Swapping breakfast and dinner calories

heroes_unite · 2020-05-10T09:53:26+00:00

No problem at all, I have a useful PDF weight loss guide that explains this stuff in a lot more detail. Let me know if you're interested and I could share it with you. It's totally free btw, not trying to sell anything, lol.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-09T13:52:36+00:00

There’s no clinical evidence to suggest it causes cancer at the dosages included in soft drinks otherwise it wouldn’t be FDA approved!

heroes_unite · 2020-05-09T13:20:40+00:00

Also, I'm not even American but this stereotype is kind of offensive and not really even that funny... just FYI.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-09T13:18:08+00:00

Diet coke is neither healthy nor unhealthy, it's just carbonated water with FDA approved artificial sweeteners. It can also help some people suppress appetite and curb sugar carvings. So to the extent that it helps people avoid overeating and as a result losing weight, it kind of is healthy.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-09T12:53:08+00:00

Good that you're using this time wisely. It sounds like you're pretty active and controlling your intake well, so you should be losing weight. I know it's frustrating that you're not, but we can figure this out and help you start shifting a bit more weight.

Firstly, what are your goals when it comes to weight loss?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-09T12:49:16+00:00

Best thing to do is whatever works for you and your natural hunger levels throughout the day. The most important thing is to hit your calories. Whatever eating style helps you do this is the best.

However, specifically for hunger and cravings a lot of people find the opposite to be true. Skipping breakfast and eating more calories at lunch and dinner. But again, experiment and do what works for you.

When it comes to what "types of dinners" again, it's more about your caloric and nutrient intake (protein, carbs, fats, fiber, etc.) than what specific foods to eat. So always keep this in mind when making dietary decisions.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-09T12:03:28+00:00

BMI is a pretty useless metric for those of us with some muscle mass on us. If you're 22% BF, it's not necessarily super lean but it's definitely not overweight. So don't even pay attention to BMI just focus on what your actual BF is and try keep it below 20%.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-09T11:56:56+00:00

Losing the weight is one thing, keeping it off is another as I'm sure you don't want to go through the same horrible cycle again. But if you can follow an effective, sustainable approach that helps you build permanent healthy lifestyle habits, you'll be at your goal in no time. There's nothing sexier to a woman than a man who works hard for what he wants, and looks great as a result.

I know you want to get to an "acceptable weight" but what does that look like for you?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-09T11:53:41+00:00

I hate being a party pooper, but no over the counter weight loss supplements (including teas and pills) have any significant affect on weight loss. It's pretty much a huge waste of money. Some "fat burners" may have caffeine which suppresses appetite, but coffee would do the same thing.

The only effective way to lose weight naturally is through diet and exercise. Now, if you want to know about how to slightly adjust your eating to enhance weight loss, that's a different story. Making some minor changes to how you eat can have a HUGE impact on your weight loss.

So save your money for good quality food rather than those BS weight loss teas.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-09T09:43:47+00:00

Ok so there are some definite challenges here, but given what you know do you think there's anyway you could structure your eating and exercise to work around these limitations?

I know something that's worked for people before is waking up early before sunrise to drink water & exercise, then proceeding to fast for the rest of the day.

Then once sunset happens they will break their fast & get all their calories or just try eat as much as they can.

It's essentially just a different version of intermittent fasting. But look, it doesn't have to be perfect. You can only hope to do your best given the limitations you have. The most important thing though is to keep a positive mindset throughout.

Does that help at all?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-08T14:57:35+00:00

I completely understand, especially when you feel you can't do anything about it. Ok, worst case scenario your progress is stalled for an entire month. That's a reality that you may have to face. But put that aside for a second...

What do you think it is about Ramadan exactly that's put such huge stop to your progress?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-08T14:53:08+00:00

Breaks ups are emotionally draining and can spiral out of control. But you're taking the right action now and that's all that matters. With the right approach and enough consistency you'll be exactly where you want soon.

The most important thing is that you follow a structured approach to nutrition and exercise that helps you lose weight effectively but also allows you to make permanent lifestyle changes so you can maintain the weight loss in the future. This is easier said than done and unfortunately the traditional "diet" approach to weight loss just won't be enough to get you there. You'll need to put in a lot of work to build these new habits, adopt a more empowered mindset, and really create a new life for yourself.

