Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with weightloss

My demands are reasonable, my diet is ridiculous.

aint broke — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:33:08 -0800

Over the last ten years, I've put on 10-15 pounds of pure, unadulterated fat. Giving up desert for the next ten years doesn't seem feasible, but my general food intake is fine. I was looking for a healthy but reasonably quick way to loose 10 pounds, and 4 Hour Body was recommended. After six weeks, I am at my exact starting weight. What am I missing, and where should I go from here? I tried this diet with my roommate (R). R and I are ovo-lacto vegetarians who share 19/21 meals every week. We found the 4HB diet relatively easy to follow as eggs, vegetables, beans, and tofu made up the majority of our food before. (Tofu/soy products are technically not allowed, but we are both female and not trying to build 37 pounds of muscle so we decided to ignore that rule.) We have both been very strict about cutting out all fruit, dairy, and grain products.
R has been loosing 2-3 pounds a week, and I am at my exact (down to the tenth of a pound) starting weight. My results were in line with my normal weight fluctuation- down a pound here and there, up a pound here and there. According to my body measurements, I may have lost an inch on my hips and half an inch on my waist, but that may be measurement error. I have a post-diet body fat analysis scheduled next week, but given that other metrics show no change, I'm not expecting much.

My previous attempt at diet modification was calorie counting. After a week of weighing all my ingredients, adding recipes to calorie counting software, and weighing my servings, I determined that my normal, unmodified diet is hitting carbs/fat/protein ratios reasonably well, contains enough fruits and vegetables, and is about 1700 calories on a normal day. Once I figured that out, I stopped counting. (I did count calories one representative day of 4HB dieting and got 1645 calories.)

I spend about 6 hours/week doing some form of physical activity- usually competitive tennis, jogging, weightlifting, yoga, and rock climbing. I enjoy all these activities but don't have time to add any more.

If I'm active, the food I'm eating is good, and the portion sizes are ok, what else can I tweak for weight loss?

Low carb until dinner to lose weight?

lovisa91 — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:57:31 -0800

I live with a group of friends and we all take it in turns to cook dinner one day of the night, which usually consists of lasagne, pasta, rice etc. I am wondering if I could lose weight if I ate low carb for breakfast and lunch, and then ate dinner that is prepared by my housemates? I would like to lose around 15 pounds by July.
I will not give up on these dinners as it is a really nice thing we have that brings us together. Also on weekends I do enjoy going out and having a drink or two, althout I don't ever drink so much that I get drunk. So my question is will it be possible to lose weight by balancing these habits with exercise 3 or 4 times a week and with healthy meals apart from dinner.

If this would work, I am also wondering what some ideas are for breakfast and lunch that are vegetarian. Thanks!

Weight Watchers PointsPlus Fail?

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:45:04 -0800

WeightWatchers has ceased to work. What are my non-surgical options. I am morbidly obese. At my highest I pushed 400 lbs (5'6"). Surgery was looking to be my only option but as a last ditch effort I joined Weight Watcgers (for the sixth time) in 2009.

They were on the points system and I held to it and lost about 140lbs. In 18 months. The. The weight loss then slowed. To try and pick it up I got a personal trainer but it didn't work. There were comments made about building muscle but at least I was still losing if it was ounces per week if not pounds.

So in late 2011 when they switched from points to points plus I really hoped for a kick start. But the opposite happened--as soon as they went to points plus o started to gain weight. Tracking and working out 3 times per week I gained 20 lbs back in a year.

I will admit to frustration with that gain - maximum effort with negative results. So I quit working out and quit tracking. I quickly gained back another 30 lbs.

I had to think it was me (self blame is common for fat people) so I recommitted. For three weeks I've reuthrned to being devout. I'm following the weight watchers program, tracking every bite, staying in my points, not even using any activity points or extra points. I am eating a moderate amount of fruit, just about 3 or 4 servings fresh fruit per day. I'm having vegetables with every meal.

My workouts are not intense, mostly a power walk for 40-50 mins 2-3x per weekas its what my joints and stamina Can Endure.

But I am still gaining.

I am really feeling the WeightWatchers Pointsplus system is broken. I have talked to my leader and just gotten platitudes of "stick with it" and "keep eating power foods" but I'm losing motivation.

