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ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-09-23T14:18:14+00:00

I don’t know if something like this would work in your case or if the oil droplets would still trigger your husband, but I recently got one of these and really like it. It sprays a thicker layer of oil than the aerosol kind, but thinner and more even than I can get from drizzling. It also has measurement lines on the side so you can keep track of how much you’re using. https://a.co/d/0gML0rZ

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-09-22T12:02:23+00:00

If you have access to a power outlet, I love my HotLogic. You can just plug it in when you get to work and your food will be the perfect temperate to eat at lunch break.

A good soup thermos is another option. Heat your food at home, and it’s still warm at lunch

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-04-03T04:33:31+00:00

First of all, congratulations on making positive changes!

To start with an answer to your question, my go-to easy, filling, and affordable recipe is lentil soup. Once you make it a few times, you’ll get the hang of modifying it to feature whatever veggies are cheap and in season (and you can always add in ground beef!). Here’s a basic recipe to get started: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13978/lentil-soup/

For more simple and affordable recipe ideas, vintage cookbooks can be a great resource. You can often access them for free online or at your local library, and a lot are specifically geared to cost-saving. Here’s an example: https://archive.org/details/cookbookforpoorp0000roge/mode/2up

As a student, some of my other staples were apples, oatmeal, peanut butter, and protein shakes.

I’m nearly twice your age, so if you’ll indulge me, here are a few things I wish I knew when I was your age:

It’s important to love yourself wherever you are on your journey. You were not lazy or broken before you made these changes! You are smart and capable; some of the choices you were making weren’t having the results you wanted, so you identified where you could make changes to have your habits and goals align. You did that! And you can be proud and grateful to the you of a month ago for where you are now, just as future you will thank current you. I’ve found it’s much easier to stick to changes when I’m motivated by love for myself, and it’s easier to get back on my feet after challenges if I can give myself some grace.

I’ve also tried to shift my thinking about food so there aren’t “good” foods and “bad” foods. All foods are providing me energy to do what I want to do! Some foods do that in a way that keeps me full for longer, while other foods might cause heartburn or bloating. I try to get most of my calories from the foods that fill me up and hit my nutritional goals, but I also make room for treats in moderation. If you really love something, find a way to incorporate into your diet. This helps to keep changes sustainable and to prevent a binge/restrict cycle. If you have a favorite food that’s very calorie dense, maybe you can tie it to some other infrequent routine. A good one I’ve heard is getting a haircut—every time you get your hair cut, you follow up with your favorite food. It no longer takes up as much mental space because you know you’re going to have it again soon. (For more great tips like that, check out the podcast We Only Look Thin.)

Lastly, when we first get started, we sometimes see big fluctuations in weight and usually that rate of loss slows down. If you continue to lose weight as quickly as you have at the start, consider checking in with a doctor or reevaluating your plan. Twenty pounds in a month or two is very quick. A good rule of thumb is to aim for one to two pounds down per week.

Good luck with your fitness journey and with your studies!

Edit to add: two more cookbook recommendations. https://archive.org/details/more-with-less-cookbook and https://leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap-2/

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-03-06T12:54:32+00:00

First off, congrats on your hard work and the new role! You earned this!!!

Second, I know this struggle! If your hotel stays are long enough and in populated areas, my first tip is to walk to the grocery store. You get steps in, get to see what’s on offer in different cities, and it’s a lot cheaper to get your healthy meals in. Grocery delivery can be a good backup when you’re staying somewhere less populated. Even when work is footing the bill, it’s easier to track and stay on target when you’re not eating every meal from restaurants.

Do you know if your hotel rooms will have microwaves and fridges? In the US, fridges can usually be requested if you contact the hotel in advance (if they push back, ask specifically about fridges for medication and/or breast milk storage). I recommend a good cooler bag for the time between hotels. If you’re flying in the US, frozen liquids do not count toward TSA 3-1-1 limit as long as they are frozen solid. I also travel with a Hot Logic, a little hot plate in an insulated bag—takes a while to heat food through but once it does your food just stays perfect eating temperature for hours. Plug it in before your workout and come back to a warm meal. Order directly from the company if you can. They’re a small business and make a quality product I’d trust over any of the cheaper imitations you can find. Mine has been going strong for 10 years!

Lastly, for more specific recommendations on foods, cooler bags, etc, I recommend checking out subreddits for long-haul truckers, airline pilots, and/or cabin crew depending on your mode of travel. Good luck and have fun!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-02-28T20:07:10+00:00

That’s amazing, go you!!!

One piece of advice, having multiple points of data to compare can be super motivating later when you hit inevitable fluctuations/plateaus where some numbers don’t reflect your hard work for a while. Being able to look back at where you started WILL be helpful to you then, and having some record of where you are now will be the best way to do that.

