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***2023 Weight Loss Thread***

29,347 Views | 271 Replies | Last: 11 mo ago by aggiegolfer03
MarathonAg12
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What app is that if you don't mind me asking
KidDoc
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AG
MarathonAg12 said:

What app is that if you don't mind me asking
Fitness is Garmin connect with forerunner 255 watch.



Weight is healthmate with withing body+.scale.
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MRB10
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AG
Anyone with a severe sugar addiction ever successfully quit it permanently?

I've had issues with it since childhood and apparently my wiring is extremely resistant to change on this one. Alcohol and caffeine are easy for me compared to this.

Any suggestions are welcome.
“There is no red.
There is no blue.
There is the state.
And there is you.”

“As government expands, Liberty contracts” - R. Reagan
MarathonAg12
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Great! I have Garmin Connect on my phone! I have the Garmin TACTIX
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AG
Pepper Brooks said:

Anyone with a severe sugar addiction ever successfully quit it permanently?

I've had issues with it since childhood and apparently my wiring is extremely resistant to change on this one. Alcohol and caffeine are easy for me compared to this.

Any suggestions are welcome.
I started to crave things like apples and bananas. And I know it's a cheat, but one ingredient banana ice-cream helps in avoiding pure sugar - you can add in things like nut butter to mix it up - made with this:

https://www.amazon.com/Yonanas-Deluxe-Dairy-Free-Frozen-Recipes/dp/B08F81H3KP/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2GTXEH4ATP8WV&keywords=ice+cream+maker+bananas&qid=1676666352&sprefix=ice+cream+maker+bananas%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-4

I also won't 100% deny myself. I'll take a very small bite of something if I want to try it. I'm sure there's some psychological reason to not take any bite, but I found I can control myself from splurging if I know it's in my power to taste or not.
Irish 2.0
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I have a horrible sweet tooth too. Personally what has helped me the most is overnight oats. This makes a full 16oz mason jar almost. It is my go-to because I get the sweetness, but it is a pretty sizable dessert and doesn't destroy the daily macros. I've actually been doing well with the sweet tooth since I started intermittent fasting. Been doing a 20-4 intermittent fast 5 days/wk and giving myself between 5-9 to eat.
Premium
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AG
Down about 12 lbs from December high, down 10 lbs since Jan 25th. Goal would be about 175-180.

Fairly strict on not eating until noon and not after 7. Also tons of salads, veg. Little to zero red meat, sugar, bread, processed or fried foods. Mostly a Mediterranean diet. Tons of salads and vegetables. No real working out yet - baby steps. Haven't been 100% perfect but kind of by design so I can keep it going long term.

A slight plateau over the last 7-10 days:


Ryan the Temp
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AG
Irish 2.0 said:

I have a horrible sweet tooth too.
Russell Stover sugar free candy is great if you really need a sweet fix.
MarathonAg12
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Fat free vanilla ice cream with sugar free syrup. If you are trying to close out your macros and have a sweet tooth. Throw a banana in there too
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AG
I love just a banana with Nutzo on it. Feels like a big cheat but so good and naturally sweet.
MarathonAg12
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Cutting back alcohol to either Friday and Saturday. Mid week drinks have got to go!

Back in the garage gym lifting again
MRB10
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AG
I passed up homemade strawberry cake w/ cream cheese icing and blue bell last night. Progress!

Edit: I've tried sugar free substitutes before and it seems to be a gateway drug for my personality. I'd over eat sugar free candies during the week and I'd inevitably cave and go for the real thing over the weekend after having a few drinks. I've decided I have to go all or nothing to have any real chance of long term success.
“There is no red.
There is no blue.
There is the state.
And there is you.”

“As government expands, Liberty contracts” - R. Reagan
StringerBell
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AG
Started taking creatine and man it's messing with my scale because of water retention.

Nevertheless we press on!
MarathonAg12
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Giving up Alcohol and eating out for Lent

Bunk Moreland
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1/1: 258
1/9: 258.6
1/16: 257. 0
1/23: 254.2
1/30: 253.5
2/13: 250.2
2/20: 252.0

That's what going to the lake for the weekend and drinking a bunch of beer/eating like **** will do. Need to get this thing really going.

