Losing Weight in 2016

[elaine amj]

@dougules Thanks so much for sharing what has worked for you! I have been learning that budgeting in for splurges can be extremely helpful. And like you said - slow and steady wins the race! I think you are right in that it is rare for someone to make it the whole way with no "slipups", deviations from "the plan", or plateaus. I feel accepting that and working it into your overall plans is important for long term success.

On my recent weeklong vacation, I ate anything and everything I wanted. But I also walked a lot. I put on 2 lbs but a week later, dropped 3 lbs. That went well from a mental perspective and I was happy and on track. Unfortunately, a week later, I had the TOM cravings and refused to acknowledge it or allow myself some leeway. I ended up binging badly and went on a downward spiral for a few days. I then also decided that I was good enough at estimating to quit logging strictly. Well - it wasn't pretty and I've had a lot of hard work to get myself back to "normal" again.

@sunnyca You CAN do this! :) Looking forward to hearing your future reports of success. Remember, every day is a brand new day.

@alleykat It's tough to change habits, especially with the mindless eating. That's awesome that you're getting better! Maybe start planning snacks for the evenings? That way, you still have your snacks but it's not mindless eating. Put together things that are delicious and that you look forward to eating.

[StarBright]

Blech- I didn't plan well this week and didn't buy enough fruit or salad. And I basically forgot to buy myself anything for lunch - I somehow manage to plan everyone else's lunches but not my own.

Today I ate a croissant, chips and salsa, a tablespoon of chocolate chips with a marshmallow and a single serving of guacamole eaten with my finger. I am officially gross :)

Ahh well - I shop again on Saturday and will plan better. Up until today I had been doing a nice job on cutting out carbs at snack time. I was feeling way less bloated.

Also re my previous post on getting exercise - I should have worded it better - exercise is wonderful and good for you and everyone should do it because it makes your body stronger! It was more the idea of exercising specifically to burn calories to help with weight loss that is starting to be seen as not very helpful. By All Means - Get out there and get moving, your knees and hips will thank you for it :)

[Bee21]

Keep up everybody!

Ate only 1 bag of pretzels this week :) the emergency carrots helped. It is the crunch factor i need. Plus the saltiness, but that has to go. Actually, i realize now that this pretzel habit is a replacement of the chips habit i used to have. At least a bit lower in fat but still bad. I tried popcorn, but didn't react well to it. I might try to pop some in a brown bag in the office microwawe, but i think i'll have to establish a carrot habit instead. eating-wise wednesday was the best so far this week.

I still hate myself for getting this fat.

Stressful times are coming at work, so i have to plan for that. I Always eat when stressed. At least the kids finally sleep through the night and are less annoying on a daily basis, so there is no stress factor at home.

[RedmondStash]

Today, with various stressors and availability of junk food, I fell face-first into a pile of chocolate-covered peanut butter cups and then a pile of chocolate cake. BUT -- with my new reduced snacking and eating habits, and a slightly increased ability to rein myself in and not overdo on the delicious treats, I still stayed within my calorie goal for the day. So I'm feeling pretty good about that.

Of course, tomorrow is another day. The peanut butter cups are still there.

At least I've managed to avoid the chips bin for weeks now. I've gotten into the habit of a midmorning snack of plain yogurt sweetened with stevia and vanilla powder.

Habits really work, yo.

[PMG]

Keep up everybody!

Ate only 1 bag of pretzels this week :) the emergency carrots helped. It is the crunch factor i need. Plus the saltiness, but that has to go. Actually, i realize now that this pretzel habit is a replacement of the chips habit i used to have. At least a bit lower in fat but still bad. I tried popcorn, but didn't react well to it. I might try to pop some in a brown bag in the office microwawe, but i think i'll have to establish a carrot habit instead. eating-wise wednesday was the best so far this week.

I still hate myself for getting this fat.

Stressful times are coming at work, so i have to plan for that. I Always eat when stressed. At least the kids finally sleep through the night and are less annoying on a daily basis, so there is no stress factor at home.

Lurker here.

Salty snacks are my weakness. I eat a lot of carrots with humus.  By themselves carrots are lovely but sweet, humus ups the salty/ savory and works for me while still being low calorie and actually full of things my body needs.

[elaine amj]

Today, with various stressors and availability of junk food, I fell face-first into a pile of chocolate-covered peanut butter cups and then a pile of chocolate cake. BUT -- with my new reduced snacking and eating habits, and a slightly increased ability to rein myself in and not overdo on the delicious treats, I still stayed within my calorie goal for the day. So I'm feeling pretty good about that.

Of course, tomorrow is another day. The peanut butter cups are still there.

At least I've managed to avoid the chips bin for weeks now. I've gotten into the habit of a midmorning snack of plain yogurt sweetened with stevia and vanilla powder.

Habits really work, yo.

That's AWESOME that you still stayed within your calories. Maybe next time, just fit a couple of them into your calories and then add some fresh fruit or veggies as snacks. It helped when I was consciously trying to increase my fruits and veggies (rather than decrease treats). Mindset was different.

That said, I am STILL trying to get my brain the accept that fruits are SO GOOD and should be considered wonderful, decadent treats. They really are - so it's terrible that I can only accept treats to be stuff like ice cream, cookies, and cake. Maybe I need to get a Japanese attitude....look how expensive beautiful fruit are!

