me. It is just taking longer to realize my goal. And wait, and wait, and wait - - - -
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  #13   ^
Old Wed, Aug-26-20, 14:34
Alex123's Avatar
Alex123 Alex123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 139
 
Plan: own modified
Stats: 238/212/176 Female 180
BF:
Progress: 42%
Location: Queensland Australia
Default

Benay - well done, you are nearly there and should feel proud.

It is good to hear that there are other people out there that can put on a pound of weight just by looking at carbs. It's definitely a way of life and I'm finding you must be on guard all the time.

One of my problems is I don't seem to have a switch off button and when I start to eat I can eat a lot, my stomach never seems to know when it is full. I'm hoping that in time that will stop.

I was going to say it's a learning curve but it's not. It's definitely a 'modify your behaviour for good' curve.
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  #14   ^
Old Wed, Aug-26-20, 15:05
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 19,176
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
Default

Quote:
One of my problems is I don't seem to have a switch off button and when I start to eat I can eat a lot, my stomach never seems to know when it is full. I'm hoping that in time that will stop.


What we eat can turn UP the eat eat eat dial ir turn it down. AND the timing of meals plays a big part,too.

Start with what ramps up using ketones and decrease carbs.

If I eat one cookie, I will eat another and another and another. If I eat a peach, I eat another. If I eat steak, I rarely eat more.

The later I can delay eating the first meal, the less I wat all day ( usually). The more ketogenic the meals, the less eating into the evenings.

Its all about the carbs.
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  #15   ^
Old Wed, Aug-26-20, 17:56
Blue Ruby Blue Ruby is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 648
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 200/170/160 Female 5'7"
BF:
Progress: 75%
Location: BC
Default

Alex, it’s great to see the discussion and thinking you’ve got going here. Early days are tough, and you are recalibrating not just the fat composition in your body but it sounds like you are re-teaching yourself to eat and nourish yourself, what brings health and strength to you...when to eat, how much and what nourishes you, what helps you feel full longer. In my experience, this is a more complicated and more wonderful journey than we imagine when we set out to lose weight.

I also have a hard time finding my “off switch” — high fat, big meals help a lot (I totally agree with Ms A on the reasons for as few carbs as possible), with no snacking unless I’m actually hungry (not nibbley, bored, sad, lonely, wanting a reward or indulgence...I’m figuring out other things for those moods that I didn’t actually know were hiding behind “hunger.”). But if I identify real hunger then I eat on plan boring foods (boiled eggs, raw unsalted almonds or macadamia nuts). Boring so I don’t confuse stimulated taste buds and pleasure with hunger. (Weirdly, this is the snack I just ate: 2 hard boiled eggs w/o salt and 1/2 oz of raw almonds and a plain herbal tea and actually, 3 years into this, I found myself savouring this as a nourishing and pleasurable way to take care of myself while visiting the forum! Three years ago I NEVER would have thought that!)

TBH it took a few months before I was “fat adapted” enough to really feel the satiation that come from being full (neither painful hungry nor painfully over eaten).

May I suggest reading some of the success stories posted by longtime members when you lack motivation? I learned so much from people’s amazing journeys, journeys that were as much psychological as they were physical. I’ve come to know myself much better three years on than I did before and my relationship with food is totally different than it was.

Come pop by my journal and say hi anytime if you want to chat more.

Last edited by Blue Ruby : Wed, Aug-26-20 at 18:00. Reason: Typos
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