Losing Weight in 2016

[elaine amj]

Friday weigh-in

Jan 1 2016: 154 lbs....Jan 8 2016: 153.2 lbs....Jan 15 2016:149.2 lbs....Jan 22 2016: 148 lbs....Jan 29 2016....147.4 lbs
Feb 5 2016: 145.2 lbs..Feb 12 2016: 142.8 lbs..Feb 19 2016: 140.6 lbs...Feb 26 2016: 140.8 lbs
Mar 4 2016: 139 lbs....Mar 11 2016: 138 lbs.....Mar 18 2016: VACAY......Mar 25 2016: 136.8 lbs
Apr 1 2016: 137.8 lbs..Apr 8 2016: 136.8 lbs....Apr 15 2016: 135.8 lbs...Apr 22 2016: 134.8 lbs...April 30 2016: 133.6 lbs
May 6, 2016:133.6 lbs.May 13 2016:134.6 lbs...May 21 2016: 137.6 lbs..May 26 2016: 132.2 lbs
Jun 3, 2016: 133.6 lbs.June 10 2016:133.8 lbs

20.2 lbs lost
GOAL WEIGHT: 130 lbs (Stretch Goal 120 lbs)

Yep - like @geostache, looks like maintenance it is!

Last night, we spent a long time working on our basement bedroom (had to remodel it) and then some housework. When I was close to finishing (on the go from the time I got home at 5:30pm until nearly 10 pm now), I started fantasizing abut what I would reward myself with. My first thought was getting some of the crappy, cheap ice cream I had in the freezer. That made me smile as I continued cleaning. Then, I smacked myself in the head - WHY does my "reward" always have to be food?! And always crappy food that doesn't even taste that good?! Why can't I daydream of indulging in juicy, sweet, fresh blueberries? Or relaxing in bed with the MMM forums? (well I do - this place is definitely an indulgence!) Anyway, I ended up not stopping until nearly 11pm and just crawled into bed and skipped the snack. Still haven't been able to completely rearrange my thinking yet though. Maybe more doses of Foodist?

@dogboyslim Love your weekend plans! And YES - 1 bottle of water every hour is my rule of thumb when doing endurance stuff. I do admit that I skip water if i'm just hiking for up to 2 hours. That's not as strenuous as running/biking though.

@geostache Love the lettuce wrap! One of my favourite meals we haven't had for a LONG time now since it didn't fit in DH's restricted diet (meat). He's eating meat again now so I think I'm going to add it to a menu coming soon - maybe next week? Best part is I can make something similar for the kids and they can eat it in taco shells.

@microspice butternut squash with black beans and cayenne pepper. Haven't thought of making it that way. It's only gone into curries so far. Time to get more squashes into my life!

[Adge]

The reason I mention it is because I am (and have in the past) suffering from it. Post-loss, I have needed to get new clothing. I go to the store and find my current size, and am finding it hard to believe that I'm wearing that size. Yet, when I put the clothes on, they fit. My co-workers and others have also congratulated me on my loss and tell me how good I look (those who know my struggles and my journey), and while I smile politely and thank them, somewhere in my brain, I don't believe them. I've been the 'fat girl' for most of my adult life, and all I can really see in the mirror when I look at myself is that image of myself at a much larger size. I'm not trying to share to sound like I'm bragging. I wanted to make sure that you genuinely try to see the changes that you have made in your life and how it has affected your body. The other thing that keeps me in that mind set is that my body shape is exactly the same. I see the same flaws in my body now (I'm sensitive about my arms and stomach) that I did when I was much heavier. Losing weight hasn't made me a supermodel (I know!), just a smaller version of myself. I think the dysmorphia plays into that as well.

It seems like this has resonated with a number of people here, myself included. Thanks for writing it- always good to remember that you're never the only one.

Weighed in this morning and it's good news! Seems I've finally broken out of the plateau from the last few weeks. Now that I'm back under 10 pounds til goal the excitement has ramped back up again and I'm hoping to be able to ride the momentum for the next few weeks and make it to goal :)

starting weight as of mid-March: 175
5/6: 156.8
5/13: 155.8
5/20: 153.6
5/27: 154.6
6/3: 154.6
6/10: 151.6
goal weight: 145

[elaine amj]

@Adge that's fantastic!!! You are SO very close :)


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[RedmondStash]

Weigh-in day, yet again:

3/12: 162.6
3/19: 161.8
3/26: 159.6
4/2: 160.2
4/9: 158.4
4/16: 158.4
4/23: 158.4
4/30: 157.6
5/7: 157.4
5/14: 158.4
5/21: 157.2
5/28: 159.4
6/4: 157.8
6/11: 158.0

I don't like this game anymore. But I will keep playing it, because it's the only game in town. *sigh*

[ender]

work trip this week, which means I will have to be diligent in walking a bunch as well as not overeating on "free meals" - those translate to "big meals of unhealthy stuff" normally...

Was expecting this to be a horrible update because of the work trip, but magically dropped a bunch. I guess walking around a bunch and hiking on that trip helped even though I felt like I ate a lot of stuff?

5/1 - 188
5/7 - ??
5/14 - ??
5/21 - 186.2
5/28 - 185.8 (interpolated)
6/4 - 185.6
6/11 - 181.8

Also I now have another reason to get under 176, we are redoing our insurances with Amico and our life insurance policy there would be slightly cheaper -- assuming I weighed 176 or less. At my current weight it'd be about $8/month more expensive to use theirs. So.. not only will I feel tons better but we could save a nominal amount if I lose weight!