[Frugal Lizard]

I need to get my head out of the sand and join you folks.  You are making progress and are so helping each other.  It is time to stop pretending that my volume is not increasing.
I just got off the scale.  I weighed 138 pounds.  I am 5'-5.  I don`t look particularly fat but I weigh 24 pounds more than I did six months after my second child.  She turned 12 today and I am feeling like I got to get this under control.  If I continue to gain 2 pounds a year for the rest of my life, my hips and knees won`t be able to carry me.  I don`t think I was a healthy weight when I got married (104lbs) or even after my first born (107lbs).  Too skinny.  But now - I have tummy flap.  I am more muscular from doing some physical work.  I think I would be healthy and strong at 120 pounds. 
I am celiac and when I finally got diagnosed at 25 I weighed 98 lbs and could barely function.  I got colds all the time. 
I don`t get sick as often now and I can do real work that makes me feel great.  I think I feel that because there is so much I can`t eat, I eat lots of what I can.  I cut out soft drinks after Christmas and haven`t seen much of a change in shape but I have been too afraid to get on the scale for two years now.
My body shape is affecting my life.  Time to do something about it.  Reading the thread has given me the courage to join in.  Thank you

[RedmondStash]

That's AWESOME that you still stayed within your calories. Maybe next time, just fit a couple of them into your calories and then add some fresh fruit or veggies as snacks. It helped when I was consciously trying to increase my fruits and veggies (rather than decrease treats). Mindset was different.

That said, I am STILL trying to get my brain the accept that fruits are SO GOOD and should be considered wonderful, decadent treats. They really are - so it's terrible that I can only accept treats to be stuff like ice cream, cookies, and cake. Maybe I need to get a Japanese attitude....look how expensive beautiful fruit are!

Yeah, yesterday was an especially cravy day for some reason. A confluence of stressors. I do try to keep berries and carrot sticks at work. Sometimes I even actually eat them. :D

I consider processed sugar to be an addictive substance, which explains why desserts appeal more than fruit. There are days when the addiction is a bigger struggle than others. Mostly what I try to do is give myself permission to really indulge from time to time, but refuse to feel guilty or bad about it. I made that choice; I own it. Tomorrow is a new day for new choices.

I need to get my head out of the sand and join you folks.  You are making progress and are so helping each other.  It is time to stop pretending that my volume is not increasing.
I just got off the scale.  I weighed 138 pounds.  I am 5'-5.  I don`t look particularly fat but I weigh 24 pounds more than I did six months after my second child.  She turned 12 today and I am feeling like I got to get this under control.  If I continue to gain 2 pounds a year for the rest of my life, my hips and knees won`t be able to carry me.  I don`t think I was a healthy weight when I got married (104lbs) or even after my first born (107lbs).  Too skinny.  But now - I have tummy flap.  I am more muscular from doing some physical work.  I think I would be healthy and strong at 120 pounds. 
I am celiac and when I finally got diagnosed at 25 I weighed 98 lbs and could barely function.  I got colds all the time. 
I don`t get sick as often now and I can do real work that makes me feel great.  I think I feel that because there is so much I can`t eat, I eat lots of what I can.  I cut out soft drinks after Christmas and haven`t seen much of a change in shape but I have been too afraid to get on the scale for two years now.
My body shape is affecting my life.  Time to do something about it.  Reading the thread has given me the courage to join in.  Thank you

Best of luck to you, Frugal Lizard. This is hard work. Funny how sharing it with other people makes it just a little easier.

It took me a long time and a lot of different strategies to hit on one that works for me, and even that works only intermittently. I hope you find an approach that works well for you.

[alleykat]

Well, today was a fail and it is only lunch time.  I was doing so good avoiding the dessert table and it got me today and I ate it all. LOL.  However, I will try and have a lighter dinner.  The problem is once I start this way, there is no stopping.  But, I will try and hold out tonight. 

RedmondStash - talk about falling face first in a piece of chocolate cake(that was funny btw) and then following up with another fruit looking thing. :)   It was so good. I do love fruit but why cant they taste THAT good. :)  At least there was some fruit in the second one.  hahahaha

I am exercising tonight so I will burn some of it off. 

[MicroSpice]

I'm back to make you all feel better about yourselves!!!

Yeah, that whole, "I'm going to keep my eating within reason while I'm partying with my girlfriends all weekend in Austin which has amazing food" plan that I had? Totally failed. Literally got to the hotel room to meet up with the two of them, and they were already shoving snickerdoodles in my face and plotting about what we were going to eat. The only upshot is that we shared dishes the whole time we were there, but I still ate WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much food. Here's a list, if you're into that sort of thing!

Friday:
- Breakfast: Free breakfast at the hotel, which was oatmeal, bacon, and fruit (seriously, where were the eggs?).
- Lunch: Torchy's Tacos, where we shared queso and chips (that had guacamole in it, too!) and three tacos, two breakfast and one jerk chicken. Delish.
- Cocktails: a Paloma
- Dinner: Shake Shack. Shack Burger, choclate marshmallow custard, and cheese fries. And a pitcher of beer (shared!).
- Dessert/Second Dinner: Wine, beer, and more snickerdoodles. And great BBQ pork tacos from the hotel bar.

