cherrygarcias fat loss diary...378lbs never again!

Hello all, glad to be here, I am female, 34yrs old and trying to get my life back.

Long story short have been big all my life, lost some weight twice before and life happened and each time gained it all back and more.

This time I am trying to do it in a sensible and more importantly sustainable way with clean eating and exercise.

I started last august and have lost 47pounds since, I'm now down to 331lbs, still a long way to go.

Nutritionwise, I currently eat 3 meals a day, sensible portions (not calorie counting yet), mostly wholesome home cooked meals (avoiding junk food), quit sugar 6 months ago.

Exercisewise, started swimming 4-5 times a week early this year, then as of 3 weeks ago joined the gym working out 5-6 times a week mixing up cardio, weight training and swimming.

I hope for this to be the journey of 1000 miles that begins with one step...I want to get to a healthy weight and be able to do all the things in life that I've ever wanted to do without the weight holding me back.

This is my first post ever on here so i hope i did it right, and thanks for passing by :)

Today's log:

Exercise: 40mins strength training, 40mins elliptical machine

Food:
Breakfast: today was one of the rare days i skipped this as was running late

Lunch: potatoes with stewed chicken, kale, pawpaw

Dinner: potatoes with stewed beef, peas, scoop of protein powder (didn't manage to get in veges).


Notes: I had gotten used to going to the gym at off peak hours (when it's emptier) and all has been going well with those workouts for the past 3 weeks. Today was running late and so had to go in the evening (peak hours)...the gym was packed! Not a very good experience and some of that "gym intimidation" started creeping in again but i managed to go through my entire workout. Now I know to avoid peak hours if possible.

Yesterday did not manage to make it to the gym but made sure to eat right, ie, sensible portions of my meals.

Breakfast: 2 weetabix with milk, pawpaw, 1 scoop whey
Lunch: polenta with beef stew and cabbage.
Dinner: Turkey sandwich with salad


Today I'm abit nervous, getting ready to go for my drs follow up appointment. Last week i learnt that despite all my dietary changes and weight loss so far that I still have high blood pressure....which makes me not even want to know what it was before I started this journey sigh. Also got blood taken for a variety of tests so will find out those results today too.

The good news is I woke up, stepped on the scale and after a 4 week plateau (which damn nearly broke me down wondering what the point of working so hard eating right/exercising is), ...anyway, i finally broke the 330 barrier and down to 328 which made me really happy. Last time i weighed below 330 was over 3 years ago. Which now brings me to a weightloss total of 50lbs!!!!

My next major goal is to get below 300 (haven't been below that since high school)

Today did:

- warmup, 1 hour weight training (chest press, back extensions, lat pull downs, triceps, biceps, modified lunges, knee ups) (i weight train 3 times a week full body still a noob so i'm sure this may not be considered optimal but for me at this weight and point in time is working for me so far).

------------------------------------

Wow, talk about kicking you when your down. I thought I was just going to the drs about high blood pressure. My test results are out and learned that my uric acid is high, my cholesterol is borderline high and my high blood pressure is still...high! Arrrggghhh! So for the first time in my life taking 3 medications, one for each of those problems.

- I now can see (looking back) that my uric acid is high because I had upped my protein by alot (whey) especially these past 4 weeks or so...so i'm dropping whey completely for now. The reason I went to see the dr in the first place was because my left ankle (and sometimes) knee were very stiff/paining on waking...and these results are the outcome of the tests done. I basically have gout (always thought it had more to do with alcohol intake) yet I don't even drink, sigh. I guess it is what it is.

- Cholesterol wise I'm going to switch my protein sources to mostly vegetarian and occasionally fish and chicken for now.

- For the high blood pressure I guess I can only keep at what i've been doing ie eating right and exercising.

It really sucks. 50lbs down today and this is what I discover today. But I think now that it has all sunk in all I can do is accept and move on. I am to take these 3 meds for 2 weeks and go back for a review....(at which point I hope will not have to take them anymore...wishful thinking i guess).

The initial reason i went to see the doc was because my left ankle has been very stiff on waking up in the mornings and after long periods of rest/sitting down, and more recently in addition pain in my knee when climbing steps. I thought the issue would be mechanical...rather than biochemical. I guess having lived the unhealthy lifestyle that I did all my life really had to catchup with me at some point. I just keep thinking that if this is how things are now...what was it like 6months ago when i was still sedentary and eating junk? sigh. I shall be positive about this, it's just abit of a setback but if I keep at it all will be well.

My biggest concern is that I don't know what the implications of taking all these meds are in regards to me going hard at the gym as I was before. So i'm thinking I may have to cut back/go easy on the gym for the next 2 weeks untill my next drs review in 2 weeks.

=================

your screen name seems so familiar, were you ever on any other weightloss forums?

Also sorry about the Dr's appt. I don't think you long be on the medication if you keep the weght loss going as you are. so you've something to look forward to and aim for.

[QUOTE=kureransu;1342705291]your screen name seems so familiar, were you ever on any other weightloss forums?

