Getting rid of that stubborn 10-15 lbs

[bebe23]

I was just visiting my 66-year-old mom, who has struggled with obesity (morbid obesity from her 40's to 60's) almost her entire adult life.

 

I'm so proud of her, because she has lost 60 pounds with 30-40 more to go! At 66! She did it by cutting down on carbs. Sugar, potatoes, frozen pizza, cookies, all her favorite foods she cut severely down on. She told me she has 'one cookie, or a muffin, or a snack size piece of candy ONCE a week. On Sunday, it's my Sunday treat.' She says she gets up and has coffee with a little creamer, then a late breakfast of protein (eggs, veggie, omelet) or oatmeal with blueberries.

Second meal (early dinner) is fish or chicken, and veggies, or soup and a sandwich (Sara Lee 'lite' bread) with lean turkey burger. She has 2 meals a day, and one snack. The one snack is things like nuts, cheese, with a cut up apple or fruit. She doesn't 'drink calories' (cut out juice, pop, and even milk). Only coffee, water and tea.

 

She doesn't work out, just takes little walks with the dog now and then. Meanwhile, the scale has rarely budged for me, because of my habit of frappes at the coffee shop (with a scone) a few times a week, despite running around town. I'm very motivated to eat my mom's new way now!

Edited October 28, 2016 by bebe23

[Herbalist]

Look up a ketogenic diet.

 

You want to get rid of the last 10-15 lbs of fat?

 

Reduce your body fat %, increase reps during workout. Not weight. Reps. It sounds like you've plateau'ed.

 

It's that simple.

 

Keto is very effective but most people will really struggle to make that drastic of a change to their diet and actually stick with it. I think for most people it is more strategic to just cut out sugars and really processed carb stuff, but not be trying to go from SAD to like 20g carbs per day. Even if you eliminate 50% of your normal carb intake instead of 99%, 50% is still a big difference.

[SammySammy]

Bottom Line - if you're not willing to give up any of your existing habits, habits which put the weight on there in the first place, then your body won't change. It's a very simple equation really, what you habitually do leads to your body looking the way it does. If you want it to be different then your habits need to change. I personally adore bread, it's like the best tasting thing in the world, but the bottom line for me is that bread causes me to be larger than I like. If I want to keep my present shape then the bread had to go. It was a choice I made.

 

Reading this thread you keep looking for ways to do what you presently do and look different, not going to happen.

 

Reminds me of a quote I recently read about choices:

"If you want to be good, you really don't have a lot of choices, because it takes what it takes."

- Nick Saban

If we want to be successful at anything, we have to do what it takes. Success always has a price attached to it that must be paid in order to acquire it.

 

It takes what it takes.

 

Costs what it costs.

[Standard-Fare]

OP, a couple things in particular stood out to me:

 

- You drink a couple glasses of wine a night

- You have no interest in working out

 

I imagine the key to your weight loss lies in changing those two factors. If you're unwilling/unable to do that, then maybe you should learn to live with the consequence of being 10-15 pounds heavier than your ideal.

 

Not trying to be harsh. Most of us struggle with these kinds of things. Weight loss is hard - there's no way around that.

[major_merrick]

Here's an update....

 

I've made some temporary changes. Never going to change my life, but since I can usually eat anything I want (short of donuts and alfredo sauce) without actually gaining weight, I figure that all I have to do is suffer for a while and then go back to what I usually do.

 

After a week and a half, here's what I'm up to:

 

1. No refined sugar or alcohol. None at all. Switched to Stevia. Today is sugar-free day #11. Still not happy about it, but I've discovered the joy of making my own soda with carbonated water and fruit stuff.

2. No starchy foods. No rice, beans, potatoes, whatever.

3. I eat tons of meat and fish... mostly this.

4. Some vegetables. I hate most of them and refuse to eat them steamed and tasteless. Cayenne pepper is my friend.

5. I'm using more vigorous sex as my form of workout. Burns calories, right? I'm also having my GFs use it as a way of "taming the beast" so I'm not impossible to deal with. Helps with the mood.