Saturday:
- Breakfast: Free breakfast at the hotel, which was much better. Breakfast tacos. Loaded.
- Lunch: Pizza place called North. We shared a white pizza with all kinds of yummy veggies, a beet salad, and a pitcher of Sangria.
- Dessert: Cake Ball. Shut the front door. We shared a peach cobbler a la mode and a bottle of champagne with our Mimosa flight. And ordered a half dozen cake balls to go.
- Dinner: There was lots of beer, and I think we ate at two places, both of which are owned by Top Chef winner Paul Qui. However, we were unaware of that until after the fact. Just amazing. We had Pork Belly buns (my new death row meal), deep fried peanut butter curry buns, sisig (crispy pig's head over rice with a fried egg), kare kare (a Filipino peanut curry), and a pork and fried shrimp lumpia taco.
- Dessert: (what?!) Cake balls. We ate all but one.

Sunday:
- Brunch from Heaven! We went back to Cake Ball, because we had looked at the menu the day before. 2 orders of Mimosas this time. Then the following: honey dipped fried chicken and biscuits with jalapeno bacon gravy; creme brulee french toast; and the southwest benedict which had pulled pork, ancho chile sauce, chipotle hollandaise, and honey sriracha roasted sweet potatoes. I did not eat for the rest of the day.

So there you go everyone! But I got back home last night and I am back on the train today. You can bet your ass I am chugging water like a fiend and will not be weighing myself until Monday. All my pants still fit though, so maybe I didn't do too much damage? HA!

[oneday]

I need to get my head out of the sand and join you folks.  You are making progress and are so helping each other.  It is time to stop pretending that my volume is not increasing.
I just got off the scale.  I weighed 138 pounds.  I am 5'-5.  I don`t look particularly fat but I weigh 24 pounds more than I did six months after my second child.  She turned 12 today and I am feeling like I got to get this under control.  If I continue to gain 2 pounds a year for the rest of my life, my hips and knees won`t be able to carry me.  I don`t think I was a healthy weight when I got married (104lbs) or even after my first born (107lbs).  Too skinny.  But now - I have tummy flap.  I am more muscular from doing some physical work.  I think I would be healthy and strong at 120 pounds. 
I am celiac and when I finally got diagnosed at 25 I weighed 98 lbs and could barely function.  I got colds all the time. 
I don`t get sick as often now and I can do real work that makes me feel great.  I think I feel that because there is so much I can`t eat, I eat lots of what I can.  I cut out soft drinks after Christmas and haven`t seen much of a change in shape but I have been too afraid to get on the scale for two years now.
My body shape is affecting my life.  Time to do something about it.  Reading the thread has given me the courage to join in.  Thank you

Glad you are on the healthy train! I can only imagine how tough it is to deal with celiac. Good for you for taking control.

I also gave up soda in Dec. I did notice a small drop in weight, about 1-2 pounds in 6 weeks. However, longer term I think it is helping redefine what is sweet. Which helps with sweets cravings! Not all victories are pounds lost.

[dragoncar]

Sorry I can't keep up with this huge thread.  I do the low carb Thing and have lost around 15lb since we started.  I don't really have a weight goal, but I still want to lose some waist so The majority of my pants fit well again.  (Refined) Carbs are really my weakness and I just do better avoiding them altogether-- it's a lot easier to be strict and say no when I would be throwing away a month long streak (vs just trying to reduce intake).  I don't limit my vegetable/salad intake, and have started to allow cheat times for special occasions (no more than monthly)

[NeverLost]

Hello everyone, I hope you don't mind me joining so late!  I am hoping to lose around 10 lbs.  I am 5'1 and spent my early 20s weighing around 105 or so.  After I had my son, my weight remained around 115 and over the last 6 months or so I've crept up to 120.  I think a good weight for me is 110, so that's my goal.  I think the biggest problem I have is that I am generally a really healthy eater to begin with so it's hard to make changes that will make a big difference without a full fledged diet, which I'm trying to avoid.  I also am very busy right now with working/picking up my kids/homework/after school activities so I find it hard to fit in much exercise.  Since the weather is getting nicer though I am anxious to go bike riding with my kids and other outdoor activities.  Currently my plan is:

Meal plan my breakfasts/lunches/snacks - I generally only was meal planning dinner and would just take leftovers or whatever was hanging around for myself for lunch
Drinking only 1 cup of coffee a day - Ok, so it's a big one but it's one nonetheless
Drinking a min of 3 of my 32 oz Nalgene bottles of water/day - I usually drink 2 so this will be tough
The only alcoholic bevs I'm allowed are red wine and vodka/soda water - I love me a good microbrew...

I am hoping that just making these changes I will be able to lose maybe 1-1.5lbs/week, which would be great :)

[elaine amj]

@Frugal Lizard Good for you for taking steps to fix this now before it gets too far. Come on in and join us on this crazy journey.  There's something about coming on here to post that keeps me going. I let my weight creep on very very gradually over 15 years. I blinked and I was shocked to find myself with an extra 35 pounds!

@alleykat It's so easy to get down in the dumps about yourself, isn't it? Try for that lighter dinner tonight and then just move on. (soooo much easier said than done, I KNOW!). Tomorrow is another day and we have no deadlines in sight. You'll get to the finish line when you get there, even if it means a little while later.

@dragoncar good to see you hanging around :) So glad the low carb thing is working out so well for you. Lik you said, long term success will involve figuring out a plan for life events.

@Microspice Vacation calories don't count - especially in a place like Austin :) Don't worry, it will drop once you get back to normal eating.