I'm looking for advice. I either need to somehow modify the program to work for me or find another program. I really don't want surgery but I'm back considering that option. I'm looking to MeFites for some direction.

Math not adding up. Why am I not losing a lot of weight?

dubadubowbow — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:42:31 -0800

Mid-twenties male, eating extremely healthily, exercising very well, very happy with his setup here. But very curious why the pounds wouldn't just be falling off now, when they were at a maintenance level when I had the reverse habits as recently as a few months ago. (Or even any weight loss at all.) I'm not eating junk food or ever eating out, and calorie calculators online say that I would need 4,000 calories at a sedentary lifestyle to maintain my current weight. However, I exercise nearly every day for about an hour, a combination of running and weightlifting, and I already use low-fat, low-sugar everything in the food I cook and prepare for myself. So all of my extra calories, why I've figured I wasn't losing weight (although the exercise is a fairly recent addition), is from eating out and eating junk food from the grocery store, like Oreos or ice cream.

Well over the last several weeks, for a variety of causes known and unknown but deeply appreciated, I've lost most of my appetite for the aforementioned fast food and junk food, as well as foods with refined sugar in them.

Now I actually feel like I need more calories and a little more fat to get myself through the day, energy-wise.

So that's all great, but I'm not losing a ton of weight. I guess I don't mind not losing weight (even though I have a considerable amount I could stand to lose), but...

a) I'm deeply skeptical of that baseline 4,000 calorie intake needed to *maintain* my weight at a *sedentary* lifestyle. But I'm willing to hear an explanation either way. Is that right?
b) By my rough counting, I can not be having more than 3,000 calories per day on my absolute highest-calorie days, and most days I would put more around 2,000 or 2,500. Even if I were right and that were about the amount I would need to *maintain* at a sedentary lifestyle, why am I not dropping pounds like a rock coupled with the regular, rather intense exercise (weightlifting and jogging)?

(I'm aware that strength training builds muscle, but I do a maximum of 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, and would the weight change really be that drastic as to offset the weight loss?)

How/when/should I tell a potential new beau that I used to be obese?

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:35:39 -0800

I used to weigh 150 lbs more than I do now. My body looks like I used to weigh 150 lbs more than I do right now; when is the appropriate time to discuss this with someone I just started dating? Is it necessary to discuss? How do I bring it up? My body is a masterpiece of stretch marks, some sag and some extra/wrinkly skin. All things considered, it could probably be worse. I lost the weight about eight years ago, so this isn't a new thing. I've dated people before but it has never lasted long-term. Most of the time, I haven't had a discussion with people about how my body might not be what they are expecting, but I have been thinking it might be good to give the new guy I just met a "heads' up." Do you think this is a good idea? When (after how many dates - we have only met up once so far, but it seemed promising; figured I would ask for future reference if this one doesn't work out) and how do you think is a good way to broach the topic?

It just feels like kind of a private thing to discuss; I have never been one of those people who likes to tell everyone about their amazing weight loss story and it happened so long ago now it is only a part of my life story. And even if I do tell him about the weight loss, I don't think it would be immediately obvious that one of the things that follows from that is that my body might be different from others. I feel like I would have to spell it out for him, and that feels even more private than just telling him that I lost all of that weight.

Have you had to tell someone you started dating something that felt private and might be 'disqualifying' from further dates (or the same situation if you have been in it)? When in the course of getting to know them did you tell them? How did they take it?

another weight loss question

peachfuzz — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:36:58 -0800

In which I ask questions about optimizing minor weight loss (and maintaining weight loss); Very low calorie diets and exercise; Set points and starvation; Am I doin it rong? I am 5'2". Female. I have a fairly sturdy build and look/feel best around 115lbs. If I eat "normally", without thinking too much about it, my body seems to stick tenaciously to about 125. What with the holidays and some winter cocooning, I weigh 130 right now. I tend to eat very clean, mostly lean protein and colorful vegetables, with the occasional but not frequent meal that includes grain, legumes, or dairy. Paleo-ish, I guess. I mostly cook for myself.