[StarBright]

Quick check in because I wanted to put it in writing - My loss from a few weeks ago may have been real-ish.

I jumped on the scale at the gym this morning and it was hovering between 146-148 (but for some reason it wouldn't center on 147) - So I'm definitely somewhere in there.

I will continue to eschew carbs at snack time and watch my booze intake. I'd love to get my body back and settled at 145 and then maintain it for about 6 months.

Can't wait to catch up on everyone else's successes this evening when I have a little time.

[crispy]

6/4 - 150.0
6/11 - 149.8

Not much, but I tend to lose weight slowly so at least it is moving in the right direction. I actually started at almost 152 three weeks ago, but then went on vacation and gained a couple of pounds (mostly water weight). 150 was after being on track for two weeks.

I got up and walked 5 miles with a friend this morning which was nice and allowed me to relax some. I am also wearing a pair of shorts that I couldn't fit in before vacation in May.

[Cookie78]

Well... All I can really say about this week is I guess I shouldn't have bought that cheese. Also I made a lot of rhubarb goodies: crisps, cookies, jam, chutney. But I thought I did pretty good with eating in general. My weight shot up a few pounds early this week and just stayed there. The good news is, I'm not stressed about it. I don't know if that means I'm not bothered by the weeks that go up, or I've stopped caring altogether. I think it's the former.

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
Apr 25 weight 152.2
May 2 weight 150.4
May 9 weight 148.8
May 16 weight 149.2
May 23 weight 149.4 (extrapolated)
May 30 weight 149.6
June 6 weight 148.4
June 13 weight 150.4
Goal weight: 130

[elaine amj]

@ender saving money is as good an excuse as any! So good to see a big drop right after a work trip!

@StarBright You're only a pound or two away from where you want your maintenance weight to be - that's so awesome that the loss is "sticking"!

@crispy Love it that you can fit into shorts you couldn't before. Definitely moving in the right direction :)

The weekend wasn't too bad for me. I have been keeping rather busy with a lot of activity around the house. No formal exercise, but it seems busywork is very helpful to burning calories. I struggled so much when I was doing my intense training for my bike ride (mostly because of all the snacking I had to do to get the energy to ride) but the mild activity of housework, unpacking stuff and decluttering is all making a difference. I've also added a 30-45 min daily walk back in to my routine. My core meals are still yummy, nutritious, low cal, yet filling veggie-based meals. The main reason I'm not losing is because I've been on an ice cream kick - an ice cream nearly ever night *sigh* On the good side, I'm STILL staying in maintenance, with a teeny downward trend. Clocked in at 133 this morning (down from 133.8 on Friday - AFTER eating out Sat & Sun).

On the fashion front, DH and I went yard-saling on Saturday (fun date!) and I picked up a couple of new-to-me tops for $1-2 each. I've resisted buying clothes at thrift stores for budget reasons but I couldn't resist at those prices. I've been struggling with feeling there's NOTHING in my wardrobe since I lost weight. It's so weird since I can now fit into stuff I outgrew - but I really don't like most things in my closet right now.  Today, I'm wearing a flowy summery tunic top and it feels GOOD! Summer appropriate too :) I also bought a dark blue with white print Ann Taylor tee that I like for its classic design (the material feels like amazing quality). Unfortunately, I couldn't find any bottom suitable for work to pair it with. I really need a pair of dark blue summer weight pants suitable for work. It's casual enough here to get away with twill or cotton. All my work pants are black :( I'm usually in head-to-toe black and this summer, I'm just in the mood for lighter summer colors. Still trying to resist the urges to do too much shopping though. In reality - I have about 15 feet of closet space stuffed with clothes (yes, it's ridiculous).

The other challenge I am having is trying to wear something suitable for the office that I can then go for a walk in. It's mostly been my company golf shirt (dryfit thankfully) and a par of black dress pants. I then throw on a pair of sneakers and GO. Today's flowy top and grey skinny pants would look decidedly weird so I brought a t-shirt and leggings for my lunch walk. But I don't like walking through my office in workout clothes so prefer to avoid it if I can. I think it will be a must for the dog days of summer though! I don't think I can handle wearing a dress skirt and sneakers to go for a walk in the park. 

[elaine amj]

@Cookie78 It's been quiet on your front for a little bit - glad to see your check-in! Sounds like you're developing a healthy relationship with your scale :)

[Geostache]

@Cookie78: You have the right attitude. A few pounds up is only a minor setback in the big picture. Welcome back to the thread!

@Elaine AMJ: Maybe you can find a few basic pieces that can pair well with layers? I've found (especially in the summer) that the temperature fluctuations in the office and between the office and outdoors warrants short sleeve or sleeveless shirts with a sweater. I have only about 5 or 6 sleeveless shirts for work and I wear them with a few different color sweaters. The combination is enough (in my mind anyway) to make it seem like I have more clothes than I do. :-) Another thing that I've read is that in general, people only tend to notice 'statement' clothing. For example, if you have one really kick-butt skirt with a cool print, people will notice when you wear it. If your wardrobe consists of basic pieces, people will be less likely to notice repeats.

A separate set of clothes for walking is probably your best bet anyway. Maybe pair the golf shirt with the leggings? It's less casual, and people probably wouldn't immediately note the difference between the leggings and black dress pants.

I'm on work travel now. Yesterday I did fairly well - ordering a salad with some crab cake fritters, and a chicken wrap for dinner with fruit. The made-to-order breakfasts might kill me, though! I had a huge omelet full of veggies, with a side of bacon. o_O I'll skip the bacon tomorrow and stick to the veggie filled omelet!

