Need advice on cutting! (weekly log)

[klbbr]

I'm trying to cut, but it's gone the wrong way. Here's my waist measurements since I began posting on these boards. It was going well until 2019, but lost motivation and drive and such and after that it's been over 84 cm most of the time. And this month was awful:



So to hold myself accountable I'm posting these measurements every week:

Waist 88.25 cm (up 2.75 cm from last month)
Weight 86.9 kg (up 2.6 kg from last month)
Fat caliper 13.5 mm (gone way up from months before)

What I am trying this week is:

• Only eating at a small deficit, instead of trying to cut heavy to get "quick results"
• Eating only three meals per day, and allowed snacks between them is just carrots, tomatoes, things like that.
• Starting the day with coffee and iced tea, even though not thirsty
• Walking more (doing a competition with some family members)
• Starting to log again, at least log approx calories
• Buying a new scale to make it easier to weigh food
• Mindful eating:
** No distracted eating (i.e. no cell phone)
** Always eating at the table
** Eating with a fork and knife always, even sandwiches, to slow down the eating.

Wish me luck! If you have general cutting suggestions, do post! I'll post in a week whether the stuff above worked!

[air2fakie]

I get what you're trying to do, but I'd focus more on exactly what you eat & how much of it you eat every day instead of how you're eating it - which doesn't really solve the problem.

You can eat the right amount of food for your goals with whatever utensils you want, in however many meals/snacks you want, while you talk on the phone or watch tv, at whatever furniture you want, etc.

[SuffolkPunch]

If your weight went up in the last month, you were in a net surplus, that's all there is to it. I don't see calories mentioned anywhere. I'm aware that some people don't like to count calories but the fact is that if you don't know your intake, you aren't truly in control of your diet, your appetite is most likely leading you by the nose, even if all your other habits are good.

[klbbr]

I get what you're trying to do, but I'd focus more on exactly what you eat & how much of it you eat every day instead of how you're eating it - which doesn't really solve the problem.

Focusing on what to eat.

I'll compare breakfasts. Which of these give satiety for the longest:
• Three fried eggs and some bacon 450 kcal.
• Three crisp bread with mackerel. 450 kcal.
• Beans and a tomato and cottage cheese, and a protein shake. 400 kcal.

I'll try to score it some hours later for hunger, rating from 0 to 10
Had eggs this morning and haven't actually needed something to eat until 17:30 so today at least it's worked fine. But I'll log and give an attempt at being systematic.

You can eat the right amount of food for your goals with whatever utensils you want, in however many meals/snacks you want, while you talk on the phone or watch tv, at whatever furniture you want, etc.

I can eat the right amount of food for my goals if I have discipline

If your weight went up in the last month, you were in a net surplus, that's all there is to it. I don't see calories mentioned anywhere. I'm aware that some people don't like to count calories but the fact is that if you don't know your intake, you aren't truly in control of your diet, your appetite is most likely leading you by the nose, even if all your other habits are good.

Yup! I have been tracking calories on-and-off for three years in the app Loseit. I'll try to track the following weeks. My goal is 2100 kcal per day, and not going under that if I am on a tear, because that'll likely only result in binging later.

[air2fakie]

Focusing on what to eat.

I'll compare breakfasts. Which of these give satiety for the longest:
• Three fried eggs and some bacon 450 kcal.
• Three crisp bread with mackerel. 450 kcal.
• Beans and a tomato and cottage cheese, and a protein shake. 400 kcal.

I'll try to score it some hours later for hunger, rating from 0 to 10
Had eggs this morning and haven't actually needed something to eat until 17:30 so today at least it's worked fine. But I'll log and give an attempt at being systematic.



I can eat the right amount of food for my goals if I have discipline

Got it, it came off as if your calorie counting was pretty casual or non-existent but if that's not the case anymore it's a good start. I guess my other point was that your "discipline" rules sound somewhat arbitrary, but I guess do it if it works for you.

