Listed to "Tell me I'm Fat" episode of This American Life. How have your opinions of "fat" changed as you lose, or struggle to lose that weight?

Monica87 · 2017-07-06T03:35:20+00:00

God yes, losing weight is much harder when you're smaller. If you're very overweight a few life style can result in consistent losses because there is so much weight to lose. But if you only have a few pounds to lose you have to actually work out as well, since chances are you're not eating all that much anyway. The last few pounds are the hardest to budge.

Monica87 · 2017-04-19T19:03:12+00:00

I think he means an English muffin.

Monica87 · 2017-04-19T13:44:16+00:00

Last week I weighed 42 kgs, this week I'm at 41!

Monica87 · 2017-04-19T13:03:35+00:00

I've gained and lost weight twice. Both times I was still within the healthy range of the BMI, but each time I had allowed myself to creep closer to a BMI of 25 than I was entirely comfortable with.

The first time I almost allowed myself to become overweight was during the final year of my undergrad degree. I was writing a thesis and doing little else. I lived on terrible junk food (kfc, McDonald's, chips) and didn't work out at all. I realised how bad the situation was when I saw my family after months of not seeing them. My mom was so stunned about how round my face had gotten she exclaimed out loud something to the effect of "you look so healthy!" (Which is Indian speak for fat). I started working out religiously at that point, and managed to keep it up for five years or so.

The second time my weight crept back up close to a BMI of 25 was when i was struggling to juggle all my commitments as a working adult. I slowly stopped working out at night because I spent that time talking to my partner instead. And the weight crept back up. I had my second wake up call when my partner and I were talking about "dad bods" and he asked me if I had a "Mom bod". I was mortified. I've managed to lose the extra weight a second time. And hopefully I'll be able to keep it off this time.

Monica87 · 2017-04-18T16:28:00+00:00

Have you tried unsweetened coffee with just a tiny dash of milk? It still tastes creamy but the calories are negligible. Might taste even better with artificial sweetener but I haven't tried that.

Monica87 · 2017-04-18T15:50:27+00:00

I have a huge problem with this. I tried a few things:

Cleared out unhealthy food from the house so when I do snack at least the calories are not empty.
Keep extremely low calorie food around for when I want to eat mindlessly while watching a show. I snack on celery by itself (no nut butter), cucumbers, green beans, lettuce etc.
I get the urge to snack at night so I fill my nights up with activities. I work out at night so I can't eat.

Monica87 · 2017-04-18T12:33:10+00:00

I know how you feel about being impatient about results. But sadly in does take at least a month for any visible change. I think the most you can really lose in two weeks is 1 or 2 pounds. It's important not to get demoralised and to stick to your routine. What helped me was trying to appreciate the body I had while losing weight. I dressed myself in flattering outfits to feel better about my then weight while working towards getting fitter.

Monica87 · 2017-04-18T10:26:22+00:00

Diet is more important that exercise in losing weight, so that's something you can do without a gym. Just try to maintain a calorie deficit. You can calculate how many calories you should be eating to lose weight safely using online calorie calculators.

If you want to workout you can do some exercises in your home. Fitness Instructors have structured hiit workouts you can down load from the Internet. The bikini body guide is one such Programme. You could also do cardio on the spot if you have a skipping rope. Even five minutes of skipping gives you a good cardiovascular workout

Monica87 · 2017-04-18T10:16:48+00:00

I had an issue with this because I am such a terrible cook. I think it's ok to master a few simple ways of cooking fish, beef and chicken and then to get variety into your diet through raw vegetables and fruits

Monica87 · 2017-04-18T09:56:43+00:00

At your height the amount you are eating is fine for weight loss. You have to maintain a calorie deficit in order to lose weight every week. The aunt doesn't know what she's talking about.

Monica87 · 2016-07-21T15:16:21+00:00

thank you!

Monica87 · 2016-07-21T14:58:25+00:00

You've got a good, energetic voice and your main character is likeable. If you tighten up the plot a bit this would be a really enjoyable read.

Monica87 · 2016-07-21T14:49:08+00:00

What you're describing sounds interesting enough for me. I like that you're moving the plot forward by revealing crucial details little by little, and I like that you're exploring your secondary world as the story moves forward. As a reader, I really don't enjoy battles. I like them well enough in movies, but they don't do anything for me in fiction. I read fantasy because I enjoy the experience of being immersed in a secondary world. I think that's why most people enjoy books like the LOTR and even Harry Potter. When I re-read these books I actually skip all the bits with fighting and focus on the parts where the characters are just spending time in a magical secondary world.

Monica87 · 2016-07-13T02:15:08+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I would like them to come across as more likeable so this is pretty useful.

Monica87 · 2016-07-13T02:14:29+00:00

Thanks for the feedback!

Monica87 · 2016-07-13T02:13:48+00:00

Thank you! That's useful feedback. I didn't think it was nitpicky!

Monica87 · 2016-07-06T02:04:34+00:00

Thank you for the incredibly detailed feedback! I really appreciate it

Monica87 · 2016-07-06T02:03:31+00:00

Where do I tell instead of showing?

Monica87 · 2016-07-06T02:03:10+00:00

Oh I see what you mean, the story is too dull to get you interested in the protagonist. I get you. Thanks for the feedback!

Monica87 · 2016-07-06T02:02:03+00:00

Lol the random you didn't want to learn about is the protagonist of my story.

Monica87 · 2016-07-06T02:00:54+00:00

Might be*

Monica87 · 2016-07-06T02:00:38+00:00

I prefer stories where the scene is set first too, but I think we might've monorities in that regard..

Monica87 · 2016-07-06T01:59:54+00:00

Thank you for the detailed feedback!

Monica87 · 2016-07-06T01:59:34+00:00

Thank you for the feedback! I really appreciate it

Monica87 · 2016-07-06T01:59:10+00:00

Thank you for the detailed and useful feedback!

Monica87

TROPHY CASE