I absolutely cannot lose weight without cutting to 800 calories a day. This is well below the "OMG NEVER GO BELOW" threshold, usually 1200, that people talk about. Is this a problem? At 800 calories a day, I see steady, slow loss right around two pounds a week, so that seems right. But am I hurting myself in the long run? I don't understand the science of metabolism and weight loss; it seems like it changes all the time. Can you explain to me why my caloric needs seem to be so low, and if it's a problem? If it's because my metabolism is slowed down, how do I speed it back up?

Other relevant info and questions:

800 calories is easy and sustainable for me (lots of raw vegetable-heavy salads and brothy soups, though not as much beer as I would like, sadly). Yes, I weigh everything on a scale and count everything—everything—I put in my mouth. I'm not grouchy or tired or obsessing, so I figure it's enough for my body to run on...right?

If I'm not counting, I'd estimate that I "naturally" eat about 1500 calories a day. This is what keeps me around 125. If I want to maintain at 115, obviously I'd have to eat less...right?

I sit at a desk all day but am training for a May marathon (currently running about 25 miles per week, that will go up) and do at least three 90-minute bikram yoga classes each week. So far I haven't adjusted my intake for training, since I feel strong and am not having any bad workouts. I'm worried, though, about how I do this once I reach my goal weight and don't want to lose any more—last summer, when I was training for an olympic-distance triathlon and a half, I couldn't seem to find the right balance and would eat too much, then too little. It's especially hard because the weight falls as the training ramps up and your caloric needs seem to be pulled in two opposing directions. What is a sane approach to doing this?

I know this works for me, but I still feel like I'm doing it wrong. My friends express horror and concern at the numbers. Everyone else seems to be able to lose weight on several hundred more calories and several fewer hours of exercise than I seem to need. I guess I'm slightly bitter about it, but also, does this indicate that something really is wrong that should be fixed?

Help me start losing weight again

to sir with millipedes — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 06:37:26 -0800

So a couple months ago, I started dieting, and I ended up losing about 20 pounds. Which is great. I was hoping to lose about 20 more, but in spite of taking in fewer calories and exercising more, my weight loss seems to have basically stopped cold. I have read about this, and a lot of outlets are saying that my metabolism has likely slowed because I wasn't eating enough calories. Whoops. I'm 210lbs now, I'd like to get back on track to eating enough to lose 1-2 lbs a week. does anyone have any idea how I can ease back into eating more calories and kickstart my metabolism without my nutrient starved body packing pounds back on?

Motivation for losing weight

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:54:33 -0800

I am grossly fat and very unhappy. I've already figured out how many calories I need to consume to lose weight and joined a gym and bought a scale (gross). I'm an emotional binge eater. How can I maintain my motivation? Always been fat, always felt like I always would be fat. Always been the fat friend. Tired of it. Moving to NYC in August, which has kind of put my fatness in very real terms for me: I don't want to be too tired out by walking several blocks, I don't want to be the gross fatty mcfattyson in a sea of models. I'm 307 lbs, 5'10", size 24, female.

Right now I do a lot of online window shopping. If I wasn't fat, I would be really into fashion. I browse r/loseit on Reddit, which is a pretty nice community. I have depression and anxiety issues, though, so when I'm in a rut, I eat. Like a pig. It's gross and unhealthy. I do sort of have a weight loss buddy - my best friend is totally supportive and willing to go to the gym with me, but she's a really gorgeous size 12 so it makes me feel weird. She's trying to get to size 8.

What resources and techniques do you guys have for maintaining your motivation when you need to lose weight but you're feeling sad and defeated and overwhelmed and all you want to do is order a pizza? I am disgusted by myself, but I feel like all the weight I have to lose is insurmountable and there's no way I'll be able to do it, much less ever get to a size 10, which is my ultimate goal.

Thanks.

Martial Arts for Weight Loss

Bulgaroktonos — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:20:31 -0800

My wife and I are thinking about starting a martial art to get in shape. Help us figure out what type of martial art we should do and where specifically we should do it in the Washington, DC area. Mrs. Bulgaroktonos and I would like to start exercising. Both of us find exercising really, REALLY boring in many contexts and so we would like to do a martial art because we think it would be fun and occupy us mentally while we exercise (we also both do better when we have some sort of goal other than just "run faster" and we are competitive and, in the case of Mrs. Bulgaroktonos, occasionally bellicose). We don't particularly want to get hurt but we would like the opportunity actually to spar against other people (and each other, in a healthy way). What we don't want is a macho gym atmosphere; we'd like somewhere supportive and helpful where we (as two overweight and out of shape people) will feel comfortable and that will enable us to lose weight in a healthy and enjoyable way.