[klbbr]

Got it, it came off as if your calorie counting was pretty casual or non-existent but if that's not the case anymore it's a good start. I guess my other point was that your "discipline" rules sound somewhat arbitrary, but I guess do it if it works for you.

Appreciated! Yeah, I am trying to figure out what works for me, among all these rules and tips. Most of those tips I mentioned above are backed by science, but that needn't mean they'll work for my cut. But I'll try! The meals I suggested above is partially inspired by a study SuffolkPunch mentioned in another thread, where whole foods tended to give more lasting satiety than ultra-processed foods.

[Tommy W.]

Reducing a deficit never works for fatloss. If anything you need to increase your deficit because at this point it appears you haven't been in a deficit at all.

[klbbr]

A week has passed, new measurements:

Waist 89.75 cm (up 1.5 cm from last week)
Weight 87.8 kg (up 0.9 kg from last week)
Fat caliper 13.75 mm (up 0.25 mm from last week)

Not good, not good at all. I've identified some pitfalls:

• Sleep. This is my biggest hindrance to cutting. The less I sleep the more waking hours there are for eating. And to make it worse I eat in order to fall asleep more easily. Solution: I've bought some stuff to more easily fall asleep, but won't get it before at least a couple weeks. And I should make it more of a habit to use a daylight lamp.
• Peanut butter. Seems like I overshoot my budget massively when having it. I should just stop it. Solution: Just stop buying it.
• People. There's much social eating. Like say I've just had evening food, but I get asked if I'd like some cause someone else is eating and there you have it, I'm eating again. Solution: This is tricky. Perhaps me first asking others if they wanna eat when I eat, so it's in sync.
• Hotel breakfasts. They're already paid for, it's eat all you'd like, and I've got no scales at the breakfast table. Dangerous combo. Solution: I should seriously look into airbnbs when I travel, if I can do so without it being too much hassle checking in and out, that'd be better. Cause at hotel breakfasts, I'll overshoot.
• Airplane travels. I eat a lot before entering the airport, without being hungry, cause food is so darn expensive in there. Solution. Find some lunch that passes through security.

When I am weekend travelling, I should also plan in advance some sort of meal plan, instead of having whatever's at hand. I should also buy some scales that are suited for travels, so I don't stop weighing.

Reducing a deficit never works for fatloss. If anything you need to increase your deficit because at this point it appears you haven't been in a deficit at all.

When trying to cut and I'm on a roll, I can have many days in a row with net 1000 kcal. It usually backfires. I think a small deficit is the way to go, say 250 kcal or 500 kcal, something like that. That was what I was trying to say.

[Spanishdream]

I think a small deficit is the way to go, say 250 kcal or 500 kcal, something like that. That was what I was trying to say.

There are approximately 3,500 calories in 1lb of fat. 3,500 divided by 7 days of the week = a 500 daily calorie deficit. 1lb of fatloss a week. It may seem slow but this is probably the best way to achieve consistent progress for the vast, vast majority of people. To me, you have lost sight of this.

I've been in your situation before with travelling for work. I stuck by the rule that if I didn't know the calories in something, I wouldn't eat it. People shouldn't be influencing your food intake neither. It's not tricky. You're not obliged to eat just because someone else is. This just sounds like an excuse.

Approximate calories never work. You will be surprised by how much is in certain items. You mentioned peanut butter but try cereals. Fill a bowel up that you think is a normal amount & then weigh it. It will shock you. Oils, sauces, condiments can make a drastic difference. The reality is that unless it's something you've made yourself or you're in a place with listed calories, you will almost never be correct.

You are overeating. You are consuming more calories than you need.

[Tommy W.]

When trying to cut and I'm on a roll, I can have many days in a row with net 1000 kcal. It usually backfires. I think a small deficit is the way to go, say 250 kcal or 500 kcal, something like that. That was what I was trying to say.

Regardless, you need to figure your deficit weekly and not daily. Add up 7 days worth of calories and divide this by 7 and this is your daily amount. You are at maintenance so it means you are not in a weekly deficit.