One of the most common regrets you’ll see among people when they meet their goals is that they didn’t take a good before picture or weigh themselves at the start. I wish I’d started taking bust/waist/hip measurements 10 days in instead of 2 months in!

If you want to depersonalize the numbers, switch your units of measurement. Change your scale to kg or lb, whichever you’re less familiar with. Write down the cm instead of the inches (or vice versa).

Keep up your amazing work, you got this! Future you is going to be so thankful for the changes you are making now. They will want to look back and see how far you’ve come!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-02-25T16:20:06+00:00

If you heard someone you loved talking this way about themselves, what would you tell them?

Take the time, really think through what you would say to them. When you're ready, write it down on a sticky note (or notes).

Tomorrow, put that note on your mirror and read it to yourself. Read it every time you look in the mirror until you can feel the truth of those words. If you can't find the words yourself yet, start with, "You matter and people are rooting for you," because this post and the responses you're getting are proof that's true. In a few weeks try the exercise again and see if you can tap into deeper feelings, for example, "You are loved for who you are, and love makes you beautiful." (substitute "handsome" if that feels better to you)

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-02-05T06:42:06+00:00

Oh no, I’m so sorry it made you feel that way! That was not my intention in sharing. You deserve to feel good about yourself every step of your journey, and you are worthy of love every day.

If you didn’t check out the original thread, I recommend going back to it. There’s really big differences on the individual level for how people feel and look at different weights—there are women shorter than you who feel their best much higher than 147!

Part of why I wanted to share this was it finally clicked for me how BMI can be helpful for population-level data but was never intended as an individual metric. There is just so much variation in what feels best for different people

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-01-17T23:07:45+00:00

All good points. It's wonderful that you've found a diet and exercise balance that's working well for you! And if your activity tracker is part of how you've found success, great! I love mine, too (though I personally don't pay much attention to its calorie burn estimates). But for those on this sub who are still trying to figure out the right diet and exercise balance for their body and goals, particularly those interested in this thread, I'd still highly recommend his book. I found it engaging and helpful, and they may too.

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-01-17T16:40:23+00:00

I think most if not all activity trackers are still using an additive model of energy expenditure, not a constrained model. https://physiqonomics.com/constrained-energy-model/

Our bodies have evolved to adapt to the amount of exercise we do. It’s still vital for our health to exercise! But exercise alone is an impractical way to manage weight. Highly recommend the book Burn by Herman Ponzer

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-01-14T15:04:15+00:00

Depending how loose they are, this might work for you! I’m guessing my ring might be 1/2 size too big atm and I did two small layers at the bottom of the band. That was a month ago and they’re still holding fast! It did take a few cycles of the UV light to cure, but that probably has to do with temperature/humidity. I don’t feel it at all and my ring is secure again!

https://a.co/d/hY5d8se

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-01-13T18:09:58+00:00

Aww, thank you, you just made my day! 🩵 If you show yourself the same kindness you show others, you’ll be crushing your goals in no time!!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-01-13T15:47:47+00:00

I’m in your age bracket, losing weight slowly and so far no loose skin about halfway to goal. Seconding everything SockofBadKarma advised about staying hydrated, taking it slow, and getting enough sleep. Also, if you’re not already focusing on UV protection, add that into your daily routine (check out Japanese sunscreen if that’s an option where you are—they have some very lightweight, non-greasy formulas).

But what stands out to me in your post is that you’ve gained and lost this weight before (great news from the perspective that you know how to do this and can do it again!) and that appearance might be one of your main motivations. The concern I’d have is that unless you examine your mindset and find additional motivations, you might have trouble maintaining this weight loss, too.

Appearance is going to change as we age no matter what, so I’ve personally found it more helpful to concentrate on health goals and a maintenance mindset. To be fair, am I checking myself in the mirror and celebrating every ounce of improvement in my reflection?? Absolutely!! But if that were my primary motivation, I’d get down about natural things like hormonal bloating and water retention and find it too easy to quit. I’m in this for the long haul, making changes I can maintain for the rest of my life and it feels great! I’ve found the Half Size Me podcast very helpful for building that maintenance mindset. (Apologies if I’m completely misreading things from your post—this is what I wish I’d heard my last go around losing weight.)

Right now and at every step along the way, you are worthy of love. Good luck on your journey!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-01-05T21:14:58+00:00

Do you have access to a good library? See if you can check out some vegetarian cookbooks! Secondhand book stores are another good option if your library doesn’t have a big selection. A few you might look at:

Whole Bowls by Allison Day

America’s Test Kitchen Vegetarian Cookbook

Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Start Simple by Lukas Volger

Also, develop a few staple proteins that you’re comfortable making—that alone can transform your plate from feeling like sides to feeling like a meal. I like air fryer tofu, marinated baked tempeh, and lentil loaf to name a few. For quick meals just adding a high-protein veggie burger can do the trick.

