Naw man, we aren't measuring quarks here. The science is pretty basic.

[Edited on July 14, 2019 at 7:00 PM. Reason : It's gonna work better if you check your weight daily ]

7/14/2019 6:59:38 PM

Thanks, learned a new word too. I have a scale at home and I will start checking every day and record the progress.

7/14/2019 11:18:05 PM

I think that's a good idea. For me, daily check-ins are a constant reminder of what i'm doing and how well it's going.

I still cheat harder than I'd like, but I'm less likely to cheat when I know I have to check my weight the next morning, and every morning after that.

7/14/2019 11:46:37 PM

wake, pee, poop, weigh, record

consistency is key

I'll probably pick up the 945 later this week

7/15/2019 12:05:59 AM

Good luck and happy shopping!

7/15/2019 7:37:47 PM

So, I weighed myself this morning and recorded the number. Then when I weighed myself again in the afternoon, I got a number that’s 3 pounds higher.

Is that normal?

7/16/2019 1:22:09 PM

Have you eaten bw the weigh ins? Have you exercised? Have you taken a crap?

Weights fluctuate throughout day, that's why others suggest you check once a day under repeatable scenarios.

7/16/2019 1:47:53 PM

Yes, I definitely ate a significant amount before the second weigh in.

I’ll stick to the one first thing in the morning from now on.

7/16/2019 2:33:28 PM

I’m really bummed. Last night, I woke up at 1:45am, forgot that I’m on a diet, and started eating random things from the fridge. Potatoes, shredded cheese, pomegranate juice, and some other things I can’t remember. That’s the second time it happened. I simply forgot my diet, that’s a little scary I can’t have it happen again

[Edited on July 16, 2019 at 2:51 PM. Reason : . ]

7/16/2019 2:50:10 PM

This is random and may be too private but why are you going to the doctor one month apart?

[Edited on July 16, 2019 at 4:58 PM. Reason : None of your business is an acceptable answer ]

7/16/2019 4:57:51 PM

Re weight fluctuations:

Don't fall into the trap of comparing today's weight to yesterday's. Weight can also vary significantly from day-to-day (up to a pound or more), even when measured under similar circumstances. Focus on changes over weeks and months. Recording and plotting daily weights in an app or spreadsheet will help you see those trends.

7/16/2019 5:12:03 PM

^ I put the weights into MyFitness pal and it does a plot for me.

^^ Sorry, it’s personal but nothing major to worry about.

7/16/2019 5:23:19 PM

No worries, thanks for being cool about it. Im not sure why I was curious tbh

7/16/2019 8:13:45 PM

No worries

7/16/2019 9:01:00 PM

I thought I could lose 2 lbs/ week on a 1200 calorie diet but I’m only losing a pound per week. Maybe I’m eating back too many exercise calories or maybe my metabolism isn’t up to par.

7/20/2019 11:27:56 AM

Do you have a scale and weigh your food?

7/20/2019 3:29:18 PM

I don’t weigh my food, I just go based on what’s on the package label.

7/20/2019 3:46:08 PM

You need to still weigh your food if you want an accurate count. Just get a basic food scale, it’s worth it just for cooking purposes but makes calorie counting super easy. Unless you’re always using the entire package of food it’s hard to know how much you’re eating. Also, don’t eat back calories, just set your intake and stick to that regardless of activity.

7/20/2019 5:07:50 PM

7/20/2019 8:04:22 PM

Ok... I am buying a scale from amazon.

7/21/2019 12:03:21 PM

if you're *actually* eating/drinking <=1200 calories per day i think you'll def lose more than 1lb/week

https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/weight-loss-101-how-to-calculate-a-calorie-deficit

7/21/2019 2:56:31 PM

I only workout 3x per week on which days I eat 1500 because the workout involves weight lifting and I want my body to get enough protein and carbs on those days.

The other 4 days, I’m pretty strict about eating only 1200.

I think I need to stop complaining or being negative and see how the next two weeks go.

7/21/2019 4:34:00 PM

Once you start using a food scale, you're probably going to realize that you were consuming way more calories than you were logging.

7/21/2019 6:00:09 PM

Loving the new scale. Thanks!

7/22/2019 10:04:17 PM

Finally broke 20 mph average on a longish ride. Did 50 miles from my house to Surf City and up to North Topsail to meet my wife and hang out on the beach and averaged 20.7 mph. Had some tailwind helping towards the end, but whatever.

7/25/2019 9:03:48 PM

Cool! Congrats on your progress and determination!

7/25/2019 10:19:09 PM

^ Now that you've had the scale for a few days, I'm curious how your calorie estimates with a scale compare to those without.

-----

I picked up a Forerunner 945 last week and it's a nice watch. I've used it three times in the gym and once for a 4 hour hike. I haven't had a chance to run outside or swim with it yet, and I still need to spend time figuring out all the metrics and how to use them. It lasted a full week before needing to be recharged.

I bought the watch at REI while on a planned trip to a no-sales-tax state. Between no tax, the REI dividend, and a $20 REI gift card (actually two of them), I feel like I 'saved' a lot. Definitely more than I was thinking for a watch, though.

7/26/2019 8:43:11 PM

Enjoy your new purchase! As far as my new scale goes, I’m noticing that packaged foods estimate more calories when measured in cups vs gram weight. My cereal intake of 3/4 cup is much smaller when measured in grams on the scale. Candy packages (m&m’s) give a number of m&ms estimate that’s higher than the gram amount. The other things I consume are packaged protein shakes, Mac n cheese, and canned soups where I eat the entire amount so I’m not weighing anything there. Overall, it’s reassuring and worth it for a small amount of extra effort. I’d say I was eating 150-200 calories extra without the scale.