[air2fakie]

A week has passed, new measurements:

Waist 89.75 cm (up 1.5 cm from last week)
Weight 87.8 kg (up 0.9 kg from last week)
Fat caliper 13.75 mm (up 0.25 mm from last week)

Not good, not good at all. I've identified some pitfalls:

• Sleep. This is my biggest hindrance to cutting. The less I sleep the more waking hours there are for eating. And to make it worse I eat in order to fall asleep more easily. Solution: I've bought some stuff to more easily fall asleep, but won't get it before at least a couple weeks. And I should make it more of a habit to use a daylight lamp.
• Peanut butter. Seems like I overshoot my budget massively when having it. I should just stop it. Solution: Just stop buying it.
• People. There's much social eating. Like say I've just had evening food, but I get asked if I'd like some cause someone else is eating and there you have it, I'm eating again. Solution: This is tricky. Perhaps me first asking others if they wanna eat when I eat, so it's in sync.
• Hotel breakfasts. They're already paid for, it's eat all you'd like, and I've got no scales at the breakfast table. Dangerous combo. Solution: I should seriously look into airbnbs when I travel, if I can do so without it being too much hassle checking in and out, that'd be better. Cause at hotel breakfasts, I'll overshoot.
• Airplane travels. I eat a lot before entering the airport, without being hungry, cause food is so darn expensive in there. Solution. Find some lunch that passes through security.

When I am weekend travelling, I should also plan in advance some sort of meal plan, instead of having whatever's at hand. I should also buy some scales that are suited for travels, so I don't stop weighing.



When trying to cut and I'm on a roll, I can have many days in a row with net 1000 kcal. It usually backfires. I think a small deficit is the way to go, say 250 kcal or 500 kcal, something like that. That was what I was trying to say.

This is what I meant above by focusing on exactly what & how much of what you're eating, rather than how you're eating it. In the end, you're just playing whack-a-mole by swapping one bad habit for another.

While if you just focused in on calories for the exact food you put in your mouth, you'd lose weight no matter how, where & with whom you're eating it.

[klbbr]

This is what I meant above by focusing on exactly what & how much of what you're eating, rather than how you're eating it. In the end, you're just playing whack-a-mole by swapping one bad habit for another.

While if you just focused in on calories for the exact food you put in your mouth, you'd lose weight no matter how, where & with whom you're eating it.

Thanks for getting back to me! When I went travelling I stopped logging. Here's what it looks like when I am logging. I also exceed my calories when logging. My budget is 2100 kcal.

Tuesday 20 September 2022
2145 kcal (okay day)
135 fat
160 carbs
108 protein

11:50 Eating breakfast because I was hungry. Three fried eggs, and bacon. 0,5 liter coffee. And 1 liter kcal free iced tea.
13:39 hungry ish. Running for something to eat. Changing my mind. Making iced tea (didn't finish making it), might have a carrot if I feel I need to eat something. Should've had nicotine available.
17:44 working on the computer. Still not hungry. Even though the only thing I've eaten today is three fried eggs and bacon. Hunger level 3/10
17:46 Dinner
21:49 Hungry and went for grapes but got a pack of gum instead.
00:00 Been at the gym late today, too late, so this is the last meal of the day:
Beans, tomato and feta cheese (cause ran out of cottage cheese)
50 gram of oats for oat porridge, with fat. Wanted to have eggs, but had run out, so had two crisp bread with mackerel. Still hungry so had a couple carrots.
Later: belly rumbling. wondering if I should eat more to silence it and fall asleep


