The Money Mustache Community

General Discussion => Throw Down the Gauntlet => Topic started by: yuka on January 02, 2016, 04:52:51 PM

Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on January 02, 2016, 04:52:51 PM
When I couldn't find this thread, I figured it was about time someone started it!

What are your goals, methods, motivations, and deadlines?

There's some great stuff in the 2015 thread especially in the final page's posts (Dollarbill!!):  http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/losing-weight-in-2015/msg910056/#msg910056 (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/losing-weight-in-2015/msg910056/#msg910056)

Someone linked an article that appeals to me in the end of the 2015 article, suggesting daily weighing and moving average calculations. Here's the article https://medium.com/technology-liberal-arts/the-data-diet-how-i-lost-60-pounds-using-a-google-docs-spreadsheet-80adce62cf5c#.pij41yzhj (https://medium.com/technology-liberal-arts/the-data-diet-how-i-lost-60-pounds-using-a-google-docs-spreadsheet-80adce62cf5c#.pij41yzhj) and here's the spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/previewtemplate?id=0AiqPelI3OIXCdGhieGI3UGxNaVM4MWh4VnliUGd3TkE&mode=public?id=0AiqPelI3OIXCdGhieGI3UGxNaVM4MWh4VnliUGd3TkE&mode=public (https://drive.google.com/previewtemplate?id=0AiqPelI3OIXCdGhieGI3UGxNaVM4MWh4VnliUGd3TkE&mode=public?id=0AiqPelI3OIXCdGhieGI3UGxNaVM4MWh4VnliUGd3TkE&mode=public).  Changing the first date to 2016 should effect the same change in the whole page (and I changed the tab name to 2016 for myself.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on January 02, 2016, 05:10:07 PM
For myself, I'm  6'0" and 246.8 lb. I'm at a pretty bad place with my fitness; running more than about 2.5 miles makes my lower back quite tight, and I'm sure I'm not going any faster than about 8.5 minutes per mile. But my weight is where I want to focus. My goal is to lose 1.5 lb per week until I reach 185. Most importantly is keeping that target pace  through the middle of September, which is the time of my wedding.  That would put me at 190-195 by September; I've looked good weighing as much as 210, but that was when spending 2-2.5 hours working out daily. I've done calorie counting before, but for me it makes my whole process less fault-tolerant, so I'm more likely to derail. This time, I'll be skipping that. My calorie deficit should be 750 daily for 1.5lb/week, so a good guess for ideal intake is 1500-1600.  My consistency will be sticking to my egg breakfast sandwiches (2 eggs, 1 slice bacon, half piece cheese, english muffin) which runs about 350 calories, and shooting for 500 in each of lunch and dinner, with the remainder being a beer or glass of wine while I work in the evening. My lunches are a piece of fruit, some carrots, and one of several stews that I make in large quantities for leftovers. I always want breakfast, but lunch and dinner sometimes don't happen. Outside of breakfast I avoid anything as processed as, or more processed than, bread. My general rule is that my tea and canned goods should be the only colorful packaging I buy.
I had been doing twice-daily weigh-ins for the same goal of reducing noise in my measurements, but for the sake of the trend I appreciate that once daily achieves the same thing; that's what I'll be doing in the future.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: mikefixac on January 02, 2016, 05:46:55 PM
As a general observation, it's abnormal to be of normal weight. And those who are overweight aren't overweight through choice. Yet, as time goes by, even with all the articles, weight loss businesses, commercials, etc., as a nation we'll keep getting fatter.

No matter what, if one eats what Americans eat, one will end up looking like most Americans.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 03, 2016, 12:59:07 PM
I'm officially in.

5'6" female.

5 years ago I was 188 pounds, my highest ever. After a 7 year relationship breakup I spent the next 18 months with a sole priority of losing weight. I got down to 124, and hovered around 130 for a few years. I was VERY careful to maintain that weight because I didn't want to have to fight to lose it again, and I know how easy it is to creep back up. I'd crept back up to 138 a few months ago, and then due to a series of fortunate events realized that my motherfucking asshole scale was getting old and worn out and had been lying to me increasingly over the last 6 months to a year. I wasn't 138, it was closer to 155 by the time I realized it. 2015 was a shitty year dealing with suicide and grief and I didn't have the energy to maintain much of anything besides life. Among that and other excuses, here I sit at the end of the holiday season at 160 pounds. Yikes. I threw out my scale a few months ago and just used my friend's to see what damage has been done the last couple months.

Darling boyfriend is currently buying me a new scale.
Ultimate goal weight is 130.
By the end of the year I need to be at 135, stretch goal for 2016 is 130.

I've done it before, I can do it again. The hard part is that this time I have so many other priorities in my life to manage together.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Jschange on January 03, 2016, 01:33:51 PM
I'm in. I'm 5'1 and put on almost 20lbs last year. My goal is to lose 25. I got one of those fitbits over Christmas, and am seeing just how sedentary I'd become.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: woopwoop on January 03, 2016, 01:39:35 PM
I wanted to lose 10-15 pounds before getting pregnant and I did two things:
- cut out liquids other than water and black coffee
- cut out my top two calorie guilty pleasures: Oreos and microwave popcorn

Within a couple months I'd lost 13 pounds, and I decided that was enough. Now I'm back to cream/sugar coffee (but less sugar than I used to have) and having Oreos/popcorn once a week or so (instead of every day or every other day), and I'm maintaining my lower weight. I didn't try to change my exercise patterns, but changing my food/drink intake worked wonders. Much easier to fix the "input" part of calories than the "output" part, I've found.

This year I'm going to work on the "output" part to get healthier, not just skinnier. I'm going to do 30 min of cardio exercise 3x/week and meditate every day even if it's just for 5 minutes. Good luck to everyone, you can do it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: CynthiaL on January 03, 2016, 01:51:19 PM
I'm in!  I'm a 5'3" female, and my weight as of 1/1/16 was 220 lbs.  I was up to a high weight of 300 a few years ago, but dropped 95 lbs over the course of about 2 years.  Last year I plateaued then started regaining again.  I've been good at working out, but the old eating habits have crept back.  By the end of this year I'd like to be 175 lbs or less, with an overall goal in 2017 of 150 or less.  So far I want to get the following steps in place to make this happen:

--Keep a food/exercise journal. 

--1800 calories or less per day.

--Eating out 0-1 time per week (should also save me money).  When I eat at a restaurant, I seldom pick a healthy option.

--Quit drinking soda.  I was drinking 1 can a day of regular soda; I quit in early December and need to stay quit.

--Quit drinking calories.  Besides the soda, I had been drinking a lot of hot cocoa at work because it is free.  And it is chocolate.  --

--Workout 5 times a week (30+ minutes each).  I canceled a gym membership recently due to the cost.  I have workout DVDs and an elliptical machine at home and have started making good use of them, but the 'home workout' isn't a firmly-placed habit yet.

--Walk 20 miles a week.  This will be tough until spring, but I do walk on my lunch breaks during the week (1.6-2.5 miles each day) and do longer walks (5-8 miles) on weekends.

Thanks and good luck everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on January 03, 2016, 01:54:14 PM
I'm in too. 5'2" female. Currently at my heaviest ever, 153 lbs (up 20 lbs from 1 year ago wtf?!) and just realizing that I'm old and weight doesn't just fall off and I can't just eat whatever I want to anymore.

By far my biggest issue is nighttime snacking and 'rewarding' myself for a hard day of work by eating a bunch of junk.

My goal for the year is to get down to where I was a year ago, about 135 will be satisfactory...anything less than that a bonus. More importantly, I need to get healthy, and not be so easily winded running up a flight of stairs or jogging to my car in the rain.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 03, 2016, 02:57:44 PM
Count me in.  I am 5' 5" and 153.  I would like to get down to 140.

I am not really not eliminating anything but will try and cut way back on junk food.  I don't really have a deadline but if I don't lose a few in 3 months, then I will need to buy bottoms.  I am barely fitting into my biggest size. 

As someone else said, I want to get fit and healthy not just lose the weight.  To me, they are two different things.  I am starting to exercise and I just signed up for a month of hot yoga.  Want to see how I like it. At best, it will help me kick start exercising.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 03, 2016, 11:01:50 PM
I'm in too. 5'2" female. Currently at my heaviest ever, 153 lbs (up 20 lbs from 1 year ago wtf?!) and just realizing that I'm old and weight doesn't just fall off and I can't just eat whatever I want to anymore.

By far my biggest issue is nighttime snacking and 'rewarding' myself for a hard day of work by eating a bunch of junk.

My goal for the year is to get down to where I was a year ago, about 135 will be satisfactory...anything less than that a bonus. More importantly, I need to get healthy, and not be so easily winded running up a flight of stairs or jogging to my car in the rain.

I'm 5ft and about 150lb or so (I have refused to weigh myself for a couple of years now). It is absolutely dreadful when my ideal weight is really about 110lb or so. Like you, my biggest problem is binge eating.

I get into moods where I just stop caring and then hunt down the most unhealthy things possible (an entire bag of Cheetos or 2lb of chicken wings and scarf them down in one sitting. I don't really know how to stop myself ...but I know something absolutely has to change.

To top it off, my body is starting to fall apart and I am only 36. Right now I have an elbow and a knee injury and I am super frustrated as they prevent me from being as active as I like to be. I love hiking and cycling for hours. I have to start training soon as i am participating in a 100km (60miles) bike ride. I do this ride every year (which is how I injured my knee last year) and I just need to get better already so I can train.

I find I can often sustain the physical activity levels - but have never been able to successfully control the food intake - which means I don't lose weight even when I am cycling 2+hours 4-5 days a week for 2 months. So my focus this year will have to be food. (Particularly to quit the binge eating).

My DH is dangling a carrot in front of me. We have enough for me to retire. Neither of us wants me to retire to bum out on a couch getting even fatter. So the deal is - I can FIRE once I get down to a healthy weight. I really want to beat this. Unfortunately, I tend to sabotage myself. Not a half hour ago, I sneaked out of bed to binge on half a bag of caramel corn. Ugh.

Got to put it behind me and start tomorrow as a fresh day where I will make good choices. I am going to try to keep posting in this thread to keep myself accountable - to celebrate good choices, and admit to bad ones.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Ready2Go on January 04, 2016, 07:56:55 AM
Joining for some additional motivation.  Currently 152 and want to get to back to 137.  Planning to do this through combo of intermittent fasting and better habits. DH and I have fallen into bad habit of late night snacking while watching TV.  Not good. Last night it was pop-tarts!! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bill76 on January 04, 2016, 10:07:44 AM
My weight loss goal for 2016 is to lose 15 lbs, with a stretch goal of 25 lbs. 25 would get me to the lowest weight I've been since college. By the end of 2017, I'd like to lose 30-35 lbs. To do this, I need to get my snacking under control, since that has been the main driver of my weight gain in the last couple of years.

On the overall fitness side of things, I have two marathons and four half marathons currently on my calendar. I plan to run at least 1000 miles for the year and do strength training of some sort at least twice a week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lbmustache on January 04, 2016, 11:49:10 AM
I'm in! I have a hs reunion (not sure if I'm going), a wedding, and I just feel shitty. I was in great shape last summer and I fell off the wagon over a stressful fall semester.

Family has a history of poor health and I don't want to follow that trend.

I don't own a scale since I become too obsessive :( I go by how my clothes feel and body looks.

27, female, 5'5", maybe around 160-165. I go to the gym 2-3x a week and eat like shit. I am going to try to do some sort of modified Whole30/paleo thing... mostly focusing on higher quality food and cutting out a lot of extra sugars and carbs.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: beantown on January 04, 2016, 12:13:31 PM
In as well. At the highest weight of my life. Stats: 5'6", 146 pounds, size 8-10. I'd like to get back down to 130 and be more fit again. It's been hard this half year with starting a job that requires me to travel 4 days a week, but I'm ready to tackle this again.

Has anyone used dietbet before? I'm thinking of signing up for a month to help motivate and kickstart this for the year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: living_la_vida_mi on January 04, 2016, 12:40:32 PM
Me too! 5'2, currently at 156lbs. I am 40 and have a 3 month old baby (my second). My goal is to lose at least 10kg (22lbs).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: zephyr911 on January 04, 2016, 01:13:13 PM
I'm 5'11, really more like 5'10-1/2", and about 210. I felt way better at 180 or so, but I'd be happy to split the difference since I have more muscle now and really struggle to lose weight despite being fairly active.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 04, 2016, 01:16:24 PM
I'm pretty sure its psychological, because my food intake hasn't changed that much so far this morning compared to recent mornings, but I feel like I could eat an entire pie! Just the fact that I know I'm trying to eat less makes the hunger worse, even in the mornings when I'm usually not hungry to begin with.

Annoying. I remember last time I was at this stage and the first 3 days of carb cravings were the hardest by far. 2.5 days to go, then it'll get easier. Right?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: pbkmaine on January 04, 2016, 01:51:31 PM
I am 5'5" tall and this morning I weighed 162. I am 59. I would like to weigh 140 by the end of the year. I'm in.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Rosy on January 04, 2016, 02:01:36 PM
I'm in - I'm 5'1 wearing a size 14
Right now I bulge out of size 14 and it ain't pretty. Eating too much for supper and eating sweets at night is my problem, caramel, chocolate you name it, in fact I started eating cookies and other sweets during the day for the past three months and even drinking beer at night. Who the hell does that and thinks it will not show up on their belly and hips?
I am so disgusted with myself right now I could spit nails.

My plan:

Reduce amount of food at supper time

No food past supper - usually 6pm

Eat more raw foods - apples and spinach and carrots and raspberries

Drink herb tea instead of alcohol at night - I do like mint and chamomile tea. I will start drinking raspberry leaf tea - a recommendation from the diet doc to help lose weight for the pear shapes:)

Make a big pot of cabbage soup - I have a favorite recipe from an old diet book, that tastes good and does help lose weight.
Add sauerkraut and yoghurt to my diet and fix all that lettuce and chard growing in the garden now.

Have a look at exercise classes in my area - sign up for two of them

Dig up my pilates CD and start doing a workout every day

It finally got cold here - 65 degrees - perfect for bike riding and walking. Getting out my camera and visiting all the local parks and beaches within reach.

Get a step counter so I know how much I really walk - maybe there is an app for that??

Drag the scale out of the closet and weigh myself once a week

Since I am going through all of this trouble anyway I will shoot for fitting into a size 12 again, but for now I want to feel comfortable in a size 14. May or may not set a weight goal, if I weigh more than 165 I will shoot myself.

 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 04, 2016, 02:22:23 PM
I'm pretty sure its psychological, because my food intake hasn't changed that much so far this morning compared to recent mornings, but I feel like I could eat an entire pie! Just the fact that I know I'm trying to eat less makes the hunger worse, even in the mornings when I'm usually not hungry to begin with.

Annoying. I remember last time I was at this stage and the first 3 days of carb cravings were the hardest by far. 2.5 days to go, then it'll get easier. Right?

I feel your pain! I've been thinking of food aaaaaallll day - and this is only the first day!

I'm in - I'm 5'1 wearing a size 14
Right now I bulge out of size 14 and it ain't pretty. Eating too much for supper and eating sweets at night is my problem, caramel, chocolate you name it, in fact I started eating cookies and other sweets during the day for the past three months and even drinking beer at night. Who the hell does that and thinks it will not show up on their belly and hips?
I am so disgusted with myself right now I could spit nails.

My plan:

Reduce amount of food at supper time

No food past supper - usually 6pm

Eat more raw foods - apples and spinach and carrots and raspberries

Drink herb tea instead of alcohol at night - I do like mint and chamomile tea. I will start drinking raspberry leaf tea - a recommendation from the diet doc to help lose weight for the pear shapes:)

Make a big pot of cabbage soup - I have a favorite recipe from an old diet book, that tastes good and does help lose weight.
Add sauerkraut and yoghurt to my diet and fix all that lettuce and chard growing in the garden now.

Have a look at exercise classes in my area - sign up for two of them

Dig up my pilates CD and start doing a workout every day

It finally got cold here - 65 degrees - perfect for bike riding and walking. Getting out my camera and visiting all the local parks and beaches within reach.

Get a step counter so I know how much I really walk - maybe there is an app for that??

Drag the scale out of the closet and weigh myself once a week

Since I am going through all of this trouble anyway I will shoot for fitting into a size 12 again, but for now I want to feel comfortable in a size 14. May or may not set a weight goal, if I weigh more than 165 I will shoot myself.

 

Fellow short girl here - it's so frustrating to look at the mirror and not like what you see. This is the most I have ever weighed in my life and it is awful. Been fooling myself thinking I could never be quite this bad. I'm getting perilously close to being considered obese. And I KNOW I have a ridiculously high percentage of body fat. It's time for change to happen.

This is the first time I have tried weight loss with the support of a group thread - I'm going to try posting regularly, cheering any small successes and being honest about any failures.

Today, I eyed the Christmas chocolates floating all over my office and have resisted. I do need to get rid of the mug of chocolates sitting on my desk tempting me. It's still wrapped up, which helps.

For breakfast, I had plain yogurt with granola. Less than an hour later, I was hungry again - so I ate a few grapes. I ate my lunch a lot later than I like (3pm) which I know doesn't help. Still, I had my can of low-cal soup and some more grapes. An hour later, I started craving something again, so I ate one dried prune (the only semi-healthy thing I have stashed in my drawer). I am making pork chops for tonight's dinner and my goal will be to CONTROL MY PORTION SIZE and NOT go back for seconds (or thirds or fourths). Gotta repeat the mantra - size of a deck of cards, a deck of cards, a deck of cards! (that's awfully small, isn't it?)

Wishing all my weight loss buddies good choices today!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on January 04, 2016, 03:48:04 PM
After failing miserably last year I am back on the diet train. Planning to lose 10 kgs, about half a kg every week. I'll do 2 day fasting in the next 4 weeks to get me started. (Starting next week when I'm back to work).I did that in December to prep for Christmas and I was doing surprisingly well. I just have to break the habit of constant snaking and reduce the portions, the rest is ok, I have a reasonably healthy diet and the party season is over. I managed to build up my strength and fitness last year by going to the gym and walking an hour every day, that was the biggest achievement really, I was unbelievably unfit. At least I don't collapse after a 40 min walk any more.

Starting @ 82 kg. Size 14.

This weeks challenges:
I'm writing a list of correct portion sizes next and pull out the kitchen scales before serving food.

No snacking before lunch. 2 soup lunches this week. It's carrots and red lentils today:)

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Lanthiriel on January 04, 2016, 04:19:59 PM
I'm 5' 4" and on my official January 1 weigh in, I was 195 lbs, which is extremely difficult to actually own up to. My goal is to be back down to my "wedding weight" of 140 lbs by the end of the year. I wasn't happy at that weight either, but I look back at pictures and think I look great. So far my strategy is:

But honestly none of this will be helpful in any way if I can't get my sugar/chocolate addiction under control. I'm definitely a binge-eater to the point I'm nervous to talk to my doctor about it for fear it's in eating disorder territory.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on January 04, 2016, 04:31:04 PM
@Cookie   Seriously. I felt my stomach grumbling this morning and I literally said to myself out loud, "Get used to it, this is what it's going to be like from now on!" It at least made me feel like I was doing something right!

@elaine How did you do today? Stick with it, I know you can! When in doubt...go to bed early. That's going to be my philosophy.

I'm on myfitnesspal too with a long distance friend of mine and we have started watching what each other eats to stay accountable. It's really great. We both lost weight with it a year ago but then just quit and just restarted. PM me if anyone wants to be friends and I'll give you my username.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Girlwithaplan on January 04, 2016, 05:14:12 PM
I think I need to get on this too! Sugar is my nemesis! Posting to follow and will come back later with a bit of a plan.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lbmustache on January 04, 2016, 07:42:17 PM

Get a step counter so I know how much I really walk - maybe there is an app for that??


If you have an iPhone, the health app automatically calculates your steps, assuming you have your phone on you while you walk around!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RonMcCord on January 04, 2016, 09:23:03 PM
I've already signed up to the Strength and Fitness 2016 challenge, but weight loss is a big part of my goals so I might as well sign up here.  I'm 5'8, was 150 in high school, got up to 180 in college, bought a suit for job interviews, then after several months I was about 210-215 and I couldn't fit into it anymore.  I really didn't like the way I looked and realized I needed to make changes.  I started working out, cut out snacks and drank more water and in six months got down to 175 and can fit into the suit again (pants are a bit tight though).  I still have a slight gut and I'm still not entirely happy with myself, so I got a vivofit2, a couple fitness apps, and I'm planning to get down to 145.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 04, 2016, 09:58:45 PM
@Ron Kudos for your successes so far! Love to hear of things that are working for folks.

@Lanthiriel Sugar is a brutal one. I love sweet stuff, especially in my food!

I still don't have a definite plan of attack, but am proud to report that so far I have made good choices tonight. I ate my deck of cards portion of pork chops, then gnawed on the bones (after I cut up the meat for my family) to help me feel better. I will admit that when my daughter left two mouthfuls behind, I scarfed it up. When I got hungry later (what else is new?), I peeled an orange rather than reaching for the popcorn.

I didn't do any workouts tonight like I had planned though. Not sure if I should do a short 15-20 min workout now...or just go to bed. One of the things I am resolving to do is go to bed by midnight (which is now) as my late night binges are the worst. Hmm...I think I will go to bed. On the good side, my husband will be thrilled. He went to sleep a couple of hours ago already and is not a fan of my night owl tendencies.

So how did everyone do today?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on January 05, 2016, 12:32:00 AM
@elaine: oranges > popcorn ☺

Joining! Already working on cutting back or eliminating soda, plus jogging. The plan is to keep developing the plan as I go.

Like others here, I'm at or near my highest weight ever and am fed* up with myself. Too embarrassed to admit the number in public. Y'all are brave! I will say that I am sure I have surpassed my lifetime quota of fast food meals. It's my albatross.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lemanfan on January 05, 2016, 12:59:45 AM
I'm also on the track of trying to lose weight and feel better.  I've realized that it's the long term that counts and even though the body is a complex system, I basically concluded that for me, now:


Given my job and life situation, I'm working with some habit hacking to get my exercise done and to not fall off the wagon and eat junk.

My two biggest problems when it comes to food is that I too often frequent resturants with a great social atmosphere but three beers and all those french fries to the food really make a mark on my body and also that I've got a bit of a sweet tooth.  Breaking the social cycle which leads to bad eating is hard.

I'm on my way though, I've lost 4 kilos (9 pounds) since august, and it keeps going in the right direction.  The plan is 10 kilos (22 pounds) more during 2016.  No quick fixes - long term change.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 05, 2016, 07:23:50 AM
I'm also on the track of trying to lose weight and feel better.  I've realized that it's the long term that counts and even though the body is a complex system, I basically concluded that for me, now:

  • Weight depends largely on what I eat.  Exercise don't really matter
  • Feeling good, energetic and productive is largely dependant on that I exercise and meditate.

Given my job and life situation, I'm working with some habit hacking to get my exercise done and to not fall off the wagon and eat junk.

My two biggest problems when it comes to food is that I too often frequent resturants with a great social atmosphere but three beers and all those french fries to the food really make a mark on my body and also that I've got a bit of a sweet tooth.  Breaking the social cycle which leads to bad eating is hard.

I'm on my way though, I've lost 4 kilos (9 pounds) since august, and it keeps going in the right direction.  The plan is 10 kilos (22 pounds) more during 2016.  No quick fixes - long term change.

Congrats on your weight loss so far! You're doing awesome - slow and steady wins the race. And you're right - it has to be a long term lifestyle change. Like you, my weight gain has been because of food. There have been many times in the last few years where I have been in serious training mode, exercising very regularly. But I have never lost an ounce - I just eat more food to compensate *sigh*

What habit hacking have you been doing? Right now, I am trying to reach for healthy snacks instead of the junk. Also, keeping a giant water bottle next to me and drinking when I feel hungry/munchy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lemanfan on January 05, 2016, 08:08:37 AM
What habit hacking have you been doing? Right now, I am trying to reach for healthy snacks instead of the junk. Also, keeping a giant water bottle next to me and drinking when I feel hungry/munchy.

January:


I also have sort of a http://dontbreakthechain.com/ (http://dontbreakthechain.com/) strategy - I take notes daily of weight, body fat and if I managed to succeed with exercise, meditation and healthy diet daily.  The meditation chain is very broken so far. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: asauer on January 05, 2016, 12:59:33 PM
I'm in!  Lost 15lbs in 2015 and have another 20 to go.  I'm doing intermittent fasting (4 feed days, 3 fast days).  Goal is to have most of that lost by Memorial Day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Candace on January 05, 2016, 01:26:48 PM
Has anyone set up a challenge that involves consequences if they don't meet a stated goal?

I have an acquaintance at work who supports the opposite political party. I just made a pact with dates and weights I have to meet. If I don't, I have to give her $200 to contribute to a candidate who makes my skin crawl. We did this last year and it worked very well. Anytime I felt tempted I remembered who I would be supporting if I didn't meet my goals. I gained some weight over the holidays, so now we're doing it again. I have set very reasonable goals that I should be able to exceed.

If you have strong political opinions, this can really be motivational! No way will "that candidate" get my money!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on January 05, 2016, 01:28:28 PM
Has anyone set up a challenge that involves consequences if they don't meet a stated goal?

I have an acquaintance at work who supports the opposite political party. I just made a pact with dates and weights I have to meet. If I don't, I have to give her $200 to contribute to a candidate who makes my skin crawl. We did this last year and it worked very well. Anytime I felt tempted I remembered who I would be supporting if I didn't meet my goals. I gained some weight over the holidays, so now we're doing it again. I have set very reasonable goals that I should be able to exceed.

If you have strong political opinions, this can really be motivational! No way will "that candidate" get my money!
That sounds like a very motivating idea.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 05, 2016, 02:03:58 PM
Has anyone set up a challenge that involves consequences if they don't meet a stated goal?

I have an acquaintance at work who supports the opposite political party. I just made a pact with dates and weights I have to meet. If I don't, I have to give her $200 to contribute to a candidate who makes my skin crawl. We did this last year and it worked very well. Anytime I felt tempted I remembered who I would be supporting if I didn't meet my goals. I gained some weight over the holidays, so now we're doing it again. I have set very reasonable goals that I should be able to exceed.

If you have strong political opinions, this can really be motivational! No way will "that candidate" get my money!

Mine is FIRE. We have agreed that I will be able to FIRE once I achieve a healthy weight. So every pound I lose will take me a step closer to FIRE. The faster I do this, the faster I can FIRE. Since I am highly motivated to FIRE, we are hoping this will give me the push I need. (plus i'll be able to do all the active stuff I want to be able to do in FIRE - hiking, cycling, canoeing, etc etc).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: tjalexander on January 05, 2016, 02:10:05 PM
No sugar and no grains are the keys to getting to an ideal weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Candace on January 05, 2016, 02:17:30 PM
Has anyone set up a challenge that involves consequences if they don't meet a stated goal?

I have an acquaintance at work who supports the opposite political party. I just made a pact with dates and weights I have to meet. If I don't, I have to give her $200 to contribute to a candidate who makes my skin crawl. We did this last year and it worked very well. Anytime I felt tempted I remembered who I would be supporting if I didn't meet my goals. I gained some weight over the holidays, so now we're doing it again. I have set very reasonable goals that I should be able to exceed.

If you have strong political opinions, this can really be motivational! No way will "that candidate" get my money!

Mine is FIRE. We have agreed that I will be able to FIRE once I achieve a healthy weight. So every pound I lose will take me a step closer to FIRE. The faster I do this, the faster I can FIRE. Since I am highly motivated to FIRE, we are hoping this will give me the push I need. (plus i'll be able to do all the active stuff I want to be able to do in FIRE - hiking, cycling, canoeing, etc etc).

That sounds very motivational too.

I came up with the original idea after reading an article about how people are more motivated by the possibility of losing something they have than by the possibility of gaining something positive. So by that token, the possibility of giving up $200 is really motivational. But if someone told me I could FIRE if I lost ten pounds, that would happen right quickly. So maybe it's a question of how important the prize or consequence is.

Go get 'em!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MayDay on January 05, 2016, 06:57:32 PM
I'm in!

I am ~170 currently, maybe 168.  I am apparently almost obese at 5'8".  Ouch!  I am in a 12 pants.  Goal is probably 160.  Pre-kids I was 148-150 in size 8.  That is probably not realistic with perfection in eating, and I don't want to live like that!  160 is much more realistic to maintain and should be a solid size 10. 

What am I doing:

-Tracking food on MFP
-Fitbit purchased with xmas gift money, working on tracking steps and use it to determine my overall caloric burn
-Walk every day, do stretches and core work in front of telly every night
-3 times a week do some weights

I've lost ~5 lbs since October.  Hard to tell at the moment as I seem to have gained a bit over xmas, oops. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on January 06, 2016, 12:01:20 AM
@elaine: oranges > popcorn ☺

Joining! Already working on cutting back or eliminating soda, plus jogging. The plan is to keep developing the plan as I go.

Like others here, I'm at or near my highest weight ever and am fed* up with myself. Too embarrassed to admit the number in public. Y'all are brave! I will say that I am sure I have surpassed my lifetime quota of fast food meals. It's my albatross.

Have been weighing in for a month or two now, just whenever I remember to (always mornings).  I've seen the scale fluctuate a lot from day to day, anywhere from 1-3#.  This morning's weight was down 5# from the highest number I've seen in that time.  Gonna give it another couple days before I declare any weight officially lost...stay tuned!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Jschange on January 06, 2016, 08:12:24 AM
So far I've gotten rid of 2 pounds.... I think it was just water fluff, but it feels really good to be rounding down to 160 instead of up to 170. I started tracking my water intake, and I think I'd forgotten how to drink!

@Elaine I was at 165 at 5'1.5. It is bad but despair isn't productive. Just fit into those 14s, then maybe 12s.

I like the different consequences people are introducing. Most involve some kind of money reward, and my hair is on fire, so not sure about that for me.

So far I've been getting my minimum steps in, using my kettles, and trying to stick to 3 meals and one snack. I've also completely removed drinks with calories during the week. My teas are all green and herbal for now. Next step is to start up on my yoga, and starting an active job next Wednesday.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 06, 2016, 09:11:12 AM
@Mayday Congrats for being on the losing track! 5lbs loss sounds like only a little, but it is many steps in the right direction. I need to add the stretches and workout component to my daily routine like you are doing.

Well, I survived Day 2. Have to admit...yesterday was HARD! I was hungry after breakfast, but resisted. Had lunch, then was hungry an hour or two later. Ate a bunch of grapes. Continued resisting (Christmas chocolates taunting me from all over the office). I was starving by mid-afternoon and ate 2 crackers (I completely forgot there were oranges in the fridge at work!). Got home and immediately ate dinner with an orange for dessert. An hour later, I was dying to munch on something (super bad habit of constantly wanting to nibble) and ended up reaching for what I thought was a lower cal snack, but have since found was probably around 200 calories :( I fell asleep early (yay), but got woken up by the kids and DH when they went to bed. I ended up not going to sleep until closer to 1am - and spent the last couple of hours fighting the temptation to get out of bed to binge eat.

Overall, I managed not to binge eat, so it was a success. I have to shake the habit of constantly wanting to nibble. I'm the worst right after a meal - it's as if I have started chewing and need to keep on going. I have been using tiny mints when the urge gets too strong.

How did everyone else do yesterday?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 06, 2016, 10:47:58 AM
Elaine amj - I get the same way.  Seems like I just want to keep on nibbling whether I am hungry or not.  Strange, right?

The last few days have not been great but not bad either. I am giving myself some room to oscillate back and forth until I change my habits.  I am not really dieting but just cutting way back on my usual stuff.  I stepped on the scale yesterday and not much difference but it has only been a few days and I have only just begun.  I am normally not a scale person, I just go by my clothes, but I get curious especially when  I am making an effort. LOL. Although, I am not stepping on it again.  I think it can throw you off track too especially when you are not losing as fast as you think.  I will recheck it in two weeks or at the end of the month.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lbmustache on January 06, 2016, 01:43:56 PM
I have the constant snacking/nibbling problem too. I think it stems from boredom or anxiety (for myself).

I try to drink water or chew gum to avoid giving in.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 06, 2016, 01:44:35 PM
I'm pretty sure its psychological, because my food intake hasn't changed that much so far this morning compared to recent mornings, but I feel like I could eat an entire pie! Just the fact that I know I'm trying to eat less makes the hunger worse, even in the mornings when I'm usually not hungry to begin with.

Annoying. I remember last time I was at this stage and the first 3 days of carb cravings were the hardest by far. 2.5 days to go, then it'll get easier. Right?

I feel your pain! I've been thinking of food aaaaaallll day - and this is only the first day!

@Cookie   Seriously. I felt my stomach grumbling this morning and I literally said to myself out loud, "Get used to it, this is what it's going to be like from now on!" It at least made me feel like I was doing something right!


I remember last time I was losing weight I got to the point where I embraced that feeling. That was the feeling of losing weight and it made me smile instead of seeking out food.

I'm nowhere near being able to do that now. I even managed to convince myself to skip my run last night. Ugh.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Mongoose on January 06, 2016, 03:17:01 PM
I'm in. I was hoping someone would start this thread too... Glad to see so many also interested!

Current: 5'4" female, 172 pounds. Would love to get down to 130 but would be happy with 150 or less. I tend towards more muscle mass, especially when working out so 120 is pretty underweight for me (body fat gets too low).

I think my main problems are
1. Eating when not hungry (seconds at meals because it tastes good). Ugh!
2. Filling plate to match amount 6'2" husband eats.
3. Quit exercising when we moved to our current much-hated location.
4. Eating cheap (high refined carb) food.

I would love to switch to paleo but we have a cash flow problem and the inexpensive paleo sites I've found are for well over my budget. Is anyone has a link to a blog/thread etc on eating paleo for around $2.50 per day per person, it would be much appreciated. Trying to increase budget so this is no longer a problem.

I used to cycle quite a bit but stopped due to babies, moving etc and now live in a very hilly town (6% grades, very little flat terrain). Any leads on ways to make it bearable? I really miss cycling.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Jschange on January 06, 2016, 08:58:04 PM
Mongoose, if your body responds well to paleo, look at the four hour body/slow carb diet. It leaves in beans and legumes, so it's way more affordable.  With legumes, eggs, and seasonal veggies including lots of soups, I bet you could stay on budget. Especially if you continue feeding grains to your family.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 06, 2016, 09:48:49 PM
Today was a good day! I stuck to all my planned meals, snacking on fruit only. This evening, I tried playing table tennis on our makeshift table (we shoved together two 6ft folding tables) but my tennis elbow quickly acted up. So I looked up a workout videoon Youtube (chose a vid from the Tone It Up channel). The workout ended up being quite fun and pretty manageable for me. It was short - just 15 mins, but a good start. After that, I did a quick beginner's stretching video. Plan to do this at least 3x a week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: aperture on January 06, 2016, 11:16:14 PM
I'm in. I am 6' 237.4# (down from 259 last summer).  I want to lose 1 lb per week and stop losing when it starts making me crazy.  Then I want to stay at that weight - not rebound. I would like to get to 215 by summer.  That would be fantastic.
-ap
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on January 07, 2016, 12:32:57 AM
For anyone looking for a plan to follow, there's a great thread on The Whole 30 (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/whole-30-starting-sept-8th-want-to-join-us/) which has lots of success stories by fellow Mustachians as well as links to the official Whole 30 program online (which is free, by the way).

I'm delighted to report that I am down 25 lb (October to December 2015) with another 50 or so to go in 2016 so I'm joining here as well!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tyn on January 07, 2016, 03:56:57 AM
5'6" and 194lbs.  Started being more healthy a few years ago and lost 2 stone, but 2015 was pretty much a plateau (after years of my weight creeping up year on year I still see this as a victory though).  My goal for 2016 is to get back on a downward spiral for my weight and fit in to more of the old clothes that I have boxed up (preferably before my current ones wear out).

I don't calorie count, but I try to eat a good range of food and plenty of veg.  My main problem recently has been binge eating after supermarket shopping (no where near the extent that I used to, but still not a sensible amount and it's not a very mustachian habit), so I need to make sure I have something healthy to eat available and pay attention to whether I'm actually hungry or not before eating.
I spent years trying different calorie restrictive diets and realised that they aren't good for my mental well-being.  I'm happy now with a slow and steady approach, with a focus on caring for my body and making sustainable changes to the way I eat.

I'd also like to add more variety into my exercise regime, I'm currently just cycling to work but would like to add some resistance training too.

I would be happy to lose a stone by the end of the year and that should be pretty doable as long as I focus.  My final goal is 147lbs (this may change when I get closer, but this was a weight that I was more or less happy at in the past) so a stone down would get me a third of the way there. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 07, 2016, 07:17:57 AM
@Tyn staying at the same weight for a year is a victory! That means you have obviously done something right in changing your food and lifestyle choices. Once you finish losing the rest of the weight, you can plateau back into this "easy zone". Like you, I'm looking at permanent changes in how I eat.

I've decided to try some habit hacking. Every time I feel hungry/snacky/munchy, I am going to drink water or herbal tea. If I'm still hungry after that, I'll get fruit/nuts/healthy snack. To help with this, I am going to plan to eat something every 2hrs or so. Rather than letting myself get too hungry between meals and going on a big binge. I have a horrible habit now of just putting off my meals/snacks. e.g. breakfast at 9am and then lunch at 2/3pm (even though I started getting hungry at 11).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on January 07, 2016, 07:23:31 AM
I think my main problems are
1. Eating when not hungry (seconds at meals because it tastes good). Ugh!
2. Filling plate to match amount 6'2" husband eats.

This is so me too! I'm working hard to break #2 by using a smaller plate.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Ready2Go on January 07, 2016, 07:48:52 AM
Found this today.  Going to post on the fridge.

(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/07/2f895779e1d60107ff210383fbc79a63.jpg)

Hopefully there's an image!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FiguringItOut on January 07, 2016, 08:28:49 AM
I joined 2015 thread late in the year, but never really got with the program.  So here's to 2016 and a better and healthier year.

Lost a lot of weight in 2013, but regained almost all of it in 2014-2015.  Officially restarted weightwatchers program last week.  Will be posting my progress as I go along.

Best of luck and success to all of us!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 07, 2016, 06:17:54 PM
Wow I failed today. Someone brought chocolate to work this morning, then timbits this afternoon. I bet I had nearly 1000 calories in sugar today. But healthy and small breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also I AM SKIPPING POPCORN tonight. I posted it here, so now it has to be true.

As much as I was hoping to avoid it, I may have to start tracking food intake with myfitnesspal again. Just the knowledge that I have to be accountable to myself and track everything I eat on the app helped me limit the junk I ate tremendously last time I was losing weight. Hopefully it does the same this time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on January 07, 2016, 11:09:50 PM
For anyone looking for a plan to follow, there's a great thread on The Whole 30 (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/whole-30-starting-sept-8th-want-to-join-us/) which has lots of success stories by fellow Mustachians as well as links to the official Whole 30 program online (which is free, by the way).

I'm delighted to report that I am down 25 lb (October to December 2015) with another 50 or so to go in 2016 so I'm joining here as well!

1967mama, thanks for mentioning that & posting the link.  I have seen the thread numerous times, but have been scared to delve in...isn't that silly?  Anyway I read the program & it sounds like it's for people who cook ("stricter paleo").  That's a skill I'm still developing, so I think I'll pass for the now.  However, I'm glad you helped me get over that fear.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on January 07, 2016, 11:22:27 PM
I've decided to try some habit hacking. Every time I feel hungry/snacky/munchy, I am going to drink water or herbal tea. If I'm still hungry after that, I'll get fruit/nuts/healthy snack. To help with this, I am going to plan to eat something every 2hrs or so. Rather than letting myself get too hungry between meals and going on a big binge. I have a horrible habit now of just putting off my meals/snacks. e.g. breakfast at 9am and then lunch at 2/3pm (even though I started getting hungry at 11).

elaine amj, this is pretty much what I do!  It works great once you get it ingrained.

I hold to it much better at work because food is limited to what I bring in & I can't just pop to the corner store to get whatever.  I usually have 1 oz almonds (I'm convinced almonds are magical*) at around 10am...this gets me from breakfast (200-300 cal) to lunch.  That's only 163 calories.  After that, I usually get thirsty so I drink a 16oz bottle of water.  I do add the flavor packets..god I hate plain water.  Anyway, lunch is again restricted to what I bring, usually healthy (300-400 cal), followed by another bottle of water.  I try to remember to bring in an afternoon snack but if I don't I have more almonds.  Plus I usually have more water too, sometimes just water is good enough.  Dinner is where it all falls apart...and dessert, ack!

Anyway, before 3 or 4 years ago I didn't do this but habit-hacked until now it's second nature.  This time around, working on dinner.

*Not as fatty as cashews, my fave.  Almost as healthy as walnuts.  Tastes better than peanuts!  Not too expensive; we pick them up at Costco (raw, unsalted).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on January 07, 2016, 11:39:20 PM
For anyone looking for a plan to follow, there's a great thread on The Whole 30 (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/whole-30-starting-sept-8th-want-to-join-us/) which has lots of success stories by fellow Mustachians as well as links to the official Whole 30 program online (which is free, by the way).

I'm delighted to report that I am down 25 lb (October to December 2015) with another 50 or so to go in 2016 so I'm joining here as well!

1967mama, thanks for mentioning that & posting the link.  I have seen the thread numerous times, but have been scared to delve in...isn't that silly?  Anyway I read the program & it sounds like it's for people who cook ("stricter paleo").  That's a skill I'm still developing, so I think I'll pass for the now.  However, I'm glad you helped me get over that fear.

oneday - You're welcome! I do like to cook and eliminating grains, dairy, sweeteners of all types and legumes for 30 days seemed quite doable for me. I had nothing to lose (except the weight! haha) by giving it a go for 30 days. It really was the first thing that has ever worked for me:-) I'm on Day 4 of my 3rd Whole 30 (since October 2015) and I have to say, I feel great. It has helped me with so much more than just weight loss. Stop by for motivation anytime:D
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on January 07, 2016, 11:45:41 PM
oneday - You're welcome! I do like to cook and eliminating grains, dairy, sweeteners of all types and legumes for 30 days seemed quite doable for me. I had nothing to lose (except the weight! haha) by giving it a go for 30 days. It really was the first thing that has ever worked for me:-) I'm on Day 4 of my 3rd Whole 30 (since October 2015) and I have to say, I feel great. It has helped me with so much more than just weight loss. Stop by for motivation anytime:D

I may just do that, since I'm building up my recipes.  I bet there's some tasty stuff on there!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Girlwithaplan on January 08, 2016, 02:08:16 AM
I'm going to start slowly and with something that I think is achievable. Sugar free till the end of January. Sugar has really crept into my diet in 2015 and I need to really reduce it. But I know that I need to start small and make it easy, so I can feel some success. So, here we go....no cookies, cakes, cholocate, lollies or icrecream till 31 Jan. The hardest to avoid will be the cookies and chocolate. My DH is a frequent muncher and we have quite a lot of them.

My plan is to replace with fruit, as we have so much beautiful stone fruit in season here - the nectarines, the apricots, the crunchy apples.  YUMMO.

Righto, off to make a cup of tea without a cookie.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 08, 2016, 07:45:05 AM
Wow I failed today. Someone brought chocolate to work this morning, then timbits this afternoon. I bet I had nearly 1000 calories in sugar today. But healthy and small breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also I AM SKIPPING POPCORN tonight. I posted it here, so now it has to be true.

As much as I was hoping to avoid it, I may have to start tracking food intake with myfitnesspal again. Just the knowledge that I have to be accountable to myself and track everything I eat on the app helped me limit the junk I ate tremendously last time I was losing weight. Hopefully it does the same this time.

How did you do last night?

As for me - I'm pleased. Yesterday was Day 4. I followed my plan and snacked during the day on oranges. I did end up eating a slightly bigger portion size than I should have (I made homemade meatballs for the first time in years and it was GOOD!) but not too bad so I'll count that as a win. After, I only snacked on fruit (we had a pomelo that was incredibly sweet and delish - all of us were fighting over it!). I also did a 30 min workout video. Didn't do as well on the sleep front - finally going to sleep at 12:30am after DH nagged me for a bit (but still, I didn't go on a midnight binge - yay). Unfortunately, my dog has a restless night, waking up 3 times needing water/potty/more water. When the dog finally slept soundly, my DD came in sobbing after a bad dream where Daddy shot the dog. (UGH - our world revolved around the dog last night)

Next up - work up the courage to get on a scale. I've refused to weigh myself for 2-3 years now and my scale is packed away (my excuse is that the needle is broken lol). I did measure myself on Day 3 and will measure every 2-4 weeks to see progress. A scale will likely track the smaller successes so I'm wondering if I should just get it over and see how bad it is. I guess I'm at about 150lb although it could well be more than that *sigh*
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FiguringItOut on January 08, 2016, 08:13:25 AM
Is anyone here, besides me, following Weight Watchers and wants to talk about program and points? 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 08, 2016, 12:12:36 PM
Wow I failed today. Someone brought chocolate to work this morning, then timbits this afternoon. I bet I had nearly 1000 calories in sugar today. But healthy and small breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also I AM SKIPPING POPCORN tonight. I posted it here, so now it has to be true.

As much as I was hoping to avoid it, I may have to start tracking food intake with myfitnesspal again. Just the knowledge that I have to be accountable to myself and track everything I eat on the app helped me limit the junk I ate tremendously last time I was losing weight. Hopefully it does the same this time.

How did you do last night?

As for me - I'm pleased. Yesterday was Day 4. I followed my plan and snacked during the day on oranges. I did end up eating a slightly bigger portion size than I should have (I made homemade meatballs for the first time in years and it was GOOD!) but not too bad so I'll count that as a win. After, I only snacked on fruit (we had a pomelo that was incredibly sweet and delish - all of us were fighting over it!). I also did a 30 min workout video. Didn't do as well on the sleep front - finally going to sleep at 12:30am after DH nagged me for a bit (but still, I didn't go on a midnight binge - yay). Unfortunately, my dog has a restless night, waking up 3 times needing water/potty/more water. When the dog finally slept soundly, my DD came in sobbing after a bad dream where Daddy shot the dog. (UGH - our world revolved around the dog last night)

Next up - work up the courage to get on a scale. I've refused to weigh myself for 2-3 years now and my scale is packed away (my excuse is that the needle is broken lol). I did measure myself on Day 3 and will measure every 2-4 weeks to see progress. A scale will likely track the smaller successes so I'm wondering if I should just get it over and see how bad it is. I guess I'm at about 150lb although it could well be more than that *sigh*

I did it! It was hard though. I had a thermos of herbal tea, took the dog for a walk and was on skype for a bit to distract myself. While I was waiting for my skype date the devil on my shoulder was trying to convince me that just half a bowl of popcorn would be ok. Ha.

This morning I fired up myfitnesspal again and entered in my breakfast. Went for a run even though it's -19C. Going to the grocery store later today to pick up some healthy foods. I have LOTS of frozen meat and veggies, but nothing that is good for quick healthy low-carb snacks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lbmustache on January 08, 2016, 12:39:54 PM
Is anyone here, besides me, following Weight Watchers and wants to talk about program and points?

I'm on the fence with WW. Do you like it so far?

I found this blog the other day and he has a bunch of paleo/vegan/gluten-free recipes. I'm trying to lower my wheat / carbs / sugar intake so his blog is super helpful. Sugar is my weakness so I am going to try to make some of these: http://thebigmansworld.com/2015/10/04/healthy-no-bake-cake-batter-bites-paleo-vegan-gluten-free/ as a "healthier" alternative. Right now, to curb sugar cravings (PMSing doesn't help), I make an almond milk, peanut butter, and banana smoothie with some cinnamon.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FiguringItOut on January 08, 2016, 12:44:16 PM
Is anyone here, besides me, following Weight Watchers and wants to talk about program and points?

I'm on the fence with WW. Do you like it so far?



I've used them back in 2012-2013 with great success.  Unfortunately, I've regained everything I lost because I completely went off the plan and did not even do the maintenance.  I am back on it now and so far I feel good. 
I should add that WW was the only plan that has ever worked for me in my entire life without making me miserable.  So I'm sticking with it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: pbkmaine on January 08, 2016, 12:47:56 PM

Is anyone here, besides me, following Weight Watchers and wants to talk about program and points?

I am about to rejoin. How do you like the new program?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FiguringItOut on January 08, 2016, 12:57:43 PM

Is anyone here, besides me, following Weight Watchers and wants to talk about program and points?

I am about to rejoin. How do you like the new program?

I'm still getting used to it.  Started last week after 2 year break.  I do not like the new website though.  Can't find things there and all good old forums are gone now. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 08, 2016, 01:15:58 PM
I did it! It was hard though. I had a thermos of herbal tea, took the dog for a walk and was on skype for a bit to distract myself. While I was waiting for my skype date the devil on my shoulder was trying to convince me that just half a bowl of popcorn would be ok. Ha.

This morning I fired up myfitnesspal again and entered in my breakfast. Went for a run even though it's -19C. Going to the grocery store later today to pick up some healthy foods. I have LOTS of frozen meat and veggies, but nothing that is good for quick healthy low-carb snacks.

Woot!!!! You rocked it :)

It's really hard to resist. Today I got hit with an intense chocolate craving as I walked past the full bowl of Christmas chocolates in the office. I drank some more water and ate an orange.

Next habit hack - learn to ENJOY my healthy treats. An orange is sweet, delicious goodness - I should consider it as good as/better than that Lindts chocolate screaming my name.

@oneday at home, I keep apple cider vinegar in a squirt bottle and add a squirt to each glass of water. It's really good and replaces any cravings for juice. Plus it's healthy. We also often squeeze a fresh lemon into our water. My fave though is sparkling water - but it's a big treat for me since I refuse to pay for it. I loved it when I was traveling in England and it was priced just the same as regular bottled water!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on January 09, 2016, 01:56:58 AM
Tonight I had a major craving for a bowl of cereal and instead I had 2 kiwis :-) I'm really happy that I was able to identify the craving and redirect it. Former 1967mama could never hve done that!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Girlwithaplan on January 09, 2016, 02:36:00 AM
I have avoided the sugar today! I ate nectarines, and apricots and thumbed my nose to the biscuits and ice cream. I got that Fitbit on and walked 12000 steps today. My legs are tired, my thighs are sore and I'm feeling pleased with myself.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 09, 2016, 08:35:59 AM
Yesterday was also a decent day for me. I avoided snacking on anything other than fruit. However, I had a slightly bigger portion than I should have had for dinner. I cooked one of our fave meals - breaded pork cutlets in honey garlic sauce and the deliciousness was a little too much temptation. I didn't go mega overboard like I normally would do - so semi win. I also worked out - DH found this kooky mom and kids workout on fitnessblender - it ended up being rather amusing. I think DH is having fun finding workout videos for me each night (since he just sits back and watches me!)

Tonight, we are going out for dinner for Chinese New Year - not sure how to resist overeating yummy Chinese food. Wonder what the "healthiest" things to order would be? We eat family style - so I have to come up with a few options. I love ginger beef, so that will be a must do. Not sure what else is on the lighter side...
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: pbkmaine on January 09, 2016, 06:17:19 PM

Is anyone here, besides me, following Weight Watchers and wants to talk about program and points?

I am about to rejoin. How do you like the new program?

I'm still getting used to it.  Started last week after 2 year break.  I do not like the new website though.  Can't find things there and all good old forums are gone now.

The forums are still there. Just Google "Weight Watchers Message Boards"
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalWad on January 09, 2016, 06:59:40 PM
In. So, so in. 5'10" and in 2011 I weighed over 300 pounds! Now in November, for the first time in almost a decade, I'm back under 200. I bought a kitchen scale to track calories and portion sizes. After months at times of being away from a gym, counting calories still kept the weight falling. I figure I have another 30-40 pounds to go until I get my goal of seeing a six-pack again.

I've been using an average of all the different daily calorie calculators I could find. I keep an average of 1600-2200, and within that range I can lose the weight, and still feel satisfied with the amount of food I'm eating. Every so often I go through a short period of binge eating, which I'm going through now. My calories have been more like 2,500-3,000, which is keeping me around 197-198 pounds.

The great thing is, the less food I eat not only means a smaller waistline, but also a cheaper grocery bill and less fun money spent eating out!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on January 09, 2016, 07:19:24 PM
FrugalWad - What an inspiring story! Thanks for posting! I'm on a journey to drop 75 lbs to get back to my ideal weight and one that I am very comfortable at -- I have 50lb to go. I lost 25lb from Oct to Dec 2015 doing a program called The Whole 30. (http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/) I totally agree with you on the $$ saving through buying just healthy foods (and less food) and cutting out restaurants (in my case, mostly fast food).
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on January 09, 2016, 07:49:16 PM
Weekends are the hardest for me, but I'm doing ok so far. We went out to eat tonight (gift card), and I had the low cal grilled chicken with broccoli and tomatoes.  I'm proud of myself but it honestly wasn't that great and I felt like we kind of wasted the gc. Oh well. One more day to make it through before I'm back to the weekdays. Monday I weigh myself, so I have to be good.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Hotstreak on January 10, 2016, 10:20:07 PM
I'm in!  I am 6'1" and 205 lbs currently.  I want to get down to 190 and hold it, which will be the lightest I have been since I was a teenager.  Three things I am doing, first reduce added fat to meals, second reduce alcohol, third exercise more.  The exercise is tough because of some injuries, but if I try and experiment I'm sure I can find some sort of activity I can do.


Good luck everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Girlwithaplan on January 11, 2016, 01:09:58 AM
I'm doing really well at reducing the sugar. I did have a biscuit today - but stopped at one. (I never normally stop at one!). I did make really nice cornbread for dinner, which in hindsight is more carb-y than I should have had. But it tasted great and I enjoyed it....so I'm okay with it. Rock on 2016.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lemanfan on January 11, 2016, 04:47:09 AM
But it tasted great and I enjoyed it....so I'm okay with it. Rock on 2016.

:)   I like that statement.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 11, 2016, 04:54:31 AM
I seem to be having good days and bad days but I am not giving up.  I think I just have too much stuff around and some of it going bad and I am trying to minimize waste.  Although, I am ready to toss and make it the last time I throw out anything intentionally.  However, I am also trying to be patient.  I didn't put on this weight overnight and I know it doesn't come off that quickly either and I want to lose it the "right" way.  I have been exercising and I feel better mentally that I am moving so that is helping. 

The weekends are tough but I figure if I am doing good during the week, I can enjoy a little bit over the weekend.  Nothing crazy.  So, that will be my "way" starting today.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Ready2Go on January 11, 2016, 07:19:12 AM
1/4  - 152
1/11 - 149

Spent the last week focusing on better eating habits. In my case that means no snacks after dinner.  Mostly succeeded, but last night was a complete fail. At book club last night the host had lots of chocolates and cheese and I could not resist. Argg. 

Can't complain about overall results though. Didn't use the scale all week which was a little unnerving for me, but I want to stay focused on eating patters rather than daily weight.

This weeks focus will again be: no snacking!! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 11, 2016, 07:47:24 AM
I'm doing really well at reducing the sugar. I did have a biscuit today - but stopped at one. (I never normally stop at one!). I did make really nice cornbread for dinner, which in hindsight is more carb-y than I should have had. But it tasted great and I enjoyed it....so I'm okay with it. Rock on 2016.

Woot!! Reducing sugar is HARD - so you are definitely rocking on!

1/4  - 152
1/11 - 149

Can't complain about overall results though. Didn't use the scale all week which was a little unnerving for me, but I want to stay focused on eating patters rather than daily weight.

Congrats! - 3 lb is awesome!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 11, 2016, 08:52:00 AM
I'm doing really well at reducing the sugar. I did have a biscuit today - but stopped at one. (I never normally stop at one!). I did make really nice cornbread for dinner, which in hindsight is more carb-y than I should have had. But it tasted great and I enjoyed it....so I'm okay with it. Rock on 2016.

I'm IMPRESSED!
Stopping at 1 is so hard for me!

I went for a run yesterday. It felt much easier because it wasn't quite so cold out as the previous week.

I used to track my weight on a chart every Monday morning and I'm going to start doing it again

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 Current weight: 156
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FiguringItOut on January 11, 2016, 09:41:40 AM
Congrats to all who have been doing so well.  I am reading and using you all as an inspiration.

I've done one week of WeightWatchers now.  Results are good - minus 3.8lb, I'm sure a chunk of that is water weight, but I'll take it.

I was mostly good staying within my points, but the really good part is that I tracked the whole week.  Tracking is the really the key for me.  The more I track the more I tend to stay on points.  My weightin day in Sunday morning. 

However, yesterday, Sunday was pretty bad.  I cannot have chocolate in my house, even if I buy it for my kids.  Will need to keep that in mind and buy in small quantities that I can give to kids as one time treat and be done with it.  Not buy with the thought of keeping it for treats later on.  The result is there are no more treats for later on because I ate them last night.

So Sunday points were really bad, but I did track them all.  Today I have a plan for better day and the rest of the week.  If I stay clean, I should still be able to see some loss next Sunday.

Also, I packed lunch with me to work every day last week and plan to do the same this week.  Packed today and brought few days worth of fruit to keep at my desk for snacks. 

Good week to everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: asauer on January 11, 2016, 10:46:14 AM
Excited!  Lost 3 lbs this week with intermittent fasting.  3 down, 27 to go!

Week 1: 3lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: kfire20 on January 11, 2016, 01:03:33 PM
I'm  6'0" and 246.8 lb.

@yuka... looks like we are about the same.

6'2" and 240.4 lbs. ...here.
Goal: 225 lbs. in 12-15 weeks.

Down 32 pounds since February 2014. Call it slow and steady. Changed my diet and began exercising again on Feb. 11th, 2014. Lots of vegetables, chicken and fish. Little or no refined sugar and limited complex carbohydrates. Gave up cream and sugar in my coffee too. Now that was hard.

I'd like to lose 1.5  a week for the next 3 months.

Goal: 12 weeks x 1.5 = 18 pounds
225 ish -- lofty but I'll give it a try.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 11, 2016, 01:06:54 PM
Saturday - Ended up skipping breakfast. Lunch with a brown rice vermicelli in a broth-based soup. Not too bad. After lunch, I was feeling munchy as usual and struggled. On the good side, I drank a glass of water first. On the bad side, I binged on a snack - and eventually managed to stop myself 300-400 calories later *sigh*. Dinner was a toughie as we went out - and ordered lobster in ginger & green onion sauce (my FAVORITE). All in all, I count it as a win. I successfully restricted myself to a 1/2 cup of rice (never happens) and I ate only 2-3 bites of the other dishes (all of which were healthier choices - shrimp with silky egg sauce, ginger beef, green beans). I did end up eating too much lobster, but all in all, about 1/4 of the food I would normally eat.

I've been reflecting on what I've been doing and reading about what has worked for others. Even though I am quite reluctant - I have decided that I need to start tracking my eating (just like I have started tracking my spending). Weight Watchers is one of the few programs I have seen work successfully for the people in my life.

This time around, I'm going to use this thread and track calories using MyFitnessPal. I am probably going to count the fruits and veggies I snack on as zero - to give myself more incentive to choose these a la WW. We'll see - I'll likely tweak as we go along. Tracking will (hopefully) help me make more healthy food choices. In looking over the food I ate last week, I managed to control my portion sizes (HUGE win!) - but I think some of my choices sabotaged me a bit. There were some things I thought were lower cal - but ended up being much fattier than I expected when I looked it up.

I am finding it a pain to calculate the calories - but since my biggest goal is to figure out "normal" portion sizes, I think this is going to be a huge step forward for me. I hate weighing/measuring ingredients - but I think I am going to have to. At least until I re-learn what normal eating is.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: kfire20 on January 11, 2016, 01:44:17 PM

... track calories using MyFitnessPal....


@elaine amj  Great app.! That's the app. I used when I lost my 32 pounds in the first year. Good stuff.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalWad on January 11, 2016, 06:02:54 PM
Excited!  Lost 3 lbs this week with intermittent fasting.  3 down, 27 to go!

Week 1: 3lbs

I loved intermittent fasting. I can binge eat like there's no tomorrow, and two giant meals versus 3-4 regular-sized ones makes me a happy camper. I've found drinking coffee in the morning really helps with any cravings until it's time to break the fast. Or a filling fruit, like a banana.

FrugalWad - What an inspiring story! Thanks for posting! I'm on a journey to drop 75 lbs to get back to my ideal weight and one that I am very comfortable at -- I have 50lb to go. I lost 25lb from Oct to Dec 2015 doing a program called The Whole 30. (http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/) I totally agree with you on the $$ saving through buying just healthy foods (and less food) and cutting out restaurants (in my case, mostly fast food).

I saw the thread about the Whole 30 group some time ago when I first got on the forum. I'll have to dig through the pages and see how people have been with it. I've followed a few diets before, like Body for Life and I can't remember how many other ones that have popped up on HappyEaters.net (http://happyeaters.net/), or Bodybuilding.com (http://www.bodybuilding.com/).

I cannot have chocolate in my house, even if I buy it for my kids.  Will need to keep that in mind and buy in small quantities that I can give to kids as one time treat and be done with it.  Not buy with the thought of keeping it for treats later on.  The result is there are no more treats for later on because I ate them last night.

I'm the same way with ice cream. A tub can disappear in a day, and that'll be my calorie limit. I know, no matter how hard I try, ice cream is not a thing that can live in peace in my freezer. So now if I want any, it's a treat, and I'll either go out and buy it at an ice cream parlor, or plan on just getting a much smaller sized carton (pint, maybe? Like those little Haagen Daz ones), and know it'll be gone in a day or two, no matter how many servings it actually has.

I'm on a baking streak. I've baked two batches of cornbread, and a batch of black bean chocolate chip brownies. Along with a batch of Alton Brown's homemade hot cocoa mix. Most of it's wrapped up and stored in the freezer. I plan on having one of each for each day, so I take them out the night before, along with the frozen turkey from a holiday sale, and that way I've kind of prepped my meals for the next day. Along with any fruit and whatever.

I've found the more I can prepare meals ahead of time, the easier it is to stick to a calorie range. My freezer is full of bags stuffed with single servings wrapped up in foil, ready to take out the night before they're needed.

I also keep a white board on the fridge that I can quickly write down my menu for the day, and associated calories. It helps keep things in check.

It's the start of a new week, and I'm down from 198 from the weekend to 196. It's a great start to the week!

I used to hate soups and stews. That was a catch-all phrase for me. I hated soup. Loathed stews. But now I've found that I hated bad soups and stews. I've been experimenting with the ones found on BudgetBytes (http://www.budgetbytes.com/) and have been enjoying them immensely. Since the largest part of my grocery bill has always been dinners, this has cut down my starting 2016 grocery budget by at least a third! It's also cut the average dinner calories down by a couple hundred too. It'll be great to see how that affects my weight along the way.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on January 12, 2016, 01:24:41 AM
Figuring It Out - I hear you on having foods in the house "for the kids!"

For me, its potato chips "for the kids,"
baked goods "for the kids,"
chocolate "for the kids,"
pop "for the kids."

Hello, my name is 1967mama and I'm a recovering sugar addict. I have to be pretty much cold turkey. I was just finished my 2nd Whole 30 (did 2, straight through) when Christmas arrived and I totally fell off the wagon. Brutal!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: asauer on January 12, 2016, 06:09:53 AM
Heard a great technique for losing/ maintaining weight yesterday on a podcast.  Apparently, there are several studies that show people who weigh themselves everyday are more successful at losing and then maintaining weight (from 6 longitudinal studies).  Apparently, it makes people more mindful.  I'm going to give it a try. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FiguringItOut on January 12, 2016, 07:19:24 AM
Figuring It Out - I hear you on having foods in the house "for the kids!"

For me, its potato chips "for the kids,"
baked goods "for the kids,"
chocolate "for the kids,"
pop "for the kids."

Hello, my name is 1967mama and I'm a recovering sugar addict. I have to be pretty much cold turkey. I was just finished my 2nd Whole 30 (did 2, straight through) when Christmas arrived and I totally fell off the wagon. Brutal!

I fell off the wagon two years ago.  So congrats on picking this up right away and keeping at it.  I undid all of my previous results and am basically starting where I was 4 years ago. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 12, 2016, 07:40:17 AM
Well, so far what I am doing is not working so it looks like I have to take it a bit more serious.  I was really just trying to balance things out, so if I had a bad day then I would try and have a good day but really I stop caring and just eat if I want to.  LOL.  So, today, I am going to make a real effort on curbing most things, at least for a while.

I stepped on the scale and it did not budge so now I am getting annoyed at myself. I really don't want to buy new pants and skirts so I need to be a bit more focused.  I am not giving up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 12, 2016, 08:34:30 AM
Yesterday was a good day. I didn't even end up snacking AT ALL (maybe that was bad?). I counted calories in detail (even calculated out our homecooked meals!) and set up MyFitnessPal. Taking baby steps so I gave myself an overly generous 1500 cal daily limit. And logged in at under 1200 cals - even counting the two oranges I had for dessert. For my workout, I decided to try the XBX plan (http://fit450.com/HTML/XBX_Intro.html) suggested in another thread. I like the idea of starting off very slowly and gradually increasing intensity. I quickly realized that it is not a cardio workout, so after the 12 mins, I insisted on doing another 10 min cardio workout (proud that I did this since DH gave me an easy out by encouraging me to skip it since it was bedtime). So far I have mostly been only working out 20-30 mins a day. I will look at increasing that but for now, I am concentrating on small victories and easy wins.

Also, I FINALLY replaced the batteries on my scale (after years). UGH...the damage was worse than I thought. 153.2 lbs. I diligently logged everything into MyFitnessPal. I do like the layout and setup of the website and app so am happy I gave in and did it.

Well, so far what I am doing is not working so it looks like I have to take it a bit more serious.  I was really just trying to balance things out, so if I had a bad day then I would try and have a good day but really I stop caring and just eat if I want to.  LOL.  So, today, I am going to make a real effort on curbing most things, at least for a while.

I stepped on the scale and it did not budge so now I am getting annoyed at myself. I really don't want to buy new pants and skirts so I need to be a bit more focused.  I am not giving up.

alleykat - hang in there!!! I'm the same way and have fallen into that trap more times then I can count. I completely hear you about the "stop caring" part. I get into this perverse mood and then binge like crazy. Tell us about your bad day, then tell us about your next steps. For me, it helps to plan my meals out. So today, I know what I am going to have.The habit hacking to drink water when I am feeling snacky has been helping me. And reaching for a fruit instead of my usual junk feels so much better. On a really bad day, I try to increase the number of my healthy snacks - such as having a fruit even though it's only been an hour since lunch. I also have some mints at my desk for when my cravings grow too strong. And posting in this thread has helped me a LOT.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 13, 2016, 04:44:09 AM
Thanks, Elaine amj, I am not giving up yet.  Although, I will say, it is amazing what a struggle it is.  LOL.  The evenings are my worse time. I come home mentally drained, tired, etc.  I think I need to space things out at night and stick to the water, fruit and veggie hack.  My problem is, I am not in the mood for those things, especially in the winter.  There is something about winter that I just want to reach for the comfort foods.  I agree, planning meals is important and something I am not good at.   I also think I am not eating enough for dinner so it makes it harder later on so I will have rethink my dinners.

I do keep hard candy or little lollipops around and they sometimes help with the sweet cravings.  I just have to remember to reach for them more instead of the other junk.  Once I get through some things, I will try and not keep so much around. 

Good luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: fitfrugalfab on January 13, 2016, 07:55:17 AM
I'm in. I'm 5'4 129lbs and my goal weight is 122lbs. We're trying to start a family so my biggest cut out is alcohol.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 13, 2016, 08:47:03 AM
Yesterday was another good day. Under 1200 calories and no cheating. I ate a hard boiled egg for a snack in the afternoon to see if the protein would help reduce hunger pangs. It seemed to work and I wasn't overly hungry at dinnertime. I did my 12 minute XBX routine followed by a 10 min beginner low impact cardio workout.  I want to increase the cardio sessions - but time is a factor. DH reminded me that my strategy is easy wins - don't blow it by pushing too hard, too fast.

On Saturday, I took my dog out for a walk. We really haven't walked a whole lot lately although we do a normal pace walk about every 2 weeks or so (he sleeps the rest of the time). This time, I pushed us to a brisk pace and kept it up for an hour. I also added some hills, keeping up the brisk pace. Later, my thighs and calves were aching a lot. At about that time, my son started noticing that the dog seemed a little injured. For the rest of the day, he screamed (and yes, I never knew dogs could scream lol) when we touched or moved him and was all in all, a really pitiful looking creature. I reminded my worried kids that our little mini poodle is a wuss - the dog would even scream at night when I brushed past his fur! Amazingly, as I recovered from my muscle soreness, so did our doggy. My current theory is that he was fussing because his muscles were sore lol.

Some reflections: it's been 1.5 weeks since I dived into this. Too early to tell if there is any weight loss - but there has been a side benefit to starting the food diary (only since Monday). I thought that since I was approaching the food battle fairly slowly, that I would not be able to handle a 1200 calorie a day diet and I upped my goal numbers to 1500 calories. Amazingly - I have been clocking in at about 1100 or so calories for the last 3 days!! I still feel a little unsure about my measurements (how to guestimate a serving size?! I am visually splitting a platter full of food into 8ths and scooping out approximately an eighth but it sure doesn't feel particularly precise) so I don't entirely trust my diary. But tracking (although it sure is a a hassle) has shown me that I really CAN DO THIS. And has helped me start to figure out "normal" portion sizes after so many years of massive portions.

Last night I realized that this is all starting to feel more like a routine. I'm no longer feeling starved (surprising how fast that disappeared) - instead I feel in control and empowered. I still have cravings - and still stare longingly in my the daily walk past the Christmas chocolates in my office. But more and more, I am making better choices.

@alleykat what are your meal plans for today? Even if you take it one meal at a time, you're still getting the benefits of planning ahead. Thinking about reporting the choices I have made back in here has actually been helping me a lot.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on January 13, 2016, 09:05:20 AM
So, I had a really good week last week, managing to keep to two meals and a snack most days (keeping in mind that my snack might look like a meal to some here.) Then I went skiing for the weekend, and I bought a lot of convenience food to make sure I could keep going all weekend, plus rice pudding because it's my favorite and I figured I was working out for many hours each of those days.. Unfortunately, some of that came home. So the start of this week was not so good. I've just gotten back down to where I ended last week.

1/2:   246.8
1/13: 244.2 (244.8 5-day average)

I really need to control my sugar cravings, both for my health and my roommates' sanity. We all split food, so sugary things show up even if I avoid them at the store. When I get into a slump, I'm like the ant problem we had earlier this year: sneaking my way into everything sweet.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 13, 2016, 09:19:04 AM


@alleykat what are your meal plans for today? Even if you take it one meal at a time, you're still getting the benefits of planning ahead. Thinking about reporting the choices I have made back in here has actually been helping me a lot.


You are doing great.  I would like to get to the point of controlling my portions too and my sweets. I know where I am going wrong, it is just a matter of making the adjustments.  It's got to feel good making the better choices for yourself.

Yesterday for me was an okay day right until I reached for the dark chocolate almonds.  They are not making their way into my home again for a very long time. :)

Today, though, I had a meal replacement bar in the morning (trying to control calories for now), 2 cups of coffee, and just had an apple.  Lunch will be soup and salad and, if not, something healthy and light, and dinner I am planning on steaming some potstickers and making some mixed vegetables to go with it.  Then I will stick to have an orange or two for a snack. Today, I am determined to finish the day on a good note.

Thank you for the support, Elaine.  I think you are right, reporting here and being accountable will help a lot.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 13, 2016, 09:20:07 AM

I really need to control my sugar cravings, both for my health and my roommates' sanity. We all split food, so sugary things show up even if I avoid them at the store. When I get into a slump, I'm like the ant problem we had earlier this year: sneaking my way into everything sweet.


LOL, me too!!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: debbie does duncan on January 13, 2016, 09:53:22 AM
Quote


On Saturday, I took my dog out for a walk. We really haven't walked a whole lot lately although we do a normal pace walk about every 2 weeks or so (he . At about that time, my son started noticing that the dog seemed a little injured. For the rest of the day, he screamed (and yes, I never knew dogs could scream lol) when we touched or moved him and was all in all, a really pitiful looking creature. I reminded my worried kids that our little mini poodle is a wuss - the dog would even scream at night when I brushed past his fur! quote]
Please stop taking your dog on your walks elaine amj !
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ZiziPB on January 13, 2016, 10:26:51 AM
I'm 5'6" female and currently at 156 lbs.  My scale skews a bit high but still... My weight has been creeping consistently up over the last few years (perimenopause anyone?).  I used to be a heavy drinker and the alcohol intake plus related unrestrained eating definitely contributed to the weight gain.  But I stopped drinking and have not had any alcohol since last summer.  Sadly, I replaced some of it with sweet snacks :-(

My goal for this year is to get down to 145 lbs by the summer.  I exercise fairly regularly and my basic diet is pretty healthy, it's just what I eat on top of the regular meals that gets to me.  So my plan of attack is:

- stick to 3 meals a day plus two snacks (mid-morning and mid-afternoon)
- snacks have to be of "no added sugar" variety - fresh fruit, nuts, nut butters, cheese
- no snacks/desserts after dinner
- continue regular workout routine of 3 workouts per week
- continue hiking on weekends if the weather permits, do yoga if the weather doesn't cooperate

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on January 13, 2016, 02:08:04 PM
I'm joining in on this challenge, as well. I am a 4'11" lady (a rather subjective use of that term, in my case), weighing 133 pounds, which is considered overweight. I don't like the way I look in clothes or naked, and I'd like to lose this weight in the event ManSpice and I decide to have another kid. My goal is to get to 110, though I didn't look too shabby at 115. I wish 115-pound me would have thought so!

I do have a plan in place, it's just going to be a matter of actually doing the things I say I am going to do.
- Track food intake on MyFitnessPal (I'm on a 3 day streak!)
- Start 30 Day Shred this Saturday and do at least two rounds before moving on to another, sustainable physical activity
- Eat more vegetables and less fast food. Like, a lot less.

The only time I really have to work out - between attending to work and family obligations - is early morning. So, in order to start working out every day, I have to go to bed early every night, and get up ideally at 5:00 a.m., though 6:00 a.m. would be a good starting point. I am not a morning person (or an afternoon or a night person - why can't I just lose massive pounds by sleeping 12 hours a day?), but this is the only way it's going to get done, and I know that. So I'm going to do it.

I've read all the posts on this thread, and all of you are impressive as hell!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 13, 2016, 02:44:32 PM
So, I had a really good week last week, managing to keep to two meals and a snack most days (keeping in mind that my snack might look like a meal to some here.) Then I went skiing for the weekend, and I bought a lot of convenience food to make sure I could keep going all weekend, plus rice pudding because it's my favorite and I figured I was working out for many hours each of those days.. Unfortunately, some of that came home. So the start of this week was not so good. I've just gotten back down to where I ended last week.

On the plus side, you did really good last week and there is downward movement. And, you managed to work off all the extra food you piled on over the weekend. No small feat - in the past, I would have just called it quits and gone on bingeing. Today is a new day!

Today, though, I had a meal replacement bar in the morning (trying to control calories for now), 2 cups of coffee, and just had an apple.  Lunch will be soup and salad and, if not, something healthy and light, and dinner I am planning on steaming some potstickers and making some mixed vegetables to go with it.  Then I will stick to have an orange or two for a snack. Today, I am determined to finish the day on a good note.

Thank you for the support, Elaine.  I think you are right, reporting here and being accountable will help a lot.

That sounds like a great plan! Keep those healthy snacks near at hand and remember to drink whenever you get a cravings for something bad.

Please stop taking your dog on your walks elaine amj !

ROFL! He never looks particularly excited about going for walks. I wonder why?

I'm joining in on this challenge, as well. I am a 4'11" lady (a rather subjective use of that term, in my case), weighing 133 pounds, which is considered overweight.

I do have a plan in place, it's just going to be a matter of actually doing the things I say I am going to do.
- Track food intake on MyFitnessPal (I'm on a 3 day streak!)
- Start 30 Day Shred this Saturday and do at least two rounds before moving on to another, sustainable physical activity
- Eat more vegetables and less fast food. Like, a lot less.

As another short person (I'm barely 5ft), welcome! I'm on a 3 day streak with MyFitnessPal too. So far, so good! With 30-day Shred, your basically doing a 20 min workout each day? it looks good!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 13, 2016, 08:24:51 PM
After how good I felt this afternoon - this evening was a struggle. Kids were eating pizza and their leftover crusts looked soooo good!! I had one tiny sliver of DH's spinach pizza...and when I calculated it in MyFitnessPal later - that alone was 110cals. I battled cravings the rest of the evening. This time though, I did something different. I admitted my cravings to DH. (Usually, I keep my diet triumphs and struggles from him - to make it easier to secretly binge eat, I think). He encouraged me to reach for fruit. I ended up eating some fruit and half an avocado.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ZiziPB on January 14, 2016, 04:09:07 AM
After how good I felt this afternoon - this evening was a struggle. Kids were eating pizza and their leftover crusts looked soooo good!! I had one tiny sliver of DH's spinach pizza...and when I calculated it in MyFitnessPal later - that alone was 110cals. I battled cravings the rest of the evening. This time though, I did something different. I admitted my cravings to DH. (Usually, I keep my diet triumphs and struggles from him - to make it easier to secretly binge eat, I think). He encouraged me to reach for fruit. I ended up eating some fruit and half an avocado.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good for you Elaine.  I did reasonably well yesterday.  No sweets, but I did have almonds as a snack after dinner (definitely not necessary as I wasn't hungry!)

My task for today, figure out what the right portion of nuts is when I snack.  Most likely 1 oz?

1 oz of almonds is 163 kcal
1 oz of walnuts is 185 kcal

These are the two varieties I eat quite often.  I have a scale so I will weigh them today!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 14, 2016, 04:47:43 AM
I did pretty good yesterday, although,mi did have a few things I could have avoided. My only sweet was a small lollipop.  I consider yesterday a win.   I never keep logs or write things down but yesterday I started too.  I think it will make me really see what I have throughout the day and I can make changes from there.  It was hard later that evening but I held out.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on January 14, 2016, 02:13:12 PM
Count me in! I matched my highest weight ever before the new year; which was where I was before I got pregnant back in 2012. I didn't have pregnancy or breastfeeding to deal with, and I knew something had to change.

My stats:
5'2"
Beginning weight (1/1/16): 182.8
Weight on 1/8/16: 176

My weigh in days are Fridays, but I have been getting on the scale daily. My moving average is decreasing, which helps when I see a 2 lb fluctuation from day to day.

The biggest changes I made were to cut out sugar and limit my alcohol to 2 drinks/week. I started following the clean eating principles and have been having great success. I haven't even been having sugar cravings, which was a major issue last time I started eating this way.

