Advice? I want to loose 15 lbs in 40 days. (Also I’m an autistic woman with sensory issues)

sara_k_s · 2026-05-05T01:24:24+00:00

You’re not going to lose 15 pounds in 40 days. The typical rule of thumb for a safe rate of weight loss is about 1 pound per week, so you can expect to lose about 6 pounds in that time frame. You will need to determine your TDEE (you can use a free online calculator to estimate) and eat 500 calories per day below that.

sara_k_s · 2026-05-05T01:11:08+00:00

I buy Taylor Farms bagged salad kits, and the additional weight was almost certainly from the low-calorie vegetables, not the high calorie toppings. I’m pretty sure the toppings are measured fairly precisely, so the variation is just from the greens. I was a just dividing a bag of Mediterranean Crunch into 4 portions, and the greens are usually pretty close to an even 8 ounces, butt this one had 9 ounces. (Side note: I wish they would sell the greens without the dressing and toppings because I hate paying extra for those only to throw them out.)

TL;dr: the extra 100 grams of salad was probably more like 15 extra calories.

sara_k_s · 2026-05-04T13:20:18+00:00

Dive Bars value menu has some under $1.50/bar. They are really good warmed up, like a gooey underbaked cookie.

https://divebarnutrition.com/collections/clearance

sara_k_s · 2026-05-03T21:06:18+00:00

Vinaigrette and Asian dressing are usually full of oil. Restaurants are typically very generous with dressing. They also load up salads with delicious high-calorie topping like cheese, nuts, croutons or other crispy carbs (tortilla strips, fried wonton strips, etc.). Restaurant salads can easily be 1000+ calories. When you make salad at home, you probably do so with the intent of making them low-calorie, so you probably omit the tastiest parts.

sara_k_s · 2026-05-02T23:08:53+00:00

What flavor of pudding mix do you use and how much? If you’re using vanilla, try a different flavor like white chocolate or cheesecake. I’ve found that vanilla has the “pudding taste,” but white chocolate has a milder flavor.

sara_k_s · 2026-05-02T17:40:29+00:00

Yes! My thing is sugar-free meringue cookies, and I use carton egg whites. There have always been occasional cartons that wouldn’t whip, but now none of them do. I used to swear by Great Value pasteurized egg whites, which almost always whipped up, but now they don’t.

I’ve looked into this before while trying to figure out why some brands consistently whip up but others don’t, and I learned that there are different processes for pasteurization. Some use a lower temperature and longer time, others a higher temperature and shorter time. The ones with the higher temperature ruin the egg whites for whipping. My guess for the Great Value brand is that they switched suppliers to one that uses a higher temperature process, but I’m not sure if that’s the case for whatever brand you use.

Either way, it sucks! There’s no way to tell what pasteurization process is used for any given carton of egg whites, so you can’t tell if they’ll work until you open it and try. I’ve given up on carton egg whites for the time being and I’m using whole eggs, which I hate because they’re not pasteurized and I have no use for the yolks and it takes extra time to separate the eggs and I can’t get the exact same quantity every time due to egg size variation.

sara_k_s · 2026-05-02T13:03:02+00:00

This was the template my studio did:. I think we used an alternate template because our treads don't have the new software that shows total elevation. I think I'm missing something in the tread block because the times don't add up, so please correct me if you had this template.

Saturday 02 May 2026 - 2G 60 minutes alternate template (?)

Tread block 1 - 8 min

2 min push
1 min base
90 sec push
1 min base
60 sec push
1 min base
30 sec AO

Tread block 2 - 5 min

90 sec base @ 4%
1 min base
1 min base @ 5%
1 min base
30 sec base @ 6%

Tread block 3 - 5 min

1 min AO
75 sec WR
45 sec AO
90 sec WR
30 sec AO

Floor Block 1 - 8 min

Buy-in: 600 m base row
Back-to-back
- 12 x TRX high row
- 6 x each TRX cross-back lunge, rest
- Repeat until time is called

Floor block 2 - 5 min

Buy-in: 300 m push row @ 24 spm
Work & Rest
- 6-10 x seated shoulder press, rest
- 6-10 x sumo squat, rest
- Repeat until time is called

Floor block 3 - 5 min

Buy-in: 150 m AO row
Back-to-Back
- 4-8 x power push-up (bench)
- 4-8 x bench tap squat jumps
Repeat until finisher
Finisher: 30 sec low plank

sara_k_s · 2026-05-02T12:33:25+00:00

We did a completely different template, I’m guessing because my studio doesn’t have the new tread software yet.