Protein cookie and sunflower seeds today until dinner tonight. Enough horsing around.
Ryan the Temp
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AG
Starting Weight (1/2): 252
2/13: 236.6
2/20: 235.8 (-0.8)
Net change: -16.2

Starting Body Fat: 38.8%
2/13: 36.4%
2/20: 36.0% (-0.4%)
Net change: -2.8%

Last couple of weeks have been tough due to a death in the family, so I only went to the gym a couple of times. Life is getting back to normal and I got back at it last night. I added lower and upper body weight routines to my gym visits instead of just an hour of elliptical and treadmill. I feel like I'm running slightly behind my goal of dropping 10 lbs per month, but as long as I can get below 200 by June 18th, I can be happy.
aggie98infl
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AG
Quote:

1/16: 257.4
1/23: 250.8 (-6.6)
1/30: 245.8 (-5.0)
2/6: 243.8 (-2.0)
2/13: 242.6 (-1.2)
I got busy and didn't post last week. It feels like it is going slow, but seeing it writing helps. I'm still losing, and considering I'm doing lazy/dirty keto and not getting any exercise beyond walking I'm happy. Hopefully within the next few weeks the reno will be done and I'll be home and settled and can start cooking and tracking things better.

2/20: 238.6 (-4)

Total -18.8 lbs
Bunk Moreland
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you're crushing it.
aggie98infl
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AG
Pepper Brooks said:

Anyone with a severe sugar addiction ever successfully quit it permanently?

I've had issues with it since childhood and apparently my wiring is extremely resistant to change on this one. Alcohol and caffeine are easy for me compared to this.

Any suggestions are welcome.
Keto has really made a difference for me. The first couple of weeks were tough, but once I got fat adapted I stopped craving sugar and carbs. When I first started I did a lot of the keto substitute desserts like mug cakes, but got to the point where I didn't even need those anymore. I'll still have them once in awhile as a treat or for a special occasion, but don't crave them like I used to.

Whenever I do eat stuff with sugar now, it is often too sweet and I end up regretting it. It is definitely an addiction where once you have some you want more. Plus, once I cut the sugar my skin and digestive issues improved and my pain and inflammation got better (some of that may be to cutting other carbs like wheat).
Ryan the Temp
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Quote:

Keto has really made a difference for me. The first couple of weeks were tough, but once I got fat adapted I stopped craving sugar and carbs. When I first started I did a lot of the keto substitute desserts like mug cakes, but got to the point where I didn't even need those anymore. I'll still have them once in awhile as a treat or for a special occasion, but don't crave them like I used to.
This has also been my experience. I was a sugar fiend and now I'm just kind of indifferent when I'm around stuff I would have previously gorged myself on.
aggiederelict
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Posting to keep me honest. Stalled at 209 for the past few weeks. Some old habits creeping in. Need to a 24 hour fast to reset. Weather getting nice is helping getting some runs in again. Still aiming for 200 by end of March. Might be difficult to hit.
CC09LawAg
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One thing I've tried to do when I've noticed certain habits or trends with my diet is ask myself, "Am I letting perfect be the enemy of good?"

I tried the low carb/no carb thing in the past. I tried eating super healthy and doing chicken breast and rice. I've tried a lot of things. I've tried being the "5 AM workout guy" or the two workouts a day guy. Never stuck. I could get good results in spurts, but nothing that ever lasted.

Once I looked at my life and lifestyle, I finally did an honest evaluation and said OK, if you know that for however many years you have always liked to eat X or that you've never been able to stick to workout plan Y, why are you trying to force yourself to do it?

Eventually, I settled into a workout routine that I know I can do, even on the crappiest and hardest weeks. I adjusted my diet to include those days where the family has to have Chick Fil A (sub yogurt for fries, get an 8 count instead of 12, get sriracha instead of ranch). I stopped trying to lose 2 pounds a week and just told myself that as long as I'm losing, I'm good. I can have the occasional birthday cake and not feel like I've totally destroyed some sacred plan that I am required to stick to.

Just some thoughts, hopefully they're helpful as a reminder that it's a marathon, not a sprint!
MRB10
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AG
CC09LawAg said:

One thing I've tried to do when I've noticed certain habits or trends with my diet is ask myself, "Am I letting perfect be the enemy of good?"

I tried the low carb/no carb thing in the past. I tried eating super healthy and doing chicken breast and rice. I've tried a lot of things. I've tried being the "5 AM workout guy" or the two workouts a day guy. Never stuck. I could get good results in spurts, but nothing that ever lasted.

