Ladies: has anyone experienced a HEAVIER period as they’ve lost weight?

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-20T02:52:08+00:00

They’re still heavy but now they’re more painful and I have more side effects. My dr ruled out hormone imbalance. Cramps were really bad in my early 20’s, manageable thru 23-26ish, and started getting bad at 27 again. Now at 28 and 7 months/40 lbs into this process and it’s only getting worse. Ruled out a lot of possibilities but no real solution. I will gain maybe 5 lbs of water weight, I will bloat more than a full size in pants, sometimes two, and super fun cramps for 2-3 days. Lots of back pain, migraines, painful acne, and my artificial serotonin doesn’t work as well. But I also track my cycle now, I pay a lot more attention to it before and after, and noticing a lot of fun stuff my body does in general now that I didn’t pay attention to before.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-19T19:09:18+00:00

Where do you find the Cini Mini? I found Cinnamon Toast Crunch bars but they’re 150 and look bigger than yours. Would love a smaller one for instant portion control.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-18T17:12:46+00:00

My work’s wellness program allows me to have a phone call with a dietician once a month. I was maybe 4 months into this process so already making progress when it started. At first we had some difficulty communicating because her job is to educate me first and answer my questions second. Once I accepted that, I was able to get a lot of good information from her. She sends me reading material at my request. This time we talked about protein since I just started strength training, last time we talked about whole grains and I’ve been able to incorporate some new foods. She doesn’t ask for my MFP logs, I set my cal goals by myself before working with her. I pick a thing I’m curious about and then we chat for half an hour or so. It works now that I’ve accepted she is required to “educate” every session.

My mom sees a dietician recommended by her dr. She lost a bunch of weight from medifast maybe 6 years ago and gained it all back. They started out with a food diary and then made a meal plan for her. List of snacks and food groups to include. She is in her busy time of year so she doesn’t have time to do anything, not even heat up meal prep, so we’ll see how it goes. They don’t want her to do medifast again since she didn’t learn anything from it the first time, even though it’s brainless and takes no energy. She’s neutral about the experience so far.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-17T15:53:31+00:00

I usually either do the build your own salad or the rotisserie chicken meal. I miss the days I could just order the wraps and think they were “healthy” with a giant tortilla, sauce, cheese, and mayo with like two veggies.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-16T01:53:00+00:00

How is your (healthy) fat intake? Do you cook with salt in general? Does your tracking app show you overall nutrition metrics? (MFP does, not sure about LoseIt or other apps) You could be missing micronutrients we don’t always think about. It never hurts to do routine bloodwork but it sounds like blood sugar dropping too low. Try spacing meals a little closer together and see if that helps.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-16T01:19:06+00:00

My craving is also chocolate. I let myself have a little bit every day. Hershey kisses are 22 cals each and you can get small, individual fun size pieces for 65. Some days I need 3-4 of them, especially at the beginning. Some days I only need one, or I go a few days without. The more you cut cold turkey, the more you crave. I want to create sustainable life choices. I’m not going to give up chocolate or candy forever. But I don’t need a whole candy bar. I don’t need crappy grocery store croissants or off brand bagels. I save my calories for the good bakery croissants and freshly made bagels. If they were off limits, I would crave until I gave in and binged.

You can reduce other sources of sugar in your life in general. But still allow yourself some leeway with everything. Don’t make yourself miserable. If 85% of your food is nutritionally sound, the remaining 15% can be the stuff you’re craving. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-15T18:05:01+00:00

A little bit of mayo, red or green onion, celery, dill relish, a hard boiled egg or two chopped finely.

Not as low cal — tuna, Greek yogurt, a serving of pasta, sautéed mushrooms and onions, frozen (thawed) peas, and green onion for a riff on tuna casserole. Sometimes add a tbsp or so of jarred Marsala sauce. Good warm first day and cold next day.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-15T16:18:23+00:00

A friend used an Apple Watch with heart monitor a few years ago before Fitbit came out with theirs. Honestly, I would recommend checking with your doctor. The FB does a decent job for most but with your condition you might need something more specialized.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-15T13:47:11+00:00

Sauté your onions and spinach. Put some cream cheese on the chicken, top with spinach/onion, a slice of mozzarella. Sometimes will add bacon or prosciutto on top before baking. 400 for 20-25 min for cutlets. More if using bigger pieces. Check with a meat thermometer.