Best of luck to everyone, and it looks like y'all have been having some great results so far!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 14, 2016, 02:35:54 PM
The biggest changes I made were to cut out sugar and limit my alcohol to 2 drinks/week. I started following the clean eating principles and have been having great success. I haven't even been having sugar cravings, which was a major issue last time I started eating this way.

That's awesome that you haven't been having sugar cravings! It's nice that you're seeing some great positive movement.

My task for today, figure out what the right portion of nuts is when I snack.  Most likely 1 oz?

1 oz of almonds is 163 kcal
1 oz of walnuts is 185 kcal

These are the two varieties I eat quite often.  I have a scale so I will weigh them today!

I'm curious as i have never taken the time to weigh stuff - but on average, how many nuts is in 1oz?

I did pretty good yesterday, although,mi did have a few things I could have avoided. My only sweet was a small lollipop.  I consider yesterday a win.   I never keep logs or write things down but yesterday I started too.  I think it will make me really see what I have throughout the day and I can make changes from there.  It was hard later that evening but I held out.

I've always hated logging stuff too. Not entirely sure I will be able to sustain this - but 4 days in and so far, so good. When I was battling last night's cravings, thinking of having to come in here and report it made me pause. My DH gave me the rest of the push I needed.

Maybe I need to start another habit hack and go work out if I get a craving at night or something? I still get my late night cravings, but so far, it's been too much of a hassle to get out of bed to go eat. Plus been sleeping a touch earlier 12/12:30am, which has been helping. Hoping to inch that to going to sleep at 11/11:30pm - which again will help since I binge the most when nobody is around to see.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Rightflyer on January 14, 2016, 03:48:17 PM
I'd like to join as well.

Another shorty here. 5' 8" male.

Goal was 185.
Stretch goal is 180. Reason: That was the weight I was in the best shape ever at 30. Industrial league hockey 2xweek, shinny 2 x week running 15-18 miles a week, weights, rock-climbing yadda yadda yadda

(Now I'd be happy not to see my chins wobble when I talk...)

Nov 1  - 201lbs.
Jan 13 - 188 lbs.

I will check in as and when my spreadsheet tells me I am due for a weigh in.
 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dragoncar on January 14, 2016, 03:55:26 PM
Sure, I'm in.  I'll probably eat less.  Exercise more.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ZiziPB on January 14, 2016, 04:16:47 PM
Elaine,

1oz of almonds = 28 almonds (roasted no salt from Aldi)
1 oz of walnuts = 12 halves (fresh, 2015 crop from my parents' walnut tree)

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: bloomability on January 14, 2016, 04:51:57 PM
I'm in!

I'm 5'4" and going from 157 to 142 tracking macros instead of calories. With tracking calories I tend to eat more processed food but with macros I focus on a ratio of protein, fat, and carbs. Same coin/different side.

I started two weeks ago and am at 154, so that's good progress.

So for this nut question - I count 15 grams of fat for a serving which is a little more than 1/4 cup for cashews.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ZiziPB on January 15, 2016, 08:40:07 AM
Good day yesterday diet-wise, but I overslept this morning and ended up not going to the gym.  Will do some walking at lunchtime.  Weight down by  0.8 lb this morning :-) 

I'm going to clean out and organize the pantry over the weekend.  I want to get rid of any vestiges of holiday excess and see if I need to replenish any staples. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on January 15, 2016, 09:19:49 AM
The biggest changes I made were to cut out sugar and limit my alcohol to 2 drinks/week. I started following the clean eating principles and have been having great success. I haven't even been having sugar cravings, which was a major issue last time I started eating this way.

That's awesome that you haven't been having sugar cravings! It's nice that you're seeing some great positive movement.

Maybe I need to start another habit hack and go work out if I get a craving at night or something? I still get my late night cravings, but so far, it's been too much of a hassle to get out of bed to go eat. Plus been sleeping a touch earlier 12/12:30am, which has been helping. Hoping to inch that to going to sleep at 11/11:30pm - which again will help since I binge the most when nobody is around to see.

I find if I drink some water and find something to distract myself, more often than not the craving goes away. Getting a good night's sleep is really important to weight loss. I find myself craving carbs and sugar a lot more if I'm sleep deprived.

Also, if you are eating single servings of whole foods, generally speaking, the calorie count takes care of itself. Just be sure to amp up the fruits and veggies, which provide very few calories for large servings. For example, half of a 5" sweet potato is only 56 calories.

This week was another good week. I'm 2.6 lbs down, bringing my two week weight loss to 9.4 lbs!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on January 15, 2016, 09:16:00 PM
@oneday at home, I keep apple cider vinegar in a squirt bottle and add a squirt to each glass of water. It's really good and replaces any cravings for juice. Plus it's healthy. We also often squeeze a fresh lemon into our water. My fave though is sparkling water - but it's a big treat for me since I refuse to pay for it. I loved it when I was traveling in England and it was priced just the same as regular bottled water!

Apple cider vinegar?  I'll have to try it this weekend.  Or just fruit-infused water...I bought an infuser pitcher a while back but barely ever used it.  Will have to dust that off!  Thanks for the idea.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on January 15, 2016, 09:20:05 PM
In. So, so in. 5'10" and in 2011 I weighed over 300 pounds! Now in November, for the first time in almost a decade, I'm back under 200.

Way to go!  That deserves a celebration.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on January 15, 2016, 10:08:11 PM
My task for today, figure out what the right portion of nuts is when I snack.  Most likely 1 oz?

1 oz of almonds is 163 kcal
1 oz of walnuts is 185 kcal

These are the two varieties I eat quite often.  I have a scale so I will weigh them today!

I'm curious as i have never taken the time to weigh stuff - but on average, how many nuts is in 1oz?


I've been eating almonds for years now...about 12 almonds is 1 oz.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on January 15, 2016, 10:10:20 PM
Elaine,

1oz of almonds = 28 almonds (roasted no salt from Aldi)
1 oz of walnuts = 12 halves (fresh, 2015 crop from my parents' walnut tree)

OK, I guess I am wrong.  Will have to break out the scale tomorrow & weigh 12 almonds...I'm guessing 1/2 oz.

That's enough out of me.  Almost.

I'm still too embarrassed to post weight here.  However, I have tried weighing myself daily to see if that gives me extra motivation.  It seems to be working.  I have had second thought several times about dubious eating choices.  Weight was initially hovering in the x to x+5 range.  Now I'm hovering around x-2 to x+2.  That's a 3-lb drop in the highest weight I'm seeing...nice!  And motivating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on January 16, 2016, 11:30:08 AM
1/2: 246.8
1/9: 243.8
1/16: 243.2

As you can see, I had a quick drop the first week, then not much the second. I assume that a bunch of that was water weight and the substantive fat loss was less, but I'm still on my 1.5 lb/week target. It may just mean I have to work a little harder this next week. I had a lot of stressful stuff going on this last week, so I'm hoping I can keep to it better this coming one. However, it could also be hard because I'm traveling for school. That means 5 days of hotel breakfast and eating out. Also, I won't have my scale with me (although maybe I actually should take it; it'd be a shame to derail now.)
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 16, 2016, 08:50:18 PM
Been struggling so far this weekend *sigh* Had friends over on Friday night and although I tried really hard - still managed to eat about 300 cals more than I should. Although I should acknowledge that I had just ONE pan fried dumpling and ONE slice of veggie pizza. Enough to put me over the edge though:(

Then today when I was home alone, I binged again on my snacks. I didn't try my water hack or my other usual techniques.

I also currently have a bottle of champagne in the fridge with one glass left in it. Struggling with not wanting to waste it. Ugh. I am already well over my calorie limits today. Plus, just baked mini cheesecakes with my DD today so I will be having one tomorrow. And I didn't work out yesterday (other than my 12 min XBX strength training) and it's already 11pm so I don't want to do my cardio today either.

Going to have to pick myself up and do better tomorrow. I will NOT let a couple of bad days turn into more years of bad decisions.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on January 17, 2016, 02:05:29 AM

Then today when I was home alone, I binged again on my snacks. I didn't try my water hack or my other usual techniques.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh, I'm way, way too familiar with the late night snack binge! The worst part is that (at least for me) it's also a terrible set-up for the next morning. I don't know about you, but I wake up absolutely ravenous the next morning if I eat late at night. I'm hoping I should be pretty safe from the late-night binges this coming week as I'll be in a hotel. Having said that, I trade that for the dangers that come with eating out @_@  Wish me luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 17, 2016, 04:42:41 AM
Been struggling so far this weekend *sigh* Had friends over on Friday night and although I tried really hard - still managed to eat about 300 cals more than I should. Although I should acknowledge that I had just ONE pan fried dumpling and ONE slice of veggie pizza. Enough to put me over the edge though:(

Then today when I was home alone, I binged again on my snacks. I didn't try my water hack or my other usual techniques.

I also currently have a bottle of champagne in the fridge with one glass left in it. Struggling with not wanting to waste it. Ugh. I am already well over my calorie limits today. Plus, just baked mini cheesecakes with my DD today so I will be having one tomorrow. And I didn't work out yesterday (other than my 12 min XBX strength training) and it's already 11pm so I don't want to do my cardio today either.

Going to have to pick myself up and do better tomorrow. I will NOT let a couple of bad days turn into more years of bad decisions.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup, I just had a couple of terrible days too.  Just terrible, but I am doing a restart today. You are smart not to give up, I am not giving up ever.  On a good note, all of those dark chocolate almonds are gone.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 17, 2016, 10:42:24 PM
@yuka I find it super hard to diet when traveling for work. That said, this will be good practice for you for lifelong portion control. U can do this!!

I did much better today. Had the mini cheesecake for breakfast lol. My DD isn't too happy with it though - I used a Weight Watchers recipe and it's not sweet enough for her lol. We experimented with several toppings today but nothing has worked out yet.

As for my calorie tracking, I actually ate way under my limit - guess I made up for the binging on Saturday!

I tried a new recipe for an eggplant and zucchini stew. DH liked it - but I found it very blah. Super low in calories though, which was really nice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ZiziPB on January 18, 2016, 04:44:07 AM
Been struggling so far this weekend *sigh* Had friends over on Friday night and although I tried really hard - still managed to eat about 300 cals more than I should. Although I should acknowledge that I had just ONE pan fried dumpling and ONE slice of veggie pizza. Enough to put me over the edge though:(

Then today when I was home alone, I binged again on my snacks. I didn't try my water hack or my other usual techniques.

I also currently have a bottle of champagne in the fridge with one glass left in it. Struggling with not wanting to waste it. Ugh. I am already well over my calorie limits today. Plus, just baked mini cheesecakes with my DD today so I will be having one tomorrow. And I didn't work out yesterday (other than my 12 min XBX strength training) and it's already 11pm so I don't want to do my cardio today either.

Going to have to pick myself up and do better tomorrow. I will NOT let a couple of bad days turn into more years of bad decisions.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I haven't done too well over the last few days either.  I did avoid buying or eating sugary things, but all in all I ate way too much... 

We had lunch out at work on Friday - a rare treat for me since I don't eat out as a rule. I ended up eating way too much.  On Saturday, I was finishing up some leftover chili and ended up eating more than I really needed to.  And yesterday I baked bread and cooked a large batch of lamb stew.  Both were really delicious and I ended up eating more than necessary...

So next step in my plan:  PORTION CONTROL!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 18, 2016, 07:18:40 AM
THRILLED! I started last Monday at 153.2 lbs and this morning I weighed in at 149.6 lbs!! I know it's mostly water weight - but it's a huge win for me. Not sure if I lost anything the week before since I didn't start weighing myself until a week into this whole thing.

Reporting here on a daily basis has been really, really helping me. I usually fall off the bandwagon very quick - but forcing myself to be honest here has made a huge difference in my motivation levels. Also, this time, I'm reaching out to my DH for help. Normally, I hide it all from him because I don't want to be honest when I binge.

I haven't done too well over the last few days either.  I did avoid buying or eating sugary things, but all in all I ate way too much... 

We had lunch out at work on Friday - a rare treat for me since I don't eat out as a rule. I ended up eating way too much.  On Saturday, I was finishing up some leftover chili and ended up eating more than I really needed to.  And yesterday I baked bread and cooked a large batch of lamb stew.  Both were really delicious and I ended up eating more than necessary...

So next step in my plan:  PORTION CONTROL!!!

I have always sucked at portion control. A few months ago I tried to eat only canned soups and frozen dinners since I never measured anything even halfway accurately. That didn't last more than a week or so though since I was still left with the dilemma of how to count calories when I cooked at home or whatever. Using MyFitnessPal and doing my best to be accurate has been forcing me to see my portions. I don't think I'm that great yet - I'm pretty sure I'm still underestimating what I eat. I was not happy to discover that 1/2 of a boneless skinless chicken thigh is what one serving of meat really looks like. But, it's SO much better than what I used to be. Next step for me will be a digital kitchen scale. I am going to have to buy one to get a lot more accurate.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on January 18, 2016, 07:37:20 AM
Wow great job Elaineamj! I'm not posting every day but I am following along with you. I'm right about the same place as you are...measured 149.2 this morning. Woohoo! We can do this!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: francophile on January 18, 2016, 09:00:08 AM
I'm in. I'm pretty much at my highest weight ever and generally do not feel good about myself. None of my clothes really fit right either.

5'7" female, 181 lbs, 31 years old.

Goal is 135 to hit my optimal weight. Right now doing some workout videos and yoga at home, and banishing all meals out. More healthy vegetarian meals at home, much less booze, and as little dairy and sugar as possible.

I started this year off crappy in all respects after losing my beloved cat on January 3rd, a day before my birthday. Expenses and comfort eating abound. But I feel ready to do some good for myself and my wallet. All about the personal progress this year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FiguringItOut on January 18, 2016, 09:11:39 AM
My week two was a disaster.  After doing so well week 1 and being down 3.8lb, I am up 3.3lb the second week.  There was just too much stress happening last week (child and medical related) and I didn't manage it well.

On the positive, after my weekly weigh in on Sunday morning I am back on the plan and so far been doing really well with my breakfasts and lunches pre-planned for the rest of the week and decent dinner options at home. 

Hopping for a good week and hope all of you have a good week as well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 18, 2016, 11:10:01 AM
You are all kick-ass inspiring!

I kept up with my running this week, even on the cold days. -17C was the worst one. I've just started week 3 of the C25k program, so it's not too bad. On the really cold days I don't bother with the full 5 min 'warm up' because I'm usually colder after walking awhile.

As for food I've been doing ok since I started tracking calories, except for this Saturday! I went to a party and there was soooo much delicious junk food. I was way over my calorie limit, but I kept tracking it anyway.


Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Goal weight: 130

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 18, 2016, 11:59:34 AM
I started this year off crappy in all respects after losing my beloved cat on January 3rd, a day before my birthday. Expenses and comfort eating abound. But I feel ready to do some good for myself and my wallet. All about the personal progress this year.

The money aspect has been what got me to get serious about this. I was just reading somewhere else that it might help to look at calories as money. I figure that since we are such a money-conscious group of folks - this may really help. Give yourself a "calorie budget" and figure out how best to spend it. A few facepunches along the way may help :)

On the positive, after my weekly weigh in on Sunday morning I am back on the plan and so far been doing really well with my breakfasts and lunches pre-planned for the rest of the week and decent dinner options at home. 

Pre-planning has really really helped me. you can do this!

As for food I've been doing ok since I started tracking calories, except for this Saturday! I went to a party and there was soooo much delicious junk food. I was way over my calorie limit, but I kept tracking it anyway.

That's awesome that you continued tracking through a bad week. I'd be thinking of hiding my head under the covers and giving up. This is a fresh week :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: peppermint on January 18, 2016, 12:19:44 PM
I'm in. I'm 5'4 and was 147-148 for most of 2015. I got down to about 145 in the fall by being stricter about eating, and after the new year got as far down as 139, but am back up to 141. After the new year I'd been being super strict about food -- no processed foods, no alcohol, very little meat, but went out with friends for food/cocktails a couple of days in a row and bumped back up to 141 after that. My goal is 135 (maaaaaybe 130) but I need to evaluate how I can make habits sustainable -- i.e., cutting out alcohol and meat indefinitely is not something I'm interested in right now.

I am pretty fit and physically active already, so there are not huge changes to be made there except for maybe incorporating more cardio (my primary workouts through the fall have been rock climbing, yoga and aerials, all of which I am also continuing because I really enjoy them). I feel like I really am in the last stretch now of weight I want to lose, which is tough.

Plans
1. Transition to black coffee. I already do this at work, I can do it at home.
2. No processed cereal -- plain oatmeal with add-ins.
3. Being proactive about cooking batches of healthy food on the weekends for lunches.
4. Running 2x a week in addition to other activities.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on January 18, 2016, 12:38:05 PM
@francophile - I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. Be kind to yourself.

I had a great week overall last week, but the weekend kicked my ass. I was counting Friday night as a loss because we had some friends over, and the next morning - on which I had planned to start working out - I woke up sick with a head cold and nasal drip. Lovely.

So, I didn't work out as planned, BUT, I'm feeling better and know that I will be physically able to work out tomorrow morning, so that's when I will start. We just got back from grocery shopping, in which we utilized a meal plan - we are set for healthy, easy meals all week and will have absolutely no excuse for breaking down and buying fast food.

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 18, 2016, 01:28:21 PM
@Microspice The meal planning is awesome. i always feel better when I do that. I've been spending time on skinnytaste.com and really like her recipes.

@peppermint The whole sustainable thing is a good question. Having friends over on Friday also busted my diet plans. This is going to take some figuring out - because I want this to be a permanent life change. And yet, I really enjoy my food. Just like I don't want to feel deprived on a low spend lifestyle, I don't want to feel deprived on a low cal lifestyle. Maybe it's a matter of learning to enjoy new types of food and enjoy smaller portions. Maybe I don't need to eat a massive plate of my favorite dish - maybe an appetizer portion or splitting my meal will taste just as good and be satisfying? And even better - this could save some serious $$ when we we eat out!

I just read this comment in the myFitnessPal forum and it really resonated: Most importantly, I started eating the way I imagined the thinner me would eat with regards to portions and types of food. 80% healthy and 20% indulgence.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 18, 2016, 01:31:47 PM

I just read this comment in the myFitnessPal forum and it really resonated: Most importantly, I started eating the way I imagined the thinner me would eat with regards to portions and types of food. 80% healthy and 20% indulgence.

Love it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on January 19, 2016, 07:53:38 AM
1/2: 246.8
1/9: 243.8
1/16: 243.2

As you can see, I had a quick drop the first week, then not much the second. I assume that a bunch of that was water weight and the substantive fat loss was less, but I'm still on my 1.5 lb/week target. It may just mean I have to work a little harder this next week. I had a lot of stressful stuff going on this last week, so I'm hoping I can keep to it better this coming one. However, it could also be hard because I'm traveling for school. That means 5 days of hotel breakfast and eating out. Also, I won't have my scale with me (although maybe I actually should take it; it'd be a shame to derail now.)

I used to do a lot of traveling for work, too - about 1 week every month! I would struggle because I was 'dining out' and I never paid any attention to what I ordered - why would I? It didn't count! I finally had to change my mindset from "I'm traveling/on vacation" to "I'm temporarily living elsewhere."  One thing that helped was to make sure I had a refrigerator and a microwave in my room. I would then go shopping for yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, and soups that I could prepare in my room. Not only was it fewer calories, but it was less temptation and allowed me to bank my daily food allowance. HTH!

I struggled this weekend, too. A friend moved back to town after living away for over 4 years; we did a lot of catching up and a lot of drinking. I definitely broke my 2-drink/week goal. I think I will count it against my 'allowance' for the next couple of weeks and see how it goes. Food wise, the sugar cravings have yet to manifest themselves; I hope it remains that way. I'm a complete sugar addict. Once I have some, I can't stop myself.

*Edited for clarity.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: firelight on January 19, 2016, 08:39:13 AM
I want to join in too. I had a baby last year and lost weight upto 140 lbs but crept back up 148 lbs sure to holidays. Ugh!!

I'm 5.5 and would like to weigh 130 (anything lower would be a bonus) at end of 2016. More importantly, I don't exercise now (long list of reasons/excuses). I want to find an enjoyable and workable exercise with my current schedule so I can become fit.

I'm currently at 146 and know I can reach 140 with just dietary changes. After that I plateau :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 19, 2016, 08:59:04 AM
I used to do a lot of traveling for work, too - about 1 week every month! I would struggle because I was 'dining out' and I never paid any attention to what I ordered - why would I? It didn't count! I finally had to change my mindset from "I'm traveling/on vacation" to "I'm temporarily living elsewhere."  One thing that helped was to make sure I had a refrigerator and a microwave in my room. I would then go shopping for yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, and soups that I could prepare in my room. Not only was it fewer calories, but it was less temptation and allowed me to bank my daily food allowance. HTH!

I like the "temporarily living elsewhere" mentality. Our family travels...a LOT (often once a month). I love it. But when we travel, we eat out and I pig out a lot on really bad foods. And I also travel for work - and free food = massive temptation.

I have been looking at myself and wondering how on earth I let it come to this. I have always had a few extra pounds, even as a teen. Throughout my teen years, I was always the fat girl (I was about 120lb with an ideal weight of about 100-110lb) since 80% of my friends were all skinny. Or at least - I looked at them as skinny (they always felt about 5lbs or so over ideal). Just before college, I got more serious and dropped about 5 lbs so I felt pretty good through my college years. Then, I got married, got pregnant and the babies came. Eventually, I said that I felt fine at about 130lb and told myself I'd be OK at this weight for the rest of my life. However, every year or two, the weight would creep up. 130lb became 140lb. And now, at only 36, I hit 153.6lb and was officially obese!

How can I be OBESE? I can cycle for 5 hours, I can make it through an 8hr adventure race, I can canoe for 3 hours at a time, I can go for 5 hour hikes. How is this even possible? I'm realizing that the reality is - I am staring at this impossibility whenever I look in the mirror.

I HAVE to make this change and I have to make it last. This is not the life I want for myself. I want to go on long bike rides, I want to be outdoors. I want to FIRE and live my dreams, I want to grow old and be the wacky grandma still cycling, hiking, and living life to the fullest. I want so much for my life and I cannot keep lying to myself that what I eat has no effect on what I want for my life.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 19, 2016, 09:20:38 AM
I have not been doing great, but, YUP, this MUST stop.  Yesterday, I had a fairly decent day and I will continue it now - REALLY.  I literally cannot fit into my pants/skirts and I almost went and bought bigger sizes over the weekend but just refused.  Well, not really refused, but I don't want to allow myself that and have room to grow.  Plus, the way I have been eating, I can feel the heartburn (not fun) and I have been taking tums the last few days.  Uh, NO!!!  I will not live on tums and my body is telling me something so finally it is time to listen. 

I have known I cant eat like I use to when I was younger for a very long time now, but I refuse to realize the reality.  Well, this past weekend, I think it sunk in. 

I don't like what I see and I certainly don't like how I feel.  TIME TO CHANGE!!!

I exercised on my rebounder for 20 mins and I did about 15 kettlebell swings last night.  It is time to take this seriously.  I want to lose this extra 15 I seemed to have acquired, but more importantly, it is time to get fit.

 

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Rightflyer on January 19, 2016, 02:22:38 PM
Nov 1  - 201lbs.
Jan 13 - 188 lbs.
Jan 18 - 187 lbs.

Goal 185 lbs.
Stretch 180 lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Mongoose on January 19, 2016, 03:40:41 PM
Erg. It helps to see other people are struggling. I was doing great. Down 4 pounds the first two weeks. Then the anxiety really amped up and the whole thing went down the tubes. I eat junk (sweet processed carbs) when I'm stressed.

I swear gluten/wheat causes me to have nearly uncontrollable anxiety attacks (which of course result in eating sweet processed carbs..vicious cycle...). My oldest child has celiac so I could be sensitive (or celiac myself since I also get GI issues when I eat processed foods). I've never been tested and don't have good insurance/money to do so at this point. Due to needing gluten free for the little one, I had been off gluten for a couple of years. I started eating it again when money got tight. I already have a cow dairy allergy (had good insurance at that point).

I keep toying with the idea of going back to gluten free but the expense makes me reluctant. Ugh!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: swick on January 19, 2016, 04:05:52 PM
Erg. It helps to see other people are struggling. I was doing great. Down 4 pounds the first two weeks. Then the anxiety really amped up and the whole thing went down the tubes. I eat junk (sweet processed carbs) when I'm stressed.

I swear gluten/wheat causes me to have nearly uncontrollable anxiety attacks (which of course result in eating sweet processed carbs..vicious cycle...). My oldest child has celiac so I could be sensitive (or celiac myself since I also get GI issues when I eat processed foods). I've never been tested and don't have good insurance/money to do so at this point. Due to needing gluten free for the little one, I had been off gluten for a couple of years. I started eating it again when money got tight. I already have a cow dairy allergy (had good insurance at that point).

I keep toying with the idea of going back to gluten free but the expense makes me reluctant. Ugh!

Well, the above post is finally getting me to put my two cents in. I have been following this thread with great interest, and more than a little sadness.

I DO NOT MEAN TO BELITTLE ANYONE'S PROGRESS!! But I keep seeing the same cycles play out in multiple people's posts and while drastic change can be uncomfortable at first, it is so.so.so much better then the endless cycle of: "I did good then blew it, I binged and felt guilty, I was so good and then fell off the wagon..."

"Diets" Counting Calories and all the other crazy things we do to ourselves rarely make you go face to face with the emotional, physiological, phycological and addictive issues that arise from our food choices. If you don't sort those out, no matter what you do, you will keep living through the same vicious cycle. I have spent more time in it then I would like to think about. I have lost so much of my life.

Mongoose, the Whole30 is a good way to figure out what you personally can't tolerate, and doesn't require the super expensive tests (or subjecting yourself to gluten for long periods of time) to figure it out. I discovered that a gluten/wheat sensitivity was responsible for my Fibromyalgia symptoms. Since then I have experimenting with lots of gluten-free things, and you know if you are not buying prepared gluten-free breads and products (that come with their own issues) it isn't really more expensive.

Here is the thread for some of us MMM'ers who are doing it, check it out if you are interested we are a hugely supportive bunch :) http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/whole-30-starting-sept-8th-want-to-join-us/ (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/whole-30-starting-sept-8th-want-to-join-us/)

Wishing you all success no matter what system you find works for you!


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: tecmobo on January 19, 2016, 05:22:54 PM
Excited to get started with this. Male, 30, 6'0, currently about 208 and looking to get down to 180. My struggle has always been with snacking and dessert, so I'm trying the following two rules:

1) All snacking must be fruit or vegetables

2) No alcohol or dessert on weekdays (legitimate special occasions excluded)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Mongoose on January 19, 2016, 05:28:31 PM
Since then I have experimenting with lots of gluten-free things, and you know if you are not buying prepared gluten-free breads and products (that come with their own issues) it isn't really more expensive.

Here is the thread for some of us MMM'ers who are doing it, check it out if you are interested we are a hugely supportive bunch :) http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/whole-30-starting-sept-8th-want-to-join-us/ (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/whole-30-starting-sept-8th-want-to-join-us/)

Wishing you all success no matter what system you find works for you!

I appreciate the suggestion. I don't buy prepared gluten free products but I do bake my own gluten free (bread and a few cookies etc. on occasion). By processed foods I meant ground flour and the homemade products that come from it. I also bake almost all of my wheat bread and products too. I can make loaves of wheat bread for less than $0.75 each using higher priced flour. The absolute cheapest I can get gluten free flour that I am comfortable with is $3.50 per pound. I know my oldest child definitely can't have wheat so the priority has been on making sure her diet is optimal.

I have done the Whole30 before and loved it. But I have never found a way to end up with meat and vegetables for less than wheat flour and beans. Due to a series of circumstances and decisions, I currently am trying to feed my family of 4 on $300 per month. That has to cover every meal for every person. I have looked extensively for whole30 or paleo on a food-stamp level budget but the blogs and comments I've found have higher budgets than that or space to grow their own food or have farmers markets nearby. Cheap eggs are out too as anything other than organic farm eggs give a couple of us migraines (no idea why but this has been the subject of a blind test). Locally, that prices a dozen eggs around $3. We also do not eat pork.

I will ask over on the Whole30 thread too. But if anyone has a link for meal planning for Whole30 or paleo on the super cheap, I would greatly appreciate it. Otherwise, I am trying not to go over budget and have been eating wheat bread to reduce costs. I'm stopping that as of today. I'm looking at the slow carb type of food to see if we can make that work with our budget.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on January 19, 2016, 06:15:43 PM
With weight loss, I have always known that the math is simple.

-- If you consume less calories than you use, then you will lose weight.
-- If you consume more calories than you use, then you will gain weight.

However, the solution of how to actually implement it is quite complex. As swick mentions, a huge part of the solution is emotional in nature.

It's only been less than 6 months since I started to get serious about weight loss. Here is what has worked for me.

Calories in: I do not count my calories on a daily basis. Most of the meals I eat are fairly repetitive. I use myfitnesspal website to determine how many calories are present in a serving. I also used the MFP site to determine what my net caloric intake should be.  While I do not religiously track calories on a daily basis, I do occasionally look at how much I'm eating. Diet wise, the biggest change has been smaller portions. I still mostly eat the same things as I did before. I still eat junk and fatty foods (potato chips, pizza  etc.) occasionally but again watch how many calories it contains. 

Calories out: Have been exercising fairly consistently. Most of it is running/jogging/walking using interval training.  I know you are supposed to do High-Intensity but mine are more moderate intensity. Have been averaging about 15+ miles every week. My average speed has been 4 miles per hour. As you can see, it is pretty slow.

Weight Loss: Here are my numbers.  Male -- age upper 40s, 5' 5".  Small build but have had a tummy since forever that I wanted to get rid of.

07/01/2009 --  150 lb

For the next six years it has hovered between 145-155 lbs.

06/15/2015 --  150 lb
07/26/2015 --  145 lb

08/10/2015 -- Actively start  watching calories and become more active

11/05/2015 --  134 lb
11/26/2015 --  130 lb
01/14/2016 --  128 lb
01/18/2016 --  126 lb

Still losing weight but more slowly. I was losing about 1 lb a week in the first couple months after I became more active. This has decreased to about 0.5 lb per week over the last couple of months. This is more understandable since I have gotten fitter. When I started, my resting heart rate was in the upper 70s/low 80s. Now it is down to the low 60s. When I notice the  weight start to plateau some more, I will start to ramp up to High-Intensity. Not there yet. 

My original goal was to get rid of the tummy. That tummy has certainly decreased but it is still present :( But going in the right direction. :)  I was hoping that at 130 lb it would be all gone.  But that's not the way fat loss works.  To be honest, I think I would be happy at 150 lb if I did not have that paunch.

Another thing that helped me is to have a partner to do this journey with. Otherwise, I personally would not have had the discipline to stick with it.

My goal for 2016: Get down and remain at or below 120 lb by June 2016. This is going to be challenging but maybe doable.

I want to wish everyone success  in this gauntlet.   
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 19, 2016, 07:19:25 PM
I agree about the emotional tie linked to eating.  I have a problem with snacking and desserts more when I am stressed, depressed, etc.  I have always loved snacks, sweet or salty, so it is twice as hard to give it.

This is my second decent day and exercised to boot, however, I have to really kick up exercising.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: bloomability on January 19, 2016, 09:09:10 PM
I used to do a lot of traveling for work, too - about 1 week every month! I would struggle because I was 'dining out' and I never paid any attention to what I ordered - why would I? It didn't count! I finally had to change my mindset from "I'm traveling/on vacation" to "I'm temporarily living elsewhere."  One thing that helped was to make sure I had a refrigerator and a microwave in my room. I would then go shopping for yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, and soups that I could prepare in my room. Not only was it fewer calories, but it was less temptation and allowed me to bank my daily food allowance. HTH!

I like the "temporarily living elsewhere" mentality. Our family travels...a LOT (often once a month). I love it. But when we travel, we eat out and I pig out a lot on really bad foods. And I also travel for work - and free food = massive temptation.

I have been looking at myself and wondering how on earth I let it come to this. I have always had a few extra pounds, even as a teen. Throughout my teen years, I was always the fat girl (I was about 120lb with an ideal weight of about 100-110lb) since 80% of my friends were all skinny. Or at least - I looked at them as skinny (they always felt about 5lbs or so over ideal). Just before college, I got more serious and dropped about 5 lbs so I felt pretty good through my college years. Then, I got married, got pregnant and the babies came. Eventually, I said that I felt fine at about 130lb and told myself I'd be OK at this weight for the rest of my life. However, every year or two, the weight would creep up. 130lb became 140lb. And now, at only 36, I hit 153.6lb and was officially obese!

How can I be OBESE? I can cycle for 5 hours, I can make it through an 8hr adventure race, I can canoe for 3 hours at a time, I can go for 5 hour hikes. How is this even possible? I'm realizing that the reality is - I am staring at this impossibility whenever I look in the mirror.

I HAVE to make this change and I have to make it last. This is not the life I want for myself. I want to go on long bike rides, I want to be outdoors. I want to FIRE and live my dreams, I want to grow old and be the wacky grandma still cycling, hiking, and living life to the fullest. I want so much for my life and I cannot keep lying to myself that what I eat has no effect on what I want for my life.

If you're using BMI to calculate normal weight, overweight, and obese, then stop. Especially since you are able to do all of those things!

BMI is a misguided measurement. Body fat % would be a better metric. I get so stuck on BMI too since my health insurance premium is tied to my BMI, and it hovers between normal and overweight despite my activity level and clothes size.

On another note, I'd love to hear more about that adventure race!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 19, 2016, 10:23:55 PM
If you're using BMI to calculate normal weight, overweight, and obese, then stop. Especially since you are able to do all of those things!

BMI is a misguided measurement. Body fat % would be a better metric. I get so stuck on BMI too since my health insurance premium is tied to my BMI, and it hovers between normal and overweight despite my activity level and clothes size.

On another note, I'd love to hear more about that adventure race!

I don't currently have any way to calculate body fat so BMI is all I have to go with at present. Regardless, I am at a ridiculous weight for my height and bone structure. About 40-50lbs over ideal weight (ugh - it sounds horrible in those terms). I'm starting to inch into size 14 clothes and all the scale has done for the last few years is creep upwards. If I keep doing what I was doing, it will not be pretty.

Overall, I'm feeling really good about what I am doing. It's only been a couple of weeks, so very early days yet to know whether I will stick - but this time feels different from every other time I've tried before. Not entirely sure why this time is different, but somehow it is. I finally feel ready and am committed.

As for the adventure race - I found it crazy - both mentally and physically. But I've done it for 2 years now and am doing it again in June! You form a team of 2-3 people and cycle, canoe, and hike for 6-8 hours. It's a race so it really gets our competitive juices flowing. When I do my big 100km bike ride, at various points, I can get into a groove and zone out. In an adventure race, you have to orienteer as well and chart your own course. So you have to be very mentally alert, which is also draining.

@rightflyer you're almost there! It must feel amazing to know you are so close.

@rpr I love seeing those numbers go down!

@cutenila For me, what has been working was to start slow and easy with beginner workouts to give myself plenty of easy wins. 2 weeks later, I am increasing the intensity of my workouts slightly, gradually choosing more challenging videos. It keeps me from getting frustrated and giving up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on January 20, 2016, 07:15:37 AM

"Diets" Counting Calories and all the other crazy things we do to ourselves rarely make you go face to face with the emotional, physiological, phycological and addictive issues that arise from our food choices. If you don't sort those out, no matter what you do, you will keep living through the same vicious cycle. I have spent more time in it then I would like to think about. I have lost so much of my life.

Ain't that the truth! I followed WW for about 6 months back in 2005-2006. I lost about 35 lbs, but I always felt deprived and I never addressed my stress eating. I was obsessed with what I ate, whether it was 'in points,' etc. As soon as I stopped following WW, the weight crept back on.

This time around, I am not counting calories at all, but focusing on eating whole foods, controlling my portion sizes, and my mental health. Interestingly enough, I focused on my mental health first (dealing with some serious anxiety), and the eating took care of itself. I'm also not putting any food on the 'restricted' list. I haven't wanted refined sugars or carbs, so I just haven't eaten them. But if I want cheese or a fatty cut of beef (or alcohol), I'll eat it in normal portions. I'm also trying to not beat myself up if I 'slip up.' But since nothing is off-limits, I haven't really felt like I've slipped up.

The biggest challenge is to not give up! It seems like most of you are keeping on with keeping on, which is great!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 20, 2016, 07:42:31 AM

Ain't that the truth! I followed WW for about 6 months back in 2005-2006. I lost about 35 lbs, but I always felt deprived and I never addressed my stress eating. I was obsessed with what I ate, whether it was 'in points,' etc. As soon as I stopped following WW, the weight crept back on.

This time around, I am not counting calories at all, but focusing on eating whole foods, controlling my portion sizes, and my mental health. Interestingly enough, I focused on my mental health first (dealing with some serious anxiety), and the eating took care of itself. I'm also not putting any food on the 'restricted' list. I haven't wanted refined sugars or carbs, so I just haven't eaten them. But if I want cheese or a fatty cut of beef (or alcohol), I'll eat it in normal portions. I'm also trying to not beat myself up if I 'slip up.' But since nothing is off-limits, I haven't really felt like I've slipped up.

The biggest challenge is to not give up! It seems like most of you are keeping on with keeping on, which is great!

I like the way you are going with this! I'm counting calories a lot right now - I ordered a digital kitchen scale last night to start weighing my food. My DH was vehemently against my spending the $10 for something like that - but I really need to get a clear understanding of what normal should look like. I am eyeballing and estimating - and just don't feel like I am accurate. I don't intend to count calories forever - but I think it will take me a few months to really learn what my normal should be. I'm trying my best not to obsess over times I slip up, but to be honest about it and then work on adjusting my habits.

The great part is - I am not feeling deprived! But I am learning to eat just one mini cheesecake (instead of 3 or 4 at a time). And I am learning that while it's OK to indulge, it really needs to be "once in a while". I'm learning to cook skinnier meals. I eat junk out of habit (so I am working on habit hacking) and also when I get upset/annoyed. I have to figure out a healthier way to deal with things when I am upset - maybe a bubble bath? (at least i can't eat in the tub!). Also I have decided I need to start building up a calorie deficit during the week so that it is perfectly ok when I eat a little more on the weekends/dinners out with friends, etc.

Did a higher intensity workout last night (still very much at the beginner level), which was hard, but felt good. Weight is now down to 148.4 (from 153.6) but trendweight says it is more like 151.3lbs. Love seeing the downward movement!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: firelight on January 20, 2016, 09:58:22 AM
Weight down to 143.8 despite my attempts to sabotage it by binge eating Nutella (my bane) all day. I don't understand why I feel the urge to choose sweet stuff when I know I shouldn't be doing it. Any ideas? :(

Elaine, Thanks a lot for the suggestions for exercise. My problem is two fold - I need to find the time to exercise and find an easy enough exercise to encourage me. I'm going to see if I can squeeze a walk in my lunch break today. Baby steps!

Hoping I have a better day today with regard to eating. I want to eat as clean as possible. I don't follow any diet or count calories but try to reduce sugar from diet because of the spike and how ravenous it makes me feel after eating. Here's to a reduced sugar day!!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: swick on January 20, 2016, 10:51:41 AM
Weight down to 143.8 despite my attempts to sabotage it by binge eating Nutella (my bane) all day. I don't understand why I feel the urge to choose sweet stuff when I know I shouldn't be doing it. Any ideas? :(


Hoping I have a better day today with regard to eating. I want to eat as clean as possible. I don't follow any diet or count calories but try to reduce sugar from diet because of the spike and how ravenous it makes me feel after eating. Here's to a reduced sugar day!!

You pretty much just answered yourself. Sugar is  AS ADDICTIVE AS COCAINE some studies say more than 8 times. Here is a sound bytehttp://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research (http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research) and going off sugar, many people (myself included) had pretty horrible withdrawal symptoms - a good indicator of how addictive it is.

Also, willpower is a finite resource, the more decisions you have to make the more depleted you get, the easier it is to "switch off" and reach for the sweets.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Rightflyer on January 20, 2016, 03:15:19 PM

@rightflyer you're almost there! It must feel amazing to know you are so close.


Yes, it does feel good. But the best part is having loose fitting pants (although it is a pain in the arse to keep my pants from ending up around my ankles!)

In all fairness, I picked 185lbs as it seemed doable. Now that I'm close, I suppose I need to move the goalposts (180).




- I ordered a digital kitchen scale last night to start weighing my food. My DH was vehemently against my spending the $10 for something like that - I am eyeballing and estimating - and just don't feel like I am accurate. I don't intend to count calories forever - but I really need to get a clear understanding of what normal should look like. 


That's a great thing to do. I think you were absolutely right to invest in a scale...you'll save far more than that just in eating less food.

When I started measuring our food, I broke down our standard, weekday type meals by ingredient and came up with a calorie count per serving.
So now when we have a meal, I know exactly how many calories I'm consuming.
I honestly haven't felt deprived or hungry at all. I just don't feel stuffed all the time.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on January 21, 2016, 09:15:52 AM
I honestly haven't felt deprived or hungry at all. I just don't feel stuffed all the time.

That's where I am as well. I have two snacks a day, plus my three meals. Although they are all about the same amount of calories, so it's more like 5 mini-meals a day. Sometimes I'm sort of hungry, and sometimes I have to really think about whether I'm hungry at all, even if it is time for a snack or a meal. Portion sizes make a huge difference!

I had a small victory yesterday. It's been fairly cold here, so I've been wearing thermal underwear underneath my jeans. In an attempt to not wake my sleeping children (whom were in my bed, but that's a different story), I got dressed in the dark. I pulled on a pair of jeans over top of my thermals, and thought "man, I know I'm wearing thermals, but these things are snug!" I buttoned them up and went downstairs, only to realize that they were one size smaller. I couldn't even button them without thermals last week! It feels good.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FiguringItOut on January 21, 2016, 09:34:52 AM
- I ordered a digital kitchen scale last night to start weighing my food. My DH was vehemently against my spending the $10 for something like that - I am eyeballing and estimating - and just don't feel like I am accurate. I don't intend to count calories forever - but I really need to get a clear understanding of what normal should look like. 


Scale is the best tool you can have.  eyeballing and estimating does not work long term, even if we start conservatively we tend to increase portions over time.  Our minds tend to make our estimates bigger than we think. 

When I follow my plan diligently, kitchen scale is my best friend, along with measuring cups and spoons.  Last night I measured out exactly one tsp of sugar into my grapefruit.  If I was eyeballing it would've been a lot more.  But my grapefruit tasted just fine with just enough sweetness.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalWad on January 21, 2016, 10:05:10 AM
I can directly trace my weight loss to my kitchen scale. Same with the amount of money I've saved on groceries. I've saved thousands upon thousands of dollars on groceries over the last several years because of my scale (http://amzn.to/20h40KG). Literally the greatest investment I've made; $20 returned thousands.

I love to work out, I'd do it a couple hours every day if I never had to move to do anything else again (can anyone say delayed muscle soreness?), but that's burning a few hundred calories. Maybe on an extremely vigorous day close to 1500 calories. I can eat that again in 10 minutes. I can wolf down 1500 calories for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack or two in-between. It's amazing how fast a sandwich alone can grow to be close to 1,000 calories.

With the scale, it's so much easier to know exactly how much I'm eating, and being more mindful of how much you're eating in turn makes you more mindful of how much you should be eating, and what a proper serving size looks like. As a side effect, it's also shown how wrong most foods are in stating the amount of servings in their container. Especially canned goods.

Last week I was hovering around 197-198. That stayed constant through the weekend, but today I'm at 194! Still keeping at 2200-1800 calories a day while being pretty sedentary overall, except for daily chores and cooking.

I've discovered how much of an appetite suppressant coffee is. Apparently the Spanish learned this way back in the day while visiting with Montezuma, and even by then it was old news to the locals, but I'm happy that a cup of coffee keeps me from craving food.

I know there are apps and sites out there for tracking weight, not to mention just making your own spreadsheet and graph. I've been using Livestrong.com.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: jrubin on January 21, 2016, 11:16:27 AM
Hi - I'm late to the game seeing it's already the 21st of January - but I figured better late than never. I've always been a big girl, but I currently weigh about the same as when I was 9 months pregnant with my 13 year old son, and more than with my 10 year old daughter. I am wearing larger pants than ever before, and I'm slightly horrified when I realize the chunky face in the mirror or pictures is my own. About 5-6 years ago I had great success with WW and when I turned 40 (I'm not 46) it was literally like a switch was turned off and I started gaining like clock work regardless of how little I ate. What I really need to do is exercise - but I'm really not a fan of it - at all... Anyway - I find the posts here very inspiring and helpful - and I'm doing what I can to get back on track. I know that tracking what I eat and weighing food has worked in the past and I'm starting to do that again these days. I also got a fit-bit for Christmas and seeing how little I walk (about 8,000 steps per day only) and how little good sleep I get has been interesting. I'm using the app to track food as opposed to MyFitnessPal only because they're linked. From January 2015 to January 2016 I had an overall loss of ~6 pounds. I would really like to lose ~30 in 2016 - that will still keep me in an unhealthy weight range - but if by chance I lose more - all the better. I have a big problem finishing off the kids plates, polishing off the leftovers nobody else wants (hate to waste food), and making healthy choices [oh, there's a handful of cheetos left in the bag - I'll just finish them; and don't toss your pizza crust - I'll have that too - with ranch dressing on it]. It's also affecting my 10 yr old who is larger than she should be - I need to help her learn better habits than mine - so I'm invested in this!
Ok - now the hard parts - ha ha! I'm a 5'9" female (slowly shrinking in height). Weight on 1/3/16 = 208.3, weight today on 1/21/16 = 206.8 - it's not much - but it's something, and in the downward direction! Thanks for the add - I'm going to aim for the recommended 10,000 steps per day, and make better choices - hoping this will keep me accountable!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 21, 2016, 12:44:07 PM
Still going well. I'm even feeling stronger and my flexibility has improved. I'm very very very slowly increasing the intensity of my Youtube workout videos. Still sticking to low impact for now. The easy wins strategy has been working for me so far and I don't want to get impatient, push too hard, then get frustrated.

@FrugalWad I do think the scale will help - I'm getting a little frustrated in my attempts at calorie counting and not feeling like I can trust my numbers.

I'm already learning about better choices. Yesterday the family had frozen sweet potato fries. I thought of steaming a fresh sweet potato in the Instant Pot but then decided it would take too long. Instead, I carefully counted out a portion of fries and ate it with some portioned out mayo. It fit within my calorie counts - but by night, I went to bed hungry. If I had the same calories worth of plain sweet potatoes (which I love), I would not have been hungry later. I am not beating myself up about my choice - but I am acknowledging how it affects me.

This Saturday, I am hosting some folks over for dinner and I know I am going to eat a lot more than usual. I got a bit stressed about it - then I decided to figure out the calories of each dish (I'm cooking) and pre-log it. It turns out I'll end up with about 800-900 calories (i'm short - so my goal is only 1200 calories a day). So this week, I have been eating about a 100 calories or so less each day and on Saturday, I planned a very low cal breakfast and lunch (plain chickpeas and hard-boiled eggs). I am feeling so much better about Saturday :)

@jrubin Looks like food tracking really worked for you in the past and I bet it would work again. It's all those darned little things we don't pay attention to that should be "once in a while" but ends up being a daily thing. I've done so much of the "don't waste it - just pop it into my bottomless pit". I'm learning to pop it into the freezer instead :) Amazingly, we baked mini cheesecakes last Saturday and I had one on Sunday. I did have a few nibbles a couple of days later when DD was testing out toppings - but I managed to control myself and honestly just nibbled instead of taking a bite like I would normally do. And I left the pizza crusts alone - although I did have to tell DH to move it when it sat too temptingly in front of me!

I would say the fitbit app works just the same as myFitnessPal. I just set up a fitbit account solely so I could set up an account with trendweight.com - it smoothes out the ups and downs of your daily weight. Apparently it is more "accurate" over time - and I love to see the downward trend.

Jan 11 - 153.2lbs
Jan 21 - 148lbs (5.2lbs! YAY!)
Since these are early days, I'm sure a lot is just water weight although I am a touch concerned about losing too fast. Will be paying close attention over the next few weeks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalWad on January 21, 2016, 01:33:42 PM
I'm already learning about better choices. Yesterday the family had frozen sweet potato fries. I thought of steaming a fresh sweet potato in the Instant Pot but then decided it would take too long. Instead, I carefully counted out a portion of fries and ate it with some portioned out mayo. It fit within my calorie counts - but by night, I went to bed hungry. If I had the same calories worth of plain sweet potatoes (which I love), I would not have been hungry later. I am not beating myself up about my choice - but I am acknowledging how it affects me.

I find this happening a lot. It's natural, but it can really suck. You're eating less than your body is used to, so it's like OMG feed me now! I've tried drinking a big glass of water before bed. That hasn't helped much. I've tried a few things, and I've found it just helps to eat a filling piece of fruit. A banana is awesome before bed when the stomach turns all masochist on me. 100 calories is a great light snack, and it's hefty, so it's filling. I've also made these 100 calorie black bean brownies that are filling (I just skip the avocado icing):

Black bean brownies and avocado frosting (http://www.superhealthykids.com/black-bean-brownies-and-dye-free-green-frosting/)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: swick on January 21, 2016, 01:51:30 PM
I came across a prevention magazine article way, way back that really shaped how I view equivalent calories. There is a book called "Picture perfect weight loss" it shows up from time to time in thrift stores http://amzn.to/1ZF3Ydm (http://amzn.to/1ZF3Ydm)

Basically, it visually demonstrates two comparable calorie value meals and how much more (often it is staggering) you can eat if the foods overall are lower calorie. SO say you could have a fat free, sugar free muffin for 720 calories OR you could have 1 pineapple, 1/2 a melon, 1/2 a kiwi, 1/2 a papaya, 2 pears, some grapes and 2 ww rolls for the same 720. Of course, you might finish off one or two muffins throughout the day as snacks. You would ever be able to eat that much of the fruit and rolls at a time.

I've never been able to eat a bagel without a touch of guilt since :) The visuals really help.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 21, 2016, 09:35:04 PM
I love the idea of the picture perfect book! Going to have to keep an eye out for it :)

Well, after feeling so good for 2 weeks, I crashed earlier this evening. I have no idea what went wrong (although I did stay up way an extra hour last night...). Anyway, I did everything right - had a filling afternoon snack (1/2 cup of plain chickpeas). But when I got home after work, I suddenly felt completely out of sorts. In the terrible mood I was in, I knew I wouldn't be able to feel satisfied with my planned dinner (a small portion of spaghetti with 3 meatballs and 1/2 an eggplant). I scrambled around trying to figure out what to do - I was STARVING. Thankfully, I saw a black bean veggie burger in the freezer and had that with a burger bun and followed it up with an entire avocado. I was glad I did as this filled me up for almost the same calories.

But I was still out of sorts. I decided to just do my XBX strength stuff and skip my cardio workout. Then I got a text. A friend found out about a local group who rented a gym to play badminton two days a week. Asked us if we wanted to check it out - tonight.

This was absolutely perfect. I love badminton - I have forgotten how much (even though I'm not good at it lol). We ended up playing for 90mins and I only took one 10 min break. I had a blast the whole time and it was fabulous cardio.

We're definitely going to chip in on this. It's $70pp for 2 nights a week from Sept - June. Best of all, it is at my DD's school - 2 blocks away :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on January 22, 2016, 06:53:07 AM
I love the idea of the picture perfect book! Going to have to keep an eye out for it :)

Well, after feeling so good for 2 weeks, I crashed earlier this evening. I have no idea what went wrong (although I did stay up way an extra hour last night...). Anyway, I did everything right - had a filling afternoon snack (1/2 cup of plain chickpeas). But when I got home after work, I suddenly felt completely out of sorts. In the terrible mood I was in, I knew I wouldn't be able to feel satisfied with my planned dinner (a small portion of spaghetti with 3 meatballs and 1/2 an eggplant). I scrambled around trying to figure out what to do - I was STARVING. Thankfully, I saw a black bean veggie burger in the freezer and had that with a burger bun and followed it up with an entire avocado. I was glad I did as this filled me up for almost the same calories.

But I was still out of sorts. I decided to just do my XBX strength stuff and skip my cardio workout. Then I got a text. A friend found out about a local group who rented a gym to play badminton two days a week. Asked us if we wanted to check it out - tonight.

This was absolutely perfect. I love badminton - I have forgotten how much (even though I'm not good at it lol). We ended up playing for 90mins and I only took one 10 min break. I had a blast the whole time and it was fabulous cardio.

We're definitely going to chip in on this. It's $70pp for 2 nights a week from Sept - June. Best of all, it is at my DD's school - 2 blocks away :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Way to go! Good to hear you found a way to vent your frustrations, without turning to food to do it!

I had an ok weigh in today. 1.4 lbs lost, which I'll take given that I broke my 2-drink/week limit while visiting with a friend. My 3 week total is 10.8 pounds. I've got all sorts of yummy food lined up for this record-breaking snowstorm headed our way, and I'm looking forward to burning some calories doing some major sledding runs. Bring it on!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 22, 2016, 01:07:10 PM
Well, all I can really say is this is going to be a bitch, but I am not giving up. It is just a goal for the year and not necessarily just for the month of January.  This is most definitely harder than I thought it would be.

I need to reduce my carbs for sure.  I just love carbs and in the winter my craving for them is worse.  So, I need to scale it back.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ZiziPB on January 22, 2016, 01:39:46 PM
Well, all I can really say is this is going to be a bitch, but I am not giving up. It is just a goal for the year and not necessarily just for the month of January.  This is most definitely harder than I thought it would be.

I need to reduce my carbs for sure.  I just love carbs and in the winter my craving for them is worse.  So, I need to scale it back.

Alleykat, I feel the same way!  So far it's been a hard slog for me and not terribly successful but I'm not giving up!

And I hear you about carbs - same issue for me!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on January 22, 2016, 01:56:13 PM
*sigh* Does anyone else feel like this is the one area of their life that they just cannot get together? Don't get me wrong, I have LOTS of other things to work on, but this one - this one seems to be the hardest for me.

I was thin in high school without having to try, and once I was left to my own devices in college, I had no problem gaining the freshman fifteen. By the time ManSpice and I got married, I had managed to knock off about seven of those pounds, but then I went to law school. Lots of people report losing weight in law school, but I gained twenty pounds. Stress-eating. Oh, and no grasp of how to exercise and no appreciation for enjoying exercise, or any physical activity, really.

I didn't work out this week. I have no excuse for it, other than I couldn't get myself out of bed to do it. Eating was fine - we managed to stick to the meal plan this week, which is great. But I often find myself ravenous and having a mental duel with myself about whether I should walk to the cafeteria and buy a cookie (or five). I've also eaten some things I wish I hadn't, but I haven't gone off the deep-end calorie-wise.

So, exercise. How do you guys do it? If you dislike it, how do you make yourself do it? I have looked into whether there are any classes I could take in the early mornings before work, but there don't seem to be any nearby that don't run up against my work time and which wouldn't completely screw with our carpooling set-up. I am very open to ideas.

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 22, 2016, 02:15:16 PM
I have an incredible win to report! Today, my boss treated the office to pizza for lunch. I decided to pre-log it to figure out what I could eat. I ended up eating just one slice of Hawaiian pizza (delish!), 3 cups of caesar salad and a diet coke. I figured the salad would fill me up a bit more than the pizza even though calorie-wise, it's rather a wash. I was shocked I managed to stick to my plans! What helped was to eat VERY slowly, drinking many sips along the way so I finished at the same time as everyone else.

The one thing I didn't like - after the meal, our VP started talking about how piggish she felt because she had eaten 4 slices. She started asking everyone else how many they ate (in a joking way). I stayed quiet but she asked me directly and everyone was shocked when i admitted I only ate one. They teased me a bit and then asked if I was still hungry. Actually, at that point, I felt completely satisfied and said so - pointing out that I did eat a fair bit of salad. I'm not entirely happy as I really didn't want to make a big deal about my weight loss plans until some more time has passed so I can feel confident that it's sticking and that it's not just a phase.

Is it weird? I haven't even told my closest friends yet. All have successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off (for years). I'm kind of the last man standing. I feel awkward about it and not quite ready to admit it, even though I know they would completely support me and cheer me on. I'm going out with my two closest girlfriends next week and trying to figure out how to tell them what I'm doing. I'm feeling unaccountably shy about the whole thing. Thank goodness I have this forum as an outlet!


I had an ok weigh in today. 1.4 lbs lost, which I'll take given that I broke my 2-drink/week limit while visiting with a friend. My 3 week total is 10.8 pounds. I've got all sorts of yummy food lined up for this record-breaking snowstorm headed our way, and I'm looking forward to burning some calories doing some major sledding runs. Bring it on!

The weight is dropping fast :) Is that too fast or is it primarily water weight at this point? I do like the idea of upping the exercise to "afford" more food.

@alleykat @ziziPB I've been reading The Hacker's Diet (https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/), which is based on calories in, calories out. It makes a lot of sense (it is the book trendweight and the like are based on). I like the lifelong sustainability thinking. Plus it  is pretty Mustachian in thought - based on efficiency. I'm not crazy about some of what he suggests (frozen food and diet soda), but he does acknowledge that low-cal doesn't necessarily equate to good nutrients and that while low cal, high sodium foods work for weight loss, they are bad for your heart.

@microSpice Exercise is very good for your overall health...but it's not particularly necessary for weight loss. maybe give yourself a pass and focus on the eating for now?  I did it by choosing routines that would give me easy wins to give me a psychological boost. I am doing the antiquated Royal Cdn Air Force XBX training. Just 12 mins a day focused on strength and flexibility. It's ridiculously easy in the beginning (it gets harder so gradually, you barely notice it) and that has helped me stick to it - 10 days in a row so far (and i'm terrible about sticking to these types of things). if anyone is interested in doing it, let me know. The charts in the book are a little clunky so I modified it a bit to make the charts easier the follow so I know what level I am at and how many reps to follow. Would be happy to share the file. Even when I was in a horrible mood yesterday and wanted to skip my cardio, I insisted on doing my XBX routine. The Hacker's Diet book I raved about above also has a modified version. Best part with all this is - it's free, which pleases my Mustachian heart.

The other suggestion is to find something you really enjoy - maybe a local sports league? I remember a ladies floor hockey group in my community some years back.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: firelight on January 22, 2016, 03:53:32 PM
Loss today: My weight went up a pound, due to some late night snacking. :(

Win today: took the stairs three times (I always use the elevator) and climbed three floors - that's three times more than ever. Very very small win, but I'm glad I got started. Also I realized I can walk a bit with baby in hand during early mornings (instead of rocking her to sleep) and that is some exercise (atleast more than before). I also was very conscious of what I ate today, didn't calorie count but definitely reduced quantity that I would've otherwise eaten. So maybe didn't gain pounds I would've otherwise gained?

Overall I'm not sure I'm going to see the needle go down tomorrow but I'm taking efforts.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalWad on January 22, 2016, 04:54:42 PM
So, exercise. How do you guys do it?

Find a way of moving that you enjoy. Rock climbing (indoor or out), hiking, bicycling, kayaking, swimming, yoga, spin class, all kinds of different martial arts, all kinds of dancing, boot camps, taking up gardening, starting a dog walking service, crossfit, stretching toffee, skateboarding, rollerskating, walking; any form of movement that you look forward to doing is good exercise. And there are so many options, you just have to find the one(s) that you actually enjoy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Ready2Go on January 23, 2016, 11:41:22 AM

1/4  - 152
1/11 - 149

1/23 - 148

Have been hesitant to get on the scale. I don't know if it's colder weather affecting me or focus on eating, but I have had massive cravings for carbs. Bread, popcorn, rice, bagels! More! 

Next few days will be tough since we are in the middle of big east coast snowstorm. Nothing to do but shovel and eat popcorn while watching movies.  I'm trying to remember winter life before Netflix.  Should not complain. We're warm, dry, and the house has the lovely yeasty smell of hot bread. Off to make some apple bread while we still have power. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 23, 2016, 12:29:11 PM


1/4  - 152
1/11 - 149

1/23 - 148

Have been hesitant to get on the scale. I don't know if it's colder weather affecting me or focus on eating, but I have had massive cravings for carbs. Bread, popcorn, rice, bagels! More! 

Next few days will be tough since we are in the middle of big east coast snowstorm. Nothing to do but shovel and eat popcorn while watching movies.  I'm trying to remember winter life before Netflix.  Should not complain. We're warm, dry, and the house has the lovely yeasty smell of hot bread. Off to make some apple bread while we still have power. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, fill up on popcorn today for your calorie intake :) Also, the more you shovel, the more u can eat. I would say that for every 20-30 mins of shovelling, u can eat a 100-150 calories of popcorn with no guilt :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 24, 2016, 09:55:31 PM
Very pleased to report that the weekend was a win! As I mentioned before, I had friends over on Saturday and was stressed about the big meal. My prepping strategy worked! I ate under my calorie goals for the week (banking some extra calories!). Our the day itself, I worked out - burning about 200 calories (the counters say more but I prefer to underestimate) . 1200calories + 200 exercise = 1400 calories. Then I ate a small, low calorie breakfast and lunch followed by a clementine for a mid-afternoon snack (all totalling under 400 calories). That left left with an indulgent 1000 calorie dinner with absolutely no guilt. I didn't even need the extra calories I banked all week!

I must say, I have been feeling satisfied on 1200 calories. But now that I am actually eating about half my exercise calories every day (so about 80-100 extra) and counting calories on the weekly basis - I have room for treats and social occasions and don't have to feel bad about them. This is feel much more sustainable!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ZiziPB on January 25, 2016, 03:59:43 AM
I did not have a good weekend.  Combination of stress, emotional eating and PMS...  I am going to try harder this week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 25, 2016, 08:56:14 AM
My week was also not so great. I kept up with the running, despite the snow, but I was so hungry and going for the carbs right away instead of trying to fend off the hunger with fruit and veggies. Also Saturday I went out for lunch for a friend's birthday. Normally I wouldn't have, since I rarely go out to eat now, but it's a special friend. Gained 1.6 pounds back from last week, but I'm hoping a bit of that is from the extra salt from restaurant food. I find after a salty meal my weight is up artificially for 1-2 days.

On the plus side, now I'm more motivated for this week. :)


Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Jan 25 weight: 156.8
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: peppermint on January 25, 2016, 08:58:27 AM
I'm back up to 143 after the weekend, too, but I also went out to eat and am hoping some of it is salt weight.
Yoga tonight, have a healthy lunch packed for work, onward and upward.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on January 25, 2016, 09:56:42 AM
Update post-travels

1/2: 246.8
1/9: 243.8
1/16: 243.2
1/18: 247.2!!!!!
1/23 (interpolated): 244.7
1/25: 243.2

I mentioned last time that I had to travel for school. That was going to be Monday-Saturday living at a hotel and eating in restaurants (plus with a family I know in the area.) Fortunately I re-booked my flight home for a day earlier to escape the East coast blizzard. That coincided with my roommate asking me to join him for a weekend at Tahoe, so I guess all that activity helped balance against my week.

Anyway, I went off the reservation on a two day mess from 1/16 to 1/18, and now I'm back where I was two Saturdays ago. It's not progress, but in a sense it's important to me because it's sticking to a lower weight. As always, I'd be much better off if I could give up sugar! Although I've got a habit of getting one of my favorite treats, rice pudding, for ski weekends.. At least I'm balancing it with activity.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on January 25, 2016, 11:23:33 AM
One issue is that your weight can easily fluctuate by a few pounds each day depending on a number of factors. One good technique to see if there are any longer term trends is to use a  3-day or 7-day "Moving Average". See the blog below.

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/weight-fluctuation-how-much-is-normal

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lbmustache on January 25, 2016, 12:41:33 PM
Have been eating better and working out, it seems that some bloating has gone down at the very least. (I hope it's not me being delusional. I don't weigh myself).

Anyway!!! For those not wanting to pay for WW, my friend told me about an app called "MyScorePlus." It's $2.99. It will calculate your Points Plus based on your weight, height, etc. and set your points. Then you enter the foods or nutrition values and it will calculate how many points you're using. So far so good...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FiguringItOut on January 25, 2016, 02:09:56 PM
I'm down 2 pounds since last week, I weigh on sunday mornings.  Last week was much better than the one before, but still a far cry from perfect. 

I noticed that when I am good, I'm really good.  But when I'm bad, I dive in head first; usually into a bread basket.  And that bread then requires a bunch of other stuff for a filling and less than healthy sandwich.

I'm glad I am finally recognizing this pattern.  I need to stay away from carbs as much as I can.  I am ok if I over do it on protein or fruits/veggies, but carbs are my downfall.

I wish I could just get rid of them completely, but I can't, other family members will be protesting.  Loudly.  Loud enough like only two slighted teenagers can.  So carbs are here to stay, but I will be practicing to stay away from them.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 25, 2016, 09:08:02 PM
Some really great reports!! And +1 for average weight trending. I am using TrendWeight and love it - I weigh daily but am not focused on daily numbers.

After such a great weekend and a positive day, I crashed badly this evening. I was super hungry after dinner but was already over my planned daily calories. It became this awful cycle where I was mad with myself for being hungry but then was too mad to want to exercise to get my numbers back to where I wanted. I got so frustrated I could no longer think straight or make logical decisions. DH and I were grocery shopping and I was a scattered mess. Thank goodness for grocery lists!!

I gave up and decided to eat some cottage cheese (low cal and filling). Before I did that, I decided I would do my short 12 min XBX routine. Amazingly, that completely changed my mood and I jumped into a 30 min cardio workout. I felt so great after that I didn't eat my extra snack.

So. Very. Surprised.

Will add a workout hack to my water hack!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 26, 2016, 04:40:34 AM
Well,  I have not been doing so good still.  I realize I need to break the habit of eating.  5 or 6 small meals a day is not working because it keeps me in the eating mode and it makes it tough. Yesterday, I have started intermittent fasting.  You eat lunch and dinner within 8 hours of each other and the rest of the time you can have water, black coffee and herbal teas.  I do have coffee in the morning with cream so I am not doing it perfectly, however, if I can skip breakfast and start eating at lunchtime, I think that will be good.  Yesterday, I did eat a good lunch and dinner.  It has only been one day so we will see but good so far.

I ate lunch around 11:30 and dinner around 5:30, however, I want to start eating dinner at 6:30 but that will take a minute since I am so use to eating early.  I am looking forward to seeing how this works out.  I like it already.  I did bring a piece of fruit with me yesterday morning just in case but I didn't need it.

I read about intermittent fasting on leangains.com, but I first came across it from The Minimalists website.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 26, 2016, 09:11:05 AM
Well,  I have not been doing so good still.  I realize I need to break the habit of eating.  5 or 6 small meals a day is not working because it keeps me in the eating mode and it makes it tough. Yesterday, I have started intermittent fasting.  You eat lunch and dinner within 8 hours of each other and the rest of the time you can have water, black coffee and herbal teas.  I do have coffee in the morning with cream so I am not doing it perfectly, however, if I can skip breakfast and start eating at lunchtime, I think that will be good.  Yesterday, I did eat a good lunch and dinner.  It has only been one day so we will see but good so far.

I ate lunch around 11:30 and dinner around 5:30, however, I want to start eating dinner at 6:30 but that will take a minute since I am so use to eating early.  I am looking forward to seeing how this works out.  I like it already.  I did bring a piece of fruit with me yesterday morning just in case but I didn't need it.

I read about intermittent fasting on leangains.com, but I first came across it from The Minimalists website.

@alleykat there are lots of different ways to lose weight and lots of things that work. I would suggest you find something that works for you (i.e. doesn't leave you feeling deprived/starving all the time) and stick with it. Just like passive investing and compound interest, it's going to take time and patience and a trust in the process you have chosen. I know some people who do intermittent fasting and it works really well for them and their lifestyles. The thing is - is this something you are going to do for the rest of your life? (some people do) If not, what then? What happens after you lose the weight and return to your normal eating habits?

For me, counting calories is something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. I may not always count meticulously, but then again, if i need that external reinforcement, I might stick with it. It's still very early days yet for me to know - but so far, this feels right for me. And logging daily is getting easier over time. My main goal is to learn proper portion sizes.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on January 26, 2016, 11:02:23 AM
I don't have a weight report today, but I am feeling a little better since my last post. Feeling a *tad* less sorry for myself. Thanks to everyone who made suggestions and gave encouragement.

Since I haven't seemed to have the willpower to pull myself out of bed for early morning workouts, I decided that I will start taking walks at lunch time around the beautiful surroundings I have right outside my office (though, it is cold, and I wear business attire, but I packed a pair of flats to avoid walking in heels).

I want to do a more intense workout on Saturday and Sunday morning, and then see if I can keep the momentum going from there, even if I don't get up super early those days.

Food intake is still going pretty well - we had some fast food at the end of last week, and it actually made me ill. Turns out my body knows what it likes, and I just need to start listening to it!

I am really impressed at everyone's tenacity. This stuff is really hard in the beginning, when you're trying to change a potential lifetime of habits, but I know that it's possible (I know people who have done it!) and all of you are helping me out with that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on January 26, 2016, 11:03:39 AM
Well,  I have not been doing so good still.  I realize I need to break the habit of eating.  5 or 6 small meals a day is not working because it keeps me in the eating mode and it makes it tough. Yesterday, I have started intermittent fasting.  You eat lunch and dinner within 8 hours of each other and the rest of the time you can have water, black coffee and herbal teas.  I do have coffee in the morning with cream so I am not doing it perfectly, however, if I can skip breakfast and start eating at lunchtime, I think that will be good.  Yesterday, I did eat a good lunch and dinner.  It has only been one day so we will see but good so far.

I ate lunch around 11:30 and dinner around 5:30, however, I want to start eating dinner at 6:30 but that will take a minute since I am so use to eating early.  I am looking forward to seeing how this works out.  I like it already.  I did bring a piece of fruit with me yesterday morning just in case but I didn't need it.

I read about intermittent fasting on leangains.com, but I first came across it from The Minimalists website.

@alleykat there are lots of different ways to lose weight and lots of things that work. I would suggest you find something that works for you (i.e. doesn't leave you feeling deprived/starving all the time) and stick with it. Just like passive investing and compound interest, it's going to take time and patience and a trust in the process you have chosen. I know some people who do intermittent fasting and it works really well for them and their lifestyles. The thing is - is this something you are going to do for the rest of your life? (some people do) If not, what then? What happens after you lose the weight and return to your normal eating habits?

For me, counting calories is something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. I may not always count meticulously, but then again, if i need that external reinforcement, I might stick with it. It's still very early days yet for me to know - but so far, this feels right for me. And logging daily is getting easier over time. My main goal is to learn proper portion sizes.

@Elaine amj, honestly, I don't know that I am particularly going to stick with anything once I lose the weight.  I am trying this intermittent fasting option so that I can break the habit of reaching for food/snacks every time I am bored, stressed, etc. I am a snacker for sure and there isn't one snack I don't like.  Once I break the habit and increase my exercise, I really should be okay.  I am not looking to be "pure" in my intentions.  Once I lose the weight,  I want to eat healthy 80% of the time and the other 20%, whatever I want (within reason).  I don't intend on tracking my food intake but just subconsciously make better choices. 

I know what they say about making it a lifestyle change and something you will keep doing and I wholeheartedly believe that.  If this intermittent fasting works for me, that is great, but it doesn't mean I am restricting myself to that specifically. I hope that made sense.

I liken it to my shopping.  Right now, I am trying to break my shopping habit. So, I am restricting what I buy for however long it takes to break the habit.  Doesn't mean I will never buy anything again, but I want to shop mindfully.

Like this morning, I couldn't hold out and had a banana around 10:30.  I think that is okay as long as I don't let it pull me back into my old habits. 

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 26, 2016, 12:21:10 PM
@Microspice I went on a 30 min lunchtime walk down our riverfront today (right outside my office door!). I've avoided it for so long because it gets so breezy by the water. Today, I pushed myself to get out there and just deal with frozen ears! It was great and I was so proud of myself. Looking forward to hearing more about your lunchtime walks.

@alleykat we're all here rooting for you!

On a personal note, someone brought in Timbits to the office today. Sure it looked good, but I have had no cravings to reach for it. Wooohooo!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: DollarBill on January 26, 2016, 08:13:13 PM
Ok, I'm back! I made some great progress by keeping myself accountable by posting each month. I lost close to 60lbs in 2015 but gained a few after going home over Christmas. My goal is to get down to 165-170 range before Apr-May, then maintain for the rest of the year. At the end of Feb I plan to take a month or two rode trip, so it will be interesting to see what happens when I'm gone. Best of luck to everyone!

Starting point for (2015): 233 lbs
Starting point for (2016): 180 lbs
Total: 0 lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on January 27, 2016, 07:20:02 AM
I have an incredible win to report! Today, my boss treated the office to pizza for lunch. I decided to pre-log it to figure out what I could eat. I ended up eating just one slice of Hawaiian pizza (delish!), 3 cups of caesar salad and a diet coke. I figured the salad would fill me up a bit more than the pizza even though calorie-wise, it's rather a wash. I was shocked I managed to stick to my plans! What helped was to eat VERY slowly, drinking many sips along the way so I finished at the same time as everyone else.
Congrats, Elaine! That's a huge success! Planning goes a long way toward reaching goals.

The one thing I didn't like - after the meal, our VP started talking about how piggish she felt because she had eaten 4 slices. She started asking everyone else how many they ate (in a joking way). I stayed quiet but she asked me directly and everyone was shocked when i admitted I only ate one. They teased me a bit and then asked if I was still hungry. Actually, at that point, I felt completely satisfied and said so - pointing out that I did eat a fair bit of salad. I'm not entirely happy as I really didn't want to make a big deal about my weight loss plans until some more time has passed so I can feel confident that it's sticking and that it's not just a phase.

Is it weird? I haven't even told my closest friends yet. All have successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off (for years). I'm kind of the last man standing. I feel awkward about it and not quite ready to admit it, even though I know they would completely support me and cheer me on. I'm going out with my two closest girlfriends next week and trying to figure out how to tell them what I'm doing. I'm feeling unaccountably shy about the whole thing. Thank goodness I have this forum as an outlet!

I think it's weird that your VP was asking everyone what they ate. It sounds like normalizing behavior to me. It suggests she was trying to make herself feel better by justifying what everyone else ate, too. And don't feel like you have to tell anyone about your plans. Do it on your own time, at your own pace. Having a few close people in your circle can help, though. Especially if they can be a sounding board if you find that you're being too hard on yourself.


I had an ok weigh in today. 1.4 lbs lost, which I'll take given that I broke my 2-drink/week limit while visiting with a friend. My 3 week total is 10.8 pounds. I've got all sorts of yummy food lined up for this record-breaking snowstorm headed our way, and I'm looking forward to burning some calories doing some major sledding runs. Bring it on!

The weight is dropping fast :) Is that too fast or is it primarily water weight at this point? I do like the idea of upping the exercise to "afford" more food.


I think the first week was water weight. I have been following clean eating very closely* and am not surprised to see such a dramatic drop in weight. I was eating and drinking way too much for my body. The change in eating habits is reflected on the scale, I think. 

*Until Snowzilla hit, that is! I was at home from Friday afternoon until yesterday, and although I kept my portion sizes in check, and didn't have any sweets, I still had a few nights where I had a couple of drinks, and made some not-so-clean eating dishes (paella anyone?). Thank goodness for that 10 day average! It's still going down, so I'll take it.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 27, 2016, 09:46:58 PM
Had another staff lunch today - this time, fish and chips. I was surprised to find that each piece is only around 300 cals. I asked for a baked potato instead of fries (which I am not crazy about anyway). Worked it into my calorie plans and still ended up only a tiny bit above my 1200 calorie limit - taken care of when I worked out at night. Very happy I can still manage social eating.

And yes, the whole office knows now and the VP teases me good-naturedly a lot (she works hard on her diet too). It's actually working out ok since now I would be hopelessly embarrassed to quit. It's kinda cool to be "the healthy one".

The scale has gone up and down this week - been feeling bloated many days. So compared to last Wednesday, I am down only 0.2lbs. BUT - TrendWeight says I am down 1.5lbs. I like TW's numbers better and am glad it is helping me not to panic.

@Geostache The paella sounds delish! I like the 10 day average ....so much better than getting frustrated with yourself. After all, this has to be sustainable, right? Keeping your portion sizes in check is an awesome win!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: DollarBill on January 27, 2016, 11:09:39 PM
Had another staff lunch today - this time, fish and chips. I was surprised to find that each piece is only around 300 cals. I asked for a baked potato instead of fries (which I am not crazy about anyway). Worked it into my calorie plans and still ended up only a tiny bit above my 1200 calorie limit - taken care of when I worked out at night. Very happy I can still manage social eating.

And yes, the whole office knows now and the VP teases me good-naturedly a lot (she works hard on her diet too). It's actually working out ok since now I would be hopelessly embarrassed to quit. It's kinda cool to be "the healthy one".

The scale has gone up and down this week - been feeling bloated many days. So compared to last Wednesday, I am down only 0.2lbs. BUT - TrendWeight says I am down 1.5lbs. I like TW's numbers better and am glad it is helping me not to panic.

@Geostache The paella sounds delish! I like the 10 day average ....so much better than getting frustrated with yourself. After all, this has to be sustainable, right? Keeping your portion sizes in check is an awesome win!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Be careful of this! I felt the same way in the beginning then it became self-destructive to me. I have so many Friends/Family that make comments to me that at times I lose my cool or tend to eat more in front of them.   
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: bloomability on January 28, 2016, 02:35:16 PM
Had another staff lunch today - this time, fish and chips. I was surprised to find that each piece is only around 300 cals. I asked for a baked potato instead of fries (which I am not crazy about anyway). Worked it into my calorie plans and still ended up only a tiny bit above my 1200 calorie limit - taken care of when I worked out at night. Very happy I can still manage social eating.

And yes, the whole office knows now and the VP teases me good-naturedly a lot (she works hard on her diet too). It's actually working out ok since now I would be hopelessly embarrassed to quit. It's kinda cool to be "the healthy one".

The scale has gone up and down this week - been feeling bloated many days. So compared to last Wednesday, I am down only 0.2lbs. BUT - TrendWeight says I am down 1.5lbs. I like TW's numbers better and am glad it is helping me not to panic.

@Geostache The paella sounds delish! I like the 10 day average ....so much better than getting frustrated with yourself. After all, this has to be sustainable, right? Keeping your portion sizes in check is an awesome win!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Be careful of this! I felt the same way in the beginning then it became self-destructive to me. I have so many Friends/Family that make comments to me that at times I lose my cool or tend to eat more in front of them.   

