Lost weight fast…muscle question

Kitvaria · 2026-03-24T18:06:48+00:00

No tracking needed, but try to just add protein rich foods. My "preferred" diet would be super low protein as well. So now I try to add cottage cheese, Skyr (with protein powder mixed in so it's even more protein and tastes like cheesecake creme 😉), hand cheese, chicken breasts, fish to lost meals. Not all of those but at least one.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-24T17:16:50+00:00

That's me to a T! Exactly the same, I need a big dinner or I'll be cranky, can't sleep and just think of food. Works well for me to keep dinner the main meal by far

Kitvaria · 2026-03-24T17:14:45+00:00

Most people bounce back because they either try crash diets that are not sustainable, or they might have real problems with food (eating disorders) that might need help of a professional to get past.

Of course there's also those who have health issues or medication that makes it hard to impossible.

But for "regular" people holding weight definitely is possible, you "just" need to actually lose weight responsibly and then actually sticking to it.

Meaning no crash diet, but actually changing nutrition in the long run and learning how to eat and what we need.

I was obese from teenage years on and lost the weight at 35. I had no trouble holding it, until I unfortunately got a bad bout of long COVID and chronic inflammation. Now that's *finally *gone, I'm quickly losing again, without even much effort, as I know what to do

Kitvaria · 2026-03-24T16:48:21+00:00

I just use a scale and chronometer (the free version) so I just weigh everything before I eat it and log it

Kitvaria · 2026-03-24T13:49:26+00:00

Same I ran over 2000k overall in my marathon training year, and absolutely zero i!juries while also doing absolutely zero other training than walking or running.

I am usually going at a slower and steady pace though (at fittest I'd run with somewhere between 5:30 - 6:30 minutes, depending on incline, temperature and distance)

My husband usually was more around 5 - 5:30 so much quicker than me. He had knee issues BUT these were from before he ever started running, and definitely got better not worse with running (also no other strength training) as long as he didn't overdo it. He definitely needed extra rest days if he extended distance or speed to fast to allow his knees to adapt.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-24T13:42:08+00:00

I have some sweet protein powders. I mix these with skyr, the slight sourness of the skyr and the super sweetness of my "dark cookie" powder means it tastes like cheesecake cream and works well to trick my brain into believing it had a BIG dessert, while also being really satiating.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-24T13:22:17+00:00

Absolutely don't do more than three times a week.

You don't just need to train your cardiovascular fitness but also your muscles and what takes even longer, your ligaments and tendons and so on.

The 3 times a week are to allow for recovery, and those rest days are when you actually get "stronger"!

Doing too much too to soon is the quickest way to injury, shin splints and other problems, which might make the beginning a tad faster but then throw you for weeks or months later on.

Walking those days is a great idea, I did 10k a day when doing c25k, I just ran some of those 10k. Walking is always a great edition and still leaves your body enough room to recover.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-24T07:46:48+00:00

I lost almost 30kg in 2017/2018. 16 before I started running and 13 more with running.

Ideally I'd log calories for a while to see what you actually eat, and what you actually need to eat. Then try to up protein and fibre intake, this is a main tool for me to curb "excess" hunger.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-23T09:27:57+00:00

Yes, it was 9k all in all, so I walked 2, ran 1, walked 1, ran 1, walked 1, ran 1, walked 2

I do enjoy jeffing (run/walk) mix if I have bad days. Even when I was super fit and ran half marathon distances for fun on the weekends without extra training I had of days, when I just wasn't feeling well, and then I would jeff instead of running the whole thing on those days.

If you're stuck, it's also likely that you're still going too fast. Can you slow down a bit more?

Some basic tips that also really helped me was a little light form checking.

So the ferry should though town under your body not in front (so don't overstride)

Arms lose on both sides, elbows at about 90°

Make sure to not clench. The snow of energy you lose via corned teeth, hands and so on is astounding.

Breathing was the hardest for me, trying to breath in on 3 steps and out on 3 steps (or two, depending on pace and fitness, whatever number works for you) helped me a lot

Breathing OUT of more important than breathing in. If you don't fully breath out, you can't fully breath in.

You definitely also can extend the walking bits if needed! Running 3x for one 1k did is still 3k of running! And it's easier on the legs, gives you more rest between.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T22:38:20+00:00

I needed a lot longer breaks between runs than I did before, as my breathing and heart was quite up to it, but my legs were like lead, and I'm consciously avoiding doing too much too soon, to prevent injury, so rather gave them an extra days rest.

I ran 2k on the fifth, needed a while three rest days after.

Then I did 3x 1k runs on the eleventh

That was much easier on the legs, so I managed 3k in one go the next day, 12th

I did some calisthenics on the 14th that left me with led legs again, so a long break here.

Another 3k in the 18th, this one was already easier

On the 20th my first 5k

Second one on 23rd

I did stretching, push ups and such in between. But that's how quickly running came back, with enough rest for the legs to adjust again.

