Losing Weight in 2016

[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)

This week I backed off a bit on the workouts pre half marathon for tomorrow.  Feeling good that there is no gain even with the switch to more carbs and less working out.

[rpr]

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)

This week I backed off a bit on the workouts pre half marathon for tomorrow.  Feeling good that there is no gain even with the switch to more carbs and less working out.

Good luck on the half marathon.

[mm1970]

I need to make myself go eat a nice, decently sized, healthy lunch and not worry about the unattainable 130 pounds that I have never been able to achieve in my adult life.

This whole thread is pretty fascinating.  I've found weight loss to be a challenge, and go back and forth on it.

On one hand, I have a "number" (doesn't everyone?  For me it's 135.)
I have only hit it once since having baby #2 4 years ago.  I managed to lose *most* of the baby weight by the time my son was 2.5.  Then I stalled a year.

Then when he was 3.5, I decided to hit it hard for a month.  I lost the last 6 lbs, but then the whole family got the stomach flu, and I lost 7 more (down to 129).  And ... I didn't look very good.  When it all settled out I was back to 136.  But then in the spring I found myself up at 141 again.

So...I struggle with whether or not I really care.  I've been eating healthfully and exercising regularly.  My clothing fits.  My weight can fluctuate by several pounds EASILY by time of the month, water retention.  How important is that damn number?  (Which was 139 this week, but I have pms).

The truth of the matter is to hit "that number" requires literal perfection in my diet.  That is *no* wine, *no* wheat, *no* sugar...ever.  And carefully controlled calories.

Is five pounds really worth it?  Because  honest truth, those five pounds aren't going to make me suddenly a supermodel.  I'm a 5'2", almost-46 year old stocky mother of 2.  I'm *trying* to break up with my scale, and only use it as *one* tool.  But it's hard because I'm such a numbers geek.

Parents can be tough.  Mine are gone, but my mother used to have issues too.  When I was about 11, and she was 37, she lost a bunch of weight with my dad on a 1000-cal a day diet.  She walked several miles a day.  She was 5'5" and weighed 125, which was very hard to maintain.  When I managed to lose weight in my 30's, and again after baby #1, she would say things like "well when *I* was your age I was in great shape too, but THEN look at what happened!!"  It wasn't very supportive, to say the least (she was 100 pounds overweight and an alcoholic).

I have a good friend who played water polo in HS and was tall and skinny - 130 lbs - you know, like HS kids often are.  Then she got up over 200 lbs, but then lost weight after dumping a boyfriend.  So now she's late 30's, very healthy, but she's never going to hit 130 lbs again.  More like 160-170, but she's tall and muscular and very fit.  But her dad - her DAD still says things like "when you were 18..."

[rpr]

Ah, the number.

I did not really have one. All I wanted to lose was that spare tire which I have been carrying since forever. I estimated that must have been like 5 pounds. When I started my weight loss about one year ago my number was to be -5 from current.

I did reach that number in a couple months but Dang It! Spare tire was still there, except it was maybe a teeny bit deflated. So a new number was made -5 from current, I.e. -10 from original.

I got to this number as well in a few weeks, but guess what, spare tire still present. Bit smaller but still there. So new revised target, -5 from current and -15 from original.

Got to this as well. Tummy a lot smaller but still there. I was starving and had hunger pangs always.

I continued this restrictive diet for a few more months. No change in scale.

This was when I decided that this restrictive stuff was not worth it. Upped my calorie intake. Now eat more but healthier. Minimize fat a lot. Eat lots of carbs with fruits, veggies, beans/lentils and rice. Feel fuller, more satiated. Exercise is normal amount -- 30 min on weekdays and 60+ min on weekends. Feels right and feels sustainable.


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[Adge]

Ugh! I don't have any strangers in my building, but I have dealt with it from acquaintances. Not this time (of losing weight), but last time a guy came up to me from our warehouse and congratulated me on losing the weight. I don't like a scene, so I just mumbled a thanks. He followed it up with, "Maybe nobody says anything to you but don't worry, we notice," (speaking about the other guys in the warehouse I assume!!). I was so squicked out after that. STOP LOOKING AT ME! STOP TALKING ABOUT ME! Yuck. I was in the military, so I know how -some- guys talk when they think no one is listening. Do you really have to tell me to my face that I am under scrutiny??

Oh my goodness, I think that's even worse! People can be so nosy!

Weighed in this morning and I'm exactly the same as last week. I've been back on track since Monday but it's also that time of the month so I think those two cancel each other out. Hopefully after another week of sticking to plan I will see a change in the numbers.

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
goal weight: 145

[StarBright]

@mm1970 - the number is my curse. I have never achieved it so I'm not even sure why it is my number.

I was 120 pounds in 7th grade and then I finished puberty and blew right through to 135-140. I have spent the last 20 years trying to weigh 130. Weird.

I'm like you and it takes perfection to achieve 137 pounds (and isn't it sort of sad that I know the exact number): perfectly clean eating and working out twice a day. I did it regularly until my mid twenties and I'm so lucky that I didn't wreck my metabolism.

Once I stopped that silliness my weight settled pretty happily in the mid 140s without any effort at all until I had my second kid.  Now it wants to sit 5 pounds higher. The 5 pounds are why  i'm stalking this thread these days.