@TealBlue WELCOME!! I wonder, with you having so very little to lose, would it be better to give yourself a smaller goal like 0.5 lbs a week? Especially since your margin for error is so small? Your goal of 1 to 1.5 lbs a week sounds rather aggressive.

[NeverLost]

Yeah, I wonder that too elaine amj.  I'm not gonna lie, I have some motivation with summer being so close and we spend a ton of time at the lake, but at the same time I am not making super drastic changes so I want to be realistic too.  I think I will try my strategy for a week or two, see what happens, then reevaluate. 

Breakfasts-  I wonder what savory breakfast recipes you all have found and liked?  I don't have a sweet tooth at all so eggs are my go-to but I'd like some different options.  I generally either saute some greens then scramble in an egg or just do a cheese omelette with hot sauce.  I have made the crustless quiches that I froze before but I did that fairly recently and am sick of them.

Sorry if that's already been covered, this thread was a bit long to read the entire thing!!

[Geostache]

Hi Everyone! Full disclosure here. It's been a rough, rough week. I have fallen off the sugar wagon, and I mean HARD. I had some sort of sugary, uber-processed dessert/snack type thing almost every day while at work. Also, I have been going overboard in general on the consumption end of things. The good news (if there is any) is that I tracked everything, so I am fully aware of what I've done to myself this week.

That being said, here are the numbers. I'm up 1.6 lbs this week. Considering that I overate by almost a full day's worth of calories yesterday, I'll consider that a small victory. The good news is that I just started some new medication, and while it's going to take awhile to work, it should help with the amount of stress that I've been experiencing. I tried fixing my problems myself, and realized that I was making some progress but really needed help. Better living through chemistry!

I am also working on breaking the cycle of self-flagellation when it comes to 'messing up.' In the past, I would go on a downward spiral of guilt and shame. Now, I'm focusing on refraining from judgment and taking it how it is. That is going to be monumental for me!

I'm glad to see that everyone here is continuing to make strides on their own journeys. Keep on keeping on everyone! We will do this together!

Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
4/08/2016: 155.2
4/15/2016: 156.8

Total loss: 26.2
Goal: 140

[alleykat]

You are not alone, Geostache.  I do allow myself to have a piece of chocolate at night, just a piece, or something else but yesterday, I allowed myself to overdo it with dessert at work and the whole night was messed up.  I finally "get" it goes straight to my hips quote now. I thought it was just a saying, but now I know it is real.  I never ever had this problem.  Now, my few lbs lost are now found. That is okay though, I am not giving up. As long as I keep at it, it will eventually come off.  I just need to keep in mind, I didn't gain it overnight and allow myself the time and patience to lose it.  Easier said then done, I know.

And you are still in the "positive.'  Wow, 26 lb loss is pretty good. Keep up the good work.  I am starting at the same weight 156 and my goal is also 140.

[RedmondStash]

I am also working on breaking the cycle of self-flagellation when it comes to 'messing up.' In the past, I would go on a downward spiral of guilt and shame. Now, I'm focusing on refraining from judgment and taking it how it is. That is going to be monumental for me!

That is huge, Geostache. I honestly believe that's half the battle. Because if you stress-eat, and then you feel shame and guilt, well, that's more stress, and then you just want to eat more to take the edge off those feelings. I try to be really forgiving of myself when I make a choice I don't like, and I try to own it: "Yep, I damn well did that, I chose it, I chose the consequences, and that's okay. It doesn't dictate the rest of my life. Tomorrow is another day."

Best of luck, and I'm sorry you've been struggling.

[Frugal Lizard]

Thank you for the encouragement.  I love how people are being supportive and honest.  This is a safe place.

First change to get me to my goal:
Keeping a food journal. 
I am going to try and write down everything I eat. Hiding it from my family so that I can be totally honest without worrying about their judgement.  A couple of years ago I tried to loose some weight and was using the journal and my kids were monitoring it.  My husband had made a comment about a skirt not fitting and the kids heard and then everyone got on my case.  My daughter was learning to read and read everything so I quit keeping track and stuck my head in the sand - and increased another 10 pounds.
So I am going to be secretive from them but honest with myself.
While I was looking for a snack yesterday - I realized if I eat that I will have to write it down.  Altered the way I ate all day yesterday.  And for breakfast this morning.  My tummy is growling as I type and I am thinking about what I shall snack on that I will be happy to write down.

Anyone read the book "Thin by Design"?  Making some of those changes to my kitchen - although at the moment we are in a small renovation stage so I can't fully implement them quite yet.  It helped me quit the-can-of-coke habit.  And I think my fruit consumption has gone down because it is not prominently displayed in the kitchen.

[StarBright]

@TealBlue - welcome and I will be watching your posts! I'm in a very similar situation with healthy eating but fighting post baby weight creep. I was going to cut back on drinks in general but I think I like your way better (wine instead of beer). We are big beer drinkers and it is doing me no favors in my mid thirties.

@FrugalLizard - "Thin by Design" looks interesting - will see if my library has it. Thanks for the rec.

@microspice - I want all of that food you listed! Vacation food is the best.

[Geostache]

You are not alone, Geostache.  I do allow myself to have a piece of chocolate at night, just a piece, or something else but yesterday, I allowed myself to overdo it with dessert at work and the whole night was messed up.  I finally "get" it goes straight to my hips quote now. I thought it was just a saying, but now I know it is real.  I never ever had this problem.  Now, my few lbs lost are now found. That is okay though, I am not giving up. As long as I keep at it, it will eventually come off.  I just need to keep in mind, I didn't gain it overnight and allow myself the time and patience to lose it.  Easier said then done, I know.

