Update on Kirsten in episode 499?
I'm addicted to your podcosts and listen to them daily. I would love for you to occasionally do update episodes with past coaching call people. I think your advice is always amazing, and I always wonder how it worked out for the people. I'm especially interested in Kirsten in episode 499. We sound almost identical. I'm 57", 5'2" and averaging 138 lbs trying to lose about another 5 lbs with no success, after having lost 45 lbs over the past 1.5 years. I lost on 1300 calories, maintain on 1600 calories and cannot seem to eat at 1200 calories and not be hungry despite my protein intake. I'm wondering if Kirsten successfully lost the few pounds she was working on. 3-5 lbs doesn't seem like it would make a difference, but to us short gals, it really does. Every 10 lbs puts us in a different clothing size. I'm currently a size 6/8. 8's are a bit too loose, 6's are a bit too tight. Losing another 5 lbs would put me firmly at a size 6. Ordering items online always requires me to buy both sizes since I don't know which will fit better. 5 lbs would make a big difference. I'm currently eating at maintenance, planning to wait until the colder weather is over (because I'm hungrier in the winter) and then attempt 1200 calories again since 1300 doesn't seem to do the job anymore at my current weight. Would love to connect with Kirsten or get an update from you. Thank you for your amazing podcasts! Martha
Body dismorphia
I’m not maintenance now for about a month. Been fat pretty much all my life except high school and college when I took diet pills. I’m now 76 and thanks in great part to your podcasts I think I’ve finally figured out what maintenance looks like. What I haven’t yet figured out is what I look like. When will my brain catch up. Will I always be a fatty in my head? I see myself in mirrors and windows and I don’t know who I am. Am I only my (over)weight?
My lower brain is strangely silent
Hi Heather - I'm 68 years old with a 50-year history of yo-yo dieting. I've been on every diet imaginable and, as I've heard you discuss on your invaluable podcast and YouTube episodes, I've been extremely successful at losing weight, but when it came keeping it off for more than a few days or weeks, not so much. I invested lots of time, money and angst in all these diets, expecting each time that this is it. I'm losing the weight. Losing and regaining at least 500 lbs over the course of my adult life should have taught me that the diet approach doesn't work without addressing the habits that don't support my goals and adopting a maintenance mindset, but that didn't happen until I discovered your podcast late last year. Because of the encouragement and hope you offer in every episode and your recommendation to read Dr. Yoni Freedhoff's book, The Diet Fix, I've made adjustments to my eating plan so that I consume enough protein at every meal and snack to avoid the "white knuckle," "I'm starving" feeling while maintaining a 500 calorie a day deficit. Almost immediately upon making this simple change (adding 5-15 grams of protein to each meal and eating every 3-4 hours), my "lower brain" quieted and all my cravings went away. I once had a diet coach refer to this as "food peace" and that's what this feels like: a state of contentment in which sticking to my 1400 calories a day allotment is quite do-able. The problem (and I'm almost ashamed to call it a problem) that I now find myself in is that it's a rare occasion that menu items that I used to enjoy for dinner sound particularly good. It's like going to a restaurant for the first time and scanning the menu for something that will "hit the spot," and that spot doesn't seem to be there anymore, or it's a MUCH smaller target than it used to be. It makes meal planning a little challenging because I don't have an appetite or a lower brain making any demands about what it wants to be fed, but this is something I've never experienced before. I seem to be stuck in a strange, food-neutral, mental place, where I've been for over a month. I've tried several new, flavorful recipes to try to "un-stick" myself, but nothing seems to make a difference. I realize that the small adjustments I've made to consume more protein can help suppress my appetite, and in a sense it's a nice problem to have, but I'd like to derive more enjoyment from the food I consume, and I don't know how to go about doing that. Any suggestions? On a personal note, I thank you for all the time and effort you have put into Half Size Me. You may not often hear back from those of us in your listening audience, but you have changed a lot of lives, mine included, so thank you for all you do. ~ Wendy
Weight gain and back injury
Hi Heather I am 44 years old in the last 6 months I have started having back problems and have not been able to exercise. I had a mri and have 3 herniated discs and bulging discs . Four years ago I lost 40 pounds and felt great I have regained all my weight and feel stuck. I am so afraid that I will keep gaining especially since my activity level is very little. Any advice is appreciated. I am a long time listener of your podcast and love it . Thank you
The last 20 pounds
Hi Heather, People always talk about "the last 10 pounds", but I've been stalled with 20 pounds left to lose for about a year now. I religiously count calories using MyFitnessPal and find it difficult to stay at 1500, which mathematically is the only way for me to lose a quarter to a half pound per week. I find myself going over by about 250-300 calories 3 to 4 days a week, which basically keeps my weight at a standstill (and that's with 10,000 steps every day). I'm not looking for fast weight loss, but it's frustrating to be on a hamster wheel with no progress for so long. The calories add up so fast - one extra snack and I make no progress. You're always so helpful, so I'm wondering if you have any suggestions for this dilemma. Thanks so much! Sharon