But for some reason - 130 is still my number :)

[dogboyslim]

@mm1970 I think there is "a number" and there is a number.  I picked 180 as my goal weight, but from a starting point of nearly 240 lbs.  180 is slightly higher than midpoint of the normal BMI range for my height.  As I've been losing weight, I'm feeling better, able to do more, able to run faster etc.  180 is still my number.  However, if I get to 190 (hypothetically) and I'm happy and can maintain it, it will be my new number.  If I get to 180 and still feel I'm not where I should be, I'll probably drop it to 175.  I guess my point is that a number when you are 60 lbs away from it is a very different thing than one when you are 5-10 lbs away.  My wife is in a similar position to you.  I can't even tell the difference between her 141 days and her 134 days.  She's stopped stressing about her number too, but when she hits the 140s she knows she needs a bit more discipline for a bit.

[rpr]

On another thread in this forum, I came across a recommendation for the book "Thinner This Year" by Chris Crowley. Just got an electronic copy from my library. About a third of the way. It is an excellent read so far.

[elaine amj]

This week I backed off a bit on the workouts pre half marathon for tomorrow.  Feeling good that there is no gain even with the switch to more carbs and less working out.

Tomorrow is gonna be a great day! I'm doing a 100km bike ride. Hoping for some great weather!!!

Don't know how much it will help me weight-wise. I carbed up tonight and have a lot of snacks planned to fuel me tomorrow. Oh well - I am mostly interested in completing the entire 100km :)

[alsoknownasDean]

Yeah I've got a 'number' of about 85-90kg (about 185-200 pounds) that I was at a few years ago.

I was actually down to 80kg at one stage (I saw 79.9 once) a few years back, but that wasn't really sustainable.

I'm 181cm/~5'11" tall (although last time I was measured it was 183cm).

I've eaten bread and potatoes in the last few days, so I'm expecting this weigh in to be a disaster.

[RedmondStash]

Weigh-in 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
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

Yeah, my scale is confused. On average, I ate a little more than I had hoped last week, but I did also exercise a little more. Not enough to justify a 1.6-pound drop, though.

I'll take it, but I think it's a mirage. The truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

The next couple of months have various medical stressors for me: tests, procedures. (Nothing dire, just investigating some old health issues and seeing if they can't be fixed.) I'm juggling a lot right now, and getting overwhelmed, and I think that's showing in my eating patterns.

I think until all that settles down, I'll aim for logging food and gently guiding myself toward good choices as possible. I expect a lot more roller coaster before the summer is out, but come fall, I'm hoping to be able to focus more on weight loss again.

@mm1970 -- my "number" is about 132, but that's just the lie I tell myself. I'm really shooting for 142, but since I hear that the last 10 pounds are the hardest, I figure if I pretend to aim lower, I might actually get where I want to go more easily.

Most of my adult life, I was between 130 and 140. Then, to cope with an unusual stress of family illness, I deliberately allowed myself to go up to about 165, figuring I could easily take the weight off when the stressful time was over, because weight maintenance and loss had never been hard for me before. Wow, was I wrong; aging really does change your metabolism. So now I'm trying to get back to what seems reasonable and familiar, but may now be out of reach. It's a blow to my pride, but you have to make peace with the reality of your life.

[crispy]

I want to jump in because I need some accountability. I lost 110 pounds several years again and have been maintaining. The last year has been rough (new FT sedentary job, moved to a fixer upper, was in a car accident that limited my exercise, etc.), and I have gained about 13 pounds. I want to reverse the trend because I don't ever want to be overweight again.  I would like to get back down to 140.  Today, I weighed in at 150.0.

[ender]

Should start tracking this here. Started in the 187-188 range a few weeks ago but didn't really keep track.

5/21 - 186.2

Slowly making my way lower...

6/4 - 185.6

Not really that much improvement. But I also had a huge lunch yesterday for work that I'm pretty sure had a pound of salt in it (my ring is SUPER tight on my finger) so I'm hopeful that the long term trend is still down. Going on a work trip next week and will have to be really careful!

[rpr]

This week I backed off a bit on the workouts pre half marathon for tomorrow.  Feeling good that there is no gain even with the switch to more carbs and less working out.

Tomorrow is gonna be a great day! I'm doing a 100km bike ride. Hoping for some great weather!!!

Don't know how much it will help me weight-wise. I carbed up tonight and have a lot of snacks planned to fuel me tomorrow. Oh well - I am mostly interested in completing the entire 100km :)

elaineamj and dogboyslim -- That is so awesome. I envy your dedication, perseverance and motivation. I frequently dream that I will complete a marathon or bike 50 miles but never take that first step. I salute both of you.

[RedmondStash]

I want to jump in because I need some accountability. I lost 110 pounds several years again and have been maintaining. The last year has been rough (new FT sedentary job, moved to a fixer upper, was in a car accident that limited my exercise, etc.), and I have gained about 13 pounds. I want to reverse the trend because I don't ever want to be overweight again.  I would like to get back down to 140.  Today, I weighed in at 150.0.

@crispy -- Welcome, and good luck.

[elaine amj]

@rpr Thanks :) 7 years ago I was a 30yr old couch potato who had never done anything particularly strenuous EVER. Not even as a kid (I was a sedentary bookworm). A 30 min ride was doable, but considered a long way. To top it off, I was a nervous cyclist, only feeling safe on sidewalks and trails.

Then I got hired to organize this bike ride. The committee was awesome and so passionate and fun. I joined them for "meet and greet" short, slow rides. I was so inspired I pushed myself to ride 25km on my Walmart special. It took me 2 hours and I almost didn't make it. I felt amazing when I did it.