And you are still in the "positive.'  Wow, 26 lb loss is pretty good. Keep up the good work.  I am starting at the same weight 156 and my goal is also 140.

Thanks, @alleykat. I am often surprised at how fast the mentality changes from "I'm having this one thing" to "Oh well. I ate that one thing. Might as well keep going!" It happens far less for me now than it used to. Tracking has really helped with that. You're right about it not coming off overnight, but slow and steady will do the trick for sure! 

That is huge, Geostache. I honestly believe that's half the battle. Because if you stress-eat, and then you feel shame and guilt, well, that's more stress, and then you just want to eat more to take the edge off those feelings. I try to be really forgiving of myself when I make a choice I don't like, and I try to own it: "Yep, I damn well did that, I chose it, I chose the consequences, and that's okay. It doesn't dictate the rest of my life. Tomorrow is another day."

Best of luck, and I'm sorry you've been struggling.

Thanks, @Redmondstash. I'm kind of hoping that some of it was hormonal (TMI, sorry!). The rest I really have to own. I didn't have to give into the emotional urges to stuff my face with crap, I chose to.

[NeverLost]

Frugal Lizard - I am sorry you find it hard to share your weight loss with your family.  I think I probably would to, since I know my kids would be watching and questioning (innocently) what I ate and it would be hard to not feel guilt.  I don't think it'd be a motivator for me.   I haven't really told my family I am losing weight, which is easy since I'm not technically "dieting", but I am sure there will be questions the first time we go out to eat or something!

[elaine amj]

That is huge, Geostache. I honestly believe that's half the battle. Because if you stress-eat, and then you feel shame and guilt, well, that's more stress, and then you just want to eat more to take the edge off those feelings. I try to be really forgiving of myself when I make a choice I don't like, and I try to own it: "Yep, I damn well did that, I chose it, I chose the consequences, and that's okay. It doesn't dictate the rest of my life. Tomorrow is another day."

Best of luck, and I'm sorry you've been struggling.

I like this. Own it, accept it, move on.

I had a hard time with my downward spiral too. Each day I kept trying to start again but it ended up becoming a whole week's worth of binging. For me, getting back on track has meant going through the 1-2 weeks of hunger pangs all over again. It's OK. I got through it before and I have been getting through it again. I just keep reminding myself that when I was "in the zone", it was surprisingly easy and I was rarely hungry. Those days will come again and each day I can feel the hunger easing up.

@Geostache You're going to get on track again. Kudos to you for continuing to log through the hump.

@Frugal Lizard It's a hard balance with family, isn't it? My (old enough to know better) kids like to make fun of my jiggly belly. On the good side, they've been awesome since I have started seriously losing weight. My DD likes to chill on the couch while I work out and correct my form. If keeping quiet about it works for you, then I would go with it. I'm so glad logging what you eat has really pushed you to think about your choices!

[oneday]

I am going to try and write down everything I eat. Hiding it from my family so that I can be totally honest without worrying about their judgement.  A couple of years ago I tried to loose some weight and was using the journal and my kids were monitoring it.  My husband had made a comment about a skirt not fitting and the kids heard and then everyone got on my case. 

It's hard, because they think they are being supportive by making comments, but it's really sabatoging, not supportive.  My husband is the same way.  I have told him he is not allowed to ask me what I ate for lunch, since he always has some kind of comment.  He still asks, but I give him the icy stare (when I remember).

[RedmondStash]

Thanks, @Redmondstash. I'm kind of hoping that some of it was hormonal (TMI, sorry!). The rest I really have to own. I didn't have to give into the emotional urges to stuff my face with crap, I chose to.

Yep, and that's okay. That's fine.

Something that helps me with this, especially bingeing, is knowing that it's addictive behavior, which means there is a HUGE internal discomfort that pushes me to keep going once I start. Yeah, willpower has something to do with it, but when I sit back and observe just how powerful and uncomfortable the cravings are, and how I'm trying to alleviate a really terrible feeling inside, it helps me be kind to myself about it.

I won't win every battle. It gets really frustrating, but reminding myself that this is hard, serious work helps me remember that I am a total badass for any good choices I make. :)

The key for me is big positive self-talk for accomplishments, and sympathetic kindness instead of guilt for things I wish I had done differently.

Good luck to us all!

[Frugal Lizard]

I did really well last night.  It was a beautiful spring day and our front porch is perfect for early evening sitting.  A bunch of neighbours showed up with junk food.  It was 5:30pm.  It is our neighbourhood ritual - byob and snack and gather outside so nobody has to clean.  I made homemade lemonade that was a great kind of tart - one glass.  I did not eat the chips, pretzels, cheese or crackers. I ate the cantaloupe. I brought out a cup of peanuts and didn't eat too many - shared them with the 7 other people plus kids.  Then at 7, I made a salad with a tiny bit of feta and some chopped left over turkey from dinner a couple of nights ago.  Dressed it with my own not very sweet vinaigrette and didn't eat again all night.
I woke up hungry at 5:48am but felt so happy about getting through happy hour without busting my program.  I ate a whole delicious wonderful grapefruit with some potatoes this morning and am feeling fine.  Gonna have a protein snack and hit the grocery store on a full stomach. 
How often do you folks hop on the scales?  I would like to shift to eating well as opposed to dieting and I am not sure if scale watching will help or hinder that.