Once I looked at my life and lifestyle, I finally did an honest evaluation and said OK, if you know that for however many years you have always liked to eat X or that you've never been able to stick to workout plan Y, why are you trying to force yourself to do it?

Eventually, I settled into a workout routine that I know I can do, even on the crappiest and hardest weeks. I adjusted my diet to include those days where the family has to have Chick Fil A (sub yogurt for fries, get an 8 count instead of 12, get sriracha instead of ranch). I stopped trying to lose 2 pounds a week and just told myself that as long as I'm losing, I'm good. I can have the occasional birthday cake and not feel like I've totally destroyed some sacred plan that I am required to stick to.

Just some thoughts, hopefully they're helpful as a reminder that it's a marathon, not a sprint!


I understand this mindset but also recognize it as the voice in the back of my head that ends up derailing my self improvement efforts. I absolutely have to shut that voice down or run the real risk of going off the rails. This is likely because I have enough issues with moderation that might lead some to say I have an addictive personality.

Your approach might work for others, however.
“There is no red.
There is no blue.
There is the state.
And there is you.”

“As government expands, Liberty contracts” - R. Reagan
CC09LawAg
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Definitely not a one size fits all approach.

I have a horribly addictive personality. It's why I would latch on to previous diets and go HAM and drop 50 pounds in 8 months...but I'd always gain it back.

I found that getting addicted to the fitness portion by lifting weights and tracking my strength gains there naturally led to a healthier diet, and the strength gains are way slower (eventually) than I can lose on a scale and can take years to achieve. And once you hit a certain point, you won't see gains without a mostly proper diet.
Todd 02
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AG
One of my college roommates had an uncle that was a recovering alcoholic. We were all at a family party one night and got to asking Uncle C.W. about his addiction and why he couldn't have "just one drink".

He said, "You know boys, them drinks are just like Lays Potato Chips. I can't have just one. One leads to two. And two leads to ten."

It really put addiction and abstinence into perspective for me. For some people, the answer just has to be "no" every single time you encounter the question.

I'm no expert in addiction, but I'd guess addiction is addiction, regardless of the substance.
Ryan the Temp
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AG
Quote:

I tried eating super healthy and doing chicken breast and rice.
Rice is the devil. Rice has more carbs by weight than almost anything other than sugar. There's a reason Save the Children spends on all that money on rice for starving kids. I haven't eaten rice in more than two years.
Quote:

One of my college roommates had an uncle that was a recovering alcoholic. We were all at a family party one night and got to asking Uncle C.W. about his addiction and why he couldn't have "just one drink".
This is me 100% with food. As soon as I justify to myself that I can eat a slice of pizza or something, it turns into ordering pizza and eating burgers and fries and junk food and so on and before I know it I've gained 50 pounds back. It's really hard for me to "reward" myself for making good progress because it helps me find ways to justify that going off the wagon "just a little bit" is acceptable.
aggie98infl
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AG
Same. When I was visiting my family Thanksgiving week, I decided to just enjoy the trip and eat what I wanted. That turned into 2+ months of a free-for-all and 20+ pounds. For everyday stuff I never feel deprived on keto, but there are special occasions or when I am traveling and want to enjoy the local specialties when it is hard. I just know that when indulge I end up paying for it. It never seems to be just one meal. I hope to one day get to the point where I can do the occasional carb load without it spiraling out of control, but I'm not counting on it.
MarathonAg12
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CC09LawAg said:

One thing I've tried to do when I've noticed certain habits or trends with my diet is ask myself, "Am I letting perfect be the enemy of good?"

I tried the low carb/no carb thing in the past. I tried eating super healthy and doing chicken breast and rice. I've tried a lot of things. I've tried being the "5 AM workout guy" or the two workouts a day guy. Never stuck. I could get good results in spurts, but nothing that ever lasted.

Once I looked at my life and lifestyle, I finally did an honest evaluation and said OK, if you know that for however many years you have always liked to eat X or that you've never been able to stick to workout plan Y, why are you trying to force yourself to do it?

Eventually, I settled into a workout routine that I know I can do, even on the crappiest and hardest weeks. I adjusted my diet to include those days where the family has to have Chick Fil A (sub yogurt for fries, get an 8 count instead of 12, get sriracha instead of ranch). I stopped trying to lose 2 pounds a week and just told myself that as long as I'm losing, I'm good. I can have the occasional birthday cake and not feel like I've totally destroyed some sacred plan that I am required to stick to.

