Hellobee Boards

@bhbee: Me! ‍♀️ I'm still trucking along! I definitely let things go when the pandemic started, but I have started again about a month ago. I am down 17 lbs (give or take.) I have pretty much maintained my weight since Jan and then just recently dropped 3 lbs. 🤷‍♀️ I am aiming for 16:8, but usually do about 17:9 . Today was a bit less because I didn't sleep well and really wanted milk in my coffee no biggie. The zero app is so helpful since I dont always have the same hours.
I've been baking a lot, too, and I will admit to eating a lot. In fact, I think I am going to make a raspberry lemon cake today, but I could really watch my portions. I dont "need" to have cake every day. When I started IF, it really cut down on my sweet tooth but, now, I feel like my "old" way of eating is back, I just eat within certain hours. That's fine, but I still don't need to eat like I am at a birthday party every day.
Glad you resurrected this!

I’d love to try! I need to do something ASAP. Gained 7 pounds in quarantine so far IF seems like the least bad of the available options but I’ve never tried it!!

Oh man yes! My father died about 18 months ago and I fell off the wagon hard after he died. I'm a major emotional eater and I gained 25lbs in 18 months. Which sounds.... insane. But it's where I'm at now. I've lost significant weight before so I know all my eating triggers.

Then about a week ago I was finally able to stick to my IF plan after dozens of false starts. I've been doing light lunches around noon (around 300 or fewer calories) and then tea and diet soda until dinner and logging all my calories, including weighing all my ingredients for our family dinners (honestly when I log my calories I feel so much freer to restrict less because I know exactly what I can and cannot eat).

I'm back on track and have lost 5lbs so far (realistically I'd like to lose 40lbs but I know that will take probably two years for me). My first goal is to get under 150. I know all of my current loss is water weight but for me the biggest successes have been keeping my eating under control because I'm a major emotional eater.

I've mostly just been in denial for the last six months about how bad my mental health was. But busting out of all my clothes is definitely a wakeup call that something is not okay with me, mentally.

@wrkbrk: you can’t lose weight unless you eat fewer calories and you can’t gain unless you’re eating more. There are some very rare exceptions (celiac disease, or being on certain medications like steroids) but it’s pretty simple math. If you eat less you’ll lose. It’s not always a straight line (especially bc of water retention) but if you have a calorie deficit you will lose weight. The key is finding a sustainable way to eat less that keeps you happy. It’s simple but it isn’t easy.

For me IF makes it much easier to stick to fewer calories because I’m short and lazy. So I can eat one big “normal” meal a day that’s 600-800 calories and one much lighter meal/snack. I find counting calories makes this more intelligible but I understand that can be triggering or overwhelming for people.

@wrkbrk: it’s very easy to overeat. The maintenance calories between my current weight versus my goal weight is only 200 calories. That’s like.. one large apple and a pat of butter. It’s really no wonder so much of the country is overweight because it’s so insanely easy to overeat just a little.

@peaches1038: oh I have an answer for this one! I remind my kids that we eat as much as our bodies need and that my body doesn't need to eat as often as theirs because my body is not growing. I have tea or coffee while they eat and assure them that that is all my body wants right now but that I will be hungry later when we all eat (insert item) for lunch!

@peaches1038: same concept. "Daddy's body and metabolism work different than Mommy's. The amount of food each person needs is different. We all need to eat the food our bodies need to help us be strong and healthy. Right now this is what my body needs."

@peaches1038:

I started 16:8 in January and am down 21 lbs. I had a stall a month ago, so I switched to modified alternate day fasting—I eat one 500 calorie meal on MWF, then do 16:8 other days. There’s a scientist who has done over 20 studies on ADF who wrote a book about it: The Every Other Day Diet by Kristin Varady.

I restricted carbs at the start of my diet, but now I’m loosening that some. Partly because the studies Varady did showed success without doing keto so I’m hopeful I can replicate that. And partly because I think my body needed keto in the beginning to kick my sugar addiction and binge eating, but I’ve developed a better mindset. I think I have reset my insulin resistance now. Or maybe it just taught me self restraint.

I still have ten lbs to hit my goal weight, which is just a hair under my normal BMI. I might go another ten lbs under that though when I reach my goal just to give myself a bit more margin when I inevitably creep back up.

@bhbee: How is everyone doing? This is day 3 for me. The first day I was pretty hungry and forgot when my window was over at 8 pm 🤣🤦‍♀️ Yesterday went well! I actually forgot about [not] eating breakfast because I was busy, then I ate lunch at noon and dinner at 5 with no snacks. Even with my margaritas at dinner I feel like this is gonna work. Put out all the good vibes to the universe!!
You guys??

@wrkbrk: I’m doing well! This is day 6 and so far it’s been pretty easy. I’ve been eating a small lunch at noon and then dinner by 6 and I haven’t really been that hungry. I already feel better and notice less bloat, so that’s exciting!

Does everyone have a goal weight in mind?

@peaches1038: You don't need to lose on ounce!!! But yes for me I have gained 19 pounds (...) in about 18 months so I would like to lose that maybe in 6 if that is even possible??

I’m on day 12 so far and still doing pretty okay. I find this method super sustainable. Yesterday was a fairly high calorie day for me: I had leftovers for lunch around 1, and then an early takeout dinner. I was actually planning on this takeout blowing 2 days of deficit for me but it ended up only being a regular maintenance day and I still weighed in lower today, so that’s a major success. Even with a bucket of fried chicken (I literally ate 8 wings and 1 drumstick) I did fine. I was also thinking all the sodium would make me bloat but it’s not bad at all.

I’m definitely thinking this will be how I eat for the rest of my life (I need a lifestyle change because I have binge issues and lots of weight to lose). So far I’m down 4.4lbs in 12 days so I’m happy. I’m thinking that .4 is actual fat loss and not just water weight! Only.... 6.4lbs until my next goal. And 30ish left. But I’m hopeful.

@peaches1038: You don’t look it! But I hear you. I had also lost the 20 extra from after C was born by his second bday and between then and now gained it right back 🤦‍♀️ if you creep old pics you can tell Good luck!!!!