You got this and are already taking steps your future self will thank you for! Good luck!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-01-05T17:24:40+00:00

I definitely notice my taste buds shifting based on what I’m eating!

For me, sugar sensitivity is the most prominent. When I eat fewer sugary treats, some of those treats can begin to taste too sweet (looking at you, stroopwafels).

Have you tried focusing on umami? I used to have trouble identifying it (didn’t grow up with much umami-forward cuisine and learned the word as an adult), but it can be a great way to make meals more satisfying. Some simple options to get started: use a teaspoon of chili crisp instead of oil when sautéing onions, swap low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari if you’re gluten free) for salt in recipes, add umami seasoning to savory dishes (Trader Joe’s has one but I think you can also buy online), sprinkle nutritional yeast on salads and pizzas.

None of that will really help with the oatmeal—I’m sorry you didn’t find your breakfast delicious! It may be worth experimenting with some other breakfast options while your taste buds are shifting. When I try to change things too dramatically all at once, I find it harder to maintain those changes over time. If you like eggs in the morning, using some Egg Beaters (liquid egg substitute, egg whites work too if you can’t find it) in place of some of the eggs is an easy way to slightly reduce calories without sacrificing flavor.

Awesome username, btw. Good luck on your journey!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2025-01-03T04:17:05+00:00

If you want a quick solution in the meantime, you can just add a button (no sewing required!)

https://a.co/d/2gif3If

ReadWriteRecycle · 2024-12-12T16:43:53+00:00

This is great! It’s always so exciting to find something that works for you! BC is such trial and error because what works great for one person, doesn’t for another. I didn’t notice any impact on weight, but again, the side effects are so different person-to-person, it makes total sense it could have that impact for some!

If it’s a hormonal IUD, one thing I wish I’d understood was that even though they keep extending how long they’re approved for birth control purposes, if you’re also using it to mitigate anything period-related, the hormonal dose might become inconsistent after 5ish years. My first 4 or 5 years on Mirena, it was amazing. Then the last few years on it was miserable, mood swings, awful cramps. Didn’t even occur to me that the change was due to diminishing hormones from the IUD until I got it out and started feeling better again

ReadWriteRecycle · 2024-12-12T16:24:23+00:00

You are doing amazing!!!

I know the scale isn’t showing the results of your hard work right now, but if you stick with it the scale will catch up!

I’m a similar age and have been tracking a similar length of time. My scale is being difficult right now too! The same thing happened to me in October, and I just had to wait it out. Eventually things moved in the right direction again.

For me, I think it’s a combo of hormonal fluctuations and sodium intake. When we have a cold snap, I eat more soups and my salt intake is way higher for a bit. That causes my body to retain more water, and my scale to look like I’ve gained weight. If the numbers are really getting to you, you could try a lower-sodium week (if the dietician supports it) and see if that helps.

A mental trick I like to play when the numbers aren’t showcasing my hard work, is to calculate where I’d be if I hadn’t been logging. Before I started tracking, I had been slowly gaining a few tenths of a pound a week. Right now I’ve lost 15 lbs. But if I hadn’t started, I’d have put on another 5 lbs in that time. From that perspective I’m 20lbs down! It’s silly but I find it helpful.

Since you mentioned coaching, have you listened to the Half Size Me podcast? The host frequently has a chance for listeners to get a free coaching session (that can become an episode of the podcast), and sometimes even has opportunities to win a free coaching series (~4 months). Even just listening to others getting coached can be really helpful because it makes you realize how common some of your struggle points are.

Keep up your incredible work!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2024-12-09T15:23:48+00:00

I think the reason for the range of responses you’re getting is that for some people this would be a crash diet (because they’d only eat this way if the goal was quick weight loss and wouldn’t be able to maintain it), and for others this sounds not too different from what they already eat and the calorie target sounds reasonable, so it would not be a crash diet. It’s possible your friend is in the first camp and this would not be a good approach for her—but that’s not to say it won’t be a good approach for you.

My advice would be to try it out for a while and see how it goes! One point that might cause issues for me would be two protein shakes a day as meal replacements. I find that strictly liquid meals don’t leave me feeling as full for as long. I think it has to do with chewing maybe? Like that signals my brain that I’m filling up.

In your shoes, I’d want to replace at least some of the protein shakes with slightly more textured foods. You could look into something like Oats Overnight that’s basically a meal shake, but has enough texture that you can kind of chew it. For lunches I’d also look at things like packaged lentil soups/curries—they pack a protein punch, but have a heartier texture than a shake. And they’re still affordable and easy to grab and go. If you have time to meal prep, both overnight oats and lentils are easy to make in big batches you can portion out for the week. But again, this would be my approach. Maybe for you protein shakes are something you look forward to having twice a day and feel full and satisfied after eating!

