Weight Loss

Weight Loss Update

stargrace June 22, 2021 1Comment

How are things going? Since April 15th I’ve lost just over 30lbs. I’m below 220 for the first time in a few years. I haven’t noticed any change with my MS symptoms yet, but I’m sure my body is happy to have a little less weight to cart around. I’ve been doing a mixture of keto and just eating regular food with moderate portions because up here in the North it can be difficult to stick to a set ‘diet’. I’m staying away from processed food and sugars as much as I can, but also not restricting myself so much that I don’t have anything to eat. I picked up some spices and I’m using them on everything. I love chili and lime, as it turns out.

In another 19lbs I’ll have obtained my first goal, 50lbs down. I decided if I can manage that, I’ll pick up an apple watch as a reward for doing well, and start incorporating exercise into the equation. That’s another thing that’s harder to do up here, I can’t go for walks around town due to the packs of wild dogs, and if I step outside right now I’ll either melt (what is with the crazy warm temperature this year?!) or I’ll eat a LOT of bugs. I’ll figure something out, even if it’s just doing some VR beatsaber in the comfort of my home. I don’t feel proud of myself yet. I do see my clothes fitting better though, and that’s always nice.

Onward!

Weight Loss So Far

stargrace May 26, 2021 0Comment

I have almost lost 20lbs, and while it might seem pretty fast, I feel confident that I’m doing things correctly. I log my food properly, I figured out my macros, and I’m honest with myself and how much I’m eating. I know a lot of my loss is water weight, but I think by now some of it must be actual fat as well. Now I just need to stick with it. I’m determined to get below 200lbs by Christmas. I’ve tried to lose weight in the past and it just never stuck, I feel like this time is different, that I’ve finally hit rock bottom and it’s time.

So What Happened with Noom?

stargrace May 3, 2021 0Comment

You might recall that way back on April 15th I made a pledge to try ‘Noom’ which is a weight loss program. I was going to try their 2 week ‘free’ trial before making a decision as to whether or not this would be the program for me. I had never paid for a weight loss program before, but I wasn’t against the idea.

Well. That idea lasted maybe four days before I gave up. I found it did not pertain to me and my lifestyle, their coaches were automated bots that didn’t respond when I mentioned thoughts of suicide, and their philosophy wasn’t sustainable for me. They had little daily tasks for you to complete, surveys to read, and were a very hands off approach to things.

I did continue with my weight loss journey. I’ve lost 60lbs before just after having my son, and I know I can do it again despite being diagnosed with MS and living in the far North where a head of lettuce runs $20. Between April 15th and now (May 3rd) I’ve lost 9 pounds. What am I doing?

I’m doing a keto-type of diet (not long term, I’m doing this for a month or two), where I cut out almost all carbohydrates as much as I can (if I have a no carb alternative that’s what I go with) and I’ve reduced portion sizes by a huge amount. I’m eating eggs, cheese, meats, heavy cream, oil, nuts, and a few vegetables like cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. I’m not completely carb free because it’s an impossible task given where I live, but I’m feeling pretty confident about things. Note, this is NOT a sustainable way to live life, and I know that. What my issue was/is is portion sizes combined with a lot of unhealthy snacking. I’m looking to reduce those portion sizes (keto makes me feel very full) and get them under control before returning to a ‘regular’ healthier diet. I can’t add a lot of exercise in my routines yet due to my MS, some days I can’t stand because I have vertigo, some days I can’t walk, some days my hands don’t function properly. On days I don’t have those issues I have started doing resistance training with different weights of bands – exercises like squats. I also have resistance training for my fingers and arms to help build muscle because on a bad day my MS prevents me from doing simple things like carrying a cup of coffee across a room without dropping it. My muscles just don’t have the strength.

I have a lot of weight to lose, but I’m feeling confident. Cooking is an issue for me some days so it was convenient to grab whatever carb loaded item was in the house, but my husband has been cooking for us, so there’s less pressure on me. I find keto meals simple, and I’m not the sort of person who gets easily bored of things which tends to work out well. One of my favourite things is a veggie burger on lettuce with a sriracha mayo – I could probably eat that every single day, and it fills me up for a good while. At night I have 45g of salted nuts, and I have some keto supplies coming in a few days. There’s some dark chocolate (if you get the stuff that’s 85% it’s pretty keto friendly), some sriracha chickpeas, some sugar free coffee syrup, and even some sort of flour mix that you can use for pizza crust that’s apparently keto friendly which I picked up to try. I find that this is something that’s a lot easier for me to stick with, and that is honestly the most important thing. My goal is to be below 200lbs by Christmas. I’m confident I can do that. I’ll keep checking in now and again to post some updates for anyone interested, and if you’ve any questions just give me a nudge.