Also sorry about the Dr's appt. I don't think you long be on the medication if you keep the weght loss going as you are. so you've something to look forward to and aim for.[/QUOTE]

OMG!!! Kureransu is that you in that avatar??? Dude you are ripped!!! You look amazing!

Yes! I was on another forum (not sure if i'm allowed to mention it) but anyway yep that was me where i kept a diary and kept my same screen name! I remember you because you were always very kind dropping in on my diary to encourage me....and also could identify with you if i remember correctly you were over 300 at the time and you are down to how much? Wow just wow.

You are a living testament to what dedication, discipline and persistence is. At that time (6yrs ago cringe!) i lost about 50lbs but years went by i put it all back and more all the way upto 378 sigh! So i'm further back now than i was back then. Seeing you now lets me know that had i stuck to that journey then i could have been at my goal a long time ago.

But i have to keep reminding myself that the past cannot be changed, what i can change is the here and now and so i'll keep chugging on. You are an inspiration as to where i can be in afew years if i stay on course.

Hats off to you! That is a job phenomenally done!

[QUOTE=cherrygarcia80;1342725461]OMG!!! Kureransu is that you in that avatar??? Dude you are ripped!!! You look amazing!

Yes! I was on another forum (not sure if i'm allowed to mention it) but anyway yep that was me where i kept a diary and kept my same screen name! I remember you because you were always very kind dropping in on my diary to encourage me....and also could identify with you if i remember correctly you were over 300 at the time and you are down to how much? Wow just wow.

You are a living testament to what dedication, discipline and persistence is. At that time (6yrs ago cringe!) i lost about 50lbs but years went by i put it all back and more all the way upto 378 sigh! So i'm further back now than i was back then. Seeing you now lets me know that had i stuck to that journey then i could have been at my goal a long time ago.

But i have to keep reminding myself that the past cannot be changed, what i can change is the here and now and so i'll keep chugging on. You are an inspiration as to where i can be in afew years if i stay on course.

Hats off to you! That is a job phenomenally done![/QUOTE]Yup that's me! these days i sit at 210-220 in winter and 195-205 in warmer months. I wish you luck and great success this time around!

^^^^^^^^^ That was a cool exchange.

[QUOTE=kureransu;1342868711]Yup that's me! these days i sit at 210-220 in winter and 195-205 in warmer months. I wish you luck and great success this time around![/QUOTE]
Wow, was great reconnecting with you. Thanks for the luck, I'll surely need it :) And all the best to you as well!

[QUOTE=GravyVeins;1342874061]^^^^^^^^^ That was a cool exchange.[/QUOTE]
I know right? I thought to keep the same screen name but didn't think i'd bump into anyone from elsewhere before lol!

Todays log will be abit different. I started on the 3 meds I was prescribed last night, started feeling quesy, today walk up to a killer headache and throwing up, haven't been able to keep anything down all day.

The past few months with eating right and exercising I have been feeling fit as a fiddle (even at my weight), haven't had a headache or thrown up in months. And yet within hours of taking medication that is allegedly supposed to make me better I am now sicker than ever.

I have decided that I will not continue with this medication...if this is modern medicine then I do not want it, I cannot function and have been in bed all day in pain. I will continue to eat healthy and exercise and see what my next drs review is in 2 weeks, if there is an improvement with what i've been doing then i will keep at it. If there has been no improvement then maybe i'll ask him to change the meds.

But for now this is just crazy, the "meds" that are meant to make me well are making me feel absolutely horrible.


I did not mean for this to be a medical journal, but i hope to someday look back and see where i have come from. I normally log exercise and food but with the kind of day i've had i haven't left my bed and i've only just been able to keep down a slice of toast (after violently throwing up everything else earlier).

Hopefully a better update tomorrow.

Still down and out, this time round with a horrible cough....hoping to get back here once i'm feeling abit better. Haven't been able to eat enough as it's hard keeping things down with all the coughing. Once i'm done with the antibiotics (friday), food and workouts shall resume back to normal.

wow, back after 10 days of sickness, it really sucks being sick but i'm all better now ready to continue on this journey.

Exercise:
30mins treadmill walking on incline, 30mins elliptical

Food:
Breakfast: 2 weetabix with milk

Lunch: 2 eggs, lettuce, low fat yoghurt with fruit.

Dinner: 2 weetabix with milk, banana

Exercise:
1hour weight training (lat pull downs, chest press, back extension, tricep pulldowns, lunges, squats, knee raises), 40mins elliptical, 30mins recumbent bike

Food:
B: 2 weetabix with milk, banana, pawpaw, scoop of whey

L: cabbage, rice

D: grilled chicken, chips

Exercise:
1 hour swimming


Food:
B: sweet potato, cup of tea, scoop of whey

L: grilled chicken breast salad sandwich

D: grilled chicken with chips (second day in a row having chips, not good, will work on it).