Wednesday 21 September 2022
2423 kcal (too much)
114 fat
204 carbs
131 protein

12:47 only had 0,5 l coffee and 0,75 L iced tea this afternoon. I'm not that hungry, but would've had eggs if had some.
13:08. Could go longer without food but ate now just to eat. Ate what I had. Oats with butter and protein shake. 471 kcal, of which 27 % is carbs. Really wanting to keep the carb count low now, to see if LCHF works. So kinda regretting oats. Would've had eggs if had any at hand. Making 1 l more iced tea.
14:40 wanted to eat but instead had there gums plus a ball.
16:29. Eating dinner. Kinda hungry but could’ve waited longer. Worked out today. Upper body. But only two sets cause I lack energy, and have for a long time
21:08. Eating now. Not that hungry but it's evening and if I eat and drink now I won't have to get up during the night cause I've drunk something too close to going to bed. Iced tea. Protein shake. Two crisp bread with mackerel. Wanted to have eggs or beans and tomato, but have run out. Opting for some rice porridge now with butter. I have eaten 1827 kcal today, aiming for 2100 kcal, but I am worried I won't be able to fall asleep if my belly isn't full so I'm going to exceed my budget today. Likely getting my sleep in order would be really great for my cutting. Sleeping 4-5 hours = more awake hours = more eating hours.
21:29. Maybe I'm good now, for the night. Only a small budget break (total 2322 kcal). But maybe I haven't eaten enough for the night, and I'll be hungry and can't sleep. I'm taking a 2 mg nicotine lozenge now, cause it helps some at staving off hunger.
23:05. Feeling some hunger. Had a carrot. And another one.
23:22. Having some bubble gum even though not hungry.
01:18. Went to bed. Going on a trip tomorrow, so tasted a mouthful of liquor to sample which bottle to bring. Hoping I'll fall asleep without needing to eat more. Eating night snacks to get a full belly to sleep better has been a habit. A really bad habit.


Thursday 22 September 2022
2340 kcal (too much)
142 fat
139 carbs
134 protein

I feel asleep last night, without needing to eat more. Hurray.
0900. Awake. Going for coffee. Didn't have eggs do didn't eat anything this morning. Wasn't hungry either.
12:00. Still not hungry. Bought eggs. Having three eggs and bacon and a protein shake, and iced tea and coffee. Eating at the table. Slowing down. Focusing on the food, smells, tastes etc to get a feeling that I've had a meal afterwards.
13:05. Not hungry but having gum to prevent future hunger.
20:10. Late dinner cause been flying today. Don't have travel scale, so kcals are guesstimates. Microwave dinner, salmon and potatoes. Elsewise two eggs: one fried, one boiled. An avocado. Crisp bread with smoke salmon. Half a kilo grapes. Thus far about 1881 kcal today.
23:47 aint that hungry but eating to easier fall asleep. One avocado. Two boiled eggs. That’ll bring me to 2340 kcal today. Ain’t that much over budget.


I think it's the days following this that I really overshot (Friday, Saturday, and especially Sunday). I had many stressful tasks, and little time to eat, and bags of nuts and restaurant dinners, and ... Not pretty those days. I think something that could help for such days would be to in advance prepare what I should eat, and then have those meals layed out, so I don't need to log them when I eat them, I could log them beforehand. That could be an option. Then I'd have to figure what "dry food" I could have at the hotel for such days, and eat that. Such as these meals, they're something I could have at the hotel if I swap the cheese for some jerked meat.

• Three crisp bread with mackerel. 450 kcal.
• Beans and a tomato and cottage cheese, and a protein shake. 400 kcal.

[air2fakie]

Thanks for getting back to me! When I went travelling I stopped logging. Here's what it looks like when I am logging. I also exceed my calories when logging. My budget is 2100 kcal.