I don't understand why there is so much food judgement in public / at work. Short of 'oh, that looks good, where did you get it?' why must people comment on food? I have to explain almost everything I eat when on a diet. Argh.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on January 28, 2016, 02:51:49 PM

[/quote]

I don't understand why there is so much food judgement in public / at work. Short of 'oh, that looks good, where did you get it?' why must people comment on food? I have to explain almost everything I eat when on a diet. Argh.
[/quote]

I feel the same way! I was eating some toast with avocado on it for breakfast last week, when MIL arrived to watch BabySpice for the day. She scrunched up her face at me and said, "What ARE you eating?!" I wanted to say, "What BUSINESS is it of yours?!", but I was able to bite my tongue and calmly explain what it was. Fortunately, my co-workers are more discrete.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: bloomability on January 28, 2016, 03:13:02 PM


I don't understand why there is so much food judgement in public / at work. Short of 'oh, that looks good, where did you get it?' why must people comment on food? I have to explain almost everything I eat when on a diet. Argh.
[/quote]

I feel the same way! I was eating some toast with avocado on it for breakfast last week, when MIL arrived to watch BabySpice for the day. She scrunched up her face at me and said, "What ARE you eating?!" I wanted to say, "What BUSINESS is it of yours?!", but I was able to bite my tongue and calmly explain what it was. Fortunately, my co-workers are more discrete.
[/quote]

Avocado on toast is the best. Some days I add an egg, some days I add cheese, some days I add crushed red pepper, some days I add . . . the list goes on!

Heaven forbid we eat green food at breakfast!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on January 28, 2016, 03:20:43 PM
@bloomability - Right?! I LOVE avocado. I've been putting it on some of that Udi's Chia bread in the morning, and then just sprinkling with salt. So delicious.

MIL doesn't eat very many things that are green, so it probably freaked her out.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RonMcCord on January 28, 2016, 03:21:03 PM
I've already signed up to the Strength and Fitness 2016 challenge, but weight loss is a big part of my goals so I might as well sign up here.  I'm 5'8, was 150 in high school, got up to 180 in college, bought a suit for job interviews, then after several months I was about 210-215 and I couldn't fit into it anymore.  I really didn't like the way I looked and realized I needed to make changes.  I started working out, cut out snacks and drank more water and in six months got down to 175 and can fit into the suit again (pants are a bit tight though).  I still have a slight gut and I'm still not entirely happy with myself, so I got a vivofit2, a couple fitness apps, and I'm planning to get down to 145.

Checking in.  Currently weighing in at 169.  I'm 4 pounds away from having a healthy BMI.  I'm surprised that I lost as much as I have this month though.  Attended a bachelor party eating massive Costco steaks, corn on the cob, brownies, and way too much booze.  I pretty much gave up trying to use MFP that night because I knew I already blew it around lunch time when I ate a massive portion of Indian food.  Then the wedding was catered by Olive Garden and the wedding cake, which the caterers brought way too much food and we ended up taking a lot of it home with us.  Still managed to lose a pound that week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 28, 2016, 10:40:02 PM
@Ron You still managed to lose a lb that week - even after all that indulgence? That is awesome! You must have stayed well within your plan during all the other times!

@DollarBill I'll watch out for how I handle the food comments at work. I sure don't want to sabotage myself!

@microspice just plain avocado on toast? I might give that a shot one day. Right now I mostly eat the avocado entirely plain all by itself. I have used it to replace mayo in egg salad/chicken salad before though and love it.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on January 29, 2016, 08:51:28 AM
Checking in. Today's weigh-in netted a 4 lb loss. That's 14.8 for the month. I managed to keep the snowzilla snacking at bay. Huzzah! I'm thisclose to reaching my first mini goal of 10% weight loss. I hope to get there in the next two weeks (another ~3.8 lbs to go).

@bloomability and @MicroSpice, I've never tried avocado on toast. I'll have to try that sometime - sounds delish!

@elaine amj: if you have any secrets to beat the bloat, I'm all ears! I'm struggling with that myself. I just started taking probiotics, so I'm hoping that is going to help out.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ZiziPB on January 29, 2016, 01:09:48 PM
Gang, I haven't made any progress.  PMS and sugar manage to derail me every time :-( 

On the suggestion from another Mustachian, swick, I am going to do Whole30 for the month of February.  I need to reset my sugar /carb cravings.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on January 29, 2016, 01:41:13 PM
Gang, I haven't made any progress.  PMS and sugar manage to derail me every time :-( 

On the suggestion from another Mustachian, swick, I am going to do Whole30 for the month of February.  I need to reset my sugar /carb cravings.

Good luck! Sugar is the devil, for sure.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: firelight on January 29, 2016, 07:20:47 PM
Checking in... Went up to 145 mid week and down to 144 now. Net loss - 0.6 lbs.

Bought a fit bit charge to better track activity level. I realized I don't even walk 2500 steps a day (recommended is 10k/day). Using that fit bit has motivated me to walk around 4-5k now and climb stairs. My goal is to walk 10 floors daily and hit atleast 5k steps/day. Once I do that, I'm going to increase it to 8k steps/day. By end of Feb, I want to walk 10k steps/day.

So pumped!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 29, 2016, 09:48:33 PM
@geostache no secret to beating the bloat - I'm accepting it as part of the normal rhythms of my body. I know when I eat more sodium, I will retain more water and see that on the scale. I am working on patience as it eventually goes away on its own. I am using TrendWeight to help with the patience - focusing on the steady loss I see there vs the crazy ups and downs on my scale.

@zizipb hope Whole30 goes well for you!! We're all rooting for u.

@cutenila yay to more moving! Just remember not to overcompensate on the eating side. When I used to train hard, I always sabotaged myself by eating more - so instead of losing, I would gain :(


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on January 30, 2016, 12:40:28 AM
cutenila - I got a Fitbit from my parents for Christmas and was similarly shocked at how few steps I was taking each day. I have become pretty sedentary following 2 surgeries in the past 2 years. I have been doing more and more walking each week and the results are showing in how well my clothes are fitting.

I'm doing The Whole 30 (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/whole-30-starting-sept-8th-want-to-join-us/)  (its my 3rd one since October) and I honestly can't believe my eyes when I step on the scale at the end of it! Nothing has ever worked for me ... ever. And here I am, 40 pounds lighter than I was I was in July:-))) I lost 10 pounds on my own and then 30 pounds on Whole30, so far. I still have about 40 pounds to go before I hit my ideal weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: an1m3n00b on February 01, 2016, 12:52:32 AM
I used to weigh 260lbs 2 years ago, and my original goal was 180lbs. I now weigh 190lbs and have stopped actively losing weight because I feel comfortable in my body now. Right now my goal is to maintain a healthy body.

Some things I learned along the way:
Calorie budgets are the *only* way to lose weight. Just like making more money than you spend is the only way to save money, burning more calories than you consume is the only way to lose fat.
Don't fall for those "low-carb", "low-fat", paleo, or any other restriction diets.
Eating less is a *lot* easier than burning more. If exercise is your thing, then power to you, but it's way easier for me to not eat a hamburger than it is to run 2 miles. Saves time too.
Eat food you like - in realistic portions. Don't try to eat nothing but soybeans and rice or starve yourself. You'll go nuts and binge.
Packaged food is designed to be addictive. Try to cook your own meals. It's also cheaper. I'm terrible at this lol.
Use "filler" foods. Lettuce and most veggies will fill you up, but have virtually no calories. Same goes for unsugared liquids, so make sure to drink enough.
Only eat when you're hungry. And don't force yourself to eat breakfast if you aren't hungry in the morning.
Celebrate every 5-10lbs - but not with food (maybe a little is ok...)
Don't snack when you're bored.
Count. Every. Calorie. After a while you can accurately guess, but I know when I started I had an unrealistic perception of how much I was actually eating!

Good luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Larabeth on February 01, 2016, 02:45:01 AM
I'm gonna start working out.  I've been eating healthier but little of that matters when your job is mostly sitting for 12 hours in a high-stress environment (yay 911 dispatch).

My new goal  consists of working out 5X/week for 30 minutes each time!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 01, 2016, 07:01:56 AM
I am weighing myself every morning but only recording on Monday mornings on MFP and only once a month here. I had to order a bridesmaids dress this week for a wedding in April. I was between two sizes, and I went with the smaller size, so I HAVE to step it up!


January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 01, 2016, 07:04:15 AM
@Elaine, good to know. I'll keep that in mind.

I ate a piece of chocolate Costco cake yesterday at a kids' birthday party (along with two pieces of pizza). It was totally worth it, but boy did I see it on the scale today. That and it sat like a brick in my stomach. It's a good thing that the ten day average is still decreasing!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on February 01, 2016, 07:54:06 AM
I did very good this week, except for Saturday at a party with delicious snacks. I was really hoping to be in the 154s this morning, but at 155.2 I'll have to settle for 'close'.


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
Goal weight: 130

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 01, 2016, 12:44:00 PM
@Cookie78 Don't shortchange yourself 4.8 lbs in 4 weeks is fantastic! I personally feel 1lb/week is ideal. Less worry about loose skin, and more sustainable in the long term. Slow and steady wins the race!

I am weighing myself every morning but only recording on Monday mornings on MFP and only once a month here. I had to order a bridesmaids dress this week for a wedding in April. I was between two sizes, and I went with the smaller size, so I HAVE to step it up!

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2

We've had pretty similar results :) Mine is:

Jan 4: 154
February 1: 146.6
LOSS: 7.4 lbs

Mine is a lot of water weight though. I'm waiting until the end of this week to get a good grasp on what my overall trend is. I want to give trendweight a solid 20 days of data after the first couple of weeks of water weight came off.

I'm a bit concerned I am losing too fast. I only want to lose 1lb/week. Also, last week I went through some frustrations with not having enough calories to work with. Feeling much better about it this week, but I think I would do a little better losing slower and having an extra 100 calories or so each day.  Last week I averaged 1300 calories/day. This includes eating back some of my exercise calories, which definitely motivated me to get moving. I'm not hungry and overall feel satisfied on my current intake. Still, I want this to be sustainable and I have a feeling if I have to keep saying no to everything, I'm going to get fed up and give up or binge or whatever. Also, I don't want this to be a major "diet" and regain everything once I return to "normal" eating. And yes, some days I JUST WANT A TREAT!

The working out is going VERY well. I've been working out practically every day, mostly sticking to my plan for "easy wins" - doing Youtube videos aimed at beginners (or going for brisk walks). Yesterday, DH wanted to workout so I Googled a higher impact 30 min video. The workouts weren't that bad - but the fast pace and the higher impact was really hard on me. I'm sure I burned a whole lot more calories - but I hated feeling like I couldn't keep up and I hated the whole "insanity" feel. I'm sure some people get motivated by pushing themselves this hard, but I can burn the same calories doing a milder workout that's twice as long - and feel awesome and empowered at the end! I've also noticed that as my fitness improves, I naturally start choosing slightly harder videos. Week 1 & 2 - 10 min beginner videos, Week 3 - 30 min beginner videos, Week 4 - 40 min videos with some interval training.

Weather has been awesome, so I added 30 min lunchtime walks last week. My dog has put on a little bit of weight lately, so this morning, I've decided that I will also wake up a half hour earlier every morning (ugh) to take him for a 30-min walk.

Myfitnesspal and Calorie In, Calorie Out has really been working for me and I'm even eating healthier than I ever have. The biggest credit though, goes to you guys. I've tried all kinds of things over the years and have never really lasted more than a couple of weeks. 4 weeks in, I'm starting to believe that I WILL stick to this. Posting on here has really, really kept me accountable. THANK YOU, all of you!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on February 01, 2016, 01:29:29 PM
I used to weigh 260lbs 2 years ago, and my original goal was 180lbs. I now weigh 190lbs and have stopped actively losing weight because I feel comfortable in my body now. Right now my goal is to maintain a healthy body.

Some things I learned along the way:
Calorie budgets are the *only* way to lose weight. Just like making more money than you spend is the only way to save money, burning more calories than you consume is the only way to lose fat.
Don't fall for those "low-carb", "low-fat", paleo, or any other restriction diets.
Eating less is a *lot* easier than burning more. If exercise is your thing, then power to you, but it's way easier for me to not eat a hamburger than it is to run 2 miles. Saves time too.
Eat food you like - in realistic portions. Don't try to eat nothing but soybeans and rice or starve yourself. You'll go nuts and binge.
Packaged food is designed to be addictive. Try to cook your own meals. It's also cheaper. I'm terrible at this lol.
Use "filler" foods. Lettuce and most veggies will fill you up, but have virtually no calories. Same goes for unsugared liquids, so make sure to drink enough.
Only eat when you're hungry. And don't force yourself to eat breakfast if you aren't hungry in the morning.
Celebrate every 5-10lbs - but not with food (maybe a little is ok...)
Don't snack when you're bored.
Count. Every. Calorie. After a while you can accurately guess, but I know when I started I had an unrealistic perception of how much I was actually eating!

Good luck!

+ Infinity.

I fully and completely agree with this. Everything you say is very true. Extremely common sensical advice. I just wanted to add one more thing that is related. No need to spend 1.5 hours at the gym. You'd be better off spending part of that time cooking good nutritious food and part of the time going for a brisk walk/run at a moderate intensity pace.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: firelight on February 01, 2016, 07:01:01 PM
Today's win: swapped out high sugar break fast for oatmeal. I like oatmeal but end up picking up higher calorie breakfast food because it was easier (I have to make oatmeal myself). Yesterday I took sometime at home to figure out exactly how long I need to make it and found a whole container of healthy flavorings that I can put on it. Today, skipped high calorie one and made oatmeal at work and it took just five minutes.

 I also bought the flavor topping in a glass jar to work. I have a deadline now to finish that jar in a month or to throw it out. Now I'm even more motivated to make my oatmeal. Yay!!

Today's loss: had a piece of chocolate chip banana bread at work for dessert. Need to stop looking at dessert, period!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: DollarBill on February 01, 2016, 09:31:03 PM
Today's win: swapped out high sugar break fast for oatmeal. I like oatmeal but end up picking up higher calorie breakfast food because it was easier (I have to make oatmeal myself). Yesterday I took sometime at home to figure out exactly how long I need to make it and found a whole container of healthy flavorings that I can put on it. Today, skipped high calorie one and made oatmeal at work and it took just five minutes.

 I also bought the flavor topping in a glass jar to work. I have a deadline now to finish that jar in a month or to throw it out. Now I'm even more motivated to make my oatmeal. Yay!!

Today's loss: had a piece of chocolate chip banana bread at work for dessert. Need to stop looking at dessert, period!
All of my life when I made oatmeal I always used something sweet (Sugar, honey, or flavored quick oats). Then changed to mostly fruits or protein powder but would only eat it once or twice a week. Then someone introduced me to "Savory Oatmeal"...now I eat that stuff everyday!!! Look up some recipes and give it a whirl.

I don't get a sweet tooth very often but if I do I will make protein fluff, fat free pudding, jello with fruit, natural peanut butter w/ apple/banana or just eat watermelon/grapes/raisins/craisins.

The brand Quest protein has a really good peanut butter or salted caramel flavor and I like to dip apple slices into it. Also, casein protein mixes better in oats. I normally get vanilla because I can use it with or on lots of stuff.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 02, 2016, 07:17:26 AM
@Elaine: Way to work within your system. As you said, it has to be sustainable. There's no sense in making changes that aren't going to stick with you for life! And I agree about having a treat every now and then. I went to a birthday party and had a piece of my favorite dessert- Costco chocolate cake! It was the first sweet thing I've had since before January 1st. It was totally worth it - it was soo good! Although it did sit like a brick in my stomach, so it made me think twice about doing that on a regular basis. 

@Cookie: Way to go! A co-worker of mine always reminds me that "gone is gone." I hear her voice saying that in my head whenever I find myself getting discouraged.

My ten day moving average is still decreasing. I'm now noticing a weekly pattern in my weight fluctuations. It's good to have data!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on February 02, 2016, 07:53:31 AM
@Cookie78 Don't shortchange yourself 4.8 lbs in 4 weeks is fantastic! I personally feel 1lb/week is ideal. Less worry about loose skin, and more sustainable in the long term. Slow and steady wins the race!

Oh I agree. Thanks. :) I'm pretty happy with my successes so far, and 1 pound per week is my rough goal. :)

Funny story: I wasn't hungry much yesterday at all, and I had no fruit or snacks (healthy OR unhealthy) left that I could bring to work yesterday, so I ended up eating very little, but not suffering at all. By the time I heard my belly grumbling I was already climbing into bed. Yesterday was my weigh in morning where I was hoping to be in the 154s, and hit 155.2, and this morning after a low food day I hit 153.8.... go figure, skipped the 154s altogether. (Though I recognize that I may bounce back up a bit after eating normally today.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: cityfolks on February 02, 2016, 09:05:46 AM
I'm in; I guess my 2016 started in February! My biggest struggle is snacking at work, where people often bring in treats and indulgences, and my own cooking, which I do mostly at home but I'm always trying new recipes and not always evaluating them for nutritional value.

Is anybody interested in swapping MyFitnessPal names? It's at least some accountability. I'm at www.myfitnesspal.com/profile/taygete if anybody is interested.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on February 02, 2016, 10:06:40 AM
I am down 1 1b.  I was hesitant to even state it because I know weight fluctuates, but, mentally for me that is a small win.  The scale hasn't moved for me in a while except for up, so it was nice to see it go in the other direction.  I abandoned all "ways" of losing weight and am now just shooting for, only eating when hungry and stopping when full.  I like this so far because nothing is off limits. My body knows when it is hungry and when it is not, I just have to start listening. 

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 02, 2016, 09:00:12 PM
@cityfolks sent you a friend request!

My name in MFP is the same - elaineamj. Try to keep it simple :)

Today I just about threw a fit. I had put together a decent plan but completely forgot it was my coworkers birthday. Oh well, roll with the punches, right. I adjusted my plans a little and figured I would just go over by a bit and make it up tomorrow. Thought cake would be 300-500 calories. Turns out he brought in a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. I was ready to indulge so accepted a fairly big slab. Afterwards, I logged it and just about freaked out - 770 calories!!!! Ack!!! I had to halve my dinner to make up a bit and still ended up the night being over by 250 calories. I did a ton of math before I finally accepted that this is not going to derail me by much. I think the most frustrating thing was - it was very yummy, but not 770 calories yummy. Not worth it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lizh on February 02, 2016, 10:24:59 PM
I'm joining you all ...I have been on a carb-fest since xmas. Ugh!  Like some of you, I'm a shortie, too.  5'1" and it seems to show up so quickly!!
Anyway, I'm currently at 144 and want to get to 125. I usually get to 138 relatively easily and then it gets really tough.  I want 2016 to be the year I make it.

I'm lizh9 on MFP.

Congrats to all of you who are off to a great start!  You are motivating me greatly!
Liz
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: bloomability on February 03, 2016, 07:24:22 AM

Today I just about threw a fit. I had put together a decent plan but completely forgot it was my coworkers birthday. Oh well, roll with the punches, right. I adjusted my plans a little and figured I would just go over by a bit and make it up tomorrow. Thought cake would be 300-500 calories. Turns out he brought in a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. 

I don't work in an office, but sometimes I stumble into a client site having their monthly birthday party. Well, the last one I was at had a veggie tray and cupcakes because there have been enough requests for healthier food. That vegetable tray was gone before a cupcake was even taken. It was pretty cool.

Most of my clients have too many birthdays that they have a monthly birthday/anniversary/special awards party instead of celebrating everyone individually. Is your office/department big enough for that?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: bloomability on February 03, 2016, 07:31:32 AM
There was a huge event this past weekend in my town with lots of friends and friends of friends in town. We went out and painted the town red every night.

I'm so proud of myself for not indulging in everything or drinking alcohol constantly like everyone else. My fun didn't suffer, and neither did my budget. I wasn't labeled as weird for only drinking water or being absent for a little bit to work out.

A few months ago? I would have indulged in everything or would have been so grumpy for missing out.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 03, 2016, 08:35:35 AM

Today I just about threw a fit. I had put together a decent plan but completely forgot it was my coworkers birthday. Oh well, roll with the punches, right. I adjusted my plans a little and figured I would just go over by a bit and make it up tomorrow. Thought cake would be 300-500 calories. Turns out he brought in a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. 

I don't work in an office, but sometimes I stumble into a client site having their monthly birthday party. Well, the last one I was at had a veggie tray and cupcakes because there have been enough requests for healthier food. That vegetable tray was gone before a cupcake was even taken. It was pretty cool.

Most of my clients have too many birthdays that they have a monthly birthday/anniversary/special awards party instead of celebrating everyone individually. Is your office/department big enough for that?

Our office has only 8 people - so we celebrate each birthday with a cake. It's a fun thing and I wouldn't want it to go away. I just need to estimate the calories more accurately so I know what I'm eating. I was fine with eating 500 calories, but wasn't happy to find out I likely ate about 770 calories. I could have eaten a much smaller portion and everything would have been fine.

All that said, I have been finding that sometimes I am too rigid about my plan. I get deeply upset when something messes up my plan. I need to chill out - it's ok if I lose weight a little slower. I have no deadline in mind anyway. Every step, every pound loss - it's just part of my journey towards a healthier me. Losing the pounds is awesome - but my end goal is health, not a skinny body.

@bloomability That's fantastic! I'm making better choices too. I don't want to deprive myself, but it's certainly time to be more sensible. And just like we have been doing with our money, consider if the calories are worth it. I can have just as good a time while eating less :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 03, 2016, 09:04:04 AM
@lizh, welcome! There has been a lot of support and encouragement in this thread.

@elaine: good plan on not freaking out. A few calories, in the long haul, aren't going to make or break you. It's the additional calories over time (as we all know too well) that add up. Think about where you would have been if you hadn't planned and then indulged in that cake!

@bloomability: Way to go! It sounds like you have a good group of friends that support you in your decisions on how you choose to celebrate with them.

I've been exercising my will power lately. In a three-day meeting with a constant barrage of sweets (and an all you can eat buffet for lunch!). It is getting easier to say no to things I used to eat constantly, and the power of saying 'no' is much better than the guilt I used to have after overindulging!

That being said, it's been a rough week for me. I've ordered takeout two nights in a row (DH is on travel and I'm solo parenting) to make my life easier. Bad on the budget and not great on the waistline either. I did order a chicken salad the first night, but the drunken noodles I ordered last night probably didn't do me any favors. Oh well. It was delicious, and I still controlled my portions. Time to move on from that and keep on keepin' on!

*edited to fix italics tags.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on February 03, 2016, 09:07:55 AM
Alright, I'm going to start sending a bunch of friend requests to you guys on MFP to help me stay accountable.

I only lost 1/2 pound last week, probably due to hormonal cycles. I was craving chocolate something awful, but I prevailed. :-)

I haven't started walking at work yet, but it's been so damn cold! It's nothing compared to some of you folks who were just blasted with a blizzard, but damn it, I live in the desert! It should not be this freaking cold!

But I'm going out today. Once this morning (around 10:30 or so) and once this afternoon (probably around 2:30). Great work, everybody!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: sunnyca on February 03, 2016, 09:44:25 AM
Hi guys, I'm in! 

I ended up losing most of the weight I wanted to lose in 2015, but... my weight tends to fluctuate radically from year to year.  So this year, I'm trying hard to maintain.  I'm a shortie as well, not quite 5'0." So gaining even a few pounds really shows. :\

My biggest weakness is sugar.  If I could give that up, I'd be great. 

My MyFitnessPal account name is Garthbear.  Please feel free to add me, I'd love having the accountability!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ruthiegirl on February 03, 2016, 11:10:18 AM
Oh my goodness, I weighed myself this morning and wow!  Really?  So, here I am with all of you lovely people.  I started weight watchers this morning.  It is free through our health insurance and I have had good luck with the program before. 

Sticking to my points.  This weekend will be a little wonky since we have guests coming, but I will do my best. 

Starting February 3 --- 200 pounds even. At least it is a nice, round number. 
Goal --- 150 pounds. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 05, 2016, 07:13:04 AM
Week 5 weigh-in results: I'm down 0.8 pounds. I'm happy with it. It's been a rough week! My 5 week total is 15.6 pounds. I'm so close to my first goal (10% of my starting weight), I can taste it!

How is everyone doing?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 05, 2016, 08:49:49 AM
@sunnyca Hi fellow shortie! I'm 5ft too :)

Jan 4, 2016 - ~154 lbs (didn't start weighing myself until a week later)
Feb 4, 2016 - 144.8 lbs

Almost 10 lbs down. That said, I have been watching trendweight closely as I have been worried I have been losing weight a little too quickly. This week, trendweight had 20 days of data AFTER my initial water weight loss. This is what it says:

(http://cd8ba0b44a15c10065fd-24461f391e20b7336331d5789078af53.r23.cf1.rackcdn.com/mfp-en.vanillaforums.com/editor/ii/5w583aawi8ic.jpg)

So I am burning 241 calories a day MORE than my plan, averaging 1.5lbs a week. I really want this to move slow and easy (goal is 1 lb/week) and even though I have been feeling satiated, I am upping my calories. This is why:

- a little concerned about physical effects. My DH has commented that I have been acting scattered. Also, I am very sleepy every morning - this lasts until about noon when I finally perk up for the day. I get an average of 7-8 hours every night. I am not a morning person - but it's not normal for me to feel sleepy every single day.

- Prefer to go slow and steady. Concerned that if I cut too drastically, when I shift into maintenance, I will react by overeating.

- 1200 cals + 1/2 my exercise calories (avg 1300-1400/day) has VERY little wiggle room. This has left me feeling a little frustrated sometimes. I have to be so incredibly vigilant that everything entering my mouth is satiating. If I want a treat, I have to plan super carefully (and workout a lot). Increasing this to 1200 cals + all my exercise calories means I average about 1400-1500 cals a day. I can even have a 800-1000 calorie meal and STILL eat a normal sized breakfast and lunch (just have to workout a little more). I'll be able to fit in more fruit and other snacks.

I've been feeling a little nervous about what seems like a BIG increase in calories - but pretty excited too. I will re-evaluate after 2-3 weeks to see if I am on track with my weight loss or if I need to readjust calorie intake up or down. It's also going to be a bit of a mental adjustment since I am now used to seeing a 0.2lb drop daily - have to keep an eye on the bigger picture instead of the daily number.

But what I am REALLY excited about? My watch now hangs loose on my wrist!!! I like it snug, but now I can insert an entire finger in between the band and my wrist. I've lost an inch here and there - but nothing I have really been able to see. Looks like I am losing all my weight in my wrist first! In celebration, I put my wedding band back on (packed it away years ago) last night. It's still slightly snug (leaves a small indentation) so I might have to pack it away again. (I get a rash when it is too snug).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: peppermint on February 06, 2016, 08:37:32 PM
I am down to 140.8 (started the year at 143, and my goal is 135). I went running today.
I hope to get some exercise in tomorrow as well, maybe cycling to avoid the impact, because I'm going to a superbowl party in the afternoon and I want to be able to enjoy some of the food.

I have to be pretty strict with myself in order to see any changes at this point, but I am hopeful that if I continue a combination of running and strength training and eating from-scratch foods that the change will be positive. Already I feel reasonably pleased about my present progress, because I lost about 6 lbs over Nov-Dec without too muh difficulty, and have been able to maintain that plus a little bit more loss in January. I know from the slowing I'm probably pretty close to my optimal weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 07, 2016, 06:47:02 AM
@peppermint That's fabulous! And it does sound like you are getting so close to optimal that progress is likely to be slow. At this point, it's likely better to pay more attention to your body, your measurements, and how your clothes feel than to your scale.

With just 5lbs to go, you'll be figuring out how to ease into maintenance and what that means for you. You're rocking this!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 08, 2016, 07:47:46 AM
Checking in. My rough week extended through the weekend. I made some poor food choices, and now my 10 day average is trending up. Ugh. Of course, it's trending up by 0.1 lb, but this is the first time it's trended up since I started the journey. My co-worker said that I'm inspiring her, so that's helping me get my motivation back. Most of the stalling is from lack of planning, so I'm getting back to that, too. I'm taking this as a challenge to re-commit. It will be good to see how my mental fortitude holds up!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 08, 2016, 08:13:43 AM
I had a hard weekend too. We ate two meals over other people's houses and so I didn't have a lot of control over what was put out and my willpower In the face of trays of snacks just sitting there leaves something to be desired. But luckily it was just those two meals and I made up for it with light breakfasts. Back on track now. Good luck everyone! This thread has been really helpful to me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on February 08, 2016, 08:47:25 AM
Pretty good week for me. I had a Chinese New Year banquet on Friday, which was delicious and plentiful, but I planned ahead for it. The rest of the week was pretty normal. Got hit over the head with the depression bat Saturday morning and didn't have much energy to eat too much over the weekend. I also didn't go for my usual run on Sunday. Today is better already and I'm invited to go rollerskating tonight, which would be good for both friendly socializing and making up for missing my last run.


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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Ready2Go on February 08, 2016, 09:57:19 AM

1/4  - 152
1/11 - 149
1/23 - 148

2/9 - 150

I have been completely consumed with carb cravings.  Fell into the popcorn bowl during the big snow 2 (!!!) weeks ago and just can't seem to climb back out. And then the whole super bowl weekend thing!  I know this is where intermittent fasting shines, but but intellect and action are not meeting up right now.

OK: today's plan is to fast until tomorrow evening. Will check back in tomorrow to report...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on February 08, 2016, 11:56:30 PM
I'm starting my 4th Whole30 (http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/) tomorrow. I am 4 months into my weight loss/restoring health journey after gaining 70+ pounds after 2 injuries and surgeries in 2014 and 2015, and also my previous weight gains from my childbearing years. I'm down 41 pounds now, and have gone from a size 18 to a size 10. I'm psyched that I've found something that finally works!

I love reading everyone's successes and struggles here -- its nice to know I'm not alone:-)

Have a great day of clean & healthy eating!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tyn on February 09, 2016, 06:20:19 AM
Start - 194
6th Feb - 192

I went on holiday at the end of January so was rather lacking in focus on the food front, I've also been bad with sugar and eating when I'm not hungry. Plan for February is to stop buying junk food at the weekends and to have a fruit tea or glass of milk rather than eating when I get a sugar craving.

I tore a hole in a pair of trousers when I was hiking, so that's providing a bit of extra motivation as I really don't want to buy another pair when I have some nearly fitting ones at home already.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Ready2Go on February 09, 2016, 07:04:44 AM


1/4  - 152
1/11 - 149
1/23 - 148

2/9 - 150

I have been completely consumed with carb cravings.  Fell into the popcorn bowl during the big snow 2 (!!!) weeks ago and just can't seem to climb back out. And then the whole super bowl weekend thing!  I know this is where intermittent fasting shines, but but intellect and action are not meeting up right now.

OK: today's plan is to fast until tomorrow evening. Will check back in tomorrow to report.

2/9 - 148

So yesterday is almost like a free do-over since I had the date wrong all day!  Didn't make my goal fast, but not bad at 24 hours. Fasting is a great reset for me.  Feeling energized and capable again. So plan for the week is keep the focus on high quality veg. And since the popcorn jar is empty I just might get through the snow forecast for this week. 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Mongoose on February 09, 2016, 09:56:30 AM
Current: 5'4" female, 172 pounds. Would love to get down to 130 but would be happy with 150 or less.

Down to 168 as of this morning. Haven't added much exercise (except decluttering) yet. No profound diet changes (except cutting way back on the demon sugar). Currently we just don't have the budget for Whole30/paleo so we're eating down our food stocks in the healthiest way possible. I have been avoiding gluten and only eating a bit of the gluten free bread/muffins etc (all whole grain, homemade and very low sugar).

It doesn't seem like much on paper but I'm happy with my progress, have more energy/feeling better, and it has been easy. :-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: mm1970 on February 09, 2016, 02:08:59 PM
Hi - I'm late to the game seeing it's already the 21st of January - but I figured better late than never. I've always been a big girl, but I currently weigh about the same as when I was 9 months pregnant with my 13 year old son, and more than with my 10 year old daughter. I am wearing larger pants than ever before, and I'm slightly horrified when I realize the chunky face in the mirror or pictures is my own. About 5-6 years ago I had great success with WW and when I turned 40 (I'm not 46) it was literally like a switch was turned off and I started gaining like clock work regardless of how little I ate. What I really need to do is exercise - but I'm really not a fan of it - at all... Anyway - I find the posts here very inspiring and helpful - and I'm doing what I can to get back on track. I know that tracking what I eat and weighing food has worked in the past and I'm starting to do that again these days. I also got a fit-bit for Christmas and seeing how little I walk (about 8,000 steps per day only) and how little good sleep I get has been interesting. I'm using the app to track food as opposed to MyFitnessPal only because they're linked. From January 2015 to January 2016 I had an overall loss of ~6 pounds. I would really like to lose ~30 in 2016 - that will still keep me in an unhealthy weight range - but if by chance I lose more - all the better. I have a big problem finishing off the kids plates, polishing off the leftovers nobody else wants (hate to waste food), and making healthy choices [oh, there's a handful of cheetos left in the bag - I'll just finish them; and don't toss your pizza crust - I'll have that too - with ranch dressing on it]. It's also affecting my 10 yr old who is larger than she should be - I need to help her learn better habits than mine - so I'm invested in this!
Ok - now the hard parts - ha ha! I'm a 5'9" female (slowly shrinking in height). Weight on 1/3/16 = 208.3, weight today on 1/21/16 = 206.8 - it's not much - but it's something, and in the downward direction! Thanks for the add - I'm going to aim for the recommended 10,000 steps per day, and make better choices - hoping this will keep me accountable!

Late to the game too.  I'm turning 46 this year, and I hear you on the over-40 - it really was like you flipped a switch - though for me, it was at 39.

I had my second baby at 42, gained 50 lbs (my mother died while I was pregnant), and yeah, it was ugly.

I have found that *what* I eat is a huge component.  Yeah, I still have to weigh and/or measure, but even with that, I have to be careful about what I am eating.

I hear you on "not wasting food".  Some things that I do:
- serve the kids small portions so there is less likely to be leftovers.  And save their leftovers for them for later. 
- do not eat off their plates - my kids have had THREE rounds of stomach flu this winter, so this is an easy one
- scoop out the leftovers that nobody wants for lunches.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: mm1970 on February 09, 2016, 02:17:54 PM
I used to weigh 260lbs 2 years ago, and my original goal was 180lbs. I now weigh 190lbs and have stopped actively losing weight because I feel comfortable in my body now. Right now my goal is to maintain a healthy body.

Some things I learned along the way:
Calorie budgets are the *only* way to lose weight. Just like making more money than you spend is the only way to save money, burning more calories than you consume is the only way to lose fat.
Don't fall for those "low-carb", "low-fat", paleo, or any other restriction diets.
Eating less is a *lot* easier than burning more. If exercise is your thing, then power to you, but it's way easier for me to not eat a hamburger than it is to run 2 miles. Saves time too.
Eat food you like - in realistic portions. Don't try to eat nothing but soybeans and rice or starve yourself. You'll go nuts and binge.
Packaged food is designed to be addictive. Try to cook your own meals. It's also cheaper. I'm terrible at this lol.
Use "filler" foods. Lettuce and most veggies will fill you up, but have virtually no calories. Same goes for unsugared liquids, so make sure to drink enough.
Only eat when you're hungry. And don't force yourself to eat breakfast if you aren't hungry in the morning.
Celebrate every 5-10lbs - but not with food (maybe a little is ok...)
Don't snack when you're bored.
Count. Every. Calorie. After a while you can accurately guess, but I know when I started I had an unrealistic perception of how much I was actually eating!

Good luck!

Okay, I had to highlight the first two, because - well let me just say that what works for you doesn't necessarily work for everyone.

On your last one, I agree.  For anyone embarking on a weight loss journey, that first day/week/month of calorie counting is an eye-opener!  When I first lost weight in 2002, I "cut back" my food intake, then wrote down every bite for a month.  After a month, I went back and counted the calories.  It was freaking 2400 to 3000 !!  After cutting back! (5'2" and female, and active, but not that active!)

Well, 14 years and two kids later, and now over 40 - calorie budgets *may* work but they might not.  "Necessary but not sufficient" is a term my boss used.
In my own personal experience, I've found that over 40 weight is more stubborn, and *what* I eat matters much more.  When it comes to any food that affects my blood sugar especially.

As an example, in 2014 I was focused mostly on losing the baby weight. I started the year at 168 pounds.  By September I was in the low 150's. 
I wasn't counting calories, per se, but I was using a portion program, where each type of food was a different color/ size of container.  So, it's basically calorie counting.

In September and October, I lost 2 pounds each month.

In November, I decided to try something different - I stuck to the same plan.  I changed my carbs.  I was eating two 1/2 cup servings of "high carb" foods per day - whole wheat bread, corn, peas, beans, oatmeal, pasta, rice.  Treats also fell into this category, so a glass of wine could be subbed occasionally, or a little bit of dark chocolate, or some raisins/ dried fruit.

For November I eliminated sugar, wheat and alcohol.  I had the same # of carbohydrate calories and servings per day.  But they were *only* beans, corn, peas, oats, rice, corn tortillas, potatoes.  No treats whatsoever.  I lost SEVEN pounds that month.

A calorie is not necessarily a calorie.  And when it comes to finding what works, you may find that what works when you are 20 doesn't work when you are 30, or 40.  I've certainly had to make tweaks over the years.

Luckily I lost all the baby weight by end of last year, and at 46, no more babies here.  Now it's about maintenance.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 09, 2016, 10:16:51 PM
Lots of great progress reported!! So great to see :)

@Geostache & @rockstache: to navigate the tricky social stuff, I often pre-log or specifically plan my days to fit in a bunch of extra calories. I'll budget about double the size of my normal meal so I can feel OK knowing that I can have a few treats. The eat less/workout more to make up for it. I really like counting my calories on a weekly basis.

Keep it going folks! We can do this!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: sunnyca on February 10, 2016, 11:13:37 AM
Sounds like everyone is doing great here!  I'm going through a bunch of stress and work and home, so I've been eating horribly.  I definitely need some accountability so that I don't gain back the weight that I lost last year. 

Reading how well people are doing here is providing some great inspiration.  :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 10, 2016, 12:45:17 PM
@elaine: That's a great idea! My issue has been that I just don't plan well, and then wind up going out to eat and not making very good choices (which is not great on my wallet, either!).

After a couple of days of my 10 day average going up, it's finally trending down again. Of course, I came down with the world's worst sinus infection on Monday. It's been giving me flu-like symptoms (rapid flu test was negative at the dr's), and I haven't been eating much. Not quite the way I want to lose the weight. :-/
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on February 11, 2016, 01:44:13 PM
Mid-week accountability check!

I'm not doing terrible this week, but pretty close. I'm giving myself a pass because it's a shitty week emotionally and just getting through it is a win, but I haven't gone for a run all week and the last three days in a row I've eaten delicious treats at work. I plan to start running again next week and hope I can stick with it since I was doing so well before now. And I have been limiting treats at work to a reasonable amount. My overall calories are still ok, but I know the sugar isn't helping me in the long run.

Bad weeks happen. Still in it for long term progress. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 11, 2016, 06:55:57 PM
@Geostache being sick is a crappy way to lose weight - but I guess there's always a silver lining in every cloud.

I went out to eat last night to celebrate my anniversary. AYCE sushi - I budgeted about 1500 calories and when I logged what I actually ate, it worked out to 2000 calories. UGH! It literally made me sick to the stomach and I ended up throwing up most of it :( I was quite worried I was exhibiting bulimic tendencies, but have been nauseous all day today. I was actually glad I felt sick today LOL! So the nausea plus the lack of food for most of today has meant I am likely well within my calorie goals. I actually dropped 2lbs in a day. So weight loss is still happening faster than I like. Oh well - I'll see how things go over the next week before I start trying to rebalance my calorie intake.

I haven't worked out much this week though. Weather's been crappy so have skipped all my walks and have also been skipping many of my evening videos.

@Cookie78 An accountability check is a great thing! If your overall calories are OK, I wouldn't worry about it...at the end of the day, it's the math, right? I hear ya about restricting the treats at work. It's hard - and yes, I had a half a paczki on Tuesday LOL! I did manage to skip today's birthday cake since I left early (sick).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on February 11, 2016, 07:27:27 PM

@Cookie78 An accountability check is a great thing! If your overall calories are OK, I wouldn't worry about it...at the end of the day, it's the math, right? I hear ya about restricting the treats at work. It's hard - and yes, I had a half a paczki on Tuesday LOL! I did manage to skip today's birthday cake since I left early (sick).

Yay for skipping snacks. :) I'm not too worried about it, I know I'll have good weeks and not as good weeks. My last bad week was really motivating for being better the following couple weeks. :)

I've been carrying half a cucumber back and forth to work all week for snacks. I haven't eaten it because apple fritters, cupcakes, and ice cream. Because my calories were already higher than normal for the first half of the day I skipped the carbs for dinner and had a small moose steak, beets, and that cucumber. DAMN, that was a delicious cucumber. I think my stomach was so thankful after all the sugar today.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 11, 2016, 08:29:36 PM
In September and October, I lost 2 pounds each month.

In November, I decided to try something different - I stuck to the same plan.  I changed my carbs.  I was eating two 1/2 cup servings of "high carb" foods per day - whole wheat bread, corn, peas, beans, oatmeal, pasta, rice.  Treats also fell into this category, so a glass of wine could be subbed occasionally, or a little bit of dark chocolate, or some raisins/ dried fruit.

For November I eliminated sugar, wheat and alcohol.  I had the same # of carbohydrate calories and servings per day.  But they were *only* beans, corn, peas, oats, rice, corn tortillas, potatoes.  No treats whatsoever.  I lost SEVEN pounds that month.

A calorie is not necessarily a calorie.  And when it comes to finding what works, you may find that what works when you are 20 doesn't work when you are 30, or 40.  I've certainly had to make tweaks over the years.

Luckily I lost all the baby weight by end of last year, and at 46, no more babies here.  Now it's about maintenance.

So very glad you found what works for you - I hope I will be as successful as you were! You are right - different diets suit different people. That said - I'm curious - you said you adjusted your two 1/2 cup servings to carbs that specifically restricted sugar, wheat and alcohol (3 things you would include in those portions previously). Aren't things like alcohol and sugary treats much higher in calories to portion sizes than "leaner" carbs? I would think that previously you were eating more calories than you did in November.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 12, 2016, 09:34:16 AM
@elaine: Boo to the stomach bug! Ugh, that's awful. I hope your stomach feels better soon (and that it wasn't because of the sushi)!

@cookie78: it's amazing how different foods can affect the body! I didn't realize how sluggish I felt when I was eating all that junk until I stopped eating it. Now that I'm eating better in general, when I do indulge, it feels like I've swallowed a brick.

This week's weigh in was good. I'm down 2.2 lbs. Here are my stats so far:
Jan 1: 182.8
Feb 12: 165
Total loss: 17.8

I'm so close to that first 10% goal I can smell it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 12, 2016, 08:12:31 PM
@geostache You have been dropping that weight FAST! The 10% will be here before u know it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MayDay on February 13, 2016, 08:04:21 AM
I'm in!

I am ~170 currently, maybe 168.  I am apparently almost obese at 5'8".  Ouch!  I am in a 12 pants.  Goal is probably 160.  Pre-kids I was 148-150 in size 8.  That is probably not realistic with perfection in eating, and I don't want to live like that!  160 is much more realistic to maintain and should be a solid size 10. 

What am I doing:

-Tracking food on MFP
-Fitbit purchased with xmas gift money, working on tracking steps and use it to determine my overall caloric burn
-Walk every day, do stretches and core work in front of telly every night
-3 times a week do some weights

I've lost ~5 lbs since October.  Hard to tell at the moment as I seem to have gained a bit over xmas, oops.

Well, here I am again.  First posted on page one, forgot to ever come back.  Since Xmas I've been eating fairly well, but not tracking closely, and not doing my weights at.all.  Ugh.  I have still been wa
King almost every day, but the temps have been all over the place, currently the winds hill is -5.   So.  Yah. 

Weight this morning was 168.0. Considering my lackluster efforts, it is not surprising that I haven't lost.  I am not mentally ready to recommit to weights, but I am recommitting to logging all my food, and I continue to walk daily and do my core work at night. 

I'm glad this thread has been so active! 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 13, 2016, 08:47:33 AM
@geostache You have been dropping that weight FAST! The 10% will be here before u know it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! I'm almost ashamed to admit how poorly I was treating my body before Jan 1st. It's kind of gross when I think about it. A lot of the weight that has come off was a result of *ahem* not having a beer or two every night. o_O

My challenge has now become how to find foods that I like enough, that are budget-friendly, healthy, and quick to make to put on a monthly rotation. I've made many tasty recipes, but the ones I like the most (pearl barley & shrimp risotto, for example) are not conducive to my busy lifestyle.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Rightflyer on February 13, 2016, 10:10:30 AM
Inching down ever so slowly...

Nov 1  - 201lbs.
Jan 13 - 188 lbs.
Jan 18 - 187 lbs.
Feb 12 - 186 lbs.

Goal 185 lbs.
Stretch 180 lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 13, 2016, 01:43:48 PM
@geostache I am in love with skinnytaste.com. I havent spent much time on budgetbytes but heard it is good.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Armer Student on February 14, 2016, 05:19:31 AM
My goal is to lose 10kg (22 lbs) of body fat. I started in mid-january, the fat has to be lost at the end of may.

10kg fat equal 70,000 calories, so I need to have a constant deficit of slightly over 500 kcal a day to accomplish my goal. I eat healthy, keep a food diary and cycle my 26km roundtrip to work each day.

Four weeks into my "challenge" I'm doing fine. Slightly behind target, but a few hard workouts should adjust my balance.

My starting weight was 88kg (220 lbs), goal weight is 79kg (174lbs) with 1kg of muscles gained.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 14, 2016, 08:31:45 AM
@geostache I am in love with skinnytaste.com. I havent spent much time on budgetbytes but heard it is good.

I think you may be my new bff! That site is awesome. Thanks for the tip!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on February 15, 2016, 07:54:13 AM
Skipped running all week. Was going to start again yesterday but didn't.

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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Ready2Go on February 15, 2016, 10:32:15 AM
Goal     - 137
01/04   - 152
01/11   - 149
01/23   - 148
02/09   - 150
02/09   - 148

02/15 - 148

Slow and steady right? I'll take this as a win. It's been bitterly cold here and I've been baking baking like crazy - and mostly resisting, even though I now have a fantastic recipe for soft dinner rolls that my family raves about... Bought lots of salad fixings yesterday, and so the challenge is to keep the focus on greens and not bread this week


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 15, 2016, 04:33:47 PM
@cookie78 still a nice, steady downward trend! Great job!!

This weekend, I have been managing to get my workout every day. That, plus very low cals (yummy) meals plus sleeping through breakfast ever morning has meant a daily calorie surplus of 300-600cals at the end of every day.

It's been SO weird! Ice cream, caramel popcorn...I've been eating junk food every day - all within my calories.

Tonight I have a 500 cal dinner planned and 600 leftover cals. Debating how many treats to have tonight - I'll likely bank some cals for later this week.

Just a couple of weeks ago I was complaining that I was struggling with my calorie limit ...and now I am actually having to eat junk food to meet it. That said, I still passed on the brownies I baked yesterday in favour of a big cup of caramel popcorn! At least I am realizing that yes, I can have treats...but I can't have all of them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 15, 2016, 06:44:03 PM
Just realized its Monday - time to check in.

Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 11 lbs

I was looking over my trends and I have a tendency to yo-yo around the same weight for 5-6 days and then have a sharp drop.  Very pleased so far with using TrendWeight - the day to day scale fluctuations can be rather discouraging but looking at the overall trend keeps me from getting frustrated.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 15, 2016, 07:16:25 PM

At least I am realizing that yes, I can have treats...but I can't have all of them.



Yes!! This is just what MMM is all about to me. I can have (afford) anything I want, just not everything I want!

Great job everyone - love this group!
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 15, 2016, 09:09:03 PM

At least I am realizing that yes, I can have treats...but I can't have all of them.



Yes!! This is just what MMM is all about to me. I can have (afford) anything I want, just not everything I want!

Great job everyone - love this group!

Very apt comparison. I'm doing a whole lot better since I started looking at my food the way I look at my money :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 18, 2016, 10:26:13 AM
Checking in. Weigh in is tomorrow. Yesterday was rough emotionally and I took it out on my body by eating all the things.

@cookie: great progress! Keep up the good work!

@rockstache: I like the way you re-framed the idea of calories!

I read this article the other day, and while the author made some good points, I generally can't say that I agree with her logic. It sounds to me more like someone who has just given up on herself.

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/15/10980830/oprah-winfrey-weight-watchers

I'm curious to know what y'all think of it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MayDay on February 18, 2016, 01:11:27 PM
I get the feeling. It feels like every other minute some new article or study in me about saying that people are fat because "reasons out of their control".  Like gut microbiology, or Nexus once you are fat, your metabolism is screwed up forever.

And it's a good point that if oprah, with personal trainers and private chefs can't do it, how can we?



But at the sametime, being overweight has such high risks, but individually and as a society, that how can we not?

Me personally, I hope poop transplanting becomes a thing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on February 19, 2016, 01:36:11 AM
I just watched a super documentary tonight (from the library, of course!) called "That Sugar Movie" and I can't say enough about it! I learned sooooo much.

I see that its avalable to rent/buy on itunes. There is a blog as welll, by the same name.

Worth a watch, if you struggle with the Sugar Dragon like I do:-D
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 19, 2016, 07:05:15 AM
I just watched a super documentary tonight (from the library, of course!) called "That Sugar Movie" and I can't say enough about it! I learned sooooo much.

I see that its avalable to rent/buy on itunes. There is a blog as welll, by the same name.

Worth a watch, if you struggle with the Sugar Dragon like I do:-D

I'll have to check that out. I definitely have fallen off the sugar wagon a couple of times in my life. This time around, I'm hoping that I can keep it under control. So far, so good! I have indulged in sugary treats a few times since the beginning of the year, and each time I've been satisfied with only what I ate. I think cutting out the refined sugar in my regular diet has helped tremendously in slaying that dragon.

Friday weigh in results: I'm down 2.4 lbs. My 7 week total is 20.2 lbs! It feels good to have hit (and passed) the 10% mark. My next weight loss goal is to get to 155, which is where I was in my early 20's (even through grad school shenanigans).

Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Nederstash on February 20, 2016, 10:13:35 AM
Well, here I go...

Feb 20 - 204
GOAL WEIGHT 139
Only 65 to go!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: clarkfan1979 on February 20, 2016, 10:46:07 AM
Started the year at 212. I would like to break 200 by the end of the year and then re-evaluate. My first goal is to get down to 205 by May 5th. I started 2 weeks ago and I'm already at 210-211. I haven't hit 212 on the scale in two weeks. So I am already 10% toward my goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: cityfolks on February 20, 2016, 11:26:19 AM
I'm at around 176, which is well over where I should be, ideally closer to 150. I've been more sedentary than usual this winter because of a bad bout of depression ... even so, I'm never going to be active enough to counteract a bad diet, and I think that's where I can make more changes faster. Fingers crossed!?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on February 22, 2016, 07:54:10 AM
The bad news: I failed on the nutrition front this week. Chinese lunch with my aunt. Family size potato chip bag. Carbs carbs carbs. It'll happen. I have never been good at cheat days, but every now and then I have a cheat week! I increased a little weight this week, but I expected that would happen and 1 pound is no biggie.

The good news: I got off my ass and continued my running program again yesterday. :D


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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 22, 2016, 09:35:19 AM
@geostache You are doing so awesome!!! I love seeing your awesome progress!

@Cookie78 Fantastic to see you picking yourself back up. like you said, 1 lb is no biggie - you've caught yourself very early on and now can get back on track. Kudos for getting back on the wagon - that's always the hardest part.

@cityfolks 80% of weight loss happens in the kitchen. I've tried the more active thing - just ended up gaining more weight *sigh* (it was too good an excuse to eat more).

@clarkfan1979 Slow and steady really will win the race :)

Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 12.8 lbs

Wasn't so sure I would like posting today since I gained a lb since yesterday (I know - water weight!) but it made me smile to see I STILL dropped almost 2 lbs from last week.

It's been an interesting week weight-wise. I upped my calorie intake 2 weeks ago. This week, I have been eating about 200+ cals/day of junk food (ice cream, cakes, and yes, I ended up eating the brownie) pretty much every day because I keep ending the day with extra calories. I still ended the week with an extra 300 cals UNDER my weekly net calories. Plus, i'm losing my weight even faster since I upped my calories. (from an avg of 1.5lbs/week to 1.9/lbs a week). I was scratching my heard over the math - but realized that because I have so many extra calories, I no longer try to underestimate calories but am more likely to overestimate. I meticulously weigh and log everything I make - but at least 2-4 times a week, I have to estimate (eat out/eat at a friend's/office treat).

I'm considering upping my calories again - but feel plenty satisfied (I was a bit frustrated on my old, lower caloric intake) so considering leaving it as is (avg 1400-1500 cals/day for a 5ft 36f). Will spend the next week or so considering this. I am forcing myself to learn patience and only change my plans after gathering adequate data every 3 weeks or so. Also feeling a touch concerned about how much empty junk food I have been eating. It fits within my calorie counts, which is fine for weight loss - but for overall nutrition, I think I should put more of those cals towards fruits & veg. It will likely be better for overall health to cut the treats down to 3-4 days/week rather than a daily thing. Someone on MyFitnessPal said they did a ton of research and experimentation and concluded that about 10-20% of daily calories aren't necessarily needed for nutrition and could be "spent" on empty junk. That does make some sense. That said, although I'm getting better about my fruit/veg intake, I don't feel like I eat as much as I should, so putting more effort into upping that will likely be good for me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on February 22, 2016, 11:07:18 AM
Haven't checked in for a while - sorry about that! Been kind of busy, but I am happy to say that I seem to be on track. Being 4'11" and 30-something and post-baby seems to make things go really slowly, but I am trying really hard to recognize that progress is progress, no matter how small. I suppose 5 pounds in 6 weeks is quite normal and healthy - but I would love for things to happen overnight, like most humans. :-)

I've got about twenty more pounds to go, and I would really like to drop 5 this month, so I am getting serious about the exercise part. I am really happy with myself about what I've been eating, but more impressed that I am getting a grip on portions. I'm not filling up the plate anymore or going back for seconds or having a treat just because. I'm tracking my calories during the week, but have been managing not to gorge on the weekends - I loosen up a little bit but I haven't gone overboard.

It looks like everyone else is doing great, too - thank you all for posting here and keeping me motivated!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 22, 2016, 11:40:15 AM
@cookie78: It sounds like you have the right attitude about the gain this week - it's bound to happen to all of us at some point during this journey.

@elaine: thanks for the words of encouragement. You have been doing awesome too! Obviously eating more calories is working for your body, so enjoy your treats guilt free! Have you tried making green smoothies? I am a huge fan. I don't cook as many vegetables as I should, but I drink a green smoothie every morning with breakfast, so at least I'm getting my green leafies on a daily basis. It should be 2/5 green leafy vegetables 3/5 fruit, mixed with water, milk, or milk alternative (soy or almond, eg).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: cityfolks on February 22, 2016, 01:43:46 PM
@elaine, I cook at home a lot and love trying new recipes, so I sometimes get caught up in that excitement and don't pay attention to nutrition as much.

I have a hard time being confident in my calorie counting. I use MFP and am diligent about recording, but with a lot of made-from-scratch food it's frustrating to record exact measurements of every ingredient, especially because it can add to the time it takes me to get dinner ready, not to mention the extra space a scale and measuring utensils take  up on our square foot (yes, that's singular) of counter. Has anybody come up with good shortcuts or estimates for calorie counting home-cooked meals?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on February 22, 2016, 01:56:11 PM
@elaine, I cook at home a lot and love trying new recipes, so I sometimes get caught up in that excitement and don't pay attention to nutrition as much.

I have a hard time being confident in my calorie counting. I use MFP and am diligent about recording, but with a lot of made-from-scratch food it's frustrating to record exact measurements of every ingredient, especially because it can add to the time it takes me to get dinner ready, not to mention the extra space a scale and measuring utensils take  up on our square foot (yes, that's singular) of counter. Has anybody come up with good shortcuts or estimates for calorie counting home-cooked meals?

I have this same problem. I just try to guess the best I can. Sometimes I know it is high, other times it is low. For me I still get the benefit of being conscious of what I'm eating, by entering it in MFP, even if the numbers aren't perfect. For things that I cook often I made my own recipe in MFP and added the ingredients. For one off things I find something similar that's already there. It's not worth the extra effort for me to be perfect, though last time I was losing weight I made a much bigger effort to be accurate.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 22, 2016, 02:05:09 PM
@geostache I prefer to eat my calories so I have been resisting the smoothie/juicing route. That said - I have started to consider it...just to force myself to get more greens in me (never been a veggie fan). Going to try to more traditional "eat more veggies" route first but no longer going to resist the smoothie route. Many ways to skin a cat!

@elaine, I cook at home a lot and love trying new recipes, so I sometimes get caught up in that excitement and don't pay attention to nutrition as much.

I have a hard time being confident in my calorie counting. I use MFP and am diligent about recording, but with a lot of made-from-scratch food it's frustrating to record exact measurements of every ingredient, especially because it can add to the time it takes me to get dinner ready, not to mention the extra space a scale and measuring utensils take  up on our square foot (yes, that's singular) of counter. Has anybody come up with good shortcuts or estimates for calorie counting home-cooked meals?

Honestly, my (new) scale is the size of an iPad mini. I got this slim profile scale (http://"http://www.amazon.com/iGuerburn-Digital-Kitchen-Stainless-Capacity/dp/B00UL7U2EQ") for $10 from Amazon:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61FN004LnnL._SX425_.jpg)

When cooking, I find inputting ingredients on the app a little too slow so I keep a scratchpad next to me.

a. Remember to weigh cooking pot and record the weight!! (It has been a few weeks, and I STILL don't remember this.)
1. Put bowl on scale
2. Click tare (to return scale to zero)
3. Add first ingredient, scribble weight on scratchpad. Hit tare again.
4. Add second ingredient, scribble weight down. Hit tare again.
5. After cooking is completed, either weigh cooking pot full of cooked food (If I remember the first instruction above), or pour all food into a fresh serving dish that has been tared out on my scale. (Rather than serving from the cooking pot)
6. When I serve myself my food, I weigh it.

When i have finished cooking and served everything to my family, I usually sit and input my recipe into MFP's recipe builder. (I can do this after my dinner, but often I like to do it before I eat). It's not too hard to input the recipe - you just have to pay attention when the app matches ingredients as there are many incorrect entries.

Instead of telling the app that this recipe made 6 servings (and then I have to figure out what a sixth of a pot is!), I weigh the final cooked product and if it is 1567g, I input it as 1567 servings. Then I weigh what I serve myself and log that weight - e.g. 234 servings of the recipe.

It does take some extra steps but it really isn't as complicated as it sounds. For now, it is worth it to me to get some accuracy into my calorie logging. It's eye-opening that a small error in logging multiplied by several meals (apparently, even experts typically eyeball things wrong - and that's with using measuring cups) can wipe out a day's deficit.

Makes me feel SO much more sure about what I am eating - AND gives me the assurance to have my treats and eat more. Rather like how using a budget has been giving me the security to save more (I used to give myself a much wider safety margin of spare cash).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 22, 2016, 02:17:04 PM
Haven't checked in for a while - sorry about that! Been kind of busy, but I am happy to say that I seem to be on track. Being 4'11" and 30-something and post-baby seems to make things go really slowly, but I am trying really hard to recognize that progress is progress, no matter how small. I suppose 5 pounds in 6 weeks is quite normal and healthy - but I would love for things to happen overnight, like most humans. :-)

I've got about twenty more pounds to go, and I would really like to drop 5 this month, so I am getting serious about the exercise part. I am really happy with myself about what I've been eating, but more impressed that I am getting a grip on portions. I'm not filling up the plate anymore or going back for seconds or having a treat just because. I'm tracking my calories during the week, but have been managing not to gorge on the weekends - I loosen up a little bit but I haven't gone overboard.

It looks like everyone else is doing great, too - thank you all for posting here and keeping me motivated!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds

5lbs in 6 weeks is fantastic! And it sounds like you're really learning a whole lot about portion control - which is going to be the key to maintaining.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on February 23, 2016, 12:02:59 AM
I went out for lunch today with an old friend and ordered like a healthy person:

a salad topped with a grilled chicken breast
olive oil and balsamic dressing on the side
tea (clear)
water
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 23, 2016, 11:06:17 AM
@1967mama It's rather awesome to feel good about what you choose to eat, isn't it? I like the whole idea of choosing to eat the way a thinner, healthier me would eat.

Last night, I discovered just how insanely filling eggplant can be. I made Baked Eggplant with Spinach (modifying Skinnytaste's Baked Ziti - subbing the pasta for eggplant and adding mushrooms). I took a huge double portion because I really want to increase my veggie intake and it only added up to 545 calories. An hour later, I was groaning because I was SO FULL. Plus, it was really good! (although DH and I did agree that the version my kids were eating and raving about with pasta and lots more cheese wold have been yummier lol). Glad I managed to eat some more veggies!

I'm going to continue trying to use up more of my extra calories for fruits and veggies rather than using it all for empty junky treats. I know the empty calories are fine for weight loss - but I also want to increase my nutritional intake (wth a few empty calories thrown in for the yum factor). I have never been a veggie fan so trying to find ways to enjoy veggies. Loving eggplant and zucchini lately plus the last week we have been eating a lot of colorful cobb salads. Have spaghetti squash (with meat sauce for my carnivorous self) planned later this week. Will be looking for more veggie-filled recipes that I will actually like. And NO - I will not actually eat a celery stick - UGH. Instead, I have been making yummy stock with it :).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 25, 2016, 07:46:30 AM
Tomorrow is weigh in day. I'm not anticipating good results. Yikes. My weight has fluctuated all week, which it usually does, but there's generally a downward trend. All week, it's been flitting about the same as last week's weigh in. I guess we'll see!

@elaine: how's the veggie eating going?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 25, 2016, 09:13:56 AM
@Geostache, I have had a rough week too weight wise. I'm just staying consistent and trying not to worry about the numbers.

@Elaine I haven't commented much but your posts have been super helpful and encouraging to me, so please keep it up! We do have similar heights/weights, so I am enjoying following you.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on February 26, 2016, 06:32:47 AM
Whelp, it was as I suspected. I gained 0.4 lbs this week. Based on how I treated my body, it could have been way worse. Here's where I stand this week (week 8):

Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6
2/26/2016: 163.0

Week 8 total loss: 19.8.

I'm not going to dwell on the gain. It's bound to happen sometimes. In the win department, I had to go shopping for work pants that weren't falling off, as my existing pants were doing! And, my 10 day running average is still decreasing.

I made a delicious mint chocolate green smoothie for breakfast this morning:
(Makes 2 servings)
1.75 c water
0.25 c 2% milk
1 c fat free greek yogurt
1/8 c dried figs
2 c spinach
1 square Ghirardelli 92% chocolate
2 drops mint extract
2 bananas

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ruthiegirl on February 26, 2016, 02:05:20 PM
Battery is dead in my scale and I haven't been to the store to replace it yet.  I don't think I have not lost weight, but have been exercising a ton...lots of long walks, lots of hills, even a bit of running.  I feel stronger and calmer, so that is something.  Now for the food part of the equation. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Rightflyer on February 27, 2016, 09:33:07 AM
Made it finally!!

Nov 1  - 201lbs.
Jan 13 - 188 lbs.
Jan 18 - 187 lbs.
Feb 12 - 186 lbs.
Feb 27 - 185 lbs.

Now on down to 180...(although we're having fajitas tonight and roast lamb tomorrow night so the next pound is a little way off down the line.

Goal 185 lbs.
Stretch 180 lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RonMcCord on February 27, 2016, 10:22:01 AM
Jan 4:175lbs.
Jan 28:169lbs.
Feb 27:162lbs.

Depending on what BMI calculator you use, I'm either just barely above or just barely below a healthy BMI.  My waistline is down to what it was in high school, so that's encouraging especially considering that I've seen some of my high school friends around and they've gained a ton of weight.  Not stopping until 145 though.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: jim555 on February 28, 2016, 01:43:08 PM
I got off the Coca Cola addiction and eat mainly chicken and frozen vegetables, lost 19 lbs., 4 lbs to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tyn on February 29, 2016, 04:14:51 AM
Start - 194
6th Feb - 192
28th Feb - 193

I've been ill most of the month so lacked motivation for any sort of meal planning, definitely need to start doing that again.  Just got an allotment so that will keep me a bit more active (and not lounging around boredom eating on the weekends) and hopefully I'll get some cheap healthy food out of it too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on February 29, 2016, 08:09:46 AM
I'm not enjoying running enough to keep up with it and need to find something else to do for now. I'd like to do a martial art, but that'll cost more and honestly I'm more likely to succeed right now if I can do something regularly without having to leave my house. Maybe body weight exercises.

I kept up quite well with healthy food and tracking calories this week, but I need an exercise component to notice any significant results. at least I discovered Habitica this week which has been very helpful in reminding me to stretch each day (just 10 min, but it's a start), among other non fitness related habits I want to build or maintain (Spanish, meditation, dog walks, health stuff).


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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 29, 2016, 09:57:47 PM
Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 11 lbs

I got all the way down to 140 last weekend...was hoping for some nice impressive numbers to share. But I feel the familiar bloat coming on. I piled on 3 lbs in one day *sigh* It is not going to be fun looking at the scale for the next week.

It's been really nice to see the encouraging reports of progress posted. It does help me a lot to know I will be posting here.

I had an amazing weekend getaway with DH - ate a lot, but was actually able to stop before stuffing myself. I even packed up half my lunch! And at a Chinese buffet, kept myself to about 1500 calories. All while NOT restricting myself. I ended up working out a lot all weekend (had a great time with the hotel facilities) and managed to end up UNDER my weekly calories. I was so far under that when I got home, I continued snacking. I finally stopped late at night because I was too full - even though I still had 500 cals available to eat. So different for me.

Then, today happened. I have been a miserable grouch all day. Ate 200 cals of ice cream at work but was too busy to go for my lunchtime walk. Got home and was grouchy all night. Ate without weighing (I guesstimate it was about 500 cals so not horrible) and refused to workout, holing up in bed with a book. Thankfully, I didn't take a snack with me like I used to do. I was so grumpy, I infected my DH too. Finally, I decided to do my best to shake out of it and I did my 12 min strength workout. It helped a little - at least I wasn't a total sloth.

I am a little worried about tomorrow. I spent a fair bit of time plotting to get my favourite chicken wing lunch tomorrow. And I usually eat 15 of them in one sitting. Eeeek. I have a sweet potato shepherd's pie in the freezer I should eat instead....

On a positive note, my veggie intake went pretty well last week. We ate a ton of veggie meals with lots of new recipes - Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu and Zoodles Lo Mein stood out. I was surprised at how good they were. I also reached for fruits for snacking instead of too much junk (although I still allowed some junk). I made a Vegetarian Curry from scratch last night (for the first time) and it turned out great! Hubs is happy as he wants to limit meat. On the plus side, veggie meals are way more filling for way less calories.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 29, 2016, 10:08:45 PM
@geostache while I am sure it was disappointing to see the weight gain, I like your attitude. It was highly likely that it will happen at some point, and u already had an understanding based on your habits the past week. Rather than giving up and throwing in the towel, u can now use this knowledge to turn things around for the better.

@rockstache awwww...thanks :) I am totally rooting for u. It's not easy for us shorties - very envious of the extra calories tall folks get away with!

@ruthiegirl That is awesome that u are building up your fitness level! I started doing a lot more about 6-7 years ago and was able to have sooo much more fun. That said, u are right - weight needs to be dealt with in the kitchen. I used to think fit ppl couldn't be fat. I have learned otherwise.

@rightflyer Wooooohoooooooooooo!!! That is an amazing accomplishment to hit goal :) Now u need to share your secrets - what worked, what didn't work?

@RonMcCord It is coming off - and pretty quickly too!

@jim555 almost there :) those Cokes sure pack in a lot of calories, don't they?

@Tyn Meal planning helps so much- I'm sure it will feel great once now that u are able to get things more organized again.

@Cookie78 U know, exercise is great and everything...but REALLY not necessary for weightloss. That said, I have found some awesome YouTube videos. Free ...and u can do them at home. I like not having to go to the gym. Less time suck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 01, 2016, 06:41:55 AM
Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 11 lbs


Then, today happened. I have been a miserable grouch all day. Ate 200 cals of ice cream at work but was too busy to go for my lunchtime walk. Got home and was grouchy all night. Ate without weighing (I guesstimate it was about 500 cals so not horrible) and refused to workout, holing up in bed with a book. Thankfully, I didn't take a snack with me like I used to do. I was so grumpy, I infected my DH too. Finally, I decided to do my best to shake out of it and I did my 12 min strength workout. It helped a little - at least I wasn't a total sloth.

I am a little worried about tomorrow. I spent a fair bit of time plotting to get my favourite chicken wing lunch tomorrow. And I usually eat 15 of them in one sitting. Eeeek. I have a sweet potato shepherd's pie in the freezer I should eat instead....

On a positive note, my veggie intake went pretty well last week. We ate a ton of veggie meals with lots of new recipes - Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu and Zoodles Lo Mein stood out. I was surprised at how good they were. I also reached for fruits for snacking instead of too much junk (although I still allowed some junk). I made a Vegetarian Curry from scratch last night (for the first time) and it turned out great! Hubs is happy as he wants to limit meat. On the plus side, veggie meals are way more filling for way less calories.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's great progress, Elaine! I was hit with the emotional roller coaster about a week and a half ago. Just hang in there and know that you're still in a much better position now that you're tracking than if you just let it all go and ate whatever and however you wanted because of the emotions!

Veggie curries are awesome! I wish I could get my husband to eat more of them. He tends to not like most of the veggie based meals I make, unfortunately. :-/
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 01, 2016, 07:36:14 AM
@geostache Thanks so much! I am doing better this morning and for lunch today, packed some baked eggplant I had in the freezer. Still resisting temptation - will let you guys know if I am successful :)

As for veggie meals - I am a confirmed carnivore and not typically a fan of vegetarian meals. But seriously, skinnytaste's recipes have changed my life! They are SO good I rarely miss the meat, or if there is meat, it is an accent to the dish. Another trick I found that worked is that for ground meat recipes, sub half the meat with grated carrots. After it takes on the flavor of the meat and sauces, your tastebuds can barely tell the difference. If I hadn't known I added grated carrots, I would have had no idea. My kids didn't even complain :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on March 01, 2016, 08:04:36 AM

@Cookie78 U know, exercise is great and everything...but REALLY not necessary for weightloss. That said, I have found some awesome YouTube videos. Free ...and u can do them at home. I like not having to go to the gym. Less time suck.


I know it's not required, but it's also very helpful, at least for me, in many other ways. Energy levels (though I'm certain I must have some other issue causing the energy level problem, going to doctor tomorrow for blood test results), strength, happiness, sleep quality, flexibility (I can already feel the difference after a little stretching each day), and more muscles means more calories burned up without an extra effort. In my experience if I add strength building exercises the weight loss is more sustainable long term. More than anything, I'm just convincing/reminding myself of all this. It's easy to remember while I'm sitting at work each morning, less so when I get home exhausted and just want to crash. I've been in bed by 7/7:30 4 weeknights out of the past 6.

I think I'm going to do as you suggest and find different Youtube videos, etc, and mix things up each week so I don't get bored. I found a good body weight exercise plan too, and I have a couple old p90x videos from a few years ago that worked like magic at the time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Elle 8 on March 01, 2016, 10:30:10 AM
Ugh, I really hate to put this in writing but I think I need to do something to make myself accountable.  5'6" female, 191 lbs.  This is the highest I've ever been.  I had been up to 188 about 5-6 years ago and went on Weight Watchers and got down to 165.  I felt good at 165, although that's still higher than I should be.  At 188 and now at 191 my size 16 pants are tight.  I really don't want to buy bigger pants.  At 165 I was at a loose 14 and thought I was going to get down to a 12 but that didn't happen.  Stopped going to WW and now I'm worse off than when I started.  I'm going to try to do this without WW this time but if I can't do it I will join again.

Current:  191
Goal 1:  165 by 6/1/16
Goal 2:  150 by 8/1/16

I'll reassess when I get to 150 (I almost wrote "IF I get to 150" but decided to be optimistic!)  That might end up being my target weight.  Even in high school I was 145 so that sounds reasonable to me.

Good luck everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 02, 2016, 11:19:58 AM
@Elle, welcome! Everyone has been so supportive on this thread! It's good to see what different people do to help them over hurdles.

I think I have hit a plateau. After two months of quick weight loss, I have been bouncing around the same weight for almost 3 weeks. I started tracking my food yesterday, even though I know I'm mostly keeping my portions under control and eating healthy foods. I figured I can't fix a problem until I diagnose it! Yesterday, my UP app said that I ate 1234 calories. Monday, I logged 1,144 calories. I'll give it another couple of days, and if the calorie intake is the same, and the plateau sticks, I might have to give myself a few high calorie days to see what that does. Nobody said this was going to be easy!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Rightflyer on March 02, 2016, 02:02:37 PM
@geostache while I am sure it was disappointing to see the weight gain, I like your attitude. It was highly likely that it will happen at some point, and u already had an understanding based on your habits the past week. Rather than giving up and throwing in the towel, u can now use this knowledge to turn things around for the better.

@rockstache awwww...thanks :) I am totally rooting for u. It's not easy for us shorties - very envious of the extra calories tall folks get away with!

@ruthiegirl That is awesome that u are building up your fitness level! I started doing a lot more about 6-7 years ago and was able to have sooo much more fun. That said, u are right - weight needs to be dealt with in the kitchen. I used to think fit ppl couldn't be fat. I have learned otherwise.

@rightflyer Wooooohoooooooooooo!!! That is an amazing accomplishment to hit goal :) Now u need to share your secrets - what worked, what didn't work?

@RonMcCord It is coming off - and pretty quickly too!

@jim555 almost there :) those Cokes sure pack in a lot of calories, don't they?

@Tyn Meal planning helps so much- I'm sure it will feel great once now that u are able to get things more organized again.

@Cookie78 U know, exercise is great and everything...but REALLY not necessary for weightloss. That said, I have found some awesome YouTube videos. Free ...and u can do them at home. I like not having to go to the gym. Less time suck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you so much elaineamj! You have become a wonderful supporter on this thread. I very much appreciate your encouragement.

As for the secrets...No magic really.

What has worked:

1) Building a spreadsheet to track weight/calories (everything I do seems to start with a spreadsheet)

2) Religiously doing the Convict Conditioning workout

3) No booze during the week.

4) Only weighed myself when the spreadsheet projected that I should be down a pound.

5) Doing something active every. single. day. (Long walks with the dog, finishing the basement, chopping wood, shovelling the driveway etc)


What hasn't worked:

-Dieting
-Obsessing
-Self Flagellation
-Fitbits, watches, apps, androids, daleks, etc etc
-Weight loss books, websites, online groups (except this one!)

Basically: Less calories in - more calories out.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on March 02, 2016, 08:33:26 PM
Well, the first few weeks went well and I lost 2 kg. Than I hurt my back in the gym and was unable to exercise (and do housework), so I can't report much progress. I reduced the breakfast to one slice of bread and curbed my snacking, but I can't see the results yet.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 02, 2016, 09:05:48 PM
@elle WELCOME!!! I was horrified at myself too...which is why I finally decided to join this thread. Something clicked and I am going strong.

I have to admit that this week I am struggling. I felt awesome all weekend but then got into a horrible mood Starting Sunday night (It's getting close to that time of the month sigh). Yesterday I did cave and got chicken wings. Ugh! Then followed it up with cookies. Double ugh. On top of that, I have been super tired and have not worked out since Sunday.

Managed to stick to plan today. But still thinking of more wings. I am going on vacation in 1.5 weeks and eating tons of food. So I really want to keep myself eating less until then - preferably at my calorie goal or slightly under calorie.

Of course, this is about the 2 month mark for me and like @geostache, the initial rapid loss is starting to stall. I have just returned to the same weight I clocked in 2 weeks ago after some yo-yoing. I am NOT going to panic yet though - TrendWeight still shows a steady decline.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: cityfolks on March 03, 2016, 07:23:02 AM
Went to the gym for the first time in a long time this morning! My weight's been fluctuating in the same pound for the past few weeks, I'm hoping this will change things up a little.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 03, 2016, 08:12:03 AM
@elle WELCOME!!! I was horrified at myself too...which is why I finally decided to join this thread. Something clicked and I am going strong.

I have to admit that this week I am struggling. I felt awesome all weekend but then got into a horrible mood Starting Sunday night (It's getting close to that time of the month sigh). Yesterday I did cave and got chicken wings. Ugh! Then followed it up with cookies. Double ugh. On top of that, I have been super tired and have not worked out since Sunday.

Managed to stick to plan today. But still thinking of more wings. I am going on vacation in 1.5 weeks and eating tons of food. So I really want to keep myself eating less until then - preferably at my calorie goal or slightly under calorie.

Of course, this is about the 2 month mark for me and like @geostache, the initial rapid loss is starting to stall. I have just returned to the same weight I clocked in 2 weeks ago after some yo-yoing. I am NOT going to panic yet though - TrendWeight still shows a steady decline.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hormones are terrible! Nothing like an uncontrollable bodily function to make one feel like the world is crumbling around you! I got the double-whammy of depression and a seemingly insatiable hunger.

Mmm wings. I told my husband last night that I felt like it was beer and wings night. I haven't had wings in quite awhile! So, I went a little overboard, and wound up eating about 2,400 calories yesterday! One of the recommendations I read about plateaus was to vary the caloric intake between 1,800-2,400 for three days to 'trick' the body into bumping up the metabolism. I'm a little hesitant to do it again today, especially since tomorrow is weigh-in day. But we'll see! Maybe your wing and cookie indulgence will help you! I couldn't think of a better way to boost one's metabolism!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 03, 2016, 11:09:39 AM
@geostache I don't know about varying the caloric intake - but I guess I have been doing that anyway since I have had a few splurge days recently and when I go on vacation, I'm DEFINITELY splurging!

On a good note, I FINALLY broke the 140lb barrier this morning! I am at 139.8 lbs, down from 143 lbs on Monday (which I knew was a spike because I felt bloated that day). To make this even sweeter, this morning, my favorite wide elastic belt didn't fit - it was actually TOO LOOSE. I had to grab a belt I have NEVER BEEN ABLE TO WEAR because it was too tight. WOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!