I seem to have become abit obsessed with the scale and that's not a good thing. I want to start weighing only once a week otherwise i'll go crazy if it keeps giving me repeat readings. It took me my entire life to gain all this weight so I should not expect it to all go in a matter of weeks or months.

It might be more optimal to have a more balanced diet and set a daily calorie and protein goal based on your weight. I hate the idea of working my ass off lifting and doing cardio for months on end and not maximize my fat loss due to a screwed up diet. If I put the work in by exercising then I want to lose the fat as fast as possible. Optimize, Optimize, Optimize. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but under-eating by a large deficit would increase muscle loss more so than fat loss. Ideally you want to preserve muscle mass. Keep up the effort but maximize and optimize what you're doing. You'll get there faster.

[QUOTE=team2008;1346373711]It might be more optimal to have a more balanced diet and set a daily calorie and protein goal based on your weight. I hate the idea of working my ass off lifting and doing cardio for months on end and not maximize my fat loss due to a screwed up diet. If I put the work in by exercising then I want to lose the fat as fast as possible. Optimize, Optimize, Optimize. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but under-eating by a large deficit would increase muscle loss more so than fat loss. Ideally you want to preserve muscle mass. Keep up the effort but maximize and optimize what you're doing. You'll get there faster.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for this team2008 :) I've really been considering counting calories but it always in the past felt so "dietlike" which is how i decided this time to just eat sensible portions.

However I have noticed I am loosing at a very slow rate especially with the workouts i am doing and eating right....that I think I will just have to start counting calories because something isn't right. I tried plugging in what i ate afew days ago on myfitnesspal and it was grossly under (even though portionwise i thought i was doing the right thing), so I think I will start using myfitnesspal....it says I should be eating 2200cals a day, i think i was previously eating less than 1500. So will start aiming for the given rate.

Just as you say I would rather work smart ie optimize optimize optimize.....rather than do what i've been doing which is giving 100% and not seeing results in return.

[QUOTE=cherrygarcia80;1342692181]Today did:

- warmup, 1 hour weight training (chest press, back extensions, lat pull downs, triceps, biceps, modified lunges, knee ups) (i weight train 3 times a week full body still a noob so i'm sure this may not be considered optimal but for me at this weight and point in time is working for me so far).

------------------------------------

Wow, talk about kicking you when your down. I thought I was just going to the drs about high blood pressure. My test results are out and learned that my uric acid is high, my cholesterol is borderline high and my high blood pressure is still...high! Arrrggghhh! So for the first time in my life taking 3 medications, one for each of those problems.

- I now can see (looking back) that my uric acid is high because I had upped my protein by alot (whey) especially these past 4 weeks or so...so i'm dropping whey completely for now. The reason I went to see the dr in the first place was because my left ankle (and sometimes) knee were very stiff/paining on waking...and these results are the outcome of the tests done. I basically have gout (always thought it had more to do with alcohol intake) yet I don't even drink, sigh. I guess it is what it is.

- Cholesterol wise I'm going to switch my protein sources to mostly vegetarian and occasionally fish and chicken for now.

- For the high blood pressure I guess I can only keep at what i've been doing ie eating right and exercising.

It really sucks. 50lbs down today and this is what I discover today. But I think now that it has all sunk in all I can do is accept and move on. I am to take these 3 meds for 2 weeks and go back for a review....(at which point I hope will not have to take them anymore...wishful thinking i guess).

The initial reason i went to see the doc was because my left ankle has been very stiff on waking up in the mornings and after long periods of rest/sitting down, and more recently in addition pain in my knee when climbing steps. I thought the issue would be mechanical...rather than biochemical. I guess having lived the unhealthy lifestyle that I did all my life really had to catchup with me at some point. I just keep thinking that if this is how things are now...what was it like 6months ago when i was still sedentary and eating junk? sigh. I shall be positive about this, it's just abit of a setback but if I keep at it all will be well.

My biggest concern is that I don't know what the implications of taking all these meds are in regards to me going hard at the gym as I was before. So i'm thinking I may have to cut back/go easy on the gym for the next 2 weeks untill my next drs review in 2 weeks.

=================[/QUOTE]

I'm not doctor, but are you taking medication to treat symptoms or to cure disease? It seems like all three of those biomarkers are a condition of nutrition, and if you eat a more nutritious diet, you won't need to worry about cholesterol or blood pressure. Uric acid? I've been on these forums for 9 months, and I haven't heard any bodybuilder eating 200g+ of protein per day complaining about uric acid problems.

I highly recommend fish oil supplements, which can lower you blood pressure, among other things.

[QUOTE=Gen1GT;1346463051]I'm not doctor, but are you taking medication to treat symptoms or to cure disease? It seems like all three of those biomarkers are a condition of nutrition, and if you eat a more nutritious diet, you won't need to worry about cholesterol or blood pressure. Uric acid? I've been on these forums for 9 months, and I haven't heard any bodybuilder eating 200g+ of protein per day complaining about uric acid problems.