The next year, a friend lost a ton of weight through WW. I convinced him to ride 200km over 2 days. He finally agreed if I promised to give it a shot. So we started training and when I found I was serious, I bought a used beginner road bike for $600. After that, my husband realized I was actually taking it super seriously. He bought himself a road bike and joined us in training. When the big day came, there were organizational complications so I chose to work one day while my husband rode and he was "voluntold" the next day while I rode. And I finished an ENTIRE 100km!!!!! I never dreamed I could do such a thing. The next year, I upgraded to a $1500 road bike and rode the full 200km.

Since then, I have shocked myself and learned that I am not who I thought I was. I am now the type of person who can handle a 5hr hike. I can canoe for 3 hrs straight. I can do an 8hr adventure race. I can play tennis! Its been mindblowing and rather life changing.


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[Bee21]

thanks guys for the kind words and support, it really means a lot.

Anyway, I still consider this May challenge a positive thing, as I learnt a lot. I just have to pick myself up from the floor and keep going.

[rpr]

@rpr Thanks :) 7 years ago I was a 30yr old couch potato who had never done anything particularly strenuous EVER. Not even as a kid (I was a sedentary bookworm). A 30 min ride was doable, but considered a long way. To top it off, I was a nervous cyclist, only feeling safe on sidewalks and trails.

Then I got hired to organize this bike ride. The committee was awesome and so passionate and fun. I joined them for "meet and greet" short, slow rides. I was so inspired I pushed myself to ride 25km on my Walmart special. It took me 2 hours and I almost didn't make it. I felt amazing when I did it.

The next year, a friend lost a ton of weight through WW. I convinced him to ride 200km over 2 days. He finally agreed if I promised to give it a shot. So we started training and when I found I was serious, I bought a used beginner road bike for $600. After that, my husband realized I was actually taking it super seriously. He bought himself a road bike and joined us in training. When the big day came, there were organizational complications so I chose to work one day while my husband rode and he was "voluntold" the next day while I rode. And I finished an ENTIRE 100km!!!!! I never dreamed I could do such a thing. The next year, I upgraded to a $1500 road bike and rode the full 200km.

Since then, I have shocked myself and learned that I am not who I thought I was. I am now the type of person who can handle a 5hr hike. I can canoe for 3 hrs straight. I can do an 8hr adventure race. I can play tennis! Its been mindblowing and rather life changing.


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elaine amj -- That is inspirational! Thank you for sharing it. 

I'm much older and only now getting started in any semblance of sustained physical activity. My younger teenage self would only run 10 minutes and get tired and panting. Now my upper-40s self can run/jog for an hour straight. Granted it is slow but nonetheless I can keep at it. 

[Geostache]

@Elaine AMJ: I meant to post yesterday, but I hope that your bike ride went really well today!

Yesterday was weigh-in day for me. I was up 1.2 pounds, at 157.6 pounds. Down from the five pound increase that I saw earlier in the week, so I'm okay with it. It confirms that I'm definitely in maintenance mode.

Speaking of numbers, my ideal number is 140. Given my lifestyle currently, I am happy that I have been able to maintain my weigh within +2 pounds for the past 6 (or 7) weeks. It shows me that I can be happier and healthier and maintain my weight within my lifestyle for now. Over the course of the year, I have lost between 25 and 27 pounds. Not insignificant! Sometimes I really wonder if the number on the scale really is something that is an abstraction of how we really feel. I would love to lose more, and hopefully I will over the next couple of years. But I'm happy with my life now, and am working on improving our eating habits overall. I'm hoping the kids will eat the new and exciting dishes that I'm planning on preparing for them over the summer. So far, I'm one for two. My son will eat anything put in front of him. My daughter, not so much. She will eat anything carb-y, but anything that is green is a real struggle (they're twins).

Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
5/06/2016: 158.2
5/13/2016: 155.8
5/20/2016: 156.6
5/27/2016: 156.4
6/03/2016: 157.6

Weight lost: 25.2
Goal: 140

So I'm okay for now. More weight coming off would be great. But given everything that has been going on I will take it for now!

[alsoknownasDean]

Original weight: 116.3kg
Last week's weight: 114.9kg
Current weight: 116.3kg
Goal weight: 90kg

D'oh.

Being busy at work and the arrival of winter here hasn't helped things, but I've been eating too much of the wrong food.

[Frugal Lizard]

Going to ignore today's jump on the scales and just spend the day eating well and puttering in my garden and doing chores.  Nice to read how every one is doing.  Going to have to think about my number.  This will be hard because I was a "poor doer"  all my life until I had babies.  After babies, I had gotten my life together mentally and physically (with stress management and good at a celiac diet) and then suddenly metabolism and lifestyle changes and bam I am running to the other site of the BMI curve.

Geostache -you have done amazing since the beginning of the year to have lost as much weight as you have.  And you have developed a healthstyle too!
Elaine amj  -hope you were able to stand the cool rain for your ride.  Maybe it was easier without the heat?
Bee21 -hope you are feeling better today
alsoknownasdean - what strategies are you going to adopt to increase mindfulness before putting something in your mouth.  I think this is the key.
crispy - welcome to the thread

[elaine amj]

@geostache it's good to consider and always appreciate just how far u have come! And u have come a long way this year.