I'm definitely saying no to those chicken wings. I had some cilantro chicken and shrimp with rice for lunch instead that I pulled out from the freezer (cooked about a month ago). Pre-packing all my dinner leftovers has made this all SO much easier! I had left my portion out on the counter in the lunch room as I was doing some other stuff and my coworker later asked me if I REALLY labeled all my food with the weight, calorie count, etc. I have actually been keeping it on the down-low and laughed, saying no one was supposed to see that! She then asked how I knew - and I told her I use a recipe builder and figure it out that way. It's super easy then just to portion it out after I cook it and freeze it for lunches. She mostly uses shakes, veggies for lunches, portion control, and restricting wine whenever she needs to lose weight (she yo-yos a bit between about 20 lbs but has never put on any significant excess weight in the 5 years I've known her) so she was curious. I explained that I count calories, because then I can give myself permission to eat more :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 04, 2016, 06:47:17 AM
@Elaine: Way to break the 140 barrier! That's awesome! It feels good to have victories on the scale and also see it reflected in your clothing.

@Rightflyer: Thanks for the motivation! It's helpful to see how people have not only lost, but kept the motivation to maintain that loss.

I've definitely hit a plateau. I'm up 0.6 this week, and 1 pound from two weeks ago. Blargh! Maybe those chicken wings and beer had something to do with it. :-/

I only started tracking calories a few days ago, so I am going to keep at it this week and see if I'm eating what I think I'm actually eating. Chances are, I've been more slack that I think I have. It's all about accountability, right?

Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6
2/26/2016: 163.0 (+0.4)
3/4/2016: 163.6 (+0.6)

Total loss: 19.2
Goal weight: 140
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 04, 2016, 07:59:05 PM
@geostache as u get closer to your goal, your margin of error decreases. One thing I have learned about counting calories...it takes about 3 weeks of watching your trends to see if u are in the right track. So don't change up your strategies too quickly.

Also, a $10 kitchen scale made counting calories SOOOO much easier and less stressful.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 07, 2016, 08:23:09 AM
@Elaine, Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure not to change my eating habits too drastically. I do have a kitchen scale. Last night, I actually measured out the portions of dinner to be sure I knew exactly how much I was eating. I usually just visually divide up the dish I make, which is harder when the husband goes and helps himself to additional servings of unknown quantity.

I did my first day of Jillian Michael's "Ripped in 30" this morning. It was tough! I like that all of the muscle groups get worked in one 30 minute workout.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on March 07, 2016, 08:27:51 AM
@Geostache - I second elaineamj's recommendation to track calories. I have been on MyFitnessPal along with a few other posters on this thread and it is definitely what's keeping me on track. I try not to be obsessive about it; for example, I don't log/track calories on the weekends. That said, counting calories and paying attention to the amount of food I should actually be eating has resulted in me being able to keep things in check during the days I don't track. So I might have an extra glass of wine, but I don't feel badly about it if I know that I've been eating well and tracking during the week.

I'm still going slow and steady, so that's why I've only been posting my progress on a biweekly basis. Nothing too exciting here, especially compared to others! But I'm getting closer and closer to my goal weight and I feel really confident that I'll reach it. I'm also going to pick up a fitness pass from my employer this week and go to yoga during my lunch break whenever I can. I still haven't been able to convince myself to get out of bed in the morning to exercise, but I'm working on it.

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/7: 126.4 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on March 07, 2016, 08:29:01 AM
Was not very hungry this week at all. Started a medication on Wednesday that can have a side effect of increased appetite. Either it did the opposite for me, or I'm over compensating by eating even less than normal. Haven't started exercising more yet, as I'd promised last week. Daily stretching and walking, the occasional pushups, and gardening/year work (in March, wow!) are all I've been doing. But I broke the 150 barrier. :D 10 down, 20 more to go. (Confession: Free cake at work today and I partook... twice)

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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on March 07, 2016, 11:25:51 AM
First Monday of the month check-in:

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2

About 5 lbs away from my initial goal now, which is great. I am going to continue and try to get to about 125, but we'll see if I hit a plateau in there anywhere. So far, my only changes have been food/diet related.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 08, 2016, 06:32:56 AM
@Microspice: Tracking calories has been enlightening. When I don't indulge in junk food, I'm having a hard time hitting a 1,200 calorie minimum. When I do, well, I think we know how that ends. It's easy to go way overboard on processed and fatty foods. Your weight loss progress looks great!

@Elaine: I know weight loss slows down as you approach your ideal weight, but I figured I was still far enough away from the ideal weight that it's shouldn't slow to a screeching halt!

@Rockstache: Congrats on getting close to your initial goal! Your weight loss stats look great!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on March 08, 2016, 09:08:19 AM
@Microspice: Tracking calories has been enlightening. When I don't indulge in junk food, I'm having a hard time hitting a 1,200 calorie minimum. When I do, well, I think we know how that ends. It's easy to go way overboard on processed and fatty foods. Your weight loss progress looks great!

@Elaine: I know weight loss slows down as you approach your ideal weight, but I figured I was still far enough away from the ideal weight that it's shouldn't slow to a screeching halt!

@Rockstache: Congrats on getting close to your initial goal! Your weight loss stats look great!

Thanks Geostache. I am coming to the same conclusion as you above. The one thing I haven't yet done is convince myself that I don't deserve/need an after dinner snack. I have been keeping them small and low-cal, so it hasn't really been a problem for losing weight...I just don't like my mindset about it being a 'requirement.'
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 08, 2016, 12:34:24 PM
The one thing I haven't yet done is convince myself that I don't deserve/need an after dinner snack. I have been keeping them small and low-cal, so it hasn't really been a problem for losing weight...I just don't like my mindset about it being a 'requirement.'

Agreed. I understand the thinking behind the minimum caloric intake, but it's hard. I'm trying to listen to my body's signals about hunger. Half of the time, I have to convince myself that I really am hungry. But there are times when the hunger signal is absolutely clear. Some of those times happen a few hours after dinner. I say, if your after dinner snacking is under control and it's not impinging your weight loss, enjoy it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on March 08, 2016, 12:39:42 PM
I'm happy to report that I've just finished my 4th Whole30 and I'm down 45 pounds! I started this Whole30 business last year and I've had tremendous success -- nothing has ever worked for me. I'm about 1/2 way to my goal weight now. I haven't been this weight in over 18 years. Delight doesn't begin to describe how wonderful I feel!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 10, 2016, 09:40:23 AM
Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs
Mar 7 - 138.2

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 16 lbs

Just realized I didn't check in on Monday and it's already Thursday! Added my Monday number above - 138 is my new low! Of course, this morning I bumped up to 139 after eating conference food for the last 2 days. I did pretty ok at controlling myself, but did indulge a little (the food was GOOD!). Thankfully, one of my coworkers likes walking so our tradition is to go on a long walk at nights. So, that helped make up for some of the extra desserts. Still haven't finished logging the food for those days although I took noted on my phone.

I haven't worked out much for about 2 weeks now though. Been super tired + very busy. I leave on vacation TOMORROW to Disney and Universal and have a week of insane over-indulgence ahead. We'll see how I make out. On the good side, I will get a lot of walking in.   
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 10, 2016, 10:18:27 AM
@Elaine, nice progress! Does your phone track steps taken? It'd be interesting to see how many steps you take during your vacation.

I'm totally stalled out, weight wise. My calorie count suggests that I should lose some weight this week, but the scale is begging to differ. Tomorrow is weigh in day, so we'll see. I started a workout video this week, and my body was sure to let me know how lazy I've been for far too long! It feels good to know I'm working my muscles. I'm also noticing a distinct difference in how my clothing is fitting. I've been able to get back into some really cute dresses I've been unable to wear for awhile.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 10, 2016, 09:55:14 PM
@geostache I have tracking apps, but worried about killing my phone batteries if I use it on top of my heavy use. I walk a lot there though and expect to easily hit 10 miles a day.

As for weight, I stalled for about two solid weeks just yoyoing between a pound or two. Then whoosh, dropped 3 lbs in 2-3 days.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 11, 2016, 05:33:33 AM
Hmmm...just found out that my iPhone6 has a pedometer already built in and counts all steps anyway. This is perfect!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brett2k07 on March 11, 2016, 06:48:30 AM
A little late to the game, but count me in. My wife and our roommate have been working on getting healthier and losing weight over the past 5 weeks. So far, our roommate has lost 20 pounds. Though he was morbidly obese and eating Taco Bell and McDonald's almost every day, so just eating better and getting any kind of exercise in was a positive change for him.

I am 5' 10" and my current weight is 226. My initial goal weight is 180. The ideal scenario would be to hit that goal by September 24th when I will be the best man at a friend's wedding. But overall, I just want to be healthier and look better. I will need to lose around 1.77 pounds per week in order to hit that goal. I will achieve this by working out 5 times per week for at least 30 minutes each time.

Best of luck, folks!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 11, 2016, 07:00:00 AM
Hmmm...just found out that my iPhone6 has a pedometer already built in and counts all steps anyway. This is perfect!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep, that's what I meant! The 'Health' app built in to the iPhone tracks your steps automatically! Whoop!

Enjoy your trip!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 11, 2016, 07:06:02 AM
I'm down 0.6 this week. Again, with the plateau. It's a loss, so at least my calorie tracking is close to what I think it is! I'll just go with that. Got lots of compliments yesterday on the bodycon dress I was wearing. It felt good that my efforts are showing to other people, too!


Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6
2/26/2016: 163.0 (+0.4)
3/4/2016: 163.6 (+0.6)
3/11/2016: 163

Total loss: 19.8
Goal weight: 140
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 11, 2016, 07:11:47 AM
A little late to the game, but count me in. My wife and our roommate have been working on getting healthier and losing weight over the past 5 weeks. So far, our roommate has lost 20 pounds. Though he was morbidly obese and eating Taco Bell and McDonald's almost every day, so just eating better and getting any kind of exercise in was a positive change for him.

I am 5' 10" and my current weight is 226. My initial goal weight is 180. The ideal scenario would be to hit that goal by September 24th when I will be the best man at a friend's wedding. But overall, I just want to be healthier and look better. I will need to lose around 1.77 pounds per week in order to hit that goal. I will achieve this by working out 5 times per week for at least 30 minutes each time.

Best of luck, folks!

Welcome, Brett! People on this thread are really supportive. Best of luck and we look forward to hearing about your journey!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 12, 2016, 06:42:29 PM
@brett: welcome!!! That sounds like a very reasonable goal.

geostache That's awesome! And on my first day at Universal Studios so far, I'm at 17,000 steps and will likely hit 20-25,000 steps by the end of the night! I am indulging, but also learning to stop when I have enough. Had an all u can eat stirfry for dinner tonight and still stopped after some reasonable indulgence - maybe about 800+ calories although I did consider another trip up. Was pleased with myself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brett2k07 on March 14, 2016, 05:27:10 AM
Indulged a little over the weekend. Had a beer and a couple slices of pizza on Saturday night because we had another couple over for some food, games, and conversation. Ben and Jerry's has introduced a new line of non-dairy products, and they sent me two coupons good for one free pint each. I used one of those coupons on Saturday while buying the beer and I ate half of the pint over the course of two days. Also had a couple slices of leftover pizza on Sunday afternoon. I haven't indulged like that in awhile.

We did workout on Sunday, and we're going back at it again tonight with the more intense DVDs starting tomorrow (we're starting month 2 of the Insanity program tomorrow, we're currently in "recovery week"). I'm also getting back on the diet and eating good food. It was nice to indulge a little bit, but I also felt terrible eating all of that. I just felt like I was eating all of the progress I've made so far and was putting it all back into my body. So it gave me a new appreciation for my healthy food.

In the past when I would start the Insanity program I would weigh myself almost every day. I feel like that is part of why I never stuck with it for very long. I would get discouraged when I would see no or very little progress from day to day. This time around I've committed to only weighing myself once per week. So on Friday morning, we'll see how much that indulgence over the weekend hurt me, if at all.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 14, 2016, 07:09:56 AM
@Elaine: That's a lot of steps! I hope you have comfortable shoes! It sounds like you have a very reasonable approach to indulging while you're on vacation. Those steps will definitely help, too!

@Brett: I hear you. I had a weekend full of celebrations: Two baby showers and a kids' birthday party. I ate all sorts of food that I ought not to, including my favorite cake. I almost immediately regretted the cake. This week, I'm focusing on getting back to basics.

I'm also finding the daily weigh in cumbersome, especially now that I've been at a plateau for the past 3 weeks. It's really frustrating! It was a great motivator to start, and it's definitely become a de-motivator with this plateau. Especially since I saw major movement on the scale yesterday, only to be undone this morning! Argh!

Daylight savings time killed me this morning. I got up to work out, put one foot in my yoga pants, took them off, put my pjs on, and went back to bed. And then overslept!

I WILL get up tomorrow morning and work out though. No excuses!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on March 14, 2016, 07:41:13 AM
Considering how hungry I was all week I'm quite happy with staying the same weight this Monday morning check-in compared to the previous.

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
Goal weight: 130

Geostache, I don't know if it will help you in the same way it helped me, but when I started tracking weight on a graph once per week (Monday morning) it helped with not getting discouraged through the plateaus. I could look at the graph and see how far I'd come, see the previous plateaus that were temporary, and feel positive about my achievements even though I hadn't seen any change over the past couple weeks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 14, 2016, 12:15:13 PM
@Cookie: Thanks! Yes, I think I will start doing the once-per-week weigh in. I've been thinking about weight loss as a short term goal, and have completely lost sight of the big picture!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Rightflyer on March 14, 2016, 12:27:12 PM
Well, I'm probably the slowest "Loser" here but...still on the way down.

Nov 1  - 201lbs.
Jan 13 - 188 lbs.
Jan 18 - 187 lbs.
Feb 12 - 186 lbs.
Feb 27 - 185 lbs.
Mar 06 - 184 lbs.
Mar 13 - 183 lbs.

Goal = 180 lbs

Stretch Goal  =175 lbs


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on March 14, 2016, 03:43:00 PM
Usually, I post my progress every two weeks, and I weigh in on Mondays, but since TOM is approaching and my weight is fluctuating wildly, I decided to go with this past Friday's weigh-in, which saw me down just over a pound from the previous week!

In the past, when I got to around the 2 month mark of trying to lose weight, I would just get complacent and lose motivation to keep going. I would either feel like I "deserved" treats and would completely derail or I would be frustrated that I wasn't losing fast enough and would completely derail. This time feels a little different, though. I am feeling more motivated than I have in the past. It doesn't hurt that my clothes are fitting better and I am actually feeling better. Haven't received any compliments from any one other than the husband, but that's okay. My sweet little almost 2-year old tells me nearly everyday that I'm pretty, so I'm good. :-)

The one thing, though: I STILL haven't started exercising. ManSpice has been impressed with my progress and seems to want to join in, so he keeps prodding me to work out. I know I need to in order to be happy with my loss, not to mention the health benefits, but it's so much easier to just eat less than it is to wake up early and exercise!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/7: 126.4 pounds
- 3/12: 125.2 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brett2k07 on March 18, 2016, 05:04:55 AM
Weighed in a 226.4 today. Only worked out on Monday this week due to the wife not feeling well, so I was taking care of her most of the week. She claimed she is feeling better today, so hopefully we can get back on track today and hit it hard over the next week.

Beginning: 226
3/18/16: 226.4 (+0.4)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 18, 2016, 06:51:29 AM
FINALLY! I broke the plateau, somehow! I'm down 2.8 pounds. I only worked out once this week. I think daylight savings time messed with my system. Next week, though, I'm back at it. And I'm on the verge of passing on my work clothes and getting some that aren't hanging off of me.

Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6
2/26/2016: 163.0 (+0.4)
3/4/2016: 163.6 (+0.6)
3/11/2016: 163
3/18/2016: 160.2

Total loss: 22.6
Goal weight: 140
Stretch goal: 135
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on March 18, 2016, 09:26:30 AM
Late to the party, but I'm in too.

Height: 5'5"
Current: 157
Ultimate goal: 130
Age: 50

At 50, this is harder than it used to be.

Whinypants excuses for why it's even harder:

1. Some medical/fatigue issues mean that my muscles don't recover well from unaccustomed exertion, so I have to build up very slowly or risk being unable to function for up to 3 days. I currently hit the stationary bike 3 times a week for 45 minutes. Trying to work up from that, maybe work in 10- to 20-minute bikes, walks, or yoga workouts on the in-between days, so far without much success. When I get sick, I have to cut back on exercise, and then rebuild to where I was. Really frustrating.

2. I work at a videogame company, which basically means I work at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. The amount of junk food around me daily is unbelievable and really hard to resist. This is my biggest challenge, because...

3. Sugar helps with the aforementioned fatigue issues, so I tend to turn to it during the day when I'm flagging, so I can do my job. (Caffeine is not an option; it gives me migraines.)

Honestly, this would all be easier if I were FIRE already. But you folks are pretty inspiring, and there's no time like the present.

Also, I hate shopping and I don't want to have to go buy new clothes. :)

Good luck to us all.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on March 19, 2016, 01:55:56 AM
With my back getting worse and worse, I will have to put my gym membership on hold. I am regular at the physio now. Damn. And put on enough weight that all my skirts feel tight. I think I'll need a soup week or something equally drastic.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Jschange on March 19, 2016, 07:19:48 AM
It took me 3 months to lose 5 pounds. Strep throat has just peeled off another 3. As long as 1 of those stAys off, I'm happy. Slow is good for my body
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on March 19, 2016, 09:21:37 AM
I joined before only to drop out because I just was not sticking to eating healthier, but, I am in.  I am starting at 156 lbs. the highest I ever been.  It doesn't feel good at all and, quite frankly, am amazed how hard it is to stop eating my beloved junk food. 

This morning I made a smoothie. Will keep it light today.  Will go out for some fruits and vegetables to snack on. 

I walked a ton last week and realized how out of shape I am fitness wise.  My feet still hurt. It is time to seriously make a commitment to getting healthy.

Thank you all for being inspirational.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on March 19, 2016, 09:36:15 AM
FINALLY! I broke the plateau, somehow! I'm down 2.8 pounds.

Congrats!! Feels good, ya?

Keep sticking with the plan and it goes down eventually. There's got to be an analogy we can use about markets always going up (but not consistently) when we stick with the plan, and weight always going down over time when we stick with the plan even when it feels like it's not working, but it's too early on a Saturday for me to phrase it succinctly.

My Thursday was horrible. Between St Patricks Day and Persian New Year* the amount of chocolate and donuts at work was ASTOUNDING. Until dinner that night (which was small) my calorie intake consisted of one banana, one orange, and multiple forms of delicious chocolate. I skipped both my breakfast and lunch, had the two aforementioned fruit snacks, had a small dinner, and was still over my daily calorie target (but only barely). .... Do I get a virtual cookie for skipping the donuts? Haha.

*I work with a wonderfully lovely lady who is originally from Iran. She brings in the most delicious cakes and treats quite often, but even larger amounts during various Persian holidays.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 21, 2016, 08:29:51 AM
@geostache CONGRATS on breaking through that plateau!! I know how frustrating it was for you.

As for me, I'm back from a week's vacation in Orlando. After a few days of being reasonable about food intake, I went nuts and ate everything in sight. Of course, it didn't help that we splurged on Disney's Deluxe Dining Plan (just for 3 days thankfully) and made it through an insane amount of food. I've weighed myself for the past 2 mornings now and I'm up 2.2 lbs. Not too bad, I suppose.

It really helped that I walked a LOT. I averaged 25,000 steps/day during my 3 days at Universal and on my one Disney day, hit 35,000 steps! So I burned over 1000 calories a day easily. On my last day, I was feeling guilty so I upped my activity levels - played an hour of tennis, an hour on a spin bike, and a half hour of kayaking. Considering I haven't worked out much in a while, I felt surprisingly good after all that exertion. If there had been more time, I would have done even more. I have to start training for an 8 hour adventure race (hiking, biking, canoeing) in June, so this was a good start.

I surprised myself by getting excited about coming home to eat my cooking again (definitely NOT normal!). DH is on a super restrictive diet for health reasons and had trouble finding decent food on vacation, even with Disney's super helpful chefs. He ate a lot of plain fish (and some steak and treats that are not in his diet plans).The one time we pushed harder for a specially prepared meal, the chef got us all excited - but then brought out a plate of different plain veggie sides. It had asparagus, carrots, broccoli, etc. It was good (thank goodness he likes veggies!) - but surely not exciting. Last night, I made up for it all and made him a plate of spiralized zucchini and carrots with zucchini "meat"balls in a homemade marinara sauce. So far I have had no issues jumping right back into my diet plans again (only one day back so far though). I even cut back to just a 1000 calories yesterday to make up for some of the vacation overindulgence.

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

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 13.8 lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on March 21, 2016, 08:38:11 AM
I guess I'm going through my own plateau now. But I know it's because I am quite hungry (maybe because of the new medication), not very active (also blaming crazy exhaustion on medication), and indulging in treats at work. This morning I managed to avoid the cookies until they were all gone.


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
Goal weight: 130

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 21, 2016, 09:19:12 AM
@Cookie: Thanks! It does feel good. And don't beat yourself up over one slip up. You said yourself that you were only barely over your daily calorie allowance. Hang in there through that plateau!

@alleykat: Welcome back! Habits don't change instantly. The whole point is to make sure you're making changes that will stick, so take your time and figure out what is going to work for you.

@RedmondStash: Welcome to the thread. Sugar is a beast. I found that my energy levels were more stable when I cut refined sugars out of my diet completely. Of course, I don't have the fatigue issues you're struggling with. :(

@Elaine: Thanks and welcome back! 2.2 pounds isn't bad, considering. The point is, did you have a good time? After all, what is life without being able to indulge every once in awhile. And I hear you on looking forward to your own cooking. I used to travel for work a lot, and I got so tired of dining out all the time. I finally wised up and starting booking my travel at hotels with full kitchens.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 21, 2016, 10:33:05 AM
@cookie78 What about trying for more satiating meals? I have found giant salads very filling for low calories. And nowadays, I make a lot of zoodles and eggplant curries and find them super filling.

@geostache We had an amazing time! thank you so much! I toyed around with logging while on vacation but decided it wasn't worth the bother of eyeballing and estimating. I'm not good enough at that yet and it takes me forever. I completely overindulged on ribs, chicken wings, and a LOT of desserts. It was worth it though and i'm glad I kept my activity level high. I can get rid of 2 pounds in a couple of weeks so it didn't set me back very far. I did enjoy looking at photos of myself 15 lbs lighter!

The looking forward to cooking part surprised me. I LOVE eating out. But knowing DH was having trouble getting food that fit in his diet concerned me. At least now we're home, I can cook him good stuff. I'm still shocked that I am looking forward to cooking. i have always been an iffy cook. But skinnytaste has transformed my meals from blah/ok to incredibly delicious! Have I mentioned yet how much I love the recipes there?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 22, 2016, 11:03:20 AM
I just had to come and share with y'all the feedback I have been receiving at work.

1. Several colleagues pick up on my refrigerator oatmeal habit. I think it's awesome to share healthy snack ideas with folks. :-)

2. Today, another colleague suddenly became intrigued at my sugar free lifestyle. This colleague said, "I really commend you on taking charge of your life," and then proceed to say that they wanted to learn more about my new habits. The thought that I don't eat sugar as part of my diet seemed really foreign to them. I told them that I do, in fact, indulge every once in awhile. But as a rule, added sugars just aren't part of my food vocabulary anymore. I was also asked how I feel, and I explained that I have never felt better! Getting rid of sugar in my diet is perhaps one of the best things that I have done for myself.

Of course, several other people in the room proceeded to give complainy-pants reasons why they could never cut sugar out of their life. Meh. To each their own. I'm happy to share my plan with those that are genuinely interested. Otherwise, I try not to get too preachy about sugar. People get really weird about the sweet stuff. My neighbor also recently said to me, "Good for you for sticking with it this long," as if it was a fad that was just going to pass...

[Edited because I submitted it before I was finished typing!]

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on March 23, 2016, 07:59:41 AM
@RedmondStash: Welcome to the thread. Sugar is a beast. I found that my energy levels were more stable when I cut refined sugars out of my diet completely. Of course, I don't have the fatigue issues you're struggling with. :(

Thanks, Geostache. Just for kicks, I did actually try cutting out sweets for about 6 weeks. I did feel a bit more stable, energy-wise, but not at a level where I could maintain the level of productivity I wanted to at work, unfortunately. I may try it again sometime, though; that experiment did result in my cutting down on sweets long-term. Right now, I'm gambling that using sugar moderately for energy for the next year or two will see me through to FIRE, at which point I can afford to be fatigued and groggy-headed if I like. :) It's a trade-off, but one I hope to stop making at some point.

I just had to come and share with y'all the feedback I have been receiving at work.

1. Several colleagues pick up on my refrigerator oatmeal habit. I think it's awesome to share healthy snack ideas with folks. :-)

2. Today, another colleague suddenly became intrigued at my sugar free lifestyle. This colleague said, "I really commend you on taking charge of your life," and then proceed to say that they wanted to learn more about my new habits. The thought that I don't eat sugar as part of my diet seemed really foreign to them. I told them that I do, in fact, indulge every once in awhile. But as a rule, added sugars just aren't part of my food vocabulary anymore. I was also asked how I feel, and I explained that I have never felt better! Getting rid of sugar in my diet is perhaps one of the best things that I have done for myself.

Of course, several other people in the room proceeded to give complainy-pants reasons why they could never cut sugar out of their life. Meh. To each their own. I'm happy to share my plan with those that are genuinely interested. Otherwise, I try not to get too preachy about sugar. People get really weird about the sweet stuff. My neighbor also recently said to me, "Good for you for sticking with it this long," as if it was a fad that was just going to pass...

This is very cool. I'm glad it's working well for you, and inspiring other people even to just question what they're doing is a fine bonus too. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on March 23, 2016, 11:05:43 AM
So, I have recommitted but can see where this will be a real challenge.  Never thought I would have so much trouble in this area. 

I am going to dust off the bike today and maybe go for a spin if it is not too cold out. At least, in the beginning I can try and balance things out with some exercise, which I definitely don't get enough of.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dsmexpat on March 23, 2016, 12:02:40 PM
I didn't notice this topic until today but I was doing this separately anyway. I binged pretty hard all through Christmas and put on about a stone so I've been working on that. I'm down about 22lb so far this year and the lowest I've been in a while. Still got more to go though.

Also, while I don't want to turn this into an advertising post, I'have found something that works extremely effectively for me. There are websites that allow you to make bets on your weight loss, either directly against the house (healthywage) or entering pools with other people which split the entry fees between those who make the target (dietbet). I am extremely motivated by money and the desire not to lose money which outweighs my normal disinclination to exercise and dieting. By having already "lost" the money and needing to win it back it turns the cost of a pizza from $10 to several hundred.

So far I've just made $100 or so from the weight I've lost but I should clear $400 or so before I'm done. It's an easy game, you're betting on an outcome entirely within your control. Given that we're a cult of self disciplined badasses who like accumulating wealth I would expect the rest of you to have a similar experience.

Disclaimer: There are referral bonuses. I've not included any referral links because I think that's a shitty thing to do on forums but if anyone wants to give some $ to an internet stranger then message me for a referral link. I am genuinely using these services and have been for about two months now, would recommend either way.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on March 23, 2016, 05:19:51 PM
Today, I resisted the siren song of the cookies at work. It was a close thing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brett2k07 on March 25, 2016, 05:27:43 AM
Today's weigh in is a little bittersweet. I am down 3 pounds this week, but the catch is that I've been ill for most of the week. I've been having severe stomach pains mixed with nausea all week, so I haven't really eaten much all week. I went to the doctor yesterday who thinks it's a GI issue and so I'm on a clear liquid diet yesterday and today. So I'm going to see some weight loss, but it's not in the healthy way. Hopefully once this clears I can keep it off, but I'm expecting my weight to jump a little bit once all of this is over.

Beginning: 226
3/18/16: 226.4 (+0.4)
3/25/16: 223.0 (-3.4)**
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 25, 2016, 06:59:11 AM
Friday weigh in day. I'm down 1.6 this week. I overindulged last weekend. That seems to be a pattern for me. Time to figure out why I'm so lax on the weekends and make some other, small changes. I'm now near the weight I was back in 2009, which feels good! How is everyone else doing?

1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6
2/26/2016: 163.0 (+0.4)
3/4/2016: 163.6 (+0.6)
3/11/2016: 163
3/18/2016: 160.2
3/25/2016: 158.6

Total loss: 24.2
Goal weight: 140
Stretch goal: 135

@brett2k07: Sorry to hear you're having GI issues. I hope you get them straightened out soon. :-(

@RedmondStash: Way to go in resisting the cookies. I've read that will power is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets!

@alleykat: Welcome back!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on March 25, 2016, 08:56:52 AM
@brett2k07 - So sorry to hear about your illness. Just take care of yourself, and don't get discouraged. We all hit speed bumps, but the most important thing is to get to the root of this issue, and then see where you're at.

@Geostache - You're doing great!

@elaineamj - Glad you're back, and that you had a great time on vacation!

My weigh-in is usually on Monday mornings, but I'm "cheating" this week since Easter is this weekend and we will be going to two separate dinners. I'm still going to watch myself, and make sure I eat only a little prior to dinner, so I'm expecting to just maintain on those days.

It's funny how just a few weeks ago I posted on this board that I was feeling so discouraged and like this weight loss thing is too hard (complainypants!). I was angry and resentful about the amount of calories I needed to eat to lose weight in comparison to other people, but I'm coming to terms with it. Just last night, I was stressed out and already over my calories for the day, but I was desperate for something. In the past, I would have eaten half the pantry, but I had a glass of wine instead. Now, I am so motivated by the changes I'm seeing and feeling that I really want to keep going. I'm STILL not exercising, but I am very intrigued by weight lifting and am considering going down that route later this summer.

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/7: 126.4 pounds
- 3/12: 125.2 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds

P.S. I'm now officially in the healthy BMI range for my height!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on March 25, 2016, 05:10:36 PM
Friday weigh in day. I'm down 1.6 this week. I overindulged last weekend. That seems to be a pattern for me. Time to figure out why I'm so lax on the weekends and make some other, small changes. I'm now near the weight I was back in 2009, which feels good! How is everyone else doing?

1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6
2/26/2016: 163.0 (+0.4)
3/4/2016: 163.6 (+0.6)
3/11/2016: 163
3/18/2016: 160.2
3/25/2016: 158.6

Total loss: 24.2
Goal weight: 140
Stretch goal: 135

@brett2k07: Sorry to hear you're having GI issues. I hope you get them straightened out soon. :-(

@RedmondStash: Way to go in resisting the cookies. I've read that will power is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets!

@alleykat: Welcome back!

Some impressive accomplishments there, Geostache! I'm going to have to up my game. :)

I've had a good week, largely because I've been a bit ill. But hey, I'll take whatever good results I can get and call them a silver lining.

Will post weigh-in info tomorrow; I weigh myself on Saturdays.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 25, 2016, 07:34:52 PM
@alleykat welcome back! Glad to have u here again.

@dsmexpat That's awesome that betting on yourself is working so well for you :)

@redmondstash kudos on resisting the cookies! You CAN do this!!

@brett get well soon - it does suck to be sick. But like u said, there is always a silver lining :)

@geostache You are still showing a solid and regular losing pattern. What about cutting yourself some slack and allowing extra calories on the weekends? I have found that it is pretty inevitable for me to eat more on weekends so I try and plan for it. It helps that I sleep in and skip breakfast. That's an extra 200-300 cals for dinner :)

@Microspice I have been there. And you are right, it's an amazing feeling to get past it and realize this is a goal worth working towards. Getting past the resentment of being short was freeing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on March 26, 2016, 09:02:00 AM
3/26/16: 159.6 pounds

That's the lowest I've been in a while, but some of it happened because of being ill and not eating. The next step of course is my stomach recovering and wanting to eat All The Things.

How do you folks combat that? Losing weight is easy when you have no appetite. :\

BTW, it's great to be part of such a supportive thread. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 28, 2016, 07:11:39 AM
@MicroSpice: Thanks, and congrats to making it into the healthy BMI range!

@Redmondstache: Thanks! I welcome some friendly competition. :-) Hopefully you're feeling better. I try not to overtax my system after being ill. Start off with some easy to digest healthy foods like fruit and nut butters.

@Elaine amj: You're right. Clearly I have some food issues that I still need to work through. I have a hard time getting over the guilt of eating unhealthy foods. o_O

@dsmexpat: That sounds like you've found a great motivator!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on March 28, 2016, 07:29:32 AM
The beginning of the week was starting out really well. I dipped down to 148. Then my boyfriend came to visit for Easter, which blew both my grocery budget and my calorie intake out of the water. No matter, I still stayed within reason (for both the budget and the calories). I was actually impressed when I stepped on the scale this morning, and thrilled that I hadn't gained more considering the feast we made yesterday.

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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 28, 2016, 07:33:26 AM
@Geostache I was struggling with that a little while ago. Someone on MyFitnessPal said this to me that really helped:
I spent awhile looking carefully at the best known guidelines on macro and micronutrient intake. What I figured out was that once we meet our non-energy nutritional needs, we still have a fair number of calories (regardless of weight) that are mostly "free". So if you choose to pick a certain amount of nutritional heavy-hitters, you basically have more freedom to pick things based on taste and personal preferences. There's no real need for guilt about this.

I think we've got a highly puritanical, dare I say ascetic approach in most western cultures that's really bled into thinking about matters of health. Nutrition is not all-or-nothing. Nor is the level of adherence to "eat only highly nutritious foods" a moral issue. Enjoy your favorite foods. You're taking care of yourself, and that includes allowing yourself to enjoy food.


I was able to loosen up a lot after reading that. I'm still careful and watch my calories and all that - but I don't feel horrifically guilty when I eat a cake or ice cream or whatnot. I did stop myself from having ice cream EVERY DAY and made a pact with myself to reach more often for fruit when I had calories to spare. I still don't eat a lot of nuts (because of the calories) so I will be trying to increase that a little.

I do think we have to watch out for being too strict with our diets. I've seen way too many of my friends regain the weight (usually with a few extra) after getting off a strict diet. Whatever we choose has to become a way of life.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on March 28, 2016, 07:40:29 AM
Today's weigh in is a little bittersweet. I am down 3 pounds this week, but the catch is that I've been ill for most of the week. I've been having severe stomach pains mixed with nausea all week, so I haven't really eaten much all week. I went to the doctor yesterday who thinks it's a GI issue and so I'm on a clear liquid diet yesterday and today. So I'm going to see some weight loss, but it's not in the healthy way. Hopefully once this clears I can keep it off, but I'm expecting my weight to jump a little bit once all of this is over.

It might jump back up a bit, especially if you are dehydrated now, but that's ok. When you are felling better you might be able to reframe it in your mind as motivating weight loss and manage to gain back only a small portion of it.


Friday weigh in day. I'm down 1.6 this week. I overindulged last weekend. That seems to be a pattern for me. Time to figure out why I'm so lax on the weekends and make some other, small changes. I'm now near the weight I was back in 2009, which feels good! How is everyone else doing?

Congrats, sounds like great progress after the plateau. :) I hear you about the weekends, especially this one. I usually manage ok on the first day of the weekend, but by Sunday the only thing trying to hold me back is that weigh in day is on Monday morning (that's why I chose Monday).


P.S. I'm now officially in the healthy BMI range for my height!

That's fantastic!! Congrats


Today, I resisted the siren song of the cookies at work. It was a close thing.

Congrats! That's one of the hardest things for me to do lately, and I'm impressed.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 28, 2016, 09:53:56 AM
@cookie78 Congratulations on still seeing a downward trend even after your indulgent weekend! Obviously, it didn't negate the hard work during the week :)

I had a more indulgent week than I normally like and for 2 social dinners, didn't calorie count - just did a quick add with a wild guess. Overall though, I stayed within my calorie counts for the week, more or less. Have also been cooking primarily veggies at home. I do have to cook practically two separate dinners every night since the kids won't eat what DH and I eat. e.g Saturday was spag and meatballs for them and zoodles and zucchini "meatballs" for us. The made-from-scratch marinara sauce was the same. It took me nearly 2 solid HOURS. Ack.

I've been doing this for months now and it never used to feel very long, but we have been on more of a time crunch this past week and the 1.5 - 2 hour cooking time every night was feeling crazy. I was hoping to meal prep this weekend, but didn't end up making the time to do it. Overall, it's worth it to have healthier meals, but rather mind-blowing when I think of how much time is taken up by cooking nowadays. On the good side, I'm definitely burning more calories than my "sedentary" lifestyle says. I think being on my feet cooking must burn some extra calories.

I'm not so sure I like Monday weigh-ins as I typically add some weight from the weekend. Thurs/Fri seems to be my lowest weight days. I went all the way down to 137 lbs a few days ago and this morning I am up to 137.8 lbs. (I think it was those brownies I baked yesterday - I kept sneaking scraps!). No matter - it is still progress.

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

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 16.2 lbs

Now comes the crazy part. I made myself a yummy chicken curry salad for lunch today. But all of a sudden, I am having an irrational cravings for chicken wings - namely 2-for-1 chicken wings (so FOURTEEN deep fried, loaded with honey garlic sauce wings) at my local wing joint. It costs about $18ish all in (incl. tip) with slow service. But it is SO GOOD!! Wings are my downfall food *sigh* I had better say no - its an $$ lunch PLUS I indulged like crazy already on vacation 2 weeks ago. So - I am going to walk over to the kitchen, get my salad, and EAT IT. That way lunch is done and over and no more wrestling with eating out. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 28, 2016, 02:12:00 PM
@Geostache I was struggling with that a little while ago. Someone on MyFitnessPal said this to me that really helped:
I spent awhile looking carefully at the best known guidelines on macro and micronutrient intake. What I figured out was that once we meet our non-energy nutritional needs, we still have a fair number of calories (regardless of weight) that are mostly "free". So if you choose to pick a certain amount of nutritional heavy-hitters, you basically have more freedom to pick things based on taste and personal preferences. There's no real need for guilt about this.

I think we've got a highly puritanical, dare I say ascetic approach in most western cultures that's really bled into thinking about matters of health. Nutrition is not all-or-nothing. Nor is the level of adherence to "eat only highly nutritious foods" a moral issue. Enjoy your favorite foods. You're taking care of yourself, and that includes allowing yourself to enjoy food.


I was able to loosen up a lot after reading that. I'm still careful and watch my calories and all that - but I don't feel horrifically guilty when I eat a cake or ice cream or whatnot. I did stop myself from having ice cream EVERY DAY and made a pact with myself to reach more often for fruit when I had calories to spare. I still don't eat a lot of nuts (because of the calories) so I will be trying to increase that a little.

I do think we have to watch out for being too strict with our diets. I've seen way too many of my friends regain the weight (usually with a few extra) after getting off a strict diet. Whatever we choose has to become a way of life.

That's a really good perspective, Elaine! I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Now comes the crazy part. I made myself a yummy chicken curry salad for lunch today. But all of a sudden, I am having an irrational cravings for chicken wings - namely 2-for-1 chicken wings (so FOURTEEN deep fried, loaded with honey garlic sauce wings) at my local wing joint. It costs about $18ish all in (incl. tip) with slow service. But it is SO GOOD!! Wings are my downfall food *sigh* I had better say no - its an $$ lunch PLUS I indulged like crazy already on vacation 2 weeks ago. So - I am going to walk over to the kitchen, get my salad, and EAT IT. That way lunch is done and over and no more wrestling with eating out. 

Good for you on resisting the wings! Your chicken curry salad sounds delish! Madras curry powder is one of my favorite things to add to chicken salad.

Warning: Complainypants rant below
I've been struggling with the cooking lately as well. The kids will either eat or not, depending on how hungry they are at dinner time. I worry less about them eating what I'm making. However, we don't get home from work until late these days, and even though I have been meal planning, we have been eating out several times a week (yikes). I think our dining out line item is going to be bigger than our grocery line item this month. Between getting home late, and the whole micro-decision-making, my brain just isn't functioning optimally. So, I opt for going out to eat. And now that the weather is getting nicer, we've been spending more time outside on the weekends, which means I'm less likely to do batch cooking.

I know, I know. Lots of excuse making!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on March 29, 2016, 09:34:48 AM
Now comes the crazy part. I made myself a yummy chicken curry salad for lunch today. But all of a sudden, I am having an irrational cravings for chicken wings - namely 2-for-1 chicken wings (so FOURTEEN deep fried, loaded with honey garlic sauce wings) at my local wing joint. It costs about $18ish all in (incl. tip) with slow service. But it is SO GOOD!! Wings are my downfall food *sigh* I had better say no - its an $$ lunch PLUS I indulged like crazy already on vacation 2 weeks ago. So - I am going to walk over to the kitchen, get my salad, and EAT IT. That way lunch is done and over and no more wrestling with eating out.

@elaine - Way to go! Battling cravings is harder than battling fire-breathing dragons, I swear. And you vanquished that one!


Warning: Complainypants rant below
I've been struggling with the cooking lately as well. The kids will either eat or not, depending on how hungry they are at dinner time. I worry less about them eating what I'm making. However, we don't get home from work until late these days, and even though I have been meal planning, we have been eating out several times a week (yikes). I think our dining out line item is going to be bigger than our grocery line item this month. Between getting home late, and the whole micro-decision-making, my brain just isn't functioning optimally. So, I opt for going out to eat. And now that the weather is getting nicer, we've been spending more time outside on the weekends, which means I'm less likely to do batch cooking.

I know, I know. Lots of excuse making!

@Geostache - Honestly, I don't see that as an excuse, but as an opportunity for strategizing, because I deal with the same thing. :) (And BTW, it sucks.)

My solution is planning ahead for the least worst option that your time and energy will support. Sometimes, that's grabbing premade sandwiches from a local grocery store, or stocking up on frozen meals that are palatable and not too high on calories. Sometimes, it's buying packages of pre-cut frozen veggies and chicken, and dumping them into a crockpot to cook overnight. (Still batch cooking, I know, but it takes relatively little time and effort.) Sometimes, it's buying premade salads and adding cheese and chicken to them. Or even buying those cut-veggie trays with Ranch dressing. Or a tray of deviled or hard-boiled eggs. Or containers of food from the deli section of a store that have at least some veggie ingredients. Or cheddar cheese, apples, and sourdough rolls, with maybe some baby carrots or premade salad.

Grocery stores often have tons of premade food that, while maybe not ideal, will get you through a few meals with relatively good nutrition and calories.

Basically, food is one area where I will spend for convenience, because I don't always have time or energy to cook. So I figure out exactly how much time & energy I do have, and plan around that. A lot of what I buy is already chopped and cleaned, or otherwise prepared. It's sort of a compromise between scratch cooking and eating at a restaurant.

Good luck to you -- this stuff is really hard.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on March 29, 2016, 09:41:11 AM
Just read the whole thread for inspiration and commenting to follow.

Have eaten relatively healthfully in adulthood and have always been able to maintain a consistent weight, 142-147 and 5'6", without effort. I've gotten down to 135 with major effort and working out in the past, but honestly decided it wasn't worth the pain, when no effort at all still had me a healthy weight.

My mid thirties and two babies have hit and I have been fighting a five pound gain over my normal range for the last year.

I think this is the point of life where I need to start watching my carb intake on a daily basis and cutting back on alcohol. Middle age here I come!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on March 29, 2016, 11:02:39 AM
Lots of leftover chocolate at work today and I'm not even interested, much less tempted!! That's a first.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on March 29, 2016, 12:15:45 PM
@Geostache - Honestly, I don't see that as an excuse, but as an opportunity for strategizing, because I deal with the same thing. :) (And BTW, it sucks.)

Good luck to you -- this stuff is really hard.

Oh, I'm fully aware of it not being a valid excuse, hence the 'complainypants' part of the descriptor. :-) I've done the conveniently packaged food from a grocery store thing as a last resort, and that does help some. Before I started changing my eating habits, I got a lot of pre-made meals from Costco. But, they tend to be carb heavy and not really all that healthy. I essentially just have to suck it up and stick to my meal plans!

Lots of leftover chocolate at work today and I'm not even interested, much less tempted!! That's a first.

Nicely done!

@StarBright: Welcome! I noticed a distinct tick down in my metabolism when I hit 30. It's good that you're staying on top of it now!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on March 31, 2016, 09:56:31 PM
Wow, some of you guys are doing so well.

I actually put on about 3 kilos since my back dramas. The physio guy sort of cleared me today, saying I can now get back to the gym if I take it easy, so I will give it a go tomorrow.

Easter holiday  was average, didn't eat any Easter eggs ( bought the type I hate), but drank a couple of glasses every day.and there were chips, grrrr.

I have to get my shit together as I reached a point where I don't want to see any of my photos.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brett2k07 on April 01, 2016, 05:06:12 AM
Friday weigh-in day. Managed to get the GI issues under control for now. Still not sure what was going on, but after a week of barely eating, it is nice to be eating real food again. I've also managed to somewhat maintain the weight loss, which is good since my wife and I haven't really worked out at all this week (again). We swore up and down we're going to get back into it tonight, so we'll see how this coming up week goes.

P.S. Thank you everyone for the well wishes!

Beginning: 226
3/18/16: 226.4 (+0.4)
3/25/16: 223.0 (-3.4)**
4/1/16: 224.0 (+1.0)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 01, 2016, 06:13:23 AM
Friday weigh-in day here. I'm down 1.4 this week. I also officially hit the 25 lb mark! I've gone below my official weigh-in weight, but I don't count it until it's weigh in day. My boss, whom has lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off, warned me that maintenance is difficult. Gee, thanks. I'm going to just go ahead and worry about that when I get there. I still have 17+ pounds to go!

@Brett, glad to hear the GI issues are under control!

@Bee21, don't be too hard on yourself. The most important thing is that you're in good health.


1/01/2016: 182.8
... (including a 3+ week plateau)
3/25/2016: 158.6
4/01/2016: 157.2

Total loss: 25.6
Goal weight: 140
Stretch goal: 135
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RonMcCord on April 01, 2016, 09:39:24 AM
Jan 4:175lbs.
Jan 28:169lbs.
Feb 27:162lbs.
Apr 1: 157lbs.

March was weird though.  I'd lose three pounds, then gain two, then lose one, despite not drastically changing my diet or exercise routine.  That said, zoomed out over a month I'm doing good. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 01, 2016, 09:50:14 AM
Lots of folks rocking it this week!!

@Geostache Maybe maintenance won't be as hard for you? If you are settled into this new lifestyle, it just means being able to eat slightly more every day. And a constant watchfulness.

@starbright Good for you for noticing the creep and doing something about it before it gets too much worse! I think as we get older, we get more sedentary, which really affects the weight. I know the only reason my fairly sedentary teen daughter is still such a skinny minnie is because her body burns a lot of calories just growing. I'm glad she joined the track & field team at her high school. She's not as impressed about the regular workouts though lol!

@RonMcCord Depending how regularly you weigh in, bodies do pretty weird things. I weigh in daily and use a trending app and have noticed all kinds of regular ups and downs due to all kinds of things. It's nice to pay the bulk of the attention to the overall trend.

I'll be honest - this week has been much more challenging for me. I lost my battle with the chicken wings and pigged out on wings on Tuesday AND Wednesday. After eating ridiculous amounts each day, I topped it off with ice cream, Cheetos, and brownies. Even worse, I was a miserable grump. My poor family. Normally, I am an extraordinarily patient person but it felt like I lost all my filters and just fussed, grumbled, and yelled about anything and everything. I am typically grumpy for a day or two 1-2 weeks before my TOM, but this time I lost complete control. Finally, after a middle of the night rant, I let DH pray for me and I found the anchor of my soul again and calmed down. Without the crazy emotions rampaging through me, I was able to make good food choices again and have been eating pretty well since.

I have not really returned seriously to logging and have decided to give myself a pass for the rest of the week. I'll get back to logging next week. I have been much better about portion sizes and better food choices in general so my hope is that eventually I will be able to stop logging so intensively. I'm not sure if I am ready to stop logging yet (it has helped me so very much), but man, I'd love not to have to log all the time. I am going to have to be careful not to lose my focus though. I have gotten so much closer to my goal that now is not the time to stop. Being honest about the good and the bad on here is continuing to help me a lot.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 02, 2016, 08:53:39 AM
Saturday check-in:

3/26: 159.6
4/2: 160.2

Not totally surprised; I was sick and not eating much a couple of weeks ago, but last week my appetite came back with a vengeance. This weight-control stuff really does get harder the older you get. I swear I used to be able to eat anything. Now I guess I should just appreciate the good run I had with junk food, sweets, soda, etc., back in the day. :)

Long-term goal is around 130. (It's actually more like 135-140, but they say the last 10 pounds are the hardest, right? So why not set a goal 10 pounds below what you actually want, and make things easier on yourself? Yeah, I do believe in tricking my own brain. Whatever works.)

Right now, I'm happy if I can get myself to log food and exercise, because even that is something I'm struggling with. I also had to cut back on exercise while I was sick, and am now slowly building back up. Baby steps.

@Elaine: Sounds like a rough week. It's funny how after you slip on one thing, everything else just slides into your stomach. That happened to me yesterday. Good luck to you.

@Ron: That's pretty darned impressive. I count it a good month when I lose .5 to 1 pound. :) Way to go!

@Geostache: Well done! Breaking a plateau is hard.

Onward....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on April 02, 2016, 04:39:56 PM
I'm not exactly participating in this (I'm a healthy 75kg, down from 77 at the start of the year), however I have been trying to convert softness into muscle in various middle areas over the past year which is proving to be challenging but slowly doable.

Just wanted to say well done and keep at it to everyone who is on their way to reaching their goals. Every kilo/pound dropped makes life that much better :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 02, 2016, 05:05:19 PM
We ate out last night (friend's farewell dinner at the pub) and I did not pig out. So proud. :) had the soup and the grilled salmon w boiled potato. With sparkling water! Somebody gotta drive.

And I am off to the gym in half an hour. The physio guy said to start gently and drop everything if it starts to hurt. I hope I can do 30 minutes of gentle cardio light weights without dramas. Planning to go swimming tomorrow in my lunch break.

Good luck guys, keep up the focus. We can do this, I am much more positive now.

Ps. A friend was complaining yesterday over his chicken parm, that he has 2 shakes + one meal a day and he put on 2.5 kilos.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 02, 2016, 11:33:36 PM
@Bee21 That's awesome!!! Congrats on sticking to your plans when eating out. I find social eating my most challenging temptation.

I am thinking I need to get back to strict logging. I have been doing mostly ok...then just reaching for the brownie or too many slice of banana bread. It's like I have learned how to binge eat again :( I even snuck a treat after DH went to bed tonight...a dreadful habit I used to have.

Time to get back to my (new) real self!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cyaphas on April 03, 2016, 01:51:40 AM
I think I'll jump on this bandwagon! I'm currently 6'2" 342lbs. I have some pretty broad shoulders so I wear it well. No matter how 'well' i think I wear the weight, the reality at the end of the day is: I have to lose this weight if I'm ever going to live healthily past the age of 40. Outside of the sheer physical damage to my joints and back; there are diabetes, longevity, quality of life, relationships, kids, grand kids.... Too many reasons to list why I have to shed this weight. It's one of those things that the longer I put off the more punishment I take, kind of like financial planning.

So, enough prattling! I will eat healthy tomorrow and exercise, then I will check back in. One day at a time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 04, 2016, 07:13:54 AM
@Bee21: Way to keep the dining out in check! I know it can be hard when faced with so many tasty, yet unhealthy options.

@Redmondstash: Thanks. The plateaus are a pita. But, it was a good mental challenge (ie, to keep on and not give up).

@Elaine: Don't beat yourself up. Slip ups are bound to happen from time to time. The TOM always tries to derail me as well. Stupid hormones! You did so well with tracking - it even helped you have those treats guilt free, so get back to it!

@Cyaphas: Welcome to the thread!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on April 04, 2016, 07:54:53 AM

First Monday of the month check-in:

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8

I'm slowing down a little bit, but overall I'm still happy with the pace.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 04, 2016, 07:57:36 AM
@Elaine and @Geostache - thanks for the welcome!

So impressed to see the awesome, regular weight loss that folks are having. I'm always wary about weight threads and groups because there are so many folks who generally look for a fast loss and that can trigger some bad habits I had from my early 20s. But I also like the mechanisms for accountability. People who are in it for slow and steady are the group for me!

Since I decided last week to watch my processed carb intake (a truly bad decision to make a couple of days after I had already done my weekly grocery shopping) I realized that all of my daily snacks are carb based!: Tortilla chips and salsa, toast with avocado, crackers with a piece of fruit, etc.

I'm not going to change my weekly meal planning too much as I have two small kids and don't want to mess with a relatively healthy plan that seems to work for my whole family, but I will banish carbs from my snacks and cut back to only 1-2 drinks a week from the current 3-4. Hopefully that will make the difference with these dreaded pounds I keep fighting.

I grocery shopped yesterday and set myself up for success by buying nuts and raisins, individual serving guac packages and baby carrots, and some lovely European style full fat yogurts to keep me full.

Dinner tonight is marinated tuna steaks, steamed broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes- all of that should set me up to stay on track through the week.

Best wishes to all for a healthy and happy week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on April 04, 2016, 08:25:56 AM
All I have to my scale this morning is 'um, what?'

I was 148.something the day before, and I didn't eat very much at all yesterday. Pretty sure it's just a monthly cycle glitch, unless all the indulgences of the past 2 weeks caught up with me at once. Oh well.



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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 04, 2016, 08:27:49 AM
Since I decided last week to watch my processed carb intake (a truly bad decision to make a couple of days after I had already done my weekly grocery shopping) I realized that all of my daily snacks are carb based!: Tortilla chips and salsa, toast with avocado, crackers with a piece of fruit, etc.

This is an interesting point. So: What snacks do you folks find work well for you? I tend toward cheese, yogurt, nuts, baby carrots, sometimes chips (yeah, I know), or occasionally a combo like egg on toast. For me, high-water-content snacks (like cottage cheese & yogurt) work better than more concentrated ones (like gouda cheese or nuts), but their flavor is blander and thus less satisfying.

Or do you folks avoid snacks altogether?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 04, 2016, 08:29:34 AM
All I have to my scale this morning is 'um, what?'

I was 148.something the day before, and I didn't eat very much at all yesterday. Pretty sure it's just a monthly cycle glitch, unless all the indulgences of the past 2 weeks caught up with me at once. Oh well.

I have found that standard predictive mathematics do not apply to weight loss any more than they do to the short-term stock market. :) It balances out over time, but not over a span of days or weeks. Because bodies are weird.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 04, 2016, 09:48:19 AM
I have found that standard predictive mathematics do not apply to weight loss any more than they do to the short-term stock market. :) It balances out over time, but not over a span of days or weeks. Because bodies are weird.

I would give this a giant thumbs up if I could. I've seen my weight fluctuate as much as 5 pounds in a day!


This is an interesting point. So: What snacks do you folks find work well for you? I tend toward cheese, yogurt, nuts, baby carrots, sometimes chips (yeah, I know), or occasionally a combo like egg on toast. For me, high-water-content snacks (like cottage cheese & yogurt) work better than more concentrated ones (like gouda cheese or nuts), but their flavor is blander and thus less satisfying.

Or do you folks avoid snacks altogether?


I have two snacks a day, almost every day. My snacks are a combination of protein and complex carb. I've made refrigerator oatmeal, green smoothies and a protein like a boiled egg or nuts, guacamole and baby carrots, no-bake peanut butter balls, carrot and apple flax seed muffins, or a piece of fruit (the water helps keep me sated) with string cheese.

I'm happy to share the urls for any of the above recipes! I just didn't want to flood the post with urls.

@rockstache: Slow and steady wins the race!

@cookie78: Hang in there. Drink plenty of water, and I second RedmondStash's comment that bodies are weird.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: thek1d on April 04, 2016, 10:15:10 AM
5'10
195 (as of 3/7/16)
28/M
Goal = 150

I weight in at 186.6 this morning, averaging about 2 lbs lost per week.  I try to stay under 1,500 calories a day and I have a cheat meal about once a week. I typically lift weight M/W/F and lately I've been walking my 1-month old before bedtime to give Mom a break.

Outside of the occasional cravings for sweets (I have a big sweet tooth), this diet has been pretty easy for me.  Tracking everything I eat in MFP helps a ton and really puts in to perspective the calorie density of foods.  The only macro-nutrient I pay attention to is protein, I try to hit >100 g/day. I eat lots of carbs and fats - only care about calories at this point.

I peaked at almost 200 lbs this year and I was about 160 only a couple years ago. Had to buy all new clothes - looking forward to wearing what I used to wear in college pretty soon!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 04, 2016, 07:35:19 PM
Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs
Mar 7 - 138.2 lbs
Mar 14 - VACATION
Mar 21 - 140.2 lbs
Mar 28 - 137.8 lbs
April 4 - 138.4 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 15.6 lbs

Little spike upwards. Definitely seeing the effects of letting myself go last week. It also got me into the habit of binging. We had sugar cookies in the office today and although I resisted in the beginning, I ended up taking one. It was REALLY good and I ended up eating a 2nd one *sigh* Still, I managed to stay within my calorie counts so overall it was a win.

I still haven't gotten back into regular exercise so that will be the next step. My little 12 min strengthening routine was mild enough to be encouraging but did actually strengthen me in a very gradual way. I know I must have fallen several levels behind by now :(

Anyway, logged meticulously all day today and will push myself to get back into the routine and do what I know works. Got to also work on shrinking my stomach down again. I have noticed I am hungrier and can eat more now that I let myself get used to it again.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 04, 2016, 07:44:20 PM
@RedmondStash I don't snack every single day. I also don't really do the calorie dense snacks and have stayed away from cheese, nuts and seeds. I should add a little back in and not be so afraid of the calorie punch. It's got to be better than cookies!! To get the most bang for my buck though, I like snacking on fruit. 70-80 calories of apple cut up into teeny, wafer thin slices tricks my brain into thinking I am eating a lot of food. This also works with my efforts to up my fruit and veggie content. I also love chickpeas, cottage cheese or hard boiled eggs but haven't had them in a while.

I also do allow myself some measured out guilt-free empty calorie snacks when I have calories left over. My faves for these are caramel popcorn or ice cream.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 04, 2016, 08:30:14 PM
@remondstache - I'd rather not snack but I work from home and I'm 5 feet from my kitchen all day long. I've built frequent grazing into my lifestyle.

My favorite snack, several times a day, is 5 tortilla chips and a couple spoonfuls of salsa. Alas - that falls into exactly what I'm cutting out. For now I'll replace with frequent clementines/mandarins and bits of nuts and raisins measured out.

For me it is the act of getting up from my desk and walking that is most important, but I've accepted that half the time I'll reach for food and try to plan accordingly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tyn on April 05, 2016, 02:38:24 AM
Start - 194
6th Feb - 192
28th Feb - 193
5th Apr - 192

I'm a bit surprised at my weight given my overindulgence in chocolate last month, I was a little worried I'd be back over 14st.  On the positive side I did some batch cooking (I'd been being really lazy about that and then scraping not so healthy meals together) and come up with a new plan to try and bribe myself away from sweet foods.  I'm putting £20/month aside (in a separate online account) and if I want to buy sweets/cakes/crisps it comes out of that money.  This money is ear-marked for buying new summer clothes (current ones are falling apart and hopefully will end up too big anyway), so I have the motivation of not cutting in to that money and it also appeals to my laziness as I'd need to log in and transfer the money over.

I'm substituting with fruit and yoghurt to satisfy my sweet-tooth, whilst that's still a lot of sugar I'm fairly confident I can't eat as many calories of that in one sitting as I could of cheesecake.

@RedmondStash:

I cut some snacks altogether, I used to have a mid-morning snack at work that really wasn't necessary that soon after breakfast and I try not to eat after 8pm (or I find I'm still full in the morning).

Usual snacks are nuts/seeds, dried fruit and fresh fruit.  I also have some popcorn kernels that I could really do with using up, as long as I don't load them up with butter and sugar that's a pretty healthy snack.

Sometimes having some fruit tea, squash or warm milk with ginger and honey works for me when I'm having cravings.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 05, 2016, 04:03:03 AM
Stressful day at the cubicle. 'Somebody' ate a bag of pretzels. And there was cheescake after dinner. Damn.

And i look bloated and disgusting. I am blaming the pretzels and the very healthy bean salad i had for lunch.

In other news, i lasted for 40 minutes in the gym on sunday and i ran into my former pt who corrected some of my movements to avoid future injury.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cyaphas on April 05, 2016, 04:28:42 AM
Stressful day at the cubicle. 'Somebody' ate a bag of pretzels. And there was cheescake after dinner. Damn.

And i look bloated and disgusting. I am blaming the pretzels and the very healthy bean salad i had for lunch.

In other news, i lasted for 40 minutes in the gym on sunday and i ran into my former pt who corrected some of my movements to avoid future injury.

Keep it up. You can't win every battle but you can win the war!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 10dollarsatatime on April 05, 2016, 06:20:21 PM
So... I'm a bit late to the party, but I'm going to jump in anyway...

5'7" F
In January I came in at almost 180 lbs.  Which is 20 lbs more than I was at the same time last year.  Lots of stress going on at work, and a badly sprained ankle led to both terrible food habits and very little physical activity.

This morning I weighed in at 171.8, so I'm making some progress there, at least.

My goal is 145 lbs.

As far as exercise, I've signed up to run a half marathon in July, so I'm doing 3-4 training runs/week right now.  I'd like to get closer before deciding if I'm going to go for marathon distance this fall, or sign up for a couple more halves.  I don't know if I'm the right brand of crazy for marathon distance, but I might be.  I'm also hiking once a week or so with a friend.  Today was a bigger day, but it ended up being a 6 mile run, followed by a 4 mile hike.  I usually try to not do those things on the same day...

Food is bigger issue.  I am another person who has issues with binge eating.  Self-control when it comes to food is difficult for me.  I know, for instance, that if I purchase a bag of chips, chances are good that I will eat it in just one or two sittings.  I'm fine if I keep from buying unhealthy items.  Most of my home cooked meals are pretty damn healthy.  But if there is junk around, I'll just eat that instead.  I also end up eating out a lot with work lunches and friends.  And I don't always order the salad...  I need to start using myFitnessPal again.  I have an on-again-off-again relationship with the app, but when I'm using it, I end up making healthier food choices.  You know, just like research says I will.

All in all, I am moving the right direction.  I just need another way to be accountable for my actions. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 05, 2016, 08:16:19 PM
Thanks for the snack info, all. Some days I'm just starving for snacks; others, my appetite doesn't really kick in. Weird.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 06, 2016, 07:24:59 AM
@10dollarsatatime: I hear ya about the binge eating. That's where I struggle the most. Folks on the MFP boards say that it is a matter of getting into a healthier relationship with food. Not considering that food is "bad" or "good", but that it is neutral. Some have higher nutritional value than others, but by and large, we can eat about 20% of empty calories and still get enough nutrition for a healthy body. So when you indulge on empty calories, that's OK. Log it, and subtract elsewhere another day.

I'm not ENTIRELY sold on this thought process, but I can see it being very helpful for us binge eaters. When I binge on something I go through this entire guilt process and then keep binging. The thought of course is that well, I've fallen...I might as well give up. Also, the whole "eat good food only" just isn't all that practical for daily living. There's social situations, etc etc where it just becomes a huge hassle for everyone. It's not easy to do it for the long term, rest of your life, type thing.

I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to end up at the end of this whole process, but for now, I'm going with the MFP method. I've felt really good in the few months I've been following it and not felt too deprived or hungry or anything like that. I've paired it up with learning to cook nutritious food that gives me the most bang for my calorie buck. It's awesome that I can feel stuffed after a 300-400 calorie meal (that also tastes super yummy). I've discovered that I am miserable eating blah-tasting food (DH doesn't care). When I eat yummy food, everything is just so much better. And yes, knowing I have to log it on the app (hate seeing those red numbers!) and report honestly on here has helped me a lot. Last week, I tried not logging - it didn't go very well for me. Looks like I'm the type of person who needs the external controls (on the other hand, my DH has no need of it).

@RedmondStash Have you tried analyzing what is happening on days when you feel more hungry/snacky? Is it the type of meals you are eating (some keep you fuller than others), things you are doing, old habits that are dying hard? Keeping some low cal snacks (that you like) on hand could be a big help.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 06, 2016, 08:24:10 AM
@RedmondStash Have you tried analyzing what is happening on days when you feel more hungry/snacky? Is it the type of meals you are eating (some keep you fuller than others), things you are doing, old habits that are dying hard? Keeping some low cal snacks (that you like) on hand could be a big help.

I have, Elaine, and it varies. Often, it's about the type of snack: eating nuts, chips, or sweets makes me want to eat lots more, but I can eat a little cheese and then stop. Sometimes, it's about soothing life stressors with food. What I'm learning is that I have to make friends with being hungry; it's a lesson I used to understand but forgot along the way somewhere. I can be hungry for a while without eating and without suffering any ill effects. That's how I'm going to get where I want to go.

Counterintuitively, when I eat a larger, more protein-focused breakfast (like eggs on whole-grain toast), I get hungry faster than when I eat a bowl of oatmeal, which, I know, is mostly carbs. Go figure.

I can also get into a good binge pretty easily. Let's just say we have substantially less whipped cream (to go with berries) than we had yesterday. :)

Glad the MFP is working for you. Best of luck.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 06, 2016, 11:42:14 AM

I have, Elaine, and it varies. Often, it's about the type of snack: eating nuts, chips, or sweets makes me want to eat lots more, but I can eat a little cheese and then stop. Sometimes, it's about soothing life stressors with food. What I'm learning is that I have to make friends with being hungry; it's a lesson I used to understand but forgot along the way somewhere. I can be hungry for a while without eating and without suffering any ill effects. That's how I'm going to get where I want to go.

Counterintuitively, when I eat a larger, more protein-focused breakfast (like eggs on whole-grain toast), I get hungry faster than when I eat a bowl of oatmeal, which, I know, is mostly carbs. Go figure.

I can also get into a good binge pretty easily. Let's just say we have substantially less whipped cream (to go with berries) than we had yesterday. :)

Glad the MFP is working for you. Best of luck.

I think there is something to be said about some foods that once you start eating, it's hard to stop. Today I was just about to eat my healthy, brought from home lunch (a VERY yummy curried spaghetti squash) when my boss announced that he had ordered pizza. I ended up deciding to go with the pizza. After 3 slices and a portion of caesar salad, I still REALLY wanted to keep eating but forced myself to stop and grabbed a mint instead.

And I agree, it's good to learn that it is OK to be hungry occasionally. After binging for a week, I am having to return to my old habit hacks to stave off my hunger. Mints, hot teas, etc etc. I'm still tempted but I know from past experience that eventually I'll adapt and stop being so hungry/munchy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 06, 2016, 11:46:52 AM
Speaking of binges.. the struggle is real, y'all!

I just ate a bag of microwave popcorn and a pack of ho-hos from the vending machine. I have no idea what is going on today, or why I just lost control. I was tired all morning and then starving after eating my lunch. *Sigh* I'm tracking it...  Aaaand, I have 3 calories left for today.

Of course, this morning the scale showed its lowest weight (155.8) so far. Oof. It's a good thing that weigh in day isn't until Friday! I haven't binged like that since I started this journey back in January. Small miracles?

So, that happened.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 06, 2016, 09:59:57 PM
And I agree, it's good to learn that it is OK to be hungry occasionally. After binging for a week, I am having to return to my old habit hacks to stave off my hunger. Mints, hot teas, etc etc. I'm still tempted but I know from past experience that eventually I'll adapt and stop being so hungry/munchy.

It's hard. I think I'm on the right track now, but it's so easy to get derailed. Fingers crossed that I stay railed. :)

Speaking of binges.. the struggle is real, y'all!

I just ate a bag of microwave popcorn and a pack of ho-hos from the vending machine. I have no idea what is going on today, or why I just lost control. I was tired all morning and then starving after eating my lunch. *Sigh* I'm tracking it...  Aaaand, I have 3 calories left for today.

Of course, this morning the scale showed its lowest weight (155.8) so far. Oof. It's a good thing that weigh in day isn't until Friday! I haven't binged like that since I started this journey back in January. Small miracles?

So, that happened.

Yeah, that happens. It's frustrating and a bit baffling sometimes. I always just try to make each day a new day, regardless of what I did the day before. Because over time, even with occasional binges, you can get where you want to go if you stick to it as much as possible.

But yeah. This is difficult stuff.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 07, 2016, 03:57:50 AM
Yeah, I have little self control around food.

I eat when I'm bored,stressed, frustrated etc. every excuse.

The main meals are healthy, just have to reduce the portions.my problem is the snacking. That's my focus for the rest of the week. I am planning not to eat between breakfast and lunch, an have a piece of fruit or veggies as an afternoon snack.

I just have to navigate this weekend, we have been invited to  afternoon drinks/ dinner and a picnic/ sausage sizzle. I already volunteered the veggie platter and dips for the former and bought chicken sausages for the later.

Willpower!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on April 07, 2016, 12:34:34 PM
Well, I am bummed that a lot of you are having a hard time, but glad to know I'm not alone! I don't know what is with me lately, either - it almost feels like I'm sabotaging myself. Like, "Oh, I fit into these pants now, no need to keep going." Even though I need to keep going.

To top it off, I am going out of town for almost a week. The first leg of the trip will be with some girlfriends from high school and I KNOW we are going to have too good of a time, but I'm going to try really hard to keep it within reason. No entire desserts to myself or french fries at every meal. And I will drink LOTS of water to stave off bloat. The second leg is a conference for work, so I don't have a lot of control over the food being served, but I am a lot better at making good food choices now, so I'm fairly confident that won't derail me.

So, the scale went up a bit, as a result of my laissez faire attitude. But I'm still under 125, which is a mental win for me. I'm just going to keep on going, instead of beating myself up and throwing in the towel like I normally do. I have to trust the process!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/7: 126.4 pounds
- 3/12: 125.2 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/7: 124.8 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 07, 2016, 08:25:00 PM
So, the scale went up a bit, as a result of my laissez faire attitude. But I'm still under 125, which is a mental win for me. I'm just going to keep on going, instead of beating myself up and throwing in the towel like I normally do. I have to trust the process!

It's hard not to just chuck it all in when you get results you don't like. Good for you for sticking with the plan.

It's weird; I've had on-and-off work stress for a couple of weeks, and it has just killed my appetite. Kind of useful for weight loss, but not so much for sleep. :) I am struck by how different it feels just not to be hungry all the time. Portion control and snack control are much easier when you don't feel like you're starving.

Which basically means that most of the time, we are all amazingly strong for resisting the call of food enough to make progress toward our goals.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 08, 2016, 01:11:32 AM
This no snacking thing is going well. I'll have to break this habit before concentrating on the portions. Had porridge for breakfast, mushroom an spinach omelette for lunch and there will be baked crumbed chicken w sweat potatoes and peas for dinner.snack was a plum yogurt and 2 slices of pear.

Did a ton of housework and gardening. My back was playing up towards the end though :(

Refused to bake cupcakes for the kids. Poor things.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 08, 2016, 05:01:27 AM
Speaking of binges.. the struggle is real, y'all!

I just ate a bag of microwave popcorn and a pack of ho-hos from the vending machine. I have no idea what is going on today, or why I just lost control. I was tired all morning and then starving after eating my lunch. *Sigh* I'm tracking it...  Aaaand, I have 3 calories left for today.

Of course, this morning the scale showed its lowest weight (155.8) so far. Oof. It's a good thing that weigh in day isn't until Friday! I haven't binged like that since I started this journey back in January. Small miracles?




Yes, the struggle is certainly real.  I had a binge day yesterday and I only started curbing it back a few days ago.  And I think it is because I had pasta for dinner.  it was a big plate too but for some reason it makes me want to eat  all night.  This happens too when I have a high fat content day.  So weird.  But today is a new day.

I hesitate to say I am down 2 lbs because it is such a temporary thing sometimes in the beginning, but, I need to state it to keep me motivated.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 08, 2016, 05:08:06 AM
Losing weight definitely tests the willpower.  I also started exercising.  At least it will help me stay consistent and not gain more as I work on portion control, which isn't easy as it sounds.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 08, 2016, 06:49:58 AM
@alleykat: When I eat refined carbs, I have found that it really messes with my blood sugar. White bread, pasta, and even white rice wreaks havoc on my blood sugar. I try to just avoid it at all costs. YMMV, but try cutting it way back and see what happens. And being down two pounds is nothing to sneeze at! I have been using my weight trend to help me see past the daily fluctuations. It helps to know that even if it appears that I magically gained 5 pounds overnight, the trend is going in the right direction!

@Microspice: Hang in there! You are getting closer to your goal weight, so some small gains are to be expected from time to time. Your plan is obviously working for you, so stick with it!

@Bee21: Nice job on the snacking! Your brain and body will definitely adjust to the way you are eating - it just may take some time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 08, 2016, 06:53:37 AM
Friday weigh-in day! I'm down 2 lbs this week, for a total of 27.6 for the year. The clothes I feel like I just bought are starting to feel loose. I don't want to buy the next size down for awhile, so I might have to invest in some belts. I'm also glad to know that my binges (yes, plural) this week didn't derail my progress. I'm still working through the binge guilt, though. Clearly, some more work is needed in my relationship with food!

Stats:
1/1/2016: 182.8
4/8/2016: 155.2

Total loss: 27.6
Goal: 140
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 08, 2016, 07:54:17 AM
I am in Month 4 of this journey - and like you all said, the struggle with binging is SO real! It's so helpful to hear all your stories. The good and the bad. Having a place where we can all be honest AND accountable has made a huge difference in my journey, and I hope in all yours too.

@Bee21 You're doing awesome tackling the snacking habit. I found habit hacking really useful. Drinking hot herbal tea/water, mints/gum, finding alternate activities during typical snacky moments. And when a couple of times when I got HANGRY, a workout did the trick to improve my mood AND kill the cravings.

@alleykat I think it's important from a mental perspective to celebrate every small win. 2 pounds is fabulous! (and so much better than doing nothing and GAINING 2 pounds in the same period of time. Time is going to pass anyway!)

@Geostache You are doing absolutely amazing :) I agree - now that you've done so much hard work and learned so much about your body, it's time to consider your feelings towards food. What about planning for some controlled binges? Pre-plan some treats into your week in a way that works and that might reduce your guilt and help with overall sustainability. Plus, if they are planned for, they won't be binges anymore, but completely under your control.

For me, binging comes in phases. I agree with you. It does seem to matter what type of food we eat. My boss ordered pizza a couple of days ago. I ended up eating 3 slices plus a serving of Caesar Salad. That's a TON of calories. And all I wanted to do was keep chewing. That extended into the evening and my attempts at a low cal dinner ballooned, leaving me about 300 cals over my daily limit.

Despite that, I have been making good choices all week and I KNOW it will pay off - eventually I will get past this initial hunger hurdle and feel full on my usual meals and my urge to binge will decrease. It worked for me in the past few months and I know it will work again. What I did learn then was that it was helpful for me to plan for some splurges. It decreased any sense of deprivation. I want this to be my way of eating for the rest of my life. If I don't intend to cut out cakes, cookies, etc forever, then I am not going to cut them out now. Or it's highly likely that I will yo-yo and regain the weight. 

On the good side, I dropped a pound (mostly bloat weight) on the scale this morning, hitting a new low for the first time since my mid-March vacation! Logging WORKS for me. I have learned that when a craving comes, I do have a hard time saying an absolute no. So it's often better to just eat a small portion of it. Was still munchy after dinner last night and reached for DH's yummy organic energy bars. He handed me 2 delicious oranges instead. After guzzling those, I still ended up consuming the energy bar and it was SO GOOD. Next time, if it works out in my calorie counts, I'm just going to let myself eat a small portion of whatever I am craving (if i'm not craving anything too horrendous).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 09, 2016, 11:08:29 AM
Weigh-in day for me. Stats:

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

I'm pretty pleased. Slow and steady works best for me; I don't care about how much the scale changes as long as the trend is downward. I'm actually a little concerned that my body will balk at this current pace and go into starvation mode. 1-2 pounds a month is what I typically aim for.

Funny how work stress has aided in my weight-loss efforts the last few weeks. Maybe instead of working to resolve it, I should just keep it going until I hit my target weight. :D

Yeah, I'm kidding. Work stress has way too many other repercussions, including inefficiency at work. I just wish my appetite was always so quiet and craving-free.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 09, 2016, 11:44:34 AM
Have been weighing in for a month or two now, just whenever I remember to (always mornings).  I've seen the scale fluctuate a lot from day to day, anywhere from 1-3#.  This morning's weight was down 5# from the highest number I've seen in that time.  Gonna give it another couple days before I declare any weight officially lost...stay tuned!

Well that was more than a couple days!  I have made an effort to weigh myself every day to see trends.  Today I saw X-7 on the scale!  That is still 1# more than my previous heaviest weight, however, it's the lowest since Dec 2015.  I really do like the every-day-weigh.  I've done WW before & they only let you weigh weekly.   The more frequent feedback has helped with day to day decisions.  Weekly, I just let myself off the hook after a few days, then the dread sets in when the next weigh-in arrives.

For example, I had 2 alcoholic drinks last weekend.  The next morning, my weight was up 2 (or was it 3) pounds from the day before.  And it stayed up for about 4 days.  Then on the 5th day, dropped back to what it was before.  Due to all the variables involved, I can't be sure that it was the drinks, but it makes a good case for me to avoid drinking, and also know that it will be a few days before the body gets back to normal.  Good feedback!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 09, 2016, 02:33:35 PM
@oneday I love daily weighing too. I feel it gives me better stats to work with and helps me understand my body better. And just like u said - helps me make better decisions day by day.

@RedmondStash Good job on the slow and steady progress. That's typically the most sustainable.

As for me, I grocery shopped through lunchtime. Started fantasizing about Chinese buffet. Got home and had some strawberries. Bought 2 lbs and DD finished them all in one sitting (with some help from me). Tonight, we r having grilled veggies for dinner. I have eggplant, zukes, tomatoes...debating adding some butternut squash or taro root? I also bought a rutabaga that I have to cook this week (no clue how to cook it lol!)



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Evgenia on April 09, 2016, 04:28:47 PM
Late to the party (due to less time online of late) but am joining in. I've learned a lot from this thread already. I am 5'11" tall, 165 lbs, age 39. My weight loss goal for 2016 is to lose 15 lbs (150 lbs) with a stretch goal of 20 lbs.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 09, 2016, 04:33:39 PM
I also bought a rutabaga that I have to cook this week (no clue how to cook it lol!)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sometimes I eat it raw but it may not be fresh enough at this time of year.  I like it in stews, cubed like potato or boiled and mashed with pepper or roasted along with other veggies.  It needs to be cut thinner as it takes a lot longer than carrots or sweet potato. My neighbour made a fall slaw recipe with it grated. I couldn't figure out what it was but it was super tasty.  I think it was a Foodland Ontario recipe as she is a recipe developer.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 09, 2016, 05:14:41 PM
I am in Month 4 of this journey - and like you all said, the struggle with binging is SO real! It's so helpful to hear all your stories. The good and the bad. Having a place where we can all be honest AND accountable has made a huge difference in my journey, and I hope in all yours too.