[RedmondStash]

How often do you folks hop on the scales?  I would like to shift to eating well as opposed to dieting and I am not sure if scale watching will help or hinder that.

I do it once a week, give or take. Sometimes I'll take a peek in between if I'm curious.

And today's the day.

3/12: 162.6
3/19: 161.8
3/26: 159.6
4/2: 160.2
4/9: 158.4
4/16: 158.4

It's odd. I did really well about food choices and keeping within calorie counts last week, and I've been slowly building up exercise too. Previous experience has taught me that a baseline level of exercise is useful for weight loss; it's not proportional calorie-wise, but I have to be doing some. Otherwise, I stop losing weight.

I can feel my pants and shirts fitting better. So I'm surprised the scale thinks nothing happened last week. Bodies are weird.

I'm really pleased that I've gotten back into the swing and that, over time, the numbers are dropping lower. The biggest battle for me is logging and keeping to a healthier eating pattern; I really struggled with that for a couple of years, but I'm back on track. I know the weight loss will follow in time.

[elaine amj]

@oneday LOVE the icy stare!!! (and good luck to remembering!)

@Frugal Lizard: GREAT job on resisting temptation during your neighborhood happy hour!! I find social eating the most challenging.

On the logging weight side, you have to find what works for you. I log daily and use trendweight to average it out. I find it helps me to understand the daily ups and downs and I get a better sense of my actual average weight. Plus, I don't freak out when the scale is a little high. A lot of times it is excess sodium or water weight or TOM. I have found that I hold rather steady with more ups than downs throughout the week and then about once a week, have a sharp loss.

I measure about 1x a month or so. For me, it feels like it takes forever to lose inches so I prefer the scale for more constant feedback.  I'm considering switching my weigh in on here to Thursday or Friday since that is usually when I log my lowest weights. On the Monday weigh-ins, I usually spike an extra pound or so from excess sodium on the weekends.

[Frugal Lizard]

Thanks for the feedback on scale watching.  Survived a family multi-person birthday party.  Was doing great until the gluten free cake was served.  Found myself sitting at a table full of appetizers but was smart enough to move to the patio after I realized I snarfulling up fancy cheese, guacamole, and charcuterie.
 

[Geostache]

@Frugal Lizard: Way to keep control in your neighborhood social hour. I find it's easy to slip into old eating habits when being social. I think it's something to do with not being mindful of my environment. That's huge!

I weigh every day like @Elaine amj. I find it's useful feedback, and to help keep me honest. Especially when I give in to emotional eating like I did last week.

@RedmondStash: Keep paying attention to the way your clothes are fitting. If you are exercising more, you're likely building muscle, which weighs more than fat. But, muscle is also leaner, so your clothes will be telling you the story that the scale may or may not!

[Cookie78]

My week started off quite good, then crashed pretty hard. I've been focusing on other important things lately and not tracking calories. I even convinced myself I could buy some potato chips and crackers and just eat a few eat day. Nope. I'm not sure how I ever convinced myself it was possible! I'm still continuing the upward trend this week, but I've only gained back 3 pounds and I know that once life settles down in the next week or two I can lose them again pretty quickly.

Loving the advice and conversations in this thread.

Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Jan 25 weight: 156.8
Feb 1 weight: 155.2
Feb 8 weight: 153.2
Feb 15 weight: 151.6
Feb 22 weight 152.6
Feb 29 weight 152.2
Mar 7 weight 149.4
Mar 14 weight 149.4
Mar 21 weight 149.6
Mar 28 weight 149.2
Apr 4 weight 151.2
Apr 11 weight 151.4
Apr 18 weight 152.0
Goal weight: 130

[RedmondStash]

My week started off quite good, then crashed pretty hard. I've been focusing on other important things lately and not tracking calories. I even convinced myself I could buy some potato chips and crackers and just eat a few eat day. Nope. I'm not sure how I ever convinced myself it was possible! I'm still continuing the upward trend this week, but I've only gained back 3 pounds and I know that once life settles down in the next week or two I can lose them again pretty quickly.

It's amazing the way your brain tries to trick you, isn't it? Like a wheedling toddler. Sometimes you're so exhausted from fighting that you just give in.

[Cookie78]

My week started off quite good, then crashed pretty hard. I've been focusing on other important things lately and not tracking calories. I even convinced myself I could buy some potato chips and crackers and just eat a few eat day. Nope. I'm not sure how I ever convinced myself it was possible! I'm still continuing the upward trend this week, but I've only gained back 3 pounds and I know that once life settles down in the next week or two I can lose them again pretty quickly.

It's amazing the way your brain tries to trick you, isn't it? Like a wheedling toddler. Sometimes you're so exhausted from fighting that you just give in.

Exactly! I wasn't even hungry at the grocery store. I could almost see the little devil on one shoulder and the little angel on my other shoulder arguing about it at the time, and I still gave in. lol

[elaine amj]

Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs
Mar 7 - 138.2 lbs
Mar 14 - VACATION
Mar 21 - 140.2 lbs
Mar 28 - 137.8 lbs
April 4 - 138.4 lbs
April 11 - 137.4 lbs
April 18  136.2 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 17.8 lbs

Last week went reasonably well. Ended the week with an extra 390 uneaten calories AFTER I baked a bread pudding...and ate it. So I promptly went out for a gigantic honey garlic chicken wings lunch today. Still have leftovers in the fridge for tomorrow. A bit scary so I better be really good otherwise to make up for it. I did try...this morning I cut myself back to a tiny breakfast of 3 clementines. Will have to do the same tomorrow.

