Jessrob 's dagbok, 05 apr 24

I lost 60 lbs by counting calories and macros. I eat 100-120 grams protein, 100 grams carbs, 35-50 grams fat. I try to eat as much unprocessed food as possible.  

Diana, that is an impressive macro ratio for someone who eats a standard diet (standard but healthy, as in not needing anything extreme macro-wise but very clean). That is healthier for the average person with no specific nutritional needs, than what most of us eat, but not anything unusual such as keto or raw vegan. Clean diets, with, slightly-better-macros-than average but *far* better food choices than average, are underrated. 

I do a low carb no processed foods.i also purchased the 21 day fixed containers  

Jessrob, you could go vegetarian again but eat lentils/beans/tofu/fruit/vegetables/other healthier options instead of meat. Those are some things that people who are vegetarian for health reasons, and live balanced lifestyles, tend to eat. Being vegetarian on purpose is great for your health, but sometimes, people who just don’t like meat, become less balanced vegetarians than those who do it on purpose. You don’t have to eat meat. You could eat similarly to people who go vegetarian on purpose, who tend to eat healthier than people who just don’t like meat. 

Laine, I do know a young man well who was dangerously overweight despite working a physically demanding job. Something 'struck' him one day and he was determined to go carnivore. He follows it with religious fervor. He's lost quite literally a bit over half a body, swears by it, calls fruit and vegetables "medicine" and unnatural, saying our ancestors ate only meat because they were hunter-gathers. I want to ask him sometime what the heck he thought they were gathering. Mice and moles?? Gatherers made reed gathering baskets...not good for carrying around harvested game. But he is in charge of his young adult life, not me. I figure the Creator knew what he was doing when he told Noah after the Flood that he was giving him animal food henceforth and put fear of humans into the game animals. 

Edit: just saw that you eat low carb. That might mean that *maybe* you should eat meat…unless you really like small portions of nuts, nut butters in portioned amounts without palm oil, avocados, eggs, yogurt, etc. and the occasional splurge on cheese. If you are not limiting dairy and eggs, as a vegetarian but not vegan, you still might be able to limit carbs. 

I started eating a high protein breakfast 1st thing after waking, then protein every 2-3 (max 4) hours all day, even before bed. Keeps my blood sugar stable... no more "hangry". I plan & track daily Protein 60-120+ grams, Fiber 40+ grams, Water 3L (add sugar-free electrolyte powder to some, 1200 calories. Then all my other macros fall into place, i.e. end up low saturated fat. I arrived at this after 4 years off & on FS. Maintained 42 lb weight loss for 10 months & counting. F 5'5", 126 lbs, BMI 21. (Down from 148 lbs, BMI 28.) 

Correction: 168 lbs starting weight, now 126 lbs. 

I’ve tried lots of diets too with yo-yo weight results. I found the book, “When Food is Comfort” and that is helping SO much now. Focusing on eating when you’re hungry and if you’re wanting to binge, stop and try to name what you are feeling. Might be worth a try? 

Low carb, fresh whole foods as much as possible. Limited processed foods. Strength training full body 2Xs a week w kettle bells and daily walks. I’m in maintenance and track my calories. 

been at it 2yrs. I do CICO n IF with a focus on whole foods from time to time 😂 (time to restart that)for me it's been so easy to lose & or maintain. just under 70lb down. I love IF because I can do as little or as much as I want & still able to have pizza n fried chicken when I want. which from time to time can be more than it should be😁 

Just counting calories. Carbs all day everyday but keeping calories lower than 1400 

whichever way of eating you choose, you might want to look into calorie and carb cycling in alignment with hormone phases, for example degree of energy deficit easier during high estrogen phases, need for nutrient-rich carbs for progesterone production, etc.  

I have several daily targets. I fail at least one target every day. I have never had a perfect food day. But on aggregate the attempt keeps me close enough to a healthy diet to lose weight. My rules are: 1) <1500 mg Salt [this limits water gain and retention], 2) <=13 grams Saturated Fat [this makes me choose "healthy" fats], 3) >=30 grams of Fiber [this keeps my gut healthy and doing its job] 4) 1/2 gallon of water, no more no less [I have heart and lymphedema issues that keeps any extra water I drink from being eliminated], 5) Exactly equal macro nutrients [I've seen, tried, lost, gained on every macro nutrient diet available these past 50 years and decided a healthy diet gives my body an equal opportunity to get whatever it might need], 5A) 400 kcal 44.44 grams Fat, 5B) 400 kcal 100 grams Carbs, 5C) 400 kcal 100 grams Protein. I usually do good at breakfast and lunch then start going off track sharing dinner with the family and blow it when the kids start bringing in the evening snacks for movies, games, whatever. But a good attempt is good enough and I don't beat myself up so much as learn. What is my 1200 kcal daily goal averaged 1456 kcal a day in March, was 1501 in February and 1376 in January. P.S. I really really want to know what does and does not work and so I am OCD at recording my food. 

I count calories and aim for 1g/lb of body weight in protein each day 

Thanks for all of this info. I’m just going to try and count calories, while mostly remaining vegetarian and looking at alternative protein sources. It is funny how different every one on here is and yet still arrives at the same destination. Just goes to show us that what works for one person might not work for another. I will keep you posted. I ate a mini avocado, 2 eggs and a small piece of cheese for breakfast today, I didn’t count the calories yet. On a side note, I have been having really bad dreams every night since I started trying to do low carb, isn’t that strange? Has anyone else had this happen to them? It just started recently and I was trying to figure out what had changed and it was only my cutting down on carbs. 

@Jesseob, one thing I forgot to mention is that, the last two months I’ve incorporated more protein and used organic protein powder in fruit smoothies; I will soon be starting at the gym; I’ve already seen a bit more muscle tone by increasing protein.  

I'm counting calories trying to stay at 1700 a day and counting carbs also I'm not on low carb diet but I'm on a lower carb diet than what I was consuming before starting fat secret, I try to stay unde the recommendation for fat secret on carbs some days I do great and others I don't do well but I was drinking 3 of the 20oz mt dew bottle a day and now I drink 99%water only with a little bit of big red or mt dew about 3oz on days I get migraine headaches from no caffeine, I sm currently trying to lower my sodium intake as some days it's off the charts high at 5,000mg a day and other day it's normal at about 2800mg. it's a learning process still but I have managed to loose 64lb since last June and changing my diet plan little bit at time started with no mt dew or pop. next I started eating more strawberries and apples and grapes and I'm trying to cut my fast food down also it's a little harder for me and the 1 piece of toast I have with breakfast every morning but I have managed to learn how to eat a bit healthier with fast food like ordering chicken tenders or nuggets, and things that have protein and carbs but as long as I have the calories and carbs to fit in my recommendation still I am working on getting the fast food cut down even more.. 

oh and I do try to fast at least 12hrs a day I usually wake up hungry and eat breakfast anywhere between 1am and 3am then maybe something light as lunch around 8am and dinner usually I have it eat by 12pm or no late than 1pm and fast from 12-1pm until I wake up hungry again usually that's about 1am-3am sometimes I get hungry in between and have a apple or grapes tho but usually that's the week before Aunt flo shows up which I usually tend to stay hungrier that week before and once she arrives then the hunger goes back to normal.  

Sarah, breakfast in the middle of the night? Wow. I have heard that the time you eat matters less than what you eat, as long as it is spaced out appropriately…I believe that! Good job doing what works, at any time of day as long as you also space it out appropriately and eat right. Some night-shift workers use unusual hours as an excuse to eat the wrong foods because “who eats in the middle of the night anyway except people with night shifts”? You don’t fall for that though!