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...I'm thinking about OMAD IF, like being on water most of the day than in the evening make something really healthy and nice, followed by small dessert. ...

i intermittent fast, so many days feel like they are close to OMAD, especially for 20/4 or 18/6 days. i try to avoid dessert completely, but if i do have something (shortbread is almost gone.. *yay*....!) sweet, it will be for breakfast... this has the benefit of the inevitable sugar crash or close to the end of my eating window when i can still deal with it if i have to. finishing off an OMAD day with a sweet dessert is going to set you up for a fairly heavy hunger attack in a few hours. not impossible, but something i'd rather not have to deal with.

Keto desserts might be a good way to ease off the carb calories.

just a suggestion.
 
Thank you for your experience and advices!

My problem with keto is that is too restrictive, eventually I will crave all that 'forbidden' food because my brain really hates limitations. I understand that something like that can be so great for many people but I know how I work best.

So far in life, I usually got best results with:
- fasting/IF
- calorie counting (no food restrictions, just counting)
- fitness diet (proteins, fats and healthy carbs plus cheat days)

All those concepts are basically including all food groups and make restrictions easier. SO I guess I will do some combination or variation of all 3.

But I have to note that when I did fastings/IF I had natural tendency to eat more protein and fats than carbs (especially around fasting dayas), but it was ok for me in that case.
With two other approaches diets were much easier to execute because I didn't had funny and frustrating situations like 'OMG, we're on a trip an there is nothing keto on menu' or entering the store and being able to buy fruits or yoghurt but nothing keto. That sucked because I really like to keep things simple, and keto seem very complicated for me. Calorie counting is much easier.
 
I think you should do what you think is sustainable long-term & what you think will work for you. That is the main thing. I think your attitude seems really good & you have a strong chance to succeed this time. Being happy & proud when you get down to the weight you want to be is the key I think. Learning to really love yourself takes some serious work & self-talk. I am equally as self-critical but fight it. We can do this.
 
The biggest reasons for that are some stuff in my life that I can't control (cancer in family etc),
There are a few members here who know how hard that can be, I lost my mum late last year to cancer. Some day the stress makes it hard to stay on track, we are not perfect, if the stress causes a a diet fail, try not to let that fail add to the rest of life stresses and get back on track the following day.
 
... keto seem very complicated for me. ...

that is why i prefer intermittent fasting... like Keto, it eventually puts you in a ketogenic state after ~14 hours depending largely on the amount of activity during fasting times. IF is what i refer to as the "brute force" way of getting there. the goal of Keto is to keep you there constantly through a calculated mixture of macronutrients.

the only reason i brought up the Keto desserts is that they are low in carbs. throwing in a Keto-like meal into IF is not necessary, but it certainly doesn't hurt. here is a graph i like to keep in mind...

insulin reaction to macro nutrients.jpg

higher fiber carbs (green vegetables, whole fruit vs fruit juices) will lessen an extreme carb/ insulin reaction, but it is still the killer macro when it comes to avoiding lipogenesis.
 
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Hey KC, from your story I think we have a lot in common. At 37 I was about where you are now, lots of failed dieting and too much bingeing. I even then weighed about what you do, and am about the same height. Of course I waited a lot longer than you, and for that I commend you. I won't try to recommend a diet plan for you, it seems to me you are already getting a lot of good advice and have ideas of your own in that respect. And I believe that any diet that has you eating fewer calories than you burn will work. Things like IF and low carb can help, but only if you follow that calorie rule.

A few things that are working for me are:
  • Closely tracking of my calories, I write them down and post them here everyday. If I don't do that I fear that I will "forget" things and slip into overeating.
  • Sticking to my diet every day, one day at a time, no exceptions. I know this sounds hard, but I have found that by thinking of it as just doing right today helps.
  • No binges, again one day at a time, but none is the right number.
  • Posting here a lot, as Amy says write don't bite. It help with focus and leads to more good support and advice. I always read and think about the advice folks offer, it is always well meant and folks here have a lot of wisdom.
This is just what's working for me, not saying its the right thing for you, but as I said I can see that we have some things in common, so maybe it'll help.