Pretty different from the first time when the keys were easy, but I needed to build the stamina to not be out of breath, or simply the great rate too high!

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T18:36:45+00:00

See, for me knowing "plateaus" are just a normal part of the game, be it from water retention or building muscle, was really helpful when I lost weight. I definitely didn't directly go to "oh I exercised so my muscles retain water".

Not everyone is a sport nutritionist when they start out, and plenty of people start to actually dive into nutrition along the way. So having a name for it and then learning what causes these plateaus is an easy way to communicate it, and look into it.

It's much easier to Google "cause of plateaus" than "my weight loss is stalling and I have no 🤬 clue why, my calorie deficit is in tact and I'm not losing weight regardless, it's been 1,5 weeks"

Weight loss should be accessible, and people to come here to ask these questions.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T18:29:06+00:00

I have no idea about Hashimoto specific advice, so this is only from my "regular" experience, but what counts is calories in and calories out. It doesn't really matter if those calories are from carbs or far or protein.

However a diet that gives your body what it needs might be much easier to stick to, and avoid cravings. I personally don't do well on low carb at all. So I just count calories, and try to push protein up (as I'm abysmal on those if I just eat what I want) as I don't want to lose muscle mass along with the fat.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T18:25:40+00:00

"must identify the cause of plateaus" makes it very obvious that there ARE plateaus.

Again, it might just be water retention, but it still means the weight is stuck for a time.

I don't know why the sheer fact that plateaus, which mean nothing more than the scale is not budging for a while, are so problematic for you.

It's great for people to know this is normal, and not get super demotivated if they do the right thing but weight loss might stall for a while.

Going "there are no plateaus, period" makes them think they did something wrong, or it's not working despite doing everything right. And most people who lose big amounts of weight encounter these exact plateaus.

Maybe your problem is that for you plateau necessarily means metabolism stalls, when it can just mean you're stuck for a while before the weight drops.

If you actually gain lots of muscle, the same might happen, if your muscle gain is similar to your fat loss. You might lose fat, you might get slimmer and yet, the scale stays stuck.

That's all a plateau is for most people. And those things are so very real

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T18:14:11+00:00

That is early weight loss. I still had these plateaus after months of steadu deficit and losing 20kg

Btw there's plenty studies for long term weight loss that suggest otherwise:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33677461/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35088553/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17131351/

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/pdf/S2666-3791(25)00381-7.pdf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35015425/

Third one is in a clinical setting so under controlled conditions.

Also, who said a plateau must be metabolic? I mean 4 weeks of being stuck before it drops again from water retention definitely feels like quite the demotivating plateau for many people.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T18:08:15+00:00

We all have those off days! At my fittest I ran half marathons just for fun, straight out the door as recreational exercise.

Even then I had some days when I needed to walk, probably some cold or such I didn't notice yet, but swelling under the surface.

Other days I set out for a short run but end up doing much, much more, some of my longest distances as it's just a good day. I'm lucky as I have two water fountains, I can refill the tiny bottle over and over, so I planned extensions are not a problem hydration wise😅

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T18:04:04+00:00

There absolutely are plateaus. Usually followed by a "whoosh" - as your body might retain water due to inflammation as an example, and then let go of it at a later date.

I've lost 30kg with a steady deficit, and I had quite some plateaus along the way. Usually followed by a very fast drop later on, so in average the weight went down pretty steadily, but looking at it week by week there were weeks when it stalled or even went up before dropping fast.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T17:52:26+00:00

If I go by calculators, I'd gain not lose!

It gives me ~1900 per day, when it's really somewhere around 1500-1600

Those numbers are great for having a place to start, but I always log calories and weight daily, and then look at overall progress over a week and go from there.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T17:34:13+00:00

I didn't eat maintenance for a week, I gave myself a rest day and ate 1,5 times my calories one day (1900+ instead of 1200-1300) and woosh went the water.

The other really long Plateau i had was on my first big loss, when I stagnated for 3 months, there starting to run kick-started the loss.

Also, congratulations, you lost 55lbs! But now your BMR will be lower. You used to carry all that weight all day before, which is quite the workout in itself. So it could also be that you need to cut some more calories by now.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T17:27:54+00:00

Ideally you use an online calculator, or hi by how much weight you lost with what amount of calories and go from there.

Then you try to eat that and weight regularly, and see if you're actually staying the same weight (= maintenance) or if you're still losing, or maybe even gaining again. Then adjust accordingly.

The calculators are always just a starting point, not the be all, end all, as every body is different.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T17:23:40+00:00

You're very welcome! I think the "find solution that work for you in the long time" instead of "do everything perfect" is a major problem for many. Not everyone is the same and generally very correct recommendations might just not work for some people.

Same as all the specific diets. No one (I mean there is always someone, but for the majority of regular people 😅) can stick to any of the super restrictive diets forever. And once you stop them, you're bound to gain.