Questions:

What type of martial art should we be looking for? Karate? Aikido? Something else? Our main goal is losing weight but we would also like to be stronger and more flexible. We'd like something not too challenging for beginners but that is legitimately a workout and that does not only attract people who are already in good shape.

Where specifically (studio? dojo?) should we go in the Washington, DC area? Again, we'd like to feel not-judged and have supportive, knowledgeable instructors who are used to working with potentially self-conscious adult beginners.

Anything else we should be considering?

How to safeguard my ring during weight loss

notned — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:41:13 -0800

Losing weight (over 225 to under 210) and I'd like to lose more. I already feel my wedding ring is loose. I don't want to lose it. I don't want to get it adjusted at a jeweler. 1. I don't really trust our local jeweler. 2. Looking more for a reversible option. The ideal answer would involve something like, "here's where you buy this great gadget that fits over your ring and it comes in various sizes. Thanks for your time.

Weight Loss and Benchpress Plateaus: Help me burst through my stagnation! Details inside...

MMALR — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 12:07:57 -0800

Weight Loss and Benchpress Plateaus: Help me burst through my stagnation! Details inside... Here's the scenario:

Last year, my New Years' resolution was what millions of people have said since the beginning of... well, New Years' resolutions. I wanted to lose weight. I had ballooned to 250 lbs. in my 5'11 frame, and although I really didn't look fat. This isn't some form of denial. I was a bit hefty, but other than that -- I didn't look enormous by any stretch of the imagination.

But it did bother me since I was 28 and had a gut. I was fairly athletic in my younger days, even going to so far as to play semi-pro hockey and soccer. So, I began working out with a workout routine I'd found in a magazine to get myself into a better position to begin doing more advanced routines.

Fast forward to a year later, I'm now 40 lbs. lighter with some definition. I did it mostly by way of some HIIT workouts, StrongLifts 5x5 workouts, and intense abdominal supersets. So, what's my problem?

I've plateau'd at this 210 mark. I haven't really dipped below it despite doing these workouts with even more intensity, and my diet has remained the same -- mostly lentil/beans/slow-carb style meals with healthy dinners. I do take Optimum 100% Gold Standard Whey Protein before workouts and in the mornings when I wake up. I also take Fish Oil and Optimum Opti-Men vitamins twice a day.

Typical workouts are workout A and B from StrongLifts 5x5, although I have varied it slightly due to my schedule:

Workout A
Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift 3x5, now doing higher weight at 1x5
Abs workout consisting of V-Ups, Weighted Situps, Leg Lifts, Stability ball rollouts

Workout B
Benchpress 5x5
Barbell Rows/Pulls 5x5
Triceps/Biceps 5x5
Abs workout consisting of V-Ups, Weighted Situps, Leg Lifts, Stability ball rollouts
HIIT cardio: 30 secs at high intensity boxing, 15 sec rest, 30 secs high intensity jump rope, 15 secs rest, repeat for 10 times.

The obvious answer is that I'm gaining muscle while losing weight and cancelling out weight loss. Could that be the case? I'm not rocking any major definition. I've definitely changed, but I'm not rocking the hardcore six pack. I don't even have much definition in my belly even though I can do ab workouts that many people with these epic six packs can do.

Do I need to add more to my supplementation? Any suggestions or ways to figure out how to get to an optimal routine would be appreciated.