I just want to second this, y'all.  I have been reading, just no time to post.  Hearing that others are falling to cravings, getting back up again & going on to lose more weight is inspiring.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Parizade on April 10, 2016, 08:26:14 AM
Hi all, jumping in here even though I'm at goal weight and not interested in losing more. I lost 40lb a few years back and maintaining is still a constant struggle.

I just got back from a vacation with friends and was happy to see I had not gained any weight for a change. It was an active, hiking vacation but my friends tend to live large when it comes to drinking and eating out. As if one strenuous hike will wipe out a weeks-worth of binging. I was a fight all week long to eat and drink in moderation (limiting myself to 2 beers and one glass of wine apparently makes me a nun) and I earned many sarcastic comments along the way, but I stood up to it and triumphed!

Still couldn't travel with them and stick to the financial budget, but that's a goal for the next vacation.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on April 11, 2016, 07:38:13 AM
Seriously I think my scale has a problem with Monday mornings now, lol. It jumps up a few pounds on weigh in day. No matter, I haven't earned any weight loss with the amount I've been eating this week. Quality of food has been pretty good. Quantity, not so much. I've been blaming the medication, but I might just be using that as an excuse.

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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 11, 2016, 08:38:36 AM
@Cookie78 It's so frustrating to see it creep up again, isn't it? Just remember, it has gone down before and can go down again! What worked for you then? What's working against you now? Small blips up and down is no big deal and just a part of life, but if you are seeing a consistent upward trend, it's a good time to reassess. Do you need to refocus? This is also likely a good time to consider what you can commit to in the long term. The time will come when you hit goal weight and move into maintenance - how do you see yourself eating for the rest of your life?

These are all things I've had to take a good, hard look at in the last week when my binging started getting out of control again.

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

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 16.6 lbs

This week, I went back to logging consistently and FINALLY started seeing the downward trend again. I actually hit a new low of 136.2 lbs yesterday and was super excited. Which made it particularly frustrating to see myself at 137.4 lbs this morning. I was pretty sure I would see it though - we had Chinese food last night and I knew the extra sodium would do me in this morning. It will also fall off just as quickly.

It's a little frustrating that my new eating style is still not ingrained in me - I'm on Month 4. But when the opportunity presented itself, I went right back to my old ways of binging. That's what happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I tried not logging consistently and weighing everything and quickly slipped back into overeating. I do like a lot of the healthy food I am eating. I definitely enjoy my meals (had a super yummy cobb salad for lunch). But man, yesterday, DH and I were both craving Chinese food and finally gave in and went out to eat. It was SO GOOD!! I can cook all kinds of yummy things now. I even make all kinds of yummy low cal and healthy Chinese food. But oh boy, food drowned in sodium was incredibly delicious.

And perhaps, it's a mental thing and I need it to be OK. Realistically speaking, we are not going to give up eating out at our favourite Chinese restaurants. Judging from the last few months, we probably go about 1x a month. I need to learn to work it in to my life and not feel guilty about it. This whole relationship with food thing is a hard one to learn to navigate!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 11, 2016, 12:56:46 PM
It's a little frustrating that my new eating style is still not ingrained in me - I'm on Month 4. But when the opportunity presented itself, I went right back to my old ways of binging. That's what happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I tried not logging consistently and weighing everything and quickly slipped back into overeating. I do like a lot of the healthy food I am eating.

And perhaps, it's a mental thing and I need it to be OK. Realistically speaking, we are not going to give up eating out at our favourite Chinese restaurants. Judging from the last few months, we probably go about 1x a month. I need to learn to work it in to my life and not feel guilty about it. This whole relationship with food thing is a hard one to learn to navigate!

@Elaine: Look at it this way: Your eating habits became engrained over years, and you've made huge strides in the past couple of months! It's going to take awhile for the old triggers, either food or otherwise, to change. Be patient with yourself and know that you're already leaps and bounds ahead of where you were when you started. Have your Chinese food - enjoy it, and know that because  you're paying attention, it's not going to impact you in the long run!

@Cookie78: Someone told me to start paying attention to how you feel with your new eating habits. Are you eating because you're hungry, or for some other reason? How does your body react to eating a lot of food? Do you feel more energetic, or lethargic? Are some foods triggering you to over eat? Also, don't rule out the medication factor. If hunger/weight gain is an actual side effect of the medicine, it really could be due to that and nothing else.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 11, 2016, 01:29:50 PM

@Elaine: Look at it this way: Your eating habits became engrained over years, and you've made huge strides in the past couple of months! It's going to take awhile for the old triggers, either food or otherwise, to change. Be patient with yourself and know that you're already leaps and bounds ahead of where you were when you started. Have your Chinese food - enjoy it, and know that because  you're paying attention, it's not going to impact you in the long run!

You are so right. Patience, patience, PATIENCE!! Patience seems to be the key to this whole weight loss thing. Take things day by day in manageable chunks and TRUST THE PROCESS. I keep reminding myself that for each small change, I have to give my body 3-4 weeks to evaluate whether it is working or not.

I am now debating whether to up my activity level in MFP or leave it at the low sedentary level. I am 5 ft tall and at sedentary, MFP gives me 1200 calories a day. Even when I don't do any intentional exercise, I do burn more calories than that. Especially since cooking takes 1-2 hours now. So I'm not as sedentary as I claim. On the good side, if I am working out regularly and eat all my exercise calories, it's pretty balanced and I lose my targeted 1 lb a week. However, I'm not exercising as routinely as I was. Without those extra calories I am undereating. At first I decided to leave it as is to give myself the "fudge factor". So I ended last week being over by 250 calories because I ran out of time to do a planned workout.

Now I am wondering if I should be more accurate - tell MFP I am "lightly active", have the extra calories in my everyday life, and go back to eating only half my exercise calories. That might be a better way of doing it. I do like paying attention to whether my number is red or green and I KNOW 1200 calories leads me to feeling deprived. I need a little more wiggle room. On the other hand, maybe I should use this to motivate me to resume my workouts? Decisions, decisions!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 11, 2016, 01:49:03 PM
@elaine , just wanted to chime in with a note of caution on upping your activity level, especially to break plateaus or speed up loss.

There is starting to be scientific consensus on the idea that exercise doesn't actually help with long term weight loss. It usually backfires and sets one up for yo yoing.

So go out there and move and exercise  if you want because it is good for your body and your joints and your heart, etc. But I would avoid it as a weight loss tool.

Additionally, some of the literature I've read seems to indicate that it can be good for your body to plateau for a while - it is essentially adjusting to a "new normal." If I recall correctly, one paper said that every 10% of weight you lose, you should try to maintain at the weight for several months, giving your body a new "set point" and helping maintain the loss. The science on that is iffier, but I found it intriguing.

In any case- Yes! Patience! and good job on your loss so far!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 11, 2016, 02:40:15 PM
I think exercise is important. I feel so much better on the days I manage to do something. The other days I'm struggling with lack of energy. I'm slowly building up my fitness level after that back injury. Did 30 mins of cardio twice this weekend and sneaked out for a 30 min walk at lunchtime yesterday.

The weight is still 84 kgs. I tried on a few dresses this weekend and yeah, not a good look.

Concentrating on snacking this week. No more pretzels. Last year I managed to break the chocolate and mango yoghurt habit, this year's enemy are those damn pretzels. I'm packing emergency carrots.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 11, 2016, 07:10:00 PM
@bee21 time to work on those habit hacks! U conquered one habit last year so obviously you know how to do it. You CAN do this :) We're all rooting for ya!

@starbright Thanks :) I agree - weightloss happens in the kitchen. Very interesting what u said about plateaus. I am going to keep that in mind. I do add some cardio when I can as I like being able to eat some extra calories. I also need to start getting into serious training for my big adventure race this summer. I still haven't really started (I don't think neighborhood walks count lol).

After posting earlier, I went back to MFP and changed my settings to "lightly active". My jaw dropped. I got THIRTY whole calories more for a total of 1230 calories a day. Ugh. Wait till I start logging my cooking time as exercise LOL! Anyway, I'll take the extra 30 cals I guess.

I had a bigger dinner tonight. Made sweet n sour pork for my kids and they oohed and aahed over it so much I couldn't resist eating some too. (Btw, bisquick, milk, and broth make a super yummy batter). On the good side, I was feeling reluctant to do my workout video but as I was washing up, noted the gorgeous sunny evening. DD and I ended up taking the dog on a nice 1.5hr walk so I got to burn off a lot of the extra calories.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 12, 2016, 10:12:51 AM
@alleykat: When I eat refined carbs, I have found that it really messes with my blood sugar. White bread, pasta, and even white rice wreaks havoc on my blood sugar. I try to just avoid it at all costs. YMMV, but try cutting it way back and see what happens. And being down two pounds is nothing to sneeze at! I have been using my weight trend to help me see past the daily fluctuations. It helps to know that even if it appears that I magically gained 5 pounds overnight, the trend is going in the right direction!


I agree on the refined carbs.  Sometimes, it is just an easy dinner.  But, it always makes me eat more. The same with high fat stuff as well. Changing the way we eat takes patience and practice, for sure.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 12, 2016, 10:22:22 AM
I have cut way back on my junk food. Some days are worse than others, but that is okay with me as long as I don't slide completely back. The more I am incorporating exercise into my schedule the better I feel and it is making me think twice about hitting the dessert table at work.  I actually consider if it is worth the calories. No more mindless picking.  It is working for now......   I am also getting better at not just eating because I am bored.  I failed last night, but I am getting better. 

I think I lost another lb last week, bringing the total to 3 lbs so far.  I need to mark the day I started, just for kicks.   I like that I don't feel so bloated.   

It looks like everyone is really hanging in there.  Good luck, everyone.  Stay strong. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dougules on April 12, 2016, 10:45:27 AM
I use myfitnesspal and track everything.  It can be an annoyance, but I think I have some semi-addictive behavior towards food.  It works.   I've not done so good in 2016, but I'm still down nearly 30 lbs since I started 3 years ago.

It is just simple calories in < calories out, but there's a whole lot of strategy behind that.  Some things that really help me stay on that plan, though, are:

- DO NOT try to lose weight quickly.  It's bad for your health and you will burn out.  10-20 lbs/year is good. 
- Make small incremental changes that you can stick with forever, instead of big changes that you can't sustain.  Honestly losing weight is easy; it's keeping it off that can be a challenge. 
- Use whatever tools you can find to keep yourself motivated. 
- Budget in splurges for the bad things you really crave
- Accept that it will be one step back for every two steps forward.  You'll slip up and gain, or need to take a break.  It's no big deal at all as long as the overall trend is down. 
- Learn how to cook and accept that bad cooking is the gateway to learning
- Work exercise into the fabric of your life instead of making it a separate activity.  Take the stairs.  Walk or bike for actual transportation instead of just as a compartmentalized activity.
- Put vegetables, fruits, and anything else with a lot of fiber at the center of your plate.   Meats and carbs should be sides or garnishes, not front and center like they were when people worked all day in the fields.  Maybe leave the starches out all together sometimes since most people who can afford internet access don't need cheap calories to keep from starving like our ancestors did. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 12, 2016, 10:28:35 PM
Dec 2015: X
Jan 5: X-5
Apr 9: X-7

Goal: 20 lbs lost in 2016

Still bouncing around the X-6 to X-7 range.  I'm glad to be holding steady here & not moving upwards.  Eating is not all that great, but getting more & more in control.  Looking back over recent result is keeping me in check.  Also, getting close to 8# lost, which is equal my previous heaviest weight ever (hope you can make sense of that).  So close I can taste it (pun intended)!

I didn't eat any of the baked goods in the office kitchen today...didn't even crave them.  That was a win!

Parizade, glad to see you here.  Everyone here is supportive & postive.  I'm sure you can share your weight lost strategies & inspirations.  Seems like win-win to me.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: sunnyca on April 12, 2016, 11:35:45 PM
Ugh. Due to recent stressful life events, I've been binging like crazy.

Time to get back on the wagon. I threw away all of sweets left at home and only have healthy food left. My biggest challenge now will probably be at work, as there's always lots of great food around.

Sigh.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 13, 2016, 08:11:03 AM
Ugh. Due to recent stressful life events, I've been binging like crazy.

Time to get back on the wagon. I threw away all of sweets left at home and only have healthy food left. My biggest challenge now will probably be at work, as there's always lots of great food around.

Sigh.

My sympathies, sunnyca. I've been bouncing between no appetite and massive cravings to fall face-first into a pile of chocolate cake. Yesterday the craving was practically a physical pain, so I succumbed and bought a slice of cake. No regrets, though. Each day is new; each day, I can fine-tune my strategies to see which work better.

My biggest challenge is at work too. I try to bring in somewhat healthier junk-food alternatives, like high-percentage dark chocolate to stave off the attacks of Peanut M&Ms, plain yogurt that I doctor myself so it doesn't have huge amounts of sugar, and berries, which, for me, take enough of the edge of the "dessert" craving. Sometimes carrot sticks help with chip cravings. It takes some experimentation, but if I don't bring adequate substitutes, I end up eating exactly what I'm trying to avoid.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 13, 2016, 12:50:00 PM
@dougules Thanks so much for sharing what has worked for you! I have been learning that budgeting in for splurges can be extremely helpful. And like you said - slow and steady wins the race! I think you are right in that it is rare for someone to make it the whole way with no "slipups", deviations from "the plan", or plateaus. I feel accepting that and working it into your overall plans is important for long term success.

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

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

@alleykat It's tough to change habits, especially with the mindless eating. That's awesome that you're getting better! Maybe start planning snacks for the evenings? That way, you still have your snacks but it's not mindless eating. Put together things that are delicious and that you look forward to eating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 13, 2016, 04:39:24 PM
Blech- I didn't plan well this week and didn't buy enough fruit or salad. And I basically forgot to buy myself anything for lunch - I somehow manage to plan everyone else's lunches but not my own.

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

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

Also re my previous post on getting exercise - I should have worded it better - exercise is wonderful and good for you and everyone should do it because it makes your body stronger! It was more the idea of exercising specifically to burn calories to help with weight loss that is starting to be seen as not very helpful. By All Means - Get out there and get moving, your knees and hips will thank you for it :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 13, 2016, 05:18:18 PM
Keep up everybody!

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

I still hate myself for getting this fat.

Stressful times are coming at work, so i have to plan for that. I Always eat when stressed. At least the kids finally sleep through the night and are less annoying on a daily basis, so there is no stress factor at home.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 13, 2016, 06:50:01 PM
Today, with various stressors and availability of junk food, I fell face-first into a pile of chocolate-covered peanut butter cups and then a pile of chocolate cake. BUT -- with my new reduced snacking and eating habits, and a slightly increased ability to rein myself in and not overdo on the delicious treats, I still stayed within my calorie goal for the day. So I'm feeling pretty good about that.

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

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

Habits really work, yo.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on April 13, 2016, 09:47:38 PM
Keep up everybody!

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

I still hate myself for getting this fat.

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

Lurker here.

Salty snacks are my weakness. I eat a lot of carrots with humus.  By themselves carrots are lovely but sweet, humus ups the salty/ savory and works for me while still being low calorie and actually full of things my body needs.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 14, 2016, 08:03:09 AM
Today, with various stressors and availability of junk food, I fell face-first into a pile of chocolate-covered peanut butter cups and then a pile of chocolate cake. BUT -- with my new reduced snacking and eating habits, and a slightly increased ability to rein myself in and not overdo on the delicious treats, I still stayed within my calorie goal for the day. So I'm feeling pretty good about that.

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

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

Habits really work, yo.

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

That said, I am STILL trying to get my brain the accept that fruits are SO GOOD and should be considered wonderful, decadent treats. They really are - so it's terrible that I can only accept treats to be stuff like ice cream, cookies, and cake. Maybe I need to get a Japanese attitude....look how expensive beautiful fruit are!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 14, 2016, 08:37:22 AM
I need to get my head out of the sand and join you folks.  You are making progress and are so helping each other.  It is time to stop pretending that my volume is not increasing.
I just got off the scale.  I weighed 138 pounds.  I am 5'-5.  I don`t look particularly fat but I weigh 24 pounds more than I did six months after my second child.  She turned 12 today and I am feeling like I got to get this under control.  If I continue to gain 2 pounds a year for the rest of my life, my hips and knees won`t be able to carry me.  I don`t think I was a healthy weight when I got married (104lbs) or even after my first born (107lbs).  Too skinny.  But now - I have tummy flap.  I am more muscular from doing some physical work.  I think I would be healthy and strong at 120 pounds. 
I am celiac and when I finally got diagnosed at 25 I weighed 98 lbs and could barely function.  I got colds all the time. 
I don`t get sick as often now and I can do real work that makes me feel great.  I think I feel that because there is so much I can`t eat, I eat lots of what I can.  I cut out soft drinks after Christmas and haven`t seen much of a change in shape but I have been too afraid to get on the scale for two years now.
My body shape is affecting my life.  Time to do something about it.  Reading the thread has given me the courage to join in.  Thank you
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 14, 2016, 09:30:41 AM
That's AWESOME that you still stayed within your calories. Maybe next time, just fit a couple of them into your calories and then add some fresh fruit or veggies as snacks. It helped when I was consciously trying to increase my fruits and veggies (rather than decrease treats). Mindset was different.

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

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

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

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

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

It took me a long time and a lot of different strategies to hit on one that works for me, and even that works only intermittently. I hope you find an approach that works well for you.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 14, 2016, 11:09:14 AM
Well, today was a fail and it is only lunch time.  I was doing so good avoiding the dessert table and it got me today and I ate it all. LOL.  However, I will try and have a lighter dinner.  The problem is once I start this way, there is no stopping.  But, I will try and hold out tonight. 

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

I am exercising tonight so I will burn some of it off. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on April 14, 2016, 11:37:51 AM
I'm back to make you all feel better about yourselves!!!

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

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

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

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

So there you go everyone! But I got back home last night and I am back on the train today. You can bet your ass I am chugging water like a fiend and will not be weighing myself until Monday. All my pants still fit though, so maybe I didn't do too much damage? HA!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 14, 2016, 01:38:19 PM
I need to get my head out of the sand and join you folks.  You are making progress and are so helping each other.  It is time to stop pretending that my volume is not increasing.
I just got off the scale.  I weighed 138 pounds.  I am 5'-5.  I don`t look particularly fat but I weigh 24 pounds more than I did six months after my second child.  She turned 12 today and I am feeling like I got to get this under control.  If I continue to gain 2 pounds a year for the rest of my life, my hips and knees won`t be able to carry me.  I don`t think I was a healthy weight when I got married (104lbs) or even after my first born (107lbs).  Too skinny.  But now - I have tummy flap.  I am more muscular from doing some physical work.  I think I would be healthy and strong at 120 pounds. 
I am celiac and when I finally got diagnosed at 25 I weighed 98 lbs and could barely function.  I got colds all the time. 
I don`t get sick as often now and I can do real work that makes me feel great.  I think I feel that because there is so much I can`t eat, I eat lots of what I can.  I cut out soft drinks after Christmas and haven`t seen much of a change in shape but I have been too afraid to get on the scale for two years now.
My body shape is affecting my life.  Time to do something about it.  Reading the thread has given me the courage to join in.  Thank you

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

I also gave up soda in Dec. I did notice a small drop in weight, about 1-2 pounds in 6 weeks. However, longer term I think it is helping redefine what is sweet. Which helps with sweets cravings! Not all victories are pounds lost.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dragoncar on April 14, 2016, 01:51:52 PM
Sorry I can't keep up with this huge thread.  I do the low carb Thing and have lost around 15lb since we started.  I don't really have a weight goal, but I still want to lose some waist so The majority of my pants fit well again.  (Refined) Carbs are really my weakness and I just do better avoiding them altogether-- it's a lot easier to be strict and say no when I would be throwing away a month long streak (vs just trying to reduce intake).  I don't limit my vegetable/salad intake, and have started to allow cheat times for special occasions (no more than monthly)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeverLost on April 14, 2016, 02:16:30 PM
Hello everyone, I hope you don't mind me joining so late!  I am hoping to lose around 10 lbs.  I am 5'1 and spent my early 20s weighing around 105 or so.  After I had my son, my weight remained around 115 and over the last 6 months or so I've crept up to 120.  I think a good weight for me is 110, so that's my goal.  I think the biggest problem I have is that I am generally a really healthy eater to begin with so it's hard to make changes that will make a big difference without a full fledged diet, which I'm trying to avoid.  I also am very busy right now with working/picking up my kids/homework/after school activities so I find it hard to fit in much exercise.  Since the weather is getting nicer though I am anxious to go bike riding with my kids and other outdoor activities.  Currently my plan is:

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

I am hoping that just making these changes I will be able to lose maybe 1-1.5lbs/week, which would be great :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 14, 2016, 02:33:22 PM
@Frugal Lizard Good for you for taking steps to fix this now before it gets too far. Come on in and join us on this crazy journey.  There's something about coming on here to post that keeps me going. I let my weight creep on very very gradually over 15 years. I blinked and I was shocked to find myself with an extra 35 pounds!

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

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

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

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

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeverLost on April 14, 2016, 02:50:08 PM
Yeah, I wonder that too elaine amj.  I'm not gonna lie, I have some motivation with summer being so close and we spend a ton of time at the lake, but at the same time I am not making super drastic changes so I want to be realistic too.  I think I will try my strategy for a week or two, see what happens, then reevaluate. 

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

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

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 15, 2016, 06:28:05 AM
Hi Everyone! Full disclosure here. It's been a rough, rough week. I have fallen off the sugar wagon, and I mean HARD. I had some sort of sugary, uber-processed dessert/snack type thing almost every day while at work. Also, I have been going overboard in general on the consumption end of things. The good news (if there is any) is that I tracked everything, so I am fully aware of what I've done to myself this week.

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

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

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

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

Total loss: 26.2
Goal: 140
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 15, 2016, 08:32:58 AM
You are not alone, Geostache.  I do allow myself to have a piece of chocolate at night, just a piece, or something else but yesterday, I allowed myself to overdo it with dessert at work and the whole night was messed up.  I finally "get" it goes straight to my hips quote now. I thought it was just a saying, but now I know it is real.  I never ever had this problem.  Now, my few lbs lost are now found. That is okay though, I am not giving up. As long as I keep at it, it will eventually come off.  I just need to keep in mind, I didn't gain it overnight and allow myself the time and patience to lose it.  Easier said then done, I know.

And you are still in the "positive.'  Wow, 26 lb loss is pretty good. Keep up the good work.  I am starting at the same weight 156 and my goal is also 140.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 15, 2016, 08:35:57 AM
I am also working on breaking the cycle of self-flagellation when it comes to 'messing up.' In the past, I would go on a downward spiral of guilt and shame. Now, I'm focusing on refraining from judgment and taking it how it is. That is going to be monumental for me!

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

Best of luck, and I'm sorry you've been struggling.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 15, 2016, 08:39:22 AM
Thank you for the encouragement.  I love how people are being supportive and honest.  This is a safe place.

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

Anyone read the book "Thin by Design"?  Making some of those changes to my kitchen - although at the moment we are in a small renovation stage so I can't fully implement them quite yet.  It helped me quit the-can-of-coke habit.  And I think my fruit consumption has gone down because it is not prominently displayed in the kitchen.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 15, 2016, 08:47:42 AM
@TealBlue - welcome and I will be watching your posts! I'm in a very similar situation with healthy eating but fighting post baby weight creep. I was going to cut back on drinks in general but I think I like your way better (wine instead of beer). We are big beer drinkers and it is doing me no favors in my mid thirties.

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

@microspice - I want all of that food you listed! Vacation food is the best.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 15, 2016, 08:58:02 AM
You are not alone, Geostache.  I do allow myself to have a piece of chocolate at night, just a piece, or something else but yesterday, I allowed myself to overdo it with dessert at work and the whole night was messed up.  I finally "get" it goes straight to my hips quote now. I thought it was just a saying, but now I know it is real.  I never ever had this problem.  Now, my few lbs lost are now found. That is okay though, I am not giving up. As long as I keep at it, it will eventually come off.  I just need to keep in mind, I didn't gain it overnight and allow myself the time and patience to lose it.  Easier said then done, I know.

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

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

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

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


Thanks, @Redmondstash. I'm kind of hoping that some of it was hormonal (TMI, sorry!). The rest I really have to own. I didn't have to give into the emotional urges to stuff my face with crap, I chose to.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeverLost on April 15, 2016, 10:15:20 AM
Frugal Lizard - I am sorry you find it hard to share your weight loss with your family.  I think I probably would to, since I know my kids would be watching and questioning (innocently) what I ate and it would be hard to not feel guilt.  I don't think it'd be a motivator for me.   I haven't really told my family I am losing weight, which is easy since I'm not technically "dieting", but I am sure there will be questions the first time we go out to eat or something!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 15, 2016, 02:23:12 PM
That is huge, Geostache. I honestly believe that's half the battle. Because if you stress-eat, and then you feel shame and guilt, well, that's more stress, and then you just want to eat more to take the edge off those feelings. I try to be really forgiving of myself when I make a choice I don't like, and I try to own it: "Yep, I damn well did that, I chose it, I chose the consequences, and that's okay. It doesn't dictate the rest of my life. Tomorrow is another day."

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

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

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

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

@Frugal Lizard It's a hard balance with family, isn't it? My (old enough to know better) kids like to make fun of my jiggly belly. On the good side, they've been awesome since I have started seriously losing weight. My DD likes to chill on the couch while I work out and correct my form. If keeping quiet about it works for you, then I would go with it. I'm so glad logging what you eat has really pushed you to think about your choices!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 15, 2016, 06:44:24 PM
I am going to try and write down everything I eat. Hiding it from my family so that I can be totally honest without worrying about their judgement.  A couple of years ago I tried to loose some weight and was using the journal and my kids were monitoring it.  My husband had made a comment about a skirt not fitting and the kids heard and then everyone got on my case. 

It's hard, because they think they are being supportive by making comments, but it's really sabatoging, not supportive.  My husband is the same way.  I have told him he is not allowed to ask me what I ate for lunch, since he always has some kind of comment.  He still asks, but I give him the icy stare (when I remember).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 15, 2016, 08:47:21 PM
Thanks, @Redmondstash. I'm kind of hoping that some of it was hormonal (TMI, sorry!). The rest I really have to own. I didn't have to give into the emotional urges to stuff my face with crap, I chose to.

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

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

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

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

Good luck to us all!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 16, 2016, 08:09:41 AM
I did really well last night.  It was a beautiful spring day and our front porch is perfect for early evening sitting.  A bunch of neighbours showed up with junk food.  It was 5:30pm.  It is our neighbourhood ritual - byob and snack and gather outside so nobody has to clean.  I made homemade lemonade that was a great kind of tart - one glass.  I did not eat the chips, pretzels, cheese or crackers. I ate the cantaloupe. I brought out a cup of peanuts and didn't eat too many - shared them with the 7 other people plus kids.  Then at 7, I made a salad with a tiny bit of feta and some chopped left over turkey from dinner a couple of nights ago.  Dressed it with my own not very sweet vinaigrette and didn't eat again all night.
I woke up hungry at 5:48am but felt so happy about getting through happy hour without busting my program.  I ate a whole delicious wonderful grapefruit with some potatoes this morning and am feeling fine.  Gonna have a protein snack and hit the grocery store on a full stomach. 
How often do you folks hop on the scales?  I would like to shift to eating well as opposed to dieting and I am not sure if scale watching will help or hinder that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 16, 2016, 09:08:32 AM
Quote from: Frugal Lizard link=topic=48873.msg1053286#msg1053286
How often do you folks hop on the scales?  I would like to shift to eating well as opposed to dieting and I am not sure if scale watching will help or hinder that.

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

And today's the day.

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

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

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

I'm really pleased that I've gotten back into the swing and that, over time, the numbers are dropping lower. The biggest battle for me is logging and keeping to a healthier eating pattern; I really struggled with that for a couple of years, but I'm back on track. I know the weight loss will follow in time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 16, 2016, 10:11:51 AM
@oneday LOVE the icy stare!!! (and good luck to remembering!)

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

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

I measure about 1x a month or so. For me, it feels like it takes forever to lose inches so I prefer the scale for more constant feedback.  I'm considering switching my weigh in on here to Thursday or Friday since that is usually when I log my lowest weights. On the Monday weigh-ins, I usually spike an extra pound or so from excess sodium on the weekends.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 18, 2016, 06:11:57 AM
Thanks for the feedback on scale watching.  Survived a family multi-person birthday party.  Was doing great until the gluten free cake was served.  Found myself sitting at a table full of appetizers but was smart enough to move to the patio after I realized I snarfulling up fancy cheese, guacamole, and charcuterie.
 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 18, 2016, 07:37:04 AM
@Frugal Lizard: Way to keep control in your neighborhood social hour. I find it's easy to slip into old eating habits when being social. I think it's something to do with not being mindful of my environment. That's huge!

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

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

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on April 18, 2016, 08:00:06 AM
My week started off quite good, then crashed pretty hard. I've been focusing on other important things lately and not tracking calories. I even convinced myself I could buy some potato chips and crackers and just eat a few eat day. Nope. I'm not sure how I ever convinced myself it was possible! I'm still continuing the upward trend this week, but I've only gained back 3 pounds and I know that once life settles down in the next week or two I can lose them again pretty quickly.

Loving the advice and conversations in this thread.

Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Jan 25 weight: 156.8
Feb 1 weight: 155.2
Feb 8 weight: 153.2
Feb 15 weight: 151.6
Feb 22 weight 152.6
Feb 29 weight 152.2
Mar 7 weight 149.4
Mar 14 weight 149.4
Mar 21 weight 149.6
Mar 28 weight 149.2
Apr 4 weight 151.2
Apr 11 weight 151.4
Apr 18 weight 152.0
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 18, 2016, 08:31:53 AM
My week started off quite good, then crashed pretty hard. I've been focusing on other important things lately and not tracking calories. I even convinced myself I could buy some potato chips and crackers and just eat a few eat day. Nope. I'm not sure how I ever convinced myself it was possible! I'm still continuing the upward trend this week, but I've only gained back 3 pounds and I know that once life settles down in the next week or two I can lose them again pretty quickly.

It's amazing the way your brain tries to trick you, isn't it? Like a wheedling toddler. Sometimes you're so exhausted from fighting that you just give in.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on April 18, 2016, 09:04:01 AM
My week started off quite good, then crashed pretty hard. I've been focusing on other important things lately and not tracking calories. I even convinced myself I could buy some potato chips and crackers and just eat a few eat day. Nope. I'm not sure how I ever convinced myself it was possible! I'm still continuing the upward trend this week, but I've only gained back 3 pounds and I know that once life settles down in the next week or two I can lose them again pretty quickly.

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

Exactly! I wasn't even hungry at the grocery store. I could almost see the little devil on one shoulder and the little angel on my other shoulder arguing about it at the time, and I still gave in. lol
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 18, 2016, 03:03:44 PM
Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs
Mar 7 - 138.2 lbs
Mar 14 - VACATION
Mar 21 - 140.2 lbs
Mar 28 - 137.8 lbs
April 4 - 138.4 lbs
April 11 - 137.4 lbs
April 18  136.2 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 17.8 lbs

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

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

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

I'm glad I chose the MFP route. I'm losing weight a little slower, but it's coming off. And its definitely easier to handle the day to day stuff. I can't even imagine the discipline it's taking for her to do this for 45 days. It's super strict and very regimented.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 18, 2016, 05:49:59 PM
Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs
Mar 7 - 138.2 lbs
Mar 14 - VACATION
Mar 21 - 140.2 lbs
Mar 28 - 137.8 lbs
April 4 - 138.4 lbs
April 11 - 137.4 lbs
April 18  136.2 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 17.8 lbs

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

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

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

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

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

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

This thread has been really helpful for me for finding inspiration and staying on track. So thanks, all.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 19, 2016, 05:50:34 AM
Wow Elaine - great work
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 19, 2016, 11:05:06 AM
Way to go, Elaine! You're making great progress. It will slow down as you approach the ideal weight for your body, but you're still going in the right direction!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 19, 2016, 06:42:05 PM
At work today. So many doughnuts. Boxes and boxes of them.

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

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

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

I think half the battle is believing that the battle can be won.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 19, 2016, 07:39:25 PM
@RedmondStash That is one of the most important lessons to learn with weightloss :) Also, I hear u about donuts. Was working at a workshop this morning where there were masses of donuts and muffins. Still felt guilty about yesterday's wings so I resisted, deciding to skip breakfast. Lunch was catered food and I ate ok. Then at the very end, my boss mentioned that the donuts came from a yummy local bakery. That did it - I scarfed down an entire donut!

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

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

Spag squash w/ meat Ragu - 444 cals

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

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


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 19, 2016, 08:24:41 PM
I think half the battle is believing that the battle can be won.

+1  So much of it is really just a mind game.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 20, 2016, 08:31:06 AM
I think half the battle is believing that the battle can be won.

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


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

Elaine - you are doing so good. Keep up the good work.     
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 20, 2016, 08:36:42 AM
omg so many things are calling for me up in the kitchen.  I just checking in to get strength to go and get some caffeine and nothing else.  I work from home and have a project that I am having trouble getting back into.  It was on hold for 11 months and now it is back and I would rather eat potato chips than sit here and figure out how to revive some of the things that I was pretty excited about that have gotten value-engineered out.  Or maybe some chocolate would help...Man I would be sunk if I didn't have this forum to distract me...
Scale has not moved a micron...but only been six days.
total mind game.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeverLost on April 20, 2016, 08:52:11 AM
I am fighting my own donut fight today at work.  We are having a retirement party for a coworker and getting it catered by a Mexican restaurant and getting pastries from a bakery!  My plan is to make a salad with the taco goodies and skip the pastries.  That's the plan, if I write it down I have to stick to it, right? Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in.  I do feel like I'm making progress and I won't let this lunch ruin it!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 20, 2016, 08:59:08 AM
omg so many things are calling for me up in the kitchen.  I just checking in to get strength to go and get some caffeine and nothing else.  I work from home and have a project that I am having trouble getting back into.  It was on hold for 11 months and now it is back and I would rather eat potato chips than sit here and figure out how to revive some of the things that I was pretty excited about that have gotten value-engineered out.  Or maybe some chocolate would help...Man I would be sunk if I didn't have this forum to distract me...
Scale has not moved a micron...but only been six days.
total mind game.

You can do it, Frugal Lizard. I know that siren song well. Can you keep healthy snacks around that, while maybe a little less satisfying, will at least get you through? I use berries, carrot sticks, and plain yogurt sweetened with stevia; so far, it's worked well. I also try not to keep really tempting stuff in the house, so I have to make a special trip to get it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 20, 2016, 09:39:45 AM
Can you keep healthy snacks around that, while maybe a little less satisfying, will at least get you through? I use berries, carrot sticks, and plain yogurt sweetened with stevia; so far, it's worked well. I also try not to keep really tempting stuff in the house, so I have to make a special trip to get it.
Had an orange and a monster cup of tea.  Next time I go upstairs - more tea and carrots.  I have a plan and the craving has mostly passed.
Thanks for the support - this forum is really helping even though I haven't actually lost any weight yet.  I have been changing my eating pattern and fully changed my mindset.  I feel this in itself is an achievement.

Hang in there TealBlue - stick to your plan.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 20, 2016, 12:16:20 PM
Can you keep healthy snacks around that, while maybe a little less satisfying, will at least get you through? I use berries, carrot sticks, and plain yogurt sweetened with stevia; so far, it's worked well. I also try not to keep really tempting stuff in the house, so I have to make a special trip to get it.
Had an orange and a monster cup of tea.  Next time I go upstairs - more tea and carrots.  I have a plan and the craving has mostly passed.
Thanks for the support - this forum is really helping even though I haven't actually lost any weight yet.  I have been changing my eating pattern and fully changed my mindset.  I feel this in itself is an achievement.

Hang in there TealBlue - stick to your plan.

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

Hang in there!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 20, 2016, 12:45:06 PM
I think half the battle is believing that the battle can be won.

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


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

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

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

+1 Elaine, you are an inspiration
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 20, 2016, 12:51:56 PM
I am fighting my own donut fight today at work.

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

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

Stay strong! 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 20, 2016, 02:52:52 PM
1 bag of pretzels this week.oh well. Am really proud of the other 2 days when there were none.and survived morning tea at work with eating only a handful of grapes.

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

Started working on the portions as well. This week i am targeting breakfast. I decided i will leave the lunches alone ( sandwich and salad or soup)and will work harder on the dinner portions. I need a decent lunch or i get the munchies around 3.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 20, 2016, 06:25:32 PM
Funny -- for the past several weeks I've had life stress that damped down my appetite, but now it has shifted to the kind of stress that makes me want to eat all the desserts ever made.

Stress and cravings, man. They are serious business. But I am a badass weight-loss warrior, and I am also serious business.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 20, 2016, 08:17:23 PM
@Bee21 I found the hardest part was getting through the first 1-2 weeks of being hungry all the time. Then I feel great for a few weeks and everything is on track and it is super easy to eat within my calories. Then I hit another hunger phase.

I think I will have to remember that when it hits me next. I plan to try being kind to myself, maybe eating at maintenance for a few days, and not go in a downward spiral just because I ate too much in one meal.

On a more mushy note, I am so thankful for this group. Hearing everyone's individual stories, struggles, and successes is incredibly helpful. And u guys also motivate me to claw out of downward spirals...I'm always excited to post wins here. And yet, it is also a safe place to post when I fall.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 21, 2016, 05:40:04 AM
have to go to a meeting in the city today and put on the good clothes - EVERYTHING IS LOOSER
gotta run....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 21, 2016, 06:38:40 AM
I think I will have to remember that when it hits me next. I plan to try being kind to myself, maybe eating at maintenance for a few days, and not go in a downward spiral just because I ate too much in one meal.

On a more mushy note, I am so thankful for this group. Hearing everyone's individual stories, struggles, and successes is incredibly helpful. And u guys also motivate me to claw out of downward spirals...I'm always excited to post wins here. And yet, it is also a safe place to post when I fall.

I feel the same way! Y'all have been an inspiration to me and have helped tremendously!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 21, 2016, 08:09:08 AM
have to go to a meeting in the city today and put on the good clothes - EVERYTHING IS LOOSER
gotta run....

WOOT!!!!!!! Now that is an amazing feeling!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeverLost on April 21, 2016, 08:24:02 AM
I will be very happy to get to the "everything is looser" phase!  Great job! 

I weighed myself this am.  Down .6 lbs only.  I was a tad disappointed since I felt like I did a pretty good job last week but oh well.  I am going to try to stick to the same plan this week and if I can keep up the .5-1lb range then I'll probably keep going as I am.  If it drops under .5lbs/week then I need to make more drastic changes...  Tonight is not helping, I am making a huge Italian dinner for my mom's bday.  Going to have to stay away from the limoncello cream sauce!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 21, 2016, 12:27:12 PM
Have to confess - I was planning to have no snacks today. In a moment of weakness, I raided my stash of cheese puffs. Promised myself one serving. Well, of course that wasn't enough and I ate a second serving. Thank goodness the bag is now empty. 300 extra calories...ouch. I've been enjoying my lengthy evening walks but doesn't look like the weather will hold out for a walk tonight. Good thing my planned dinner is an under 300 cal Vietnamese summer roll and I already assembled the fixings last night! All in all, it shouldn't hurt me too much and I'm still hopeful I will be under my weekly calorie goal.

Enough complaining - what's everyone's favourite low-cal go-to these days? I'm loving spaghetti squash and zucchini noodles. While they aren't noodles, once I drown them in sauce, they taste close enough to fool my brain. This week, I made spag squash with a meat ragu and am so impressed that a big portion (I'm definitely full after that!) clocks in at 350 calories. Actual spaghetti would have doubled that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 21, 2016, 01:46:54 PM
I think I will have to remember that when it hits me next. I plan to try being kind to myself, maybe eating at maintenance for a few days, and not go in a downward spiral just because I ate too much in one meal.

On a more mushy note, I am so thankful for this group. Hearing everyone's individual stories, struggles, and successes is incredibly helpful. And u guys also motivate me to claw out of downward spirals...I'm always excited to post wins here. And yet, it is also a safe place to post when I fall.

I feel the same way! Y'all have been an inspiration to me and have helped tremendously!

+1
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 21, 2016, 02:02:33 PM
I think I will have to remember that when it hits me next. I plan to try being kind to myself, maybe eating at maintenance for a few days, and not go in a downward spiral just because I ate too much in one meal.

On a more mushy note, I am so thankful for this group. Hearing everyone's individual stories, struggles, and successes is incredibly helpful. And u guys also motivate me to claw out of downward spirals...I'm always excited to post wins here. And yet, it is also a safe place to post when I fall.

I feel the same way! Y'all have been an inspiration to me and have helped tremendously!

+1
+1 me too

Back from my trip into the city.  It ended up meaning lunch out.  I had a mango salad and a chicken summer roll.  A large salad is dang hard to eat during a lunch meeting.  So much chewing time.  On the drive back home I ate some of my packed lunch - Probably a few too many almonds and cashews but my pants are still loose.  I had to take my DH's car because my car still has winter tires on and it is warm today.  No radio so I think I was eating because of boredom.  Must get the radio fixed.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 21, 2016, 11:33:05 PM
Need to work on the willpower muscles this weekend. Last weekend i survived the big party without overeating, yay. I made a really good hummus and brought veggie sticks. Camping weekend is coming, that is danger zone.

Bought the chips i hate and no pretzels.

I just have to be super good around the cheese and wine. Hb expects me to cart out the cheese platter every afternoon on long weekends.

Keep up the work people, we can do it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 22, 2016, 06:56:09 AM
Friday weigh-in day here. I'm down 0.6 lb, which is good considering that I was on work travel this week. Long hours and out of my eating routine. I think I did fairly well, though. I tracked it all and made good choices when I was forced to dine out. I'm paying closer attention to how food makes me feel, and I'm finding (no surprise!) that I feel crappy when I eat junk food. Go figure! I was happy to be home and have my breakfast smoothie this morning.

1/01/16: 182.8
4/08/16: 155.2
4/15/16: 156.8 (+1.6)
4/22/16: 156.2

Goal: 140

@Bee21: Can you add in some fruit with the cheese? Intersperse one serving of cheese with some grapes or berries. That way, you can have some, but stretch it out and trick your brain into thinking you're eating a lot of cheese! When you figure out how to trick yourself with wine, let me know! :-)

@Frugal Lizard: Way to go on the clothes! That's always a good feeling.

@Elaine: That spring roll sounds amazing! I've used the noodler for potatoes too. It works well to keep the calorie count down and also make me feel like I've had a huge portion of potatoes.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 22, 2016, 08:25:34 AM
@Geostache It is interesting to learn more about your body, isn't it?

@Bee21 I love @Geostache's suggestion of adding the fruit!

I'm switching up to a Friday weigh in. I like Fridays - and typically have the lowest weight on Fridays. I have detailed records of my daily weigh-ins so I am going to adjust the numbers for Friday.

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

19.2 lbs lost
GOAL WEIGHT: 130 lbs

WOW - who knew I was so precise? Exactly 1 lb a week for the last 4 weeks! By this time next week, I should hit my 20 lb weight loss mark. Crazy! I'm so very close to goal weight....but I doubt I will be satisfied there. I still feel so big! And I can't see my toes yet, which means there is still more to lose. I don't know what my ideal is - probably about 100 - 110 lbs? After I pass 130, I'm going to celebrate...then stretch to 120 lbs and see if I am happy there. That's about where I was in university and while I still had extra padding, I felt pretty good.

The weirdest part is - although my clothes feel looser, I still can't fit into a lot of clothes in my wardrobe. And things that I loved to wear last year...look dreadful on me now. I think I need to haul out everything in my wardrobe and do a whole parade in front of the mirror thing to see things clearly. I currently feel like I have nothing to wear - basically wear the same thing every day (work golf shirt in navy blue or black and black dress pants). My boss has already been asking me where all my fun spring outfits are. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 22, 2016, 11:16:09 AM
No change on the scale.
Still keeping up the eaten journal entries.  This seems to be working as a motivator to not put something in my mouth.
Snacking on fruits and vegetables is going well.  Almost everything that I bought last weekend is gone.  There is one sad pear waiting to be eaten.
Decided that feeling hungry feels less uncomfortable than feeling I have after eating junk food. 

Elaine:  your body may change shape over time so you may have buy things with a slightly different cut.  But I think that is another thread.....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 22, 2016, 02:04:34 PM
@Frugal Lizard I'm learning to be at peace with occasionally being hungry. It really is OK to be hungry sometimes. (Especially when I am saving up calories for a big meal). I am hungry now - but I'll have dinner in a couple of hours.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 22, 2016, 05:32:18 PM
@Frugal Lizard I'm learning to be at peace with occasionally being hungry. It really is OK to be hungry sometimes.

+1

For me, cravings are harder to deal with than plain hunger.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 23, 2016, 08:47:20 AM
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

Hey, at least I'm consistent.

I'm wondering if my body is going into starvation mode, because I've been eating consistently less over the past couple of months even than last time I lost weight. I'm trying to believe that if I keep pushing forward, I'll get the results I want, but it's disheartening to see that needle not move for 3 weeks in a row.

On the bright side, the number isn't creeping up. So there's that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 23, 2016, 10:21:31 PM
@RedmondStash I forget - do u weigh your food? What about activity levels? Is it different between then and now?

Do u weigh daily or just the weekly weigh in? Might be worth trying a daily weigh in.

Hang in there- u can beat this!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 24, 2016, 05:22:32 AM
I think I am down a pound.  Scale has small ticks but the needle is definitely not as close to 140 as it was.

Quite proud of myself for planning for social eating.  I think I am getting into mindful eating.
Friday night neighborhood happy hour - I made dinner super early and ate a small portion before I went.  I brought tomato juice as my beverage but I was sitting beside the bowl of chips but I abstained from all the passed around treats.  It was freezing cold so I hope I burned calories shivering.
Yesterday I worked outside until my muscles were sore.  I lifted heavy stuff and shoveled and raked and hauled loads of rocks, gravel, leaves, compost, mulch and concrete blocks.  I had my regular meals but outside and away from the kitchen - no snacking and I wasn't hungry all day until 5 and then I was starving.  Then I started eating the snacks that everyone was bringing out.  Maybe fell of the wagon for 10 minutes.
We had plans to go out for dinner using a gift certificate from Christmas at a very fancy restaurant.  I had hoped to walk but hubby's feet had blisters from some new to him shoes so we drove.  The beef special was 12 oz sirloin so we asked if we could share the entree.  We each had a salad - I had Caesar - but lightly dressed and no croutons (gluten free) and then we split this huge entree.  It was plenty for two.  Hubby had dessert but since it wasn't gluten free I had none.  One glass of red wine.  Didn't feel stuffed (which is how I usually leave a restaurant) and had nothing for the rest of the night.

I am thinking that getting engaged in a physical task totally takes my mind off food. 
Invited out for dinner at a neighbor's tonight.  She is a retired freelance recipe developer and takes her dinner invitations very seriously.  I am planning to eat lightly all day, drink lots of water and work on my garden hard so that I have earned those calories.
Woke up and I am starving.  Going to have tea (neat) and a piece of fruit before I load the calories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 24, 2016, 10:43:05 AM
@RedmondStash I forget - do u weigh your food? What about activity levels? Is it different between then and now?

Do u weigh daily or just the weekly weigh in? Might be worth trying a daily weigh in.

Hang in there- u can beat this!

Thanks, Elaine. I don't weigh my food; I use calorieking.com to estimate calories. I used to weigh food many years ago, but I've got a pretty good eye for it now.

Activity levels are definitely lower. I'm gradually working up to the levels I was at before, but they're probably currently about 1/2 to 2/3 of what they were. I have to be really careful not to overdo it or I can wipe myself out for days, so I'm increasing super-slowly.

I'm also older. :) And my metabolism is definitely slowing down.

I'll think about the daily weigh-in. I generally find that when I do it daily, I start obsessing too much about what I eat. I'm trying to stay balanced, you know? And I know that over time, even weekly weigh-ins average out fairly accurately. It's a long, long game.

Mostly, I'm trying to remind myself that I am on track, and that it takes time. The most important thing is not to just throw in the towel. And I am actually grateful that the numbers aren't still going up, as they were doing steadily over the last year and a half or so.

@Frugal Lizard -- sounds like you did really well. Mindfulness really does seem like the key.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 24, 2016, 12:57:13 PM
@frugal lizard That's awesome!! I love that u have come up with a plan that lets u indulge where appropriate and yet still eat less overall. So glad u are seeing some movement on the scale!

I went for one of those fundraising chicken and pasta dinners yesterday. Ate 2 big plates of greasy roasted chicken and pasta. It totalled 880 cals or so. But, I skipped breakfast, have been going for long walks all week (to build a surplus), and still have almost 2000 calories left for today (the end of the week). My base calories is just 1230 a day - I love that I somehow always end each week with so much wiggle room. Especially since I tend to have big meals on the weekends. Hoping to finally finish the bread pudding I baked a week ago!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 24, 2016, 01:03:00 PM
@RedmondStash if your activity levels are less and food about the same as before, then that could be why the scale is so slow. Try cutting the cals a wee bit more (maybe by 100-200 cals a day) and look for a slow loss. Good luck finding the right balance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: SingleMomDebt on April 24, 2016, 09:21:45 PM
I'm jumping on ship! Get older and the weight just doesn't come off anymore!!! Grrrr. Haha.

I know its also work. But since I am still working i will need to work on other means for losing this stuff.

Two years ago I was 10lbs lighter. I cannot keep this up! My weakness, I am a snacker. And My exercise activity is very, very light. Cuz I am very, very busy at a desk.

Okay, stats:

5'7' and 170 lbs :(

I am so sad about it. I feel the weight now.
And it makes me very self conscious.

My comfy weight used to be 135 and I was good with that. Not sure I will get there again. But would be happy with 140 - 145.

Plan: we have these really good flights of stairs (6 floors). I'm gonna attempt it - for start - up/down 1x day. Then work it up (there is a guy at work who does then 12x a day). And I am going back on portion control and logging food down.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 25, 2016, 12:15:25 AM
Camping weekend went well. The tracks were so rough that i didn't feel like eating at all. :)

Minimal cheese has been eaten, no pretzels, yay. I added sliced apples and pears to the cheese platter and it Worked well. Alternated wine with sparkling water (drank 1 bottle in 3 days by the campfire).

All in all, glad i didn't pig out. It was great to prepare mentally for the eating scenarios and have a strategy to avoid overeating in social situations.

Emergency carrots, people!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 25, 2016, 05:22:01 AM

Emergency carrots, people!

+1

Chippewa - welcome to thread.  I have been doing this for 10 days and these guys have really made me feel welcome. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 25, 2016, 07:12:40 AM
Chippewa - welcome!! So glad to have you here. You know the most awesome thing? you're taking a stand and making a change NOW. Just imagine if you continue as you are for the next few years. How many more extra pounds will you have to lose then?

@Bee21 LOL to the emergency carrots! It's so true that having a plan helps so very much. Kudos to you for using all those fantastic hacks.

@Frugal lizard You've been amazing to have around. Thanks for sharing your journey with all the rest of us :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on April 25, 2016, 08:58:34 AM
First thing I'd like to say is how inspiring you all are! Good work everyone.

The bad news is that my upward trend is still in full force. Also in full force, the trend where my weight goes down all week, then jumps back up for Monday weigh in day! (I weigh myself daily, but have a graph of the Monday weight-ins going back a few years.) No matter.

The good news is that I'm done fixing the basement suite and the bulk of the necessary yard work (still tons of fun gardening to do), my energy levels seem to be improving immensely (I was going to bed at 7pm, but now I'm up without effort until 10pm), and I'm ready to get back on track.

Starting today I'm back to tracking calories. I'm going to fit in a little exercise routine and build some extra muscle and endurance. I have a motivating and epic expedition planned in a couple years that I need to start physically working towards now.

@Frugal Lizard I'm learning to be at peace with occasionally being hungry. It really is OK to be hungry sometimes.

+1

For me, cravings are harder to deal with than plain hunger.

Back a few years ago when I was doing really well at losing weight I found that I actually enjoyed that feeling of being a little hungry. I associated the slight hunger feeling with the thought of losing weight and progressing towards my goals and it made me smile. I hope to find that ability again soon! But I agree about cravings. Vicious things!

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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 25, 2016, 09:19:36 AM
I finally dug out the scale this weekend to see if cutting back on snacks has made a difference - My scale doesn't work anymore! I think this is the universe telling me to  not make it a numbers thing yet :) For now I'll just keep with the better habits and see if it makes a difference in how I feel. I have a couple of dresses from pre-kids and a more recent pair of skinny jeans that I might use as my gauge for now.

Re-arranged my kitchen this weekend to encourage fruit and green smoothie consumption. We moved to a new state this year for a job and landed in smaller apartment and I realize now how much a kitchen affects my cooking and general relationship with food. In our old house I made green smoothies several times a week but there is not a good place for my Vitamix in the new apartment and I haven't made any since last September. When I'm drinking smoothies I'm not craving sweets. So i rearranged a bunch of stuff. The DH was not thrilled that the coffee pot is in a less convenient spot but I'm putting my health over convenience. And also, it's not like he uses the kitchen anyway -I pre-set the coffee at night so all he has to do it pour it in the morning.

In addition to cutting out carbs at snack time I will try to add in at least 3 green smoothies this week. That is my goal- small and simple, but surprisingly hard for me to do this year.

@Bee21 - that cheese/apple/pear platter sounds divine! 

@Chippewa - WELCOME!

@Elaine amj - I love your frequent checking in and feedback - I may not post a ton but seeing other people frequently commenting on the thread helps keep me in line :)

 @Redmondstache- I'm like you when it comes to daily weigh ins - I obsess. I mentioned it in an earlier spot in the thread but I read once about a study that indicated extended plateaus could be a body's way of resetting its "set point". The author theorized that allowing the reset to happen might make it easier to maintain the weight loss. They basically theorized that it might take 3-4 times as long to lose the weight but you were less likely to gain it back if you leaned in to the plateaus and just allowed them to happen for a while before trying to push through them. I'm not sold on the set point theory, but it does seem to make sense and I'm intrigued.

@frugallizard- am loving your updates!

@geostache - I'm so impressed that you were able to maintain while traveling for work! When I travel for work I eat ALL THE THINGS that no one else in my family likes (so lots of sushi and Indian) and always come home feeling overstuffed and gross :)

Cheers to everyone having a great week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on April 25, 2016, 10:47:11 AM
I took a (planned well in advance) week off for my sister's wedding. I didn't track anything, and I ate absolutely whatever I wanted to. It ended up costing me about 3-4 lbs, which is not too bad IMO, but I am having a really hard time getting back on track. I am hungrier than I was before we went, and snacking more. I don't think I will do that again, at least that intentionally. Going forward, I think I will give myself permission to take a meal off here and there for special occasions, but not a whole week. Anyway, at least it's only a few lbs, and hopefully I will be shedding it again soon!

Great job to everyone who has been continuing to eat healthy and exercise. I am really inspired by this thread each time I pop in.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 25, 2016, 12:25:19 PM
@StarBright: Somewhere along the way, I figured out that I couldn't just eat whatever when I travel. I used to travel a lot, and part of me treating it like a vacation led to my weight-gain.

@Bee21: Sounds like you had a fairly successful camping trip!

I've fallen off the sugar wagon. It started a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to kick it again. I had to come home today due to a tension headache, and I ate two pieces of cherry pie. Blargh. I think it's time to go back to my clean eating principles to scrub my sugar cravings.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 25, 2016, 10:37:43 PM
@rockstache Last time I went off track, it took me 1-2 weeks of being hungry to get back to "Normal" again. Helped to Re,mind myself that I went through it in my first 1-2 weeks and survived. Lots of habit hacking :)

@geostache I'm so impressed with your work trip discipline! I am currently in a hotel room on a short work trip and did terribly. Dinner ended up being over 2000 calories!! AND I treated myself to a bag of cheese puffs and ate way too much. Will I survive a free hotel breakfast tomorrow? I am such a sucker for free food. To make matters worse, I have a staff party tomorrow night and will be surrounded by a free flow of munchies all night.

On the good side, I dragged myself to the hotel gym at 10:30pm and spent an hour on the bike. Burned 400 cals. Would like to go back tomorrow but doubt I will have time.

I am estimating it will take an entire week of being strict to make up for today and just don't know if I have the willpower to be that strict. I over ate by over 1600 calories today!! (3321 total less 1230 allotment and 420 exercise).  I'll be keeping u guys updated!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on April 25, 2016, 11:35:52 PM
Hello all, hoping I can join you on here to hold myself accountable and share progress. Have been super impressed seeing everyone's numbers and a steady weight loss from January. Congrats to all!

I am finally back in a mindset to tackle this for the long term, after a classic 20+ lbs weight loss and regain a few years ago. For the past couple of months, I've been working on building out a sustainable exercise habit and I think I am getting the hang of it (I hope I won't jinx it by boasting that). I use two apps to keep myself accountable- one for running 3 x a week, and one for a strength training workout 3x a week.

I haven't seen any progress on the scale, but my clothes are fitting a little looser so I am happy (hopefully I'm just gaining muscle mass?). I've also switched from calorie counting when I realized I was blowing my budget every day and probably double counting for exercise calories. Now I just track what I eat and when I eat it in a little notebook I carry around and that has eased my anxiety about calories a bit. I was reviewing my entries and am realizing that I don't eat as many vegetables as I thought I did! Big focus for me this week is to incorporate more veggies and hold myself to snacking only once between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner, at a defined time.

Starting point for me:

4/26/2016: 168.6 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 26, 2016, 07:20:07 AM
@rockstache Last time I went off track, it took me 1-2 weeks of being hungry to get back to "Normal" again. Helped to Re,mind myself that I went through it in my first 1-2 weeks and survived. Lots of habit hacking :)

@geostache I'm so impressed with your work trip discipline! I am currently in a hotel room on a short work trip and did terribly. Dinner ended up being over 2000 calories!! AND I treated myself to a bag of cheese puffs and ate way too much. Will I survive a free hotel breakfast tomorrow? I am such a sucker for free food. To make matters worse, I have a staff party tomorrow night and will be surrounded by a free flow of munchies all night.

On the good side, I dragged myself to the hotel gym at 10:30pm and spent an hour on the bike. Burned 400 cals. Would like to go back tomorrow but doubt I will have time.

I am estimating it will take an entire week of being strict to make up for today and just don't know if I have the willpower to be that strict. I over ate by over 1600 calories today!! (3321 total less 1230 allotment and 420 exercise).  I'll be keeping u guys updated!

Hang in there! I had a free breakfast buffet, including an omelet station. I allowed myself a slice of bacon to go with my (estimated) 2 eggs worth of scrambled eggs, and 1/2c each of berries and pineapple. I knew I wasn't going to have access to healthy snacks before lunch, so I tried to eat a larger breakfast than normal.

Will your staff party have vegetables? Try to load your plate with crunchy veggies first, and then have a small serving of the not-so-good-for-you stuff. I went to a birthday party on Sunday that had the same thing - unlimited amounts of food - and I tried to stick with the healthier options. I still overate, but at least the things I was eating were healthy!

I am recommitting to my no-refined sugar diet today. In addition to the two slices of pie I had, I also ate two klondike bars, and felt gross. I didn't even eat dinner. I tried to make up for it by pushing my 30 lb toddlers in their stroller for 1.5 mile walk. It added some exercise calories in there, so it wasn't as horrible as it could have been. But still. That sugar dragon is a beast!

@RuntoFIRE: Welcome to the thread! Everyone here is really supportive, and it's good to hear that others are having similar struggles and victories. It's really motivating!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 26, 2016, 08:17:53 AM
Welcome to RuntoFIRE - this is a great place to help you with the motivation.  I too am not eating enough veggies and having too many snacks. 

Last night I was thinking about the whole frustration with weight coming off so slowly. (before the face punches come my way - I know I have only been declared on the program for a week and a half but I have been actively pretending for years)  It took me 15 years to put this weight on, so why should I be thinking that it should be coming off in 12 weeks?  I decided that for this whole thing to to work I have to be realistic.  I need to recognize that halting the weight creep (2 lbs a year) is an achievement in and of itself.  I read somewhere (I think Nutrition Action Newsletter) that 1-2lbs per year is 200 -300 extra calories per day.  Cutting that out is very doable for me.  Have extra vegetables at supper in place of starch.  Delete the cheese from the salad.  A smaller amount of meat.  Water instead of fruit juice.  Start breakfast with fruit.   

I think I have made a big step towards mindfulness around how I got to this place.  And this morning the evidence of this was:  I made myself breakfast.  I resisted eating standing up from the fridge.  I put some leftovers from dinner last night and 3/4 of an orange on my very small plate and sat down in the dining room. I was eating slowly - reading a book, drinking tea, and having some quiet time before everyone rushes out the door.  I had eaten half of the high calorie food and realized I was nearly full.  I finished the orange and put the rest back in a container for later.  Two weeks ago I would have thought - oh - just finish it up and then spent the morning feeling stuffed. A similar thing happen last night at dinner.  There was cake sent home from dinner on Sunday night.  There were three pieces.  The kids each had a piece but I decided I didn't need more food.  My DD picked the walnuts out of her serving, and put them back in the container and then asked for the third piece.  I was satisfied with knowing that it tasted good Sunday night but I was full at that moment.  I ate the cake coated walnuts at nine when I did the dishes and was tempted to have a snack.  I didn't feel deprived when Hubby came home from work asking if the cake was finished (he had a piece at work) and wasn't going to let the three remaining pieces go to waste.   

I think that this is a breakthrough for me.  I know it isn't enough to get me to 30lbs less but it is probably enough to stop the weight creep.  I think if I keep noticing that I am getting full and stop eating, stay with the food journal and getting comfortable with being a little hungry before I mindlessly snack for a month then I will be ready to start the next step and chip away at the 30lbs and getting back to the shape I wish to be.  (The one without a muffin top and to have muscle definition in my legs and arms)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 26, 2016, 10:18:52 AM
@RuntoFIRE WELCOME! I hear you about the veggie stuff. When I first started having calories to spare, I got a bit excited and started eating more junk food. Then I realized it really wasn't particularly nutritious for me to refuse fruit/nuts/veggie in favour of a calorie laden slice of cake or caramel popcorn. I still let myself indulge, and sometimes (last night!) overindulge, but I'm really trying to choose something nutritious to snack on - just because it is good for my overall health even if it doesn't make any difference with the weightloss.

@Frugal Lizard I love that attitude of self-awareness. Sometimes I am tempted to race to the finish line. But like you, I want SUSTAINABLE change. And I know if I go at this too fast, I will likely yoyo after I get off the diet. Already I am starting to wonder about just how committed I am to make this my forever life. I've had ups and downs, but overall, the slow and steady thing has actually been rather easy and I think that is a good thing.

As for this morning, I am thrilled to report that I did go to the gym this morning (although I was tempted to go back for a nap) and spent another hour on the bike, burning another 400 calories. For breakfast, I restricted myself to a single fruit cup (although the free made to order omelette was calling my name really loudly!). I snacked on a small corn tortilla on the hour drive home (picked up from an amazing local spot for my DD). Lunch was a very small serving of plain yogurt and granola. I'm debating my strategy for the evening. Not sure if I should snack again in the late afternoon? Work party starts about 7pm. I am HUNGRY now, but decided I will just deal with it today to save my calories for tonight. After all, it was my own fault for going way overboard last night. I can have ANYthing I want - but not EVERYthing. Will let u guys know how it goes :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 26, 2016, 10:39:28 AM
Frugal Lizard -  I totally understand, as we all do here.  There are a couple of days I am good with my eating and expect to drop 10 lbs. LOL.  Then, when I realize I barely moved the needle,  I use it as excuse to indulge and then start again the next day.  You have to love the mental games we play.  They are quite effective. Now if we can get them going in the positive direction, it would be even better.  It is definitely a slow change that we have to keep in sight for the long term. 

I am back on the wagon. I dropped off but it has become apparent to me that I have to do this more for health reasons.  I get heartburn now and bad when I overeat and the other day, the message came crashing down. It is really painful and uncomfortable. I don't want to live on tums nor do I want to take medicine for it.  So, I have decided not to calorie count but instead just be mindful of how much I am putting on my plate and what I start to reach for throughout the day.  So far, while I did have some junk food over the weekend, it wasn't excess and my portions of everything was pretty good, for the most part.  I am trying to teach myself to stop when I am full and not keep going. This is harder than it sounds.

Summer is coming and I want to fit into my summer clothes. I really don't want to buy new ones just because of the weight.  So now, besides health reasons, I have a second goal. I cant even believe I didn't buy new winter pants. Getting dressed in the morning was uncomfortable and frustrating and walking around all day stuffed in my pants wasn't pretty.   

We can do this. It is just a mindset and it is time to change it.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 26, 2016, 09:10:51 PM
Just got home after work party. Let's just say it didn't go so well and I am uncomfortably full. Couldn't stop after 6 meatballs. Then 12 meatballs. Finally stopped after 15 meatballs. And only because I was so very stuffed. Along with munchies and candy, I hit a 1500+ cal meal easily today. UGH. I'll be lucky to stay at maintenance this week :(

Tomorrow is another day, right? Time to focus on small wins and one meal at a time again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 26, 2016, 10:30:18 PM
Just got home after work party. Let's just say it didn't go so well and I am uncomfortably full. Couldn't stop after 6 meatballs. Then 12 meatballs. Finally stopped after 15 meatballs. And only because I was so very stuffed. Along with munchies and candy, I hit a 1500+ cal meal easily today. UGH. I'll be lucky to stay at maintenance this week :(

Tomorrow is another day, right? Time to focus on small wins and one meal at a time again.

Yes. Tomorrow is absolutely another day. I had a really bingey day today too; someone at work brought in grocery-store cookies, and while sometimes I can just ignore them, today they kept calling my name and I ended up eating 4 of them. And more dessert when I got home. My highest calorie count in a while, today.

I'm choosing to believe that a day of higher caloric input is part of my stealth scheme to fool my body into thinking I'm eating more every day, so I can sneak in some more stealth weight loss the rest of the week.

But more important than that, tomorrow is a new day. The counter resets when I wake up, all sins of the past forgiven. I hope to do better tomorrow, but if I don't, the next day is a new day. I absolutely refuse to feel guilt or regret; I chose to eat the way I did, and I also chose the consequences. I am okay with that because it helps me strategize how to make different choices in the future.

I'm glad this thread is here. The support really is helpful.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on April 26, 2016, 11:40:27 PM
Hi all, thanks for the welcomes!

I am doing ok today even after going out to eat at a pub last night for Trivia night. I had a Ceasar Salad with grilled chicken (which actually proved to be super tasty) but I did have two beers, which did not feel great this morning. Still I made myself stick to my working out schedule and went out for a run this morning. Small win.

For lunch, I had this smoked salmon salad from Starbucks for the second day in a row and realized I love it. My office is in a mall, so food options are a bit hard although there is a supermarket on the ground floor. I made myself dip my fork into the dressing before picking up a bite instead of putting the dressing on the salad, which was just as satisfying. I did splurge on two small macarons from the bakery before coming back up to the office. I had a strong craving for something sweet to finish out the meal. I don't know where the craving comes from or what the reward is, but I practiced mindful eating for these macarons and realized I could have done with just one and that now I am contented and satisfied.

@Frugal Lizard I totally feel you about the slow eating. Before I committed to tracking things with my notebook, I didn't realize how often I ate on the run, in front of the TV, etc. For two weeks, I committed to sitting down for every meal (even if it's at my desk for lunch) and to focus on what I was eating and to eat slowly. It was interesting to see that I felt much more content when done and did not always finish my plate.

@elaine amj - sorry to hear about the overeating at the party- it happens. Maybe next time try not to "save" calories for the evening, but rather eat a filling snack, like oatmeal, before you go? That way, you'll be much more picky about what you decide to splurge on? Congrats on working out that morning!

@geostache- the sugar cravings are tough, huh? Let me know if you find something that works besides just going cold turkey. I have told myself that I'll just quit sugar so many times, but am always back to eating something sweet a couple of days afterwards.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: bloomability on April 27, 2016, 07:02:36 AM
Camping weekend went well. The tracks were so rough that i didn't feel like eating at all. :)

Minimal cheese has been eaten, no pretzels, yay. I added sliced apples and pears to the cheese platter and it Worked well. Alternated wine with sparkling water (drank 1 bottle in 3 days by the campfire).

All in all, glad i didn't pig out. It was great to prepare mentally for the eating scenarios and have a strategy to avoid overeating in social situations.

Emergency carrots, people!

If it's white wine, you could do a white wine spritzer and combine the sparkling water and wine. I'm a big fan of sparkling wine so it is perfect for me.

Congrats on the successful weekend!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 27, 2016, 07:20:46 AM

@geostache- the sugar cravings are tough, huh? Let me know if you find something that works besides just going cold turkey. I have told myself that I'll just quit sugar so many times, but am always back to eating something sweet a couple of days afterwards.

There really is no other option for me. If I eat it, I crave it. I do best when I cut it out of my diet completely. I wish I had a better answer for you!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 27, 2016, 07:33:07 AM
What do you folks think about making rules around your eating?  I am not counting calories because I know I won't.  I am too lazy.   So I have made some rules around the circumstances that I eat that I have chosen because a) I will stick to the rules b) there is scientific evidence that it helps reduce the amount I eat and c) I don't feel deprived.

I have to write down everything that I put in my mouth.  (so that I really know exactly what I am putting in my mouth)
I have to eat off a dish sitting down.  (so I eat slower and can measure with my eyes how much I put in my mouth)
No juice  (don't want to drink my calories)
It must be very high quality food (no cheap rubber cheese - if I am going to eat it is is going to be the most delicious cheese a craft cheesemaker can make)

I may have to re-evaluate if I don't start to loose weight because I want to be a different shape again.  But this is what I am trying in the early stages of this process.

In a way I have some built in restrictions because I am celiac,  I can't eat most buffet food. But I work from home and there is too much food available and I can snack continuously.  I have three emergency carrots left in the stash....must go grocery shopping.

I think I read or heard that high fructose corn syrup interrupts our bodies natural ability to know when we are full.  Has anybody heard about that?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 27, 2016, 05:34:15 PM
It is hard. I think breaking the snacking habit is the hardest. I can avoid junk food, but i still feel like eating constantly, especially if i am angry/stressed/ sleep deprived.

I can't go cold turkey, but i am getting to the stage when i can reduce things, or stop after 2 bites of something.

I did 4 weeks of intermittent fasting in january and it helped me breaking some of my bad snacking habits. Am planning to do it again in May. Somehow i learnt to manage hunger better those days.

Lizard, If you are a snacker i recommend counting the calories of the snacks you have. That might scare you into eating less. It definitely scared me. Eg a tub of my favourite youghurt=368 cal. A bag of pretzels=360. If i eat the pretzels and the yoghurt it is over 700 cals just in snacks. If i don't, i can lose a almost a kg a week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on April 27, 2016, 07:33:46 PM
@ Frugal Lizard: I like the rules you have set up. One thing I am trying this week is to keep my snacks at a consistent time. I know I am going to want to snack, so I just tell myself that I can snack at 10am and 3pm, and no other times. That helps me rationalize away the cravings that come in between breakfast and snack time and lunch time and snack time. I read that if you have a craving but tell yourself that you can have it (or a version of it) later, your craving lessens.

I recently discovered a book called Foodist by Darya Rose, which recommends the habits of eating real food, eating slowly, not depriving yourself but instead mindfully choosing the best version of something (like the cheese example), etc.. I recommend the book- it's helped me get a better, less stressful perspective on my eating. Whether that perspective lasts, however, is another story....

Good luck to all today!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 27, 2016, 08:17:15 PM
What do you folks think about making rules around your eating?  I am not counting calories because I know I won't.  I am too lazy.   So I have made some rules around the circumstances that I eat that I have chosen because a) I will stick to the rules b) there is scientific evidence that it helps reduce the amount I eat and c) I don't feel deprived.

I have to write down everything that I put in my mouth.  (so that I really know exactly what I am putting in my mouth)
I have to eat off a dish sitting down.  (so I eat slower and can measure with my eyes how much I put in my mouth)
No juice  (don't want to drink my calories)
It must be very high quality food (no cheap rubber cheese - if I am going to eat it is is going to be the most delicious cheese a craft cheesemaker can make)

I may have to re-evaluate if I don't start to loose weight because I want to be a different shape again.  But this is what I am trying in the early stages of this process.

In a way I have some built in restrictions because I am celiac,  I can't eat most buffet food. But I work from home and there is too much food available and I can snack continuously.  I have three emergency carrots left in the stash....must go grocery shopping.

I think I read or heard that high fructose corn syrup interrupts our bodies natural ability to know when we are full.  Has anybody heard about that?

I like those rules too.

I find that the rules I can tolerate vary depending on variables I can't define. The rules that work best for me are much like yours, including writing down everything I eat, writing down all my exercise, and saying "no" to treats whenever I can without severe distress or cravings. If I have a serious craving, I can eat something really high-quality to sate it.

I don't exactly try to stay under a calorie limit, but I am aware through previous analysis of the caloric and exercise levels at which I lose weight, so I just keep that in mind throughout the day.

Right now, making mostly good choices on most days has been working well. But there are times when all the rules go out the window and I eat like a helpless idiot for a while. I've had to learn to let those times run their course and then get back on track.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on April 27, 2016, 11:53:56 PM

Right now, making mostly good choices on most days has been working well. But there are times when all the rules go out the window and I eat like a helpless idiot for a while. I've had to learn to let those times run their course and then get back on track.

@RedmondStash - I think this is a good strategy. You are not judging yourself for failing, you are being compassionate towards yourself when you do go off track and trying to stick to the program as best you can most of the time. I like that approach and will try to emulate it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 28, 2016, 08:23:39 AM

Right now, making mostly good choices on most days has been working well. But there are times when all the rules go out the window and I eat like a helpless idiot for a while. I've had to learn to let those times run their course and then get back on track.

@RedmondStash - I think this is a good strategy. You are not judging yourself for failing, you are being compassionate towards yourself when you do go off track and trying to stick to the program as best you can most of the time. I like that approach and will try to emulate it.

@RuntoFIRE -- Exactly. I view my poor eating choices as some weird combination of brain chemistry, sugar addiction, emotional roller coasters, and free will. I know it's always a choice, but there are days when my eating seems to be on autopilot to such an extent that I watch from the outside and marvel at the fact that I'm stuffing yet another doughnut into my face.

Basically, there are days when it's easy to eat well, days when it's harder, and days (or even just moments) when it's nearly impossible. I don't punish myself for the nearly impossible days, and I try to reproduce the situations that led to the easy days, so I can have more of them. My life is my laboratory. :)

Good luck to you!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: senorpanqueque on April 28, 2016, 08:46:02 AM
Hey all,

Just chiming in. Am down 15 pounds from 208 to 193, as well as 2 or so inches off the waist since beginning of March.

Good luck to everyone participating! Keep up the great work!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 28, 2016, 09:27:34 AM
I crafted a post, proofed it and then it disappeared into the netherworld.  Take 2 - and the power just cut out for 20 minutes - take 3.
Thank you all for the feedback.  You are all so helpful.

Elaine amj - how are you going?  Hope you are back your horse.
Redmondstash - have you tried to figure out what the trigger is to cause you to abandon your intentions and go "helpless idiot" for awhile.  It is probably hard to tease out the constellation of circumstances that leads you to loosing your focus but it would be very helpful if you could break the cycle.
RuntoFIRE - I will get that book from library.  I have been doing better about snacking when I have a protein serving at the breakfast.  I think that it takes longer to digest and keeps me from needing to snack for hunger reasons.  I am recognizing that a lot of my snacking has very little to do with hunger.  I snack because I am bored or stuck or don't want to start a task or have to do something that is hard or probably the hardest to admit - because I am insecure.  I work by myself so I get very little affirmation or opportunity to compare my skills to others.  I think I snack to fortify myself in case I mind find out that I am not the brilliant creative expert I pretend to be.  Seems super silly written down here but I need to fully explore what I do that has caused me to eat too much and not because I need the nutrition.  I want to get back to eating about eating.
Bee21 - The journal record has scared me away from snacking so I think you are right about counting the calories.  I did brilliantly yesterday - no snacking in the morning at all.  Then bam - saw six chocolate easter eggs in the cupboard on top of the can of beans I was needing for dinner prep.  Ate em all.  At least they are gone and there was only six.
Senorpanqueque - well done.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 28, 2016, 10:02:14 AM

Right now, making mostly good choices on most days has been working well. But there are times when all the rules go out the window and I eat like a helpless idiot for a while. I've had to learn to let those times run their course and then get back on track.

@RedmondStash - I think this is a good strategy. You are not judging yourself for failing, you are being compassionate towards yourself when you do go off track and trying to stick to the program as best you can most of the time. I like that approach and will try to emulate it.

@RuntoFIRE -- Exactly. I view my poor eating choices as some weird combination of brain chemistry, sugar addiction, emotional roller coasters, and free will. I know it's always a choice, but there are days when my eating seems to be on autopilot to such an extent that I watch from the outside and marvel at the fact that I'm stuffing yet another doughnut into my face.

Basically, there are days when it's easy to eat well, days when it's harder, and days (or even just moments) when it's nearly impossible. I don't punish myself for the nearly impossible days, and I try to reproduce the situations that led to the easy days, so I can have more of them. My life is my laboratory. :)

Good luck to you!


RedmondStash - I could of written this myself. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 28, 2016, 10:12:11 AM
Well, I am down 2lbs again.  I say this gently as I am sure it is just water weight, but hopefully, I can keep this going in the right direction.

It really is amazing how much you can eat throughout the day and not realize it.  The other day, I thought I did pretty decent and when I sat down and thought about it, I was like uh oh.  I have a ton of stuff around, but realize I am just one of those people that cant keep things around.  Portion control is too hard for me. It works one day, maybe two, but then it goes out the window.

I am thankful for this thread.  It keeps me trying.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 28, 2016, 11:06:41 AM
Basically, there are days when it's easy to eat well, days when it's harder, and days (or even just moments) when it's nearly impossible. I don't punish myself for the nearly impossible days, and I try to reproduce the situations that led to the easy days, so I can have more of them. My life is my laboratory. :)

I agree - I am learning to be kind to myself when I go off track into a crazy binge. I have a feeling it's going to happen every now and then. Rather than going all crazy beating myself up (and potentially going into a downward spiral), I'm going to forgive myself and move on. And remember that I've had many, many, many easy days and those will return again if I can just be patient and stay the course.