Tuesday 20 September 2022
2145 kcal (okay day)
135 fat
160 carbs
108 protein

11:50 Eating breakfast because I was hungry. Three fried eggs, and bacon. 0,5 liter coffee. And 1 liter kcal free iced tea.
13:39 hungry ish. Running for something to eat. Changing my mind. Making iced tea (didn't finish making it), might have a carrot if I feel I need to eat something. Should've had nicotine available.
17:44 working on the computer. Still not hungry. Even though the only thing I've eaten today is three fried eggs and bacon. Hunger level 3/10
17:46 Dinner
21:49 Hungry and went for grapes but got a pack of gum instead.
00:00 Been at the gym late today, too late, so this is the last meal of the day:
Beans, tomato and feta cheese (cause ran out of cottage cheese)
50 gram of oats for oat porridge, with fat. Wanted to have eggs, but had run out, so had two crisp bread with mackerel. Still hungry so had a couple carrots.
Later: belly rumbling. wondering if I should eat more to silence it and fall asleep


Wednesday 21 September 2022
2423 kcal (too much)
114 fat
204 carbs
131 protein

12:47 only had 0,5 l coffee and 0,75 L iced tea this afternoon. I'm not that hungry, but would've had eggs if had some.
13:08. Could go longer without food but ate now just to eat. Ate what I had. Oats with butter and protein shake. 471 kcal, of which 27 % is carbs. Really wanting to keep the carb count low now, to see if LCHF works. So kinda regretting oats. Would've had eggs if had any at hand. Making 1 l more iced tea.
14:40 wanted to eat but instead had there gums plus a ball.
16:29. Eating dinner. Kinda hungry but could’ve waited longer. Worked out today. Upper body. But only two sets cause I lack energy, and have for a long time
21:08. Eating now. Not that hungry but it's evening and if I eat and drink now I won't have to get up during the night cause I've drunk something too close to going to bed. Iced tea. Protein shake. Two crisp bread with mackerel. Wanted to have eggs or beans and tomato, but have run out. Opting for some rice porridge now with butter. I have eaten 1827 kcal today, aiming for 2100 kcal, but I am worried I won't be able to fall asleep if my belly isn't full so I'm going to exceed my budget today. Likely getting my sleep in order would be really great for my cutting. Sleeping 4-5 hours = more awake hours = more eating hours.
21:29. Maybe I'm good now, for the night. Only a small budget break (total 2322 kcal). But maybe I haven't eaten enough for the night, and I'll be hungry and can't sleep. I'm taking a 2 mg nicotine lozenge now, cause it helps some at staving off hunger.
23:05. Feeling some hunger. Had a carrot. And another one.
23:22. Having some bubble gum even though not hungry.
01:18. Went to bed. Going on a trip tomorrow, so tasted a mouthful of liquor to sample which bottle to bring. Hoping I'll fall asleep without needing to eat more. Eating night snacks to get a full belly to sleep better has been a habit. A really bad habit.


Thursday 22 September 2022
2340 kcal (too much)
142 fat
139 carbs
134 protein

I feel asleep last night, without needing to eat more. Hurray.
0900. Awake. Going for coffee. Didn't have eggs do didn't eat anything this morning. Wasn't hungry either.
12:00. Still not hungry. Bought eggs. Having three eggs and bacon and a protein shake, and iced tea and coffee. Eating at the table. Slowing down. Focusing on the food, smells, tastes etc to get a feeling that I've had a meal afterwards.
13:05. Not hungry but having gum to prevent future hunger.
20:10. Late dinner cause been flying today. Don't have travel scale, so kcals are guesstimates. Microwave dinner, salmon and potatoes. Elsewise two eggs: one fried, one boiled. An avocado. Crisp bread with smoke salmon. Half a kilo grapes. Thus far about 1881 kcal today.
23:47 aint that hungry but eating to easier fall asleep. One avocado. Two boiled eggs. That’ll bring me to 2340 kcal today. Ain’t that much over budget.


I think it's the days following this that I really overshot (Friday, Saturday, and especially Sunday). I had many stressful tasks, and little time to eat, and bags of nuts and restaurant dinners, and ... Not pretty those days. I think something that could help for such days would be to in advance prepare what I should eat, and then have those meals layed out, so I don't need to log them when I eat them, I could log them beforehand. That could be an option. Then I'd have to figure what "dry food" I could have at the hotel for such days, and eat that. Such as these meals, they're something I could have at the hotel if I swap the cheese for some jerked meat.

