Muscle vs Fat loss
Hi Heather!! I am working to lose weight. While reducing calories, I look to maintain daily protein intake of 130g of protein. I’m 5’5 and eating average 1800 calories. I use a body scanner at my gym (InBody brand) and while my weight is dropping the analysis shows I’m losing muscle mass and percent body fat is going up. Do you think those scanners are just too inaccurate to give much consideration? I’m walking and working out and feel like my calories and protein are ok. I have only been at this for about 6wks. What do you think?
Should I still do the maintenance challenge?
Dear Heather, thank you as always for being one of the wisest, most sensible voices in the weight loss wilderness. All the materials you've made available through the Halfsizeme community have helped me so much over the past few years. My Mom passed away at the end of November and I put on 25 lbs, which brought me very close to my highest-ever weight again, 385 lbs. By the beginning of March, I had reined in the binge and dropped 13 lbs. I rejoined the Halfsizeme community and decided to join your May maintenance challenge. If I had stayed on track, I would have been somewhere in the 350s for the challenge, which is the most weight I can carry and still be truly mobile, feel clean after showering, fit comfortably in the car, etc. My problem is that a family conflict related to Mom's death derailed me again in March and I regained everything. Now I'm back on good habits and have relost 8 lbs. But that means by the time the challenge starts, I will still be in the 370s. I feel like the priority, now that I am back on track again with healthy habits, should be to get down to the 350s (probably by July) and then try to maintain for a month--but I will miss out on the challenge then. :( What is your advice? Could I audit the challenge so I know what to do when I'm ready? Or is it worth the risk and discomfort of staying at this weight so I don't miss out on this experience of learning to maintain with the group? Thanks in advance for your advice, Heather! Very much appreciated.
Define binge?
Hello, Heather! I LOVE your podcasts and your seemingly infinite wisdom surrounding eating and weight loss (and weight maintenance!). Can you define bingeing? Sometimes I overeat (maybe 300 calories or 400 in a day) but I've often wondered if that is considered a binge? Is the definition different for different people? I'm nearly 60 years old, 5 feet and one half inch tall and weigh (as of today) 159.1 pounds. I'm staying around 1300 calories and am losing about 2-3 pounds per month. I would say I'm lightly active (walk about 1.5 miles per day most days). I haven't overeaten (binged?) as much since I've followed your paper pencil plan!
Should I make any changes going into Menopause?
I have about 10 lbs left to lose and I am entering menopause (I was on birth control until a few months ago and I think that masked the signs of peri-menopause). I am wondering if some cravings and weight fluctuations I have are due to hormonal changes. Are there any changes I should make in my weight loss program due to menopause (currently using the Lose-it app and have lost 25 lbs in the past year, I attribute much of that to finding your podcast 9 months ago). Thank you so much for all you do. I am a therapist and I am recommending your podcast to all clients trying to lose weight. Best, Jess