As a secondary note, I've maxed out at a measley 185 lbs. on the benchpress. I've been going hard at it for about a month, and I haven't been able to burst through this plateau. What could be the issue? I consume about 70-80 g of protein a day, I get ample rest. Is this something where the surrounding muscles are still weaker and are not improving? I recently purchased Olympic rings to begin workouts to improve my upper body (I've always been weak in that area, even in HS). Is that something that could help me breakthrough?

this is NOT a New Year's resolution

JoanArkham — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:54:35 -0800

I've been using Weight Watchers online for years now, but it's stopped working for me. Is there an iPhone app with a similar function? I'm not blaming it all on the website/app, but I'm getting really frustrated. It's hard to stay motivated to track everything when it never works very well. Plus their restaurant listings are really weighted (ha) toward the sort of fast-casual places I never eat at...and the foods I actually eat aren't listed at all. Plus I'm finding all sorts of errors where the same item is listed with different values.

I'm ok with paying for an app, but would like to get out of the monthly fee thing, if possible. I know there's a ton (ha) of apps out there, but am looking for personal recommendations. Thanks!

When snacks are the culprit...

dinosaurprincess — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:27:52 -0800

How to not eat everything when I am just sitting around? Hey guys, I am doing pretty well with intuitive eating and exercising during the day when I am out and about, or during mealtimes... But at home when I am revising or even just watching TV I just reach for a packet of crisps, or a packet of biscuits and I CAN'T STOP!! HOLY COW I am eating as I am typing this question.. How did you stop? How can I stop?

Thanks mefites! :)

The simple weight loss spreadsheet that eludes me...

poolsidemuse — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:11:31 -0800

This simple weight loss/calorie defect spreadsheet from years ago eludes me...hivemind, help! Several years ago, I found a weight loss spreadsheet done by some wonderful nerdy guy who posted it on his site for download. It basically consisted of fields to input what weight you want to be and then it would calculate based on what you put in what your caloric intake would need to be AND how your weight would decrease depending on you adjusted your calorie intake/deficit over time.

It was brilliant and very simple and I cannot seem to find it anymore despite tons of searching. I know there are tons of these now, but this one was unique and my google-fu fails me.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Exercise classes for fat people

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 07:01:35 -0800

I'm fat. I want to take an exercise class that meets 2-3 times a week to help with weight loss and have fun doing something active. What class should I take? I'm 300 lbs, 5'10", female, young, healthy except for the whole morbidly obese thing. I've adjusted my diet - I now eat 1800 calories a day, lots of vegetables and lean proteins - and joined a tiny gym, where I strength train 3x a week and do 30 minutes on the elliptical every day. I hate exercise. I want to learn to love it. I think a class might be the trick.

I want to do something fun and rewarding, where being fat won't be a huge hindrance in participating and not everyone in the class is going to be fit. I'm anxious about this. I have parts that jiggle and I'm weak and I get really, really sweaty. I want a safe environment, where all of that's okay. No cycling classes; the seat hurts my butt, and they're boring.

I've thought about kickboxing, krav maga, zumba, yoga, and a martial art of some kind. What martial art would be the best for a fat person? What else is out there? I have good joints and strong bones, if that matters. So far, kickboxing is the forerunner, but I'm open to whatever suggestions you guys might put out. Thanks.

These inches suck.

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 20:01:04 -0800

LIPO-Light: Does it work? Would I be able to get it without my boyfriend noticing any side effects (besides inch reduction)? I'm in my thirties, female and am in good shape and eat healthy. I work out 5-6 times a week and run 25-40 miles a week and have been doing this for years. However, despite diet, exercise, etc., I just cannot lose fat on my lower abs and outside upper thighs.

I found a Groupon for a LIPO-Light in Boston (Skin Spa Clinic on Newbury Street) and was thinking about getting it.

After doing a bunch of Googling, it seems that this isn't surgery but laser therapy. No surgery? Awesome!

However, I don't want my boyfriend to know that I'm doing this. Does it leave any bruising? Scars? Marks? I can talk openly to him about my body but he thinks I'm "Beautiful just the way I am". However, I know I'd feel *much* better about me if could just lose these damn 1-2 inches! They make me so self-conscious!

I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has had LIPO-Light!

How do you handle your wardrobe while losing weight?

Ziggy500 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 04:00:47 -0800

How do you handle your wardrobe during a period of (fingers crossed!) on-going weight loss? I am 1/3 of the way through a major weight-loss 'journey' (I hate that word but it is an accurate descriptor) - I've lost 20 lb and aim for 60. I have dropped a couple of UK sizes - 22 to 18 on top (I believe this is size 20 to 16 in US sizes), although my bottom half has not shrunk quite so quickly.