@crispy WELCOME!! So glad to have u here. Can you tell us a bit about how u lost the 110lbs and how u handled maintenance? I think its great that u recognized u have been putting on a bit too much and are now focused on getting back to your preferred weight.

@dogboyslim how was your run?

As for my bike ride, it went pretty well. I was a wee bit annoyed because I did better in training than on the actual day. At 80km into the 100km ride, I had to pull out :( I messed up my knee in last year's 100km ride abd it's been bugging me since. By 80km, it had flared up badly (my physio says it is just overuse). I HATE stopping and argued with myself for a bit, but even using biofreeze wasn't working. Finally I reminded myself that I have done this before (7 yrs now) so have nothing to prove. I need my knee for tge rest of my life. So - I stopped. I'll be back next year! All in all, it was a beautiful day, the other riders were fun, and 80km is a LONG way!!

[rpr]

elaine amj -- props for the maturity you showed. 

I ran 4 miles in about 48 minutes this morning. That is among the best times for me for this distance. Slowly trying to improve both distance and pace. Continuing to eat better. Scale was a teensy bit  lower -- probably random noise.


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[alsoknownasDean]

alsoknownasdean - what strategies are you going to adopt to increase mindfulness before putting something in your mouth.  I think this is the key.

Being prepared and having something ready to take to work for lunch is a good start. Remembering to bring it to work helps too :)

If I've got something nice and healthy ready to go, theoretically I'm less likely to go for the convenience foods/takeaway when I get home after work.

I'll have to go to the supermarket tomorrow night. I want to make beef and lentil soup and I think I need a few more ingredients :)

[Frugal Lizard]

The scale went up for the first time since I decided to make a body change.  I am back up two pounds.  It was a very stressful week and I felt queasy sick with emotions.  I was not able to say no every time I was offered a poor food choice. I had insomnia on Friday night.  This always leaves me craving sugar and although I was completely aware that this would be the case - I had pop and juice and chips and nachos and cheese and pekoras and poppadoms.  This week is starting hard because stage three of kitchen updating is happening. The stove is in the front hall and the fridge is in the dining room while the new floor is installed.  Not sure when we can walk on it.  At least I got a good nights sleep last night.

[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)

Lesson, throwing 3 cheat days in a row is not going to work even if you run a half marathon and a 20 mile bike ride into the mix.  Also known as: You can't out-run your fork.  Still feeling pretty good.  I ran the first 5 miles of the half with Mrs. DBS and then picked it up a bit to finish right at 2 hours.  I have heard this is about the median finishing time for men my age, so I'm pretty pleased with that.  This next few weeks is going to be a real challenge for me because my wife got the kids those 100 calorie granola bars.  I have ZERO willpower.  Those things are like little magnets sucking me towards the cupboard.  My wife said they are only 100 calories, to which I reminded her that 10 of them make 1,000 calories.  I just need to keep busy and not think of them.  The good news here is that she got them from costco, so there are only like 100 granola bars calling my name right now...

[Cookie78]

Huh. Yesterday morning I was down into the 147's and quite excited about it. Bought crackers and cheese when I went grocery shopping yesterday, two things I normally avoid because I eat them so quickly. Guess what I had for dinner last night, lol. Was up to 148.4 this morning and a little disappointed that I hadn't lost anything since last week's weigh in.... but just now I looked and realized I'd mis-remembered what last week's weigh in actually was. Yay for tracking. And yay for losing another pound.

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
Goal weight: 130

[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...

[oneday]

Inexplicably, the scale showed a drop of 1.6 pounds this morning.  I don't usually see fluctuations that big.  I'm taking this as a sign that my body wants to release some weight; all I have to do now is eat like *I* want to do the same.  So far so good!

Ugh.  It's been challenging.  My pattern is to drop a few pounds, then celebrate by eating like I was a teenager again.  This time has been no exception.  So I am up 3.2 pounds from the low number.  The good news is that I'm still below the "high" number, and I can see the path back down (at least for the next few pounds).

[MicroSpice]

I'm baaaack! I had a wonderful, amazing, relaxing, and fun time with my girlfriends last week. Got home last night, and got back to work this morning. I also decided to step on the scale this morning even though I KNEW it was going to be ugly. There was so much debauchery last week, it's sort of shameful. But it was so good. So I'm thinking it's probably water weight, but I gained over three pounds last week.

My girlfriends did go running with me on Monday morning (on the beach! In Cabo! It was amazing!), but we were not as ambitious the rest of the week. That said, there was a lot of dancing, a lot of walking, and a lot of swimming (okay, mostly tanning, but also some swimming). So at least I was active, but I don't think that made up for all the eating and drinking.

I signed up for a fitness pass at work today, and I will start going to classes on Wednesday (tomorrow is a little slammed, so I won't be starting then). I'd really, really, REALLY like to get to 120 by the time we go on our family vacation in July. If the 3 pounds I gained was water weight (or even just 2 of those pounds was!), I think I can do it. Those numbers are definitely going in the wrong direction, and it's time to stop this nonsense and get serious.