@Frugal Lizard I'll be honest, it's been a struggle. Monday was an awful blowout of epic proportions. Tuesday was better, but still ate more than I wanted. I dragged myself back on track on Wednesday, eating relatively properly all day. I was still so munchy after dinner though and that was hard to control. I nibbled a couple of small things for under 60-80 calories and managed to stop (although DH and DS did intervene a little). Last night I was thinking about how much work I have to do to make up for Monday and felt myself starting to spiral down again. At that point, I decided I am going to give myself a clean slate and forget about Monday. The binge was too big to make up for and I will drive myself crazy trying (mentally, I do better with occasional larger meals and treats. The deprivation mentality sends me into a tailspin). I'm just going to move forward and stay on my usual eating routine for the rest of the week. Normally I like to end the week with average net calories of 1230/day. I'm now planning to end it overeating by about 1200 calories. So what? It means my loss is slowed by less than half a lb. Really not a big deal.

On the good side, I spent the last 2 hours arguing with myself over the cookies in the office kitchen. I even input one cookie into MFP to see how bad a hit it would be. Then I walked there, fully intending to return to my office with a cookie. My boss happened to be there and again brought up my awesome weight loss. I told her I was dying for a cookie and she convinced me I could do without it. Made myself a giant cup of black coffee and went back to my office...cookie-less.

@senorpanqueque CONGRATULATIONS!! a 15 lb loss is fabulous! We love to hear awesome successes here :)

@alleykat Awareness about eating is huge in this. Being real and finding a technique that works for you and your personality is so critical. And sometimes - you just need that magic something to click in your head. Nobody else can do it for you. We're all here cheering you on!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 28, 2016, 02:30:03 PM
Elaine amj - I was hoping you weren't struggling in silence too much.  Glad to hear you are back on your horse.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 28, 2016, 05:47:09 PM
@Frugal Lizard Thanks for checking on me :) :) This journey is so full of ups and downs. But I will NOT waste months of hard work just because of one stupid binge. I want a healthier me and will keep my eye on the goal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 28, 2016, 06:22:02 PM

Right now, making mostly good choices on most days has been working well. But there are times when all the rules go out the window and I eat like a helpless idiot for a while. I've had to learn to let those times run their course and then get back on track.

@RedmondStash - I think this is a good strategy. You are not judging yourself for failing, you are being compassionate towards yourself when you do go off track and trying to stick to the program as best you can most of the time. I like that approach and will try to emulate it.

@RuntoFIRE -- Exactly. I view my poor eating choices as some weird combination of brain chemistry, sugar addiction, emotional roller coasters, and free will. I know it's always a choice, but there are days when my eating seems to be on autopilot to such an extent that I watch from the outside and marvel at the fact that I'm stuffing yet another doughnut into my face.

Basically, there are days when it's easy to eat well, days when it's harder, and days (or even just moments) when it's nearly impossible. I don't punish myself for the nearly impossible days, and I try to reproduce the situations that led to the easy days, so I can have more of them. My life is my laboratory. :)

Good luck to you!

RedmondStash - I could of written this myself.

:)

@elaine amj -- I'm sorry it's been hard for you lately. I've had some unexpectedly bumpy days recently too. It's really hard not to get discouraged, but I do believe it's possible to achieve our goals, and I do believe support helps. Good luck to us both.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on April 28, 2016, 07:54:35 PM
I'm just going to move forward and stay on my usual eating routine for the rest of the week. Normally I like to end the week with average net calories of 1230/day. I'm now planning to end it overeating by about 1200 calories. So what? It means my loss is slowed by less than half a lb. Really not a big deal.

On the good side, I spent the last 2 hours arguing with myself over the cookies in the office kitchen. I even input one cookie into MFP to see how bad a hit it would be. Then I walked there, fully intending to return to my office with a cookie. My boss happened to be there and again brought up my awesome weight loss. I told her I was dying for a cookie and she convinced me I could do without it. Made myself a giant cup of black coffee and went back to my office...cookie-less.


Elaine amj - congrats about not taking the cookie- that's huge!
Can I ask about your plan to eat 1230 net calories a day? That sounds pretty low to me. I am not judging - just want to understand how you came to that number. Is that something you can sustain over the long term?

RedmondStash- I totally feel you on the bad days. There are days when I am my own worst enemy in the food game. I tell myself I can't have something but then I take it anyways. Or I am the one to suggest getting snacks or an unhealthy lunch, or ice cream, etc. when a bunch of us are deciding what to do, fully knowing that the others would not have suggested the unhealthy options. I don't know what's driving that behavior at all, it's like a have a little petulant child inside me that just wants all the treats now, now, now! I realize that making peace with myself will definitely have to come first.

As for this week for me, I feel like I am strengthening my workout habit. I even got up at 5am on Thursday so that I'd have time to work out before I had to be in at work at 7am for a call (I normally take calls this early at home a couple of times a week, but couldn't do it this time). I've also gotten to the point where cooking is more automatic, and I feel better after eating a meal that I cooked vs. going out. The scale is cooperating too and since I posted here a few days ago I am down by 1.33 pounds (I weigh myself daily as a check in).

I am traveling this weekend and will try my best to keep splurges to a minimum. We'll see how that goes.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brett2k07 on April 29, 2016, 05:06:33 AM
So I haven't posted here in about a month. We hadn't really been working out, so progress has been literally zero. I won't bore you with the excuses. Good news is, we've worked out 5 out of the past 6 days. I think we're going to stick with it this time. The good news is that I've been able to maintain my weight since the beginning of the month. It did start to climb back up a little over the past two weeks, but I'm back at 224 as of this morning. Here goes nothing.

Beginning: 226
3/18/16: 226.4 (+0.4)
3/25/16: 223.0 (-3.4)**
4/1/16: 224.0 (+1.0)
4/8/16: 224.0 (0.00)
4/15/16: 224.5 (0.00)
4/22/16: 225.0 (0.00)
4/29/16: 224.0 (0.00)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 29, 2016, 07:09:06 AM
@Elaine: You aren't alone in the struggle. Hang in there and don't give up! You've come so far, and have made a lot of progress.

What does everyone think about doing a May challenge? Something like sticking to your plan (whatever shape that may take) for the month May? The reason I ask is because we're nearing the end of the month, and it seems like we've all been hitting a proverbial wall in one sense or another. I could use a good swift kick in the pants, and having you all keep me honest will be a big help.
 
Thoughts? @Elaine? @alleykat? @Redmonstash? @Frugal Lizard? @Bee21? @RuntoFIRE? Anyone else? Are you all in?

Today was weigh in day, and it's safe to say I've hit another plateau. This time, it's not because my body is refusing to give up the weight. It's because I have been indulging in way too many sweets and not tracking as religiously as I have in the past. I'm up 0.4 lbs.

01/01/2016: 182.8
04/08/2016: 155.2
04/15/2016: 156.8
04/22/2016: 156.2
04/29/2016: 156.6 (+0.4)

Total loss: 26.2
Goal: 140


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: senorpanqueque on April 29, 2016, 07:22:18 AM
I'm in.

I'm playing in a weekend hockey tournament (street, not ice) at the end of May, and one of my goals is to be one of the guys on the teams with the best endurance. Another 10 pounds down wouldn't hurt either.. ;)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 29, 2016, 07:42:06 AM
What does everyone think about doing a May challenge? Something like sticking to your plan (whatever shape that may take) for the month May? The reason I ask is because we're nearing the end of the month, and it seems like we've all been hitting a proverbial wall in one sense or another. I could use a good swift kick in the pants, and having you all keep me honest will be a big help.

Sure, why not? I'm in. Maybe focusing on staying on track instead of on weight loss will help me through the plateau I seem to be on.

Go, team, go! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 29, 2016, 08:27:34 AM
Count me in. This challenge will be perfect for the month of May.  Now, I need to think of what is reasonable.

Also, I will add walking at least 3 times a week.  I can never stick with exercising for some reason and need to.  I have also made some goals as part of the strengthening thread on here and I am determined to achieve them. I still have time.

For those that lost a substantial amount of weight and just hit a wall, I agree with all that has been said, don't give up or see it as a fail.  Seasons change, stress levels increase, life happens....

One trick I want to share with all of you, and if someone here brought it up or shared it previously, forgive me, I don't remember where I read it, but I think it is a good one and one I want to start to incorporate in my meals.  It is simply to just drink lots of water during the meal. It will get you fuller faster.  I know for me, I do have a drink of something, lately it has been nothing but water, but I don't really drink a whole lot as I am eating. So, this trick gets you fuller faster so you wont eat as much.   I am going to try this tonight and see how it goes.

Looking forward to the May challenge.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 29, 2016, 08:43:48 AM
Im in too

Weigh in today
4/15 - 138
4/22 - 137.5
4/29 - 137

my plan:
Write down everything I eat in my food journal
No eating at the counter or out of the container or from the buffet
Sit down with food served on dishes in the dining room - no tv on
Serve food in the kitchen buffet style
No cleaning off the kids plates
No juice
No pop
Only really good food
2/3 of meal to be veg or fruit
No snacking at the computer.

Alleykat:  think your water drinking at dinner is bang on.  I have water on the table but don't always drink the whole glass.  Going to monitor that.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on April 29, 2016, 09:23:57 AM
Great! Here's to a good, on-plan month of May!

Here is my on-plan challenge:

- Stick to the clean eating principles, but allow myself one "non-clean" meal a week
- Drinks one night a week only
- Edited to add: No soda! I only drink diet soda anyway, but I know it's not good for me. So I'm cutting it out!

Here is how I'm going to accomplish this:

- Meal plan and stick to what I plan on making
- No impromptu/spontaneous dining out
- Make snacks that I will actually want to eat

This is what I was doing back in January, and I felt a lot better! My waistline and wallet liked it better too. I'm going to officially start on Sunday, May 1st. In the mean time, for the next two days, I'm going to focus on eating well and not going overboard on anything in particular. I've made my meal plan (runs Saturday- Friday) and will get all the yummy stuff for the meals I'm planning this week.

Best of luck to everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on April 29, 2016, 10:53:44 AM
Elaineamj, I love that you are just overlooking your binge day and moving on. That is so so hard to do, but really the only proper response to keep things on track. Also congrats on resisting the cookie. Your willpower muscle just got a wee bit stronger!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 29, 2016, 01:53:53 PM
Thanks everyone! i feel like I have crossed another hurdle and the last couple of days have been easier. Very glad I let go of the guilt over the binge - it's made a big difference in my day.

And YES - I am IN for the May challenge!!!

Like @senorpanqueque, I have an event to train for. I just registered (today) for a 100km bike ride (60 miles for you Americans :) ) in the beginning of June and I HAVE TO START TRAINING seriously! This is my 8th year doing the ride, but also the latest I have ever started training. We had some awesomely beautiful days in March, but now we have miserable and cold weather. It usually takes me 5-6 hours in total to ride this and I am very nervous this year. My friend and I agreed that if we are not ready by then, we will scale back to do the 50km ride. I know healthy, nutritious eating AND losing some pounds will make this ride easier on my body so I have to be serious about this. A bit nervous abut carving time out for training as my DH is not going to be able to train with me this year. My bff is doing the ride and we plan to train together. Hoping we will both be as available as we plan!

My May challenge will be to stick to my 1230 net calorie plan on MyFitnessPal. Also, I am challenging myself to use extra calories on more nutritious fruits/veggies with some empty calorie junk mixed in.

Love reading everyone's plans for May!

@alleykat That water hack is super useful and I have used it many times. I also do herbal teas/black coffees at my desk as something hot sits in the stomach longer. The best part is - water is SO good for our bodies!!

Can I ask about your plan to eat 1230 net calories a day? That sounds pretty low to me. I am not judging - just want to understand how you came to that number. Is that something you can sustain over the long term?

I am only 5ft tall - so I agree this would be unrealistic for someone taller. This is what MFP's calculator gives me when I ask for a 1lb/week loss (pretty slow) as a slightly active person and based on my analysis of my daily weight for the past 4 months, it has been pretty accurate for me (there was a 4 week stretch where I lost EXACTLY 1 lb a week LOL!). I eat back ALL my exercise calories even though I know the number is slightly inflated. That said, I am pretty sure I am more active than I told MFP so this balances out the overestimation in exercise calories.

1230 net works out to about 1300-1400 cals a day in practice. I also track over a week, which balances some higher cal days with lower cal days. When i start biking seriously, I will be burning 400-800 cals each ride and will be eating all that back.

It actually feels good and overall sustainable - when I am on track with eating healthy overall. It's when I start consuming junk and binging that it is not enough calories. When I am eating healthy to plan (about 80-90% of the time), I am sometimes too full to eat all my allotted calories! (Crazy, I know) I have been learning to cook a lot of veggie based dishes that are very nutritious AND yummy (thank you skinnytaste!) so that has helped a lot. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeverLost on April 29, 2016, 02:26:16 PM
Gosh, I posted yesterday and it looks like it didn't save :(

Anyway, I am down another 1/2 lb this week so I think that's my thing.  Elaine- Thanks for the myfitnesspal tip!  I am going to try it and see what I think.  I hope it's not too high maintenance.  I have a feeling it's going to show me that I am on track, then I blow a bunch of calories on a couple glasses of wine or something lame. I too am short, 5'1 and it gave me a goal of 1200 calories/day. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 29, 2016, 02:31:38 PM
Gosh, I posted yesterday and it looks like it didn't save :(

Anyway, I am down another 1/2 lb this week so I think that's my thing.  Elaine- Thanks for the myfitnesspal tip!  I am going to try it and see what I think.  I hope it's not too high maintenance.  I have a feeling it's going to show me that I am on track, then I blow a bunch of calories on a couple glasses of wine or something lame. I too am short, 5'1 and it gave me a goal of 1200 calories/day.

I have been very pleased with MFP. I like the system and the approach. I have gone through a few humps, but when I look back over the past 4 months and close to 20 lbs down, I am impressed with overall, how easy it has been. You'll find you can fit in a glass of wine here or there pretty easily after you get used to the system. A glass of wine is surprisingly not all that many calories in the grand scheme of things. i like the community there and the constant reminders that CICO is really - rather easy and makes complete sense.

Another suggestion - slow down your goal in the beginning to ease yourself in. At most, set yourself at 1 lb a week. If you need more MFP tips as you get going, let me know. There's ways to refine what you input to make it more accurate/efficient. For the beginning, just jump right in and start logging. The system tries to make it as easy as possible.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeverLost on April 29, 2016, 02:41:14 PM
Thank you.  I actually think I put 1 lb a week in for my goal.  The problem is I'm not super active.  Desk job, so I think that is why it gave me 1200 calories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 29, 2016, 05:10:11 PM
@TealBlue Yep - at 5'1 and sedentary, u'll get the standard 1200 since that is the lowest the program will allow. Just remember that it is net so eat at least half any exercise calories (half was too little for me - I got pale and tired). It might be hard until u settle in and then it typically gets easy. I spent time hunting for low cal but filling recipes and that helped a lot.

And remember to give yourself at least about 3 weeks to analyze any changes to your program. I love using daily weights and a trending app since I can see clearly the actual effects of my program on my body. I don't believe anything without 3 weeks of data though. Hard to be patient sometimes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on April 30, 2016, 12:46:35 AM
Geostache, I'm in too. I think this is just what the doctor ordered. My plan is to stick to no soda & daily weigh ins. That's been working well. For the challenge I'll add tracking all food, and make it a point to report in here more frequently.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 30, 2016, 02:43:21 AM
Ok, i am in for may.  My focus is snacking and portion control. Plus 2 swims 2 40 mins gym sessions. I will also do fasting once a week.will weigh in and report tomorrow.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: mdharmandm on April 30, 2016, 03:29:00 AM
A little over a month on the slow carb diet. A bit repetitive, but at least I gain some efficiency with making the same meals for breakfast/lunch/dinner. I usually just make some sort of chili for my whole weeks lunch in the slow cooker. So far pleasantly surprised with the results.Typically have a cheat day on Saturday, although I had two last weekend.
March 28 194.1
April 4 185.4
April 11 182.9
April 18 186.3
April 25 182.1
April 30 176.5
So far about a 9% (-17.6 lbs)  reduction in weight. Probably could be doing better with my working out, but my knee has been bothering me, due to overexertion.  Goal is to get back to about what I was college/just post-college 165-170.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 30, 2016, 06:43:06 AM
@mdharmandm That's a gigantic loss in one month. Only about 5-10 lbs to your goal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 30, 2016, 08:36:23 AM

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

20.4 lbs lost
GOAL WEIGHT: 130 lbs

I am in shock. As u all know, I've had a rough few days. But I still dropped 1.2 lbs since last Friday. Admittedly, I was eating out a lot so guesstimating all my calories. Clearly, I was overestimating and not doing as badly as I thought. Wow. So glad I didnt let myself get all depressed and spiral downwards (I was tempted) but put it behind me and went back on plan. Goes to show an occasional binge doesn't mean I have failed. What I do the other 95% of the time makes more of a difference. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 30, 2016, 08:42:34 AM
Way to go, elaine amj!

Goes to show an occasional binge doesn't mean I have failed. What I do the other 95% of the time makes more of a difference. 

I absolutely believe this. One binge, averaged over a week of normal eating, loses a lot of its power.

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

Looks like I've finally broken out of that plateau. I'm pleased, especially because some health stuff has reduced the amount of exercise I can do.

My plan for May is, paradoxically, to go easy on everything. Go easy on exercise; don't overdo it. Go easy on desserts; try to see if I can outwait the cravings. Try to eat only certain snacks, like yogurt, berries, carrot sticks, and occasionally nuts. Try to stay under a certain calorie range on average, but go easy on myself if I don't. :)

I am trying to make it my goal to eat and exercise a certain way, rather than to lose weight. Eventual weight loss will be a nice side benefit of sticking to my eating plan, but even if I hit another plateau, I'll still win if I maintain the plan. I do better at weight loss if I don't focus on it.

A question: Do any of you experience fatigue as a side effect of weight loss? I'm trying to figure out whether my increased exhaustion has to do with making my body work harder by burning off fat.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 30, 2016, 11:30:55 AM
RedmondStash
Looking good.  Re fatigue:  Are you making sure you are keeping your iron levels up? I fight iron deficiency because of being celiac and fatigue or dull headaches is the sign I am low in iron and B12.  Maybe you are cutting too much of a certain type of food.  Or maybe a sugar, caffeine withdrawal sympton?  I know when I am tired I crave coke.  Have to keep telling myself - almost a 1/4 cup of sugar and half a day of splitting wood - and I don't have any wood needing splitting....

Elaine amj - don't you be getting into being your own worst enemy - you are doing amazing.  Your bike ride is going to be so much easy without those groceries riding up the DVP with you.

I am feeling good about this challenge.  Think it is going to be a habit cementing month.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on April 30, 2016, 04:11:37 PM
You guys are doing great. Keep posting those diminishing numbers. Very inspiring.

I start at 84 kg. ( too lazy to figure out the pounds). Heck, i have to lose 10 kg just to get to the upper end of the healthy BMI.

The good news is, weekend biat trip has been cancelled due to bad weather. No cheese and wine and i get to go to the gym. Yay.on the other hand, hb will be in a bad mood all day an unbearably sulky, so i'll have to keep those emergency carrots handy,
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on April 30, 2016, 05:05:53 PM
RedmondStash
Looking good.  Re fatigue:  Are you making sure you are keeping your iron levels up? I fight iron deficiency because of being celiac and fatigue or dull headaches is the sign I am low in iron and B12.  Maybe you are cutting too much of a certain type of food.  Or maybe a sugar, caffeine withdrawal sympton?  I know when I am tired I crave coke.  Have to keep telling myself - almost a 1/4 cup of sugar and half a day of splitting wood - and I don't have any wood needing splitting....

I'm sure, yes. I've got some weird health issues that create fatigue anyway; it's just gotten worse since I started the weight loss. Was just curious if anyone else was experiencing fatigue related to their weight loss. It might well be due to something else. I'm careful to keep tabs on my various mineral & vitamin blood levels, and they're all normal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on April 30, 2016, 06:00:47 PM
I am ready for tomorrow.  I will weigh myself in the morning and start logging it here.

My plan is just portion control and drinking more water with my meals.  Also, I will only have a junkie snack once a day -limited at that.  So, if I have something for lunch, I won't have any at dinner.  Trying to balance out my day. Something I will adjust if I see it isn't working.  I want to make a real effort in May.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RonMcCord on April 30, 2016, 06:23:59 PM
Jan 4:175lbs.
Jan 28:169lbs.
Feb 27:162lbs.
Apr 1: 157lbs.
Apr 30: 151lbs.

6 pounds away from my target weight!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on May 01, 2016, 05:26:17 AM
Starting 156
4/30 - 153
5/1 - 153

Goal-140.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on May 01, 2016, 05:12:08 PM
My scales are weird. Am down to 83 kg.

Anyway. Day one was mixed, went to the gym (40mins), main meals were reasonable, small portions, but we decided to have a movie afternoon ( =2 glasses of wine alternated w soda water, dips and crackers, plus the carrots and bell peppers came out when i realized that i am on the verge of overeating).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 01, 2016, 07:30:14 PM
@bee21 good for u for stopping and pulling out a healthier alternative!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 01, 2016, 07:55:23 PM
First day of challenge went well.  Next two days are going to be harder - we just took out our kitchen sink after supper dishes were done.  This is the only time we have to prepare for the Tuesday countertop install.  I shopped in preparation for this two day stint and made arrangements to have dinner at my folks tomorrow night.  We washed a lot of fruit and I have a bunch of precooked leftovers.  We can use the dishwasher. I got out some of the camping gear for the food prep.  The rest of the month should be a piece of cake after the next two days.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 02, 2016, 07:58:25 AM

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8

Well we went on vacation for a week in April and I ate everything in sight. Oh well, that is behind me now, and I am moving on. I'm glad I was able to recover enough to still make it an overall downward trend for my monthly track. This month I will make up for it...hopefully.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on May 02, 2016, 08:04:22 AM
I'm back in the game! Back down nearly 2 pounds this week. Started counting calories again this week and sticking with the plan and it's been beneficial so far. Had one indulgent day on Saturday because of a friend's birthday party, but it didn't impact the weight loss too much.

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
Goal weight: 130

What does everyone think about doing a May challenge? Something like sticking to your plan (whatever shape that may take) for the month May? The reason I ask is because we're nearing the end of the month, and it seems like we've all been hitting a proverbial wall in one sense or another. I could use a good swift kick in the pants, and having you all keep me honest will be a big help.

I'm in for this. I really just want to stay within my calorie range each day. The hard part will be sticking with it on vacation and without cell phone for tracking later this month.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 02, 2016, 08:21:19 AM
It's good to see everyone's progress! Yesterday was a fail/win in my books. I took shrimp out to thaw to make a really tasty on-plan dinner.. only to find that the shrimp were still frozen by dinner time. So, we went out for dinner instead (fail). However, I got a really tasty dish that was on-plan and only ate half of it (win) and stayed within my allotted calories for the day.

Today, however, is a different story. We had to take my son to the ER last night with a frightening cough/breathing problem. So, the kids and I slept in, and I stopped for breakfast on the way to work and got a soda. Total fail. Ah well. Just one instance. I'm not going to let it derail me. While my breakfast wasn't the healthiest, I logged it and will still keep to my plan for the rest of the day. I'm looking forward to my planned, veggie-packed dinner tonight!

This challenge is tough for me, but I knew it would be. Keep going everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 02, 2016, 08:40:59 AM
@Frugal lizard In awe of your forward planning skills. Great job!

@redmond stash Keep your eye on the goal - you can do this! On a side note - I hope your son is doing ok.

@StarBright No good advice as I have become a short order cook (something i've avoided for years). DH is also on a very limited diet due to health restrictions. We eat mostly the same food, but I add on little extras to mine sometimes. On top of that, he's trying to gain weight (while I'm aiming for the opposite - ACK!). The kids definitely don't eat our veggie foods. This was how Saturday night's dinner ended up:
1) ground pork cutlets for the kids
2) cutlets made with mashed taro root and chickpeas for DH, fried in plenty of oil (for the extra cals)
3) mashed taro root with white potatoes for me (no frying) topped with some ground pork.
They were all variations of the something similar - but yes, it took as long as it sounds to get dinner on the table. I've been getting exhausted and DH hates seeing that so yells at me to keep things simple. Given that we are ALL trying to eat healthier (with our various likes/dislikes/limitations), it does take time. I've made some attempts towards batch cooking - but find I am usually even more tired of cooking on weekends. It has a lot to do with me though - I like getting excited about cooking so constantly want to try new recipes. I try for simple, but when cooking from scratch, even simple takes a long time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 02, 2016, 08:57:59 AM
Also- question time: How do you deal with eating healthy grown up food while also having toddlers? Prekids we ate a lot more fish and veggie meals (like several times a week). I can't get my two and four year olds to eat that sort of food regularly and not fuss at the table. I'm a big believer in only cooking one meal and not offering alternatives so I've noticed our  weekly menu has a lot more compromise food than it used to. For instance, I generally have at least one pasta meal a week and also usually some night where we also have some sort of sandwich. Do I just suck it up and prepare two meals? FWIW I can only deal with dinner complaining three nights a week at the most :)

I try to incorporate something I know my kids will eat into every meal. If I'm making fish, I'll cook rice or some other grain with it. They tend to eat grains no matter what kind they are - quinoa, rice, barley, etc. We also take a very laid-back attitude at meal times. If they don't eat dinner, then that's ok. But they also know that if they ask for food later, they're given the same food again. If pasta is on the menu, I will pseudo-cook two meals. I'll make the pasta for the DH and kids, and make zoodles for myself. Or, I'll forgo the noodles altogether and serve myself a big plate of broccoli and put the sauce and meatballs directly on that. I think it's all a matter of what your kids are used to, and your expectations for them. If healthy meals are on the menu regularly, they'll get used to it, and theoretically, the complaining should decrease over time.

@Elaine: I think your comment to Redmondstash was meant for me. :-P I'm definitely keeping my eye on the prize. My son is ok. He was diagnosed with asthma when he was 11 months old, and we keep a close watch over him. Last night he woke up coughing and was having difficulty breathing. We gave him his albuterol treatment, but if we have to give more than one back-to-back, we've been instructed to take him to the ER immediately. We packed up the whole family so that he could continue his breathing treatment along the way to the hospital. The dr diagnosed him with croup. Fortunately, we were only there for an hour. But it was enough to throw everyone's schedule off, and the kids thought it was play time once we got home (at 1:45 in the morning).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 02, 2016, 09:10:53 AM

Also- question time: How do you deal with eating healthy grown up food while also having toddlers? Prekids we ate a lot more fish and veggie meals (like several times a week). I can't get my two and four year olds to eat that sort of food regularly and not fuss at the table. I'm a big believer in only cooking one meal and not offering alternatives so I've noticed our  weekly menu has a lot more compromise food than it used to. For instance, I generally have at least one pasta meal a week and also usually some night where we also have some sort of sandwich. Do I just suck it up and prepare two meals? FWIW I can only deal with dinner complaining three nights a week at the most :)

I hear you about toddler meals.  I can share what I did when my guys were little - about 10 years ago but first:  Fussy eater no 1 - eats like a cave man still but huge quantities of everything that he likes (almost 15 now) and will try a couple of tablespoons of what he is not sure that he likes yet.  (key word: yet)
Fussy eater no 2 is 12 and is still super particular.  She will try an 1/8 of a teaspoon of food she is not sure about.  She adds about one type of food a month to expand her diet.  So there is hope.
I would make a meal that DH and I liked.  I would also make sure that there was one item that each child liked.  All the food was on the table and they served themselves with one rule: you put it on your plate you ate it. This stopped leftovers on their plates being cleaned up by hubby and I (and extra weight gain)
For a while there was always yogurt or cheese cubes or even cheesy non-garlic warm bread because daughter was soooo picky. This way she would always have a protein option. I portioned controlled the amount of food on the table. There was always and still is raw vegetables.  DD still doesn't eat most cooked vegetables so I put some of whatever aside on a plate before throwing the rest in the recipe to cook.  If meat is cooked in a sauce, kids have an option to rinse it in the sieve.  I don't assemble foods with sauce and will often cook in a way that the seasonings are added at the end so there is a no sauce, no flavour super bland option of the meal.  Onions are always chopped big so they can be picked out.  Water or milk are the only beverages on the table for kids.
Fish - son loves if it is light and flaky (no sword fish or squid). Daughter likes if it is breaded fish sticks.  This is a fairly new development. So there was often hummus with the raw veggie plate. 
Neither likes salad dressing of any type.  (Too strong) They like all the ingredients of salad, just not mixed together.  My son only started eating leafy greens recently.  When he was four he choked on lettuce.   I was just introducing grapes and stuff to younger sister and cutting them up so she didn't choke.  He declared lettuce dangerous at every meal and was vigilant to prevent her from choking by warning her of the treacherous salad.  She was a very quick learner so no one tried salad a long time
By the time youngest was 7 our meals started to get back to more interesting.  My guys still drive me nuts by picking all the food out of the stir fry and separating it on the plate.  I also didn't worry if they were eating nacho chips or pitas or wraps or raisin bread to fill up.  I presented healthy choices and they put the food in their mouths.  I wanted a peaceful sit down family time where we reconnect at the end of the day. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 02, 2016, 12:41:37 PM
This group is fantastic. Every time I come back here after a - usually - long absence, I am impressed by everyone's tenacity and perseverance! You all are great motivators.

I'm definitely in for a May challenge, too. I'm not training for an event, but I'm going on a trip to Mexico with my girlfriends on May 31, so it wouldn't hurt to get closer to my goal. Here's my plan:

- Finally, FINALLY start exercising. I will do a gentle yoga routine each weeknight before bed. I will also do a body weight routine every weekday morning. It's on my calendar, and I will put my alarm in the living room so that I have to leave my bed to turn it off!
- Start logging all of my food, everyday on MyFitnessPal. I have only been doing weekdays, and I think I am in denial on the weekends.
- Check in here every weekday, to keep myself accountable.

@TealBlue - I'm on MFP with Elaineamj, and I am also only on 1200 calories a day (4'11"). I totally make room for a glass of wine almost everyday. Because, sanity. I have found that by tracking my food, I can make informed choices about whether or not something is actually worth the calories to me. I have no problem skipping a snack if it means I get to have a glass of wine with dinner. Just play around with it, and it will become a little easier over time.

Thank you all for being here, and for sticking with it. Let's kick May's ass!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/7: 126.4 pounds
- 3/12: 125.2 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/7: 124.8 pounds
- 4/28: 124.4 pounds
- 5/2: 125.0 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 02, 2016, 12:58:33 PM
@Microspice Good to see your May challenge. Exercise is a great thing. I was so disciplined about it the first few months but have definitely slacked off. I don't mind doing my exercise videos, but they are not my favorite things to do. So I've been going on lots of walks. That's fine with me since i LOVE walking. Can't wait to get into my usual warm weather activities like cycling, canoeing, and tennis.

The one I do feel guilty about is slacking off my strength training. I do the XBX routine and it's super gentle and gradual progress - which I really liked. I haven't been consistent with it for 2 months now and I want to start doing it regularly again. I was amazed that my body and core DID get stronger with just a handful of pushups and situps a day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on May 03, 2016, 03:15:50 AM
Yesterday was good food wise, plus I did a 40 mins session in the gym.

Today was ok, had lentil soup for lunch and a really yummy Moroccan chicken w eggplant and chickpeas for dinner. No pretzels, though I had a small slice of chocolate cake( coworkers bday).

Tomorrow there is a morning tea at work. Sigh. I wanted to avoid it initially, but it is a rare networking opportunity, so I'll go and have only 1 piece of something. Or food if I am super good.

So busy at work that I don't have the time to think of food.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 03, 2016, 04:21:52 AM
I'm at a work meeting this week for 3 days. I'm not too worried about lunch but man am I tempted by hot breakfasts! We will also be going out to fancy dinners each night. I'm going to try to keep it in check and log everything. If I can keep my weight steady this week I will call it good enough.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on May 03, 2016, 04:43:02 AM
Sunday was an okay day. It was the Orthodox Easter so I had a bit more than I planned but still pretty good compared to what it would have been pre-mindful and yesterday, while not totally healthy, was a pretty balanced day, which I am shooting for.  I want to make this a lifestyle change and not a diet so I am not eliminating anything, just cutting back some.   I feel less bloated already. 

I need to start exercising again but my back is not cooperating.

Bee21 - being busy, I think, is the best way because you are not reaching for junk mindlessly.  My biggest problem is when I am sitting and watching tv.

I am really psyched about May. So far, so good.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 03, 2016, 07:17:42 AM
@Bee21: Keeping busy is good!

@rockstache: Stay strong! Have a small portion of the one hot thing that you really crave. Then fill the rest of your plate with fruit.

@Microspice: I'm with you on making room for wine. ;-)

@alleykat: Small changes are best for long-term success, I think.

The rest of yesterday was better than the morning. I stuck with the plan for the remainder of the day, and while I went over my allotted calories, I am feeling the willpower coming back.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 03, 2016, 07:31:53 AM
Rocked it yesterday without the kitchen sink.  Counter tops are going in now and the plumber is to come late afternoon.  Husband is finished working extreme overtime and will be eating dinner with us again.  He will need some of my tasty home cooking (having six weeks of catering meals gets him down)  I realized a couple of tax seasons ago that I cook for him and the kids are an aside. Our thing is I explore cookery and he hunts down great value wines. His family is first generation so they ate traditional food from the old country and didn't have a garden and put gingerale in wine.  I have a very different background so our food culture had little overlap and we traveled and explored food culture together.


Bee21 - I think being super busy really helps with the snacking.  I also think physical activity does.  On the weekend when I was working hard I didn't realize I was hungry until the kids were telling me it was lunch time.
RuntoFIRE - the Foodist is waiting at the library for pick up.  Hoping to get it tonight.
rockstache - 3/4 of the plate with fruit and 1/4 with protein and don't use the bigger plates.  Scope out the whole buffet table before you put anything on your plate
microspice and geostache - with you both.  For me it doesn't have to be a big glass - we have some very small crystal wine glasses that fit in the dishwasher.  Full to the brim they only hold four oz.  One glass is just enough to satisfy.
elaine - how is the cycling training coming along?

I am feeling thinner and lighter and looking forward to Thursday - weigh-in day.  I am really enjoying this process unlike previous times I have tried to stop the weight creep.  No one in the family has said anything yet but no one has made a comment about needing to show some restraint or get some exercise.  Have a great day all.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 03, 2016, 09:12:43 AM
3 days into May and I'm loving hearing all the positive reports!

I've been doing good - but SO glad I switched to a Friday weigh-in report here. My Monday weight was disappointing....back to the same weight as the previous Monday. Since I've been tracking daily for 4 months now, I can see the definite trend so my Friday weigh-ins where I typically consistently record about a 1lb loss every week is much more motivating for me. Funny what a difference it makes.

@Frugal lizard Thanks for checking in about the cycling. It's been freezing and I'm a wimp. Don't plan to get on my bike until this weekend hopefully. I did go out for a nice 1hr walk yesterday and hoping to go for a lunchtime walk today. I did register for my cycling event on June 4th. Paid $70 so I am definitely doing it!!

Last night, we ate leftovers. I was literally in shock to find myself free at 6:30pm in the evening. Went for a 1hr walk with my DD and my dog. Got home at 8pm and spent the next 2+ hours grooming the dog. I've just started grooming him (only my 2nd attempt) and it's been...interesting. He's a mini poodle and doesn't care a lot for the buzzer. So I pretty much hand scissor him all over. I always feel like I am hacking randomly because I haven't figured out how to do it with a comb. Thankfully, he ended up looking pretty good. Although my DH spent the last half hour grumbling at me to finish because it was getting so late. Oh well, saves us $55 every 2 months or so!

Anyway, it was a shock to me how much time I had in my life when I wasn't spending hours cooking. Not quite sure yet how to solve the endless hours in the kitchen, but we will see. Tonight, the kids are getting frozen breaded chicken breasts and frozen sweet potato fries (See - that's simple, right?) and I am making Quinoa stuffed sweet potatoes for DH and I (I know - not simple).

The house is dreadful though so I think rather than going for a walk, I NEED to do some basic cleaning. We were too busy all weekend so I just did a basic wipeup on Sunday. Ugh - I miss my housekeeper dreadfully and am starting to fantasize having her back. I was so spoiled - she used to come DAILY. DH is helping me to stay strong for now but I am still super tempted.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeverLost on May 03, 2016, 09:36:17 AM
@elaine amj - I will be anxious to see how you manage trying to cook less.  I am starting a new job in 2 weeks that will drastically change my hours.  I currently work 7-3 so I get home and have plenty of time to make delicious, healthy meals.  I will be working until 5 or 6 at the new job and am nervous about how our evenings will look.  Since we are getting into summer and generally are out of town on weekends, I can't really spend a weekend day preparing food.  I think I will choose 2 things each week that are just super easy and we have them every single week.  Like fried rice, or veggie curry with rice, something easy.  Then at least I will have a go to meal for a couple of my days that can be ready in 15 min or less. I really try and completely stay away from processed so that makes things difficult.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 03, 2016, 10:17:41 AM
@elaine amj - I will be anxious to see how you manage trying to cook less.  I am starting a new job in 2 weeks that will drastically change my hours.  I currently work 7-3 so I get home and have plenty of time to make delicious, healthy meals.  I will be working until 5 or 6 at the new job and am nervous about how our evenings will look.  Since we are getting into summer and generally are out of town on weekends, I can't really spend a weekend day preparing food.  I think I will choose 2 things each week that are just super easy and we have them every single week.  Like fried rice, or veggie curry with rice, something easy.  Then at least I will have a go to meal for a couple of my days that can be ready in 15 min or less. I really try and completely stay away from processed so that makes things difficult.

@TealBlue We'll be in this together! I am staying away from processed too and man it is a ton of work cooking from scratch. I never realized before. I like doing it, but it is consuming a lot of my evening time. I get home at 5:30pm so it is usually 6:30/7pm before anyone gets food. More like 7:30pm before I sit down to eat. We don't even attempt family dinners. (We hang out at bedtime instead and even though my kids are teens, they still insist I tuck them in every night).

I like your idea of putting 2 things into the rotation every week that is easy. I do plan weekly menus but I tend to underestimate how much time something takes to cook. I'm too optimistic lol. It was better when DH was able to help me in the kitchen. With his health issues, he can't help me anymore so between the prep, cook, and cleanup, its a lot. My kids help a little...but I still often find it easier just to do it myself rather than walking them through how to do something.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 03, 2016, 04:36:54 PM
@elaine amj - Trying to stay on this train this time. I always go back to bad habits, but I think this is the longest period of time I've stuck with it. There have been lots of bumps in the road, but so far, I've been getting back on course. I don't know what's different this time, but I can feel that it is, and like I'm capable of doing it - mostly. :-)

@TealBlue - I feel you on the work schedule. I don't cook dinner, but DH does, and we both get home at the same time. We definitely have some standby's that are quick and easy - spaghetti, grilled cheese, etc. And in the summer, we grill all. the. time. It tends to be quicker, it's delicious, and it's less clean-up. And salads! Bean salads, pasta salads - Pinterest is a rabbit hole for all that stuff, if you'd like to get lost in it.

@FrugalLizard - I love your approach to cooking - cook for the adults. :-) My mom did that, and even though she had some battles with us, my sister and I definitely have more "sophisticated" palates than a lot of our peers as a result. Are your kids always good eaters, or do you have any tips you can share with us to help foster adventurous eating habits? My two-year old is obsessed with cheese and pickles, and it would be great if she would eat some other things, for like, nutrition and stuff. ;-)

So, as promised, I'm checking in today. I had planned on doing my gentle evening yoga last night, but I didn't feel so hot, so I went to bed instead. That's good for weight loss, right? I also didn't wake up to exercise; HOWEVER, I found a progressive, 30-day body weight routine that I'm going to start tonight. It starts off with only 1 minute (!) of exercise, but has you doing 30 by the end of the month. So I'm confident I will squeeze that in tonight. Here's the link for anyone interested, I'm going to stick with it, come hell or high water: http://a.msn.com/05/en-us/BBsnniP?ocid=se (http://a.msn.com/05/en-us/BBsnniP?ocid=se).

I did great on my food yesterday, came in below calories, and DH asked me to help set up his MyFitnessPal account. Super exciting! He's been really supportive anyway, but I feel like if he develops a bit more knowledge about calorie counts and nutrition, we can be a better support system for each other. Go team!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 03, 2016, 07:23:12 PM
Geostache, I'm in too. I think this is just what the doctor ordered. My plan is to stick to no soda & daily weigh ins. That's been working well. For the challenge I'll add tracking all food, and make it a point to report in here more frequently.

Checking in.  2 1/2 days into the challenge & I have tracked every bite.

Weight had jumped up about 4 pounds due to just eating poorly, slipping back into old bad habits.  I've turned the boat around once again.  It's embarrassing to write down some of the things I eat. So tracking is having the intended effect of keeping me on track with eating.  So far so good!

Edit to say that I've seen about 2 pounds drop off again; it was probably water weight from high-sodium restaurant meals.  It would be nice if the other 2 do the same over the next couple days.

Edit #2: soda count - 1
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 03, 2016, 11:20:56 PM
Hi everyone,

Sorry I've been absent for a few days, it's good to be back. DH and I were in Singapore this weekend (we live in Hong Kong so it's a relatively short flight away) to visit his cousins. We definitely indulged more than I wanted to- we ate out once a day and drank more than I wanted. Then coming back to Hong Kong on Monday, we went out to a nice restaurant for my birthday, but at least portion sizes were more reasonable. All in all, I was up by 1.7 lbs from Friday to Tuesday, from 167.3 to 169.0. I am at 168.8 today and hopefully continuing to come down.

I am very much in for the May challenge. My goals are:

-Track everything I eat in my notebook
-Follow my workout routine
-Eat dinners at the table without TV (this is by now becoming a habit)
-Cook at least 6 dinners at home per week
-Eat either leftovers or salad (or simple sushi)  for lunch
-Snack only at appropriate times- don't graze
-Make a conscious effort to incorporate vegetables into my meals

This is what I try to do everyday anyways, but it's good to have it spelled out like this. The good learning from our weekend trip is that I actually prefer eating at home! You don't get a "gross, I ate too much" feeling. Good luck to everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: DesireeD on May 04, 2016, 07:29:10 AM
     I'm in! Major surgery that put me inactive for 6 weeks in September, then my mom passing away in December has made me the fattest and least fit that I've ever been.
     I just went to Mexico and wanted to swim in the ocean, but didn't due to fear that I didn't have the stamina to swim back to shore though the large waves. Just paddled around in the pool drinking and eating instead. Sad little fat girl here.
     While I'm not brave enough to admit my weight today, I am tracking it daily and keeping a food journal. It was finally facing up to how far things had slid with my health that led me to open this challenge and read it. You all have inspired me in a big way!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 04, 2016, 07:52:21 AM
@DesireeD: Welcome to the thread! You'll find lots of support here.

Yesterday wasn't bad at all. I tracked everything and came in under my estimated burn. I hooked my UP app to my Health app and it now catches my movement, which is nice. I didn't have soda, but I did have a 1.75 beers while I was working from home on the couch. That couch is going to be my downfall! At least it was still within my calorie allotment!

I've inadvertently slipped into weight maintenance mode, I think. The medicine I started taking a few weeks ago has helped me mentally, but it's also made me very complacent. I'm happy for the first time in awhile, and I don't feel compelled to do anything differently. I guess I'm saying that my main motivation I had at the beginning of the year has all but disappeared. I'm open to suggestions for new motivators!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on May 04, 2016, 08:11:18 AM
I'm new to the forum and would love to join! I've been lurking the past few weeks and this thread has been really inspiring and helpful for keeping me on track with my own weight loss goals.

About me:
Female, late 20's
starting weight as of mid-March: 175
current weight: 158
total lost: 17 (!)
goal weight: 145
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on May 04, 2016, 08:21:56 AM
@DesireeD: Welcome to the thread! You'll find lots of support here.

Yesterday wasn't bad at all. I tracked everything and came in under my estimated burn. I hooked my UP app to my Health app and it now catches my movement, which is nice. I didn't have soda, but I did have a 1.75 beers while I was working from home on the couch. That couch is going to be my downfall! At least it was still within my calorie allotment!

I've inadvertently slipped into weight maintenance mode, I think. The medicine I started taking a few weeks ago has helped me mentally, but it's also made me very complacent. I'm happy for the first time in awhile, and I don't feel compelled to do anything differently. I guess I'm saying that my main motivation I had at the beginning of the year has all but disappeared. I'm open to suggestions for new motivators!



Ditto, welcome, Desiree.  This group is motivating, however, more importantly, no judgments here.  We even report our fails.

Geostache - being complacent is my downfall and it is not due to medication for me.  It is one of my biggest problems, not only in the food area, but in life.  One of the things I have been thinking of lately is creating a vision board.  Not a new idea but one I have never done.  I don't know if it will help, but maybe looking at what I want to achieve every morning and evening will keep me focused on my goals.  A lot of times I lose focus and I feel I am constantly starting over with the same goals.  So, I would like to finally start to knock some out.  Especially starting with these extra lbs that seem to love me.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on May 04, 2016, 08:23:20 AM
I'm new to the forum and would love to join! I've been lurking the past few weeks and this thread has been really inspiring and helpful for keeping me on track with my own weight loss goals.

About me:
Female, late 20's
starting weight as of mid-March: 175
current weight: 158
total lost: 17 (!)
goal weight: 145

Wow, you are doing great so far.  Keep up the good work.   

....and Welcome.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 04, 2016, 08:50:26 AM
Microspice:  The biggest tip I think helped my guys is recognizing that they have to learn how to eat for themselves.  I didn't want to have any discussion/issues/conflict around us eating together.  I wanted the consumption of food to be joyful and calming and a celebration of us being together.  I do not worry about their nutrition each day. I provide a number of tasty choices, some very familiar and the odd new experience. They put the food in their mouths.  They know when they are full or still hungry. 

My guys are super tasters and I would rather have them enjoy the fact that they taste food so much better than I do rather than have them have to numb their taste buds to enjoy the food my older dulled down palate does.  I also never refer to food as a like or dislike.  It is always "do you have a taste for this today?".  My intention is to have them make choices, evaluate their own hunger/satiety and their evolving preferences.  I will suggest testing a small bite of something to see if they have developed their tasters for this type of food yet.  I always frame it in a context of maturing.  Most kids prefer sugar and salt and then will develop a taste for bitter or earthy or spicy.  Heck - I now enjoy dill pickles but have always found dill on salmon to wreck a perfectly good piece of fish.

For the longest time - a year or three, there was yogurt or cheese on the table and cucumbers- lunch and dinner but then this phased passed. It seemed like we ate in the most boring way possible forever and now it was only a blink of an eye ago. My daughter started eating asparagus raw straight from the garden at 4.  She eventually started eating it at the dining room table - but still raw.  She has since realized that asparagus that isn't freshly picked tastes better and is easier to chew if it is briefly steamed.  My son will only eat the flowers of broccoli.  So I ask him to try and not waste the stocks and he does but also digs around in the serving dish for the nearly stockless pieces and there are some.   My husband and I just model adventurous eating.  And now my guys are unafraid to try new things.   

Mostly I just try to say as little as possible about what they eat.  Toddlers do not starve themselves to death.  If they are getting a little cranky I would ask what they needed and would make suggestions of options - are you needing some food, or water or a hug. But I would leave space for them to answer first. I tried to provide opportunity for them to understand their own needs.  I think you have to learn to self regulate.

Started reading Foodist - this is going to be good.  Thanks for the recommendation sorry I am forgetting who made the recommendation.  I was so tired last night I only got into the introduction but I think others in the thread that are struggling might find it helpful.

Welcome all.  This is a completely non judgemental space and it is not just for sharing successes but helping get through the lows. Got through the countertop installation and sinkless 48 hours and kept with my program - all is good. But I was so tempted to walk down the street and buy takeaway. I wouldn't have been able to make dinner last night without knowing that my thread people were cheering me on to pass the finish line. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on May 04, 2016, 08:53:03 AM
I'm new to the forum and would love to join! I've been lurking the past few weeks and this thread has been really inspiring and helpful for keeping me on track with my own weight loss goals.

About me:
Female, late 20's
starting weight as of mid-March: 175
current weight: 158
total lost: 17 (!)
goal weight: 145

Wow, you are doing great so far.  Keep up the good work.   

....and Welcome.

Thanks on both accounts! To be honest I've been mentally face-punching myself a bit because it's really been an easy transition and if it was this easy why didn't I do it 3 years ago before I gained all the weight in the first place?!? But at least I'm doing it now and not another 3 years down the road, and I'm trying to make the kind of changes I can honestly stick with so I don't have to do it again in the future.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on May 04, 2016, 09:19:07 AM
I'm doing really well so far this week. A week ago my doctor had a suggestion to try to deal with the headaches and congestion which up until last night was working miraculously. So good in fact, and so simple, that for the first time in my life I wanted to send a thank you note to a medical professional of any sort.

With the headaches mostly gone and the anti-depressants working and summer and gardening season here I feel I have a life again. Energy to do the things, and back to my normal 10pm bedtime instead of being exhausted and useless by 7pm.

Also after a month long break I feel motivated to get back at the weight loss and calorie counting. I don't even want that donut! And if I do have a donut it's easy to have just one and limit calories elsewhere.

I know it's only been less than a week, but it's good to feel back to myself again.

The next decision I need to make is regarding an invitation to Cinco de Mayo lunch tomorrow with coworkers. Should I go and be social? Or stay and have more control over calories?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 04, 2016, 11:06:31 AM
@Frugal Lizard - You are a wise mama. Thanks so much for all the advice! I will try to be more zen about her eating habits.

Welcome to the newbies!

Yesterday's report is mixed. I went over on calories, but I know why, and I have put some fixes in place to address that. And I didn't go way over - I ate at about maintenance, so not too much harm. BUT, I did my exercise! Lol - it was ridiculously easy, but I am hoping that taking a ramping up approach will keep me motivated. Tonight's exercise is 90 seconds. :-)

And even though I love my nightly glass of wine, I think I'm going to try cutting it out during the week. I sleep much better when I don't drink, and if I sleep better, I may be able to reach a point where I actually wake up early to exercise. I want that to be my practice eventually, so I'm going to try taking actual steps to reach it.

It was also adorable to watch my husband play around with MyFitnessPal last night. "Oh crap, I haven't been logging my coffee!" or "Hey, sugar snap peas are super low calorie!" and "I eat waaaay too much sodium." And then this morning he told me my legs/hips were looking much slimmer. My gut is still there, but it will go, too!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on May 04, 2016, 11:36:01 AM
So much for that!

After my last post I went to watch a presentation by Clint Malarchuk. Watched a video of his sports accident which I won't describe here, but you can youtube or google it and had a severe enough medical reaction (vasovagal syncope) that the paramedics made me eat 2 extra muffins and a scone. I'd already had one scone and a danish. Already up to 2/3 of my limit and it's not even lunch time yet!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: senorpanqueque on May 04, 2016, 11:52:40 AM
I jogged to my parents' house on Friday to use their scale.. was pleasantly surprised to see my weight at 188.. breaking the 190 mark for the first time in a long time. How much of that weight loss was due to water weight lost, I'm not really sure.

Spring sports start for me this week, so hopefully that will help continue towards my goal - going to try to jog to my sports events wherever it is feasible as well.

I love watching sports, especially this time of year - baseball, NHL playoffs, NBA playoffs, so rather than sitting on my butt for 4 hours, I've started trying to stand for the majority of the game, and do some movement as well - doing dances for goals, pushups during breaks, etc. It kind of makes the games more exciting!

Congrats to everyone on their continued success - keep pushing!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 04, 2016, 12:49:40 PM
@MicroSpice Sometimes, when it clicks - it just does. I can already hear a difference in the way you are thinking and approaching things. like you, I have no idea why this time is different. It just is and I'm running with it.

With everything going on in my life right now, it is honestly not a convenient time to lose weight. In fact, it's extremely inconvenient. But - it has clicked in my brain and there's not a chance I am stopping my journey until I get to my goal. And that's just that.

@oneday Great to see you tracking everything again. I hate looking at red numbers and that motivates me :)

@RuntoFIRE That's a fabulous realization that you are cooking such delicious, yet low cal stuff that you actually prefer to eat at home. I still like to eat out, but yes, I am getting to the stage where I am excited about my homecooked meals and I'd sooner eat that than eat out. Awesome for the wallet too :)

@DesireeD WELCOME!!! So glad you decided to take the plunge and join in. I love that I can brag even about small wins on here - and yet also feel safe enough to confess to the valleys. It's a great place to be honest about the highs and the lows.

@Adge So good to have you here. Congrats on all the heard work so far. And I hear you on the facepunching. I'm down 20 lbs (taken me since Jan) and am just starting to fit into stuff I bought a couple of years ago. I am SHOCKED that I put on so much weight in such a short amount of time. It all corresponds to the fact that we were doing better financially and I was starting to eat out a lot (usually in secret). Some days I am super frustrated with myself because it was my own stupid fault. Why didn't I do this sooner? On the good side, I am doing this NOW and I WILL get healthy again. And its not just about the weight. It's also about giving my body good nutrition.

@Frugal Lizard You rocked through all the renovations. Congratulations on sticking to plan! We've got some basement renos that are going to start soon and DH told me we won't have much access to our pantry for a few days. This means I am going to have to plan and take out what I need. I am dreading it - but keep reminding myself that you did it (and yours was much harder), and I can too!

@Cookie78 Don't let one day get you down. It's more about what you do every day. You CAN do this and we're all cheering for you!

@senorpanqueque Loving the continued downward journey. I like your plan to enjoy your sports AND stay active.

I had a work event last night that ended up having tons and tons of really good food. So I ate about 1500 calories while walking around. Thankfully I had cals left over on Monday so I should be able to make up for yesterday over the next couple of days. So not a big deal in the grand scheme of things and I'm not stressing about it. It was yummy and it was free :) Also, I felt myself getting full and even though I was super tempted to eat more, I managed to resist the temptation. Yay!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on May 04, 2016, 01:10:35 PM
I started 2016 with good intentions but proceeded to balloon up to 236 lbs (5'11") by the end of March.  I decided enough was enough and stopped making excuses, and in April really started focus on exercise and diet.  My goal weight is 180.  I picked it since that was my weight in HS.  I've been very careful about keeping my carbs complex and keeping a high ratio of protein in my diet.  Here's how I've done so far:

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)

44.5 to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 04, 2016, 07:53:51 PM
     I'm in! Major surgery that put me inactive for 6 weeks in September, then my mom passing away in December has made me the fattest and least fit that I've ever been.
     I just went to Mexico and wanted to swim in the ocean, but didn't due to fear that I didn't have the stamina to swim back to shore though the large waves. Just paddled around in the pool drinking and eating instead. Sad little fat girl here.
     While I'm not brave enough to admit my weight today, I am tracking it daily and keeping a food journal. It was finally facing up to how far things had slid with my health that led me to open this challenge and read it. You all have inspired me in a big way!

I'm not brave enough to admit my weight, but it seems everyone else around here is.  It's nice to have some company!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 04, 2016, 10:58:30 PM
I'm not brave enough to admit my weight, but it seems everyone else around here is.  It's nice to have some company!

Hey, you say or don't say whatever is comfortable for you, Oneday. No pressure.

It's funny. Pretty much as soon as May (and therefore the pact) began, my cravings went haywire, leading to some less than optimal food decisions. Figures. :) So during our month of victory, I've already eaten worse than I had in many weeks.

On the bright side, I was eating well enough beforehand that the cravings are leading me only slightly astray; I'm satisfied with a handful of candy instead of a bucketload, and I'm not snacking on everything in sight. For now, I'm just rolling with it. I've been here before. The pendulum will swing back soon enough, and I'll regain more control. Until then, I'll try to nudge my choices in the right direction as much as possible.

I know what I eat is a choice. But when you're dealing with sharp, persistent cravings, those choices are steep uphill battles. I find my best successes in figuring out how to reduce the cravings, not in fighting them when they're at their peak.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 04, 2016, 11:07:26 PM
Welcome to the newbies! Glad to have you on here and really impressed with your successes and small wins so far.

@FrugalLizard- glad that you started reading Foodist. I really found it helpful. She has a podcast as well that I listen to while running sometimes.

As for me, this morning was a bit of a bust. I didn't go for a run- I couldn't bring myself up to it - (it's getting quite humid in Hong Kong even in the morning), but I may go tonight and do a high-intensity short routine. I also weighed myself today and was up to 169.2, which was discouraging. I find that I am not having luck with the scale at all! I do feel improvements in how my clothes fit and how toned my body feels, but the scale not moving is frankly hugely disappointing. I do work out so it must be my eating habits that are preventing me from losing consistently. (I may also be building up muscle, which I know weighs more, but it's hard to use that excuse for going on two months now).

Can you guys comment on my daily typical menu, so that I can focus on some improvements?

Breakfast
-smoothie made with 1/2 cup almond milk, a banana, frozen raspberries, a bit of oatmeal (like less than 1/4 cup), sometimes a spoonful of peanut butter
-americano with milk
-sometimes I add a slice of bread with jam, when we have bread at home, which is not super often. I find myself craving carbs after running

Morning Snack:
-coffee (americano or sometimes cappuccino)
-3-5 dried apricots
-1 handful of cashews (sometimes)

Lunch:
-if leftovers, typically bean soup or stir fry, etc. sometimes accompanied by brown rice
-if I eat out, I tend to have a salad with dressing on the side (that I dip my fork into), with a slice of smoked salmon, egg, a few pieces of roast potato - comes made fresh at starbucks, or 8 nigiri sushi from the supermarket
-a piece of something sweet if I am craving it, like a small piece of chocolate or a macaron (I find it helps control cravings for me)

Afternoon snack:
-yogurt - not more than 1/2 cup, muesli - not more than 1/2 cup, honey - 1 tbsp
-sometimes 3-5 dried apricots too or some cashews

Dinner:
-mostly homecooked, typically a stir fry, soup, curry - mostly vegetarian
-fruit for dessert, sometimes
-a rare half glass of wine

My question is: am I eating too much food? Bad food? Too many sweets? I refuse to calorie count anymore as it's not sustainable for me in the long term. I rarely eat junk food and feel like I am eating high quality things, but why is the weight not moving? Let me know if you have any feedback for me!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 05, 2016, 07:54:42 AM
RuntoFire:  on page 138 of Foodist - it is excellent. Devouring it.  Love the analogy about making changes.  Our smart rational brain is the rider while our emotional brain is an elephant.  It is really hard to steer the large beast down the right path - especially if it is going in the opposite direction. About what you ate:  I am not a calorie counter either but I am wondering about your coffees and snacks and then getting back to Foodist.  Her book says that three meals are actually better than a lot of small meals.  And your coffees may be giving you a lot of calories.  I don't drink coffee so I don't know the difference between a cappuccino or americano.

Oneday:  you can post your weight when you are ready but just know that everyone on this thread is over six feet tall ;)

Today is my weigh in

4/15 - 138
4/22 - 137.5
4/29 - 137
5/5 - 136

I am very happy with the slow steady approach.  And this is the longest I have ever gone on a weight loss program.  While our kitchen counter top and sink are in, we can't fully move back in yet.  New fridge comes Wednesday and that means some cupboards have to be taken out for it to fit.  Then we will need to rebuild them.  And I just don't want to throw everything back in - time to de-clutter but that is another thread....

Microspice: thank you for the praise.  Have fun with your babes - my grew up too fast.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 05, 2016, 08:30:22 AM
@RuntoFIRE - All of your food choices sound healthy and balanced, but like Frugal Lizard said, it may be that the little snacks here and there are getting to you. I am not an advocate of cutting out food groups, especially if you love the things in those groups, but I do calorie count. I know it's not your thing, but may I make the gentle suggestion of doing it for a couple of weeks to gauge where you're at with those calories? I don't know what your daily calorie needs are, but you do, and maybe tracking for just a short period of time will help you get a handle on where things are going off track. Then you can re-evaluate and make changes accordingly.

Daily Check-In:

So, I completely forgot to do my 90 second exercise yesterday. Like, just spaced it. After doing all the chores and getting the kid in bed and doing more chores, it was time for bed, so that's what I did. I am - right now - putting an alarm on my phone to remind me to exercise every day at 8:00 pm. Oy.

Food was much better yesterday, and it'll be good today. We're having friends over tomorrow night, and family over on Saturday for Mother's Day, so I am already planning my days to allow for the inevitable indulgences. My weight loss is going so much slower (and it was already slow to begin with!), it's getting me a little discouraged. I know I can do it, and I want to, I'm just impatient.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FIreDrill on May 05, 2016, 08:36:02 AM
I've been working on getting In better shape since the beginning of the year.  I'm down about 10 pounds right now and my ideal weight would probably be losing another 5.

I've started biking to work again since summer is here and that's helping.  28 miles round trip baby!

Sent from my klte using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 05, 2016, 09:34:01 AM
I hesitate to post this because I don't want to demotivate anyone, but it's an interesting article about how your body fights weight loss. For me, it's sobering and actually inspiring, because it recognizes the reality of the struggle.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html?_r=0
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 05, 2016, 09:48:42 AM
I hesitate to post this because I don't want to demotivate anyone, but it's an interesting article about how your body fights weight loss. For me, it's sobering and actually inspiring, because it recognizes the reality of the struggle.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html?_r=0

I saw that article, too, and thought immediately of this thread. What was particularly disconcerting to me was the discussion about the hunger hormone, and that in order to maintain the loss, that one would have to be in a perpetual state of hunger.

I don't think there's enough research that goes into what keeps people sated. Personally, I do much better when I have protein with everything. Carbs, especially refined carbs, mess with my blood sugar and I usually wind up hungrier than before I ate.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 05, 2016, 10:06:09 AM
I hesitate to post this because I don't want to demotivate anyone, but it's an interesting article about how your body fights weight loss. For me, it's sobering and actually inspiring, because it recognizes the reality of the struggle.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html?_r=0

Interesting article. For me - I read it as a failure of crash diets. Horrific to hear how their metabolism has decreased. I agree with @geostache that we need more research into feeling satiated. I have my favorite foods that I find keeps me fuller longer and that helps so much. And reading the stories - you can see how much of maintenance is a mental game.

I've been reading a lot of success stories on MyFitnessPal and stories from long-time maintainers. That group emphasizes CICO and highly advocates against crash dieting. Their community super users push hard for 1 lb a week being a sensible loss rate to a max of 2 lbs a week, which they caution works best at the beginning and is not recommended for the last 10-20 lbs. The ones who have been successful (and I know there is a strong bias since it is self-reported so take it with a grain of salt) don't report lower metabolic rates. In fact, the trend in the stories I've read is that they find the math reasonably accurate.

I don't know enough and I know anecdotal stories isn't necessarily evidence or applicable to everyone (and stats and research studies can show all kinds of conflicting stuff!). Plus, I have no clue how maintenance will be like for me. So far, this plan is working for me and my body is responding with almost frightening accuracy to the math. So I'll go with it and roll with the punches as they come. Glad to have all of you along for the ride!

@Frugal Lizard Congrats on sticking with your weight loss journey! Every day here IS a success and should be celebrated :)

@RuntoFIRE Your typical meals sound ok. But some of the things you eat have very high calories in small quantities (peanut butter, nuts, etc) - perhaps overall, you are still somehow taking in a little too much. I know my salads end up being a very high cal meal for me because of the stuff I put in, even when I am super careful with the dressing. I do like the overall approach to healthy, sensible eating with plenty of nutritious food so kudos! As for the scale stuff, try daily weigh-ins and a trending app. I love that it gives me a better view of my progress. When I did Monday weigh-ins, it was rather depressing. After months, I noticed my Friday numbers are always lower so now I have switched to Friday weigh-ins and the loss is much more consistent which makes me happier :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeverLost on May 05, 2016, 12:31:02 PM
Well I did my weekly weigh in this morning and was exactly where I was last week.  So that is 4 weeks straight of losing 1/2 lb then 1 week of 0.  Blah.  I am in a 3 week period of having activities almost nightly so it's been a struggle. 

@RuntoFIRE - The only thing that stuck out to me was the cashews.  I was eating some as a snack a few weeks back and my co-worker mentioned that they can be pretty unhealthy if you eat too many.  I switched to almonds, which I don't like as much, but are great when I need a quick, filling snack.  I just googled and found this:

One ounce of cashews contains 13 grams, and almonds have 15 grams of total fat. In spite of having more fat, almonds are the healthier choice because they have a higher percentage of unsaturated fats. Cashews have more saturated fat, containing 3 grams in 1 ounce, or almost three times more than almonds. For this reason, the University of Massachusetts Medical School recommends eating almonds frequently and cashews only occasionally.

Also, how much water are you drinking?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 05, 2016, 05:59:30 PM
Hi everyone,

Thanks for reviewing my  meals and for the good comments.

TealBlue- I am working on drinking more water as I know I can lapse in this. I am working on making this part of my habit-  like, have a glass when I first wake up, one full one after a workout, etc. Thanks for the tip on cashews- I'll switch to almonds instead.

Elaine amj-  thanks for the tip on the trending app. Is there a particular one you use? I use the fitbit app as I have the tracker and the scale, but that doesn't do a great job of showing me trends.

Microspice-  you're right that the snacks are my downfall. When I was calorie counting not too long ago, I was coming in at 1700-2200 on any particular day. I need about 2200-2300 for maintenance. So I think really looking at the snacks will  help me break the plateau. What I'll try to do is have the snack be vegetables- cut up carrots, etc. and only if I am not satisfied will I reach for nuts, etc. I'll try that for two weeks and see how it goes. Thanks for the tips.

I also read the NYT article about the Biggest Loser contestants with a bit of dread. Clearly, the crash dieting and extreme work outs are not the way to lose weight over the long term, but we knew that already. What was scary in that article is them saying that a gradual weight gain can be as insignificant as having an extra Starburst a day! I guess the opposite is true- you can lose weight by taking away a small amount of calories, but it's crazy how little things have an impact.

What also made me sad is seeing a recent picture of Jennifer Houston. She lost all of this weight on Weight Watchers a few years ago (and was a spokesperson for them), which is how I lost weight the first time I tried. WW is mostly good- it also advocates slow and steady loss and doesn't restrict any foods. However, looking at her pictures, you can tell she is very slowly regaining the weight lost, which is exactly what happened to me. I lost 30+ lbs within 9 months, also slow and steady and it seemed so easy. And then, over the next four years, I regained it very slowly. You have to be super vigilant all the time if you want to keep it off- it's exhausting and that's why most people fail. Sorry to be wallowing on the message board- but I do think that maintenance is probably even harder than losing weight. This forum of support is very important and I am thankful for it. Maybe to relate it back to MMM, you have to be vigilant with your maintenance/what you eat the same way you do with your finances. It's the little things that add up and before you  know it, you either have a stash/weight loss/maintenance or you're wondering where your money went/how those pounds got there. Here's to vigilance!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 05, 2016, 06:20:29 PM
I use trendweight - it syncs with fitbit :) Since I don;t have a fitbit or a synced scale, I manually input into fitbit every day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 05, 2016, 08:57:33 PM
I use trendweight - it syncs with fitbit :) Since I don;t have a fitbit or a synced scale, I manually input into fitbit every day.

elaine amjThanks for the tip- I signed up for an account. Turns out I've been losing weight at a rate of .2 lbs a week, according to it. Definitely have to break through the plateau.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 06, 2016, 06:05:02 AM
@runtoFIRE really appreciate your sharing your story of loss and regain. The two ppl I know who have lost a ton of weight did it with weight watchers and have kept it off for a few years now so I have seen good in the program.

The folks on MFP who have maintained a long time all seem to have the same thing in common - constant vigilance, just like u said. They allow themselves fluctuations of ~5 lbs and if the weight creeps up past that, they go right into weight loss mode.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 06, 2016, 07:14:13 AM
Friday weigh in day. I'm up 1.6 lbs, which comes as absolutely no surprise, given what I've consumed this week. It's astounding that I haven't gained more, actually. The good news is that it's the wake up call that I need to get back into gear. Today is a new day! I'd lost my motivation over the past couple of weeks, and after this week of self-wallowing, I'm over it. So here's to the May challenge!

4/15/2016: 156.8
4/22/2016: 156.2
4/29/2016: 156.6
5/06/2016: 158.6 (+1.6)

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 06, 2016, 07:56:14 AM
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.

20.4 lbs lost
GOAL WEIGHT: 130 lbs

Gah - I'm at the exact same weight as last week. Can't say I'm surprised and based on how I have been eating (several days of eating out and not even paying close attention to guesstimates), I'm lucky I've returned to the same weight as last week. I added as much as 2 lbs earlier this week and today finally dropped back to my low.

I need to pay closer attention when I eat out (especially when grazing on apps). I used to take notes on my phone with approx what I ate and eyeball estimates that I would then input to MFP. A hassle, but worked much better than my current approach.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on May 06, 2016, 08:46:07 AM
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)

15 down 41 to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 06, 2016, 05:10:58 PM
I'm not brave enough to admit my weight, but it seems everyone else around here is.  It's nice to have some company!

Hey, you say or don't say whatever is comfortable for you, Oneday. No pressure.

Thanks for the support, RedmondStash!

Quote
Oneday:  you can post your weight when you are ready but just know that everyone on this thread is over six feet tall ;)

lol, Frugal Lizard.  Yeah, me too!

Geostache, I'm in too. I think this is just what the doctor ordered. My plan is to stick to no soda & daily weigh ins. That's been working well. For the challenge I'll add tracking all food, and make it a point to report in here more frequently.

Checking in.  2 1/2 days into the challenge & I have tracked every bite.

Weight had jumped up about 4 pounds due to just eating poorly, slipping back into old bad habits.  I've turned the boat around once again.  It's embarrassing to write down some of the things I eat. So tracking is having the intended effect of keeping me on track with eating.  So far so good!

Edit to say that I've seen about 2 pounds drop off again; it was probably water weight from high-sodium restaurant meals.  It would be nice if the other 2 do the same over the next couple days.

Edit #2: soda count - 1

Checking in again.  I am beginning to feel like a European explorer in the African interior in the 1800's: Day 6: The rain continues.  Our native guide refuses to enter the jungle in these conditions.  The men are occupied with gathering what water and supplies they can while we await a change in weather conditions. Beasley has been instigating gambling sessions in their leisure time, and I fear if we don't see the rain stop soon, Hollingsworth, and quite possibly Smith as well, will owe him their entire profits from this venture.


Continuing to do well with tracking & weighing every day.  A few more ounces have dropped off the scale; I hope I've seen the last of the water weight for a while.  I think this plan is keeping me accountable. I've also started walking 1 1/2 miles with the group from the office at lunch time.  Made it out twice this week.

soda count - 2
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 06, 2016, 06:07:20 PM
Checking in again.  I am beginning to feel like a European explorer in the African interior in the 1800's: Day 6: The rain continues.  Our native guide refuses to enter the jungle in these conditions.  The men are occupied with gathering what water and supplies they can while we await a change in weather conditions. Beasley has been instigating gambling sessions in their leisure time, and I fear if we don't see the rain stop soon, Hollingsworth, and quite possibly Smith as well, will owe him their entire profits from this venture.

That's pretty funny. Sounds about right. :)

I ate better today, aided in part by working from home, where there are fewer temptations. Here's hoping those better habits cement themselves again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 06, 2016, 06:58:59 PM
I am not eating any desserts until I lose about 10 pounds, under 180, then I'll eat a single thing of ice cream (maybe).

Then another about 10 pounds, to be below 170.

I'm also consciously trying to avoid carby foods. Pasta, breads, rices, stuff like that.

I'm biking to work on a regular basis now.

I have a fitbit one to tell me how inactive I am. It's particularly sad since I know it picks up a lot of steps from biking and still is less than 5000 a day.

I will. lose. weight. in. 2016.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 06, 2016, 07:37:11 PM
@oneday LOVE the explorer journal entry. Do tell us more :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 07, 2016, 06:35:33 AM
Happy hour went well - I hosted - I just snacked on the healthy options that everyone brought.  It was very impromptu so no one had chips to share.  The only thing that one had to resist was cheese.  I had sparkling water with a tiny bit of ribena for colour. 
I have almost finished reading Foodist - Using real food and real science to lose weight without dieting - is the subtitle.  Last night I was reading about insulin resistance and also stalled weight loss.  The Victorians ate about 6.3 pounds of sugar per year compared to ....wait for it.....107.07 pounds in 1999.  We really have to change our taste buds....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FIreDrill on May 07, 2016, 06:48:28 AM
We have been on vacation for 2 weeks and I am dreading coming home and weighing in.  I feel like I could have easily gained 5 pounds on this trip from both eating and lack of exercise.  Hopefully it won't take me to long to drop the weight I've gained over the last couple weeks.  I'll find out next Friday how much damage I've done lol.

Sent from my klte using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 07, 2016, 08:04:32 AM
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

Not exactly leaps and strides, but a downward trend overall, which is what I like to see, especially after a few days of higher caloric intake.

Chugging along. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 07, 2016, 08:27:05 PM
@redmondstash you are moving forward - thats what counts! :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 07, 2016, 10:18:00 PM
@redmondstash you are moving forward - thats what counts! :)

Thanks, @elaine amj. I'm definitely pleased, especially after the week I had. Trending down is better than staying flat, and staying flat is better than going up. I am quite content. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on May 08, 2016, 10:49:22 AM
Starting 156
4/30 - 153
5/1 - 153
5/8 - 153

Goal-140.

Lost-to-date - 3 lbs


I didn't lose anything but at least I didn't gain. The beginning of May was tough with holidays and birthdays but tomorrow I feel I can get back to the challenge.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 08, 2016, 07:50:23 PM
Two dinners out this weekend.
I had trouble finding stuff to eat at MIL's Saturday night.  Hubby's family don't eat vegetables. I make more veggies for the four of us on a weeknight than she had for 16 people.  In a way it was a good thing that I am celiac because I can resist getting glutened.  There was two whole chickens, 10 strip loin steaks, a bowl of shrimp, a lasagne, two types of french fries, a roasted potatoes with a few peppers that had so much oil they were really sliced fries, Caesar salad, carrots -but she only had three and two small heads of old broccoli.  No one was eating the broccoli so I was good to have a heaping helping but I ate too much Caesar salad in my quest to get half a plate of veggies.   The chicken and one type of fries were takeaway and I didn't want to chance the seasoning mix, the shrimp is cooked with beer, and the lasagne full of gluten and with the cakes for dessert I can give it all a pass easily.  They wash it all down with gingerale.  MIL puts two - 2 liter bottles on the table.  Is it any wonder why these people are overweight?  But I ended up having three glasses of wine. Fortunately I had been working in the garden for 5 hours that day.  Hope I was saved a little by the workout.
Tonight was dinner at my parents.  I brought a huge salad with my home grown greens and a very light homemade dressing which I applied very sparingly to the tiny leaves.  Then there was a roasted broccoli with parmesan and garlic. Mini potatoes, mushrooms and gravy, peas, roast beef.  I only had a small amount of the gravy- but fished out a ton of mushrooms, gorged on the broccoli and the salad and had one slice of beef.  I was doing great until dessert - gluten free apple crisp.  My stepbrother gave me a huge bowl.  I did decline the ice cream, the dinner roll, most of the appetizers and only had one small glass of each type of two red wines but none of the prosecco. My dad had gone down to the cellar for some special bottles.  He is totally non-Mustachian about wine. Totally decadent meal and super tasty.  I am hoping the six hours of chores and moving furniture will counterbalance the over consumption. 
I know I ate a little too much but there was so much opportunity to eat way more. I could have done better but I am happy with what I was able to do. 
Now to resist the two giant bags of potato chips hubby brought home from the grocery store today!!!  We did a list together and he goes all off list on me.  I hate going shopping but I guess I have to take it back over.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 08, 2016, 08:30:15 PM
Congrats everyone on the weigh ins, on either losing or staying steady when you thought you would lose because of what you ate.

Frugal Lizard- I am glad to see you are still loving Foodist. I am listening to her podcasts now and will re-read the book soon to make sure things are really cemented. Congrats on staying the course on the happy hour and not going overboard during the dinners.

RedmondStash- I'll take the .2 oz anyday!

For me, things are looking up, thanks to your tips. I focus on snacking on veggies and fruits, with only very occasional nuts snacks- I find that I need it more when I go running in the morning vs. working out. I am still doing well with the workout habit.

The big win this weekend, besides being active and resisting the temptation of going out for dinner vs. having leftovers, was seeing a picture my DH took of us rock climbing yesterday. True that he is a professional photographer and I have slowly learned to pose for the camera, but still, looking at the pictures, I can see the progress I am making. My shoulders and arms are more defined from the workouts, and I look a bit more svelte overall. Definitely not drastic changes, but enough to keep going. The scale has been cooperating as well. After climbing to 170.1 on Saturday after a dinner party with friends, I am down to 168.1 today (down from 168.8 yesterday). And that's with having a reasonable serving of ice cream both nights (leftovers from Friday party)! For the next 5 days, I will be home alone as DH is traveling and I think I'll be able to go into super routine mode with dinner, breakfast and lunch. I asked him to cook me a big pot of mung bean soup to take to lunch as it's super filling. Thanks all for the encouragement. Just keep going!
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 08, 2016, 08:33:20 PM
@alleykat Special occasions are hard!!

@Frugal Lizard Congrats on being mindful as u went through the minefield this weekend! I tend to save/set aside a lot of calories when eating in the homes of others. Even when friends cook healthy, we all definitely overeat just because. Food is such a social thing. I like it that way though.

How did everyone else do on Mother's Day weekend?

We mostly ate at home. I admit I did get greasy Chinese takeout from a local Chinese grocery store for tonight though. I kept the portion reasonable (1 cup of kung pao chicken and 1/2 cup of rice) and it was only about ~600 calories according to MFP. Topped it off with a 1/2 cup Rolo ice cream and 3 mini Caramilk bars that has survived since Halloween. Sleeping in through breakfast and eating a reasonable lunch meant I only ate about 1450 cals all day. Not bad at all.

Plus, I went for a 1hr bike ride yesterday. Today, I asked to go canoeing for Mother's Day so DD and I went out to a local river. We spent 2.5hrs....it was amazing. I can canoe forever, I love it so much. Earned a lot of calories with my active weekend. Checked my weekly stats and I finally made up for the overly large work meal on Tuesday.

Getting serious about cycling for my May challenge! My girlfriend and I have made plans to go at least 3 times this week. It feels sooo good to be back on my bike. Here's to an outdoorsy summer!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on May 09, 2016, 02:57:49 AM
First week was average, 3 normal days, 2 good ones and 2 bad days incl mothers day.Didn't lose any weight:(

The good: cooked 2 memorable low fat low carb dinners for self: moroccan chicken w eggplant and chickpeas and an asian flavoured mushroom soup. Yum. First time i forked out the money for the fancy mushrooms, but they were so delicious it was totally worth the 4 $ per punnet.

Husband is away for 3 days this week, so it means 3 low fat, vegetarian dinners, i finally don't have to cook meat. What a relief. There are days when i resent cooking man food. Or kid's food. Lost my cooking mojo.

Don't give up people. I am dusting self off and keep up. I decided to take it day by day. Today was a good day. Tomorrow will be a good day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 09, 2016, 05:39:52 AM
I am not eating any desserts until I lose about 10 pounds, under 180, then I'll eat a single thing of ice cream (maybe).