I highly recommend fish oil supplements, which can lower you blood pressure, among other things.[/QUOTE]

@Gen1GT: thanks for stopping by :) And thanks for letting me know that you've never seen a case of high uric acid on the forums even with really high protein intake, I needed to hear that. I had been researching myself wondering what on earth could be the cause, then finally found out afew days ago that it had to do with some HBP water pills (for water retention) that I had been taking for a couple of months, apparently increase in uric acid is one of the side effects....I have since discontinued those, coupled with sound nutrition and have started taking my whey once again.

Since going to the doctors I have become alot more aware of what I am eating and striving to eat clean, and have since began to see the benefits healthwise so will keep at it. I also started taking fish oil daily since that time as well.

Today was interesting, a lady who I've never spoken to at the gym walked up to me and said "You've lost weight!"....I was really surprised as I didn't think anyone had noticed, plus when I look in the mirror I just see same ol me. The number on the scale hasn't been moving much but I noticed my body measurements have which is interesting. I guess I'll keep on keeping on....I must be doing something right.

Exercise:
1 hour weight training, 15mins elliptical, 30mins recumbent bike

Food:
B: 2 eggs, 2 toast, cup of tea, 2 mini yoghurts

L: bean casserole with beef strips, kale, mini yoghurt

D: sweet potato, beef strips, mini yoghurt

Are you still rocking it, OP?

Goodness, I haven't been here in a month! Thanks very much Gen1GT for checking in on me :)

Update:
I have been down in the dumps as i have been in a plateau for months (apart from the brief stint when i was sick and lost and gained back some water weight).....this has been frustrating me so much so especially when i was still busting my ass at the gym 5-6days a week. I started to think something was very wrong.

For some reason (laziness, craziness who knows lol), i just could not bring myself to count calories! I kept thinking my portions look okay and so i should be fine and still no weight loss, looking back now i see that my portions were okay but i was adding alot of extra fat calories (peanut butter, coconut oil olive oil etc) which i think is what was taking things over the top.

As of 5 days ago i started counting calories and have lost 5 pounds already, it's absolutely crazy, my weight has gone down in the last 5 days a little each day and i want to slap myself silly wondering why i didn't start earlier. That was how i was able to identify i was eating too much fat. Now i'm incorporating everything i eat but within my cals.

----
According to myfitnesspal i'm supposed to eat 1950 cals at my current weight of 327 pounds.....and can eat more on the days i workout. So far the stats of the week:

7/4/15: 2564cals (332 pounds)
8/4/15: 2127cals (329 pounds)
9/4/15: 1728cals (328 pounds)
10/4/15: 1588cals (327 pounds)


I want to start weighing only once or at most twice a week to prevent discouragement on days when the scale may fluctuate. Secondly I want to try and be eating as close to 1900cals as possible so that as time goes i have room to reduce cals.

I hope i can stick to logging here on a daily basis now that i am rejuvenated on this journey (i log in an excel sheet daily but i like that there is community spirit here to help each other on:)

Congrats on overcoming your weight loss plateau!
Weighing everything can seem really daunting at first, I really understand this feeling.

Definitely "in".

[QUOTE=shikimate;1354671151]Congrats on overcoming your weight loss plateau!
Weighing everything can seem really daunting at first, I really understand this feeling.

Definitely "in".[/QUOTE]
Thanks for checking in shikimate! You're so right measuring everything feels like so much work initially, but afew days in I am now getting the hang of it as I know it's keeping me in check.

Have logged in my cals for the day totalling 2172cals.

I worked out today, did about 30mins strength training and 30mins swimming. I was feeling pretty tired and worn so will rest tomorrow and go back to the gym on monday.

Yesterday was a rest day, ate 2065cals

Today ate 1968cals
Todays workout:

30mins elliptical
30mins recumbent bike
40mins strength training:- back extension, chest press, lat pulldowns, leg press, tricep pulldowns, dumbell rows, calf raises


Tomorrow will be a swimming day.

In other news my digital scale broke today, sigh! Maybe it's a sign that i shouldn't be weighing myself every freakin day (no matter how hard i try not to), I have a mechanical bathroom scale from back in the day but not as accurate. I want to see if i can wait a couple of weeks before buying a new digital scale. Maybe it'll help with not obsessing about the numbers.

My scale is still broken and i'm currently experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms from not being able to weigh with it....i realise now i was obessing over the numbers too now. I'm trying to go for my first week ever without weighing and hoping i make it (have a bathroom mechanical scale not so accurate). It took a lifetime to put on all this weight so i should not expect it to just evaporate overnight.


As of today have counted cals for a full week and now getting used to it and hope to make this a way of life, daily goal is 2050cals:

07/04/2015 2564
08/04/2015 2127
09/04/2015 1728
10/04/2015 1588
11/04/2015 2172
12/04/2015 2065
13/04/2015 1968
14/04/2015 2013


Exercise: Still working out 5-6days a week mostly 3 days strength training and 3 days cardio (mostly swimming).
Today did strength training: (back extension, chest press, lat pulldowns, leg press, tricep pulldowns, dumbell rows, bicep curls)
and 40mins recumbent bike

Still continuing to count cals, I'm still shooting for about 2045 a day....but I don't think I'm loosing weight (using a mechanical bathroom scale since my digital one broke so it's usually off by a pound or two).

