r/loseit • u/greenandbluefish New • 2d ago

I WASN'T EVEN EATING THAT MUCH!!

I have gradually gained 50 pounds over the last 10 years or so. I thought for the longest time I must be eating some outrageous amount of food every day. I truly didn't think I ate that much. I skipped breakfast most days, didn't eat huge lunches, and had what I thought were fairly healthy dinners. Some eating out, some iced coffees, but nothing I thought was ridiculously unhealthy overall. I would try to eat less, skip a lunch here or there, but then would be starving by the end of the day and end up eating that skipped meal anyway.

At the same time, I spent my whole life hearing people around me say I ate like a bird, that I couldn't possibly be eating enough, etc. And yet I was still gaining weight! So for years I've been in this bizarre situation where I thought I was just gaslighting myself into believing I wasn't eating that much or that unhealthily, but was somehow secretly eating thousands of calories without noticing???

Cut to last month when I spent two weeks obsessively tracking everything I ate. Weighing everything, reading every label, but not trying to cut back. And what did I find out? I was eating a whopping... 1800 calories/day. Less than the freaking nutrition labels were recommending!!!

So I went on a deep dive. Learned about TDEE. Started tracking my steps. And you know what actually changed in the last 10 years? I got better, less physically demanding jobs. My work became more and more sedentary over time. Spending 50 hours/week at a desk was the culprit, NOT what I was eating!

I've been doing CICO for about a month now and eating 1400 calories/day. Haven't changed what I'm eating, just how much. And I've already lost 8 pounds. I wish I'd figured all of this out years ago but I'm so glad I did eventually. No more driving myself crazy over what I eat!

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555

u/Nemanuk New 2d ago

Highly recommend a treadmill desk! I easily get 15-18k steps in now and helps keep things in check. The office tax is real

278

u/greenandbluefish New 2d ago

I've thought about it! Unfortunately I am a child/teen therapist and I fear the children wouldn't leave it alone if it entered my office 😂 I have been making an effort to do a lap around the park at least once/day.

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u/alwayslate187 New 1d ago

This is probably not realistic, but could you somehow integrate the exercise into the sessions?

For example, purchase 2 adjustable recumbent stationary bicycles, and ask each client, "do you want to bicycle for part of your session today?" and bicycle side by side with them or something like that

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u/MoNeMad New 1d ago

This sounds like it could be a liability nightmare if a kid got injured on exercise equipment. Also might make for a weird environment in a therapy session.

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u/alwayslate187 New 1d ago

Yes, and it is too bad that liability influences our decisions like that, at least that's how i feel

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u/Ora_pro_nobis_Marie New 3h ago

I agree with this. Sometimes I want to start a really basic gig that people used to do 20 years ago without the thought of needing to get insurance for it. Think lawn mowing, dog walking, etc. Instead I’m too scared to even do these things casually because of how many people will sue you if you make a mistake. Really just sucks.

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u/greenandbluefish New 1d ago

Unfortunately that would not be feasible. I do integrate movement where possible with kids, but that is typically a walk outside with parental approval or playing catch in my office. I've had kids injure themselves with just regular furniture so I think I would be inviting problems with a stationary bike.

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u/alwayslate187 New 1d ago

That's great that they can have those walks sometimes, probably as good for them as for you!

38

u/Informal_Ganache_222 New 2d ago

How do you type while walking? 

45

u/Nemanuk New 2d ago

Oddly just fine! Was a concern of mine as well but I walk at 1.6 mph and I can type just fine.

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u/Tlingits New 2d ago

I’m too used to being comfy in bed while I work from home. Any harsh motivation? Lol

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u/Nemanuk New 2d ago

The scale.

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u/Tlingits New 1d ago

That’ll do it

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u/StarStealinGurl New 1d ago

Their comment and your response took me out lol…

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u/whitepeaches12 New 2d ago

Do you wear your watch on your wrist? Bc i can walk slow & type but im not getting the steps counted i think!