[Frugal Lizard]

I stepped on the scales this morning just to make sure the weekend fun wasn't too out of control and was pleasantly surprised to see the scale a hair lower than Thursday weigh in. 
We now have a beautiful floor and counter top in the kitchen so we were able to move the stove and fridge back in.  The new dishwasher arrived and works so well.  I am feeling like cooking again.  Saturday night I got extra exercise because I walked into the dining room looking for the fridge five times while making dinner.  Only one week of the fridge not being in the kitchen and I am on autopilot.  We need to paint, install a pantry, install a back splash and build two new cabinets out of pieces of the old ones and possibly buy more cabinets to make an island - but most of the kitchen is operational.  This week is our first CSA pick up so I need to be organized and cooking to get all the food consumed.  Last year we only got produce every other week, but this year we are getting a full share.  It is a good kind of challenge.  It will be the first test of our new and significantly larger fridge. 
I am going to get Slim by Design back out of the library now that the kitchen is getting back together and start implementing the design ideas to help me eat less.  One of them is to have a fruit bowl as the first thing I see in the kitchen.  There are a whole host of other ideas that I can't remember.
I just want to pass along some encouragement to those that are frustrated with a plateau or a little re-gain.  Keep focused on healthy habits and eating really good food - not too much - just really enjoy it.  I don't think any of us put this weight on in a few months.  It took us a while to get bigger and it will take a while to lose it.  Developing the healthstyle will last forever. 

[Cookie78]

@Cookie78 It's been quiet on your front for a little bit - glad to see your check-in! Sounds like you're developing a healthy relationship with your scale :)

@Cookie78: You have the right attitude. A few pounds up is only a minor setback in the big picture. Welcome back to the thread!

Thanks, I've been following along and cheering everyone on quietly. It's been a very busy couple months and I haven't been on the forums as much. I'm still moving slowly down on the scale little bit at a time. Hopefully this week is just a quick glitch! :)

[MicroSpice]

There's so much positivity on this thread after the weekend! Glad to see it.

I've been having trouble reining in my weekend and evening eating here lately. Today, I'm trying to break my lunch up into parts, so that I'm not super hungry when I leave work. I don't know if it's a mood thing or hormonal thing, but it's bumming me out, because the scale is certainly reflecting the food choices I'm making. And I feel like I will never lose my gut! Ugh. My ass looks great, but I can't figure out a way for people to only see me from behind ...

On the upside, I used my work fitness pass twice last week, and plan to use it 3 times this week (stupid lunchtime conference calls!). On those days I can't make it to class, I plan on taking a 30 minute walk around campus, just to get SOMETHING in. I have also been sticking with doing a lap around the building every time I use the restroom. While this weekend involved quite a bit of walking and other activity, it also definitely involved too much booze. And food. What are your game plans for when you're a guest at someone's house and they are an amazing host/hostess and keep bringing you drinks and making delicious snacks? I'm desperate.

@Frugal Lizard - So jealous of your kitchen reno! I mean, not the inconvenience it caused, obviously, but I frequently dream of having a new kitchen to watch DH cook in. :-)

@StarBright - That is great news! Being that close to maintenance is a great accomplishment.

[oneday]

There's so much positivity on this thread after the weekend! Glad to see it.

MicroSpice, I was just thinking the same thing!

My latest irregular report: Have continued to weigh daily and write down what I eat. This is what I did for the May challenge and it's helping to show eating patterns, which I've never looked at before. Also noticed a significant gain during ToM. I'm on a different birth control from previous weight loss attempts, so this is valuable motivation-keeping info this time around.

I still struggle with making good choices, but for now l'm still seeing losses, since my weight is still pretty high. As time goes on, I'll have to be more strict (make better choices more often).

Anyway, the other good thing that's happened is Mr. O has decided to lose some weight too. We worked out that we are visiting family roughly every 3 months over the next year. So those dates are our check points. Weekends are going to be so much easier now that he is on board. (We have opposite schedules and don't eat together on week days.)

[Geostache]

So much for work travel! There is a ton of food at this meeting. I fell down the rabbit hole with these delicious pecan-pie pastry things. At least lunch was yogurt, guac and whole grain chips, and vegetables from the grocery store. But geez! I followed that up with a chocolate chip cookie immediately after lunch. The sugar dragon rears its ugly head!

I WILL do better tomorrow (and the rest of today).

[ender]

So much for work travel! There is a ton of food at this meeting. I fell down the rabbit hole with these delicious pecan-pie pastry things. At least lunch was yogurt, guac and whole grain chips, and vegetables from the grocery store. But geez! I followed that up with a chocolate chip cookie immediately after lunch. The sugar dragon rears its ugly head!

I WILL do better tomorrow (and the rest of today).

We have the yogurt covered pretzels as a snack at work sometimes.

:'(

[elaine amj]

Ugh - I am a sucker for pastries - especially free ones!!

I had another recipe success tonight. Made Thai Chicken Peanut Lettuce Wraps http://www.skinnytaste.com/thai-chicken-peanut-lettuce-tacos/. Except instead pf chicken, I used tofu. And used a super spicy chilli oil instead of sriracha. It was delicious and filling. I would make it again :)

But now I want ice cream *sigh*


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[Geostache]

@Elaine AMJ: Can you measure out 1/4 c and have that (1/2 c is usually a serving). Get a really small spoon and savor it! If you try to ignore your cravings, it could get worse!

Edited for typos.