6. Vitamins. My friend swears by a particular liquid form, and I've been taking large amounts. He says it keeps him from being hungry, and I'd have to agree. At least it helps keep my body from some kind of shock while I'm changing what I eat.

 

So far, I'm 5-6lbs lighter and a touch thinner. I figure I can get what I want by the New Year, and then just find some sort of stimulant to get my metabolism to do its job for a change.

 

My GFs haven't been happy about this. They think I don't need to lose weight at all, and dislike the food changes/mood issues etc...

[Standard-Fare]

Here's an update....

 

I've made some temporary changes. Never going to change my life, but since I can usually eat anything I want (short of donuts and alfredo sauce) without actually gaining weight, I figure that all I have to do is suffer for a while and then go back to what I usually do.

 

Okay, there's a problem with the mentality of the bold above, and I'm sure you know that.

 

What's exactly so difficult about weight loss is that it's a continual process with no final end point. It's not like buying a house where, once you've done it, you have the house to own.

 

When/if you achieve your goal weight, it'll slip away from you almost immediately if you "go back to what you usually do." Your mindset needs to less about enduring temporary tortures and more about finding lifestyle changes you can live with in the long run.

 

To me it would seem exercise is the big missing link here. And if working out isn't your thing, the goal, again, would be to be find something that blend more seamlessly and painlessly into your lifestyle. Play around and find something you actually consider "fun." (Example: For me - I also hate the gym - that's biking, hiking, skiing... things I genuinely enjoy.)

[Buddhist]

Okay, there's a problem with the mentality of the bold above, and I'm sure you know that.

 

When/if you achieve your goal weight, it'll slip away from you almost immediately if you "go back to what you usually do."

 

Yes this. If 2 glasses of wine a night and no exercise put the weight on there in the first place, it isn't going to magically not put weight on at some later point.

[major_merrick]

Yes this. If 2 glasses of wine a night and no exercise put the weight on there in the first place, it isn't going to magically not put weight on at some later point.

 

Here's the thing, though. If that put the weight on, then why didn't I keep gaining? Haven't gained a thing in many years... it just stayed the same. I figure it was stress and REALLY bad habits in the past (like donuts, which I refuse to ever eat) that put it on there. Those things have gone away, but the weight hasn't. That indicates to me that what I've been doing in the last couple of years is ok for maintaining, just not ok for losing anything.

 

Or is that logic wrong somehow?

 

And actually, I get quite a bit of exercise. I don't work at a desk, I'm actually on my feet all day. So... more just doesn't seem appealing when my feet and arms hurt. For my GF#1 who works at a desk doing computer stuff, she'd probably gain weight if she didn't work out.

[Buddhist]

Here's the thing, though. If that put the weight on, then why didn't I keep gaining?

 

Because the body reaches an equilibrium with whatever habits you have. You probably won't get to 300lbs eating pizza once per week, that level of obesity requires higher continuous input, but you might get to 10 or 20lbs over what you desire doing that. It's clear that whatever [combination of things] you are doing now is stabilising your body at 10lbs over your desired weight.

 

If you change those habits your body will stabilise somewhere else. But if you re-introduce them then you can expect to get back to where you previously were when you were doing that.

 

Or is that logic wrong somehow?

 

Look up homeostasis. It's what the body naturally does. It finds equilibrium with whatever external inputs it's given.

[Els]

What's your BMI?

 

Honestly, if you're already well within the normal range (18-24), it's possible that this is just the weight your body is made to be with a reasonably healthy lifestyle. If you want it to get even thinner for aesthetic reasons, then you have to be prepared to sacrifice something.

 

I would strongly caution against the "I'll suffer for a while and use a stimulant then I can go back to normal" decision. This is known as yo-yo dieting and is almost certainly doomed to failure. Your body adjusts to whatever you put it through. When you take a stimulant or go on an unsustainable diet, your body eventually gets used to it and adjusts your metabolism accordingly. When you stop... guess what, your BMR is lower than it used to be. That's why people put on weight almost immediately after they ditch an unsustainable diet. And oftentimes the weight you put on after that is more than you lose, so you end up with a net weight GAIN.