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/28: 124.4 pounds
- 5/2: 125.0 pounds
- 5/17: 123 pounds
- 5/26: 125.6 pounds
- 6/6: 128.8 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds

[crispy]

Thanks for the kind welcome everyone! I lost all my weight following the Weight Watchers program and by exercising.  That really helped with my portion control.  I started in 2011 and maintained between 135 to 137 until last August when I was in my car accident and we moved (within a week of each other). I was still tracking my food intake during the week, but got into the habit of not bothering during the weekends.  I also was unable to exercise very strenuously for several months. I knew I was gaining, but I started avoiding the scale like crazy.  I am hoping to jump back into the Weight Watchers meetings if I can find one that works with my schedule.  Accountability was a huge factor in my initial weight loss.

I did take a six mile walk with a friend this weekend and also tracked all my food intake for the weekend which is something I haven't done in a few months.

[SingleMomDebt]

Weigh in:

4/24: 170.0 lbs
5/15: 169.0 lbs
5/23: 168.5 lbs
5/30: 167.5 lbs
6/06: 167.0 lbs
Goal: lose 1 lb per wk until ?
would like: 135lb; realistically: 145-150

Met half my weekly goal. I will take it. I feel physically better. Which is awesome. I have been hitting the stairs more often in effort to increase my steps and to get increase my activity level.

I do worry about plateau already. But will keep pushing towards goal. Recording food with MFP. IM me if you wanna be friends on there.

Lessons learned: food prep and have lots of the good stuff laying around.

Hmmm. What are some of the meals I've had...

Sautéed veggies, rice and beans
Caprese salad
Pepper jack sandwiches on wheat and peaches
Cauliflower & lentil curry w naan
Sweet potato & strawberry salad
Taco salad w avocado dressing
Oatmeal and veggie 'sausage' patty

[Geostache]

I haven't been able to weigh since Friday, because I flew to the opposite coast for work, and got back this afternoon. I have been having a weird non-appetite for the past three days. I don't know if it's the amount of work I've been doing or the weather, medication, or what. We'll see what the scale says tomorrow. I tried to keep track of what I was eating, but when you work 35 hours in 3 days, it's kind of hard to pay attention.

I prepped some of last week's CSA share tonight for tomorrow's lunch - whole wheat pasta with garlic scape and pistachio pesto and sauteed tatsoi. I'm looking forward to having a home-cooked meal after eating hotel breakfasts and convenient take-outs over the weekend!

@Elaine AMJ: you made the right call with your bike ride. It's better to know your limits and stick to them! 

[10dollarsatatime]

5/30/16 - 175.6
6/6/16 - 173.2 (2.4)

I managed to track calories in My Fitness Pal 5 of the last 7 days, which I'm pretty ok with.  I did not do all the running I thought I would, but still managed to drop a healthy amount.

Planned exercise this week:
Tuesday - 9 mile run
Wednesday - Hike
Thursday - 7 mile run
Friday - off... I will be working a 16 hour shift
Saturday - 4 mile run
Sunday - 11 mile run

There will also be lots of gardening and house cleaning this week.  I have Tuesday through Thursday off, work Friday and Saturday, and then fly to Denver on Sunday.  I would like my house and yard to not be a shambles for the pet sitter.  Little motivates me to clean more than some outsider coming into my house...

[MicroSpice]

I know our May "challenge" is over, but even though I had a less than stellar performance on that end, I think I'm still going to try checking in every weekday. Keeps me accountable.

Speaking of accountability, I don't know about C25K. Shocker. I could start over - I only fell off the wagon in Week 2 - but I really, really, really dislike running. Like I said yesterday, I signed up for a fitness pass at work, and I plan on using that at LEAST 4 days a week, but will shoot for 5, allowing for my actual work schedule. I'm planning on 3 days a week of yoga or pilates and then 2 days a week of circuit or strength training. There are lots of classes I can do (even boot camp!), and I plan on switching it up to keep things interesting.

I won't make excuses - I just don't like running. I know I could finish the program, but once that's over, I am 99% sure I would not continue to run after it's done. Meh. I guess I would rather do something I know I am enjoying and will continue to do. Also, exercising during the workday seems to mesh better with my personality - I am just not going to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to exercise. Probably not ever. Know thyself!

@rockstache - Your weight loss is inspirational! Keep going and keep doing what you're doing. It's working.

@10dollarsatatime - Lol at your cleaning. It's part of why I don't hire a housekeeper (in addition to my cheap ways). I know I would just clean the house before they got there, anyway.

@Geostache - Glad you're home! Traveling that much tends to mess with my digestive system, too. But your CSA score sounds amazing!

[elaine amj]

@rockstache So awesome!!! Congratulations!! It is an amazing feeling :)

@Microspice Add me to the non-running group! Although earlier this year I was doing some conditioning which involved running in one spot for 3 minutes a day. It was rather amazing to find out I could run for tiny distances. One time I even jogged (outside) for abut 10 minutes (super slowly) without stopping. That said - I LOVE walking - and am so much happier walking for hours so I figure I don't need to stress myself out about the running thing.

@10dollarsatatime The pounds are dropping - a lb at a time!

As for me, I'm trying out maintenance for now. It's rather nice. I stopped counting calories although I log here and there. I managed to drop some of the water weight from the weekend so that was nice. I'm at 135 lbs this morning (up from my low last week of 132.6) so we'll see. I'm going to relax this week and then maybe get a bit stricter next week. On the plus side, I know portion sizes AND what my normal meals should look like now.

[MicroSpice]

@elaine amj - You might not run, but your bike rides are epic! I don't think I'll ever be an epic athlete (which I am at peace with), but I am so impressed by people who are. Takes some serious dedication and cajones.