I'm thinking of dropping my cals down to about 1900 in afew days time if things are still not budging.

On the workouts all is going well. I still workout 5-6 times a week doing 3 days of strength training and 3 days of cardio.

I deadlifted for the first time ever this week (after watching numerous form videos), I felt really proud of myself and accomplished. I am only able to do these where the barbells are in the section of the gym mostly dominated by men (and it's a pretty small workout area/space) and had some douchebags try to intimidate me kinda trying to rush me or show that I don't belong there, but I didn't budge and kept going.

I enjoyed the deadlifts so much so i went back on saturday and did some more still trying to improve on my form and once i feel more confident can increase the weight gradually. I feel it as a really great improvement to my workouts (before was mostly just some machines and dumbells) but I feel this will help strengthen my core and is a crazy workout in itself as I was sweating bullets!

The one thing I would really want to be able to do is squats (and also lunges) but my left knee still hurts if I so much as attempt to start bending it as if to squat. I use the leg press machine and on there it is just fine. But if i try to squat or lunge it hurts. So temporarily still doing a swiss ball squat (not sure what it's called), but with the swiss ball on my back and then doing the squat, it takes off alot of pressure and i still feel abit of a burn so i figure it's better than not attempting at all.

I am taking glucosamine, fish oil and afew other multivitamin/mineral supplements and I can definitely feel an improvement and just praying it heels up completely.

My cals yesterday were 1692, I did some deadlifts and overhead presses yesterday for about 15mins I had wanted to do more but then had to leave as had made a swim date with a friend. So thereafter swam for 50mins.

I am still working on my deadlift form I think for the most part i'm getting it right so still using light weight to avoid injury. I hate that this section of the gym is rather small so everyone is always trying to squeeze there to get some mirror space and some room to do their workout. So i'm trying to go to the gym at an earlier time when there's not many people so that i can take my time with it.

yesterday was abit distracting, there was extra space at the mirror (just me and one other guy in that section) and instead of him working out to my side, he decided to do his bicep curls directly behind me? I was really uncomfortable and I don't make eye contact with people at the gym or look at others in the mirror (i prefer to keep to myself do my workout and leave), so it was a really weird situation because i wanted to tell him to move the hell over and go creep elsewhere but i'm not very vocal so was like whatever and just kept working out.

I'm still new to this section of the gym, it's like my 3rd time using it (ie heavyweights section more like men's section lol), and each time i'm here sh*t happens like people acting very aggressive like i don't belong there. I'm in there trying to loose weight and get back to good health and not f*cking around so i don't understand what the hell is wrong with people. Why make someone feel uncomfortable when you can clearly see that they are working hard to improve themselves? I have mostly been using the lighter weight section, machines and cardio for months and never experienced any negativity/issues before, maybe there's just too much testosterone in this section, who knows sigh!

Anyway, i haven't worked out today yet so i'm finalising some work then will leave for the gym.

I stepped on my old school bathroom scale today, i could almost swear that it has gone down a notch but that damn needle won't stay straight long enough for me to get an accurate reading....i'm still on the hunt for a new digital scale sigh.

Went to the gym and did an hour of strength training 3x15 of (back extension, chest press, lat pull downs, leg press, tricep extensions, dumbell rows, calf raises, knee raises) and 20mins on the recumbent bike.

My cals for the day were 1887.

I'd like to practice my deadlift again tomorrow so want to get to the gym mid afternoon when it is emptiest so that I don't have to fight for space with others and can take time to practice my form....I think for my eh build, sumo stance DL feels better/more natural than the conventional stance so working on that too.

Today went to the gym and did an hour of strength training and 20mins on the recumbent bike did:-

Deadlifts 7 x 10 (light weight as still working on form)
Shoulder press 5 x 10
Bicep curls 3 x 8
Swiss ball squats 5 x 15
Farmers carrying 5 x 5

Will update post with cals below once i'm done with the days eating.

Keep it up! When are you going to give a weight update..unless I missed it recently.

[QUOTE=xHKOx;1357423741]Keep it up! When are you going to give a weight update..unless I missed it recently.[/QUOTE]
xHKOx, thanks for stopping by my journal :) As of today i'm at 325....i have enterred the may to july thread to help me stay on course with this journey, so will now be updating my weight every friday.

Yesterday was a rest day and today was back at the gym. Today did:-
Leg press, dumbell rows, bicep curls, farmers carry, lat pulldowns, chest press and back extensions. Thereafter cycled for 45mins on the recumbent bike. I'm trying to do some things different with my workouts to help shakeup the plateau i was in.

Foodwise, yesterday was my cheatday and had pizza and was a rest day. Today was back on course with eating and gym.