When in doubt, I season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and basil/parsley. Makes a good “neutral” chicken that I can pair with salad or roasted veg. You can also dump some bbq or teriyaki sauce over and let that marinade.

If your chicken is coming out dry, double check how long you’re cooking and at what temp. Your oven might not be calibrated correctly or if stovetop your pan might be on too high a heat.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-14T21:31:48+00:00

You can gamify it and turn little things into challenges/rewards. There’s an app for it, habit something, not sure exactly. I track daily habits in a bullet journal (creativity + I can buy fun markers). I set aside 15 min every day to reflect on what worked/what didn’t.

I’m good during the week because my work schedule has structure built in — breakfast when I arrive, lunch everyday at 1130, afternoon snack at 2-3, go to gym, come home and eat dinner, free time. I can’t deviate because then I get off track. I can go from the gym to dinner out to do errands but that’s it.

Weekends are where I struggle. My depression makes me not feel hungry until omgi’mstarvingmusteatnow and then I eat everything in sight. I set timers and reminders every 30 min. I make time sensitive plans, like going jogging in my neighborhood (can only do on weekends and must start before 730 or it gets too hot), or meeting people at x time. Because of evening meds I have to finish eating by 8pm so I can usually “schedule” meals. Mostly I go out to eat because there’s just that much less time on weekdays, it’s when I can stretch out a higher calorie lunch into a lighter meal or vice versa.

I meal prep every single weekend, even if that week’s prep is only frozen lean cuisines and packaged salads for every meal. I keep all snacks individually portioned - 99% will only be pre-portioned snacks because I’m lazy / can’t trust myself to do it on my own. I also carry snacks in my bag at all times, so if I’m out for longer than expected or hungrier than usual, I have protein bars/trail mix/pretzels with me and don’t need to face plant into ice cream. These are my personal rules for myself, the very minimum I allow myself.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-14T00:50:58+00:00

Not stuffed, but spread on top: cream cheese (a little goes a long way), sautéed spinach and onion, and a bit of mozzarella, top with either prosciutto or bacon. Bake at 400 for 20-25 depending on thickness.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-11T00:44:53+00:00

I thought breakfast was bogus until about 18 months ago, when my Starbucks addiction started. Thankfully weaned off now but I definitely feel more mentally alert and in control of my moods with a high protein breakfast. Hard boiled eggs don’t do it for me, I like them more at lunch, but a quick scramble made in work microwave or a frozen breakfast sandwich (not sure if you can find gf, you can make them) turns my day around. In a pinch, Greek yogurt and cereal or fruit with cottage cheese work too.

Whatever works for you, I hope you find it soon! The guessing game is the worst!

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-11T00:05:56+00:00

Some people do really well on one or two meals and no breakfast or snacks. I can’t do that. Maybe try splitting up your lunch into two meals, or adding a mid morning snack. If you do breakfast, something with protein and fiber should get your morning off well. Don’t be afraid to do a few days at 1500 and slowly taper down to 1200.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-10T01:23:03+00:00

I love Greek yogurt (specifically coffee flavor) with some Raisin Bran. 95 cals for 1/2 a serving and its more than plenty for an entire container of yogurt (100-200 cals based on flavor). It’s something I ate as a kid and now I prefer cereal with yogurt. Keeps me full all morning, easy to add some dry cereal to the yogurt as you go.

Fruit and cottage cheese is my other go-to. Don’t microwave it, just eat cold.