Today is yoga today and I forgot my mat! Luckily, I have a coworker who can't make it to the session today and she said I could borrow hers. Score!

In other news, the weight I had from my trip seems to have at least been partially water weight. I am down 2 pounds from Monday's weigh-in, so I'm feeling pretty encouraged. I am locked up tight on the food tracking and we did a Costco run last night, so we are fully stocked up on easy, healthy, yummy food (not necessarily mustachian, but certainly better than going out to eat). Today's lunch is kind of a mish-mash since I didn't prep last night: sardines in lemon juice and olive oil, a cherry lime sparkling water, and a mango quinoa salad cup. Lots of protein and lots of yumminess.

I am really grateful for this thread - every time I think about throwing in the towel, I think about all of you. So thanks!

[Adge]

Today's lunch is kind of a mish-mash since I didn't prep last night: sardines in lemon juice and olive oil, a cherry lime sparkling water, and a mango quinoa salad cup. Lots of protein and lots of yumminess.

What time should we be there for lunch? :P That sounds delicious!

As far as running, it's one of the few types of serious exercise I actually *can* coerce myself into doing. I don't love it, I have no desire to get serious and up my mileage significantly, but as far as getting in my daily 30 minutes of sweating it's one of the most appealing options for me.

[elaine amj]

@Microspice I like your cobbled together lunch! I was uninspired to make something for lunch today - so I grabbed a little jar of Costco cranberry chicken salad (140 cals) from the fridge, then added 2 plain hard boiled eggs (thank you Instant Pot) and an Asian pear to my lunch bag. Hopeful that it will sustain me.

I'm chugging along.  My core meals - breakfast (300cals), lunch (400-500 cals), dinner(500 cals) are all healthy and fit within my calorie range. To maintain, this leaves me about 200 cals a day for snacks. If I go for my daily walk, I can add at least another 100 or so calories to this. Seems reasonable - but MY SNACKING IS OUT OF CONTROL! Yesterday was a cup of blueberries (yay), then a cup of small batch ice cream (SO yummy), then a sweet bun (totally on my NO list). I just need to get a grip and go back to my normal healthy snacks and I should be fine. On the good side, my scale has been showing a very very slow but gradual decline over the last couple of days. Hoping this continues. Trendweight for the past month is showing mostly maintenance with a tiny loss.

What I am VERY pleased about is that the meals I automatically turn to by default response are yummy, nutritious and appropriate for my calorie counts. Obviously some of my habit hacking worked! Last night I was making a chicken breast, carrot and green bean stirfry for my kids. I knew that would be too much chicken for me so after I served their dishes, I kept aside a few small pieces of chicken for me, plenty of carrots and green beans and added eggplant (along with a heaping spoonful of chilli oil) to fill out my portion. It was delicious and worked well for my meat-loving self. Tonight I am making a zoodles lo mein. No snap peas today though (too $$ lately)...not sure if I will sub something else in.

[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
Goal : 120 lbs.

Write down everything I eat in my food journal: just can’t manage this at the moment
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:  almost – one lemon soda on Saturday.
Only really good food:  yep
2/3 of meal to be veg or fruit:  approaching half the plate most meals except breakfast
No snacking at the computer:  I have been eating lunch at the computer when I am working in the city so that I can get more work done but it is a packed lunched from home so is not at all mindless.

Feeling really good about this this week.  Hubby made a comment about how we were both not eating as well as we could.  We were having an after dinner walk to the grocery store.  I had to say something – a “haven’t you noticed” or possibly more of a “open your damn eyes”.  He kindly back-tracked and pretended to have noticed.  Then yesterday morning he said I was a lot skinner when he hugged me. 
Yesterday the dishwasher got installed.  The night before we put the stove back in the kitchen and hopefully tonight we can get the fridge back into the kitchen.  It is a pain in the butt to have to keep leaving the room for ingredients.

Peeps:  your menus are inspiring me. I am going to have to up my game on my CSA starts and the kitchen is functioning optimally.  And start sharing photos.

[Geostache]

@Microspice: Yes, it wasn't great. I started off well on the flight out; I stayed hydrated and brought some of my yummy kale tabbouleh salad for my meal on the flight. Then it all went downhill from there. I didn't have a refrigerator in my hotel room (boo), which made it difficult to find foods that I can bring with me for lunches, especially since I didn't really get lunch breaks on Saturday and Sunday. Ah well. I'll do better next time. I actually fly out on Sunday again and am staying at a hotel that will have a refrigerator. I plan on stocking up on super healthy, easily transportable items to keep me sated.

@Elaine AMJ: That meal looks delicious!

I am in full-on maintenance mode. I go up and down a couple of pounds each week. I think for now I'm going to stick to that. DH and I have a crazy June and July travel schedule (as in, we are alternately flying in and out of places), and my meal planning is all sorts of scattered as a result. It's amazing how much different it is to plan for one adult and two kids instead of two adults and two kids! (Duh).

[elaine amj]

@Frugal Lizard Looks like you have developed some awesome habits! I have noticed that you consistently eat in the dining room and no longer clean off your kids plates. GREAT WORK!

@Geostache I am personally finding the mental break of switching to maintenance to be helpful. I was feeling worn down with the endless cycle of frustration. On the plus side, I am quite excited to see if I can make reasonable choices in everyday life.

