Posts by baremore

I would think if your sodium intake is high you would see an increase in weight on the scale due to all the water you would be retaining.

When you say bloated I can't tell if you mean water retention or gas. If it's gas, then it would be related to your diet somewhow, though with what you're saying you're eating, I don't see why that would be so.

My wife used to complain about that bloated feeling during 'that time of the month', so that is one possibility, but given that I'm a man, I am no expert in that department by any means.

One of the things that helped me with digestive issues when I was actively trying to loose weight was taking a one-a-day vitamin. I also noticed that my level of gas events increased as my calories went down and the time between meals increased. I minimized the gas effect when I was down to 1500 calories a day by eating 10 time a day--3 meals with 4 snacks between breakfast & lunch, 3 between lunch & dinner. Nevertheless, certain foods caused gas, most noticeably bread.

On the other hand, now that I am into maintenance, I see my water retention going up and down, and I have no idea what causes it. If that is what you mean by bloating, then yes, I get it too.

I know loosing weight is hard. You can do it. As far as the temptation to take your calories down in order to reach your goal sooner, I tried that too. After restricting myself to 1500 calories a day, when I approached my goal and began to slowly increase my food intake, I found that I was loosing weight at the same rate even when I was taking in 1800 calories. Too me, I suffered needlessly during those lean 1500 calorie days.

Congrats on loosing 14 lbs so far. I am curious though, what is your goal weight? And once you reach it, have you thought about how you will maintain it? I ask because body weight is a life long choice, or not, depending on what you want. Whatever you do, do it for yourself and no one else.

I don't know if it's bad food or not, but I run into the same problem. I haven't been able to pin gaining or losing water weight on any particular key event. My wife says cold weather causes the body to retain water which sounds good during this time of year, but I don't buy into it.

Over on the eating disorder forum I read that when you first begin to maintain weight your body will keep water initially and then shed it, but for me it seems to go in cycles. I just do not believe the 8-10 pound weight swings I sometimes experience over a period of 7-10 days are me losing that much weight and then putting it back on, anymore than when I lose or gain 6 pounds in a 24 hour period that the same thing happened.

If you can figure what is going on with your weight swing, let me know, because I'd like to know if it might apply to me.

I agree with gi-jane. Losing wieght isn't on my easy list, but it is something that can be done. It is staying with your weight loss plan over a long period of time that is hard.

One of the things that got my attention when I first started out was that 95% of those who lose weight gain it right back within a few years. Not only did I want to lose weight, I wanted to keep it off.

That means making smart life-changing decisions, not going on a diet, hitting your goal wieght, and then going back to the old habits that put the weight on you in the first place. If you want to keep the weight off, be smart now and train yourself to eat properly. Train your eye to know what a proper portion is when it sees it and train your brain to know when your stomach has had enough. You don't have to deny yourself anything, but you do have to learn how to eat in moderation. And if you have a particular weakness, stay away from it until you've learned enough about why it is a weakness and then put together a plan to learn how to overcome it. If you can successfully do these things, I think you will understand the 'hard' behind weight loss, and you will be well on your way to being in the 5% of those who keep the weight off.

One final bit of knowledge. Skinny people, with few exceptions, aren't skinny because they were lucky enough to be born with the ability to eat whatever they want and still stay thin. They watch what they eat, they know how to say no to themselves, and somewhere in their lives, they learned proper eating habits.

I went back and re-read all posts. I stand by what I said.

Nevertheless, I have three points I think need made:

1) I was responding to the group as there was more than one comment made on the subject at hand.

2) Everyone's posts are clear. I didn't glean only that which I wanted, I responded to what was written.

3) If the proverbial shoe fits, then wear it, if it does not, then don't.

I think taking joy in binge eating, or at the very least, laughing in the face of it, is self-defeating and a haughty way of looking at doing something unhealthy. I weigh every morning and every night. If I overeat, I see it on the scale for 2 weeks before I get back to where I was before the binge. That's like 2 steps backwards. To me, binge eating only served two purposes: 1) it reminded me of what a glutton/pig I could be and 2) how it was that I got obese/fat/overweight in the first place.

I've learned that I can still enjoy food without binge eating. It's a matter of attitude and disciplining yourself. I'm still learning too, on what works and doesn't work for dieting, but I'm 100% confident that slipping into old habits is no laughing matter.

Hello, I started at 301 pounds and though it took me 2 years, I now weigh 182 pounds. I've been as low as 179 and have gone up as high as 192, all within a 5 day span, which makes me wonder sometimes about this 47 year old, 71 inch tall body of mine.

If you want some encourgement, here is what I've learned over the past two years. My original goal was to get to 200 lbs. When I got there, I wanted to get to 190, then I reached that and my BMI for my height said, in order to get into a normal BMI (vice the overwieght catefory I was in), my weight should be 178 or less. So I made that my goal. I almost hit it and then I looked at my bodyfat percentage, which was just over 12 (and still is) and I decided I had arrived at a good weight for a man my age. The bottom line: only you can decide what your ideal weight is. BMI, height/weight charts, percent bodyfat, other people's opinions, none of them matters. What does matter is what you are comfortable with.

Set a realistic goal and don't be afraid to roll with the flow as you approach it. There is nothing wrong with changing your goal, just remember that 2 steps backwards and one step forward isn't progress.

There will constantly be challenges as you progress towards your goal. Realize that binge eating will happen from time to time. When it does, minimize the impact by not becoming discouraged. Yes, you will feel guilty, but learn from your mistakes, remember your goal, then pick up the pieces and get your nose pointed back at the grindstone.

When you reach your goal, which is where I am at, the next challenge is going to be weight maintenance. I struggle daily with portion control and have come to the conclusion it will be a battle the rest of my life. I still count calories daily, and have accepted that it will be a habit I will keep as well for the rest of my life.

I weigh myself twice daily, morning and evening, and see the results of my eating habits immediately. The weight swing I mentioned in the beginning of this was due to binge eating. Seeing such a dramatic weight shift in such a small amount of time is a learning experience: it made me realize just how much control over my body I actually have. (You would think I'd have realized that over the two years it took me to loose weight, but it wasn't until I did something as stupid as celebrating by eating a bunch of food--yes an eating binge--when I decided I had arrived at my ideal weight. Which just goes to show that losing and keeping weight off are lifelong endeavors.)

I hit weight plateaus while loosing weight. The longest was 10 grueling weeks at 256 lbs. They happen, they suck, but you can win the battle. Stick with what you know works and you will put them behind you.

Finally, the biggest question of all. Is all the trouble of losing weight worth it? If you're motivated by some notion that you will receive accolades from friends and family, probably not. Yes, they will comment that you look good, but that will be shortlived. What gives me comfort is knowing that I am healthy. I was sitting in a cafe just yesterday observing the others around me. There were several overweight folks present, many of whom were just like me before I lost weight--oblivious to the risk all that flab they are toting around puts them at. I am no longer a borderline diabetic, my blood pressure is normal again. I feel good, I have a whole lot more energy than ever before, my lower back problem has disappeared, and I've found a taste for food that makes me wonder how I missed it all those years I was progressing towards 300 lbs. Is watching what you eat and losing weight worth the trouble. Absolutely. I wish you well as you pursue your goal.