[elaine amj]

@geostache Will try that the next time cravings hit!! This time, I managed a different strategy - stayed busy continuing our big reorganization! Been on the go all night long - just stopped at 10:30 and going to bed. Now that I have redone our basement bedroom, we realized we could no longer store our bikes and camping gear there (doesn't look pretty lol!) so got to work reorganizing our laundry room. Amazing how much more stuff we can fit now!!

On the diet side, not much time for snacking when we're busy rearranging, throwing stuff away, and posting stuff for sale. Set up a card table of stuff for sale in my living room lol! Very glad I didn't dig into the crappy Chapman's ice cream in my freezer.


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[RuntoFIRE]

Hi guys,

I am back from my travels- just landed this morning and am at work. Feeling pretty shitty with the jetlag but so happy to be home where I am in charge of what I eat and when I eat it. The 10 days of travel were definitely not the best food wise. There were a lot of restaurants, breakfasts out, lunches out, dinners out, and a lot of sweets. I forgot how hard it is it find unsweetened options back in the States- you really have to look hard at the labels. Case in point- we stopped at a Rest Area in Connecticut and all they had were vending machines and the only water-resembling option was fruit-flavored water sweetened with sucralose! Anyways, my belly is feeling bigger, I am feeling bloated, and I am not excited to step on the scale tomorrow. The good news from the trip is that I stuck with my workout routine. I only slipped up the last two days when I was at a wedding and it was hard to find the time to go for a run. Otherwise, my workout habit seems to be set.

I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things this week, sleeping a lot, cooking all of my meals, and eating smaller portions to get myself used to it again. And so happy to be back on this message board to check in more consistently!

[dogboyslim]

4/2: 236
4/11: 233 (interpolated) (-3,-3)
4/18: 230 (-3,-6)
4/25: 227.5 (-2.5,-8.5)
5/2: 224.5 (-3, -11.5)
5/6: 221 (-3.5, -15)
5/9: 221 (0,-15)
5/16: 221 (0,-15)
5/20: 221 (0,-15)
5/23: 218.5 (-2.5,-17.5)
5/27: 215 (-3.5, -21)
5/31: 213 (-2, -23)
6/3: 213 (0,-23)
6/6: 214 (1,-22)
6/10: 210 (-4,-26)
6/13: 210 (0,-26)

No change over the weekend.  I'm losing my motivation to control the diet.  Must return to discipline!  Ug.

[MicroSpice]

@dogboyslim - It's totally normal to lose motivation, especially when the losses aren't as drastic as they were at the beginning. Keep going! Give yourself a bit of a break, but don't give up. We're all here, cheering you on.

Daily Check-in: I feel kinda weird about this, but I decided to set my calories to maintenance on MFP, and I think that it may be helping me in a psychological way. I know if I'm under that number - every day - I will lose weight. Maybe not at the rate I was before, but I will lose weight in the long-term. I was just having such a hard time looking at that "1200" everyday, knowing that if I had a square of chocolate that it would seriously affect what I could eat at dinner. I was feeling deprived on some level, I think.

As a result, I came in under my maintenance calories yesterday, and am on track to do the same today. I'm also feeling good about being more active - I went for a 25 minute walk yesterday and a 20 minute walk today. Yoga is tomorrow, more walking on Thursday, and yoga again on Friday. I still haven't made it to a circuit training class, but that is in the plan for next week.

On an unrelated note, there's a raccoon in our neighborhood, which is very odd for our urban high desert climate. It has been giving my cats a lot of heartburn, and in turn, I have been operating on much less sleep, on account of all the yowling going on at the back door. There is not enough coffee in the world ...

[elaine amj]

@dogboyslim it's just a minor blip - just think...a week ago you were FOUR pounds heavier!

@microspice I totally hear u. Since switching to maintenance, I have been losing at a teeny tiny rate and overall feeling good about what I eat. 1200 calories is just SO strict! Nowadays, I have a piece of fruit/chickpeas for an afternoon snack and then some after-dinner munchies. Its a daily thing and its good. On 1200 cals, I could only fit that in occasionally. It is also nice to have a mental break - I was feeling constantly frustrated and that I was failing.

On the fashion front, I was in despair this evening as I rampaged through my closet. I had to 1) find something pretty to wear for tomorrow night (date with DH to a food event yay!) and 2) find formal business attire for my company's AGM on Thursday.

UGH...I wasn't happy with just about ANYthing. I finally found a sedate dark blue suit at the back of my closet. The skirt is one size too big but it will do.

After trying on multiple things for my date night, I tried out my skinny DD15's closet. I could actually fit in a couple of her sz Small tops!!!! Unfortunately my DD barely has anything other than tees and I didn't find what I wanted there. I was just about to give up when I finally found the right top to go with a skirt I have never worn. FINALLY :)

Long story short...I am shocked at how many of my clothes no longer look good. Even the ones I had been saving "for when I lose weight" look awful now. I really should prune my closet, do a count, and see what basics I need to add.

DH says I shouldn't shop until I lose the last 10 pounds...but I'm so frustrated. Maybe if I gave myself a tiny $20 budget?


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[alsoknownasDean]

Original weight: 116.3kg
Last week's weight: 116.3kg
Current weight: 116.1kg
Goal weight: 90kg

Late reply, but at least there's some movement in the right direction now :)

[Geostache]

Long story short...I am shocked at how many of my clothes no longer look good. Even the ones I had been saving "for when I lose weight" look awful now. I really should prune my closet, do a count, and see what basics I need to add.

DH says I shouldn't shop until I lose the last 10 pounds...but I'm so frustrated. Maybe if I gave myself a tiny $20 budget?