 

If you really want to lose weight, do it the right way and find something that sticks. Otherwise, if you're already of a healthy weight and living a reasonably healthy lifestyle, perhaps it might be worth asking yourself why you really need the weight loss.

[Standard-Fare]

OP, I don't think you ever said your age? I'm getting the sense of early/mid-30s for some reason?

 

Because age is definitely a factor. Slowing metabolism is a very real thing.

 

I'm mid-30s myself, and I'm probably 10-12 pounds heavier than I was a decade ago. I would love to be back at my former weight, but at the end of the day I guess I'm unwilling or unable to make the big lifestyle changes that would get me there.

 

My diet is fairly healthy, with the occasional indulgences or excess. I exercise more than the average person. I drink alcohol about twice a week. Ten years ago, this lifestyle would have allowed me to be in lean and in shape. Now - I'm just "maintaining," basically. Like you, I find the extra pounds to be very stubborn.

 

I think I've learned to just live with it.

[major_merrick]

What's your BMI?

 

Honestly, if you're already well within the normal range (18-24), it's possible that this is just the weight your body is made to be with a reasonably healthy lifestyle. If you want it to get even thinner for aesthetic reasons, then you have to be prepared to sacrifice something.

 

I would strongly caution against the "I'll suffer for a while and use a stimulant then I can go back to normal" decision. This is known as yo-yo dieting and is almost certainly doomed to failure. Your body adjusts to whatever you put it through. When you take a stimulant or go on an unsustainable diet, your body eventually gets used to it and adjusts your metabolism accordingly. When you stop... guess what, your BMR is lower than it used to be. That's why people put on weight almost immediately after they ditch an unsustainable diet. And oftentimes the weight you put on after that is more than you lose, so you end up with a net weight GAIN.

 

If you really want to lose weight, do it the right way and find something that sticks. Otherwise, if you're already of a healthy weight and living a reasonably healthy lifestyle, perhaps it might be worth asking yourself why you really need the weight loss.

 

Sounds pretty much like the human body is hardwired to be my enemy. Great. No matter what you do, you're screwed. Mostly, I blame my metabolism. If it would just work like it is supposed to (ie. keep my body warm at 98.6 instead of almost two degrees colder than normal) this wouldn't be an issue. Even though I'm losing weight, I'm no warmer than before... so I'm simply losing due to lack of sugar or starvation or whatever.

 

Yes, turning 30 really stinks. I don't have the energy of when I was 20. Everything hurts. My GFs have the boundless energy granted to them by virtue of being younger and not having to work outside the home. It must be nice to have the energy/drive/time to work out... it just isn't there for me. I suppose in the grand scheme of things, 10-15 lbs isn't that much to worry over. I probably wouldn't look much different in my clothes if I lost it. It's just one more thing in life that makes me feel like I've lost my edge a bit. A firmer belly and slightly smaller breasts would be nice, though.

[Methodical]

Is there a way to turn sex into a workout? I have to warm my body up when I have sex, so there's sweating involved... now if I could just burn calories that way, maybe my problems would be solved!

 

Fine dining on life's greatest nectar between a woman's legs isn't going to burn calories but strapping on a harness and d*cking them down will scorch them...(the calories and the girls ). Seriously, marathon sessions will tone your muscles and burn tons of calories.

[major_merrick]

Fine dining on life's greatest nectar between a woman's legs isn't going to burn calories but strapping on a harness and d*cking them down will scorch them...(the calories and the girls ). Seriously, marathon sessions will tone your muscles and burn tons of calories.

 

I think I might turn this into a thread in the sex forum...

[Els]

Sounds pretty much like the human body is hardwired to be my enemy. Great. No matter what you do, you're screwed. Mostly, I blame my metabolism. If it would just work like it is supposed to (ie. keep my body warm at 98.6 instead of almost two degrees colder than normal) this wouldn't be an issue. Even though I'm losing weight, I'm no warmer than before... so I'm simply losing due to lack of sugar or starvation or whatever.