• Three crisp bread with mackerel. 450 kcal.
• Beans and a tomato and cottage cheese, and a protein shake. 400 kcal.

I'm not sure what to say except that your food also counts when you're not logging. Any detailed log commentary & excuses are all irrelevant in terms of weight loss. It comes down to consistency & discipline. All you need to do is track ALL calories since you don't seem to be able to manage them any more casually than that.

[klbbr]

I've been in your situation before with travelling for work. I stuck by the rule that if I didn't know the calories in something, I wouldn't eat it. People shouldn't be influencing your food intake neither. It's not tricky. You're not obliged to eat just because someone else is. This just sounds like an excuse.

Thanks for the advice travelling and eating, and I looked at the scales you recommended in the other thread and ended up online shopping for this one:



I'll put it underneath my plate at the hotel breakfast, if I keep eating such breakfasts, and weigh the stuff I put on it without it seeming too queer. This travel scale will also (hopefully) keep me in the habit of tracking, because I tend to break that habit when travelling without scales, and alas not start up again immediately after travels. I'll hopefully (!) have this scale ready for my next travel. And likely I'll just have a light hotel breakfast, and set aside some food from the breakfast table for lunch, so then I'll feel the 30$ breakfast isn't for nothing. I also found a 24 hour open micro-sized gym next to the hotel, so I can lift some weights and boulder. Got some gym bands I'll bring there as well. I checked airbnbs that don't have breakfast, but if I go partying they had like get back before midnight policy, since it's only room-rentals they had. I'll also get myself more of the blenderbottles, to more easily get some protein when travelling.

There are approximately 3,500 calories in 1lb of fat. 3,500 divided by 7 days of the week = a 500 daily calorie deficit. 1lb of fatloss a week. It may seem slow but this is probably the best way to achieve consistent progress for the vast, vast majority of people. To me, you have lost sight of this.

Agree! Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. I try to have a deficit of say 250-500 kcal per day. 2100 kcal seems about right, though maybe it's too low. In the past I've had weeks with a daily deficit of 1000-1500 kcal and that has backfired massively later.

[klbbr]

It comes down to consistency & discipline.

Yes, precisely. This is what I lack, and have lacked since 2019. Before that it all came so easy. So all the tips and stuff I am writing about in this thread are tweaks to make it easier to get discipline when the motivation isn't high enough by itself. That said I am getting depression treatment and if I succeed the motivation will be waaaay higher, and it'll be smooth sailing henceforth.

I'm not sure what to say except that your food also counts when you're not logging. Any detailed log commentary & excuses are all irrelevant in terms of weight loss. It comes down to consistency & discipline. All you need to do is track ALL calories since you don't seem to be able to manage them any more casually than that.

I think what you are saying about logging is key. The days following the detailed log I'm guessing I had 4000 kcal daily or something. And a way to solve that could be having had laid out my meals in advance, so I can log them without scales. Hoping next week will be better than the previous, and if the scales arrive in the mail before the weekend travel, it'll be easier to log.

Any detailed log commentary & excuses are all irrelevant in terms of weight loss.

Whatever can spur change is relevant. If it weren't for my detailed log I wouldn't have bought travel scales, wouldn't have bought the stuff for making sleep better, wouldn't have ... When motivation isn't enough by itself to have discipline then one needs to identify stuff holding one back, and change it.

[klbbr]

Another week. I am not sure whether I've gotten leaner or I'm the same. I doubt I have gotten fatter at least, since I trust weight and waist more than that fat caliper.

Waist 89.25 cm (down 0.5 cm from last week)
Weight 87.1 kg (down 0.7 kg from last week)
Fat caliper 14.25 mm (up 0.5 mm from last week)

I have exceeded my cutting budget with 5587 kcal since my week here runs from Tuesday to Monday (4262 Tuesday and rest of week + 1325 Monday) . I'll make the next week Monday to Sunday.