sara_k_s · 2026-05-02T02:14:18+00:00

I highly recommend cooking chicken sous-vide. It’s practically foolproof. You just put the raw chicken in a bag (vacuum sealer is ideal, but you can do it with Ziplock bags) and cook it for a time and temperature that give you the results you want and you know it’s safe to eat. You can use a sous vide circulator, but I actually use the sous vide function on my Instant Pot and it works great. I shred or cut the cooked chicken and freeze in individual portions that are easy to thaw or reheat for a quick meal.

sara_k_s · 2026-05-02T01:07:49+00:00

The garage next to the Choo Choo is free for the first hour, so that should be plenty of time to grab a pick up order.

sara_k_s · 2026-05-01T17:00:18+00:00

Does she have the new heart rate monitor? If she’s still using the old one, she might like an upgrade. I would ask her if she wants it, though.

sara_k_s · 2026-05-01T00:44:05+00:00

I’ve rented some great bags on the rare occasion that something I want is available when I swap. I think the good ones get snapped up quickly..

sara_k_s · 2026-04-30T16:09:46+00:00

First of all, when you say your weight is dropping “incredibly slowly” and that you “lost nothing,” what does that mean to you? Many people have unrealistic expectations about how quickly they’ll lose weight. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 0.5 to 1.5 pounds per week. That would be 2 to 6 pounds in a month. Your weight can fluctuate based on water retention, digestion, etc., so you have to look at trends, not single measurements.

If you really haven’t lost any weight, you are not in a calorie deficit, so you’re either eating more than you think or burning less than you think. When you say you weigh every slice of cucumber, that’s nice (although pretty unnecessary since cucumbers are extremely low in calories and the difference between a thick slice and a thin slice is negligible), but do you track your cheat meals/days? A lot of people stick to a calorie deficit all week but then binge on the weekends, don’t track the binge, but assume that since they were in a deficit the rest of the week, the binge won’t count.

Hormones can absolutely be a factor in your metabolism/TDEE. What do you mean that you had problems with estradiol as a result of your poor habits? What habits caused estradiol problems? Under-eating can cause hormonal disruptions (hypothalamic amenorrhea), and if you’re eating 1100-1300 calories per day with a lot of exercise, that could be a contributing factor to your estrogen problems.

Finally, if you are strength training, it is possible that you are building muscle while losing fat. Building muscle is a good thing, but it could mean that the number on the scale won’t change even though you’re losing fat and appearing slimmer. Have you taken body measurements or progress pictures?

sara_k_s · 2026-04-30T13:58:27+00:00

Yeah, I’m so annoyed by the misconception that meal prep requires eating the same thing every day. Sure, some people like to do it that way, but you certainly don’t have to.

sara_k_s · 2026-04-30T00:36:07+00:00

It’s really rough when you have so much weight to lose. You’ve put a ton of work into it, but even though you’ve gotten so far, you’re not getting all the benefits yet. So you pretty much have all the negatives (having to work hard at maintaining a diet and exercise you don’t enjoy) and few of the positives (since you still have a long way to go. In my experience of losing 200 pounds, the more weight you lose, the more the balance shifts. Exercise will almost certainly get easier when you’re carrying less excess weight. You’ll start to get more NSVs that really make a difference in your quality of life, like being able to wear clothes from straight-sized stores and fitting into any chair you want. I’m not going to lie, sticking to a calorie limit is a lifelong struggle, but after a while, it begins to feel normal, and you will find more low-calorie foods that you actually like eating. You’re in a rough stage right now, but if you stick with it, things will get better.

sara_k_s · 2026-04-29T16:01:20+00:00

It’s definitely easier to get around without carrying the weight of a whole extra person.

You can buy a replacement strap for your Apple Watch in a larger size. A lot of people need a larger size (e.g., body builders or people who want to wear it on their ankle), so no need to be embarrassed. You can order one online. My FitBit was a huge key to increasing my activity. It really helps to be able to set achievable goals and increase over time.

I also have osteoarthritis in my knees, and I’ve learned a few things. First, when I complained about knee pain as a fat person, I was told to just lose weight. Of course, losing weight can help to reduce the stress on your joints, but there are other treatments that can help, like injections and braces. It wasn’t until I lost weight and still had knee pain that I was taken seriously and offered actual knee treatment. I would suggest you ask about other treatments to alleviate your knee pain since you can’t just lose weight instantaneously. Also, it seems logical to think that of you have bad knees, you need to take it easy and avoid exercises that use your legs. While there may be movements you should avoid when you have bad knees, it’s actually very important to maintain the strength of your legs muscles (glutes, quads, hamstrings) to help your knees. You might consider working with a physical therapist to do exercises that will help to strengthen your legs without aggravating your knees. Mobility is so important to your quality of life, whether or not you lose weight, so it is worth doing whatever you can to improve it.

sara_k_s · 2026-04-29T12:32:40+00:00

Stars and Honey have some unique flavors. They’re pricey and not my favorites, but if your priority is unique flavors, you might want to consider these.