 

Yes, turning 30 really stinks. I don't have the energy of when I was 20. Everything hurts. My GFs have the boundless energy granted to them by virtue of being younger and not having to work outside the home. It must be nice to have the energy/drive/time to work out... it just isn't there for me. I suppose in the grand scheme of things, 10-15 lbs isn't that much to worry over. I probably wouldn't look much different in my clothes if I lost it. It's just one more thing in life that makes me feel like I've lost my edge a bit. A firmer belly and slightly smaller breasts would be nice, though.

 

Well... yes and no, really. I mean, it's true that the human body has evolved to hang on to fat/calories. Especially women, who need to sustain an additional life for 9 months at a time. The human race would not be where we are without that evolutionary mechanism, we would have died of starvation in droves.

 

But on the other hand, most people are capable of maintaining a healthy weight with a healthy lifestyle. The problem here is that: (1) Aesthetic norms fluctuate with culture and are now quite different from healthy norms (many models have a body fat % far lower than that recommended for a healthy female, for instance), and (2) Our lifestyle is different from our hunter-gatherer predecessors. They never had rows of deep-fried sugary donuts to pick from for $1 apiece. They also did not spend 40-80 hours a week doing sedentary work.

 

I really just think you should focus on living a healthier lifestyle and exercising where you can, and letting your weight fall where it may as long as it's within the healthy range.

Edited November 5, 2016 by Elswyth

[Buddhist]

Sounds pretty much like the human body is hardwired to be my enemy. If it would just work like it is supposed to (ie. keep my body warm at 98.6 instead of almost two degrees colder than normal)

 

Yes, turning 30 really stinks. I don't have the energy of when I was 20.

 

This was my issue in my 20's as well. Turning 30 brings with it a hormone change, it's not all bad though. For me, as my reproductive system slowed down I dropped fat because my body was no longer intent on holding onto it for reproductive purposes. If you build up muscle the tide will turn on your coldness issue. Muscle burns energy, has capillaries in it and assists with blood flow by pumping blood around. Fat doesn't. The more muscle you have the better your circulation and metabolism. You don't have to end up looking like the hulk, just a slight change in this balance will change your shape and pull everything up. Hell, even my breasts got a lift when I developed my pec muscles with yoga pushups.

 

After being overweight all of my 20's I lost over 12kgs (30lbs) in my 30's (it only took 3 months, no I didn't work out like a MOFO either) and have kept it off ever since, I'm now mid 40's. Getting older doesn't mean being fat. But it does mean you can't abuse your body the way you did in your earlier years because your sins aren't so easily coped with anymore.

Edited November 5, 2016 by Buddhist

[thefooloftheyear]

There is no real easy way....but not sure what people think is "the last stubborn" pounds, though.....

 

Back when I was a competitive wrestler, once bf dropped below, say 12-14%, then every percent required that much more effort and discomfort from constant hunger....For women, that number will be somewhat higher..To get around 6% before a match took a huge effort...And it was dangerous...

 

Genetics play a part here as well...Some just don't store fat like others and it wont matter the amount of diet or exercise...

 

Bottom line is its all doable, it just depends on how much hunger discomfort its gonna take and whether or not its really worth it...

 

TFY

[Cali408]

It's 85-90% diet.

 

Cut your calories to 1500, have no more than 100 g of carbohydrates a day.

 

No sugar no drinking.

 

Pack your lunch.

 

Drink a 1/2 gallon-3/4 gallon of water a day

 

Exercise hard for 30 minutes a day. It will come off.

 

or don't, make excuses about time and it won't.

 

Be prepared to follow this for 2 months at least.

[Imported]

The last bit is not easy. I go through cycles of just pretty much starving myself and then going back to "normal". It's 2 steps forward and sometimes not even that much for when I start dropping and then 1 step back, maybe even more than that for when I recover. This is after building/maintaining a solid base of muscles. And when I decide to do like this, it's usually I wake up and go....'hhmmm, ya lets not eat!'