I struggled with this as well. I wouldn't wait until you lose the rest of the weight to get clothes that look good on you now. Just don't go replacing your entire wardrobe! You should have clothes that fit and make you feel good now, regardless of where you will eventually wind up.

[ender]

This week probably is going to be rough.

Hardly biking at all to work this week because of during-day commitments. Plus it's 90+ out in the afternoon and biking a half hour in that and the humidity in order to shower/leave...

[elaine amj]

Long story short...I am shocked at how many of my clothes no longer look good. Even the ones I had been saving "for when I lose weight" look awful now. I really should prune my closet, do a count, and see what basics I need to add.

DH says I shouldn't shop until I lose the last 10 pounds...but I'm so frustrated. Maybe if I gave myself a tiny $20 budget?

I don't know what the right answer is here, but just chiming in to say I feel you. I still want to get down another 8-10 lbs but I need work clothes. My pants are hanging off me and look like pajamas. My husband laughs about it, and tells me it is a nice problem to have (and it is), but I still need to wear something that isn't jeans and t-shirts. I broke down and bought a shirt and 2 pairs of pants. I'm not really ready to get rid of all of my larger items, because life is unpredictable and I might need them at some point. And I don't really want to use shopping as a 'reward' for losing weight either. So I am trying to just buy what I desperately need as I go along.

At least I'm not the only one!! I think I will give myself a small $20 budget and buy a few essentials from thrift stores. Maybe I won't get rid of everything yet (like u said, not ready to give up my larger stuff) but I can at least bag up what doesn't fit me now and get it out of my closet!

Like @rockstache said - I want to feel good right now at my current size! Losing 20 lbs is pretty amazing and I want to take some time to celebrate :)

Stuff I need:
- dark blue dress skirt (summer weight)
- dark blue cotton/twill casual work pants
- 2-3 basic tops (at least 1 plain black)
- summer dress? (Not strictly necessary)
- dressy flip flops (crocs for work!)
- nude color work shoes
I can manage if I don't find the shoes within budget though. I recently bought a pair or comfy (Clarks) blue ballet flats to check off the "comfy shoes" box.


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[elaine amj]

OMG - I just analyzed the measurements I took this morning. Since I started this in January, I have lost FIVE inches off my waist!! (Only 3 inches each off everywhere else). The last inch was over the past 2 months when I have been mostly in maintenance and only dropped about 3-4 lbs (so haven't bothered to measure). Wow - really didn't realize it was that much. Woot!!


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[PMG]

I lurk here. 

The body dysmorphia conversation is right on time for me.  I've lost 15-20 pounds since Christmas.  Strange feelings. 

I've hovered around 165-170 for years.  I finally got down to 147 consistently.  150 was my magic goal number, but now I am seeing that I still have a way to go to really be in a healthy range. Next I am aiming for 135.  I'm traveling in Europe this summer, so I am thinking 140 by fall and 135 when it's reasonable.  I've been moving slowly and I think that's been key to my success.

I've dropped several sizes.  I'm now wearing the very last of the too small clothes I accidentally bought years ago but couldn't get rid of.  I look ok, but I'm beginning to look and feel frumpy and out of style.  (maybe because I'm in Paris?)  I avoided buying new before this trip because I knew I was still losing and it would be much more fun to buy in Europe (even if it's more expensive).  A woman in my program was telling me about all the new clothing she bought, I commented that I wanted to do some shopping.  She said "Yes.  You always look... comfy..."  geez.  I think I look better than that!

So... I have no idea what I'm doing.  I decided prior to this trip that I would try to make healthy choices but that I would be happy with maintaining weight, not losing.  I want to enjoy wine and food while I'm here!  It's been easier to eat healthy than I anticipated, so I think I am still slowly losing, but I don't have a scales.  Perhaps I'll buy a measuring tape?    It might be good for my mental state to wait until I get back to the States. 

I've been intentional about walking a lot.  My average 9000 steps a day in the States has turned into an average of 19000 here.  I have 2 meals supplied here through my program.  I often take yogurt and apples as my starter or desert and eat the main plate for lunch then have the rest for dinner.  Or I head to the grocery and get humus and veggies or bread.

I've no key point for this post.  I'm just rambling along and figuring my head and my body out. 

[elaine amj]

@PMG so glad you de-lurked!! Congrats on losing 20 pounds :) I completely empathize with the feeling of reaching goal weight and realizing you still have further to go.

What I think is fantastic is that you are in Europe, being supplied with food, wanting to enjoy the food and wine while there, AND YET YOU ARE STILL MAKING GOOD CHOICES AND MAINTAINING (with even a possible slight loss!) Can we say lifestyle change that sounds like it will stick?

I love it!

As for the clothes thing, I am realizing it just takes a while and its probably a mental thing. A close friend lost a lot of weight a couple of years ago. I remember for a looonngg time after, she was still gravitating towards frumpy clothes that were more what she used to wear. It was quite some time before she started shopping for clothes that fit her new slim body as a matter of course (which quickly meant her stylish teen DDs started raiding her closet!)

Conclusion to this rambling post? I need to go shopping for clothes :)


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[Frugal Lizard]

Today is weigh in day for me.
4/15 - 138
4/22 - 137.5
4/29 - 137
5/5 - 136
5/12 – 135
5/19 – 135
5/26 – 134
6/02 – 132
6/9 – 130.5
9/16 – 129.5
Goal : 120 lbs.