Since deciding to do this it's AMAZING how often the option for desserts exists.

I've had to politely turn down an opportunity nearly every other day since deciding this, between coworkers bringing desserts at work, special events, people bringing things to small group, etc.

Makes me realize how many desserts I was eating before...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on May 09, 2016, 08:26:18 AM
Did pretty good this week. Even Wednesday when I was up to 2/3 of my daily calories due to paramedics orders, I still was only 200 calories over by the end of the day. Still feeling motivated. :)

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
Goal weight: 130

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 09, 2016, 08:27:10 AM
Mother's Day was fairly successful for me. We did go out to lunch, but the restaurant was having a special, with an appetizer, and a big meal for a total of $20. DH and I split the meal, and the kids got and ate most of their meal (win!). For dinner, I made an on-plan meal which was really yummy and will go into my regular rotation when cabbage is on sale. I didn't over-eat, and between vacuuming and mowing the lawn, I walked over 8,000 steps.

After my gain last week, I've been re-motivated to do better.

Congrats to all for your changing habits!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 09, 2016, 11:07:26 AM
I didn't do too well this weekend. Saturday we had pizza (mother in law's choice), and I ate FOUR slices (what??)! The only positive there was that it was a combined lunch/dinner, so I didn't really eat anything else that day except breakfast. Sunday was a birthday party/mother's day party and I snacked too much on the cheese plate besides having a slightly too large lunch and small dinner (sounds good, except it was pasta). Sigh. Anything out of my routine seems to really just throw me off. Oh well...new week, new choices.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 09, 2016, 02:43:08 PM
@Bee21 YAY to more good days!!!! This is such a mental game.

@Cookie78  After so many slow weeks, I bet these past two weeks have felt SO good!

@Geostache Congratulations on keeping your weekend reasonable :)

@rockstache Would it help to develop a routine for handling the parties/eating out? I don't personally like denial so I find skipping breakfast or lunch gives me the extra calories to handle weekend events.

My own number was still high this morning :( Mondays weigh-ins are never nice at my house. But, I am sticking to my plan and I like my MFP numbers. I think my problem last week was underestimating my food intake - easy to do because I ate a lot of stuff I didn't personally cook so I couldn't weigh and measure and eyeballed a lot. So - I am going to pick up the pace by overestimating more. I am kicking up the exercise with my cycling and I decided I am going to try not eating back every single calorie. I'd like to get back to losing at least 1, maybe even 1.5 lbs a week consistently. My trendweight graph is showing a more pathetic 0.6 lb a week loss right now.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 09, 2016, 07:17:45 PM
I didn't do too well this weekend. Saturday we had pizza (mother in law's choice), and I ate FOUR slices (what??)! The only positive there was that it was a combined lunch/dinner, so I didn't really eat anything else that day except breakfast. Sunday was a birthday party/mother's day party and I snacked too much on the cheese plate besides having a slightly too large lunch and small dinner (sounds good, except it was pasta). Sigh. Anything out of my routine seems to really just throw me off. Oh well...new week, new choices.

rockstache, I hear you!  Pizza is a dangerous food for me.  Just something about it that makes me want to nom nom nom even after I'm full.  Even when I am conscious of being full. Blech. 

My only strategy has been to avoid it as much as possible; hard to do when someone else is choosing the menu.

When I can't avoid it, I try to eat lighter the rest of that day or the following day.  It's definitely not optimal, but at this point, I just accept that it will slow my weight loss & try to move on.  It's good to see you are putting it behind you!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 09, 2016, 08:56:13 PM
Ugh, agreed on the pizza, thanks for the commiseration. I think it might have only been my second or third time eating pizza since January, and that is why I avoid it. Can't stop, WONT STOP!

Ok, yes I will stop, but it is probably my favorite food. It doesn't even have to be particularly good - I'll still stuff my face. I'll have to learn moderation somehow or keep combining meals!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 10, 2016, 07:08:41 AM
Weighed in this morning lower than I've seen in a long time (started ~188-189 range and weighed 185.6 this morning).

Probably a bit of water weight loss there but FULL STEAM AHEAD.

I should really track my weight on a somewhat regular basis, so I can see trends. Right now I am deliberately eating mostly non-carb-rich foods and no desserts. While biking to work and using a fitbit one to walk 1000 steps a day make me realize I'm pathetically sedentary.

I think this combination if sustained is pretty much the "eat less and exercise" magic formula that works for nearly everyone to lose weight. The discipline part is hard though. And I've a long ways to go, I was just looking at emails from only 4 years ago where I was in the 155-160 range. That's a gain per year of nearly 10 pounds (!!). Ugh.

Believing it is possible to get there is incredibly important and hard for me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 10, 2016, 07:51:59 AM
@rockstache: Pizza is my nemesis! We actually go out to eat for pizza once a week after the kids' swim lessons. But, I order the whole grain crust and load it with veggies. It works out to be about 115 calories per slice. I can eat 3 slices of the small pie without much guilt and also without a lot of pre-planning. Perhaps you can work something like that into your regular plan? I find that if I deny myself something I really want, I wind up eventually giving in and overeating/binging on it.

@ender: You can do it, and you are doing it! Have faith in what is working for you. It will take time, but it will happen!

My daily weight is trending down again, which is good to see after a month of yo-yo-ing by a few pounds. Go figure - making healthy foods at home makes a difference!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 10, 2016, 08:40:38 AM
Believing it is possible to get there is incredibly important and hard for me.

Yeah, for me too. I was discouraged for a long time, but in recent months, I've seen my own ability to cut back on caloric intake without feeling deprived, and I'm optimistic once more.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on May 10, 2016, 10:11:17 AM
Believing it is possible to get there is incredibly important and hard for me.

Yeah, for me too. I was discouraged for a long time, but in recent months, I've seen my own ability to cut back on caloric intake without feeling deprived, and I'm optimistic once more.


Yes, this is one of my problems too. Sometimes, I just don't see it and always saying tomorrow will be better doesn't work.  I do think it is just about cutting back the calories so this weekend I put everything I could in the cabinet.  When I don't see it, sometimes, I forget I have it.  I really am amazed just how hard this is.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on May 10, 2016, 10:13:10 AM
Ugh, agreed on the pizza, thanks for the commiseration. I think it might have only been my second or third time eating pizza since January, and that is why I avoid it. Can't stop, WONT STOP!

Ok, yes I will stop, but it is probably my favorite food. It doesn't even have to be particularly good - I'll still stuff my face. I'll have to learn moderation somehow or keep combining meals!

Pizza is super hard to stop for me even if I am full, I want to keep eating it.  Just crazy.  Lately though, if we are having pizza, I will have salad first and keep the slices to two.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 10, 2016, 11:52:12 AM
Pizza is super hard to stop for me even if I am full, I want to keep eating it.  Just crazy.  Lately though, if we are having pizza, I will have salad first and keep the slices to two.

Pretty much anything made with flour is really hard for me to not keep eating.

So I'm sort of trying to avoid them. Except at lunch today, I guess... hah.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 10, 2016, 01:24:17 PM
Go figure - making healthy foods at home makes a difference!

So, so, SO TRUE!!!

And to agree with what everyone else said, this is such a mental game.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 10, 2016, 06:03:01 PM
This week is a little bumpy for me. I've got some new weird digestive issue where I feel ill if my stomach is empty, so I've been snacking more, and mostly on starchy things, which are pretty much the only things that soothe my stomach. I figure I'll ride out whatever's making me sick and then recommence the May Challenge afterward. It's frustrating, though; I was doing so well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 10, 2016, 06:27:40 PM
I am not having the best week either.  I seem perpetually starving or completely grossed out.  I woke up for the day at 3:28am this morning.  The cat barfed in the laundry room.  Then the cat was eating something he shouldn't so I had my fingers in his mouth.  Then I went to do a little garden therapy at the end of the day because I can't concentrate on anything and just want to eat sugar.  Finding a dead chipmunk in my garden tool trolley cured that.  Stinky gross day.  Tummy is feeling upset and I hope I can sleep tonight so that I can just get over the rich weekend.

One upside this week though- I have garden fresh green from my own garden a full two weeks before last frost.

Hang in everyone....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 10, 2016, 08:12:57 PM
Well, I now know what maintenance is supposed to look like - the last couple of days!

Sigh. I felt like I was eating reasonably. Just a wee bit more relaxed about snacking and meals since I was upping my activity levels. Yesterday was 1783 cals and today was 1587 cals. I wasn't even doing any indulging :(

Thankfully, I kept activity levels high and so I stayed within my 1230 net calorie limit (it sucks to be short when losing weight).

It's a bit of a wake up call that this isn't just a short-term thing. I've been saying lifestyle change but it's taking me a while to internalize it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 11, 2016, 02:39:36 AM
Woke up this morning with full intention of doing my run/sprint workout but lost motivation and hardly managed to drag myself out of bed. I managed to convince myself to get out the door  by promising myself to just go for a walk. At least I did that. We can't win all days, but I have to remember that this is for the long term, so one day is not going to screw me up. The most important thing is consistency and not giving up. If one bad day turns into a bad week and a bad month, then we have a problem.

For the upside, my abs are feeling tighter. Scale is still not cooperating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on May 11, 2016, 05:33:22 AM
Hopefully I'm not too late! :)

Current weight: 116.3kg
Goal weight: 90kg

I lost a fair bit of weight a few years ago (I actually got down to under 80kg at one stage) and gradually put it back on. I was able to lose it once, surely I can do so again.

I've been riding to work a few days a week for the last year or so and was playing sport over the summer, so the major focus will be on improving what's on the plate (and crucially, how much).

The weather has started to get colder, so avoiding comfort foods will be an important challenge.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 11, 2016, 06:49:24 AM
@RedmondStash, @Frugal Lizard, @Elaine AMJ, and @RuntoFIRE, you are all correct that this is a long term journey. A day, a week, or even a month of not-being-perfectly-on-plan isn't the end of the world, as long as you keep going! If going all-in isn't working for you, try to pick one thing a week on which to focus your attention. One week, focus on your exercise/activity goals. The next week, keep that activity goal and add in a focus on changing one eating habit.

@RuntoFIRE, focus on other areas of progress. You mentioned that your abs are feeling tighter. How are your clothes fitting?

@Elaine AMJ, you stayed within your calorie limit with your exercise, so that's a win!

@Frugal Lizard, that sounds like a terrible day! Fresh greens from the garden are exciting though!

@RedmondStash, sorry to hear about your digestive issues. Sometimes the body wants what it wants, and it tells us.

@alsoknownasDean, welcome to the thread! It's never too late. The gauntlet is to lose weight in 2016, and last time I checked, it's still 2016! See if you can lighten up your comfort food recipes. If not, have them, but try to stick to a single serving, and only have it once a week.

A friend of mine gave me parenting advice that I think fits all of our situations, and MMM in general:  You can have anything you want, but you can't have everything you want.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 11, 2016, 07:38:43 AM
@RuntoFIRE You got MOVING - I count it as a win :)

@Geostache Overall, I was pleased. I was supposed to go for a bike ride yesterday but cancelled it due to rain. I ended up going for a walk when the weather cleared up. It was still drizzling so didn't want to go far from home. Nearby, there is an overpass across our local expressway. Took my doggy there and we ran UP the ramp, walked across and down, then turned around and ran UP again. So - a walk/jog. We did this for about a half hour and my poor doggy was getting TIRED by the end although I still had some energy. (the good part about my increased activity? My doggy is also returning to his svelte self. My 11 lb mini poodle had ballooned into a 15 lb fat dog!) The skies cleared up at this point so we went on a 1 hr walk through the neighborhood. I had been tempted to return home, but the red numbers on MFP were glaring at me, pushing me to keep moving. I was thrilled to go home and find I had burned just enough calories to cancel out all the extra calories. A perfectly balanced day, ending at "0". Yay!

@alsoknownasDean It's NEVER too late! Glad to have you here! You were obviously super successful last time. What worked for you then? Anything you'd change up this time around?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 11, 2016, 04:09:03 PM
@RedmondStash & @Frugal Lizard: sorry to hear you are not feeling your best.

@elaine amj:

checking in.  2 1/2 days into the challenge & I have tracked every bite.

Weight had jumped up about 4 pounds due to just eating poorly, slipping back into old bad habits.  I've turned the boat around once again.  It's embarrassing to write down some of the things I eat. So tracking is having the intended effect of keeping me on track with eating.  So far so good!

Edit to say that I've seen about 2 pounds drop off again; it was probably water weight from high-sodium restaurant meals.  It would be nice if the other 2 do the same over the next couple days.

Edit #2: soda count - 1

............

Checking in again...Continuing to do well with tracking & weighing every day.  A few more ounces have dropped off the scale; I hope I've seen the last of the water weight for a while.  I think this plan is keeping me accountable. I've also started walking 1 1/2 miles with the group from the office at lunch time.  Made it out twice this week.

soda count - 2

Still tracking all food & weighing daily.  I have been more active, walking 1.5 miles at lunch twice last week & once so far this week.  Also walk/jog 2 miles after work with my sister twice since the beginning of May.  I think this is causing increased hunger, as I have been eating more over the last few days in response to feeling more hungry.  As long as I don't go overboard, this is OK.

Currently STARVING.  The office manager decided to order pizza for all of us.  She came back around later & said it would be here at 12:30.  It's 12:45 and there is no food here.  I can usually reign in my pizza binge at work due to the shame of "what would coworkers think if I ate 1/4 of a pizza", but if I'm this hungry...well, I'm worried.

soda count - 3
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 11, 2016, 05:00:32 PM
Checking in from a work trip so I'm a bit late this week.

Managed to fit in my smoothies last week! Victory!

Am travelling this week so no green smoothies but have managed to keep my meals to sushi rolls and salads, and only one bagel for breakfast. Feeling pretty good and will be back home tomorrow where I have a tomato, spinach and feta crustless quiche planned for dinner. Still have not weighed myself but I swear my horrible belly bloat is receding and my skinnies are fitting better.

I'm looking to catching up on everyone's posts on the plane tomorrow!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on May 11, 2016, 05:27:19 PM
Mid week check in
2 great days, one bad.

I decided to take it day by day, if I think in weeks, it's easy to rationalise, that I can eat this because I'll cut back tomorrow. Not happening.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 11, 2016, 07:25:17 PM
Feeling much better today.  Got out in the garden and was digging and hauling after a good night of sleep. 
No snacking today and no urges to snack.  Am getting busier at work and between the garden and the kitchen reno, my time is fully occupied.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 11, 2016, 09:01:04 PM
@oneday Ugh - pizza and feeling starved dont go well together.

@Frugal Lizard What an awesome report!!!

I did ok today - planned my day carefully and stuck to plan. But, in the evening...ate a handful of veggie straws plus some naan bread crusts that I did not track or log. This is what's been killing my numbers over the past week. Must get more strict again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 11, 2016, 09:46:32 PM
Hi everyone,

@Geostache- so true with the saying. It's hard to say no to yourself but you just have to remember your priorities

@elaine amj- good that you have this awareness and can nip it in the bud!

@Frugal Lizard- nice! isn't it funny how when you are busy, your cravings suddenly get fewer? Hope it stays like that!

@Bee21- It's good to think in days but be compassionate when something slips- you're only human and you're in it for the long haul.

For me, today is a major carb craving day. I worked out this morning, had a smoothie, coffee (my usual breakfast) but then decided to indulge with a slice of pumpernickel bread with jam. Felt way too full after that...but starving by 11am. Was excited for a Starbucks salad, but at 11am, they hadn't put them out yet. Went and rationalized a ham and cheese bread thingy instead, and then also got the salad. I ate both too fast and am not satisfied. Would eat all of the pineapple buns in Hong Kong right now if I could! Will go home today and freeze the pumpernickel bread. I've been working my way through a loaf by myself and having bread everyday is making me crave more bread. I'll save it for hubby when he comes home on Sunday.

I can't tell how many more slip ups I'll have today, but it feels dangerous. I'll try to balance out with plenty of water. Wish me luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 12, 2016, 05:44:42 AM
I think I've turned down dessert at least once every two days since I decided I was going to lose weight before eating it.

Now that I'm aware of it, apparently I have lots of opportunity to eat (and overeat...) dessert!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 12, 2016, 05:59:36 AM
Today is weigh in day for me.
4/15 - 138
4/22 - 137.5
4/29 - 137
5/5 - 136
5/12 - 135


Write down everything I eat in my food journal: almost there
No eating at the counter or out of the container or from the buffet:  yes
Sit down with food served on dishes in the dining room - no tv on:  yes
Serve food in the kitchen buffet style: yes
No cleaning off the kids plates: yes
No juice: 1 very diluted juice
No pop:  yes
Only really good food:  yes
2/3 of meal to be veg or fruit:  approaching target, am doing half most meals except breakfast
No snacking at the computer:  yes and no snacking in front of the tv

Other initiatives:  I am getting way more exercise gardening / landscaping / urban farming  (gardening sounds too much like a delicate pink glove activity for what I am doing)  I wreck at least one pair of leather gloves each season. 
I finished reading Foodist : totally recommend it to all.  It has really helped me say no to sweets and that snack before dinner.  I also like the idea that you can increase your energy use slightly without your body noticing and needing to load on for the increase energy about - NEAT.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 12, 2016, 07:48:20 AM
Some great work here, everyone! It's helpful to see both the struggles and the progress.

Yesterday, I ate everything that wasn't nailed down, but in reasonable amounts. Much snacking, many sweets. I don't think I even saw a vegetable. But the weird digestive thing is easing up, so I'm hoping to get back in the mindfulness saddle soon, and I don't think I've done too much damage to my progress. I have some fatigue issues, and when I'm tired, I eat more, and when I'm sick, I'm more tired. Lovely vicious circle. At least I now know that reducing fatigue increases my ability to say "no" to tempting foods.

What is this Foodist thing people have mentioned?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 12, 2016, 10:01:09 AM
You guys. I am not as flaky as I appear to be, I swear.

My nearly week-long absence can be attributed to illness that is now fortunately clearing up. Ear infection for the kiddo, a cold for DH, and a cold and pink eye for me. Today is my first day back at work since last Friday, so needless to say, it's been a bit nuts.

That said, I am recommitted to the May Challenge with this behind me, even though I have technically failed it by missing out on all the things I said I wanted to do. But hey, I was sick, and there isn't a lot I can do about that. I have accepted that I will not be wearing a bikini when I go to Mexico in a couple weeks, but I am optimistic that maybe I can pull one off when I go to Hawaii in July. :-)

There are two upshots from last week though: I got a Fitbit Flex for Mother's Day AND I am back under 125:

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
- 5/12: 123.8 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds

Also @oneday, I absolutely loved your expedition analogy. It rings so true.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on May 12, 2016, 10:21:21 AM
The Foodist sounds interesting.  Is this the same author that runs the youtube channel for The Summer Tomato?  I don't remember off hand.  I watched the episode under Summer Tomato this morning on Habit Forming, Habit Breaking, Epi #3, I found it interesting.  It was just that, breaking and creating new habits.  She also mentioned a book called Switch, which is about breaking habits, which can be hard.  It is definitely a mindset change.  I am going to look into that book as well.

I was glad I found it this morning because last night, I packed up a lot of food for Stamp out Hunger that is run by the Post Office and it helped get some things under control. I just cant have all of this stuff around. It overwhelms me.  It wasn't just junkie food, actually, the only junkie food I put in there was popcorn. I would of put more, but everything else is open.  Too bad, otherwise, it would of went in the bag. Then, I put most of the things I keep in sight in cabinets.  If they are not in sight, I forget about them for the most part.  So, finding that episode really helps because I don't want to go to the store and find myself in the same place again.  Which is usually what happens.  I am going to listen to it and others everyday until I feel I am no longer at the will of the grocery store.  She mentioned other sites as well that I am going to look into.  One I think is Nutritional Diva, but I haven't ventured there yet. I ran out of time this morning.

I have failed the May challenge for the most part.  There were too many events the beginning of the month.....but I am starting over again today and will follow it through until the middle of June.   But, actually, really carry it forward as a lifestyle change.

Just say no!!!!!!! 

 

   
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on May 12, 2016, 10:24:26 AM
I think I've turned down dessert at least once every two days since I decided I was going to lose weight before eating it.

Now that I'm aware of it, apparently I have lots of opportunity to eat (and overeat...) dessert!

Isn't that funny how it happens.  So many times I say, I will have it today and start tomorrow, and it has been years in the making. 

Everyone seems like the they are doing good.  Whether it is losing a few lbs or just being aware to the temptation around.  It is everywhere.

Keep up the good work.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 12, 2016, 11:51:32 AM
@Frugal Lizard I took a peek at what Foodist is all about and it looked interesting. I liked the mindset of focusing on nutritious foods. I like that my current plans allow me junk without too much guilt, but as part of my overall mindfulness towards health, I was to pack in things that are nutritious for my body.

Recently, DH suggested I stop the weight loss thing temporarily since our lives are crazy right now. I considered it, but found I absolutely cannot do it. Everything in me just screamed that I can NOT stop now. Interesting - considering that in the past, I would have latched on to any excuse to take a break. It's like I flicked a light switch and it's different somehow this time around. So, crazy lives and completely inconvenient timing and all, I'm going to just keep swimming :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on May 12, 2016, 03:10:21 PM
Folks, let's share inspirational books, websites, blogs about successful weightloss. Like something which totally changed the way you eat or think about food.

My problem is not really junk but overeating the good stuff. I cook too well for my own good. The best thing i read was the book which shows life size pictures of portions. Half a sausage anyone?

Sometimes i think i read every weightloss book in the library. One of my favourites is an australian author Andrew cate's Lighten up, which has a weightloss tip for every day of the year, all v sensibleand science based. I also found useful from the portion control perspective The 21 day wonder diet ( an other aussie classic). I just don't understand why every recipe makes 2-4 portions. Seriously. I can make them and eat them allllllll. Who can cook only one lamb cutlet?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tawcan on May 12, 2016, 05:08:30 PM
Not sure how I didn't find this thread before. I've tried Whole30 before and that did wonder to my weight. Went from about 175 lbs to 160 lbs but I've gained a bit since then. Lately I've been just been following this - eat until I'm 70% full. I've been able to lose about 5 lbs in 3 months without changing any of my exercise routines.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 12, 2016, 05:46:58 PM
Welcome Tawcan

Redmond Stache:  Foodist is a book by the person behind Summer Tomato.  I think I posted the subtitle back a bit.  It is about losing weight without dieting per say.  totally worth the read. 
I also found Thin by Design good.  Foodist author mentions Brian Wansink's research several times.

I am now curious to read some of the books about habits and willpower that were quoted in Foodist.

Elaine: you may not want to eat junk after reading the Foodist.  Good for you with sticking to the plan.
Microspice:  you just get back on this horse as you can. 
Bee21:  I cook to well for my own good to but today I made an entire kale plant into dinner - 3/4 of a plate was just veg.  All that chewing made me pretty full.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 12, 2016, 05:50:41 PM
Redmond Stache:  Foodist is a book by the person behind Summer Tomato.  I think I posted the subtitle back a bit.  It is about losing weight without dieting per say.  totally worth the read. 
I also found Thin by Design good.  Foodist author mentions Brian Wansink's research several times.

Thanks. I'll keep my eyes open.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 12, 2016, 06:30:48 PM
 I really liked the Hacker's Diet. http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/  Trendweight was created based on it. It felt very sensible, no wild theories. The guy is a computer programmer and is encouraging, real, positive, and doesn't let u dwell in a complainypants mode. I also liked his sense of humor. The book is free and I read it online bouncing around between chapters (I started reading it to understand trendweight and eventually read just about the whole thing). I also liked that he spent a chunk of time discussing a successful maintenance phase.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 12, 2016, 09:10:07 PM
There is also a Summer Tomato podcast that I've been listening to. (I didn't know she had a youtube channel. I'll check it out). I like it because there are real people on there with struggles, not only success stories.

The most important thing I took away from the book is to start by adding more good stuff, not trying to take away bad stuff at list. It really helped me see healthy eating in a better way. We think that we eat healthy, but really, we may not be eating as many good things as we think. That and we really should not be eating junk food.

I am down .5 today to 168 from a plateau of 168.5 this week, hopefully it continues!

A
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 13, 2016, 07:46:19 AM
I might go as far as saying that both Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan changed my life. I grew up in a house with YoYo dieters who cooked everything out of boxes and cans.

When I started eating "healthy" post college it was all frozen weight watchers meals and cans of low sodium broth soups. I read OD in 2007 or so and began to learn to cook from scratch. Honestly my weight stabilized (my which I mean that I maintained 142-147 with almost no effort) right around the same time.

I've been meaning to revisit his books (including Cooked) to get my head on straight again and stop the weight creep.

Blue Zones and Fast Food Nation have also really shaped how I look at health and the food industrial complex.

@frugal lizard - I'm on the wait list for Thin by Design and I'm looking forward to it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 13, 2016, 08:20:36 AM
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

19.4 lbs lost
GOAL WEIGHT: 130 lbs

I'm a little annoyed. I've kept my calories in balance all week. It took until yesterday to drop back to last Friday's weight. And today, I bounced up an entire pound. I know its just normal fluctuations, but I did expect to end the week with a loss from last week instead of a 1 lb gain. To top it off, trendweight is showing just a 0.5 lb loss a week - much slower than I like.

For the last few months, I have been eating back all my exercise calories and the math has been working pretty precisely for me. I wonder if my overall conditioning is improving and that as I've dropped the weight and exercised more, I'm burning less calories during my workouts? I've stepped up my workouts and kept my calories in balance but still have slowed my weight loss. I am going to cut this back to just 75% of my exercise calories and see if I can get back to a 1 lb a week loss. I've been stuck for almost a month now. And its annoying since I want to take advantage of my increased activity.

On the good side, I have been getting out every single day this week. Yesterday, my bff and I went on a great 80 min bike ride. If it doesn't rain this Sunday, we are going to push it to 2 hours. We only have a few more weeks to get ready for our 100km ride. Tonight, my DD and I will go for a short kayaking session. After that, she goes to play mini golf and I'll take a 2 hour walk while waiting for her.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 13, 2016, 08:24:37 AM
I'm a little annoyed. I've kept my calories in balance all week. It took until yesterday to drop back to last Friday's weight. And today, I bounced up an entire pound. I know its just normal fluctuations, but I did expect to end the week with a loss from last week instead of a 1 lb gain. To top it off, trendweight is showing just a 0.5 lb loss a week - much slower than I like.

I know it's frustrating, but when you look at all you've accomplished in less than 5 months, it's pretty impressive. You're getting to where you want to go.

It's possible that your body is in better condition and thus uses fewer calories when you exercise. It's also possible that your daily caloric needs have dropped since your weight has dropped. Cutting back some on the exercise-based calories sounds like a solid idea. Good luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 13, 2016, 08:31:26 AM
@Frugal Lizard - Thanks! That's what I'm trying to do, without beating myself up. I am really, really good at berating myself. :-)
@elaine amj - You are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO close to your goal! And everything I've read about weight loss concurs: the closer you get to your goal, the more difficult and slow weight loss becomes. I think you've got the right idea about your exercise calories. You have got this!

Now you all have me wanting to read Foodist. But I really, really, REALLY like some of my junk food. And beer. And wine. And the occasional cocktail. We eat a lot better in our house these days than we used to, and if you opened my fridge or pantry, you would think we were skinny, healthy, fit omnivores - we rarely have junk food in the house. However, we go out to eat or we go to friends' houses or we get goodies at work, and it shows. :-(

Yesterday was not as great as it could have been. Kind of lost my mind at dinner. But, I went for a walk yesterday afternoon. I went to bed last night with the intention of waking up and exercising, but you all know I didn't do that! I did, however, get out of bed at the appointed time (5:45) and stayed out of bed. The reason I didn't work out is because I am still hacking up a lung from the cold I have been trying to kick, and I was fairly certain it would not go well. I have plans to shoot for the same thing tomorrow, but add in a workout. :-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 13, 2016, 08:42:55 AM
Elaine:  After reading Foodist, I am thinking that a half pound per week will be easier to keep off permanently. And remember muscle is heavier than fat.  You are also getting really close to your goal so don`t worry too much.  You are really busy and have a lot of stress at the moment.  Enjoy your activities and time spent with you family and friends.

RuntoFire - you are making progress.  I will have to check out the podcasts and youtube channel.

Starbright - I read Omnivores Dilemma and really enjoyed it.  Being celiac means I avoid most process food but having my family get into cooking from scratch really helped me being able to eat with them again.

Microspice - healing is easier when you are not stressed - deep breath in and deep breath out and repeat.

We had indian takeaway last night.  I was so tired from a big day and have been cooking in suboptimal kitchen and just couldn`t face the kitchen.  Except that I made a kale plant into a delicious veg dish and a monster salad with my homegrown greens and cherry balsamic vinaigrette.  So had very little butter chicken and rice and a huge serving of vegetables.  I am trying to add more pulses into the mix - so I ordered a spicy dal.  I don`t know enough about indian cuisine to make my own.  I didn`t order pakoras or papadoms so way less fat than our usual order.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 13, 2016, 08:45:34 AM
Friday weigh in day here. I'm down 2.4 pounds! I'm not quite where I was 5 weeks ago, but a strong loss is getting me in the right direction again, instead of bouncing back and forth.

4/08/2016: 155.2
4/15/2016: 156.8
4/22/2016: 156.2
4/29/2016: 156.6
5/06/2016: 158.6 (+1.6)
5/13/2016: 155.8

27 lbs lost
Goal: 140 lbs

@Microspice: Maybe a cheat day would work for you? I know some people seem to have good luck with having one day where they don't go crazy, but don't really worry about what they're consuming, either.

@Elaine AMJ: I second what Microspice has said. You're so close to your goal that your loss is going to be slow at this point. But you have come so far and are doing really well!

Thanks for the book recommendations, all! I'll have to check out some of those books. The other one I recommend is Tosca Reno's "Clean Eating Diet." It's a little stricter than I would like, but I've been trying to follow the general principles and have had a lot of luck. Particularly with slaying my sugar dragon. I have a terrible addiction to sugar, and find if I cut it out completely, the cravings and desire to eat it go away completely.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: senorpanqueque on May 13, 2016, 10:14:49 AM
I jogged to my parents' house on Friday to use their scale.. was pleasantly surprised to see my weight at 188.. breaking the 190 mark for the first time in a long time. How much of that weight loss was due to water weight lost, I'm not really sure.

Spring sports start for me this week, so hopefully that will help continue towards my goal - going to try to jog to my sports events wherever it is feasible as well.

I love watching sports, especially this time of year - baseball, NHL playoffs, NBA playoffs, so rather than sitting on my butt for 4 hours, I've started trying to stand for the majority of the game, and do some movement as well - doing dances for goals, pushups during breaks, etc. It kind of makes the games more exciting!

Congrats to everyone on their continued success - keep pushing!

Weighed in at 183.6 this morning from a starting weight of 208ish on March 6th or so.

So I guess that's the 25 lb. milestone!

I should say that some of that drop may just be water-weight. I put in about 20km or so combined of running, walking, jogging, so I was sweating pretty hard. We'll see if I can maintain it through a weekend that will start with Chicken Korma and beer..
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 13, 2016, 11:49:04 AM
You guys are right. I'm disappointed, but certainly this isn't going to stop me. Cutting back to only eating 75% of my exercise calories should hopefully help things move in the right direction again. Even though I am close to goal (130 lbs), I am still unhappy with my body. It's better, but nowhere close to good yet. Pretty sure my ideal is about 100 lbs or so (don't know as I've never been there LOL!). I plan to hit goal, and then push onwards to 120 lbs and see how I feel then. It's still not thin OR lean, but 120 lbs would be a reasonable weight for me and I used to maintain there with no struggles.

I think back and still give myself a kick every time I realize just how far I'd let myself go in the last few years. I was about 120 lbs when I got pregnant the first time (DD is about 15 now). Eventually, after 2 babies, I was at about 130 lbs and maintained more or less for many years, creeping upwards by 1-2 lbs a year. In the past couple of years alone, I ballooned up to 154 lbs. I'm so glad the switch finally clicked and I put a full stop on the whole thing and turned the ship around. I have a plan now and am going to kick this thing!

@Frugal Lizard Dal is delicious - and healthy and low cal! I love that you made a big serving of veggies and ate that.

@Geostache SO glad to see that scale FINALLY move!!! Yay!

@ senorpanqueque Congratulations - you are rocking this :) AND you're getting in the exercise you were worried about.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on May 13, 2016, 07:30:05 PM
I really liked the Hacker's Diet. http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/  Trendweight was created based on it. It felt very sensible, no wild theories. The guy is a computer programmer and is encouraging, real, positive, and doesn't let u dwell in a complainypants mode. I also liked his sense of humor. The book is free and I read it online bouncing around between chapters (I started reading it to understand trendweight and eventually read just about the whole thing). I also liked that he spent a chunk of time discussing a successful maintenance phase.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for sharing this! I read through it all the morning, and I have a feeling I'll be re-reading it again soon. I've been staying off the scale except for once a week, but I think as I get closer to goal and start losing more slowly it would be a good idea to start tracking 10 day trends rather than a once a week weigh-in.

I had company in town this past week and did A LOT of restaurant eating, but I think I did okay. My problem with restaurants is that I eat out so infrequently that I act like it's an excuse to go crazy. I feel like I did okay, all things considered. But I have been super hungry all week ever since, which has been tough. Definitely ready to start a new week and get back to normal.

starting weight as of mid-March: 175
last week: 156.8
this week: 155.8
goal weight: 145

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 14, 2016, 07:49:04 AM
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

I'm actually okay with the bounce upward, since I know it came from eating differently when I was sick, and I'm much better now. I'm pleased that I still logged everything I ate, and I maintained my exercise levels. I know I'll have bad weeks now and then; to me, the most important thing is to keep as much as possible on track even during a bad week.

Back to the slog.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FIreDrill on May 14, 2016, 10:48:33 AM
Got back from a three week vacation and I was presently surprised to find out that I only gained 2 pounds. 

I went for a 5 mile run this morning and I definitely got a little out of shape but the overall damage from a 3 week vacation with lots of food doesn't look to bad. 

I should be able to drop the 2 pounds in a week or so since all my cardio exercise will pick up again. Definitely thought I gained 5 pounds or more so I am definitely happy. Lol

Sent from my klte using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on May 15, 2016, 06:32:26 AM
Time for the first update

Original weight: 116.3kg
Current weight: 116.8kg
Goal weight: 90kg

D'oh.

I went for a bike ride today, but that'll be offset by the plate of noodles I had for lunch, the muffin and chai latte I had soon afterwards, and dinner (Sri Lankan chicken curry and daal with spinach in it, served with basmati rice).

At least the daal's healthy...right?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 16, 2016, 12:57:05 AM
Not sure how I didn't find this thread before. I've tried Whole30 before and that did wonder to my weight. Went from about 175 lbs to 160 lbs but I've gained a bit since then. Lately I've been just been following this - eat until I'm 70% full. I've been able to lose about 5 lbs in 3 months without changing any of my exercise routines.

@Tawcan- this is great and sounds very sustainable. How did you teach yourself to stop at 70% full? Do you use a cue or a trigger? I'd love to try this as I know that I often eat too fast and without really being conscious of exactly what I am eating.

Good weekend for me- was home alone and cooked pretty much exclusively. Down on the scale to 167, but jumped up to 168.5 today due to eating sushi (with sodium rich soy sauce) last night. Hoping to drink enough today to offset the bloat.

Workouts are going great- I find them sustainable and can see the difference in my muscles now. My DH has started telling me that I look more fit and skinnier. I'll take that over a lower number on the scale (but I want the lower number too, obviously)

@elaine amj - I agree with those who posted before- you've been doing great and are losing at a very sustainable rate. Don't beat yourself up or cut calories to an extent that's not sustainable. I suggest also adding weight training to your workout routine as it does amazing things to how you look and feel, even if it doesn't have a direct impact on the scale.

Hang in there!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on May 16, 2016, 03:09:06 AM
Weekend was ok. Today was attrocious. Croissants and carrots. Work stress. I hate my job. I hate that mindless shit:(

Happy thought: haven't had pretzels for weeks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 16, 2016, 07:31:07 AM
Had some slips this weekend.  Forgot to write in my journal on Saturday. Sunday dinner was out and we ate later than my habit so I was inhaling appetizer and then ate what was put on my plate instead of asking for less.  But I did work like a dog so hopefully I earned those calories.  Feeling stuffed this morning but the scale was the same this morning as yesterday and the day before.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on May 16, 2016, 07:56:25 AM
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)

15 down 41 to go.  Last week was travel.  I tried to maintain the diet/exercise plan, but couldn't quite match my previous efforts.  I'm happy with maintaining, but this week its back to the grind both with diet and exercise discipline.  I'm finding that myfitnesspal food monitoring has done wonders to keep me in check.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 16, 2016, 08:08:33 AM
I did not track this weekend even in the slightest. The scale is showing it today, up over 0.5 lb from Friday. D'oh! We're going camping this upcoming weekend, and DH and I went a little crazy on the junk food shopping. I'm going to have a little bit, but I am going to try to stick to eating nuts and fruit for snacks while we're out there. Oy. At least we'll be doing a lot of hiking to try to balance it out!

I am trying something different this week with my eating habits. I added another egg to my breakfast, and I'm going to skip my morning snack. I'm finding that I'm less satisfied with having 5 small meals a day. I'd much rather eat 3 square and skip the snacks. That's much more conducive to my weekend schedule anyway. This way, my eating is more consistent between the work week and weekend.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 16, 2016, 08:27:41 AM
@Chippewa - Your meal plan for the week sounds delicious. Do you wanna come cook at my house?

@Geostache - Love that you're adjusting your plan to fit your lifestyle. I think so often we hear so much conflicting info ("Eat 6 small meals a day!" "No, you should be doing intermittent fasting!"), that we often forget to just listen to our own bodies and do what works for us day in and day out.

I forgot to weigh myself this morning, so I will do my weight check-in tomorrow. Still haven't exercised, but I was a little more active this weekend than normal. So much so that on Saturday night, my body was screaming at me to go to bed at 8:00. So I did, and I'm feeling a lot better. My cough is still sticking around, but I am not going to use it as an excuse to not exercise this week.

I have been logging *some* of my food on the weekend, and I can see why I'm stalling out now. During the week, it's pretty easy for me to stick to my calorie budget, but our weekends get so social and there is ALWAYS food involved. I find myself mindlessly reaching into a bowl or having another drink. I have got to come up with a strategy to keep it in check.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 16, 2016, 08:48:51 AM
Ugh Happy Monday All! At the gym this weekend I weighed myself for the first time since March. I was 150 at the doctor when I went in March which is what made me realize I need to get a grip. On Saturday the gym scale was somewhere around 148 - but different scale so who knows. Where are the days when I could maintain weight with no effort?!. SO frustrating.

Thanks for all the kids and food tips a couple of weeks ago. It actually sort of made me realize I was using my kids as an excuse. Just because they aren't going to eat a giant green salad doesn't mean I shouldn't make one. I've been trying to fill a quarter of my plate with a salad since then. Don't know if it is doing anything for my weight but I'm certainly getting more nutrients. I'm also modeling healthy eating for them.

I made it through a work trip last week with no appreciable gains - salads and sashimi kept me in check. I also stayed in my boss' my guest suite for the whole trip and ate dinner with his family several nights in a row. His wife is a fitness instructor - nothing keeps my appetite suppressed like spending time with a woman who spends a minimum of four hours a day at the gym :)

My husband starts his summer schedule this week which opens up a lot of time in our house (he's a professor). He will be helping with daycare drop offs and pick ups and that should give me more time to cook, keep the house organized and do my own job. I suspect my stress level will drop soon and that always helps with my eating. My MIL comes to visit for the week and she is a health and fitness nut so eating will be easily on point.

@Bee21 - I feel you! work sucks.

@chippewa - that grocery list looks amazing

@redmondstache - You can do it! Glad you are feeling better.

@elaine amj - you are doing such a wonderful job. As everyone else has said, the last few pounds are the hardest.

@senorpanqueque - that is an amazing loss.

@geostache - I am also a three square person! for me, snacking begets more snacking.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and healthy week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on May 16, 2016, 11:54:18 AM
Went up a touch this week, but with the amount of delicious food I cooked this weekend it's no wonder. The next 2 weeks may be hard while on camping vacation. We shall see.

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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 16, 2016, 03:17:52 PM
The weekend was so-so. I did reqsonably well but when I was at a friend's place for dinner last night, I went a bit mad and pigged out. I was sleepy and couldn't get a grip on myself.

Today hasn't been better. DH gave me a bit of a scare this morning by fainting. I went to work, but he called me an hour later asking me to come home to drive him to his medical appointments. While he was getting his treatment, I ended up buying a bag of Cheetos and chowing down. Ugh. Then came home and grabbed a handful of M&Ms to top it off. Oh well, heading out on an intense bike ride now with my bff so hopefully will get myself together again and beat off these munchies!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 16, 2016, 06:16:22 PM
Well, it was a good run, but I didn't track food yesterday & now I can't remember what I had for lunch.  The new goal is to track all but one meal for the month :)

Honestly I am happy with what I have done so far because:  My sister is moving halfway across the country.  She quit her job in April & is taking May as her "farewell tour".  After that, she'll be making her life 2 time zones away.  We are pretty close  &  will miss each other a whole lot.  Just keeping the stress/emotional eating in check for this month & probably next will be the key.  I don't want to give myself permission to "maintain"; I think that would lead to slipping into old habits.

Holding the soda count for the month to 3 - that's good news
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 16, 2016, 08:06:30 PM
Thought I was keeping everything in check but up .4 on the scale today, no idea why. I do weigh myself every day and I know that this can be part of a daily fluctuation but it's still so frustrating!

Was listening to a Foodist podcast on the way in to work today and really connected with the story of a woman who realized she was eating super quickly and even after she found herself full. She started practicing mindful eating and found herself leaving half her food on her plate as she realized that she was actually full. I find that I eat super quickly as well, even if I am sitting at a table to eat. I tend to read when I eat alone, which also results in not paying attention. My DH also eats super fast, so it's not a good reinforcement during dinner.

I am going to pivot the May challenge to try this out:

- Continue not eating in front of the TV/computer - add reading to that as well
- Think about what my body is telling me and eat only when I am actually hungry
- Practice mindful eating - eat slowly, put down my fork in between bites, and stop when I am full, no books, apps, news, etc.

Wish me luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 17, 2016, 08:30:47 AM
Apparently, I'm doing something right, but I'm not sure what it is. The scale went down a little bit more this morning, and I continue to inch toward my goal. :-) My Fitbit has made me painfully aware of how little I move while at work, so I have a new habit I'm forming - a lap around the building after every bathroom trip. Which, since I drink a metric butt-ton of water each day, is approximately once per hour. It's an improvement, albeit a small one.

And, I am going to work out tonight - 30 Day Shred. I'm just going to, because I need to. I will feel better, look better, and sleep better if I start exercising, so I am going to just do it tonight. You all heard it here, and I want you to chew me out and berate me if tomorrow's report indicates that I flaked out. :-)

@RuntoFIRE - If you weigh yourself everyday, you will see fluctuations all the time. Up .5, down 2, then up again. If you haven't already, look into downloading TrendWeight or another weight averaging app to see your overall progress over a stretch of time. According to my app, I'm losing an average of .56 pounds per week. Or you could just do your own math. :-)

@oneday - That sister stuff is hard. Luckily, we live in the age of Skype and instant communication. It's not the same, I know - stay strong!


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
- 5/12: 123.8 pounds
- 5/17: 123 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 17, 2016, 10:39:55 AM
@RuntoFIRE - +1 to what MicroSpice wrote.  I've been weighing daily and it is totally normal to see a bump up or down of a few ounces daily.

@MicroSpice - thanks for the encouragement.  I'm actually seeing a trend of gaining now.  She's not living here, so she's eating out a lot due to not having a kitchen, and also to socialize...I'm going along but not making healthy choices.  It's a different challenge than I expected.  Adjusting expectation....NOW!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 17, 2016, 10:52:25 AM
Apparently, I'm doing something right, but I'm not sure what it is. The scale went down a little bit more this morning, and I continue to inch toward my goal. :-) My Fitbit has made me painfully aware of how little I move while at work, so I have a new habit I'm forming - a lap around the building after every bathroom trip. Which, since I drink a metric butt-ton of water each day, is approximately once per hour. It's an improvement, albeit a small one.

This is exactly what my fitbit showed me too. hah.

I've been thinking of doing the same thing, too! lol :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 17, 2016, 09:20:14 PM
You are 100% right, I should not be looking at daily fluctuations.

Trendweight is showing that I am losing .2 lbs/wk. I will take that!

Yesterday I was very good about listening to my body to understand whether I was hungry or just restless, and eating very slowly and mindfully only when I was hungry. It really helped but I think I actually did not eat enough for dinner as I had trouble sleeping (which never happens to me) and I was feeling weak during my morning workout.

Overall, I am trying to adopt the attitude of not giving up but working to figure out how to get sustainable results. I am very thankful for this message board for the encouragement and sharing and can do attitude.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 17, 2016, 09:48:12 PM
Trendweight is showing that I am losing .2 lbs/wk. I will take that!

I got this idea years ago that really slow weight loss, like a max of 1-2 pounds per month, is more sustainable than faster weight loss. No idea if it's actually true, but it has stuck with me. So FWIW, @RuntoFire, I think you're doing great.

My rule is that if the scale trends downward at all, I am succeeding. If it doesn't, I still have tweaks to make.

I'm not doing great this week; I've got some new stressors that are encouraging me to eat mindlessly in a sugar-filled extravaganza. The good news is that they should resolve within a few weeks. The bad news is that they're insidious and really hard to fight.

What kills me is that when I'm in the right mindspace, eating mindfully and moderately isn't even a chore or a problem. It's getting into and maintaining that mindspace that's the problem, and that's where I'm falling down right now, despite meditation, breathing, and all that happy crap.

So -- wish me luck getting back into that more peaceful mindspace?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 18, 2016, 12:22:15 PM
You guys.

YOU GUYS.

I did not work out last night. Beat myself up for it, but I was so tired and so ready for bed, I just could not deal.

So when I was getting ready for work this morning, I said to myself, "MicroSpice, this is ridiculous. You are young(ish), healthy, privileged beyond belief, and you can't bother to get off your ass for a mere 20 minutes to better yourself? STOP IT! No more bullshitting." I packed up my running shoes and some workout clothes to take to work. I downloaded the Couch25K app. And ...

I DID IT! I took 30 minutes away from my desk and I did Week 1, Day 1 of C25K. Even though I didn't want to. Even though it was RAINING outside. WHAT?! MicroSpice would NEVER do that. Ever. But MicroSpice 2.0 does. (Okay, so I went to the multi-level parking garage to keep from getting my hair wet - I'm still vain, you guys).

I am still kind of in disbelief. But I already feel better. And this is a workout that I can do anywhere, anytime - just add running shoes. I am totally going to do it when I am in Mexico in a couple weeks. My girlfriends will give me crap for it, but I do not care. This is going to be awesome. I am going to do this.

@RedmondStash - With you on the slow loss. I mean, it's not like I have much of a choice anyway - if I wanted to lose 2 pounds per week, I'd be limited to like, 950 calories a day. Not gonna happen. Hope you can find your happy place for the next few weeks!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 18, 2016, 12:25:35 PM
Great job Microspice 2.0! You are a weight loss MACHINE!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 18, 2016, 08:13:32 PM
Good job MicroSpice 2.0! Isn't it amazing how it's about giving yourself that little push to actually go and do the workout, and then finding that the workout is actually easy/not that bad, and makes you feel great? Keep going! Having an app to track progress and make sure that you are sticking to plan is helpful too.

RedmondStash- thank you for the wise words. It's very true that as long as the trend is going in the right direction, I shouldn't care about how much it's going down because sooner or later, I will get there. I hear you about the mindspace- there are days when you are so determined and motivated and mindful that eating healthfully seems so easy, but there are other days when you are distracted and running around and all of the mindfulness goes out the window. Wishing you luck in finding that mindspace on a regular basis.

I have happy news to report. I am down again on the scale, this time to 167.1. Trendweight now shows a trend of a 0.3 lbs loss per week. Woohoo. But really, what it's been is that for the past 2 days I have been trying to eat slowly and really listen to my body, instead of assuming that what it wants is food. For example, from breakfast to lunch, I did realize that I need a snack but that an apple is more than enough to hold me over. What I also found is how thirsty I was. I didn't really pay attention to thirst. I drank water, of course, but since tuning in I have been gulping water down to satisfy my thirst. I suspect the increased physical activity, coupled with moving to a humid climate (I've only been in Hong Kong for three months) has really increased my need for water and I haven't been giving my body what it needs. Since then, the scale has rewarded me with a loss of 1.9 lbs! I'm secretly hoping that's the silver bullet for me, even though I know it won't be, but I feel good about paying more attention.

Also, I've been looking for ways to reward myself for consistently sticking to my workout habit. I want to get new shoes, but my shoes as still ok, so it's hard to justify spending money. I've also been on the look out for shorts or tank tops. Do you guys have any favorites? Or other favorite ways to reward yourselves?

Good luck to all today!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 19, 2016, 07:25:22 AM
Microspice: Way to go! Sometimes a little self-push is all you need to get started on a new habit! Hold on to that feeling of being proud of yourself (As you rightfully should be!) and use it to keep your momentum going!

After a good loss last week, this week has been terrible. I have been in a hormonal-induced depression for the past 5 days or so. Like, serious, serious depression. I've never experienced such dire thoughts in my life. I'm going to have to talk to my doctor about it, because I cannot function with having nearly a week every month like that. It was truly awful. I tried everything I could to lift my spirits, including eating tons of food, having a few drinks, meditation, sleep, exercise, you name it. Nothing helped. At its worst, I couldn't even engage with my kids. Tomorrow is weigh-in day, and I fully expect to see the gain associated with that depression.

Fortunately, I feel better today. Not back to my 100% self, but a heck of a lot better than the past two days. So, today is a new day, and I'm going to move forward knowing that there was nothing I could have done differently to change what happened this past week.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 19, 2016, 07:26:38 AM
I'm basically typing to keep myself from eating right now :) I started back to my summer exercise routine a couple of weeks and now I am just hungry all of the time.

I swam this morning and that always makes me ravenous and I know that I'm going to eat far more than the (maybe) 300 calories that I burned if I eat anything right now. I know exercise is so good for my body but I actually hate how hungry it makes me!

I had a really lovely, balanced and filling dinner last night: steamed broc, garlic salmon over whole wheat cous cous mixed w/sauteed spinach - i was pleasantly full at 7pm, by 10 my stomach was actually growling at me.

@Microspice - good for you going running and good for you for planning to keep it up on a trip!

@RuntoFIRE - I'm so glad that you are going to reward yourself! I actually just joined a beauty subscription for the first time as a little bit of reward/self care. It is $10 a month and I'll get skin and hair care stuff and some make up. I figure I'll actually be forced to spend time on myself if the stuff is delivered to my door because I would talk myself out of buying it at the store. And while it may be a bit more expensive than a a few Aldi marzipans every month, it is definitely better for me :) I got my first delivery yesterday and it really was a wonderful treat for the day.

@oneday - good for you for keeping it to only 3 sodas. Cutting the soda is so hard.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 19, 2016, 08:21:58 AM
Oh my people: I am feeling down but then I read your posts and hope returns.  Big hugs to you all but especially Geostache. Please keep looking after yourself. 

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
Goal : 120 lbs.

Write down everything I eat in my food journal: still almost there
No eating at the counter or out of the container or from the buffet:  mostly
Sit down with food served on dishes in the dining room - no tv on:  mostly
Serve food in the kitchen buffet style: yes
No cleaning off the kids plates: yes
No juice: yes
No pop:  yes
Only really good food:  yes
2/3 of meal to be veg or fruit:  not doing so well at this
No snacking at the computer:  yes and no snacking in front of the tv either.

Other initiatives:  I am not getting enough exercise this week or eating enough greens. I have been so stressed with work, my computer/communication not working properly and this is so not my area of expertise.  We are going to spend some more money on the house this summer and trying to figure out how is also stressing me out.  Trying not to feel bummed about the slow progress because progress is progress.  I think the real issue is that I am passed the initial excitement of deciding to make the change and face the truth about weight creep. Now is the hard part of keeping with the less rewarding saying no – having just enough - ALL THE TIME.

But I do feel so much better when I read your successes and struggles and feel not alone.  I still haven't told family that I am doing this and they haven't noticed it yet. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 19, 2016, 09:58:23 AM
@Geostache - I'm so sorry you're struggling with depression. It is an absolutely horrible, isolating, terrifying ordeal. Please, please talk to your doc ASAP - you do not have to live like that.

@Frugal Lizard - My own husband didn't notice I had lost weight until I was about 2 months in and 8 pounds down. And he didn't think I had lost weight, he said, "That outfit makes you look skinnier." I had to tell him it was because I actually *was* skinnier. :-) Do it for you, nobody else.

@StarBright - Exercise ALWAYS makes me hungrier. That's probably a subconscious reason for my not doing it for so long. I find it easier to lose weight through calorie restriction rather than through a combination of diet and exercise. Just try to listen to your body, drink lots of water, and when you are hungry, try to choose things that have lots of protein or fiber. They tend to keep you fuller and more satisfied for a longer time.

@RuntoFIRE - Congrats on the loss!

I only feel a little bit sore after yesterday's "run", so that is somewhat encouraging. Should have no problem with tomorrow's run.

And it's a good thing that tomorrow is a workout day, because it is also my ten-year wedding anniversary with Mr. Spice. We are going to have cocktails at the venue where we were married, and then go out to a fancy-pants dinner. I have pre-logged what I anticipate eating, and let's just say it's not going to be pretty in terms of calories. But that's okay - it's going to be delicious and it's to celebrate a noteworthy milestone with my man. No guilt will be had, and I will get back on this train the following day. Hopefully, with little to no hangover. :-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on May 19, 2016, 05:13:20 PM
This week was suboptimal with work eating out of control on monday.survived a wednesday morning tea due to emergency carrots.

Dinners were ok, had less meat than usual, so this is good progress for me as i am trying to reduce my meat consumption. We are having vegan people for dinner on saturday, that will be interesting( esp for my husband).

no pretzels!!! this might be the third week, so i think i managed to break that habit. Yay. And also refused to bake cookies for the kids yesterday.  We had a fruit platter instead.

In other news, the fat kid in her classroom was teasing my skinny little daughter for her lunchbox. Avocado sandwich and veggie wrap are apparently yuck. Asked the offspring what does the other child bring, and apparently it's crackers and cookies. Sigh. Luckily, my kid understands the difference between healthy food and crackers, and has no issues with her avocado sandwich, but she can't handle the teasing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 19, 2016, 06:43:32 PM
Bee21:  My son (14yo) brought home a sandwich from a buddy.  Buddy went out for lunch and was going to pitch it and my son says "I'll eat it".  It was a slice of processed meat on white wonderbread.  Two things you can't even find in our house.  I am looking at this object and thinking what is it and having trouble comprehending it as a food item.  My husband gets home and goes through the same thing.  Amazing how much variation there is in eating habits.  We had forgotten that some people call that white stuff bread.  My son was going to take it back to school then next day until he saw both of his parent's reactions.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on May 20, 2016, 09:22:59 AM
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)

Stall out much?  I had a snaccident yesterday with a food day at work followed by a trip to the bar after work to celebrate a co-worker's milestone.  Those two combined wiped out my discipline from the first half of the week.  I measured my waist today and its down 3" from 4/2, so I'll choose to celebrate that rather than dwell on my current plateau.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 20, 2016, 09:35:30 PM
@Microspice: Thanks. Fortunately, it was only only temporary, as it was truly related to hormones. But still, it was pretty bad.

Weigh in day revealed a 0.8 lb weight gain this week, which shows me that I'm pretty much in maintenance mode. I'm okay with that for now. My anxiety is under control probably for the first time in my adult life, and I have been able to sit back and relax, and enjoy the company of my family for the first time since the twins have been born. My main focus now is showing the kids what healthy eating patterns look like, which, admittedly since I have started taking medication, has not been that great. Back to meal planning and cooking healthy foods! And making healthy snacks for me, too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 21, 2016, 04:43:05 AM
Geostache:  sounds like you have got your feet back under you.  Good.  It is really good for kids to see you enjoying life and modelling healthy behaviour.  It may also help them to see how you cope and make contingency plans for those periods when things are going to sideways.  Would it help if you made snack /meals and put them in the freezer for next under-the-weather pause?

Did less well at happy hour last night, but came home to a delicious ultra-healthly meal sitting on the counter waiting for the last touches.  And the best part - it was made with a number of ingredients from my garden even though it hailed and sleeted and snowed last Sunday.  Man did that spinach taste good. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 21, 2016, 07:03:58 AM
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...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 21, 2016, 07:30:06 AM
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
Goal: 125 (actually more like 135, but they say the last 10 pounds are the hardest, so I figure if I aim for 10 pounds lower, it'll be easier to get to my actual goal)

I ate like crap this past week, so today's drop in weight is baffling. But I'll take it. Hey, some weeks I eat perfectly and the needle on the scale doesn't budge. I guess it all balances out over time. Just like the stock market. :)

I'm working with two new docs on two different chronic health ailments, and I am hopeful and nervous and feeling a little weird physically from new supplements, all of which leads me to worse food choices. I'm very much an anxious eater. So I expect a lot of bouncing around for the next few months. But I'll say yes to all the healthy choices I can.

It helps reading all of your stories; we all have our stressors and our ups and downs. Luck, persistence, and patience to all of us.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 21, 2016, 11:49:21 AM
As you can all probably tell from the stark silence this past week, I've been avoiding y'all. On Monday, there was a bit of stress surrounding my husband's health and I took the day off work to help. This started a mad binge that kept going all week. I'm talking buying a six pack of glazed donuts and eating in my car to eat it then hiding the evidence from dh type of binge. And stuffing myself until uncomfortably full at dinner and baking cookies with my DD after so I can stuff my face some more type of binge. And buying giant bags of cheetos and chowing down the whole thing at work type of binge. Its been bad.

Yesterday I was finally able to stop. I decided that I didn't have the energy to yell at myself about it. What worked this time was just quietly going back to my normal healthy home cooking. And logging. Logging really works for me.

Finally dared to weigh myself today. I put on FOUR pounds in the past week. Insanity.

On the good side, I have been keeping up with my cycling training. We go at least 3 times a week and I've been feeling great! Today was a 60km ride that took us 2hrs 45mins because my friend was struggling. Even at 75%, that's a 1000 calories!! After eating so much all week though, I'm not going to eat that back. Just sticking to my usual 1200 calorie plan.

Rather annoyed that I have been "wasting" all my exercise by eating so much. To top it off, this week, I FiNALLY look thinner. Stupid of me to sabotage myself.

Anyway, just have to say that reading through all your posts for the past week made my heart happy. Being here puts a smile on my face and helps me know that I am not alone. Soon, this will be just a blip on my journey. Onwards!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 10dollarsatatime on May 21, 2016, 06:26:17 PM
So I finally decided to stop being lazy and start making green smoothies again.  The last time I lost weight, it was using smoothies, but they would take so much time in the mornings!  I made one this morning and realized how much I was missing drinking them.  And I decided to combat the time thing.  I built a weeks worth of smoothie ingredients in freezer bags.  Now all I'll have to do is pull one out of the freezer in the morning, let it thaw a bit while I get ready, add two cups of water, and blend.  If it works out well, I'll spend an hour every weekend building the kits.  Each makes a quart of smoothie, and I drink half for breakfast and half for an afternoon snack.

I had to go pants shopping last week.  I had just tossed out two more pairs of jeans with too many holes to be considered proper anymore.  So I went to the thrift store and tried on about 30 pairs.  I ended up with 4 and was pleased to see that they were all size 12s.  I thought, with the weight gain over the last year, that I'd be up to at least a 14.  I'm hoping this means that I'm more muscley than I was last time I weighed this much.  Anyway.  New sub-goal is that the next time I go shopping, it's because the pants I just bought are all too big.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on May 22, 2016, 07:52:59 AM
Sunday night means update time :)

Original weight: 116.3kg
Last week's weight: 116.8kg
Current weight: 115.7kg
Goal weight: 90kg

This is a surprise. Dinner was pasta (with a sauce made from scratch) and wine, lunch involved a lot of rice and I ate a big piece of baklava (from Aldi) last night.

Note to self, don't buy baklava. The stuff is a flaky, sweet, glorious calorie bomb.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FunkyChopstick on May 22, 2016, 06:40:22 PM
Hey slimming Peeps!

    I am digging this thread! I have morphed in the last five years from curvy to uncomfortably curvy. My knees have been feeling it and I just am not happy in my own body anymore.  Enough is enough, and last weekend I went to the grocery store and stocked up on things that may not have been as mustachian as they could have but have already helped me feel better.

I packed lunch all this week ( I had fallen from grace for a month or two) and it was amazing. At the store I bought a giant tub of hummus, baby carrots, and canned seltzer water to support my lunches. Could I have bought chickpeas and regular monster carrots? Of course. Though they were a bit frivolous, cost vs convenience got thrown out the window and I was off to the races.

Took my first gym shower and it wasn't as bad as I thought. Now I just roll out of bed, work out, then shower and get ready for the gym before work. I am 5' 2" and approx 195 lbs now. I was at my happy place when I was 140lbs. Little by little I will chug ( on seltzer water and protein shakes) my way there!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Erica on May 22, 2016, 08:40:28 PM
I lost 6 lbs riding my bike last 4 months.

Not much but when we move closer to that area, we'll add a day of riding

Hopefully that will allow me to loose the remaining 6 pounds.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 23, 2016, 07:38:22 AM
@Elaine AMJ: I'm sorry to hear about your husband's health. I hope that he's on the mend! It's hard when our loved ones are not doing well. It's good that you're not beating yourself up over the binging either. One of the hardest things to do is to forgive yourself. Keeping the perspective that it's just a blip is a good way to look at things!

@FunkyChopsticks: Welcome to the thread! Hummus and carrots are one of my favorite snacks!


After Friday's weigh in, I spent most of Friday and all weekend feeling under the weather. We had all the junk food from our rained-out camping trip (which, in hindsight was a blessing given the way that we all felt this weekend), which I tried to keep at a moderate intake, both for myself and the family. Unfortunately, once the kiddos got a taste of the junk food, that's all they kept asking for. I realized that it would lead down a slippery path if I kept giving in, so I had to put a stop to it. Parenting can be so hard! My daughter especially likes the stuff, and will ask for any junk food that is in the house instead of eating healthy foods. Time to practice my "No" voice, in addition to explaining to the kids why eating junk all the time isn't a good idea.

Needless to say, I haven't weighed or logged all weekend. I will weigh myself tomorrow and get back to our healthy eating habits. Stupid illness!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 23, 2016, 09:03:52 AM
@chippewa real food is good! Keep it up :)

@Geostache sorry to hear u were under the weather. Its hard to control our kids junk food. We have been consciously working on keeping less junk at home and offering them real food. They have found they love to snack on carrots - I just peel it and hand it over (trying to avoid baby carrots). They also love whole cucumbers. I have also been buying sweet peppers for my son.

Then again, today I bought my DD yogurt covered raisins. My DH was not impressed.

I have moved past the binge. In the past couple of days I have dropped 3 pounds. So a lot was just water weight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on May 23, 2016, 02:09:13 PM
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)

FINALLY the scale moved.  This weekend was very active.  20 mile bike with my son on Saturday,  Sunday I did the long training run for the half marathon scheduled in 2 weeks followed by 1200 yard straight swim with my son.  He's getting into triathlons and wants company as he trains and that's all come to me.  For food I was fairly reasonable, staying in my caloric goal, but my macro balance was shifted too far into carb/fats.  38.5 lbs to go to goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 23, 2016, 02:11:39 PM
Hey everyone! I hope you all had decently healthy weekends. I am proud to report that although I didn't do my second day of C25K on Friday as planned, I did get up and do it on Saturday. I have my third day today, and will go out after the kiddo is in bed. I have too many meetings at work today to squeeze it in here. But I'm glad that I haven't just given up on this front, like I normally do.

Also, I did the unthinkable on Saturday and went shopping for a new swimsuit (with a handy gift card I had saved from Christmas). It was not as God-awful as I expected. Not particularly pleasant, but not completely demoralizing, either. So I'm calling that a non-scale victory for the month. ;-)

@elaine amj - Glad you're back. :-)

@FunkyChopstick - Welcome!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 23, 2016, 07:50:18 PM
Got really off the program this weekend.  Had a root beer, 3 fruit juice-soda, nacho chips with sour cream and rhubarb crisp with ice cream.  I have had house guests for most of the weekend, been out to dinner at my folks and had neighbours dropping in  or popping by to others and have been declining offer upon offer of refreshment.  So maybe it has been good that I only said yes about five times but I didn't write anything in my food journal - nada.  Hopefully all the digging and raking and hauling I have been doing will reduce some of the calories.  I woke up hungry every morning this weekend.  The only part of my plan I have been sticking with is eating lots of veg and sitting down at the table.  Oh well.  Starting again tomorrow....Two days until weighin.  Maybe something magical will happen.

I really should visit you guys every morning to help maintain my resolve.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 23, 2016, 08:02:56 PM
This thread is encouraging.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 23, 2016, 08:46:01 PM
@dogboyslim That's some awesome progress! Must have felt SO good to see that scale move!!

@Microspice Congrats on that swimsuit purchase. So glad it went better than u thought. We are sometimes so much more critical than the mirror.

@Frugal Lizard Social eating is the toughest battle of all.

As for me, I have been doing pretty good. This morning's weigh in was 134.8, only about a pound more than my low of 133.6, so I am clawing my way back on track.

Today was a long weekend for us Canadians - we spent a chunk of the day shopping. Scored Kobe steaks for $1/lb!!! We also hit the Chinese buffet. Didnt track what I ate but I feel I stayed within reason. Logged it at 1200 calories.

Made up for it with a close to 1.5 hr bike ride. Still recovering from Saturday's big ride so we took it slow for our 35km (20 mile) ride. I was thrilled that it felt like an easy ride.

Ate a chicken and veggie stirfry that clocked in at a lower cal than I had expected. Sweet. Love it when that happens.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 23, 2016, 11:41:12 PM
Hi all,

Welcome to the newbies. Glad to see progress on weigh ins and control of urges.

Same old here. Last week, I was weighing in and solidly posting the lowest weight in a while 3 days in a row. Then on Saturday we went on a day long boat trip that involved a lot of drinking and water activities. I felt proud for cutting myself off after 2 gin and tonics and sticking to mostly healthy food from the buffet. However, dinner was a slice of pizza and stepping on the scale I was 2 pounds heavier the next morning. I still felt in control but have been eating out more since then due to planned social events. So Sunday night had pizza again, Monday lunch was a buffet due to work travel and tonight's dinner will be bar food due to a monthly trivia night. I'll try to keep on making healthy choices but it definitely gets harder when you don't cook. Other than that, workouts are still going strong and I am noticing differences in how I look. My body fat percentage has also started going down on the scale, so can't complain.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on May 24, 2016, 03:01:21 AM
2 days without eating crap! Feels good.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on May 24, 2016, 03:11:37 AM

As for me, I have been doing pretty good. This morning's weigh in was 134.8, only about a pound more than my low of 133.6, so I am clawing my way back on track.

Today was a long weekend for us Canadians - we spent a chunk of the day shopping. Scored Kobe steaks for $1/lb!!! We also hit the Chinese buffet. Didnt track what I ate but I feel I stayed within reason. Logged it at 1200 calories.

Pounds? I thought Canadians used metric? :)

I'm going to do weekly weigh ins. No point doing it more often.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 24, 2016, 05:15:59 AM
@Elaine AMJ: I love it when food comes in less than expected. Huzzah for home cooking!

@RuntoFIRE: I have such a hard time making good choices when we eat out. I'm getting better, but I think that restaurant menus are designed to be as enticing as possible (duh). That, and I have a hard time justifying the cost of a salad at a restaurant (or some other easy-to-make-at-home meal) and opt for something that I wouldn't make myself. *Sigh*

I was surprised at the scale this morning after not stepping on since last Friday, weigh-in day. I'm currently at the lowest I've marked so far on this journey. We'll see what weigh-in day on Friday has to say. Back to tracking today, even though I'm still sick. No excuses!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 24, 2016, 07:41:41 AM
I feel like I have been up a pound and down a pound for weeks now. Which is only really true for about the last two weeks. It's frustrating and I know it's because of my eating. I haven't really been bad, but if I'm not completely rigid, I don't see any progress. I'm drinking lots of water and trying not to eat whenever I get hungry. Hunger is not a bad sign, regardless of discomfort!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 24, 2016, 08:06:36 AM
@alsoknownasDean We use metric over here - but not for stuff like body weight. We bow to the pressure from the Americans and use pounds for that :) Heck - I even think of temperature in BOTH Celcius and Fahrenheit. Only way to survive :) It's funny at the grocery store though. Meat is advertised at $xx/lb but when you read the packaging, they list the weight in kg and the price in kg. Makes it more complicated to price compare.

Last week I was speaking to a group of high school kids and they looked at some copywriting I did and asked why I used miles in some descriptive text. I explained that while the metric system is all things fabulous, "miles of roads" sounds way more poetic than "many more kilometres to go" LOL!

It would be rather nice though if America joined the rest of the world and used the metric system. My husband and kids are dual American and Canadian citizens and I tease them all the time about how Americanized they are.

@RuntoFIRE Restaurant food is the very, very, very hardest. Even with a plan I think is solid, it always throws me off when I eat restaurant food too often.

@rockstache I've been there for over a month now. Endlessly frustrating and I know its my own fault for overeating. What's helping me this week is returning primarily to cooking from scratch again. I'm back to my mostly veggie-based meals and it's all becoming much easier. I'm also cutting out all those extra snacks and nibbles. It's odd that it almost feels like a routine.

@geostache LOVE hearing the low numbers!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 24, 2016, 08:59:08 AM
Alsoknownasdean:
I use and think in metric for temperature, speed and distance, the price of gas and weight of meat.  I use imperial when I cook, weigh myself and track my kids height.  I buy a pound of butter (454 grams is on the package), a two by four (not a 38x79 mm) and a pound of meat will feed the crew.  Just recently milk started to be sold three liters to the bag. (I think that is another Canadian thing - milk in bags) Before milk came in three -one quart bags in another bag.  Forever they just changed the label on the package to convert the volume of milk to liters.  Then all of a sudden the bag would slide into the plastic jug really easily.  - looked on the label and there was just 3 liters but the price hadn't really changed.  hmmmm...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 24, 2016, 02:20:40 PM
@Fu Mainechu - I have really grown to appreciate counting calories. I mean, I don't like it - I'd rather just eat whatever I want with no consequences, but since that can't happen, calorie counting is the next best thing for me. I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, as long as it fits in my budget. I only have to follow my own plan.

@rockstache - I have been trying to embrace hunger, too! It is difficult to deal with the discomfort, but overcoming it can be a lesson in badassity, for sure.

I finished Day 3 of C25K today! I almost talked myself out of it, but I had packed my bag and it was peeking out from under my desk, silently judging me, so I just sucked it up and got it over with. I'm still not convinced I'll ever be a runner, and I don't have any dreams of one day running a marathon, but I know that I can make it to the end of the program. Then I'll find something else to do - I just have to keep this momentum going! I think the Fitbit is helping somewhat - I do enjoy checking in on my status everyday and seeing what sort of calorie deficit I'm running.

I keep forgetting to weigh myself this week, but I will report with a weigh-in tomorrow morning. May is almost over! We can do it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 25, 2016, 10:00:50 AM
So excited! I clocked in at 132.8 lbs today. My previous low was 133.6 lbs, which I hit a solid month ago. For the past month I have just been yo-yoing and eating too much. 5 days ago, I  straightened up my act and returned to my healthy low cal home cooking, eating primarily veggies again and cut back on all the extra snacks. And of course, logging calories (including weighing every ingredient in all my recipes). Decided not to overthink or overstress it and just do what I know works.

And guess what - IT WORKED!!!! So awesomely wonderful to FINALLY be back on a downward trend again.

I'm going on a work trip tomorrow which means 1.5 days of eating out, surrounded by very good food (exhibiting at a food & wine tasting event). My strategy will be to keep things reasonable, enjoy the delish food, and get in my workouts. Going to push myself to hit the hotel gym. It should help that I'll be standing for hours manning the booth.

@Microspice That's fantastic that you are working on the C25K. I'm not a runner either but have also pushed myself to incorporate short jogs occasionally. If you're just adjusting your eating, the hunger will be there, but for me, it typically only lasts a few days until my body adjusts. If it's a more permanent thing, I would suggest revisiting food plans and adjust what types of food you are eating. i'm not a veggie fan - in fact, have disliked veggies nearly all my life. I have been learning to enjoy certain types of veggies - and even look forward to eating them. Today's lunch is a roasted butternut squash & chickpea salad that's pretty yummy. Dinner is a mushroom quesadilla (this is a bit of an indulgence and I don't expect it to be as filling for the calorie counts).

As for counting calories - I agree....it sucks and I get sick of it sometimes. But it is the only thing that has worked for me.

One more week left to our May challenge!! I've been cycling at least 3 times a week so I'll call it a success on the activity front :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 25, 2016, 10:38:22 AM
@Elaine - congrats! That is so exciting to see your number going down again.

@Fu Mainechu - I love your name so much

@frugallizard- I do read this thread every morning and it really helps me. I don't always comment but it just sets me  on a good path for the day.

I didn't post over the weekend because i was bummed about my weigh-in. I was around 149 on the gym scale. I have cut way back on my simple carb intake since march and I've been drinking my green smoothies several times a week and working out four days a week for the last month. I hate when it feels like effort isn't making a difference.

I did have a wonderful anniversary dinner  (champagne, muscles, beef wellington,split a chocolate mousse)  with my husband the night before I weighed in so I'll attribute it to that. It was a delicious meal and we only go out without the kids a few nights a year so it was worth it.

With the weather warming up I am super excited to bring out my favorite summer lunch foods: cheese and apples, italian style fruit salads, veggie based flat breads and simple salads. These things never fill me up in the winter but seem perfect for warm weather. I find it so much easier to eat healthier in the summer.

Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 25, 2016, 11:42:35 AM
was under 185 this morning when I checked in spontaneously. woo!

haven't seen that in a while :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 25, 2016, 01:14:28 PM
I didn't post over the weekend because i was bummed about my weigh-in. I was around 149 on the gym scale. I have cut way back on my simple carb intake since march and I've been drinking my green smoothies several times a week and working out four days a week for the last month. I hate when it feels like effort isn't making a difference.

I did have a wonderful anniversary dinner  (champagne, muscles, beef wellington,split a chocolate mousse)  with my husband the night before I weighed in so I'll attribute it to that. It was a delicious meal and we only go out without the kids a few nights a year so it was worth it.

@Starbright I find that after eating out, I go up by 1-2 lbs the next morning. It's a lot of extra sodium and it does usually drop off in the next day or two. That's why I switched from Monday to a Friday weigh-in. I weigh daily and always saw a spike on Monday. Eventually, I decided it made me feel better to switch to a Friday weigh-in report here :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 25, 2016, 05:39:09 PM
Hey everyone! I hope you all had decently healthy weekends. I am proud to report that although I didn't do my second day of C25K on Friday as planned, I did get up and do it on Saturday. I have my third day today, and will go out after the kiddo is in bed. I have too many meetings at work today to squeeze it in here. But I'm glad that I haven't just given up on this front, like I normally do.

How do you like the C25K so far?  I've started & stopped it a few times.  I've never gotten through all 9 weeks, but in March I did a 5K (not my first) and jogged the whole way!  I was astounded; didn't know I had it in me.  I attribute that accomplishment in no small part to the app. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on May 26, 2016, 09:34:03 AM
@oneday - I like C25K so far. I have started and stopped a few times before, too, but I'm hellbent on getting it done this time. I am soooooooo out of shape, so starting small and slow is a little easier on my ego and motivation. Congrats on jogging the whole 5K!

Finally weighed myself this morning, and am pretty bummed. Had a 2.5 pound gain. We indulged in some pretty sodium-laden food yesterday for the kiddo's 2nd birthday, so I am hopeful that is what's being reflected. I will tighten up my eating and see how things look this weekend.

On a good note, I met up with my girlfriends last night about our impending trip to Mexico, and they are totally on board to do C25K with me while we're there! They're great friends (obviously), so I know they'll keep me on track and support me on that front.

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
- 5/12: 123.8 pounds
- 5/17: 123 pounds
- 5/26: 125.6 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 26, 2016, 11:47:25 AM
@oneday - I like C25K so far. I have started and stopped a few times before, too, but I'm hellbent on getting it done this time.

Haha, I was too, until I somehow ran that 5K without stopping, which is the goal anyway.

Quote
Congrats on jogging the whole 5K!

Thanks!

Quote
On a good note, I met up with my girlfriends last night about our impending trip to Mexico, and they are totally on board to do C25K with me while we're there! They're great friends (obviously), so I know they'll keep me on track and support me on that front.

Wow, great support.  Kudos for developing such good friends.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 26, 2016, 02:35:52 PM
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
Goal : 120 lbs.

Write down everything I eat in my food journal: doing poorly
NO eating at the counter or out of the container or from the buffet:  mostly
Sit down with food served on dishes in the dining room - no tv on:  mostly
Serve food in the kitchen buffet style: yes
No cleaning off the kids plates: yes
No juice: slipped up here with the heat wave
No pop:  slipping up here with the heat wave and being out and about
Only really good food:  almost – those potato chips taste good but they aren’t really good for me food
2/3 of meal to be veg or fruit:  not doing so well at this
No snacking at the computer:  yes and no snacking in front of the tv

Hanging in there – but am encouraged by how I look in the mirror and how my clothes feel.  Wish it was coming off faster – but hey it took me 12 years to put it on.
I need to develop an exercise program – but am in the midst of too much other stuff.  I am gardening a lot and doing reno jobs so I am not sitting on my butt in my free time.
I will get there.  First though kitchen needs to go back together. Hubby is smashing out the tile floor and the house smells like dust.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 27, 2016, 06:17:17 AM
@Frugal Lizard The main thing is that the pounds are going!! Looks like u are developing some good habits - and it takes time to form them.

As for me, yesterday was a disaster of ridiculous amount of food. *sigh* I am on a work trip and attended a food and wine tasting event last night. Pigged out badly. Someone actually made a cinnamon bun grilled cheese and duck "burger". Also dropped $20 on 3 bars of chocolate- the chocolatier actually buys roasted coffee beans, grinds them, and makes his chocolate. The worst part? I ate nearly an entire bar when I finally made it back to my hotel room at 11:30pm. Ugh.