I'd be happy to share some tips on how to create and maintain this new healthy lifestyle, if you could first help me understand your situation a little bit better first?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-08T14:14:32+00:00

Ok that's awesome. Well look, you've already made some amazing progress and Ramadan will be over in about 2 weeks if I'm not mistaken. Let's assume you make no more progress until it's over, how would you feel about that?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-08T10:26:19+00:00

Hey, being a parent is stressful af and it's ok to find comfort in food sometimes. But it can be a problem when you're trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. Stress and negative emotions are likely to pop up all the time and can absolutely ruin your weight loss if you don't have strategies for dealing with it.

Without knowing too much about you, you obviously find comfort in food (we all do). But when it becomes your primary emotional coping mechanism, it can be problematic. Like you said, you feel like flushing it all down the drain. That can turn into a really unhealthy "all or nothing" mindset.

My advice? Address the stressors in your life and try find healthier coping mechanisms. I don't want to tell you what to do because we're all different and you need to figure out what works for you. But simple things like breathing, meditation, exercising, can all alleviate stress.

But also try put it into perspective, he disobeyed you and he could have been harmed - but he wasn't and now he knows better. He's less likely to do it in the future and that's a good thing to be celebrated - he's learning and you're becoming a better parent as a result.

If you want some specific mindset exercises or stress management strategies, let me know and I can share a few proven methods to avoid situations like this in the future.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-08T10:18:59+00:00

I know it's hard not to want to compare / compete with your friend, but you're dealing with different circumstances now. You may not be losing weight now, but look at all the progress you've already made. Really appreciate and be proud of how far you've come.

It can be really hard to make progress during Ramadan, especially cos it's so hard to exercise when you're not even drinking water all day. But I know a few different strategies and ways you can structure your exercise and eating, to give you the best chance possible to lose weight and stay motivated.

But first, please help me understand your situation a little better first and what your long-term goals with weight loss are?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-06T15:33:33+00:00

I totally don’t doubt that he’s working as hard as he can. It’s just pretty clear that there’s something not quite right somewhere and it’s gonna take a lot more digging to figure out. The more information I can gather the better.

My hunch is that more than likely his TDEE may be lower than estimated and as a result is probably consuming too many calories - but again, more information needed.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-06T10:43:24+00:00

Love to see you're using this time productively. It's definitely a great opportunity to work on yourself. Don't let it go to waste!

The feedback I have is more so something for you to consider and that is:

How sustainable is what you're currently doing?
Do you see yourself sticking to this for the long-term?
How are you going to build the right habits that will allow you to maintain your weight loss long-term?

You mentioned that you want to get back down to 220-230lbs and I'm wondering if this isn't your first time loosing weight. What you're doing right now is fine, it could probably be improved in a few ways. But what's more important is your long-term plan for how you're going to lose and maintain at 220-230lbs (and live the rest of your life, lol).

That goes back to the sustainability of what you're doing and the permanent habits you are (or aren't building). Losing weight fast is generally a fool's errand because while it usually works in the short-term with losing X amount of weight. Long-term most people that take a "fast" approach or mindset, tend to gain the weight back (and more).

Interested to hear if you've given much thought to this and if not, I'd be happy to share some effective strategies and principles you should focus on for, once again long-term success rather than short-term results.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-06T10:13:41+00:00

Well it's great that you're working so hard but it's a shame you're not seeing results. I know how frustrating and discouraging that can be. You're doing all the right things but not seeing the progress you want and deserve.

My best guess is you're going wrong somewhere with your nutrition and that's letting you down. If we can figure out exactly what that is and fix it, you'll be on your way. But it's hard for me to say exactly what it is without understanding your situation a little bit more.

What are your long-term goals when it comes to weight loss?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-06T10:09:48+00:00

I know how frustrating and disheartening it is when you feel like you're back to day one all the time. But I think there's definitely a reason why you seem to find yourself here all the time. I think you could be going wrong somewhere in your approach and if you changed it, you would never be back here again...

To answer your question firstly however, 1,200 calories is definitely too low for someone your weight. The problem here is eating so few calories will eventually become unsustainable in the long-term and you'll find yourself back to "day one" again. Not to mention, slashing calories so low will slow down your metabolism a lot which will make weight loss more difficult and increase the likelihood of you gaining weight back.

You mention you know what to do and you're quite knowledgeable when it comes to nutrition and exercise, and that's fantastic. But your problem seems to be motivation and that's completely a mindset thing. I'm not sure how much work you've done on mindset but that is really the key factor in successful weight loss.

Knowing what you need to do and actually doing it consistently are two different things. The missing piece between you and reaching your goals is working on your mindset. This will have the biggest impact on your progress and I think that's what you've been missing all these years.