Write down everything I eat in my food journal: not happening but I have to say I do not put anything in my mouth without thinking about how much volume/weight it would be if I were to write it down.
NO eating at the counter or out of the container or from the buffet:  got this one down
Sit down with food served on dishes in the dining room - no tv on:  yep
Serve food in the kitchen buffet style: yes
No cleaning off the kids plates: yes
No juice: yep
No pop:  really good this week – a big fat zero on highly sweet/nutritionally empty drinks
Only really good food:  yep and with yesterday’s CSA pickup the fridge is loaded.
2/3 of meal to be veg or fruit:  doing well
No snacking at the computer:  still doing the packed lunch when working off-site

I think I am doing really well and it has been fairly easy this week.  I can see changes in my figure and all my clothes are feeling better.  I have used my bike for a couple of errands and love the breeze through my hair.  I think I am consolidating the healthstyle and while the weight is still coming off, it is not taxing me too much.

I love clothes and have a closet full of lovely items that are starting to fit a bit better.  I did some buying a couple of years ago when my business started to improve and I was going to more meetings and more frequently so I couldn't keep wearing the same blazer.  Now I shop the sales at a store at our mall that has a reputation for older ladies wear.  They carry a lot of Canadian made clothing and in among things my mother would wear there are some really well made funky things that suit my style.  Best yet is that many of the older ladies don't like them so they are greatly reduced when I buy them. 

[elaine amj]

@Frugal Lizard That's so awesome!! I love that it doesn't feel like too much effort. Your new healthstyle is just becoming a part of who you are!

The last couple of days have been weird for me. Last night, I posted some pics of my date night with DH on FB. One was a full length photo of me. For the first time in the past 6 months of photos (incl other full length ones), my FB friends commented that I must have lost a lot of weight. This was followed up by today. My company hosted an industry event and I wore a pencil skirt. I'm a short hourglass so this highlighted my curves rather than hiding behind the golf shirts that have practically become my uniform. I saw a lot of people in my industry who I only see a few times a year. Just like FB, this is the first event in the past 6 months where I received multiple comments about my weight loss. Out of my 20 lb loss, I've only lost 5 lbs since March. It's so weird that it is only NOW - 3 months later that people are starting to comment. Did I cross some weird threshold or something?

[Stash Engineer]

@Frugal Lizard That's so awesome!! I love that it doesn't feel like too much effort. Your new healthstyle is just becoming a part of who you are!

The last couple of days have been weird for me. Last night, I posted some pics of my date night with DH on FB. One was a full length photo of me. For the first time in the past 6 months of photos (incl other full length ones), my FB friends commented that I must have lost a lot of weight. This was followed up by today. My company hosted an industry event and I wore a pencil skirt. I'm a short hourglass so this highlighted my curves rather than hiding behind the golf shirts that have practically become my uniform. I saw a lot of people in my industry who I only see a few times a year. Just like FB, this is the first event in the past 6 months where I received multiple comments about my weight loss. Out of my 20 lb loss, I've only lost 5 lbs since March. It's so weird that it is only NOW - 3 months later that people are starting to comment. Did I cross some weird threshold or something?

Don't over analyse it, just bask in the glory! 

Obviously, I'm way late to this party.  I have a bad habit of being active for a while, then disappearing for a while on the forums.  FWIW, I'm down about 10 lbs in the last 2 months just from biking two or three times a week.  It's starting to get hot and humid here, so I'm not sure how long my willpower will hold out.  Anyways, keep up the awesome!

[RuntoFIRE]

Congrats @elaine amj and @Frugal Lizard!

Sometimes it takes a while for things to gel, but I'm glad that your efforts are getting noticed and that things feel easier now.

I had a major epiphany a couple of days ago. I was looking through my food journal, which I keep pretty faithfully although I do not calorie track in it, and I went through the past two months and just highlighted all of the sweets/desserts/treats that I have eaten in the past two months. And I couldn't believe that almost every single day I had something sweet! I really have been indulging on an almost daily basis without really thinking that it was a special occasion or indulgence. No wonder where the extra calories were coming from. So now, for the last two days, I have been careful about not eating anything sweet and it doesn't feel like I'm depriving myself. I will allow myself a sweet treat about once a week or less, but I will make sure the treat is really really worth it- something decadent and delicious. Hopefully this will move me in the right direction.

Also, I have been rereading Foodist and am so glad of it. I am able to now slow down and absorb a lot more of the information. I am convinced that the minding the indulgences as well as eating more slowly and mindfully is the key to my being able to lose weight in the long term.

[Frugal Lizard]

RuntoFIRE - I totally agree with you about the minding.  Those indulgences can just sneak up on you.  I really like the idea in Foodist about indulging if it is really good food.  I have no desire to eat crappy ice cream.  If it is going into my body (and potentially hanging around as a muffin top) it is going to be the tastiest, pure favoured full fat cream and high end sugar frozen treat going.

I refuse to eat sour cream with thickener or yogurt with fake flavour.  I don`t have to eat a large quantity of it because my frugal sensibility kicks in and says yikes that bite of cheese just cost a loonie!  But I have been coming to a good place of self awareness through this process that I can see myself not ever getting overweight again.  I don`t think I could have achieved this so efficiently without this forum.

[Geostache]

Weigh-in day here. I appreciate everyone's posts, even if I don't get to respond to them as often as I would like!

It was not good. I tried to be mindful while traveling, and I still gained quite a bit. I'm up 2.6 pounds. I'm hoping some of that is water weight. We'll see what happens next week. There are plenty of healthy meals planned for this week, since we have a ton of leafy green vegetables, thanks to our CSA! I'm not going to beat myself up over the gain, but focus on cutting back on the things I've let creep back into my diet (hello sugar, hello alcohol!).