As for me, yesterday was a good day. I ate nutritious food I felt good about all day long. Had a busy evening so no time to reach for junky snacks. I had my yummy zoodles and it was so good. I also cooked up a batch of chickpeas and will be adding that to my lunch salad today (a little batty how much I am looking forward to it).

Overall, I'm happy with my decision to switch to maintenance. The only frustrating part is not feeling like I can trumpet my success. It's weird - I know my 20 lb loss was amazing. But now that I've switched to maintenance before I hit my goal, I feel a little like I've failed or something so it no longer feels good talking about it. I took a "before" photos (in a close-fitting top that shows every lump and bike shorts) and I had been excited about the thought of posting a before/after shot. I haven't taken a photo since I was at about the 15 lb loss mark, but I highly doubt I would post my current photo. I've clearly lost weight - but I am still SO lumpy. I definitely don't feel comfortable at this point posting on FB or anything. I'd like to show off pics to my Mom and Dad (who live very far away), but it still doesn't feel like the right time. Maybe if I lose more down the road. It's weird - I would have been OK saying "20 lbs gone, 10 more to go", but not saying "20 lbs down (and I'm stopping here)". Then again, I know they've been concerned about my weight gain in recent years and would be super proud of me so my hesitancy is wacky.

Keep it up everyone!!!

[Geostache]

@Elaine AMJ: Keep reminding yourself of that loss, and how far you have come on this journey. I'm glad that switching to maintenance is giving you a mental break. I started reading Foodist too, and one of the things noted in that book is the idea of willpower, and how it alone is not enough to keep going in the long run. You have made so many awesome changes to your lifestyle, and are excited about eating real food. That is an amazing accomplishment!

@rockstache: Agreed that work travel is a challenge. Re: the spiralizer. I recently bought this one:

http://smile.amazon.com/Spiralizer-Tri-Blade-Vegetable-Strongest-Heaviest-Gluten-Free/dp/B00GRIR87M?ie=UTF8&keywords=spiralizer&qid=1465491046&ref_=sr_1_1&s=kitchen&sr=1-1

I highly recommend it. So easy to use that my 3 year olds can do it (with some help from me), and the results are amazing! Two medium size potatoes spiralized were more than enough to feed my family of 4 with leftovers.

@Elaine AMJ @rockstache, and @Frugal Lizard, I wanted to mention a word of caution. Be on the lookout for body dysmorphia. We live in these bodies, and it's often hard to recognize changes in ourselves. Especially if they are gradual.

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.

[MicroSpice]

@elaine amj - Do not downplay your accomplishments. You are incredibly active, make incredible fresh meals for your family nearly every night, and you have lost TWENTY pounds! Sometimes we need a break. I am considering my vacation last week as the break I needed, and weirdly enough, I am feeling recommitted to this weight loss thing. So give yourself some time, and if you still feel the need to lose some pounds, you can go at it again then. You inspire me every time I read one of your posts.

@Geostache - 100% with you on the body dysmorphia thing. It's hard for us to see changes in ourselves because we live with ourselves every day, and we are so used to the negative self-talk that it's hard to actually accept any of those changes. Yesterday, a girlfriend I went on the trip with said she showed a pic of me and our other friend to someone, and she said, "OMG, MicroSpice and HottyFriend are soooo skinny and pretty!" WHAT?! HottyFriend, yes, because she looks like a freaking model (seriously, she told a guy at the pool to guess our occupations - he looked at her and said "Model" and looked at me and said "CPA". Thanks?), but me, not so much.

@Frugal Lizard - Ah, husbands. I like to think that the reason they don't notice much is because they love us no matter what. :-)

ETA - Oh yeah, an update! Yoga was GREAT yesterday. I haven't done it in so long, and I can feel it today, in a good way. I love the instructor. It was just fantastic. Today was supposed to be circuit training, but I got in to work late today (yay for insane toddlers!), so I decided to nix it today. Mayhaps I will get on the elliptical this evening.

We also ate a really yummy dinner last night with a side dish that I did all by myself! Butternut squash with black beans and cayenne pepper. Could have used more salt, but it was decent for the girl who avoids the stove at all costs. The toddler decided that she only liked the black beans, but hey, at least she ate some of it. And for lunch today I just made a simple salad with the leftover rotisserie chicken, sliced almonds, and a lemon herb dressing. Will add cheese next time.

[crispy]

@Elaine AMJ: Keep reminding yourself of that loss, and how far you have come on this journey. I'm glad that switching to maintenance is giving you a mental break. I started reading Foodist too, and one of the things noted in that book is the idea of willpower, and how it alone is not enough to keep going in the long run. You have made so many awesome changes to your lifestyle, and are excited about eating real food. That is an amazing accomplishment!

@rockstache: Agreed that work travel is a challenge. Re: the spiralizer. I recently bought this one:

http://smile.amazon.com/Spiralizer-Tri-Blade-Vegetable-Strongest-Heaviest-Gluten-Free/dp/B00GRIR87M?ie=UTF8&keywords=spiralizer&qid=1465491046&ref_=sr_1_1&s=kitchen&sr=1-1

I highly recommend it. So easy to use that my 3 year olds can do it (with some help from me), and the results are amazing! Two medium size potatoes spiralized were more than enough to feed my family of 4 with leftovers.

@Elaine AMJ @rockstache, and @Frugal Lizard, I wanted to mention a word of caution. Be on the lookout for body dysmorphia. We live in these bodies, and it's often hard to recognize changes in ourselves. Especially if they are gradual.

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.