I really don't want to wait till I've lost all the weight to update my wardrobe as I look and feel terrible in baggy clothes, and I don't know how long it will take, but I feel like I am spending too much money because I am buying new clothes frequently. I've also had to make major purchases like a new winter coat etc because my old ones are too big for me now.

So I would like to know how other people handle this: how to look good while losing weight without bankrupting yourself on new clothes. I have zero sewing etc. skills and am terrible with my hands, so till date, taking clothes in myself has never been an option. But if that turns out to be the best option, I would learn.

I am a woman but welcome answers from dudes too.

What are good, routine, activities/outings for a family that do not revolve around food/drink/restaurants? Details

dadici — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:38:35 -0800

I won't be able to eat normally for about a year, my family is supportive, but wants to continue to meet up weekly and would like to make sure I am as comfortable about it as possible. I've been very overweight my whole adult life, I've decided to take steps to get my health back into my control and am having a weight loss surgery at the end of the month. I'm nervous but excited about the procedure and am very, very lucky to be surrounded by a very carrying and supportive family network.

One of the concerns that has been brought up is that our family bonding time is a weekly dinner out. My parents, my brother, and my family (including a kindergartner) meet almost every Friday and enjoy a meal. I am really hopeful that this won't be a problem for me after the surgery (not that I will be able to eat regularly for quite some time, but emotionally I HOPE that I will still be able to participate).

BUT - my family has already talked a lot about how they want me to tell them if I'm uncomfortable or if it's too hard to just sit there and chat while everyone is eating. They said we could "do something else"

My question is: What are some good ideas that that "something else" could entail? We enjoy movies, but that's not really condusive to visiting and being with each other. What can you do/ where can you go on a regular basis that the focus is on chatting/visiting but doesn't revolve around food.

We're in the VA suburbs of DC, my folks don't like going into the city and don't love things that are loud - also, there is a 5-year-old so it needs to be family friendly.

Should I lose wedding weight?

corb — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:13:23 -0800

I'm getting married in a year, and am currently a bit out of shape. I feel I should lose weight to fit into the nicer wedding dresses, but need feedback on how realistic/rational my goals are - especially given a complicated history. Also, how to deal with a fiance who has strong concerns about this whole thing? I'm really happy to be getting married, and just went to my first wedding dress try-on. Unfortunately, it left me feeling bad about myself. I had to call many, many places to get any places that had more than just a few dresses. Even the one that did didn't have very many dresses in my size, and the dresses that were in my size were either unflattering, or just not as nice (design, cloth, etc) as the ones that were a few sizes down. Even though my fiance ooohed and aaahed at the right moments, and said I looked beautiful, I really felt like I was getting a second-class wedding experience.

More than anything, I think I hate seeing all of these incredibly gorgeous dresses that I can't even try on to /see/ if they look good on me.

Part of me thinks the solution is simple: I just need to lose weight, then I can fit into the nice dresses. Apparently this is a Thing People Do (frantic wedding dress weight loss), and family members have started asking me if I will be doing this. But the other part of me thinks that it will be really stressful, and unnecessary, and I can just do some other thing unknown to me yet and everything will turn out fine. Also, I refuse to do any of the more extreme quick-fix methods, which kind of terrify me. I've thought of tailoring, but then I'm taking a shot in the dark with my Wedding Dress, which seems scary. Also, my fiance fell in love with me at this size, which is not even really unusual, and has repeatedly expressed that he thinks I'm being ridiculous and would look lovely in a burlap sack.

Part of the complicating factor is that I used to be extremely fit. At my peak "fighting trim," I weighed about forty pounds less than I do now. However, in order to achieve that, I was running several miles a day, and eating carefully chosen tiny meals. I was also in the Army, so I had people yelling at me about my body fat all the time as an additional motivator. And even then at a really low body fat percentage, I still had hips and breasts that maybe don't work with traditional wedding dress cuts.