Today, the only female trainer at the gym walked up to me and said that it's showing that i've lost weight and that i should keep doing what i'm doing :) This is the third person this month who has walked up to me in the gym and said that (and these are people who i have never spoken with beyond saying hi as i pretty much keep to myself when at the gym). When i look at myself in the mirror i just see the same old me, but for 3 people to say that must mean something.

My weight may have plateaud for months but i did loose two inches from my hips and another two from my waist so that helped me keep going and not give up knowing that there was a positive difference even if small.

So unfortunately the weekend was not so great, on saturday i did not eat great and on sunday i just flat out binged (we had guests over the weekend and lots of leftover junk food and snacks). I guess old habits die hard. The slap in the face always comes after you've eaten all that junk and you think to yourself WTF have i just done?

Self-sabotage is a real b%$!, and it rears it's ugly head especially in times of success but I will not let it win. Will dust myself off and pick up from where I left.

Anyway, today (monday), i managed to get back on track and ate within my cals (1951) and managed to get my workout in ie swimming for 1 hour. Tomorrow will be back in the gym for weight training.

Hey, sorry to hear you've had bad experiences while using heavier weights in the "mens area".
I myself have gone from 80kg -> 60kg and even at my heaviest have never experienced any negativity from males. (I've always squat, deadlift, bench from day 1).
People will unfortunately always stand in front of you, it's hard to practise form, my suggestion is video recording yourself from your phone and compare it to tutorials on youtube. I just prop my phone up with my water bottle.

Have you thought about following a strength program?
I can see you enjoying lifting heavy on a progressive set out program :)

Dang keep it up OP. Best of luck to ya!

[QUOTE=tara19;1358775921]Hey, sorry to hear you've had bad experiences while using heavier weights in the "mens area".
I myself have gone from 80kg -> 60kg and even at my heaviest have never experienced any negativity from males. (I've always squat, deadlift, bench from day 1).
[/QUOTE]
That's so crazy to me that guys would give you **** for lifting real weights. I L O V E seeing women doing real lifts instead of sitting on the machines and 5-lb kettlebells. And for whatever reason women tend to do exercises like squats and bench with way better form than men.

[QUOTE=Strobe57;1358829381]That's so crazy to me that guys would give you **** for lifting real weights. I L O V E seeing women doing real lifts instead of sitting on the machines and 5-lb kettlebells. And for whatever reason women tend to do exercises like squats and bench with way better form than men.[/QUOTE]

I've never really experienced it, I've been at 4 different gyms too.
Hope it gets better OP.

[QUOTE=tara19;1358775921]Hey, sorry to hear you've had bad experiences while using heavier weights in the "mens area".
I myself have gone from 80kg -> 60kg and even at my heaviest have never experienced any negativity from males. (I've always squat, deadlift, bench from day 1).
People will unfortunately always stand in front of you, it's hard to practise form, my suggestion is video recording yourself from your phone and compare it to tutorials on youtube. I just prop my phone up with my water bottle.

Have you thought about following a strength program?
I can see you enjoying lifting heavy on a progressive set out program :)[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Strobe57;1358828561]Dang keep it up OP. Best of luck to ya![/QUOTE]


Thanks very much Tara and Strobe for stopping by :)

@Tara: I think initially I was just lifting generally to just be active but now that I'm actually really enjoying it i'm thinking once I drop a couple of more pounds, would like to start following a proper lifting programme rather than just winging it each session. And thanks for the encouragement on guys being douches in the heavyweights section....I hadn't used that particular area before so was really surprised by the negativity. I'm targetting going at off peak times in the gym when there's not as many people so that I can take my time without disruption/distraction.

@Strobe: I honestly don't know what's wrong with people! But I won't let those hopefully isolated incidents shake me, I'm still going to that section of the gym and regularly now since i've started using barbells and afew heavier dumbbells. Thanks for the encouragement too!

Today was a good day, i ate within my cals (1999) and managed to make it to the gym.

Workout was:
-Deadlifts 8 x 8
-Overhead press 4 x 8
-Dumbell rows 4 x 8
-Leg press 4 x 20
-Barbell curls 4 x 10
Then finished with 30mins on the recumbent bike.

Trying to take this weight loss journey one day at a time especially with food now that I've recently started counting calories. When I look at how far I have to go it can seem very daunting...so trying to take things day by day. And glad today was a good one :)

Today ate within cals (1,713)....one of the things i eat now on an almost daily basis are protein pancakes with low fat greek yoghurt....they really help to satisfy the cravings and make me feel like i'm having a "treat" of sorts...so will keep at it for now and look for other interesting "dessert" substitute recipes to try out. I had seen a nice and simple recipe on youtube for homemade protein bars that i'd like to try out as well.

Managed to go to the gym and decided to make today a long cardio day....i do these maybe once a month or so to keep the body guessing, they also tend to leave me quite sore so i don't do them often.

Today did:
- 65mins of "hillclimbing" on varied inclines but at a slow pace.
- 40mins on the arc trainer (varied inclines).