I know life throws things at you that are tough and you can't control, but this is one thing you can control. And importantly eating well and getting healthier will make everything else feel at least a little better.

No matter what path you choose I will be following your progress and cheering you on. I am looking forward to seeing you make this work!
 
Hi kittykat,

Was just browsing your diary. Lots of great advice. I've found this forum really helpful for helping me to stay on track while other times I've failed.
Wishing you good success!!
 
Hey there, kittykat! Great to meet you, and look forward to reading a lot more of your story . :) I've read a couple of your posts elsewhere on this site, and really like where you're coming from (in ideas terms).
I haven't watched the video yet, but I will soon - right now, I've been off-site for a few days, and I'm racing through trying to catch up on everything I've missed. You mentioned community support - it's here in bucketloads! Welcome and best wishes and have fun!
(Your English is terrific - I don't think I would have guessed it isn't your first language.)
 
Thank you dear people!
Yesterday I was thinking a lot about my weight loss plan, reading this forum, and thinking about the stuff you wrote here.

SO I came up with a plan which I really believe I can stick to.

1. I'm going to try very small feeding window, like 2 or 3 hours, so that's basically going to be an OMAD approach. I have chosen this because it could be beneficial for my schedule as well - I usually have lot to do and think about during the day, and it's easier for me when I don't have to plan all the meals at the same time. Also this goes well with my natural rythm, I'm usually less hungry in the morning and hungrier in the late afternoon/evening. So my meal will probably be somewhere between 3am and 7am. I even downloaded and app for that so I think it's going to be helpful.

2. I plan to eat healthy home made food, but I will probably not going to make a drama if I eat something outside on some days. I plan to stick to some form of protein (meat, fish, eggs, cheese, chickpea, lentil, etc) combined with veggies of all sorts and salads, and even some good carbs (rice, potato, quinoa) and good fats. Some days will probably be more carby, other I'm gonna try have more protein-fat combination. I come up with that idea because I can still enjoy cooking and having home made local dishes which I like the most.
I plan to avoid all my trigger foods like bread, sweets as much as I can, or I can get a small amount of it (small pastry or small chocholate). I'm also gonna google for some keto/fitness desserts with cottage cheese, raw cocoa, fruits, whey powder and etc.

3. I'm considering tracking calories of that one meal, but I don't think I'll do that right away, because I want to start slowly, to not feel overwhelmed. Eventually it will be a good addition to my process.

4. I'm gonna try to go to bed earlier. Not only because of benefits of sleep itself, but because of my late night tends to snack. I believe that hitting the bed at 10pm could really save me from those behaviours. I also have lot of books to read so that can be useful for my brain as well.

5. I'm planning to continue with supplements which I'm already taking (C, D, zinc, magnesium, omega 3, etc) to make sure I get every micronutrient I need daily.

6. I will continue to do dance workouts at home and working out with barbells. Eventually I'm planning to hit the gym again but right now that's not possible. Also, I will try to implement some outdoor cardio on daily basis, like fast walking or light hiking. If that's not gonna be possible I will do some YT cardio at home.

7. I'm planning to try to get used to sitting at home and not feel the need to eat all the time. I created some weird associoations where I feel like i HAVE to eat all the time when I'm at home. That shit needs to change. I'll try to work on some other stuff which I can link to being at home, like hobbies and workouts. I came up with that because I can't run out every time I feel the urge to eat - it works sometimes, but it's not a solution. I will probably spend lot of time at home in the future for various reasons and I don't want to pile up any more pounds because of that.

8. I will be really happy and grateful for EVERY kg i lose. Really, this time I owe that to myself!

9. I'll try to write here as much as I can. I already see how that activity distracts me from eating and that's a good thing.

10. I'm planning to find solution for life - so some approach that I can stick to till the end. I believe some sort of one meal a day could be something which doesn't seem so hard to do. I can plan my life around it easily and I'm free of thinking how and when I need to it 3-5 times a day. Also fasting seem benefitial by itself so that's a nother good thing.