7/26/2019 9:54:43 PM

Do ya'll have any recommendations for a bike that folds up or takes up minimal space? Bonus points if it is recumbent. I am currently not doing any exercise and want to try to change that. I like biking, but live in the country and don't have any roads to safely bike on. Plus its just hot as balls now. I don't have a lot of room in my house to have a bike sitting out, so if I could fold it up or something but otherwise use it in the living room that would be great.

7/29/2019 4:30:56 PM

I binged tonight and now I feel terrible. I’m super paranoid about messing up the progress I’ve seen so far and gaining back the weight I’ve lost so far.

Maybe keeping a set schedule and eating the same thing every day will be helpful. I just pick bad options otherwise if I don’t meal plan.

8/1/2019 9:40:58 PM

I def feel your pain. But like I said earlier, I think the 80/20 rule is good. Eat well 80% of the time within your caloric limits and splurge the other 20% of the time. One meal/bad day won't throw off your progress is you're eating right 80% of the time.

[Edited on August 1, 2019 at 10:32 PM. Reason : gotta enjoy life ]

8/1/2019 10:32:10 PM

Thank you, synapse!

8/2/2019 8:47:18 AM

No sense stressing over it now, just get back on the wagon and keep chugging away. If you follow flexible dieting then you can have “cheats” by just adjusting your weekly intake accordingly. It’s a marathon not a sprint so if you think of things in weekly totals it gives you a lot more room to have a higher caloric meal now and then. I do think meal prep is a great idea though, I have the same thing for lunch each week and basically the same thing for breakfast. That way I know how much I have to work with for dinner and eat accordingly.

8/2/2019 9:53:06 AM

Some days, the 1200 calories just doesn’t seem like enough. I’ll take your advice about looking at the entire week and keeping the big picture in mind. Thank you!

8/2/2019 2:47:54 PM

if you're in a deficit, you're gonna be hungry for a good portion of the day. no way around it, in my experience.

8/2/2019 4:41:32 PM

The only thing that keeps me from being constantly hungry in a deficit is taking ephedrine and caffeine. Not for anyone with heart trouble or anyone that has issues with stimulants but damn it makes a big difference for me. Also, it’s a good idea to take a two week diet break now and then where you eat at maintenance. Not just for psychological benefits but hormonal benefits as well as long term dieting can suppress certain hormones and make that constant hunger worse.

8/2/2019 5:29:46 PM

caffeine certainly helped me at times

8/2/2019 9:44:41 PM

Quote :

"if you're in a deficit, you're gonna be hungry for a good portion of the day. no way around it, in my experience."

Agreed. It's not pleasant, but it's effective.

8/2/2019 11:15:38 PM

Even in maintenance, I've had to learn to ignore that first sensation of hunger when blood sugar levels start to drop a little. Our bodies have not adapted to our modern condition of available food 24/7. The lizard brain still thinks we need to eat whenever we can because the next meal may be weeks away. It also holds back fullness sensations while eating because it wants you to eat as much of that sabretooth tiger as possible while it's available.

8/3/2019 5:26:11 AM

Coffee helps me too. I’m not as hungry on days I’ve had coffee

8/3/2019 11:09:02 AM

Is having a cheat day important to jump start metabolism or is that a myth??

8/6/2019 9:27:53 PM

I'd be happy to read your sources, but I think the deficit is all that matters.

8/7/2019 12:31:13 AM

Myth

8/7/2019 7:22:25 AM

down 17lbs, no diet, mostly stopped using the apps, mostly lost all time to go to the gym, just controlling portions. hopefully when some things get off my plate i can get back into form and lose another 15

8/7/2019 9:37:07 AM

how big a boy are ya were ya?

8/7/2019 10:52:43 AM

Quote :

"no diet just controlling portions"

Who's gonna tell him?

8/7/2019 10:53:48 AM

Quote :

"Is having a cheat day important to jump start metabolism or is that a myth??"

Myth. Though there is some value to doing a carb refeed if you are going low carb for an extended period of time or a two week diet break at maintenance if you’re in a long term caloric deficit. Basically anything you read about boosting or jump starting your metabolism is going to be bullshit. At the end of the day you just need to sustain a caloric deficit. Eating enough protein is important and weight training is useful for maintaining lean mass. Everything else is basically a way to change one side of the energy balance equation or it’s bullshit.

8/7/2019 1:28:02 PM

^thank you

Thanks to everyone who responded. Synapse, I don’t remember when I first heard that. Maybe my parent or some article in a magazine long time ago. I also read that metabolism decreases at 25 and I remember being really worried about that as a teenager

8/8/2019 12:24:09 PM

mostly bullshit as well. the difference in TDEE from 25 to 50 for my height and weight is about 130 kcal/day. folks just get less active as they get older and use that as an excuse. every overweight old guy at work blames his "metabolism" and tries to convince the younger guys that they're destined to get fat and to not even fight it.

8/9/2019 5:10:17 AM

^ it’s like how my dad complains that it’s so hard to lose weight at his age now (he is in great shape but always wants to look like his 20’s self) and when I ask him if he’s tracking what he’s eating the answer is always, “no but I know I probably should.” Drives me nuts, if you don’t know how much you eat and you’re confused as to why you can’t lose weight it’s because you don’t know how much you’re eating.

8/9/2019 9:15:51 AM