Today ate within cals (1,790).

Todays workout:-
- leg press 4 x 15
- chest press 4 x 12
- lat pulldowns 4 x 12
- back extension machine 3 x 15
- dumbell rows 4 x 8
- overhead press 4 x 8
- tricep pushdown 3 x 10

Finished with 20min recumbent bike cooldown.

Tomorrow the gym closes early and know that probably won't make it there, so even though today i was feeling really winded decided to just push through then I can rest tomorrow.

So after being on a freakin plateau for about 3 months now (i loose the same plus/minus 2 pounds), it's been driving me completely insane. In terms of counting calories, I started just over a month ago, measuring EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth, and still hovering up and down the same. All the while working out 5-6 days a week without fail. This has nearly broken me and it's been hard to keep going on with it and working out and not seeing results.

Sooooooo....after doing lots of researching for a while now and brainstorming how I can jump start my weightloss I've decided to start on the ketogenic diet (LCHF Low carb high fat). I started yesterday, today is the end of day 2 on keto. And so far so good i'm not experiencing any side effects so far. I am hoping I get lucky and won't experience the initial side effects (headache, nausea etc) that happen in the first few days.

I am extremely full (might have something to do with drinking water like crazy as is recommended), but also satiated due to the high fat intake.

Initially there should be water weight loss and thereafter fat loss can begin. I am really praying that this is the solution for me, I've been pulling my hair out with frustration and hoping that this is what I need to jumpstart my weightloss.

My daily nutrition goals from now henceforth will be:-

1945 kcal Daily Calorie Intake

20g Net Carbs (4%, 80 kcal)
95g Protein (20%, 380 kcal)
165g Fat (76%, 1485 kcal)


I'm starting at a 20% calorie deficit and seeing how that works first before I know if I should adjust it.

Quick update: after 2 full days of keto (today is morning of day 3), I have weighed and now at 324 pounds!!!! The lowest I have been in years! (afew months ago got to 323 for a day but was due to being sick with food poisoning so i'm not counting that lol).

I have lost 3.5pounds after 2 full days of keto!!! I really really REALLY wish i knew of this in january I would have started then and not have been on a plateau for 4 freakin months!!!

I'm just really happy to know things are working, moving again, I've been so down and broken with the plateau it feels good to see the numbers on the scale go down.

I know the initial weight is water weight but that's fine with me because thereafter the fat loss can begin, plus it helps my sanity seeing the scale numbers go down so quickly for the first time in a long time.

So it's almost end of day and I have one meal left. I feel full/satiated for most of the day, any "hunger pangs" I've experienced have been mental rather than physical, I have experienced some cravings for carby foods but have not acted upon them because at this point I can definitely tell it's my mind playing tricks on me and I am continuing to fight this fight and win


Workout update:
I went to the gym and would say my energy levels were good (much better than i thought it would be being new to keto), I would say I was at about 90%, I experienced abit of fatigue towards the end but I still did a pretty great job considering. The only time I experienced abit of weakness/shakiness was once I was done with the leg press but that quickly passed and continued on.

-Back extension machine 3 x 10
-Chest press 3 x 10
-Lat pulldown 3 x 10
-Leg press 4 x 20
-Dumbell rows 4 x 10
-Triceps 3 x 10
-Bicep curls 3 x 10
-Farmers carry 4 x 4

Nutritionwise I meal prepped this week so mostly have eggs for breakfast, chicken and veges for lunch and dinner, and butter/coconut oil/olive oil slathered on everything to reach my fat content. I have managed to keep carbs below 20g each day, then next making sure to hit my protein then finally trying as best to hit the fat macros as close as possible.

So today is day 4 on keto.

I cannot believe it, I have dropped 5.9 pounds!!!!!! after 3 full days of keto. On saturday i was 327 pounds and today I am 321 freakin pounds!!!! this is some kind of a miracle for me, the last time i weighed 321 was 6 years ago!!!

All this after having plateaud around 328ish for 4 months straight despite eating right and working out. Again I say I wish I knew about keto sooner but it's okay, no regrets, just forging forward from now on.

Yes i know it's water weight initially but the psychological impact of seeing the scale go down after months of a stall has been very motivating for me to keep going.

On the downside....today I woke up with a headache and nausea :-((( I thought i had dodged the "keto flu" but looks like it got me afterall. All was going well so i don't know if it has to do with the fact that i worked out yesterday or not.

I think i'll make today a rest day...i'm debating if initially i should cut down my workouts to 3 times a week then thereafter go back to the 6 times a week....either that or braving through the keto flu continuing on with workouts not sure, so trying to read on others experiences.

Okay today is morning of keto day 5, the good news first,

Today I am down to 319 pounds, have dropped 7.7 freakin pounds in 5 days yay!!! again haven't been this weight in 6 years!!!

I recently enterred the weight loss tracking thread/challenge (may 1st to july 31st) .....when i joined it i was very demotivated as i was still just hovering over the same weight. I joined keto on may 2nd not knowing to expect and the first week alone (which is not yet over) i'm already blown away by the results.