That would be it, I will eventually put some numbers in my signature :)
 
I think you should do what you think is sustainable long-term & what you think will work for you. That is the main thing. I think your attitude seems really good & you have a strong chance to succeed this time. Being happy & proud when you get down to the weight you want to be is the key I think. Learning to really love yourself takes some serious work & self-talk. I am equally as self-critical but fight it. We can do this.
Thank you for king words! I agree totally with sustainability because I was always doing some diets which I secretly wanted to end as soon as possible. And that's not good.
When it comes to self-love, I think I'm actually doing well. I accepted myself as a person, and I know what works for me and what not. I accepted and love all things on me I can't change, like color of my hair, or shape of my nose. But still, I believe accepting yourself being too obese without thinking about your health is not good way to go because it eventually leads to being even more obese and unhealthy. So that's the main reason I'm trying to deal with that problem. I'm doing that because I love myself, and I want to live long and healthy life.

There are a few members here who know how hard that can be, I lost my mum late last year to cancer. Some day the stress makes it hard to stay on track, we are not perfect, if the stress causes a a diet fail, try not to let that fail add to the rest of life stresses and get back on track the following day.
So sorry to hear about your mum! I hope you are doing well. I lost my mum as well long time ago, now my dad is also sick. Unfortunatelly they suffered from same cancer, not related to obesity (they were both normal weight) but nicotine. Nicotine is the worst!

that is why i prefer intermittent fasting... like Keto, it eventually puts you in a ketogenic state after ~14 hours depending largely on the amount of activity during fasting times. IF is what i refer to as the "brute force" way of getting there. the goal of Keto is to keep you there constantly through a calculated mixture of macronutrients.

the only reason i brought up the Keto desserts is that they are low in carbs. throwing in a Keto-like meal into IF is not necessary, but it certainly doesn't hurt. here is a graph i like to keep in mind...
Get it, and thanks. That's why I'll consider low carb desserts whenever possible! Eventually I hope I'll be able to even skip a dessert most of the time, but I need to have something for this transition period.

Hey KC, from your story I think we have a lot in common. At 37 I was about where you are now, lots of failed dieting and too much bingeing. I even then weighed about what you do, and am about the same height. Of course I waited a lot longer than you, and for that I commend you. I won't try to recommend a diet plan for you, it seems to me you are already getting a lot of good advice and have ideas of your own in that respect. And I believe that any diet that has you eating fewer calories than you burn will work. Things like IF and low carb can help, but only if you follow that calorie rule.
Thanks, I agree with you. Calories are most important, I know that, and that's the reason I'm considering calorie counting even with that one meal. I love your approach, seems like this community is really helping! I'm also planning to post a lot, and I see I have a LOT to read here whenever I feel bad or tempted, I think all your stories could really help me through dark moments.

I love this sentence about controlling things , actually, yeah! I can control weight! I really can! That's so nice when something that obvious shines in your head. That's exactly what I'm expecting from this community, people's experiences and all that tiny drops of wisdom which can only be found in lives of people who did hard things! And I already got lot of that from all of you here!

And I personally love your story, you are such a great inspiration for all people like me, who are 37 and sometimes think 'I'm to old for changes, it's done' :D And then , there goes a guy who is much older and succesfully working on his weight and health! That's great and it shows it's never too late ! Kinda makes me to feel happy about my life and future!

Hi kittykat,

Was just browsing your diary. Lots of great advice. I've found this forum really helpful for helping me to stay on track while other times I've failed.
Wishing you good success!!
Thank you liza! Glad you replied :)
Hey there, kittykat! Great to meet you, and look forward to reading a lot more of your story . :) I've read a couple of your posts elsewhere on this site, and really like where you're coming from (in ideas terms).
I haven't watched the video yet, but I will soon - right now, I've been off-site for a few days, and I'm racing through trying to catch up on everything I've missed. You mentioned community support - it's here in bucketloads! Welcome and best wishes and have fun!
(Your English is terrific - I don't think I would have guessed it isn't your first language.)
OMG, thanks! I'm using english for work so I guess it's good enough, although I make lot of mistakes :)
But most important thing is that my english is good enough to post here and enjoy your stories :)

Nice to meet u too :))
 
I'm a bit over 37 inches right now and that's not good! But I think I can fall under 35 in two months only if I'm dedicated!
I am sure you will, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you do it!
planning to post a lot, and I see I have a LOT to read here whenever I feel bad or tempted, I think all your stories could really help me through dark moments
You are already off to a great start! In my first few months I posted here often when I was tempted and it really helped, I still do sometimes, less only because I am less often tempted. I will quote Amy (aiminglow) again "write don't bite". Its the best 3 word piece of advice I've gotten in a long time.
 