 

I dunno, it's something to do and I don't take it serious at all. Someone with a food scale and a rigid mentality can probably help you better. I think I just have a natural propensity to be lean and muscular since puberty. Must say though that drinking liquor and not eating any food is an experience .

 

Oh, when I starve myself, I have the first initial feelings of hunger when starting and then it goes away.

Edited November 11, 2016 by Imported

[major_merrick]

It's 85-90% diet.

 

Cut your calories to 1500, have no more than 100 g of carbohydrates a day.

 

No sugar no drinking.

 

Pack your lunch.

 

Drink a 1/2 gallon-3/4 gallon of water a day

 

Exercise hard for 30 minutes a day. It will come off.

 

or don't, make excuses about time and it won't.

 

Be prepared to follow this for 2 months at least.

 

This is actually working! Stepped on the scale tonight, and since I started working on what I eat, I've lost 13-14 pounds (scale differs depending on how I stand). Basically, I've reached what I wanted!

 

I've basically gone to eating no carbs. Mostly meat, some vegetables. I refuse to eat steamed tasteless greens, but it looks like that isn't necessary. I got rid of sugar and alcohol entirely, except for one glass of wine on Saturday night, and as much as I want on holidays. I didn't gain a thing at Thanksgiving, which is a relief. I still don't eat breakfast or lunch, which is a pattern I've had for years. Trying lunch just didn't work out and took too much work. But I have noticed that by eating a protein-based diet, I eat a lot less. I can stay around 1500 calories practically without trying, whereas when I had a carb-based diet I ate more. When I eat more vegetables and less meat, I'm uncontrollably hungry and ill-tempered. With plenty of protein, I'm satisfied.

 

I still can't drink plain water (hate the stuff) but I've been making my own "soda" with carbonated water, something sour, and stevia. It works and it tastes REALLY good. I've also added a vitamin drink powder that my friend recommended. It's expensive, but it seems to help. As for exercise, I haven't done any. BUT I think I will start in the near future, because I'm starting to feel a bit more energy. Not a lot, but the idea of exercise doesn't seem impossible now. I've been doing some physical outdoor work on weekends lately, so I guess that's a start.

 

The one problem: my intense sugar cravings don't go away. It's like a drug addiction. The only thing that makes it stop is eating something high fat like bacon. But I SMELL sugar! My boss had a wrapped Twinkie on his desk, and I could smell it from about 30 feet away. And I normally hate Twinkies and can't smell anything. It's terrible. I dream constantly of cakes, cookies, and other desserts. I guess it's the price I'm paying. I'll probably go back to eating something sweet now and then if I compensate by exercising, but my days of binge drinking and eating desserts have got to be OVER. It's pretty clear how terrible that stuff is for the body.

Edited November 29, 2016 by major_merrick

[sooshi]

Hi major_merrick,

 

I'm glad that you're happy that you've reached your weight goal.

 

To curb the intense sugar cravings, there are a few things you can do:

- grab some high-fibre fruits that are also sweet, such as apples and pears. Because of their high fibre content, they won't make your blood sugar levels crash.

- have healthy fats like nuts and seeds, and you can combine them with some fruit if you want.

- try some lemon water (squeeze half a lemon into a glass or so of water)

- take some L-glutamine, which helps reduce sugar and alcohol cravings

- a teaspoon or so of apple cider vinegar mixed into water, and drink that

 

Get in some healthy fats into your diet. Nuts/seeds and their butters/oils, avocados, eggs, beans, legumes. I'm not surprised that eating something high in fat, like bacon, helps reduce the sugar cravings. I think your body is telling you it is in dire need of those healthy fats (not so much bacon, though...).

 

Get checked out for candida. It feeds off of sugar and could be causing your intense sugar cravings. The cravings can also come from low blood sugar. Your body might feel like it's constantly starving, because it's not being optimally nourished. The quickest way to get energy and increase blood sugar in the body? Stuff like Twinkies, cakes, cookies, and alcohol. But it's also toxic stuff.