Now on to the not so good news, more on the keto flu:
- yesterday i felt like absolute crap! Woke up with a headache and nausea both of which became steadily worse as the day progressed. By the time i was going to bed my headache had turned into migraine status, the nausea had turned almost into actual vomitting i did my best to just hold things down, and was feeling abit lightheaded and heart throbbing. I was so ready to quick (felt like death! was in bed all day!) but i thought to myself, i'm sick anyway what will it hurt to just follow the programme, sleep and wake up tomorrow.


So today i've woken up much better. Still abit of a residual headache (that i'm hoping tapers away rather than gets worse as it did yesterday), no nausea today morning thank goodness. This i can handle, just hoping the worst is over sigh!!!!

The scale has kept me sane throughout this first few days, i know this will slow down soon, but it has really helped me hold on at least for this initial period. I am now in this for the long haul!!!

It isn't always just the keto flu. Some women's hormones don't allow them to do keto :/ Hopefully it is just the initiation period for you, but it's possible your body won't adjust.

Be careful with Keto. It nearly killed me when I tried it.

Okay, so i'm back a couple of days later, the keto flu got progressively worse to the point I thought I would give up (or go to hospital). But did loads of research and reading and learnt that some of the side effects I was having was due to certain imbalances...most of them came down to lack of enough sodium due to how much water I was drinking (was scared to increase sodium intake) but once I did the headaches and nausea vanished. (taking a potassium/mag supplement too). The second thing I learnt is that being new to keto i need to eat (for me at least) 3 solid meals every 4 hours to avoid becoming hypoglycaemic, particularly as i'm still new to this.

I say the above because on day 5 I fainted for the first time ever in my life (was scared as hell) and tracing back my steps of the day I was able to identify it was due to hypoglycaemia as I hadn't eaten for hours and when i did had a very low cal meal. On day 6, I violently projectile vomitted and tracing back steps identified it was due to salt restriction as well. I since increased intake and all has since gone back to normal.

One thing I'm still completely blown away by is the fact that my gout (had very high uric acid levels) is completely 100% gone despite the ridiculous amounts of meat I've been eating the past few days. This after suffering for months with it, trying meds that made me sick as ever and natural supplements that would work only temporarily. Beef, chicken, fish etc was all a big no no due to high purine content which was going to spike my uric acid levels etc etc. About 2 days into keto I was walking normally, again I'm just blown away by this. In case you're wondering how I got gout in the first place? It was a side effect from one of the high blood pressure diuretic pills that I used to take (always read the fine print side effects in your meds....i learned the hard way).

This is why in case anyone was wondering why after fainting and vomiting I would want to be crazy enough to continue on with keto? it's because I had began to see benefits that meds had failed to cure. I will be going to see the doc this week to get my High blood pressure checked just in case, but I am feeling better than normal and hoping that will reflect in the numbers too.

The good news is that as of yesterday, I am back to normal...in fact better than normal. I have loads of energy I am beyond amazed. Yesterday I did 10 straight hours of housework....in the past the same amount would take me about 3-4 days to complete. I honestly felt like superwoman as my energy levels were through the roof!

Today woke up again feeling energised, did lots of house chores that I never in the past would have done with so much zeal. I feel I am now ready to go back to the gym...haven't been since monday, feels like forever lol!

I have also learnt that deadlifts have strengthened my lower back and legs beyond what I could ever have imagined. The housework I did would take ages because within an hour of standing my lower back would be throbbing and would have to take a painkiller and continue on another day. But this time I was like the energizer bunny and just kept going and going and going.

This week has been rough, but I feel that I have emerged victorious and ready to continue on this journey and I think keto is the way forward for me for sure.

Today I went out for dinner with friends, to a food court typa place, I knew in my mind I had to have protein and veges, no carbs. So I chose to order from the indian restaurant that I used to love to go to for their decadent curries with naan bread (nom nom nom). But I knew those days are gone. So instead I opted for the tandoori chicken (which comes with naan or rice by default but instead requested them to serve it with salad instead). They brought two drumsticks and 2 thighs, chicken tandoori grilled to perfection! Another thing that has just occurred to me is that my carb cravings seem to have vanished! One of my friends ordered from the chinese place (sweet and sour chicken with a big heap of fried rice) and my other friend just had frozen yoghurt (heaped and loaded with lots of extra goodies). But somehow I was content with my meal and never felt like I had missed out. I hope I can be this strong everyday, it was another good day :)

In terms of weight I'm still fluctuating abit but at 321 (which is still waaaay lower than the 328 that I hovered at for months, so i'm really happy with that too )


Still tweaking my macros to find the right balance, have upped protein abit and lowered fats abit, my new food plan:-

1981 kcal Daily Calorie Intake (20% deficit)

20 g Carbohydrates (4%, 80 kcal)
138 g Protein (28%, 552 kcal)
150 g Fat (68%, 1349 kcal)