I'm getting impatient to see the scale go down. Need to go back to the whole slow and steady thing and remember that for my body, it's normal to hover around the same weight for a week and then drop.

Was talking to my friend yesterday who is on one of those 45-day diets that are medically supervised. She said they are told that if the scale doesn't budge for 3 days, they are on a "plateau" and have to drop to just 500-600 cals for a day. Dinner is a 3oz steak and a side (can't remember what side). CRAZY! (but she didn't ask my opinion so I kept my mouth shut). She has done this before, lost a bunch of weight, and gained 2/3 of it back. She's back on it again and says she will likely do 2 rounds of it this time.

I'm glad I chose the MFP route. I'm losing weight a little slower, but it's coming off. And its definitely easier to handle the day to day stuff. I can't even imagine the discipline it's taking for her to do this for 45 days. It's super strict and very regimented.

[RedmondStash]

Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs
Mar 7 - 138.2 lbs
Mar 14 - VACATION
Mar 21 - 140.2 lbs
Mar 28 - 137.8 lbs
April 4 - 138.4 lbs
April 11 - 137.4 lbs
April 18  136.2 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 17.8 lbs

Last week went reasonably well. Ended the week with an extra 390 uneaten calories AFTER I baked a bread pudding...and ate it. So I promptly went out for a gigantic honey garlic chicken wings lunch today. Still have leftovers in the fridge for tomorrow. A bit scary so I better be really good otherwise to make up for it. I did try...this morning I cut myself back to a tiny breakfast of 3 clementines. Will have to do the same tomorrow.

I'm getting impatient to see the scale go down. Need to go back to the whole slow and steady thing and remember that for my body, it's normal to hover around the same weight for a week and then drop.

Was talking to my friend yesterday who is on one of those 45-day diets that are medically supervised. She said they are told that if the scale doesn't budge for 3 days, they are on a "plateau" and have to drop to just 500-600 cals for a day. Dinner is a 3oz steak and a side (can't remember what side). CRAZY! (but she didn't ask my opinion so I kept my mouth shut). She has done this before, lost a bunch of weight, and gained 2/3 of it back. She's back on it again and says she will likely do 2 rounds of it this time.

I'm glad I chose the MFP route. I'm losing weight a little slower, but it's coming off. And its definitely easier to handle the day to day stuff. I can't even imagine the discipline it's taking for her to do this for 45 days. It's super strict and very regimented.

Well done, Elaine! I think of slow weight loss as stealth weight loss -- not alerting your body so it doesn't sound the klaxons and turn the metabolism waaaaay down and the cravings waaaay up. :)

About 7 years ago, I lost 15 pounds and kept 10 of it off until about a year and a half ago, when it all came back. >:( I try to focus less on what the scale says and more on establishing better habits, as much as possible. That, and tricking my body into not realizing what's going on. Of course, I didn't make it all the way to my goal back then, which was closer to 30 pounds less.

This thread has been really helpful for me for finding inspiration and staying on track. So thanks, all.

[Frugal Lizard]

Wow Elaine - great work

[Geostache]

Way to go, Elaine! You're making great progress. It will slow down as you approach the ideal weight for your body, but you're still going in the right direction!

[RedmondStash]

At work today. So many doughnuts. Boxes and boxes of them.

I had half a doughnut in the morning, and another half in the afternoon, which is frankly a whole doughnut more than I wanted or expected to. But I still ate reasonably the rest of the day, thank goodness.

Several months back, when I was struggling to get back on track, it all looked hopeless. I'm getting older, my metabolism is slowing down, and I didn't think I could eat comfortably at the level I was at when I lost weight previously, let alone eat even less now.

But I've discovered over the past several weeks that it really is possible. I can eat less and not starve or spend all my time craving goodies. I don't feel deprived or resentful.

I think half the battle is believing that the battle can be won.

[elaine amj]

@RedmondStash That is one of the most important lessons to learn with weightloss :) Also, I hear u about donuts. Was working at a workshop this morning where there were masses of donuts and muffins. Still felt guilty about yesterday's wings so I resisted, deciding to skip breakfast. Lunch was catered food and I ate ok. Then at the very end, my boss mentioned that the donuts came from a yummy local bakery. That did it - I scarfed down an entire donut!

Then decided to eat a tiny dinner of Spag squash with meat Ragu. It was sooo good, I went back for seconds. Then thirds.

I logged and this is how it worked out:
Veggie skewers - 240 cals (all the oil *sigh*)
Chicken skewers - 540 cals
Pita chips - 130 cals
Donut - 290 cals

Spag squash w/ meat Ragu - 444 cals

Post lunch stroll, 30 mins - 92 cals
After dinner walk, 74 mins - 271 cals

Calorie allowance : 1230 calories
Net cals: -51 calories
I am shocked! I thought I was I was doing awful today.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[oneday]

I think half the battle is believing that the battle can be won.

+1  So much of it is really just a mind game.

[alleykat]

I think half the battle is believing that the battle can be won.

+1  So much of it is really just a mind game.

So, so true. It is so easy to rationalize. Sometimes, I just cant see it, especially since I fall into my bad habits way too easily. 