In before "to succeed you gotta stick to budget", well sticking to budget is what's hard. There's this new science article that underlines what everyone is saying: it doesn't matter what diet you follow if your macros and kcal are the same you can have waffles, pizza, bagels, whatever. But the same science article also shows even though yes surely a given deficit = a given weight loss, people who are in the whole foods group are to a MUCH LARGER extent able to follow the diet and not drop out compared to those who eat acellular (i.e. more ultra-processed food)
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retr...614(22)00322-3

Some conclusions after the week:
• Don't eat fast. Having just eaten 696 kcal for breakfast and wanting more, it's a good idea to just wait 10 minutes. If still wanting more, well "fine", but waiting and letting the food sink can make the hunger go away. So if really craving some food you can make the food, and say sure I'll have it, in 10 minutes. And as those minutes pass chances are you won't crave it as bad anymore, and let it be.
• Travel scale is good to have. That Joseph Joseph scale I posted a pic of here is really handy to have. You can even eat with it under your plate.
• Stocking the fridge seems also important to be aware of. On several days when my budget has exploded I've run out of stuff that I really wanted, such as bacon and eggs for breakfast. I'll likely not build a new habit right away, but working towards always having the essentials stocked seems key to weight loss.
• Set times for meals is likely good. Though this habit won't be built right away. I'm trying to find the best times for meals, and I'm thinking the evening meal at least shouldn't be too late. If eating heavy right before going to bed, then I'd wake up very not-hungry. And hunger never bothers me in the morning any case. I can ignore hunger in the morning if I want. It's sleeping on an empty stomach that's hard. So finding the best time for the evening meal is something to do. Pushing it as early as I can without it being so early I'll need a bedtime meal. Same goes with drinking. Drinking can make you more full, and the earlier the evening meal the more you can drink. I'll try to make evening meals be around 21:00 or 21:30. And drinking before that even though not thirsty.
• Calorie bombs on the counter makes it tough to stay on budget. Out of sight is out of mind.

Liver pate seems to not be that good for satiety for me. But it's not been many days I have had it. I'm still eating to more easily fall asleep, so getting the sleep in order will likely do good. Still waiting for that device from amazon regarding that. I have bought a 5 liter meal-container box that I might put the evening meal in, after having had breakfast and dinner, then I'll know what I'll have come evening in that prepped box. Maybe I'll experiment with it. The advantage would be opening that box on an empty stomach instead of opening the fridge going "mmm what do I fancy the most?"

I should have more bubble gum and more carrots throughout the days. I have mostly managed to stick to three meals per day. I should do more to compare different breakfasts. Eggs and bacon; crisp bread with mackerel; beans, tomato and cottage cheese; oat porridge with butter and seeds and a protein shake.

[klbbr]

Just shoot me. New results:

Waist 89.25 cm (the same as last week, thank goodness)
Weight 88.2 kg (up 1.1 kg from last week)
Fat caliper 17 mm (up 2.75 mm from last week)

Maybe what I am trying now (i.e. eating three meals) just isn't working for me. I've used to eat whenever I felt for it, in smaller portions, small enough they don't qualify as being called "a meal", like five or six times a day, except dinner. Now I try to get my eating done at three times during the day and it's not working. Usually I have eaten carrots in between meals, that I haven't done this week.

This week


The social days are only rough guesstimates for kcal.

Troubleshooting:
• Party-eating. This is the worst. You've got your scales, you've got something of a meal plan. In walks a politician, doctor and lawyer; the table is set with appetizer, dinner and dessert. Friends of the family are invited. Cloth on the table. Wine in the glass. And I just won't put my travel scales on the table and weigh stuff, no way. The worst thing about such meals is it's low protein, and contains a lot of sugar, which makes for a belly, not a six pack. I'm not sure what's the best solution for such meals: Eating a lot of protein rich food before the actual meal, like having some beans and then only one portion of dinner? That would still be considered rude, people having spent hours making it, local ingredients and all. Most of the time the food doesn't tempt me much, so mostly I'm not eating out of temptation but rather not to be anti-social. Like when someone has picked berries on the mountain and they've served you a bowl of ice cream with berries.

