Thank you @tamado, I'm really happy to be here!
The logging is awesome! It's making an incredible difference in my efforts.
I do have a question though, if anyone has the time. How big of a daily deficit is too big? My daily deficit runs from 1400 to 2200 each day. My family is concerned about this, but I'm not. (I apologize for this being so long, if you make it all the way through you're my hero 🙂 )
Their argument is that it's crazy to have that much of a deficit, and that I'll hurt myself, but I feel amazing. I'm currently averaging 60 active minutes a day (yesterday was 74) and doing weight training and cardio. I'm eating a normal amount for a healthy female of my height. The only difference is that I'm active now. I log everything, no cheating, and I am moving as much as possible.
A little background - I am 5'3" and in my younger life I was extremely active. I was a dog trainer, Veterinary Assistant, and I loved to run, hike, etc. The Vet I worked for the longest also did boarding, and the kennels were in the basement (beautiful, well-ventilated, warm basement - not creepy serial killer basement!) and we were often full which meant 50+ trips up and down the stairs twice a day to take them to the outdoor kennels and then bring them back in on my shift. Then there was lifting dogs on the tables, carrying massive bags of dog food to customers vehicles (dog food was also stored in the basement), etc. Plus controlling unruly, hyperactive, giant breed pups (and sometimes adults) who outweighed me (often by 100+ pounds) when training or just walking them.
When I got sick almost 10 years ago, no one knew what was really wrong with me for the first 3 years. I would pass out for no reason (mid sentence even), my entire left side would be numb, I had a constant level 7 headache, etc. I couldn't work and they kept trying different medications (all tests were normal) and the side effects were awful. Then they decided I had epilepsy. The medication was worse than the illness and I often had to crawl to the bathroom because I was so dizzy I couldn't stand up. Exercise? Eh, no thank you.
So I became incredibly sedentary, basically bed-ridden. I gained well over 100 pounds in a shocking amount of time and there was nothing I could do about it. They would tell me to eat less - my husband and I would tell them I don't eat much as it is. They would tell me to exercise - my husband and I would ask how, since he spent a lot of time walking behind me so he could catch me when I fell (which was often). They would shake their heads and say nothing else.
I titrated my meds down (against medical advice) believing that the seizures were easier to deal with than the meds, and they were. I lost 50 pounds and was doing great. Then they found that I had kidney cancer and I was immediately told to stop exercising. They removed my right kidney and said NO EXERCISE for a year. Guess what happened to the 50 pounds I lost? Yep.
Depression followed, and things did not improve, but I am finally coming out of the fog.
So.... here I am again, and my family is concerned that I am creating too much of a deficit, but I don't believe I am. I feel great. I'm not dizzy or exhausted. I increase activity a little more every day and it's going so well.
I certainly don't want to hurt myself, I've spent enough time down, but I'm eating well and moving more than I have in a very long time. What I eat now is about the same as what I ate back when I was healthy. Am I wrong? Do I need to force myself to eat more and close the deficit?
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