Additionally, my fiance is worried about this. He thinks that trying to lose weight in this really focused way will remind me of the bad times and body image problems of the Army, and make me feel even worse about myself for gaining weight when I stopped running all the time. That my "fighting trim" weight was in fact a really unhealthy weight for my body type, and if I try to strive for it, I'll be really miserable. He is supportive, sort of, but really, really concerned. Also, he loves to cook, and loves to cook delicious things that I eat and enjoy and am very happy over - something that couldn't happen if I went back to bite-sized protein bits.

What do I do in this situation? And how much time do I have to decide? I keep seeing places that say you need to order your wedding dress six to eight months in advance.

tl; dr : Is losing weight for a wedding dress worth the stress? What to do when your fiance isn't on the same page?

Get fit with das boot?

hrj — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:17:04 -0800

I just scheduled bunion surgery for next week after finding out I had a stress fracture caused by the bunion and was going to have to rehab that anyway. I am looking for ideas for how to exercise with a walking boot. Details below. I am about 15-20 pounds overweight, and had been run/walking for exercise as I live very close to an excellent running trail (Town Lake in Austin). However, after surgery, I will need to wear a walking boot for 4-6 weeks. I was in a walking boot a few years ago for a different stress fracture, and I gained a significant amount of weight, and I don't want that to happen again.

Specifics:

-- I live in a small apartment on the second floor. I don't mind working out in my apartment, but I am trying to be a conscientious neighbor to the girl who lives downstairs.

-- In my apartment, I have 3 pound weights, a yoga mat, a foam roller and that's it. I don't want to buy more equipment, because I have TONS in storage that I can't access right now

-- I have an apartment gym that has an elliptical, treadmill, recumbent bike, free weights, bench, and a small little one piece weight machine.

-- I do not have access to a pool where I can swim laps although this is somewhat obvious solution. I could technically join one but money is a bit tight (I'm unemployed) and I'm not yet 100% sure whether I'll be able to drive. I drive a manual, and I haven't gotten the OK from my doctor to take the boot off to drive.

I'm trying to get fit, not just lose weight -- but I'm open to diet ideas. I love love love to cook and bake. I'd also love ideas just on productive things to do other than watch TV all day. I knit, sew, and do other crafty things, but all of my supplies are unfortunately in storage.

Thanks in advance!

Too much noise in my data

ctmf — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 11:33:39 -0800

Putting on the math signal: calling the statistics-literate. Trying to change my weight/body composition and track progress in a useful way, but I'm having trouble separating normal daily variation from actual real change. After more than 30 years of being the skinny kid, I would like to look more like a normal adult male person. While I don't need to be a ripped men's magazine model, looking good in my clothes for once would be nice. So I'm doing Starting Strength, which I am enjoying, and also concentrating on my diet. I definitely feel better, and think I'm starting to see some improvement in how I look. And I guess that's the important part.

But here's the annoying part. It's not super-important because, like I said, how I feel is the main thing. But, as a curiosity/motivation thing, I'd like to track my progress with data of some sort.

So I'm tracking the weight I'm lifting, obviously, but also my body weight. Problem is, my weight seems to vary so much anyway from day to day, I can't really tell if there is a trend in my weight, or if I just randomly got a few high measurements in a row.

What I've got now is a spreadsheet with my daily measured weight. I'm doing my best to eliminate sources of error, such as using the same scale every time, same time of day, etc., but I'm still looking at a pretty noisy set of data. I'm using a double exponentially-smoothed curve to kind of eyeball it, with the smoothing factors set pretty low, and that looks kind of promisingly up-slope, but when I look at the raw data points, I could also easily convince myself that there has been no change at all, with standard deviation of my points over two pounds. Plus, standard deviation from a simple mean is less than RMS error of my smoothed curve. Is that bad?

So my question is for actual scientific-type people, in two three parts: 1) what would you measure in the first place to track progress, if not body weight, and how would you track it using a simple tool like excel 2) how can I tell (like, use nerdy statistical tests) if my eyeball impression of "looks like it's going up" is actually a real trend or not, and if so, how much is it going up? Or is it just one of those things where the change is going to be too small to see until a long time passes? (I'm only 3 weeks in)

(Yes, I know. You're envious/would love to have my problem/hate me. I'm kind of weary of those jokes, thanks.)