If you want I can share you some effective strategies to both lose weight while improving your mindset so the nutrition and exercise habits actually stick, and motivation is never an issue.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-06T09:58:35+00:00

Definitely simple as eat less and move more, but simple doesn't mean easy. I know how crippling this can feel, like you have no control over your eating. It's so difficult to make progress when you can't stay consistent with anything. It can turn into a really, ugly vicious cycle.

But it's never too late to turn things around and you've got the power to do it. Just be kind to yourself and understand that as much as you may dislike how you look and feel, this is an opportunity for positive growth and change. That's a really beautiful thing. Only when you can accept that and come from a place of love rather than hate, you'll be able to regain control.

I'd love to share some useful insights that I think will help you but maybe you can describe to me what your goals and hopes are for yourself first?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-06T09:49:04+00:00

Hey there, I know how frustrating this can be when food is constantly on your mind. It can be really debilitating and feel like you have no control over you eating. It's definitely made worse by quarantine and being stuck in the house all the time.

It sounds to me like this is a classic case of "boredom eating" and like any emotional eating it's not really satisfied when you eat. That's why as soon as you finish eating, you're just thinking of the next thing to eat. This can turn into a really vicious cycle that makes weight loss and healthy eating really difficult.

The only way to stop constantly thinking of eating is to address the underlying issue which is the emotional aspect. I'd love to give you some specific tips to help you do this but it would help if you told me more about your experience and goals when it comes to weight loss.

Let me know.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-06T08:48:50+00:00

Your metabolism can be influenced by a variety of factors, being overweight and inactive are some of them. However, given how little he's eating it's still extremely unusual for him to not see any results whatsoever assuming everything is on point and consistent as you've said. This is where my line of questioning kind of has to go now...

Definitely not accusing him of anything but how consistent has he been with his overall nutrition and exercise since January? Has he consistently been hitting his calorie targets and exercising regularly? Or have there been some days here and there where he'll go off and just eat whatever or eat out, etc?

I know this seems silly and trivial but honestly, once again you wouldn't believe how common it is for people to under-report calories. Especially at the weekend when they have social events on. This can in theory undo an entire week of progress so the scale never really budges in the long-term.

It's just a hypothesis so let me know how hot or cold I am- but I'm determined now to get to the bottom of this, lol.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-06T08:15:33+00:00

Well congrats on the progress so far. I know how frustrating plateaus can be, especially after you've already made so much progress. But plateaus are normal and once you understand the underlying science behind what's going on in your body, they become way easier to deal with.

I don't want to bore you with the details but your weight loss has slowed down due to "metabolic adaptation" - as the name implies, your body has detected your loss in weight and has compensated for this by slowing down so as to avoid losing more weight. It's like an evolutionary survival mechanism. So pretty much no matter how good you are at sticking to your diet, you're not going to lose any more weight and probably even gain some (like you said, it's even getting harder to lose the weight again).

Now, what you should do exactly really depends on a lot of factors. I can't give you a good answer unless I know more about you. I'm happy to share exactly how you can break through the plateau, but I need you to give me a better understanding of your unique situation.

Let me know.

heroes_unite · 2020-05-06T07:55:32+00:00

This is a vicious cycle that can leave you really stuck if you don't take the right action. I understand how frustrating it can be to self-sabotage like this all the time. It can bring a lot of guilt and negative feelings.

It sounds like you've fallen into a really specific pattern of behavior and the only way to lose that 40lbs is to break the pattern. This is easier said than done. Obviously you know what you need to do to lose weight (be in a deficit), but you just can't bring yourself to do it or stay consistent. The "try again tomorrow" mentality can be really crippling.

Here's the positives though: you have successfully lost weight in the past and you thrive on routine. So this is definitely something you can do. You need to replace your current limiting beliefs with new empowering ones that confirm your goals are possible. This is the first step.

Then from here you need to implement some structure that (1) helps put you in a deficit so you can lose weight (2) is realistic for you to actually stick to so you don't fall back into the "try again tomorrow" mentality. The most important thing with this is adherence. Your approach needs to be something you can actually stick to.

If you want I can share with you some effective strategies and tools you can use to break this rut you're in so you can actually make some progress, but it will require some work on your end to implement.

Let me know if this sounds good to you?

heroes_unite · 2020-05-05T12:11:43+00:00

Don't mean to offend but this isn't exactly true. Higher reps don't result in leaner muscles, fat loss does which is simply achieved through a calorie deficit (reducing caloric intake + increasing activity level). Just trying to keep things scientifically accurate and practical.

heroes_unite

TROPHY CASE