 

If you don't like plain water, try the lemon water. You can also add in other fruit in place of lemon, like strawberries or watermelon, or whatever you want. Let them soak in the water for a bit, and it will taste like the fruit. I'm sure the carbonated drinks you make do taste amazing, but unfortunately, they (carbonated liquids) leach minerals from the body.

 

I agree that while steamed greens on their own don't taste especially amazing, but you can always have them with some sauce, dressing, vinegar(ette), etc. Season them with herbs and spices. You can also make soups, stir-frys, and incorporate vegetables into smoothies. There are many ways to enjoy vegetables.

Edited November 29, 2016 by sooshi

[major_merrick]

I've been on this journey for almost six months now, and sugar-reduced for almost three and a half. So far, I've learned some things.

 

I've lost 15 pounds and kept it off. I'm working on losing another 5-10, just because I can. I didn't make any progress on this during Christmastime because desserts and drinking crept back into my life for the holidays. I gained back about 5 pounds then, but as soon as I stopped with the sugar, it went away almost immediately. I think high fructose corn syrup was my biggest enemy. It's in so many things that I didn't even realize it was there. The craving for sugar is quite a bit less since getting rid of that stuff completely. I can have a piece of cake at the holidays, or a drink once in a while, which is good.

 

One thing that is interesting is just the increased awareness of what I eat. And especially, what other people eat. It's so hard to stay away from things when other people around you are sabotaging your efforts. At my job, there's cakes and donuts for all occasions. Ice cream in the office freezer. I never touch the stuff, but I'm painfully aware of the MASSIVE amounts of sugar that normal people are eating. And of the carbohydrate-based diet that most people are on. One guy I know retired this week, and there were THREE cakes to celebrate. I couldn't eat a bite, which kind of hurt. Why does nobody celebrate a birthday or a retirement with pork chops or steak? Why is it ALWAYS sugar?????

 

Mostly, I eat meat and vegetables. I avoid rice, potatoes, and bread. I might dust my meat with a bit of flour before frying it, but that's it. I still eat once a day - I've never managed to incorporate breakfast or lunch. More than one meal a day just doesn't work for me.

 

Exercise is still my biggest issue. I get bored with it. I tried some basic exercises, but just couldn't keep at it for more than a couple of weeks. It felt like a chore. I have been more physically active, though. I built an extension for the deck on the back of my house, overhauled a truck engine, and ran some new wiring through my attic. The attic thing was actually a good workout, I was really tired and sore after that.

 

So are there any ways of making exercise LESS boring? It just does so little to occupy my mind...

[CptInsano]

[...]

Ultimately, my weight is pretty consistent. I haven’t really increased or decreased in weight for about 3-4 years. No matter how much I eat or how little I eat, it seems to have no effect. I’d love to get rid of the 10-15 pounds that settled onto me just after college. My GF’s say I look good, and I don’t really feel self-conscious about it. But smoothing out the softness around my waist would be kind of nice. [...]

 

How much or how little you eat will eventually make a difference. The body has to get its energy somewhere.

 

I personally don't do well on low-carb diets, oddly enough. I lose weight for sure, but I feel miserable and tired, and become somewhat cranky, and have bread/pasta cravings like no tomorrow.

 

The human body is fortunately (or unfortunately) extremely efficient when it comes to processing its energy intake. You have to work out a lot in order to notice weight loss, and even that can be offset by a desire to eat more, or a simple "halo effect". (I'm working out, so I can surely eat a little more.) The plus side of working out is physical fitness, which is another goal in itself, but most people I know don't lose weight by working out, simply because they don't have the time to work out long enough, or the stamina to work out intensely enough to make it count. I lost weight through exercise only in basic training, but that was the level of workout my body needed to make that approach work.

 

In contrast I found that I can always eat less, or break my meals into smaller portions. It also helps me if I prepare food in advance, so I don't make unhealthy choices at work or on the road. Also, is there a source of calories that you really don't need? For me it was alcohol. But be prepared for questions from friends on why you suddenly stop drinking.