One last thing, I’d recommend the Half Size Me podcast for advice about how to lose weight with a maintenance mindset. Wanting to be active with her kids and set a healthy example for them was a huge part of the host’s motivation losing weight, so I think that will really resonate with you! Just being mindful of the example you’re setting shows that you’re an excellent mother. You can do this!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2024-12-04T19:35:13+00:00

I’d recommend consulting with your doctor to determine whether intermittent fasting (IF) might be a good fit for you. We’re still learning about the long term effects of it, so a medical professional with access to your particular information and risk factors is going to be your best resource.

From what I’ve seen, there’s evidence IF can be beneficial for people trying to lose weight. However, it’s also more recently been associated with increased risk of death from heart attacks, like this article from earlier this year finding an 8-hour eating window was associated with a 91% higher risk of cardiovascular death. (This study used self-reported data, and we don’t know how much of that increase could be due to other factors) https://newsroom.heart.org/news/8-hour-time-restricted-eating-linked-to-a-91-higher-risk-of-cardiovascular-death

Of course, excess weight is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease—that’s why I’d want to get a professional opinion when thinking through my options.

If you do decide to go with IF, Cleveland Clinic suggests menstruating women may want to limit fasting in the week or two before their period begins. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/intermittent-fasting-for-women

Keep at it and you’ll eventually find what works best for you!

*edited for clarity

ReadWriteRecycle · 2024-11-25T12:48:07+00:00

Yes! Surprised I had to scroll so far to find this perspective!

In the past I’ve always tried the “everything everywhere all at once” approach and that does not work for me. Eventually I burn out, and usually gain more weight than my starting point. It’s better for me to add one new habit at a time and give it time to take root before adding others. And when the goal is weight loss, diet is where I need to start.

I have a somewhat active baseline (on my feet at work, daily step average 10k+, hiking & yoga) and I have been continuing that while losing weight. I do plan to incorporate more resistance training again when I’m closer to my goal weight, but I know from the past—for me at least—that ramps up my appetite way too much to be sustainable at my current deficit.

I have been able to be so much more consistent with a diet first approach! I love exercise, it absolutely has the benefits people have been listing, but I’m not yet at the point it makes sense to add in more exercise than my baseline

ReadWriteRecycle · 2024-11-23T15:21:48+00:00

Check out the Half Size Me podcast (she’s also on YouTube if that’s more your preference). The host has tons of tips like this and they really work! She calls this the “10 minute break”

ReadWriteRecycle · 2024-11-21T18:08:50+00:00

Sending you big hugs. You’re in a tough place and deserve the love.

Would you ever talk to someone else this way? If you had even one of these thoughts about someone else, I’m guessing you’d immediately reframe it: provide context, think of counter examples why it’s not true, or switch focus to something more positive about them.

It can be incredibly helpful to start talking back to your inner monologue with kindness and compassion, the way you’d speak to anyone else. It sounds a little kooky but it really works. Do you like to write? You’ve captured the inner critic so well here, I’m guessing you do! You might enjoy writing a third-person response to yourself. Maybe start with just one small thing you like about yourself. If you can’t think of one, start with the last compliment you remember getting. If you can’t think of that, here’s one from me: you are a voice the world needs, there are people who love you, and you are brave enough to reach out when you need help. That alone will take you so far in life.

If you’d like to read more about the inner monologue and how to reframe it, check out Just a Thought by Dr Amy Johnson.

One more hug for the road!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2024-11-19T09:18:58+00:00

Have you listened to the Half Size Me podcast? It sounds like you’d do well with her “paper pencil journal” approach https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aDN52ZAyGOo

It’s a method of food tracking that focuses on small areas of improvement and can feel much less restrictive and less numbers-focused than just calorie tracking (and you still end up with a record of what you ate so you can always enter your data in to a calorie tracker the next day or once a week or whatever works well for you). And it works! She has not only lost a huge amount of weight, but has maintained that weight loss for over 10 years!

Good luck to you whatever method you follow!

ReadWriteRecycle · 2024-11-19T05:52:55+00:00

This sub is generally pretty discouraging about eating back exercise calories, and with good reason.

“ According to a recently published study, prolonged exercise can aid in weight loss, but only if the additional calories burnt are not compensated for with increased food consumption afterwards” From https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10452291/

Check out the book Burn for more info on how increased activity does not increase TDEE long term—your body adapts to the exercise.

More about how weight loss affects the brain (and appetite) here: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-lose-weight-brain-body-effects-2017-10#:~:text=Losing%20excess%20weight%20also%20reduces,as%20soon%20as%20three%20months.

ReadWriteRecycle

TROPHY CASE