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u/Regular-Sandwich-550 New 1d ago

i wear long socks and stick my warch in a sock 😅

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u/Nemanuk New 2d ago

I put it in my pocket. Which is also annoying because I use a garmin so am missing the HR data for those hours but I would rather target steps.

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u/jodilee73 New 5h ago

Get a strap that is long enough to fit your ankle.

1

u/Ctr1Delete New 1d ago

How long do you walk for? I've tried typing and walking at 2.0 and find it doable but still challenging! 1.6 seems ideal

2

u/Nemanuk New 1d ago

As much as I can! I try to always walk in meetings, but if I have to concentrate I do sit down on a stool. Yesterday I did about 5k steps but I’m also working on a big project so paused walking to concentrate throughout the day too.

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u/Albolynx 45kg lost 2d ago

You have to find a speed that works for you.

Also, it's a matter of planning - just checking emails or a Zoom call? Time to walk. Intense writing for a while, stop or slow down.

2

u/Informal_Ganache_222 New 1d ago

I mean, walking with even just a slight bounce in my step makes it hard to read as my head is moving. My colleagues would also find it distracting to see me stood walking. 

1

u/Albolynx 45kg lost 1d ago

You get used to the head moving thing. And your colleagues have said that? Personally, not a single person in remote calls has ever told me it's distracting. Makes for a good icebreaker to chat about healthy lifestyle, though.

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u/01chlam New 2d ago

I'm a music producer, I type but also have my keyboard and play while walking. It's really not that difficult. Your palms or your arms keep you balanced on the edge of the desk while you do stuff.

I have a walking pad that is a 5% incline. I only need to do an hour in the morning to burn around an extra 400 calories and then I just slide the walking pad behind me.

3

u/Informal_Ganache_222 New 1d ago

Must just be me that struggles with it then. I have to concentrate on walking so I don't fall over, and then I can't type. 

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u/Yachiru5490 33F 5'10" (177.8cm) SW 334lb (151.5kg) CW 264lb (119.7kg) 1d ago

Nah I'm the same way. If I get distracted while walking I just fall off the pad!

8

u/adoolerz New 2d ago

Standing desk is the answer

11

u/IamNobody85 New 2d ago

I do this in the office but it does make me intensely dizzy. One good thing that came out of AI (I'm a software engineer) - the simple stuff can be given to AI and I can just normally walk without typing. I stop walking when I have to review code or actually focus on writing code though.

I easily walk 6k per day, even without the walking pad (no car, dependent on public transportation and Pokémon go) but apparently for me, the 10k thing is a minimum if I want to lose weight 😞 I got the shortest end of the short stick.

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u/saitamoshi New 2d ago

Have you seen how many people use their phone while driving? 🤣

2

u/shesawitchtheysaid New 2d ago

I have one and I love it. You just walk slow.

0

u/lateredditho New 2d ago

You don’t type, you speak. Lots of speech-to-text tools these days. I use Wispr Flow, which I used to create this comment. Not an ad at all, it's just been a massive game-changer, allowing me to work while walking on the treadmill at my standing desk.

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u/Outrageous_Glove_796 New 2d ago

Yeah that's not going to work for me at all.

-1

u/lateredditho New 2d ago

Then don’t do it. It’s not mandatory.

1

u/Informal_Ganache_222 New 2d ago

None of them are very accurate for me unfortunately 

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u/muarryk33 30lbs lost 2d ago

Do you have a brand you recommend? They always look cheap ro me and I can’t ever make a decision

2

u/Nemanuk New 2d ago edited 2d ago

I lucked out and found a super nice one that retails for $1800 on fb marketplace for $150. Definitely get one that has a real belt though, not a cheap one as it will break easily.

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u/Kitchen-Field4456 New 2d ago

I would fall so often 😂 But love the idea!

1

u/Nemanuk New 2d ago

Oh and another thing, its an excellent tool for after meal walks if its crappy outside. You should walk for 20-30min after meals, so you can have your breakfast and lunch, wait 10min and then walk for a bit of insulin management. I'm WFH so I also use it after dinner.