Just some thoughts, hopefully they're helpful as a reminder that it's a marathon, not a sprint!
Life is truly a marathon and not a sprint. Love the analogy
CC09LawAg
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I still eat rice a lot, probably almost daily - I tried doing weightlifting on low/no carb and felt like crap every day. Once I added carbs back into the mix, I felt a million times better.

But yeah, I don't hold it up as some miracle diet food like I used to before I understood nutrition a little better. Back then I just saw people eat baked chicken broccoli and rice and thought, "Well that looks bland and healthy, it must work!"
CenterHillAg
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AG
Your mindset is the same as mine, it took me years to figure that out. One thing I don't do is scheduled cheat meals, it's just a gateway for me to slide back into old routines as others have said. If I'm at a function or restaurant with something unhealthy that I want to try, I'll eat it with the guilt of knowing I have to work it off quickly. That could be months or years in between trying some foods, I'm just careful to not let it become a routine. Not a fan of artificial sweeteners or cooking something with crispness to simulate fried foods either, I had to get away from it altogether and get it out of my system. I'm happy to say I had fried catfish for the first time in over a year a couple weeks ago, and I didn't enjoy it and certainly didn't like the bloated feeling the rest of the day. Another craving killed, many more to go.

It's blunt, but you have to hit a wall and accept that you're fat and it's your fault. I used every excuse in the world to justify my weight gain and accepted I was just going to be that way. I even had a full panel of bloodwork done thinking I was deficient in something that caused my weight gain. Turns out I was just lazy and had a bad diet, even when I thought I was doing well. Getting healthy is hard and takes years of focus, I don't think that's said enough.
MarathonAg12
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CenterHillAg said:

Your mindset is the same as mine, it took me years to figure that out. One thing I don't do is scheduled cheat meals, it's just a gateway for me to slide back into old routines as others have said. If I'm at a function or restaurant with something unhealthy that I want to try, I'll eat it with the guilt of knowing I have to work it off quickly. That could be months or years in between trying some foods, I'm just careful to not let it become a routine. Not a fan of artificial sweeteners or cooking something with crispness to simulate fried foods either, I had to get away from it altogether and get it out of my system. I'm happy to say I had fried catfish for the first time in over a year a couple weeks ago, and I didn't enjoy it and certainly didn't like the bloated feeling the rest of the day. Another craving killed, many more to go.

It's blunt, but you have to hit a wall and accept that you're fat and it's your fault. I used every excuse in the world to justify my weight gain and accepted I was just going to be that way. I even had a full panel of bloodwork done thinking I was deficient in something that caused my weight gain. Turns out I was just lazy and had a bad diet, even when I thought I was doing well. Getting healthy is hard and takes years of focus, I don't think that's said enough.
Like my supervisor in the Army use to say: "You have to fuel the Ferrari"

You don't put low grade fuel into a nice sports car. Same concept for our body.

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AG
I'm still early in my new weight loss journey, so I with a grain of salt...

I don't deny myself anything necessarily. However, I do deny myself most things and when I want to try something I literally only try it, as in one bite. So far I haven't been tempted into getting my whole bowl of ice cream or eat all of the bread at the table.
MarathonAg12
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Down a solid 8 pounds so far since starting this thread. And now I won't be able to eat out or drink alcohol for 40 days. My blood pressure was way too high a month ago and im slowly lowering it.

Things that have been working for me:

1. Using my CPAP EVERY night. It all starts and ends with sleep. I have severe sleep apnea and wake up multiple times a night without it. Its awful and my wife says it sounds gruesome. SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP. I wake up refreshed and started working out a lot more again.

2. Drinking on or two days a week. This controls late night snacking and staying up and drinking more. I have insomnia so this is a must to cut back.

3. Eating when I get hungry. Everyone's body is different but I found only eating when I start getting hungry has helped me lose a few pounds. I don't need to force myself to eat a breakfast every morning if I don't want it.

Hopefully the big changes are coming during Lent.
aggiederelict
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Yeah I don't have the perfection problem. I just keep plugging away. I'll get there. Keeping is there is the real challenge.
CC09LawAg
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Yeah, I used to reach my weight "goal" and then go off the rails because I didn't really have a plan for what to do after that. I'm trying to focus more on fitness and quantifiable goals there.

I can always get down to 200 pounds pretty quickly doing any number of diets, but there isn't really any shortcuts to trying to squat 2x your body weight.
 
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