Elaine - you are doing so good. Keep up the good work.     

[Frugal Lizard]

omg so many things are calling for me up in the kitchen.  I just checking in to get strength to go and get some caffeine and nothing else.  I work from home and have a project that I am having trouble getting back into.  It was on hold for 11 months and now it is back and I would rather eat potato chips than sit here and figure out how to revive some of the things that I was pretty excited about that have gotten value-engineered out.  Or maybe some chocolate would help...Man I would be sunk if I didn't have this forum to distract me...
Scale has not moved a micron...but only been six days.
total mind game.

[NeverLost]

I am fighting my own donut fight today at work.  We are having a retirement party for a coworker and getting it catered by a Mexican restaurant and getting pastries from a bakery!  My plan is to make a salad with the taco goodies and skip the pastries.  That's the plan, if I write it down I have to stick to it, right? Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in.  I do feel like I'm making progress and I won't let this lunch ruin it!

[RedmondStash]

omg so many things are calling for me up in the kitchen.  I just checking in to get strength to go and get some caffeine and nothing else.  I work from home and have a project that I am having trouble getting back into.  It was on hold for 11 months and now it is back and I would rather eat potato chips than sit here and figure out how to revive some of the things that I was pretty excited about that have gotten value-engineered out.  Or maybe some chocolate would help...Man I would be sunk if I didn't have this forum to distract me...
Scale has not moved a micron...but only been six days.
total mind game.

You can do it, Frugal Lizard. I know that siren song well. Can you keep healthy snacks around that, while maybe a little less satisfying, will at least get you through? I use berries, carrot sticks, and plain yogurt sweetened with stevia; so far, it's worked well. I also try not to keep really tempting stuff in the house, so I have to make a special trip to get it.

[Frugal Lizard]

Can you keep healthy snacks around that, while maybe a little less satisfying, will at least get you through? I use berries, carrot sticks, and plain yogurt sweetened with stevia; so far, it's worked well. I also try not to keep really tempting stuff in the house, so I have to make a special trip to get it.

Had an orange and a monster cup of tea.  Next time I go upstairs - more tea and carrots.  I have a plan and the craving has mostly passed.
Thanks for the support - this forum is really helping even though I haven't actually lost any weight yet.  I have been changing my eating pattern and fully changed my mindset.  I feel this in itself is an achievement.

Hang in there TealBlue - stick to your plan.

[Geostache]

Can you keep healthy snacks around that, while maybe a little less satisfying, will at least get you through? I use berries, carrot sticks, and plain yogurt sweetened with stevia; so far, it's worked well. I also try not to keep really tempting stuff in the house, so I have to make a special trip to get it.

Had an orange and a monster cup of tea.  Next time I go upstairs - more tea and carrots.  I have a plan and the craving has mostly passed.
Thanks for the support - this forum is really helping even though I haven't actually lost any weight yet.  I have been changing my eating pattern and fully changed my mindset.  I feel this in itself is an achievement.

Hang in there TealBlue - stick to your plan.

Been there, everyone. I had about 10 days worth of completely losing control. In one particularly bad afternoon, I had a pack of hostess cupcakes, TWO full sized candy bars, and about 1/3 of a bag of goldfish. And THEN I ate dinner. Looking back on it now, it was (seemingly) without my ability to make it through. One piece of advice I can give you is to keep in mind that this moment, this indulgence, this craving is fleeting. It is temporary, and will pass.. if I could go back to those 10 days and tell myself one thing, it's that. Even if you give in and indulge, it's only a moment in time.

Hang in there!

[oneday]

I think half the battle is believing that the battle can be won.

+1  So much of it is really just a mind game.

So, so true. It is so easy to rationalize. Sometimes, I just can't see it, especially since I fall into my bad habits way too easily. 

Same here.  Since my post last Tuesday, I have been bingeing and just generally eating poorly & it's reflected on the scale.  I'm up 4 lbs this week, back down 1/2 lb today & hopefully able to stay in the [mind] game.

Elaine - you are doing so good. Keep up the good work.   

+1 Elaine, you are an inspiration

[oneday]

I am fighting my own donut fight today at work.

I thought I was going to have to do that today, but I opened the pink box and there was only a croissant.  I was so disappointed it was not a doughnut that I just walked away! lol   I will still have to fight against the cookies sitting next to the pink box, though.

  We are having a retirement party for a coworker and getting it catered by a Mexican restaurant and getting pastries from a bakery!  My plan is to make a salad with the taco goodies and skip the pastries.  That's the plan, if I write it down I have to stick to it, right? Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in.  I do feel like I'm making progress and I won't let this lunch ruin it!

Stay strong! 

[Bee21]

1 bag of pretzels this week.oh well. Am really proud of the other 2 days when there were none.and survived morning tea at work with eating only a handful of grapes.

I am still working on this snaking habit, it is hard. The constant mindfulness around food is hard.i hate it.

Started working on the portions as well. This week i am targeting breakfast. I decided i will leave the lunches alone ( sandwich and salad or soup)and will work harder on the dinner portions. I need a decent lunch or i get the munchies around 3.

[RedmondStash]

Funny -- for the past several weeks I've had life stress that damped down my appetite, but now it has shifted to the kind of stress that makes me want to eat all the desserts ever made.

Stress and cravings, man. They are serious business. But I am a badass weight-loss warrior, and I am also serious business.