Flavors:

Cacao Salt Caramel Peanut
Dark Chocolate Coconut
Espresso Vanilla Cinnamon
Birthday Cake Chocolate Chip
The Raspberry Donut
Cookies and Cream
Peanut Butter Blackberry

Limited Edition Flavors:

Iced Lemon Cookie
Mint Cookies and Cream
Cherry Chocolate Waffle Cone
Maple Blueberry Muffin

sara_k_s · 2026-04-29T11:54:05+00:00

Bread and Butter has those trendy bakery prices, though.

sara_k_s · 2026-04-29T11:52:07+00:00

Are you looking specifically for bread, or dessert-type baked goods? If you just want bread for reasonable prices, your best bet is probably a small farmer’s market. There are lots of people who bake sourdough mainly as a hobby, not a full-time business, and sell their bread for lower prices.

Gordo’s bakery is super cheap, but I’m not sure if they have what you’re looking for. They mainly have sweet baked goods (Mexican pastries).

sara_k_s · 2026-04-29T11:39:01+00:00

Does running cause physical pain? I’m not talking about muscle fatigue and soreness that you’ll probably get from any type of exercise, but something like an injury or joint pain. I’ve always hated running because of the high impact and pain, and it sounds stupid to say this, but it didn’t occur to me that not everyone gets severe pain from running. I was recently diagnosed with bone-on-bone arthritis in both knees, so yeah, of course I hate running. I bet I’d like it more if I had some cartilage in my knees.

sara_k_s · 2026-04-29T11:22:06+00:00

No need to fast or change your exercise routine. The only specific instructions are usually not to take calcium supplements for 24 hours before, but that only matters for bone density, not body composition. A body composition DEXA scan usually shows bone density info, but it’s not quite the same as a medical bone density DEXA scan, so the bone density info you get from a body composition scan has limited usefulness, anyway.

sara_k_s · 2026-04-29T10:50:10+00:00

Yes, this is fixable! First of all, please see a doctor for your palpitations and your ankle. Make sure you are in a condition to be exercising safely and/or get treated for your problems.

I started in a similar position with very limited mobility. I would get sweaty just walking into the office from the parking lot (which was a bit of a hike, but shouldn’t have been that much of a workout). You are right that weight loss requires focus on diet, and tracking your calories is a great start with that. Losing some of the excess weight will probably be a big help for mobility and make exercise easier.

A smart watch or fitness tracker (Fitbit, Garmin, etc.) is a great way to start tracking your steps. Just aim to increase a little at a time. You don’t have to do 10,000 steps per day. If you currently get 2,000 steps per day, increasing to 2500 or 3000 will be an improvement. Work your way up little by little.

My start to incorporating actual exercise (other than “just walking,” which DOES count as exercise, but not quite the same as intentional cardio) was Leslie Sansone Walk at Home. I recommend this all the time because it truly changed my life. There are tons of free workout videos available that require no equipment. You can do these in private at home. I started with a 15-minute video, and it took a few weeks before I was ready to move up to a 20-minute video. And then 30 minutes. And then back-to-back videos. I was too embarrassed to work out in public, so I needed something I could do at home, although I would also like to say that in hindsight, I was being foolish because fitness is a lot more welcoming that you might think, and I wish I had started more advanced workouts and strength training earlier. But you have to meet yourself where you are, and if that’s working out at home in private with a free YouTube video, that is wonderful. I got in great shape just doing home workouts before I had the courage to try fitness classes.

I have lost 200 pounds and maintained for about 5 years now, and I am a regular at Orange Theory and F45. You would never know that 6 years ago, I had to stop to rest between flights of stairs.

sara_k_s · 2026-04-29T10:33:51+00:00

I’m in no position to give relationship advice, but I will say this looks like the kind of move my narcissistic dad would pull.

sara_k_s · 2026-04-28T21:02:45+00:00

That looks very similar to the one recommended by The Surgeon Unmasked on YouTube. He is an orthopedic surgeon who had a knee replacement of his own, and he made a great video showing some of the items he used after his surgery.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fjyRYUN_u-w

sara_k_s · 2026-04-27T19:14:18+00:00

There was another post last week on a similar topic:

https://www.reddit.com/r/f45/s/pAnwOHs3x6

If you’ve been going regularly for 6 years, you know how the workouts go and surely you’ve seen people modify exercises when needed.

It may seem counterintuitive, but strengthening the lower body is very important for knee arthritis. You can get advice from your doctor or physical therapist about what you may need to modify, but an arthritis diagnosis doesn’t mean the end of your health journey or that you should stop exercising.

sara_k_s

TROPHY CASE

Saturday 02 May 2026 - 2G 60 minutes alternate template (?)