First day is going well, I'm almost 19 hours into fasting as I planned (I snacked very late tomorrow) and I don't feel very hungry. I know that's because I'm probably still full from yesterday.

Still thinking about what I'm gonna eat. Techincally, I could eat whatever because calories are most important, but I will chose something healthy and nourishing. I was thinking I could post photos of my meals sometimes. I will think about that more.

Bad thing is that I somehow forgot to drink enough water during the day. I will keep that in mind as well in the future.

I am sure you will, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you do it!

You are already off to a great start! In my first few months I posted here often when I was tempted and it really helped, I still do sometimes, less only because I am less often tempted. I will quote Amy (aiminglow) again "write don't bite". Its the best 3 word piece of advice I've gotten in a long time.
Yes, I will try to write as much as I can, but sometimes I will probably not be online due to other life stuff. But I can try and write something at least once a week if I'm in a rush, I think.
 
Still thinking about what I'm gonna eat. Techincally, I could eat whatever because calories are most important, but I will chose something healthy and nourishing.
If you´re fasting all day you may want to plan ahead. I don´t know about you but I don´t make sensible decisions when I´m hungry.
 
If you´re fasting all day you may want to plan ahead. I don´t know about you but I don´t make sensible decisions when I´m hungry.
You are right. I managed to do some soup and tuna sauce, some pasta, with salad, but I realized I need to have a better plan because I was a bit lost in the supermarket.
So I made plan for next few days, I got some groceries and already having some meat and fish in my freezer. Tomorrow I'll have salmon.
 
Excellent! Also note that if you're doing OMAD all your nutrients for 24 hours are coming from that one meal. That may be a problem if you're lifting and want to keep as much muscle mass as possible while losing fat. I haven't found a solid source but The Internet suggests your body won't use more than 30 to maybe 40 grams of protein in one go and if you take in more in one sitting it just gets peed out. Feel free to correct me if you find better information on that though.
 
Excellent! Also note that if you're doing OMAD all your nutrients for 24 hours are coming from that one meal. That may be a problem if you're lifting and want to keep as much muscle mass as possible while losing fat. I haven't found a solid source but The Internet suggests your body won't use more than 30 to maybe 40 grams of protein in one go and if you take in more in one sitting it just gets peed out. Feel free to correct me if you find better information on that though.
I'm not worried about the protein intake, I believe I can eat more grams per meal, because I read that there is actually no limitations when it comes to that. Body will eventually use every gram even if they are eaten in fewer meals.

And I'm not doing heavy lifting, for example, my squat at the gym was 3 x 5 x 55kg last time I checked.
Now I'm doing goblet squats at home with just 10kg barbell. I also do deadlifts with barbells, each 10kg which is very light as well. If I feel it's too easy I just do more reps. It's also a great cardio.
Oh yeah! That's the exact study I was talking about! Thanks!

But I'm ready to lose some muscle mass while I'm in caloric deficit, it's inevitable. And I'm ok with that. And if I manage to keep my protein intake around 50g a day that would be great. Also, I can always finish my meal with whey if I feel I didn't had enough. Losing weight is my primary goal now. I will think about building more muscles later.


It's 11pm here, I'm going to bed, it's not as early as I hoped, but it's better than yesterday when I went to bed at 1am :eek::eek:
 
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I'm loving the protein-relevant info here - thanks, kittykat and all!

kittykat - oh, no! :eek: we're the Bad New Friends who are keeping you out late! I hope you get to catch up on the weekend. :)
 
Hi Kitty! Thanks for stopping by my thread earlier.

There's a lot of good discussion going on in here. It seems like you've done a lot of research and given a lot of thought to what might work the best for you.
 
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