Wait until losing last 15 lbs before upgrading wardrobe?

cccp47 — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 07:51:57 -0800

Wait until losing last 15 lbs before upgrading wardrobe? Hello All,

I'm a guy, 5'7. Over the past 3-4 months I have gone from 187 to 162 lbs, and I have about 15 more to go until I am at my pretty much optimal weight. I work in a conservative business casual environment, ie most days slacks + button down, occasional tie. I have been wanting to upgrade my wardrobe for a while now, get fitted shirts, tailoring etc, but have been putting it off while I lose weight. I am now up for a promotion in the next few months so it seems like a better time than ever to do so. I have been doing very well with diet/exercise, and I think I will hit my goal weight in 2-3 months. Pants right now are a little loose, shirts starting to look a little baggy. Should I go ahead and upgrade now, or wait until I lose the final weight?

TL;DR How big of an impact will losing 15lbs have on tailored clothing?

Is there anything I can do to prevent loose skin after weight loss?

OrangeDisk — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:06:35 -0800

I feel like I'm right at the point in my weight-loss journey where I'm about to start getting loose skin on my belly and butt -- I'm talking about the kind of skin people have after weight loss that kind of hangs from their formerly-larger parts and can be quite uncomfortable. How can I prevent this? I have recently lost 20 pounds, and am on track to continue losing. This is the first time in my life I've stuck with a good diet and exercise routine, and I'm confident that I'll stick with it.

I'm worried about getting loose skin -- I want to lose about 60 pounds total. I understand that loose skin results in part from a lack of elasticity in the skin, and that for some people it goes away with time. Is there anything I can do now to help prevent it and/or help it go away faster?

I was in an accident a few years ago, and my doctor told me to use coconut butter on the scars to help keep them small -- and a few years before that, I successfully used Moderma to minimize some stretch marks that I suddenly developed. Would something like that be helpful in this circumstance? I'm trying to avoid relying on vague, quakery claims on product labels -- I'm looking for actual experience people have had with products like this in similar situations.

I'm 41 and generally have good skin, although it is dry. I do not look my age, so maybe my skin is already somewhat elastic, but I know it is less so than it used to be. I know nothing is guaranteed, but I'd like to give my skin whatever help I can.

How to make my weight loss a non-issue in conversation

purple_bird — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:23:09 -0800

How can I be polite and yet shut down conversations about my weight loss at an upcoming family gathering? I recently lost a significant amount of weight. I didn't set out to lose weight and I haven't quite come to terms with how different my body looks and especially with all the feelings associated with it. (Some of the weight I lost due to feeling ill for a couple months, some of it from dietary and lifestyle changes that make me feel good. I'm healthy now.)

I'll be seeing some extended family this weekend and I'm anticipating lots of comments and maybe questions. I don't want to talk about it really, but I also want to be polite. I tend to get tongue-tied in situations that make me anxious, like the one I'm anticipating. Can you help me brainstorm ways to respond and then deflect the conversation?

My scrapbook of cycling incidents.

playertobenamedlater — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 08:18:32 -0800

Help me document my weight loss and cycling journey on the great interwebz. Early this year I decided to give cycling a try to help with weight loss and feel in love with sweating on the wheels of steel again. Now that I'm starting to train seriously for a metric century ride this fall I'd like to use a quirky domain name and web hosting I recently purchased to document all of my training and weight loss.

What are some ways that I can document the following without having to setup PHP/MySQL forms and pages:

- Miles ridden and maps of rides (I use Strava)
- Twitter feed
- LoseIt! or other food tracking application
- Workouts (I do weight training 3-4 times a week)
- Photos

Ideally I'd use my phone to do all of the documentation (i.e. weight ins, tweets, Strava) and have the site be a repository for the entire process. I've seen some of the cool things people have done with the Strava API but I'm not sure where to start on integrating everything I want to document.

Just in the spirit of full disclosure: I've lost over 50lbs in the past year but am still a VERY heavy rider (402lbs this morning) and would really like for this site to be a way for me to look back in a year and say "wow, what an adventure". Since I'm sure someone will ask - I currently ride a Surly Cross Check with super heavy duty wheels (Phil Wood 48h hubs and Velocity Chukkar rims) and will be riding at least 100 miles each week for the next two months when I bump it up to 150 miles a week.