01/01/2016: 182.8
05/20/2016: 156.6
05/27/2016: 156.4
06/03/2016: 157.6
06/10/2016: 157.4
06/17/2016: 160.0 (+2.6!!)

Total loss: 22.8 lbs
Goal weight: 140

I started reading Foodist, but didn't get through it before my library loan ended. I am going to try to borrow it again.

Glad to hear of everyone's successes, and that you're all starting to recognize the results of all your hard work!

[dogboyslim]

4/2: 236
4/11: 233 (interpolated) (-3,-3)
4/18: 230 (-3,-6)
4/25: 227.5 (-2.5,-8.5)
5/2: 224.5 (-3, -11.5)
5/6: 221 (-3.5, -15)
5/9: 221 (0,-15)
5/16: 221 (0,-15)
5/20: 221 (0,-15)
5/23: 218.5 (-2.5,-17.5)
5/27: 215 (-3.5, -21)
5/31: 213 (-2, -23)
6/3: 213 (0,-23)
6/6: 214 (1,-22)
6/10: 210 (-4,-26)
6/13: 210 (0,-26)
6/17: 208.5 (-1.5, -27.5)

This was a frustrating week.  Exercise wise I did great.  Bootcamp on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and today.  Swimming Thursday and today, Cycling 50 miles and I'll be running today for 45 minutes.  Diet was a disaster.  Mrs. purchased more foods on my "I can't stop myself list."  Multiple fudge pops, a BAG of Doritos...A BAG!!!!  The good news is that the granola bars are now gone and she's pledged not to buy anymore.  The only thing that saved me this week was the intensity and duration of my exercise.  This weekend I'm not going to track food since its a double birthday and fathers day with guests coming over.  I still have an 8 mile run and a 40 mile bike ride, but I need to start at 5:00 so I don't interfere too much with family visiting time.  Monday sparks a new commitment to diet discipline.  I won't weigh in again until 6/24.  Thanks for all the support by the way.  Helps to know I'm not alone in this.  For those looking at my training volume and saying OMG! yes, I'm doing a half ironman mid July, hence all the 2/3 a day workouts.  It will taper off a bit pre event.  I'm in the worst of it for the next 3 weeks.

[elaine amj]

@RuntoFIRE @Frugal Lizard We know indulgences add calories - but somehow there's a difference between knowing and knowing, isn't there? I know exactly why I'm mostly in maintenance - my core food choices are fine - it's the regular treats that's preventing the loss. @RuntoFIRE Congrats on the epiphany! Your food journal has proved its worth!

@Geostache I'm sure most of that is just water weight. When I went on vacation (and ate everything in sight and more), I was up a few lbs, but most of that quickly dropped off the next week. You're home - and have lots of yummy CSA veggies to eat (after all, you can't waste it, right?).

Friday weigh-in

Jan 1 2016: 154 lbs....Jan 8 2016: 153.2 lbs....Jan 15 2016:149.2 lbs....Jan 22 2016: 148 lbs....Jan 29 2016....147.4 lbs
Feb 5 2016: 145.2 lbs..Feb 12 2016: 142.8 lbs..Feb 19 2016: 140.6 lbs...Feb 26 2016: 140.8 lbs
Mar 4 2016: 139 lbs....Mar 11 2016: 138 lbs.....Mar 18 2016: VACAY......Mar 25 2016: 136.8 lbs
Apr 1 2016: 137.8 lbs..Apr 8 2016: 136.8 lbs....Apr 15 2016: 135.8 lbs...Apr 22 2016: 134.8 lbs...April 30 2016: 133.6 lbs
May 6, 2016:133.6 lbs.May 13 2016:134.6 lbs...May 21 2016: 137.6 lbs..May 26 2016: 132.2 lbs
Jun 3, 2016: 133.6 lbs.June 10 2016:133.8 lbs..June 17 2016: 132.2 lbs

21.8 lbs lost
GOAL WEIGHT: 130 lbs (Stretch Goal 120 lbs)

WOOT! This was a GOOD week!

I admit I'm shocked. I've been eating out nearly every day and fully expected to not like the scale today. Saturday - lunch at Tim Hortons, Sunday - asian food at a local festival, Wednesday - ate and ate and ate at a food festival (ok - the scale did bump up a bit after this lol), Thursday - lunch buffet at a work event. How is it possible that I LOST weight?

Everyone, its Eat Your Vegetables Day - what veggies are you going to eat today?
I made a salad for lunch using the lettuce we got gifted yesterday and am thinking of a tofu basil stirfry tonight.

[Geostache]

@Elaine AMJ: Woot! Grats on the weight loss. Your healthy habits are really paying off!

Today's "eat your vegetables" day will consist of a kohlrabi and rice noodle salad:

http://www.loveandlemons.com/kohlrabi-noodle-salad/

Our CSA score this week consisted of kohlrabi, swiss chard, napa cabbage, lettuce, and kale. I still have mustard greens from last week to use up, too! Plenty of leafies to eat between now and next Wednesday.

[MomCents]

You all are inspiring!  Just reading your posts has helped remind me to stick with my goal of late of trying to lose a few pounds and get into better shape.  For me, I know what I need to do, and what usually works:  eat more vegetables, exercise more, don't eat late at night, and eat dinner relatively early.  My biggest challenge is preparing healthy meals for our family with the goal of "growing" the kids and not growing me.  Maybe a good solution is to throw a big salad, a serving of broccoli, or an apple alongside whatever we make for me to eat that alongside the rest of the food.  That way I'd eat less of the not-so-good for your waistline stuff like grilled cheese and french toast, but the kids with their little growing bodies could fill up on them.  Does anyone have any good techniques for dealing with the conundrum of trying to lose weight while trying to keep up with feeding growing and active kids?  Anyway, I'm inspired by everyone's posts here.  Thanks for sharing your progress.