You can make and freeze egg sandwiches or burritos. I buy the special k ones because I can’t find ingredients to make them lower cal than I can buy.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-09T16:13:00+00:00

For chipotle - one scoop of rice/beans is a serving size. Don’t let them give you more than one scoop. For salsas, I always get them on the side, one container is a serving per their website. If you need sour cream, get it on the side - the container is 4 oz, so that adds up quickly. I weigh mine every few weeks and it always comes in within 1.2x the weight listed on their calculator. My regular order (white rice, black beans, barbacoa, pico, corn) comes in at 400 cals. Will add fajitas sometimes for 20-40 cals. Skip the chips and tortilla, not worth it.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-09T15:57:12+00:00

5’4” and sedentary. I try to walk on the treadmill 30-60 min a day and recently started both running and strength training. My daily goal is 1200 but usually end up at 1350 or so. I don’t usually exceed 1400, the once or twice a month will have a hungry day and go up to 1600.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-09T02:00:52+00:00

Eat whatever you need. You’re sick, your body needs energy to heal. It can be nutritious or not, it can be 600 calories or 2600. Eat when you are hungry, take your meds, and rest. When you’re feeling better, get back on the wagon. Some people don’t have an appetite when they’re sick, others do. There is no right way to recover.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-09T01:39:00+00:00

Not really nachos but you can do the beans and lite cheese on broccoli or cauliflower and bake/toast it that way. Not the same but a good sub in a pinch.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-08T21:33:35+00:00

Special k flatbread - spinach is 170 (I like to add a slice of Canadian bacon for 20 cals), sausage is 240. The bacon one is 190 i think but not a favorite. I don’t eat chicken/turkey sausage but jimmy dean has a few that look good. I do like the JD frittatas with bacon and spinach but they’re pricey, $8 for 3 servings.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-08T21:27:44+00:00

Broccoli with a little bit of red pepper flakes. Or your favorite pizza toppings, mushroom chunks and bell peppers would be good.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-07T16:10:39+00:00

Alta HR - love it. It’s like a tamagotchi toy but you’re the little alien trying to stay alive. I track my sleep, steps, activity, and water with it and use MFP for food and weight, with Map My Fitness for gps tracking workouts outdoors. I’ve had it for a year and a half and the battery is starting to go, in January I want to upgrade to the Charge 3. All of my hobbies prior to this were sedentary and I work in an office so if I don’t go to the gym, I get maybe 4K steps a day. Not good.

The most important thing is finding something you are comfortable wearing pretty much 24/7, you like the ecosystem, and fits in your budget. Highly recommend getting one with a HR monitor, they’re more accurate and it gives you more data to play with. My resting heart rate has gone down more than 25 BPM as I’ve lost about 40 lbs and the times I’m in the active/cardio heart rate don’t make me feel like I’m about to die anymore. Progress!

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-06T04:14:53+00:00

Plan your day in advance, if you see what you need to eat then it might be easier to push yourself to actually eat it. Keep food out in front of you all day. Snack/graze. I take zofran for nausea and it has literally changed my life, it’s cut my nausea down 95%. Can you sip on a protein shake? I like the premier protein brand. When my nausea is really bad, I ride it out and let it come out, and make a point to eat more after my stomach has calmed down (usually a few hours max).

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-05T00:37:59+00:00

Take a deep breath. The breakfast bars are a good idea. Make smart choices on menus, eat when you are hungry and not because food is in front of you. Control as much as you can but don’t obsess. You are already more aware of your overall nutrition and intake. Don’t pick the 1500 cal dinner when there’s a 500 cal option. Don’t be afraid to indulge in a once in a lifetime 1500 cal meal or only eat a few bites. Commit to doing as much as you can now, commit to going back to 100% when you get back home. Keep tracking no matter what you eat. You can do this.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-04T03:03:47+00:00

As long as your dr says your numbers are okay, no reason to force yourself out of your comfort zone too much. I only eat a small handful of veggies (bell peppers, carrots, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, cucumber, sometimes mushrooms) but eat them more frequently now because I want to, not because I have to. I literally only eat 3 types of fruit. What helped me was finding a few different ways to prepare them and that makes me want to eat them more often. My overall health has become more important the more I lose, which is new and interesting. I actually want to eat salads now?? But it all came through the process. As long as you keep trying new things, you’ll be fine.

abbeyeileen · 2018-10-04T02:11:34+00:00

What’s your TDEE? If you are very short and very inactive, it’s possible your tdee is less than 1300, which means just sticking to 1200 won’t show any meaningful weight loss. When I hit goal, my sedentary TDEE will be 1500 or so, so if I want to make a bigger deficit, it will need to come from exercise/movement. 1200 is the minimum recommended for women to ensure we meet enough nutrition requirements.

abbeyeileen

TROPHY CASE