• Some progress on social breakfasts. I used to get to the table when invited and eat with the others. Bread, bread, bread; which is what the breakfast is centered around. Now I rather ask everyone at the table whether they want fried eggs. Then I fry eggs for all who want while they eat, and when eggs and bacon are done they're almost half-way through their meal, so I can have my three eggs and bacon, and serve them, and dodge the bread. But the meal lasts forever, and "you gotta taste this" that they made themselves, so usually it's more than three eggs. But maybe next week I should try to also boil tea as a fix. Then I'd be busy with that after having had my eggs. Maybe I could also fry eggs for them and bacon for them first, and then my bacon at the end, cutting away more eating time for me.

• Still eating out of sync. I wake up, and I'm offered breakfast. I'm expected to eat breakfast. I have had a very late meal day before because my sleep is poor, so my stomach is full come morning: I don't need an early breakfast. This is unique to the place I'm staying now, at extended family. I have taken steps to get the device for better sleeping, which may go some way to solve this. Likely it'll arrive within two weeks or so. And not only do I fall asleep late, but also wake up early. So more waking hours = more hungry hours. I should really make a habit of logging all days I hit the sack before midnight. Aiming to make that 7/7 days.

• Chocolate on the table. This is the only one that truly tempts me. I have tried buying grapes and putting that on the table, pre-emptively. I rarely eat grapes so I can handle that temptation, and if they're already grapes there people are less likely to put chocolate there. That's the only fix I have for that. But I still have had way to much. Won't be any parties with chocolate on the table this week, thankfully.

Maybe I should make a habit out of guessing what stuff weigh before I check the result on my travel scales. That way I'd learn what stuff weighs, and would be able to guesstimate well and log calories even when I'm not having the scales at hand.

[Badeaion]

I'm new here, but can't refrain from saying this: I think you're having way too much carbs while trying to shed pounds. I wonder why nobody pointed to this yet. When there is an excess in calories, the body doesn't care where it comes from (carbs, fat, or protein), i will just convert the carbs into fat.

[SuffolkPunch]

I'm new here, but can't refrain from saying this: I think you're having way too much carbs while trying to shed pounds. I wonder why nobody pointed to this yet. When there is an excess in calories, the body doesn't care where it comes from (carbs, fat, or protein), i will just convert the carbs into fat.

They didn't mention it because it doesn't matter. An excess of calories from any source will lead to weight gain. A calorie defecit will lead to weight loss - regardless of carbs.

People very commonly misunderstand the processing of different macronutrients thinking that different compositions will lead to more or less fat loss for the same calories. However acute use of carbs vs. fat is irrelevant in the longer term picture when calorie balance is equated.

[sunsean]

It sounds like you are dancing around and way over complicating things. As someone said before, it basically comes down to discipline. If your diet is failing because of social eating and chocolate temptations, you are simply not sticking to your diet. There are no mental gymnastics you can perform that will get around the basic principle of weight loss: you have to be in a caloric deficit.

That means politely passing when other people offer you food. That means not having the chocolate there to tempt you. That means knowing what your TDEE is and eating below that consistently every day. If you lift and have higher protein requirements, there’s not a lot of wiggle room in your diet. You need to hit your protein minimum while staying under your TDEE, which limits the type and amount of food you can eat. If you want real results you have to commit.

[RosalynNewton]

It only can happen with supplements or tablets ,as there is no natural way to get body cuts

[Memphis94]

I found for myself as a competitor of course depending on how much you want to lose, but I believe Lee Priest puts it down easy.

Train hard, low fats, low carbs, high protein and plenty of cardio.

Burn more than you eat and you'll see the weight drop.

I don't count calories or carbs until I'm 3 months out from a show.

As well as if you can deal with it eat the same exact meals over and over again.