[elaine amj]

@MomCents I have 2 active teens who are picky plus a DH with health issues who is struggling to gain weight (but wants to eat "clean" as much as possible). It's interesting - I know others have found good ways - but I have become a short order cook. I make almost completely separate meals for my kids, then I make veggie-based meals for my DH and I (I give him a double portion).

So if I make grilled cheese for my kids for lunch on Sunday, I'll make a filled-to-the-brim omelette with lots of oil for DH and then a plainer, veggie omelette for myself. Occasionally we cross a little - tonight is a thai basil stirfry for DH and I and the kids will get a chicken basil stirfry. I'll cook theirs first, then pick out all the chicken & carrots to serve them - leaving the basil. Then I'll cook for DH and I with the basil in the pan. If I have something like a rotiserrie chicken, that's easier. They get their portion, I'll take a tiny bit of meat (I try to keep it between 60-100 grams) and add it to a salad or something for me (in prep time - this is still practically a separate meal though).

Hopefully soon I'll get in the headspace of figuring out how to get my kids to eat more stuff that I can eat. I finally decided I needed the mental energy to concentrate on DH and I and it was "Easier" to just be a short-order cook. I rarely eat more than a few nibbles or a small portion of almost anything I serve my kids. 

[RedmondStash]

Weigh-in day, yet again:

3/12: 162.6
3/19: 161.8
3/26: 159.6
4/2: 160.2
4/9: 158.4
4/16: 158.4
4/23: 158.4
4/30: 157.6
5/7: 157.4
5/14: 158.4
5/21: 157.2
5/28: 159.4
6/4: 157.8
6/11: 158.0
6/18: 156.2

Some success at last! I haven't been this weight in probably a year now. I've been trying new supplements to help with some health issues, and they seem to be working, so I'm able to exercise and focus more. Fingers crossed that those supplements keep working.

@elaine amj, you are so close to your goal! Well done. :)

I'm going to try to get my hands on a copy of Foodist and see what all the fuss is about. My local library has copies, but for some reason, I'm having trouble placing a hold on them. I'll stop by the library later.

[Blissful Biker]

I have always been a little heavy (130lbs and 5'2"), but active and healthy and comfortable with my body.  But I am starting to put on weight, particularly around my abdomen and I have lost that feeling of being comfortable in my body.  I no longer feel like heading out for a run.  Which of course will spiral into a health disaster.  My shape is changing too.  I see my mothers body in the mirror and I am not ready for that!

I am encouraged to see all the wonderful successes on this thread.  Well done. 

Our scale is broken but I  estimate I am 140lbs.  Goal is a strong, healthy 125lbs. 

[Frugal Lizard]

Welcome Blissful Biker
way to go Redmond Stash.
Enjoy the weekend all!

[PMG]

I wore a dress today and walked more than ten miles with no chub rub and chafing. 

Pardon me if that's TMI.  Side benefit of losing weight and getting in shape.

[ender]

No weigh in today because my wife and are babysitting some friends kids -they have four of them! Makes me realize how important it is to be in shape.... kids take a lot out of you haha!

Will check in tomorrow a day late. Might be interesting :-)

[elaine amj]

@RedmondStash So excited for you!!! It's been a lengthy plateau.

@Blissful Biker Welcome! Good for you for catching yourself before you got too far.

@PMG that is an awesome accomplishment!! I haven't dared to experiment yet - I am pretty sure I will still get chub rub. In the meantime, still wearing bike shorts under my dresses/skirts!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Blissful Biker]

I got the scale working again, and as feared 140.5 lbs (on a 5'2" frame).  I haven't been this heavy since my last pregnancy 11 years ago.  Egad.  Time to make some changes.  I saw the book Foodist reference in these threads and looked it up.  I like the premise and am going to borrow it from the library.  Also considering giving up alcohol permanently .  It is a habit that is not serving me well. 

[MomCents]

@elaine amj  Thanks for your input!  Sounds like you have a lot to juggle with feeding your family.  Glad to hear others struggle with differing dietary needs in the family, too.  Good job persisting with the weight loss.

@Blissful Biker  Good for you!  When I gave up alcohol during my pregnancies, a habit I loved was taking up drinking tea instead - always in a teacup or mug I loved - whenever I felt like it.  And on those special evening occasions out I'd have a cranberry juice and soda water or sprite on ice - served in a beautiful glass with a thin straw.  Totally made me feel like I was livin' the good live w/o alcohol.   

While I'm here and thinking of food, I'll share a lentil soup recipe that I love.  It's fully MMM-worthy in my mind:  cheap, healthy, easy and good:  It's a year-round staple in our house and probably costs about $2 total to feed the four of us a healthy and filling dinner.  I use about 4 cups home-made veggie stock (I have a great recipe for that too if anyone's interested) and 6 cups water, or just 10 cups water and a tsp of salt if I don't have any stock.  NO NEED FOR the 11 cups chicken stock!  And it's extra great with a half-bag of fresh spinach or other fresh greens thrown in at the end - cooked just enough to turn bright green.  My kids prefer it without the spinach, but I like it with, and the soup is much prettier with the greens in it as well.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lentil-soup-recipe.html

Any other good favorite MMM-worthy recipes for dinner staples?  Or maybe recipes are better discussed in another thread....