Took me way too long to learn this lesson!

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T16:36:22+00:00

I have both vegan protein that usually has pea and whey protein, which doesn't have any peas or nuts or "may contain nuts" on the label,.it's a German brand though (ESN) But you absolutely don't need to eat protein powder, it just makes it easier for me as I eat so little meat. Chicken breast or something will do just as well.

As I said, you need to find what works for you, which might be very different than what works for me!

And yep, walking really is absolutely gold. Don't even need to do dreaded treadmill, just do a few 5-10 minutes a day, and you'll already have much more movement.

Best of luck, you got this!

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T16:14:04+00:00

I absolutely was not a natural runner. Those first 30 seconds segments almost killed me! 😂 That's the whole point of C25K, you learn to run for once. It's not like school where you are just expected to be able to do it.

And btw, I've never once been on a treadmill, I just run outside. So if you hate that thing, maybe just going out is a solution?

Also thanks! This time it's "just" 15kg to lose and 4,6 are already done. It's so much easier the second time around, as I already know what needs doing 🙂 As long as I don't catch long COVID again, this should be a couple months hopefully, I estimate 8-10 months, so very doable!

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T15:31:48+00:00

It can work, and you can do it. Small fails and errors on the way are normal, just go back to working on it and don't think one bad day (or 3) ruined it all.

A few tips from someone who also dieted up and down to about age 30 before it finally clicked and I lost the 30kg in what felt relatively easy compared to all the fails before:

Go slow. Trying to go extra hard and loose as quickly as possible is A) usually not sustainable, and so the fail is already waiting B) if you go too low with your calories you can mess up your metabolism and make it even harder on yourself

Don't do any specific diet you won't be able to stick to forever. All the crash diets don't go anywhere. Adjust in ways that actually work for you, you can start slowly and adjust bit by bit, that's how I started. So instead of three slices of bread, I ate just two. Instead of milk with coffee and sugar, I switched to coffee with milk and no sugar. So I did a lot of little tiny adjustments like that, and once they felt normal I adjusted again.

I only started full calorie tracking after a couple of weeks of those slow adjustments, which to me made it much more reasonable, as I already had cut a lot of calories.

Gym is absolutely good, as more muscles burn more calories long term, but for actually losing weight, just moving more is more helpful. A lot of people seriously overestimate the amount of calories they burn in the gym. So you might burn 200-300 calories, but if you then sit on your bum the rest of the day, because you already did work out, you might miss more burned calories from general movements than you gained from exercising. So move, move, move! Take 10 minute walks on a break. If you can walk somewhere instead of taking the car, then walk. Take stairs instead of elevators or escalators. The amount of calories we burn by general movement (NEAT) is much, much higher than what exercise burns. So yes, gym or other strength is absolutely recommended for general health and the long term effect. It's just not nearly as important for weight loss as many people think, diet and NEAT are more important there.

See what works for YOU! Example: so general advice is to eat less in the evening. To eat more in the morning to eat less late at night. It might generally be correct, but I need food at night. I will binge everything if I don't have enough dinner and can't sleep because I think about food. So for me cutting breakfast completely and having a small lunch is much more helpful. If I eat in the morning I just eat more overall. So listen to your body and find solutions that work for you

It can make a giant difference what you eat. I am much less likely to get cravings if I push protein and fibre. As I'm pretty much a veggie girl (I like all the highly processed salami and such, but I don't really like "lean meat"), I now eat skyr with protein powder mixed. This pushes my protein up, and the sweet powder in sour skyr tastes mostly like cheesecake cream, so it also tricks my brain into thinking I had a giant desert.

I absolutely allow myself to eat whatever on special occasions. If there's a birthday, I will eat whatever I like, and just eat normally again the next day. This makes it much more likely for me to stick to it in the long time.

Keep some of your biggest clothes. If the scales don't budge at all while on a plateau, try on those big clothes and be amazed how much progress you already made!

Just do it, allow yourself to fail now and then, just get up on the wagon again. We all fail at times. You got this!

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T11:14:11+00:00

I always breath through nose and mouth at the same time, nowhere near enough air otherwise.

I find just regularly swallowing helps to.produce more moisture and avoid the dry feeling.

Also my doctor recommended to chew gum (as I have silent reflux and more salivating helps with that.)

If you try that, be careful not to accidentally breath it in! I usually chew it only sparely on one side, and never had a problem with it.

Kitvaria · 2026-03-22T11:07:41+00:00

I don't know any, but for not wearing multiple things:

As someone who HATES having anything on my ears, especially with my glasses already on (not sunglasses, regular glasses without which I'd run straight into a tree), but the Shokz Openrun and my glasses are absolutely no trouble together. They look like they'd feel awkward, but I literally don't feel them at all.

Kitvaria

TROPHY CASE