When I was fat, I always felt like a skinny girl trapped in a fat girl's body.  Now that I lost weight, I feel like a fat girl trapped in a skinny girl's body and am just waiting for the day for her to bust back out.  I think we are all hard on ourselves no matter what size we are.

[Frugal Lizard]

You guys make my day.  I think that I still see myself as the skinny one with thin arms and small chin. The person in the mirror is not me. I used to look great in everything I tried on - now I look old and a little lumpy too.  I tend to spend more time with makeup to bring out my eyes so that they are more prominent than my chubby checks.  Oh well - I guess that is just the aging process.  But then I read your posts and hear your cheers or your struggle and I just feel not alone on this journey.  And I want to cheer back and say hey - I am feeling pretty much better than I was and I think I am going to keep on working in the direction that I am going.  High school reunion is in six weeks - and if I can keep up the pace maybe I will be down into the mid-120's. 

[Geostache]

@rockstache: My pleasure. I try to remind myself that the weight loss, while it has been my main focus, is a side effect of adopting habits that will keep me healthy in the long run. That helps somewhat take the obsession away from the 'problem' areas.

Weigh-in day here. I'm down 0.4 this week, and it's definitely maintenance. I've stayed + or - 2 pounds since the beginning of April. Given everything that has been going on over the past two months, I am declaring that a victory! I've been maintaining the 25 pound weight loss. I have been having doubts about my abilities to maintain, but I think I've got that under control. Now I'm going to focus on eating as healthy as I can. I did really well at the beginning of the year, but have found that some of my old habits have come sneaking back in to my life. So for the rest of the summer, I am going to concentrate on minimizing the sugar (yep, that came back) and increasing the amount of vegetables that are in my diet. Considering that my refrigerator is currently full of mustard greens, kale, collards, and lettuce from my CSA, it should be easy. Tonight's dinner will be Asian Lettuce wrap chopped chicken salad! Yum! The kids actually like kale chips, so the kale is slated to be turned into those.

[elaine amj]

Thanks for the spiralizer rec!

This is the nicest one I have seen after checking out various blogger recommendations. I'm going to consider the spiralizer recommendation. Maybe even save up for it! (working on the whole "living within a budget mentality" lol) I currently use a julienne peeler i picked up for a couple of bucks. It works well (you can see the noodles I made in my zoodles photo avove), is cheap, takes up almost no space. Not sure if it is worth getting another bulky appliance - no counter space left!!! The problem with the julienne peeler is that my hands do get tired after doing a bunch of veggies. I can usually manage a couple of zucchinis and maybe a carrot or two before my hands ache badly. So my internal debate continues (been debating with myself for months now lol!)

[dogboyslim]

End of week weigh-in:

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)

Today's weigh in is a bit of a guess.  I forgot to weigh in before my run, so I added 2 lbs to the scale weight to account for dehydration.  Heat isn't something I like when working out.  This weekend its supposed to stay well into the 90s here with a lot of humidity.  Combine that with an 11 mile run plan and a 50 mile bike plan, and I'm quite concerned about fluid intake.  I have read that an ideal replenishment rate is 1-1.5 waterbottles per hour, so I'm going to target that.  I'll confess I'm a bit nervous.  (Edit to add-Yes, I'm watching electrolytes too).  Wish me luck!

[elaine amj]

You guys. You guys. Always such a wellspring of motivation, encouragement, and insights. I'm loving the latest turn of the conversation.

@Geostache Body dysmorphia. The longer I continue on this journey, the more aware I become of it.

@crispy Like you said, we seem to be hard on ourselves no matter what size we are at. Just remember how amazingly you rocked it - and now you're catching yourself before you put on too many extra pounds!

I've ranged from about 115/120 lbs (in college) to my recent high of 154 lbs and now maintaining around 134 lbs. I've always been "chubby", NEVER skinny. Grew up in Asia surrounded by thin girls (who all complained about some body part or other), I always among the "bigger" girls. Just before I graduated from high school, I worked hard and dropped about 5+ pounds (didn't weigh myself so no idea) so felt good through my college years - although ALWAYS aware that I wasn't "perfectly" thin (even while wearing size "0" pants).

As I grew older, had my babies, learned to eat North American portion sizes (AND discovered a love for previously-detested cheese!), I gradually piled on the pounds. Now that I've lost a bunch, my image of myself hasn't changed - I still have a hard time seeing myself any thinner than I was 20 lbs ago. My guess is I will always be complaining about my pooch and my fleshy upper arms. Oh well, I'm ME. Got to learn to be comfortable in my own skin even while I strive to be the healthiest me I can be.

@elaine amj - Do not downplay your accomplishments. You are incredibly active, make incredible fresh meals for your family nearly every night, and you have lost TWENTY pounds! Sometimes we need a break. I am considering my vacation last week as the break I needed, and weirdly enough, I am feeling recommitted to this weight loss thing. So give yourself some time, and if you still feel the need to lose some pounds, you can go at it again then. You inspire me every time I read one of your posts.

@Elaine AMJ: Keep reminding yourself of that loss, and how far you have come on this journey. I'm glad that switching to maintenance is giving you a mental break. I started reading Foodist too, and one of the things noted in that book is the idea of willpower, and how it alone is not enough to keep going in the long run. You have made so many awesome changes to your lifestyle, and are excited about eating real food. That is an amazing accomplishment!

Thanks guys - I needed this a lot :)