Today, I have to navigate hotel breakfast and a stop on the highway during the 4 hr drive home. I am committing to eating a reasonable breakfast (sticking to the healthy options) and just getting fruit on the trip home. I should be home by 2pm and can eat lunch then (although it will kill me a bit not to eat lunch on the company's dime). I'll report back on how I do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on May 27, 2016, 06:56:49 AM
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)

Several long runs this week and a few more hours on the bike trainer and some boot camp classes.  I'm tired, but the discipline with the diet seems to be paying off.  35 lbs to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 27, 2016, 07:08:02 AM
Weigh-in day here. It appears I forgot to post my weight results from last week. Anywho, I'm down 0.2 lb this week, but up 0.6 from two weeks ago:

4/08/2016: 155.2
4/15/2016: 156.8
4/22/2016: 156.2
4/29/2016: 156.6
5/06/2016: 158.6 (+1.6)
5/13/2016: 155.8
5/20/2016: 156.6 (+0.8)
5/27/2016: 156.4

26.4 lbs lost
Goal: 140 lbs

Given last week's awful, awful depression, I'll take it. It appears I'm in maintenance mood. I take it as a good thing: I'm demonstrating that at least for now, I'm keeping my weight under control. Probably for the first time in my life! I have two work trips in June, interspersed with my husband's two work trips. We're basically going to see each other for about 10 days the entire month. That will make things interesting for my food planning. On the other hand, our CSA disbursement starts next week! Hooray for lots and lots of fresh veggies! My garden was ransacked by a rabbit or other small mammal, so I'm looking forward to the challenge of using up all of our yummy produce.

I want to say thank you to all of you for the kind words of support. It's been really great to read about all of your successes and trials, and encouraging to see everyone keep going despite setbacks! <3
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on May 27, 2016, 09:31:20 AM
Weigh in day here as well. Last week was the first time my weight dropped into "normal BMI range" in probably 8 years, so obviously I went and fell off the wagon in a big way this week to make up for it :/ But I realized that the only things in my house I had any interest in bingeing were the only processed carbs I keep around (cereal and graham crackers), so now that I ate ALL OF THEM this week I've resolved not to buy them for a while and see if keeping them out of the house helps. In a way I guess it's a good thing, because I've been working slowly on cutting processed foods out of my diet and those were really the last holdouts.

starting weight as of mid-March: 175
5/6: 156.8
5/13: 155.8
5/20: 153.6
5/27: 154.6
goal weight: 145
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on May 27, 2016, 12:14:03 PM
... so now that I ate ALL OF THEM this week ...

LOL! I call this a snaccident.  I had trouble last week with this problem, but it was at work, and there were donuts.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 27, 2016, 01:23:05 PM
I love the term snaccident.  I am using it or rather trying to avoid it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on May 27, 2016, 02:22:02 PM
@dogboyslim & Frugal Lizard- I love the term snaccident as well (but I don't love having them lol!)

@Fu Mainechu- oh, I love me some carbs! Since starting to lose weight I've realized that all the sugary processed snack food was actually causing some mild stomach problems, and last weeks' *snaccident* seemed to corroborate that idea. The good news is, with that stuff out of the picture my normal routine of 3 carb-inclusive meals a day still works well for me :D
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 27, 2016, 03:17:44 PM
But I realized that the only things in my house I had any interest in bingeing were the only processed carbs I keep around
I find that if I don't feel well, especially a stomach ache or upset stomach, I crave the carbiest of carbs.  It's the only thing that doesn't hurt.

Same here, Fu Mainechu. Sweets and bland white starches settle my stomach when nothing else will. DGL helps a little, but it's a poor substitute.

This has definitely been a "two steps backward" week for me, but the good news is that I may be turning a corner, health-wise, which would make next week much easier. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, go, team, go! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: soccerluvof4 on May 27, 2016, 03:26:10 PM
Since the first of the year I have lost 40lbs +/- . Basically buy just being more conscientiousness of what I eat and being a lot more active. I spend at least 90mins to 2 hours at the gym in the mornings five days a week, give myself a cheat day and want to lose 10 for sure more but will try for 20.  I have found the key for me is to not get scale happy, do what I think is right and weigh in once a month. My clothes tell me the truth and i don't panic if up a few pounds or party like its 1999 if i lose a few lbs. Anyhow I didn't obviously read through the whole thread but though I would share. The biggest reason I started this weight loss was I was seemingly having a heart attack everyday which was being caused by heart burn. Doctor put me on a prescription and after a week I said enough is enough I hate pills. So within a week of going to the gym I didn't need the pills after nearly 7 months of really struggling with indigestion/heart burn. The biggest thing is being Fire'd i did not put a time line or stresser on the weight loss so I lose it slow and just change everything the way I was doing it. I have lost weigh in the past only to put it back on and this time i don't care how long it takes to come off as long as I keep it off.  That psychology really makes a difference. On average I put on also over 15k steps a day and never less than ten.

Good Luck to everyone! I have had many set backs usually because of issues like I cant do things because of injury or pain (alot of bad joints etc) but the difference has been instead of avoiding it I truly find ways to work around it. There is always away to burn calories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 27, 2016, 09:18:04 PM
@soccerluvof4 Loved your success story. U are doing amazing!!!!

As for me - very proud to share that I made it through today sticking to my plans! I had scrambled eggs with salsa and some fruit for breakfast. We stopped in Tim's and I declined when my boss asked me if I wanted anything. I ATE LUNCH AT HOME and said NO to free food!!!!!

I am mostly ignoring yesterdays's binge so i don't beat myself up in frustration. Tomorrow 's 60k bike ride should take care of it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on May 28, 2016, 07:47:54 AM
Hello everyone,

Good to be back after a week of crazy  travel and heading in for more travel next week.

Adge- congrats on making it into the normal BMI range, even if bingeing a bit. Must feel good.

soccerluvof4- easy and slow does it, but 40 pounds since the beginning of the year is not slow to me! Congrats on thinking long term.

elaine amj- oh man, if I had a dollar for every time I ate almost or all of a delicious dark chocolate bar, I'd be FIRE'd by now. Solution for me is not to buy them, unfortunately.

This week has been tough for me, but I am giving myself slack and keeping my sights forward. I traveled and ate out most days this week and it was tough to eat the same reasonable portions I do at home. I am jumping on a plane again tomorrow, coming back Tuesday, and flying again on Thursday, so I just need to keep strong and tell myself that it's ok to leave food on my plate, as bad as I  feel about it. Today I had the day to myself and ate super reasonably when I was hungry. I did just have a late night snack, which is unusual for me, only because I gave in to temptation and bought white bread today, and did not buy peanut butter, which is how I usually quell the temptation to eat in the evening (one teaspoon of the stuff goes a long way).

In other great news, I am this close to paying off my student loans and being debt free for the first time in 10 years! One payment is processing and I am waiting for the square cash app to accept some money I transferred to myself so that I have enough for the final final payment. Feels good but I  keep checking the app literally every 5 minutes to see if the money is there yet. Patience....patience.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 28, 2016, 08:32:23 AM
I'm so encouraged by all of you. I mostly lurk and check in here and there but I really love reading all the ups and downs (that's positive stories and down trends in weight ha!).

I'm currently on the brink of crossing the 20lbs lost mark...so so so close I can taste it..NO! I will not taste it! That's what got me in this trouble in the first place. The long weekend will be hard but I'm really hoping when I check in to weigh in on Tuesday that I will have gotten over the hump. Good luck to you all and great job so far!! Keep it up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on May 28, 2016, 10:04:28 AM
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

The sins of the last couple of weeks have caught up with me. But that's okay. I'm finally feeling better enough to exercise, and I've found a supplement that seems to help with one of my health issues, so I have high hopes for the next few weeks. :)

I keep reminding myself that I have chosen every calorie that I've stuffed into my mouth, and I refuse to regret those choices, because there's nothing I can do about them now. You fight the battle that's in front of you, one day at a time; it's just harder at some times than at others.

... but I have to admit that I hope that the battle gets easier. Man, it's been rough lately. I do see signs for hope, though.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 28, 2016, 11:36:49 AM
...so so so close I can taste it..NO! I will not taste it! That's what got me in this trouble in the first place.

rockstache, that made me lol!

RuntoFIRE - Context seems to make a world of difference.  If I'm at a restaurant, I also go overboard on portion sizes.  I've made progress in this area, but it's serously hard.  Way to go paying off those loans, that is a massive achievement!

RedmondStash - It makes me happy to see that you are at peace in your journey, even thought you are not at the end yet.

Well, with Sister in town, but "homeless", she has been eating out a lot and I have gone along with her in order to spend time.  It's been hard to keep the stress eating in check this last week and I think in the last 4 days I have done rather poorly in particular.  However, I was proud of myself yesterday for making dinner at home, even if it was reheating restaurant leftovers.  And I'm still tracking (except that one lunch last week) and weighing every day (I missed 2 days this week).

The long weekend* will be a little tricky with good food, alcohol & a relaxed atmosphere.  I will strive to eat the fruit or veg option whenever available, and to scale back portions in the first pass.  I can always get seconds; there will be more than enough food.

Soda count slipped up to 4 :(

*Monday is a national holiday in the US.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 28, 2016, 11:58:30 AM
We're traveling this weekend for a wedding and holiday too and I'm hopeful that I can be disciplined to not overeat!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on May 29, 2016, 05:58:48 AM
@alsoknownasDean We use metric over here - but not for stuff like body weight. We bow to the pressure from the Americans and use pounds for that :) Heck - I even think of temperature in BOTH Celcius and Fahrenheit. Only way to survive :) It's funny at the grocery store though. Meat is advertised at $xx/lb but when you read the packaging, they list the weight in kg and the price in kg. Makes it more complicated to price compare.

Last week I was speaking to a group of high school kids and they looked at some copywriting I did and asked why I used miles in some descriptive text. I explained that while the metric system is all things fabulous, "miles of roads" sounds way more poetic than "many more kilometres to go" LOL!

It would be rather nice though if America joined the rest of the world and used the metric system. My husband and kids are dual American and Canadian citizens and I tease them all the time about how Americanized they are.

Ah, fair enough. Sounds confusing having both measurements in use when buying stuff. I remember buying a bottle of water when I was in the US last year and some were metric measurements (I saw 1L bottles) and others in imperial.

Alsoknownasdean:
I use and think in metric for temperature, speed and distance, the price of gas and weight of meat.  I use imperial when I cook, weigh myself and track my kids height.  I buy a pound of butter (454 grams is on the package), a two by four (not a 38x79 mm) and a pound of meat will feed the crew.  Just recently milk started to be sold three liters to the bag. (I think that is another Canadian thing - milk in bags) Before milk came in three -one quart bags in another bag.  Forever they just changed the label on the package to convert the volume of milk to liters.  Then all of a sudden the bag would slide into the plastic jug really easily.  - looked on the label and there was just 3 liters but the price hadn't really changed.  hmmmm...

Ah, here I'll buy 2L bottles of milk and 250g of butter, and meat/fruit/vegetables are always sold by the kilogram (except if the price is each of course). 99c per kilo for bananas the other day :)

There's a couple of cases in which imperial measurements are in common (but not officlal) use here. For some reason, people usually quote the weight of a newborn baby in pounds and ounces, but soon as they're no longer a newborn it'll be in kilograms.

Original weight: 116.3kg
Last week's weight: 115.7kg
Current weight: 114.9kg
Goal weight: 90kg

Hooray, progress! Still kinda weird as I had a big dinner and lunch today.

Initial milestone is to get below 110kg. Ideally I can reach that by the end of June-early July :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Mongoose on May 30, 2016, 07:36:59 AM
I'm in. I was hoping someone would start this thread too... Glad to see so many also interested!

Current: 5'4" female, 172 pounds. Would love to get down to 130 but would be happy with 150 or less. I tend towards more muscle mass, especially when working out so 120 is pretty underweight for me (body fat gets too low)

I would love to switch to paleo but we have a cash flow problem and the inexpensive paleo sites I've found are for well over my budget. Is anyone has a link to a blog/thread etc on eating paleo for around $2.50 per day per person, it would be much appreciated. Trying to increase budget so this is no longer a problem.

I'm back, down only 3 pounds but I have paid zero attention to diet or fitness while dealing with a bunch of other stuff. I did get my food budget increased so I'm trying to figure out if I can go paleo and add the rest of the family when we can increase the budget again. (I now have $5 per person per day). Part of my reason for doing this is I'd like to save money by either eating less overall but better quality (health savings basically although I wouldn't mind having actual money savings as well). Otherwise, I miss exercise and my smaller pants!

I'm finishing up working soon so I'd like to drop coffee. I have a love-hate relationship with coffee but can't stand it without sugar.

And I scheduled myself to start a C25K today.

I'm working on eating reasonable portions with no seconds and am hungry in the evenings. Anyone have a general idea how long it takes for your body to adjust to less food consumption?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on May 30, 2016, 08:34:39 AM
Was nervous coming home from vacation yesterday to step on the scale and see how bad I did. But a 0.4 pound gain over 2 weeks I can handle!!

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
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 30, 2016, 08:45:23 AM
@mongoose For me the adjustment to less food seems to take about 2 weeks. I would imagine this varies based on body type but I'm a 5'2" female so not too far from your size at least.

@cookie78 Nice job! Vacations are so tough. It looks like you found a good balance for yourself.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 30, 2016, 09:03:56 AM

I'm working on eating reasonable portions with no seconds and am hungry in the evenings. Anyone have a general idea how long it takes for your body to adjust to less food consumption?

Like @rockstache It takes about 1-2 weeks for me (I had to go through it again recently after a lengthy binge). During the time, I used hacks like tiny mints, liters of hot herbal teas, and was very careful about food choices (focused on filling, low cal meals). I'd do stuff like egg drop soup (fat free broth + 1-2 eggs + liquid aminos for flavour), zucchini noodles stirfry, etc.

I've been doing pretty well but still haven't conquered the need to keep eating at the end of meals. I am much better at lunchtime but not always as good at dinnertime.

@cookie78 That an awesome accomplishment after a vacation!! Good for you!

As for me, I've been doing much better at coping when I have an occasional day where I eat way too much. Normally that sends me into a downward spiral. I'm getting better at saying "OK - that was a bad day. Tomorrow, we'll just start completely fresh". I just go back to the plan that I know works and eat normally again. Usually I try to balance out my calories over the course of a week. But this doesn't work after a bad binge as it is usually just too many extra calories to make up for.

The awesome part is what my brain defaulted to when I thought about "normal eating"! It's all my new, veggie-heavy, lower calories, cooked from scratch, low in sugar and sodium meals! I have never liked cooking OR veggies so this is huge :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on May 30, 2016, 09:13:45 AM
Up a little this weekend after eating pretty poorly at my parents for a wedding.

Ugh. Hopefully just because everything was salty?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 30, 2016, 10:03:56 AM
I had a hard weekend.  I worked hard on gardening projects to the point of exhaustion but then ate and ate and ate. BUT I put on a new bathing suit and it is ok.  I put on some old shorts that I couldn't even wear last summer and they were almost comfortable.  I am hoping that this slow steady thing is going to keep working for me.  I would like to get to the point where I can do the work that I plan to do without nearly killing myself and then once all the improvement projects are wrapping up I can get into more of a fitness regime so that I have room to eat without storing.

I am working out of town at least two days a week now.  That actually means that I get more exercise because I have to walk to public transit.  I brought a lunch last week and ended up eating better than I can at my home office.  It will be hard to do this all the time because the group I work with does not have a brown-bag culture.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on May 31, 2016, 10:48:58 AM
Post weekend 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)

A few carb heavy meals, but mostly within the desired calorie brackets.  Lots of time on the bike this weekend and a 6 mile run.  Half marathon next weekend and the weekend run was cut back significantly.  I called the 6 mile run a "short" run and my daughter asked...In what way is a 6 mile run SHORT!!?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 31, 2016, 12:46:22 PM
Weird weekend and weigh in. We took the kids to see my folks this weekend so weighed in on my mom's scale. Was 145 but I know it was simply the matter of a different scale- I know I didn't lose 4 pounds last week.

My mother is my best friend but she has food and body issues with herself and me and this weekend brought up all sort of old bad eating (or non-eating) habits for me.

Every five years or so my mom loses 60-70 pounds and when she is at the bottom of the Yo Yo she generally weighs the same or less than me and it creates all sorts of weird control issues. She spent the whole weekend commenting (not critiquing) on my food choices and after the kids went to bed encouraging me to "Get outside and burn some calories" - we spent 3 days outside running around with the kids which honestly was plenty of activity. We took the kids to the zoo and she volunteered to pack lunch - she packed a single banana for the two of us to split. She made breakfast for the whole family and while she dished up scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, pastries etc for everyone else she put a small cup of fruit salad and a half a piece of turkey bacon in front of me (After the banana lunch I should have just insisted I make breakfast). I kept my mouth shut the whole weekend because it is easier on a short trip to just deal with it, but it is churning up old food attitudes in me and I'm having a hard time eating today.

I never had an eating disorder when I was a teenager but I definitely developed weird food and exercise stuff in my late teens and early 20s. I messed up my hips and knees from too much running but even this weekend my mom was saying "oh, a little jog won't hurt you." Ugh- whatever , my mom is actually the best mom but this one thing about her drives me crazy. Now that I'm an adult I know these are her issues and they don't need to be mine.

 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.

otherwise:
@geostache - you are in my thoughts whenever I check this thread. Depression is a b*tch and I hope you continue to heal from that awful week. Please keep self-care a priority in the coming weeks and be gentle with yourself.

Good to see all the regulars (and new folks) having successes.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on May 31, 2016, 01:08:25 PM
Well, the weekend did a number on my weight. I'm hoping that it was a result of the salty food that I consumed, and not from the sheer quantity of it. @Chippewa and @StarBright: thanks for the words of encouragement. I bounced back mentally fairly quickly, I think. I'm actually on meds for anxiety, so the depression (which coincided with my period, sorry if it's TMI) really took me by surprise.

The good with the bad is that the anxiety is mostly under control, but with a calmer brain, I just can't seem to find my motivation to continue this journey. I'm just going to have to accept that everything is balancing out, and remind myself that this is a long-term thing. This weekend starts the beginning of travel-weeks-from-hell in my household. At least we have our first CSA disbursement tomorrow! Hooray to tons of veggies!

I'm glad to see everyone's progress!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: bloomability on May 31, 2016, 03:25:29 PM
Weird weekend and weigh in. We took the kids to see my folks this weekend so weighed in on my mom's scale. Was 145 but I know it was simply the matter of a different scale- I know I didn't lose 4 pounds last week.

My mother is my best friend but she has food and body issues with herself and me and this weekend brought up all sort of old bad eating (or non-eating) habits for me.

Every five years or so my mom loses 60-70 pounds and when she is at the bottom of the Yo Yo she generally weighs the same or less than me and it creates all sorts of weird control issues. She spent the whole weekend commenting (not critiquing) on my food choices and after the kids went to bed encouraging me to "Get outside and burn some calories" - we spent 3 days outside running around with the kids which honestly was plenty of activity. We took the kids to the zoo and she volunteered to pack lunch - she packed a single banana for the two of us to split. She made breakfast for the whole family and while she dished up scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, pastries etc for everyone else she put a small cup of fruit salad and a half a piece of turkey bacon in front of me (After the banana lunch I should have just insisted I make breakfast). I kept my mouth shut the whole weekend because it is easier on a short trip to just deal with it, but it is churning up old food attitudes in me and I'm having a hard time eating today.

I never had an eating disorder when I was a teenager but I definitely developed weird food and exercise stuff in my late teens and early 20s. I messed up my hips and knees from too much running but even this weekend my mom was saying "oh, a little jog won't hurt you." Ugh- whatever , my mom is actually the best mom but this one thing about her drives me crazy. Now that I'm an adult I know these are her issues and they don't need to be mine.

 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.

otherwise:
@geostache - you are in my thoughts whenever I check this thread. Depression is a b*tch and I hope you continue to heal from that awful week. Please keep self-care a priority in the coming weeks and be gentle with yourself.

Good to see all the regulars (and new folks) having successes.

I'm so sorry you experienced this! I have so many similar stories. :/

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RonMcCord on May 31, 2016, 08:37:39 PM
Jan 4:175lbs.
Jan 28:169lbs.
Feb 27:162lbs.
Apr 1: 157lbs.
Apr 30: 151lbs.
May 31: 148lbs.

I'm so close to 145.  I had it down to 147 this week, but a pretty bad weekend set me back up to 148.  I know it's been touched on here, but kind of concerned about the whole maintaining weight and running into my body's set point.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 31, 2016, 08:53:43 PM
@StarBright My DH has never had issues maintaining weight but has definitely pulled stunts like your mother did to "help me". I didn't ever manage to lose until he finally quit "helping"!

@RedmondStache and @RonMcCord Some thoughts of just staying where I am now have occurred to me. This is the weight I sort of maintained for years until I piled on an extra 20 lbs in a few years.

I am definitely struggling to get the scale moving downward consistently again. I thought I got my head on straight in the last few days....then I got emotional today. DH has been cranky and took it out on me starting from this morning. As an emotional eater, I was starving when I sat down to breakfast so I served myself a larger portion. Could barely wait until lunchtime when I chowed down. Fought with myself not to eat more/go out to eat/get dessert. Shortly afterwards I was wrestling with a stupid work problem and just couldn't figure it out. I raided my desk for chocolate and the last of my cheesies. UGH!! I did manage to resist going out for ice cream.

Then I came home, cooked a low cal noodle soup in a lot of broth. I was still emotional and I think DH said something that set me off. I scooped up a serving of the sausage penne I made for the kids. I don't even want to think how many calories were in there!!

I'm hoping I can get a grip by tomorrow. I did talk with DH about his crankiness and how it was affecting me and could see him make a conscious effort to control himself.

I quit logging today when things got bad - but I am going to backtrack and log it all. Annoyed because I am finally starting to feel thinner and then just keep sabotaging myself. Grrr.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on May 31, 2016, 09:45:14 PM
Mongoose, welcome back...good job keeping the weight off & even dropping a bit while you were dealing with that other stuff.

Cookie78, Chippewa & RonMcCord: way to go! 

dogboyslim: lol, I think I would ask the same question as your daughter.

ender, Frugal Lizard, Geostache & elaine amj: I am with you right now, dealing with challenges.  We will pull through!

StarBright: hugs.

Well the long weekend wasn't too bad, but not great either.  There was an incident involving my sister, the kind of stress only a loved one can cause, and a chocolate bar.  Fortunately, I've maintained at this weight for about 2 weeks; it could easily be higher.  Things will probably settle down the week after next when she goes back home.  I love having here here, so am happy to wait for her departure before concentrating on losing weight again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 01, 2016, 04:53:03 AM
This week is frustrating since I cannot bike to work due to obligations 3/4 days :( I will on Friday though!

At least I can still walk and my wife and I have been helping some friends we know garden (since we have no house, though that's going to change soon!) and I'm pretty sure I lost a pound of water weight last night doing that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 01, 2016, 07:58:24 AM
Full disclosure, y'all. I stepped on the scale today and I'm up five pounds, FIVE POUNDS from Friday. That is ridiculous. I have not tracked consistently over the past two weeks, and it is showing. I've been up and down 3 pounds for the past month, but FIVE POUNDS? No. That stops now. Today is June 1st, and I am committed to getting myself back under control. Our CSA distribution starts today, so that means lots of yummy vegetables. Back to my clean eating habits and a healthier me!

Here is what is on the menu for the next week:
Kale Tabbouleh with Cucumber, Mint and Garlic Scapes
Chinese style steamed halibut with sauteed tatsoi
Grilled steak salad
Soba noodle salad with Mizuna

Edited to show our CSA share!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 01, 2016, 09:53:01 AM
@StarBright My DH has never had issues maintaining weight but has definitely pulled stunts like your mother did to "help me". I didn't ever manage to lose until he finally quit "helping"!

@RedmondStache and @RonMcCord Some thoughts of just staying where I am now have occurred to me. This is the weight I sort of maintained for years until I piled on an extra 20 lbs in a few years.

I am definitely struggling to get the scale moving downward consistently again. I thought I got my head on straight in the last few days....then I got emotional today. DH has been cranky and took it out on me starting from this morning. As an emotional eater, I was starving when I sat down to breakfast so I served myself a larger portion. Could barely wait until lunchtime when I chowed down. Fought with myself not to eat more/go out to eat/get dessert. Shortly afterwards I was wrestling with a stupid work problem and just couldn't figure it out. I raided my desk for chocolate and the last of my cheesies. UGH!! I did manage to resist going out for ice cream.

Then I came home, cooked a low cal noodle soup in a lot of broth. I was still emotional and I think DH said something that set me off. I scooped up a serving of the sausage penne I made for the kids. I don't even want to think how many calories were in there!!

I'm hoping I can get a grip by tomorrow. I did talk with DH about his crankiness and how it was affecting me and could see him make a conscious effort to control himself.

I quit logging today when things got bad - but I am going to backtrack and log it all. Annoyed because I am finally starting to feel thinner and then just keep sabotaging myself. Grrr.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@elaine amj -- It's rough dealing with the intersection of emotions and food. On some days, I find the cravings overpowering, and that can be either because good things or bad things are happening. Go figure. But yeah, I get it about being set off and feeling like you're sabotaging yourself. FWIW, I don't think you're sabotaging yourself; I think it takes tremendous energy to focus on losing weight, and when other emotional things take up that energy, sometimes you just don't have enough left for the battle. You know what you want to accomplish, but there are days when that hill is just to steep to climb. Luckily, there are also days when it isn't. My best advice is to be gentle and forgiving with yourself, because self-castigation also costs emotional energy that you then can't spend on weight loss. Pretty Zen, huh? :)

And I think deciding to declare victory where you are is a fine thing.

I've been bouncing all over lately, having really strong cravings. I've been trying new naturopathic supplements, which may be interacting weirdly with my appetite. So at this point, I'm celebrating my break-even days and trying to just move past my high-intake days. I know this isn't about losing weight short-term but finding a good dietary balance long-term.

But, yeah, it's been hard lately. Crazy cravings and incessant hunger do push me to reach for food when I really wish they wouldn't. :\
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 10dollarsatatime on June 01, 2016, 10:23:28 AM
I've decided to start doing weekly weigh-ins with you guys.  I'm not much of a social person in real life or on the internet, but I've been following along in the thread for months now.  I love seeing the support.  And it helps to hear from people going through the same kind of crap I am. 

I'm the kind of person who needs to be held accountable if I'm going to change something.  I was chronically late for work until I made a deal with a friend that if either of us was late, we owed the other person a beverage.  And when we decided to give up caffeine cold turkey, the person who slipped up the most over the course of the month owed the other dinner.  If I want to make damned sure I'm going to go running when I say I am, I need to tell someone else.  Now it's expected of me, and I have to do it.

So.  I'm going to update my weight every Monday.  Along with laying out my exercise plan for the week.  And we'll see how it goes!

5/30/16 - 175.6

I ran a 10k on Memorial Day.  I gave myself a couple of days off for no good reason.  I plan on running on Thursday (7 miles), hiking Friday, Running Saturday (4 miles), and Running Sunday (9 miles).  I'm training for a half marathon in 5 weeks, and have been slacking.  No more!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on June 01, 2016, 11:29:06 AM
I haven't posted in awhile.  I haven't been doing too good, unfortunately. Temptation has been kicking my butt.   But, it is a brand new month and my focus will be on my health.  I have been debating on whether to join a gym or not.  I have so much equipment at home I am not using but I am considering taking up swimming. I will have to give it some thought. My intentions are always stellar, but my actions less so and money wasted.

I usually weigh myself on Sunday but haven't done that in awhile so since it is the start of a new month, I thought I would do it this morning. I don't think I wanted to know, lol, but I stayed at 153 and I am completely surprised. I thought for sure I gained. So, that was good. 

Last night, I did pretty good with eating, it wasn't ideal but it was better than what I have been doing.  Slowly, I will start to turn this around.

This morning I did have a bagel with butter, however, lunch was a bowl of grapes and a piece of cheese.  So far, so good.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on June 01, 2016, 03:03:45 PM
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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: soccerluvof4 on June 01, 2016, 03:21:29 PM
Good to see how people did over the long holiday. I don't know where my number is as I weigh in once a month at the most but feel pretty much the same. Got right back to it yesterday and today but its been a little difficult with this neck thing I have had but never the less I don,t leave till I burn as many calories. Doctors appointment June 20th will probably my next weigh in unless I get sooooo tempted I cant wait, but I want to.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on June 01, 2016, 07:53:59 PM
Hi all,

I am back from my travels and leaving today for the US. Will be in New York and surrounding areas for 10 days. I'm super excited to go back to the States even if not truly back home (Bay Area).

My DH has already been there for a week already to attend a wedding and I have been doing well on my own. In Vietnam, I stuck to my workout schedule and ate well but had pho twice (always makes me bloated) and then overate on Tuesday. I weighed myself on the hotel scale and showed really nice numbers (before the pho), but came home and I was at 171.6! I was feeling super bloated, but that is 4 pounds up from the 166.9 I was when I left 3 days before. Down to 170.3 today but still, damn.

Overall though, I am feeling stronger and fitter so I see the weight as a temporary blip. It has been harder to control cravings after that one day of overeating- it's amazing how one little day (or even meal) throws everything off. Fighting to get back to my healthy eating mind space and really paying attention to when I am full when I eat.

Good luck everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 01, 2016, 08:18:44 PM
Amazing how just a little momentum makes you so much more pumped for this.

The other morning I weighed 182.4 prior to showering (jumped to 183.4 afterwards, humidity got to the scale I think) but that's close to 6 lower than when I started.

Tonight my wife and I went for a long walk and I finally hit 10,000 steps for the first time in far too long. And had two delightful salads today.

Momentum in the right direction! I can totally drop below 180. And then 170. And then 160.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 01, 2016, 08:28:08 PM
I'm at an impasse right now. Today was full of ups and downs.

Last night I was reading about the travails of this lady who is a perpetual yo-yo dieter. She does great for 3-4 months, then just loses steam and gains it all back.

I am wondering if I am dealing with some diet fatigue. When I started, it felt like something had clicked inside me. That click is now missing. I do OK, then have some bad choices - the pendulum keeps swinging back and forth and I am just fed up.

Those of u who have been here since January - what do u think of this 3-4 month diet fatigue theory?

I don't know if I will change my mind tomorrow - but I think I will try maintenance and see if I can stay at this weight.

It just sucks that I am within a few pounds of goal! Plus it would be so amazing to get past goal and shoot for my stretch goal of another 12+ pounds!! And do it in the summer :)

Still thinking out loud - not sure where I will end up with this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 01, 2016, 09:08:32 PM
Those of u who have been here since January - what do u think of this 3-4 month diet fatigue theory?

@elaine amj -- I don't know about the 3-4 month thing, but I can totally buy the idea of diet fatigue on a number of different levels. Many years back I set a goal to lose 30 pounds. I lost 15 pounds over about 6 months and then hit a plateau, which I was actually okay with, because I was feeling patient. I kept it off for about 4-5 years. But then most of that 15 pounds crept back on in the past year and a half, and I felt totally helpless to stop it.

Recently, as you said, something clicked, and I started doing well. But I don't feel that "click" anymore. I feel driven by cravings. What used to feel easy -- being hungry and making smart food choices -- now seems almost intolerable. I can barely bring myself to log my food, though at least I am sticking to that. I know that for me, that's the first important step, so I figure if I cling to that, eventually I'll get my feet back under me again.

That's why I keep talking about what a hard road this is, what a steep climb. I don't mean to discourage anyone; quite the opposite, I mean to encourage us all by reminding us that we are doing difficult work, so when we sometimes don't meet our short-term goals, it's not a failure or lack of character, but just exhaustion or occasionally losing a hard-fought battle. It's so easy to get down on yourself when you can see yourself stuff your face with something while another part of your mind thinks in despair, "Why am I doing this?"

But our bodies want to hold onto that fat. It's stored energy, and they see it as treasure. When we take it away from them, they want it back, and they mount more and more desperate campaigns to regain what they lost. So we have to be devious and clever and careful as we try to take away more of that treasure, and as we try not to give in to the cravings that will lead to it coming back.

My 2 cents.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on June 02, 2016, 12:22:28 AM
@elaine amj- I recommend that you read the Foodist by Darya Rose. It's been really helpful for me to get out of that diet mentality and I think it may help you in dealing with the fatigue
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 02, 2016, 01:01:01 AM
I'm moved by what all of you are doing. Here is my story so far.

I started seriously  on my weight loss efforts in August last year after a not so good blood work (higher cholesterol and primarily triglyceride levels). First I restricted calories severely, about 1200-1300 calories a day. It wasn't especially a low carb diet in terms of ratios but it was in total a low caloric diet which effectively meant low carbs. Plus some level of physical activity -- jogging about 30 minutes on weekdays and about 1 hour on weekends. As you can see it led to weight loss. But this was at a price -- lots of cravings and not feeling so well as I was always hungry.  I was always exhausted.

Quote
Date      Weight (lbs)
7/26/2015           145
11/6/2015           134
1/14/2016           128
4/11/2016           128
5/29/2016           124

The initial weight loss was quite rapid -- 15+ pounds in about 5-6 months. But then it plateaued for the next three. Nothing I did was budging the scale. I finally decided to read more about nutrition. This level of caloric restriction is not sustainable. I decided to switch to increase my caloric intake to a slightly higher total calorie as well as a higher carb diet. Something clicked. I started to have more energy to exercise and mentally I felt better. No longer was I starving. My diet is almost 99% plant based at this point. Lots of fruits (3-4 servings a day), veggies (at least 3-4 servings), beans/lentils/legumes (a few servings), other proteins such as tofu and quinoa, and starches such as oats, rice (both white and brown), bread (whole grain), potatoes (regular as well as sweet potatoes). Fat is minimized thoroughly, some olive oil (less than 1 tbsp), some nuts (plain as well as nut milk). I have almost completely cut out all dairy such as milk and eggs.

Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast -- 1 cup green tea, rolled oat based cereal with 1/2 cup almond milk and 1/2 cup frozen berries (blue/rasp/black)
Morning snack -- Apple + 10 blue corn chips.
Lunch -- Salad bar from Natural food restaurant with greens, shredded beets and carrots, quinoa salad, kidney beans, green beans
Afternoon smoothie (make at home and take to work) -- banana, papaya, berries, flax seeds, chia seeds, cacao nibs, water, ice
Dinner -- whole wheat  pasta with a little bit of olive oil, lots of garlic, oven roasted broccoli and asparagus.

My exercise amount and intensity has increased. The weight seems to be trending down once again. I've lost another 4 lbs in the last couple months. I certainly feel a lot better with how I look. Clothes fit better. I still have a small amount of weight around the mid section but that will probably be the last to come off.

Last week I was away on a work related trip -- business conference. So many people who were seeing me after a long gap commented on how much better I looked. It was so good to hear that. Normally such trips have been the bane of my mid section. I usually eat badly and can easily put on more than a few pounds. But this time was different. The very first night I arrived, I shopped and got some oat cereal, bananas, almond milk and tea to stock up for breakfasts and avoid the fatty breakfasts at the hotel restaurants. Also, I'd try to eat healthy at lunches, dinners and coffee breaks. Always go for the fruits and avoid the cookies and pastries. Plus, every single day I exercised for at least 30 minutes -- either at the hotel gym or went outside for a jog.

The key part seems to me is that I feel that this is a sustainable approach in the long term. My approach to food has changed. I no longer look on food as an enemy to be kept at a distance. I'm eating more (maybe 1800-2000 calories) but have a small level of caloric deficit -- around 2-300 calories.  The best part is that I have stopped counting calories. I eat till I'm full. I'm no longer fatigued.

I want to wish everyone success on this journey. Keep at it. You are worth it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 02, 2016, 06:18:47 AM
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
Goal : 120 lbs.

Write down everything I eat in my food journal: abandoned at the moment
NO eating at the counter or out of the container or from the buffet:  mostly
Sit down with food served on dishes in the dining room - no tv on:  mostly
Serve food in the kitchen buffet style: yes
No cleaning off the kids plates: yes
No juice: getting back under control
No pop:  getting back under control
Only really good food:  almost
2/3 of meal to be veg or fruit:  not doing so well at this
No snacking at the computer:  yes and no snacking in front of the tv

Feeling really good about this this week.  Looking around at what people look like when I am riding public transit and I am way less heavy than most of them. This is sad because I am not a healthy weight. I am not looking at food being served and thinking- I want some of that – but rather – that won’t taste as good as the calories it would be. In fact I am looking at everything and asking if it will be tasty.  The tastiest things I have eaten this week have been asparagus, mango and guacamole.  One night this past week I just wanted to go out but DH didn’t so I went into the kitchen and made a tomato and avocado salad, then DH asked if we had pickled beets, so I made a beet, sweet onion and feta salad and I have greens from my garden so went from not cooking to making three salads and then we had left over sausage.  We ate outside and it was super tasty and very quick.  I think that I have turned a corner about the way that I am fundamentally approaching food. 

Elaine amj - second the motion about reading the Foodist.  One section talks about habits.  If you could change your place that you start from when having a craving so that you don't end up in front of the fridge, that would be good.  In fact - everyone should read Foodist and the other books that she references.  I am going to re-read Slim by Design once our kitchen is put back together to get it set up for helping me make better food choices.

Rpr - I think you are onto something. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 02, 2016, 07:40:58 AM
I am LOVING the stories. Still not sure what I am going to do. It felt rather like relief when I made a plan last night to switch to maintenance. It might be a good trial run to see if I can actually keep these 20 pounds off. A bit frustrating to be so close to goal and not reach it - but I have lost 20 POUNDS and I WILL celebrate that!

I'm going to look into Foodist :) I think what's annoying me is that I haven't hit a plateau (although that sounds like a nice excuse). Frankly, looking at my CICO numbers, its obvious why I am not still losing. I am just eating too much. I liked what I was doing before. Like @RedmondStash, it felt easy. I wasn't hungry, I felt awesome about my food choices, and I know my body was getting better nutrition than ever before. It doesn't feel easy anymore :(

My bike training has upped the calories burned considerably....but at the same time, I have to snack while biking (for the energy) so a lot of that calorie burn is used up in a bike ride. e.g. I went on an 80 min bike ride at a decent pace (abt 15mph). I count 75% of those calories - so about 606 calories burned. To do this, I have to eat about 200 calories before the ride and 200 calories during the ride. Net loss...about 200 calories. So in a sense, the bike riding isn't helping me all that much. From a health perspective though - it is awesome and I love the feeling of accomplishment. I stuck to my May commitment - biked at least 3 times a week - even with life doing its best to get in the way! My 100km ride is THIS SATURDAY and if my bum knee and elbow don't let me down, I'm going to get past that finish line!

Anyway, back to my eating plans. I'm going to try maintenance for a bit and see where it takes me. I am going to continue logging and weighing myself daily. And I'm going to do all I can to give my body healthy nutrition. Today, my meals are:
Breakfast - half an avocado and an orange
Lunch - Salad with lots of lettuce, oranges, half an avocado, a sprinkling of chicken, and poppyseed dressing.
Dinner - not sure yet. Frying up lemon chicken for the family. Thinking I should make myself a tofu version instead. I don't like broccoli or asparagus so maybe I will add lots of thin carrot slices. I'll also make myself some quinoa as a more nutritious substitute to white rice. Sounds YUMMY :)
I will also go for a nice lunchtime walk. That kinda fell to the wayside when the biking increased.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on June 02, 2016, 08:37:10 AM
Those of u who have been here since January - what do u think of this 3-4 month diet fatigue theory?

@elaine amj -- I don't know about the 3-4 month thing, but I can totally buy the idea of diet fatigue on a number of different levels. Many years back I set a goal to lose 30 pounds. I lost 15 pounds over about 6 months and then hit a plateau, which I was actually okay with, because I was feeling patient. I kept it off for about 4-5 years. But then most of that 15 pounds crept back on in the past year and a half, and I felt totally helpless to stop it.

Recently, as you said, something clicked, and I started doing well. But I don't feel that "click" anymore. I feel driven by cravings. What used to feel easy -- being hungry and making smart food choices -- now seems almost intolerable. I can barely bring myself to log my food, though at least I am sticking to that. I know that for me, that's the first important step, so I figure if I cling to that, eventually I'll get my feet back under me again.

That's why I keep talking about what a hard road this is, what a steep climb. I don't mean to discourage anyone; quite the opposite, I mean to encourage us all by reminding us that we are doing difficult work, so when we sometimes don't meet our short-term goals, it's not a failure or lack of character, but just exhaustion or occasionally losing a hard-fought battle. It's so easy to get down on yourself when you can see yourself stuff your face with something while another part of your mind thinks in despair, "Why am I doing this?"

But our bodies want to hold onto that fat. It's stored energy, and they see it as treasure. When we take it away from them, they want it back, and they mount more and more desperate campaigns to regain what they lost. So we have to be devious and clever and careful as we try to take away more of that treasure, and as we try not to give in to the cravings that will lead to it coming back.

My 2 cents.

Your two cents are very appreciated! I'm stuck in this place right now too and it's sooo frustrating :( I know what to do and I know how to do it and I know I've done it in the past, but for some reason I just do not have the strength to make it happen lately. The last 2 days have been good, so I'm starting to get hopeful that I can indeed climb back out of this hole, but dang it's hard work!

On the other hand, I've hit the point where I've lost enough weight that strangers in the building where I work have started commenting on it, and I hate it. It's one thing for a friend to say "wow I can really see a difference!" and another thing entirely for some random person who's name I don't even know to say"you've really lost a lot of weight, all that walking must be helping." I'm sorry, who are you? And why are you looking at me? And especially, why are you talking?! I can't imagine ever making a comment like that to someone unless I knew them and they had *told* me they were trying to lose weight. Otherwise, mind your own business. Does anyone else struggle with that?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 02, 2016, 08:52:03 AM
On the other hand, I've hit the point where I've lost enough weight that strangers in the building where I work have started commenting on it, and I hate it. It's one thing for a friend to say "wow I can really see a difference!" and another thing entirely for some random person who's name I don't even know to say"you've really lost a lot of weight, all that walking must be helping." I'm sorry, who are you? And why are you looking at me? And especially, why are you talking?! I can't imagine ever making a comment like that to someone unless I knew them and they had *told* me they were trying to lose weight. Otherwise, mind your own business. Does anyone else struggle with that?

People haven't really commented on how I look, but yeah, that would really piss me off. My body is not here for anyone else's commentary or amusement, and the whole relationship to body, health, looks, fat, etc. is so out of whack in this culture that any comment, good or bad, could send me into a tailspin. I am doing this for me, and everyone else can keep their opinions to themselves. They are not helping me by commenting on whether my body looks fat or thin.

And also, some people are introverts and don't really want strangers engaging them on anything. Because privacy.

It's weird; within about a 30-pound range, the way I look doesn't really change. It's kind of nice, because it means nobody notices. Add to that that I tend to wear looser clothes because I have a weirdly sensitive stomach and can't tolerate anything tight around my abdomen, and I guess I'm pretty well camouflaged. I prefer it that way.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 02, 2016, 09:54:01 AM
So Foodist lovers - I've been checking out her Summer Tomato blog. I'm impressed - much more than I thought I would be. I also listened to an hour long podcast and enjoyed it (I rarely listen to podcasts). I ended up subscribing to her newsletter so we'll see where that takes me. it jives very much with what I have been doing that has been successful - eating lots of real food that I enjoy.

I will mention that I don't like the look of most of her recipes though. I have never been a fan of veggies all my life and so I've been learning to expand my palate. Contrast that to skinnytaste,com where 50-75% of her recipes look incredibly delicious (and pretty much everything I have tried has been delicious too!). I did quickly learn my food has to taste good to be able to eat mindfully. So I am careful with that. There's still lots of veggies I need to learn to like, but now I enjoy tofu, zucchini, eggplant and squashes and have them quite regularly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 02, 2016, 10:21:24 AM
For me, I love veggies. But not raw. I like most of them somewhat cooked and appropriately seasoned and spiced. The big advantage with non starchy veggies is that you can eat a lot with little calories. I believe that for such veggies one 1 lb has about 100 calories. Plus you get so many wonderful phytonutrients.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 02, 2016, 10:36:00 AM
One thing I want to continue on is to change relationship to food. Rather than restricting food, eat more. But this should be foods that are good and wholesome.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 02, 2016, 11:24:45 AM
Lots of good things to like on her blog - making my way through her series of starter kit posts. This sentence jumped out to me: Eating blueberries doesn’t make you a good person, and eating brownies doesn’t make you a bad person.   This line was found in Why I'll Never Tell You to Eat "Heart Healthy" Foods (http://summertomato.com/why-ill-never-tell-you-to-eat-heart-healthy-foods)

Her answer to this is "To stop granting yourself a license to ill try to notice whenever you think of a food as good or bad, and instead remember why you enjoy them and how they will make you feel after eating them. Because only when you make choices based on your core values instead of your natural impulses will you be able to truly upgrade your healthstyle."

A GREAT point. Some time ago I posted on here wondering why eating a chocolate bar was so much more satisfying when a super sweet orange is just as delicious. I'm getting excited about tonight's lemon chicken & tofu with quinoa (I'll be using mostly tofu with a few pieces of chicken). Oh and i'll throw in some carrot slices too. It's going to be SO good!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 02, 2016, 11:40:48 AM
On the other hand, I've hit the point where I've lost enough weight that strangers in the building where I work have started commenting on it, and I hate it. It's one thing for a friend to say "wow I can really see a difference!" and another thing entirely for some random person who's name I don't even know to say"you've really lost a lot of weight, all that walking must be helping." I'm sorry, who are you? And why are you looking at me? And especially, why are you talking?! I can't imagine ever making a comment like that to someone unless I knew them and they had *told* me they were trying to lose weight. Otherwise, mind your own business. Does anyone else struggle with that?

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??
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on June 02, 2016, 08:39:54 PM
So the bad news is that I didn't lose anything in May. Very dissappointed, as I feel I was eating sensibly and mostly making the right food choices. I must be doing something wrong.i decided to fork out some money for a dietician in August as a bday present, to come up with an eating plan.

I'll be travelling in June July, so those months are a complete write-off from a healthy eating perspective.

The good news is I managed to considerably reduce my snacking and my meat consumption. It is also official that eggs and pulses cause me horrible bloating and I look twice as fat after eating those than usual. So I will have to avoid eating these in the near future. I will have to come up with a variety of recipes using peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, sweat potatoes, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, spinach and mushrooms. There, now that I can see the list, it is quite long, there is plenty of variety there. Broccoli and cauliflower are borderline.so this is something I will concentrate on in the next few weeks when we are not travelling. Yesterday I made an amazing roasted carrots and sweet potato salad and today I am making a Sicilian rice dish with peppers and eggplant.

I couldn't do as much exercise as I wanted, but I was walking every day 20-80 minutes, so it is better than nothing.

It is disheartening, but I can't give up and accept this fatness. I keep reminding myself that I am 15 kilos away from my healthy weight.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 03, 2016, 12:20:45 AM
Bee21 -- the only thing I can suggest is to keep at it. You are doing lots of exercise and are watching what you eat. That is absolutely the right thing to do. Weight loss will take time. Nothing magical about creating a calorie deficit. Just keep it small, manageable and sustainable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 03, 2016, 06:08:38 AM
Bee21 - sounds like you are making a healthstyle change.  That is a good thing.  Why don't you just keep a journal for the busy travel months so that you can continue to develop your intentional eating habit and forget about weight loss for the moment.  Adding new recipes, food, eating times to your routine is a lot of change to become habit and read Foodist by Darya Rose.  And keeping coming here and let us support you
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 03, 2016, 07:32:45 AM
@Bee21 Walking is awesome! Yesterday, the folks on here suggested I check out Foodist. I spent the day on SummerTomato, the author's blog. I enjoyed this article: http://summertomato.com/how-to-burn-more-calories-without-breaking-a-sweat (http://summertomato.com/how-to-burn-more-calories-without-breaking-a-sweat). I've been exercising more (training for my big bike ride), but the only way I can do it is by fueling my body with more food (weirdly enough, I can actually FEEL when my body needs more food - and it occurs every hour or so). So I end up eating about half of the calories I burn in food. It's not the same with walking - I don't need any extra calories for hour long walks. (2+ hours - then yes, food is helpful).

Also, for your traveling, I found this for you: http://summertomato.com/away-court-habits-living-well-on-the-road (http://summertomato.com/away-court-habits-living-well-on-the-road). I tend to find that while I eat a lot more when I travel, I also often get much more active. I'm usually excited to be in a new place and walk everywhere whenever I get a chance.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 03, 2016, 07:51:05 AM
Has I REALLY avoided TWO weigh-ins?! I thought I only skipped one week. Ugh - creeping back to my "if I don't acknowledge it, it didn't happen" mentality. So, let's get honest again.

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

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

Looking at May numbers, I've been fluctuating between the same few pounds all month long. And I've definitely felt the ups and downs. I'm going to take a diet break (I switched MFP to maintenance), spend a lot of time reading Summer Tomato, and focus on enjoying real foods and cooking more again. Oddly enough, I've rather missed all my extensive cooking-from-scratch sessions. I'm debating on whether to continue logging. For now, I will stick with it.

After so much struggling for so long, after I decided to take a break yesterday, the whole day flowed along pretty well. I logged everything - and came in at about 1200 calories! So crazy considering I've been averaging 2000 calories/day lately. My lemon tofu turned out to be delish (although I did use a fair bit of white sugar for the sauce). My family LOVED their version (with deep fried chicken breast). I ate one piece of lemon chicken and then stuck to my own version where I also added a big pile of julienned carrots. I actually got so full from this! Despite being full, I still felt a deep craving for dessert so I grabbed some frozen mangos. I also then chowed down on 1/2 a bag of butter popcorn that was sitting in front of me after dinner, but I eventually stopped. Going to have to figure out some habit hacks for this - I don't even really like butter popcorn :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on June 03, 2016, 08:33:38 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 03, 2016, 10:06:08 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: mm1970 on June 03, 2016, 10:25:42 AM
Quote
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..."
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 03, 2016, 10:50:51 AM
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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on June 03, 2016, 11:21:31 AM
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
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on June 03, 2016, 12:09:39 PM
@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 :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 03, 2016, 01:38:59 PM
I thought 130 was my number, but I am almost there (through diet alone  - I haven't changed anything else), and I still have that tire that rpr is referring to, so I guess I am going to keep going. I'm not doing anything insane, just tracking calories and aiming for 1200. Most days I fall in around 1300 and the weight is still coming off, just maybe not as quickly as it would.

If I had to work out every single day and eat perfectly, it would not be sustainable and I would probably not be attempting it (hitting a number I mean).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on June 03, 2016, 02:51:03 PM
@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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 03, 2016, 06:30:33 PM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 03, 2016, 08:22:13 PM

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 :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on June 03, 2016, 10:02:00 PM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 04, 2016, 08:54:28 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: crispy on June 04, 2016, 09:44:11 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 04, 2016, 09:52:28 AM
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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 04, 2016, 10:45:30 AM

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.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 04, 2016, 11:46:18 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 04, 2016, 01:50:22 PM
@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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on June 04, 2016, 04:22:53 PM
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.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 04, 2016, 06:28:31 PM
@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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 04, 2016, 09:52:54 PM
@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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on June 05, 2016, 07:30:43 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 05, 2016, 08:07:30 AM
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
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 05, 2016, 12:00:38 PM
@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!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 05, 2016, 04:18:44 PM
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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on June 06, 2016, 06:55:33 AM
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 :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 06, 2016, 06:57:36 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on June 06, 2016, 08:09:46 AM
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...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on June 06, 2016, 08:17:37 AM
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
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 06, 2016, 11:09:01 AM
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...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on June 06, 2016, 02:44:23 PM
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).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 06, 2016, 02:51:48 PM
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
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: crispy on June 06, 2016, 03:02:07 PM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: SingleMomDebt on June 06, 2016, 06:38:02 PM
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



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 06, 2016, 08:12:02 PM
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! 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 10dollarsatatime on June 06, 2016, 10:40:09 PM
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...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 07, 2016, 07:09:45 AM

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0

Checking in because I forgot yesterday. I think I am going to switch to a first Tuesday or Wednesday of the month weigh in anyway. Mondays are depressing weight days.

BUT, I can officially say I am down 20 lbs since January! I have been over and under 133 the last week or so. I hope I haven't hit a plateau, although I can definitely see how it has slowed down from the beginning months. Oh well...I'll be chugging away through the summer I guess.

Great job to everyone checking in, this thread is really encouraging.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 07, 2016, 08:41:26 AM
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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 07, 2016, 10:01:23 AM
Thanks Microspice!

I'm totally with you on the running. I can be tricked and coerced into most forms of exercise, but nothing about running works for me. I hate it so.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 07, 2016, 01:31:50 PM
@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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 08, 2016, 09:27:30 AM
@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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on June 08, 2016, 10:28:23 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 08, 2016, 11:16:26 AM
@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.

(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12800368_10153745756736977_234993097425398959_n.jpg?oh=2135c687e40e938e5ab2610a2ccd79fd&oe=57C96AAC)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 09, 2016, 05:15:54 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 09, 2016, 07:46:00 AM
@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).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 09, 2016, 09:04:38 AM
@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!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 09, 2016, 10:09:45 AM
@elaine amj: OMG that looks so good! Do you have a spiraler? I have wanted to get one for so long but have been worried that I wouldn't use it, or be able to cook the veggies to be noodly enough. Any recommendations?

@Geostache: I have done some work travel in the past and it is SO HARD. I think you have a great mindset about it. You are going to slip up sometimes, be gentle!

@Frugal Lizard: I sympathize with you on the husband. My husband can't tell that I have lost 20 lbs AT ALL, and although he is super encouraging to me (and sometimes lies about it to make me feel better!), it is annoying. I have gotten smaller, but my trouble spots now, are what my trouble spots were before I lost the weight, so it does sometimes feel like nothing has changed. I try to keep in mind that I am doing this for me, and that I feel better even if I can't always see the difference.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 09, 2016, 11:04:31 AM
@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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 09, 2016, 01:34:20 PM
@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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: crispy on June 09, 2016, 02:46:02 PM
@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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 09, 2016, 07:58:35 PM
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. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 10, 2016, 07:24:18 AM
Thanks for the spiralizer rec!

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.

This. So much this for me. Thanks for pointing it out.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 10, 2016, 07:39:26 AM
@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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 10, 2016, 07:47:46 AM
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!)

(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTBrWGzbDyF6ZsxPgt0f-x9WyOFX68lI7L0Nftwx8iEQGT1tSOV)

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on June 10, 2016, 08:03:46 AM
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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 10, 2016, 08:13:15 AM
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 :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 10, 2016, 08:30:30 AM
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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on June 10, 2016, 09:42:53 AM
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
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 10, 2016, 05:36:50 PM
@Adge that's fantastic!!! You are SO very close :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 11, 2016, 09:12:19 AM
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*
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 11, 2016, 10:37:00 AM
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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on June 11, 2016, 02:33:59 PM
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.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: crispy on June 11, 2016, 06:25:49 PM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on June 13, 2016, 08:01:08 AM
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
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 13, 2016, 08:41:33 AM
@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. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 13, 2016, 08:46:38 AM
@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 :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 13, 2016, 09:00:30 AM
@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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 13, 2016, 09:13:42 AM
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. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on June 13, 2016, 10:09:46 AM
@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! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 13, 2016, 12:39:39 PM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on June 13, 2016, 02:20:26 PM
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.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 13, 2016, 02:59:04 PM
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).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 13, 2016, 04:04:48 PM
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.

:'(
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 13, 2016, 05:29:11 PM
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*


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 13, 2016, 07:05:42 PM
@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.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 13, 2016, 08:31:44 PM
@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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on June 13, 2016, 08:35:08 PM
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!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on June 14, 2016, 12:05:37 PM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 14, 2016, 04:52:32 PM
@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 ...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 14, 2016, 09:34:16 PM
@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?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on June 15, 2016, 06:27:20 AM
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 :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 15, 2016, 09:48:36 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 15, 2016, 09:48:54 AM

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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 15, 2016, 04:39:10 PM
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...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 15, 2016, 11:10:39 PM

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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 15, 2016, 11:23:23 PM
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!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on June 16, 2016, 01:37:19 AM
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. 

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 16, 2016, 02:05:03 AM
@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 :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 16, 2016, 08:46:12 AM
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. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 16, 2016, 11:49:56 AM
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.

 

Great job breaking into the 120s! I can't wait to get there myself.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 16, 2016, 01:11:38 PM
@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?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Stash Engineer on June 16, 2016, 01:47:06 PM
@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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on June 16, 2016, 08:13:53 PM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 17, 2016, 07:02:58 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 17, 2016, 07:23:28 AM
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!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on June 17, 2016, 07:49:26 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 17, 2016, 09:34:49 AM
@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.

(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13423985_10154060902476977_4193227601370196211_n.jpg?oh=6689e675f536944337af57103169f293&oe=57DD81D6)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 17, 2016, 01:06:01 PM
@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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MomCents on June 17, 2016, 02:38:27 PM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 17, 2016, 03:12:50 PM
@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. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 18, 2016, 09:31:48 AM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Blissful Biker on June 18, 2016, 10:40:10 AM
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. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 18, 2016, 11:54:35 AM
Welcome Blissful Biker
way to go Redmond Stash.
Enjoy the weekend all!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on June 18, 2016, 01:05:33 PM
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.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 18, 2016, 03:08:42 PM
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 :-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 18, 2016, 08:45:58 PM
@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
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Blissful Biker on June 19, 2016, 10:06:00 AM
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. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MomCents on June 19, 2016, 10:28:02 AM
@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....
 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: crispy on June 19, 2016, 11:34:32 AM
6/4 - 150
6/11 - 149.8
6/18 - 150.4

Sigh...I hate seeing the scale going in the wrong directyion, but I am keeping focused. I have upped my exercise quite a bit and feel like I am making progress even if it isn't reflected on the scale yet.  I am still chugging along!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 19, 2016, 03:23:59 PM
@Blissful Biker I like some alcoholic drinks well enough. I enjoy a glass of wine or something sweet once in a while. But recently I realized that I like juices/pop just as much, if not more. And alcohol adds extra calories and if I drink too much (I'm a cheap drunk), I detest the side effects. All in all, I rarely drink my calories these days. And hardly any alcohol. Mostly just water. And if I get the chance, Sparkling water or very watered down juice is a big treat.

@MomCents love the recipe! I bought some lentils recently but been too intimidated to try it. Will give it a shot!

Our fave here is Zoodles Lo Mein. http://www.skinnytaste.com/chicken-zoodle-lo-mein-for-two/






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MomCents on June 19, 2016, 06:32:16 PM
@elaine amj Thanks for the zoodles recipe!  It looks great.  What a perfect thing to do with zucchinis in the summer!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on June 19, 2016, 09:31:25 PM
Hi all,

Glad to see the successes of the weigh ins, and to those that didn't see a loss this week, don't despair. Keep analyzing what you can do better and don't give up. I think I am the poster child here as my weight loss has been so slow.

I had a pretty eventful weekend with a really surprising scale read. I went on a boat on Saturday and had a bit too much to drink. I also couldn't resist a mini chocolate cupcake and some pringles, but I did stop myself at one a bite of a birthday cake. I am totally with you @FrugalLizard- if I can't have the most delicious treat then it's not worth having one at all. I put down the cake as it wasn't that good, but unfortunately, I had already indulged (it's hard to catch yourself in the moment and analyze whether the indulgence you're making is worth it!) As predicted, I was up on a scale after that day due to alcohol/water weight/etc. However, the following day, I went rock climbing in pretty brutal summer heat- it was not the smartest idea looking back on it, but it was a lot of cardio and I ate well and was down 4 pounds on the scale today! Basically, I think I got rid of all of the water weight I had been carrying since my trip back to the states. I was also good about not indulging as there was really no reason to do so.

Looking forward to some home cooking this week with no craziness. I am also excited to check out my community pool as it's getting too hot to run outside here.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: soccerluvof4 on June 20, 2016, 04:58:25 AM
Well today was my weigh in and basically am down 45#'s 6 for the month and 15 to go. Next weight in will be in a month. Should be interesting as I leave for 11 days for family vacation but I am pretty dialed in.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 20, 2016, 05:55:46 AM
@RuntoFIRE That must have been SO awesome to see the 4 lb drop! Woohoo to getting rid of that extra water weight!!

@soccerluvof4 Congrats!!! You've been on quite a journey and its been paying off!

As for me, gained a lb over the weekend :( Eating out too much *sigh*

DH and I have been binging on date nights - which has meant a lot more eating out than usual. I made us yummy salads for dinner last night...then we went out for a concert (work contact gave me free tix). At 10pm, DH was munchy. Still trying to get him to eat enough so we went to a Vietnamese joint. Ate more than I should - a soursop milkshake (the Vietnamese make theirs with condensed milk and they are DELISH!) and a quarter of his noodle dish definitely tipped me over the edge.

This week's focus - cut back on the eating out!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 20, 2016, 06:46:28 AM
5/1 - 188
5/7 - ??
5/14 - ??
5/21 - 186.2
5/28 - 185.8 (interpolated)
6/4 - 185.6
6/11 - 181.8
6/20 - 183.4


Well I guess it's still lower than two weeks ago.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 20, 2016, 07:45:38 AM
@Elaine AMJ: I hear you on the eating out. Our back-and-forth travel schedules have meant that meal planning has gone out the window. The greens are really piling up in the refrigerator! DH wanted to go to BBQ for Dad's day, and I really couldn't deny him. I ate some really delicious food, but tried not to eat until I was stuffed. Then it was froyo for dessert. Also, we had family visiting this weekend, and there was a lunch out on Saturday and a cookout Saturday night. I only ate half my lunch, but still overindulged in general.

MIL comes for a 3 week stay this Wednesday, and DH leaves for 15 day work travel on Saturday. MIL is here to help out with the kids and around the house while DH is away. Hopefully I can get our dining out habit under control while DH is gone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 20, 2016, 08:02:06 AM
@geostache Did you say fro-yo? My latest, most favorite obsession?! Mmmmmm...I just discovered them last week. Never bothered to try it before because I like hand-scooped and am not a big fan of softserve. I'm lucky there are no froyo places near where I work (only the most delicious handcrafted small batch creamy ice cream ever).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 20, 2016, 08:07:19 AM
I survived without too much damage to the scale numbers by working like a dog in this crazy heat.  I pushed a garbage can of water to my allotment garden and then weeded the whole thing.  I watered all my plants in my home garden (using mostly a watering can from rain barrel water.  I washed the walls and ceiling in the kitchen to prepare for painting and then painted with DH.  The whole family went to help spread mulch in our park to help the plantings we have planted over the last five years for 90 minutes in unbelievable heat.  We also went to see an old friend and went to a Malaysian restaurant and a fair and I had a root beer (we did walk for 2 hours)  We cleared some stuff from her house and did the weekend clean of our house.  Last night at Father`s day bbq I ate mostly vegetables because the roasted cauliflower, grilled asparagus, fennel and dill salad and the pickled beet salad were so damn tasty but there was ice cream for dessert and I wanted some.  I am holding at 130 this morning so hopefully with no more sweet drinks this week I can continue on my slow but steady descent to my number - 120 pounds.  I am so close to halfway and I was hoping to get there before this Thanksgiving.  So I still feel like it is realistic without a huge sacrifice to me.


So happy to hear from many of you keeping accountable to yourselves.  I find that each of your posts makes me cheer for you and strengthens my resolve to keep up, or catch up or cheer you on to keep trying.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 20, 2016, 08:42:10 AM
@geostache Did you say fro-yo? My latest, most favorite obsession?! Mmmmmm...I just discovered them last week. Never bothered to try it before because I like hand-scooped and am not a big fan of softserve. I'm lucky there are no froyo places near where I work (only the most delicious handcrafted small batch creamy ice cream ever).

Oh, I said it! It's an all-too-short walk from most of the restaurants we frequent. It's summer, and it's hot, and it's way too tempting of a walk.

@Frugal Lizard: You're making slow and steady progress! Doing all that work is helping, I'm sure. Making small changes that you can stick with is important and what it's all about.

@RuntoFIRE: Any suggestions for summer cooking? I usually love cooking, but am finding with the hot weather and the late sunsets, I'm more interested in playing outside with the kiddos. The idea of spending 45 minutes to an hour in the kitchen at night isn't as appealing as it is in the winter. And unfortunately, by the time the kids fall asleep, it's 9:30 pm, and I don't want to start cooking then, either!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on June 20, 2016, 08:58:59 AM
My week started out pretty good and determined... then I made more rhubarb oatmeal cookies. I have been so hungry for a little over a week. Not hungry like normal hunger, it's certainly psychological. And it's so strong there is a real sense of panic that comes with it. (While heating up soup on Saturday I devoured a banana because I just couldn't wait one more minute for the soup to heat up in the microwave.) But eating something often just seems to make it worse. I haven't eaten to the point where I'm stuffed and bloated, but I'm starting to wonder if I just don't have the ability to feel stuffed and bloated at the moment. I started to wonder if something new is wrong and it occurred to me that it may be a side effect of the medication I'm on. Not sure what to do about that.

The good news is that I finally started an exercise program last night. Just a simple beginner one since I have lost sooooo much strength over the last 2 years, but it's a start. Worked up a sweat, I can feel it in my legs this morning, and looking forward to getting back in shape. :)

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
June 20 weight 151.0
Goal weight: 130
[/quote]
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 20, 2016, 12:50:56 PM
Welcome to all the newcomers - you've made a great decision to join in on this thread.

Well, a hiccup in the road: I came down with whatever upper respiratory thing my kiddo had, and was out of commission Friday thru today. So no workouts. But, my eating was under maintenance, even though I was ravenous from hormones. I also learned that just because four glasses of Chardonnay will fit in your daily calories (100 cals for 5 ounces!), it doesn't mean you should HAVE four glasses of said Chardonnay. Oy.

I will report with a weigh-in tomorrow. I don't know that I was keeping a regular schedule on here before, but maybe Tuesday is a good day. The weekend slip-ups have worn off and it gives something to shoot for the rest of the week.

@Cookie78 - Lots of meds can cause an increase in appetite. Not sure what to suggest, other than drink LOTS of water and eat LOTS of fresh veggies to help curb the hunger. And if all else fails, sleep. :-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on June 20, 2016, 01:43:36 PM

@Cookie78 - Lots of meds can cause an increase in appetite. Not sure what to suggest, other than drink LOTS of water and eat LOTS of fresh veggies to help curb the hunger. And if all else fails, sleep. :-)

I have been drinking an amazing amount of water, but I haven't been eating as many veggies as usual. Looking forward to my garden starting to produce so I can snack on fresh veggies out of habit. Until then that's something I can certainly try to do better.

Strangely since early this morning I haven't been feeling hungry much at all. Hopefully the last week or so was an anomaly. If not I may have to start tracking hunger to see if I can figure out what's going on and come up with a plan of attack.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on June 20, 2016, 05:50:32 PM
@RuntoFIRE: Any suggestions for summer cooking? I usually love cooking, but am finding with the hot weather and the late sunsets, I'm more interested in playing outside with the kiddos. The idea of spending 45 minutes to an hour in the kitchen at night isn't as appealing as it is in the winter. And unfortunately, by the time the kids fall asleep, it's 9:30 pm, and I don't want to start cooking then, either!

@Geostache - I was super proud of what I made for dinner yesterday- basically a salad with tomatoes and olives, with black beans added in and a fried egg on top. On the side, I cut up a sweet potato, drizzled it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary from the garden, and grilled it in the microwave to make "french fries." It was delicious and I just may make the same thing tonight.

Happy to report that in the past week, I have had one one slip up with sweets- that day on the boat - otherwise, have been staying sweets free!

Oh, and my scale went back up after Sunday's crazy effort, but I was expecting it to :( Slow and steady does it, I guess.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on June 21, 2016, 07:41:16 AM
Original weight: 116.3kg
Last week's weight: 116.1kg
Current weight: 115.8kg
Goal weight: 90kg

Slow and steady I guess. Doesn't help that the weather has been shit so I've been riding less.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 21, 2016, 08:22:26 AM

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/28: 124.4 pounds
- 5/17: 123 pounds
- 5/26: 125.6 pounds
- 6/6: 128.8 pounds
- 6/21: 125.6 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds

So I'm back to the weight I was before I left for my girls' trip - mostly water weight, I think. That said, we have a family trip coming up in two weeks, and I really don't want to ride that roller coaster again. It should be somewhat easier - I have far more self-control around my husband and mother-in-law than I do with my girlfriends. Peer pressure, I guess. Plus, I try to share meals out with my toddler to save money and prevent food waste, so I should be eating a bit less in that case.

I'm trying to be patient, but it's difficult sometimes. Oddly, since changing my MFP calorie goal to maintenance levels (1490), I've been logging within 50 calories of 1200 almost every day. So maybe - in addition to the the exercise I'm now doing - that will cause a shift, or create one of those loss whooshes I hear so much about - I've never had one!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RuntoFIRE on June 21, 2016, 07:27:58 PM
@MicroSpice - I feel you, I really feel you. But don't give up. As long as you don't give up you have won in the long term, even if it doesn't look like it in the short term. That's the only way I stay sane these days.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 22, 2016, 09:26:12 AM
You know log rollers? They stand on top of a log in the water, and they run, their feet spinning the log, and as long as they keep running and don't slip, they stay on top of the log?

That's what this week feels like. I'm doing well, it's getting easier to say no to dessert after dinner, I'm eschewing the chips and candy at work. It feels good.

But I've been here before, and I know a slip is coming eventually. I'm enjoying this while it lasts, but I'm realistic about how this journey has lots of ups and downs, and not all of them are fully under my control.

Please keep posting, all, victories and difficulties alike. It helps to other people's journeys, especially when the slipping starts. You folks are quite inspiring.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 22, 2016, 12:39:16 PM
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.

Forgot to ask - which store is this? I usually shop in thrift stores but once in a while will buy something new. My favourite has been Smart Set for officewear that actually is cut for curves. Going thrift store shopping this weekend and will be hunting for Ann Taylor's Loft line!

@Cookie78 Could last week have been that time of the month? I find I get hit with hunger pangs and feel bloated about 1-2 weeks before. Apparently, it's pretty common.

@Microspice: Congrats on your 4 lb whoosh!! (I'd say that counts!) Given that you had so little to lose, I doubt you'll get a whoosh. In the meantime, slow and steady. I'm so glad that the mental thought of switching to maintenance has been helping you so much. Remember, we've been at this for months now so it is highly likely you were in need of a mental break. 1200 cals is tight! And just think - if you hadn't done anything for the past 6 months, you'd still be at 133 lbs...if not more! So it's been a very productive time, even if it feels like you haven't gotten far in the last little while.

@RedmondStash keep on spinning that log!! And don't stress about the slips....they're just blips on the road. In the meantime, enjoy the current good feelings. It's so nice when it feels easy!

As for me, I was super excited this morning. I finally hit a new low of 131.8 lbs (previous low that I hit a month ago was 122.2 lbs). It made me consider going back to logging or active weight loss, but to be honest, I'm LIKING maintenance and I've been surprisingly successful at it. I thought I would slowly creep upwards but in the larger picture, my weight has crept downwards since switching to maintenance 3 weeks ago. It's rather nice not weighing all my food and logging it. This also makes me more confident that I can sustain this for the rest of my life.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 22, 2016, 02:15:06 PM
Elain amj - The store is Zacks.  I don't think they are a big chain and my 90 year old gramma will be the first to say "they have lovely things".  It might be a shock compared to the thrift store but I used to have a designer clothing habit so I might be too acclimatized to high prices.  If you get something that fits really well and it well made -you will feel marvelous!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 23, 2016, 08:17:01 AM
Whelp, my weight is maintaining a few pounds heavier over my lowest weight to date. I'm not so happy about the gain, especially since I want to go the other way. I'm overwhelmed with CSA produce, so that has forced me to plan some really healthy and delicious meals. Hopefully that will help me get back on track! I have returned to my morning smoothie routine in an attempt to get in more fruits and veggies.

Last night's dinner was a kale and garlic scape tabboleh with a mizuna, beet, and orange salad on the side. It was awesome! Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I'm not expecting any miracles on the scale.

@Elaine AMJ: Congrats on the slow and steady loss! Sounds like you needed a mental break most of all, since it's been easier for you to attain. That's great news!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 23, 2016, 01:09:15 PM
@Geostache Is your problem too much snacking, too large portions, or too many meals out? Perhaps figuring out and then habit hacking to targer the main issues will help. I know for me, it is my snacking. If I can keep that to a reasonable level, then I can keep the weight down. So I am pushing myself to gravitate towards fruits as snacks and reducing the number and amount of snacks - keeping busy helps with that!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 23, 2016, 01:16:37 PM
Thanks for the encouragement, all. Starting to not feel as hopeless, thanks to some non-scale victories.

I have gone to 2 fitness classes this week, and have another scheduled for tomorrow. I went to circuit training today and it kicked my butt! But it was fun, and I'm totally going back next week, even though that means I will be beet red for approximately two hours following (it's the German in me, what can I say?).

The scale moved down a little bit this morning, too, even after a sodium-laden dinner last night. I'm hopeful. And I can't believe there are all these calories available to me since switching to maintenance! I mean, I do want to lose weight, so I try not to eat ALL of the calories, but it's nice to know that if I stay under them, I won't gain weight. Just a weird mental shift for me.

@Geostache - Please come cook at my house! Holy moly. I mean, ManSpice is a good cook and all, but he hasn't made anything quite that exotic in a while. Thankfully, he is FINALLY cooking on the grill tonight. I bet some of your hardier CSA veggies would be delicious on the grill. Going to go drool all over myself now ...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 23, 2016, 01:34:14 PM
@Geostache Is your problem too much snacking, too large portions, or too many meals out? Perhaps figuring out and then habit hacking to targer the main issues will help. I know for me, it is my snacking. If I can keep that to a reasonable level, then I can keep the weight down. So I am pushing myself to gravitate towards fruits as snacks and reducing the number and amount of snacks - keeping busy helps with that!

By and by, it has to be too many meals dining out. I've been really bad at getting in the kitchen lately. That and the work travel hasn't helped at all. I'm home now until vacay in August, so that should help with the work travel, at least!

@MicroSpice: The CSA is definitely forcing me to get creative on the cooking front! We've been ignoring the bounty (see my above comment to @Elaine AMJ), and as a result, our refrigerator is piling up with greens!

DH is leaving for travel for two weeks starting Saturday, but my MIL is in town to help me out with the munchkins. She'll also cook whatever I put on the weekly meal plan, so it's a total bonus! This week's meals, in addition to last night's yumminess, includes:

Chicken, napa cabbage, shiitake mushroom, and nian gao stir fry
Grilled steak & potatoes with chimichurri sauce, sauteed greens
Chinese chicken salad (using our green onions, sugar snap peas, and savoy cabbage)
Chinese style steamed halibut with sauteed bok choy
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 23, 2016, 09:11:19 PM
Do you folks ever find that salads end up much higher in calories than you expected? I feel like my best low-cal meals are meat, veg, and starch. Salads seem like they should be great, and I use a vinegar-only dressing (and sparingly), but even with a careful homemade salad, somehow I end up eating twice as much in calories just to get full. And then I get hungry again an hour later.

Maybe salads aren't so great after all.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 24, 2016, 06:32:39 AM
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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5

Goal : 120 lbs.

Not as good a week for me.  I am working more hours out of the office and that is wreaking havoc with meals – I am having to pack a lunch and am surrounded by temptation to buy something. It is hard to lug all I need for the whole day with me on public transit.  And I get home after 6 and am beat and everyone is starving so dinner prep is not the happy pleasure it usually is.
Redmond Stash – salads can really vary in nutrients and fiber and calories. Not all greens are equal.  Regular lettuce is very empty of nutrients so you need to add spinach, kale, collards, mustard, rocket, arugula and others to get some nutrients and serious fiber that will take a longer time to digest.  I never feel that those baby greens are satisfying – they are tasty but I don`t think they are fiber dense until they are more mature.  One of my tricks to making the salad less caloric is to dress the greens first with the smallest amount dressing.  It is really easy to put too much sugar and salt into a dressing as well.  I have used up all the flavoured vinegar I made last summer so now I am seasoning with Dijon mustard and a dash of maple syrup (that I made myself).   The bonus items in the salad (tomatoes, cukes, slivered almonds, pepitas) go in on top of the dressed greens.  I find this way I use way less dressing.  If I had cheese – it can really up the calorie count, I put a small amount on top, grated so again it is just a flavouring, not a main ingredient.  And I never use cheap cheese. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 24, 2016, 06:44:25 AM
My cobb salads are typically 400-500 calories...so yes, a very high cal meal for me (I usually keep my lunches around 300-350 cals). I know its because of the stuff I like to put in it. My fave "toppings" alone add up to 350+ calories. Half an avocado, 60g of chicken/pork, a hard boiled egg, and my fave poppy seed dressing. Throw in another 100+ cals of fresh greens and its a lot. I just tend to consider it a high cal way for me to enjoy my greens! I know I can cut back on the cals (just bought a mango balsamic vinegar, and can replace the chicken with a couple of thin slices of deli meat to keep my carnivore happy). But I figure I enjoy it, it helps me to LOVE eating salad, and I'm getting lots of fresh raw veggies into me. So its mostly worth the cals.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 24, 2016, 12:17:53 PM
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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs

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

Am I actually back to LOSING?! I was in shock when I saw the scale this morning! Especially since I had a large serving of cheap, crappy chocolate ice cream last night! (I know - not really Foodist-friendly, but it sure tasted GOOD). I was looking at my stats for the past 6 months and while I feel like I haven't made much progress since March, things are actually happening.

Jan: lost 6.6 lbs
Feb: lost 6.6 lbs
March: lost 4 lbs
April: lost 3.2 lbs
May: lost 1.4 lbs
June: lost 1 lb

I'm pretty tempted to get back to weight loss mode, but will play it by ear. Today, I turned down a sushi lunch offer to eat zoodles at my desk. I do have some high cal meals ahead for the next 3 days though. Plus, starting next weekend, we go into summer vacation mode with camping plans nearly every weekend. I have 5 camping trips booked over the next 8 weekends!! I don't want to stress much when I am trying to prep easy camping meals.

I'm not going to make this too hard - I don't want to get frustrated. Eat light, stick to my regular veggie-based meals during the week, and keep up with the regular walks. I'll see if I can drop another pound by next Friday before I hit the road and head for the forests.

I was thinking about what has made the pounds start dropping again...I've started back my regular lunchtime walks. The intense cycling really didn't do anything for me weight-wise since I always ate all the calories back to sustain the riding. Also been keeping pretty busy in the evenings (still have tons more organizing to go in the house).

It's weird, but I kinda miss when I used to spend 2 hours most nights cooking. I've been doing much simpler meals in the last little while and typically spend around an hour now. I think I miss the fun of trying out new recipes and techniques. And cooking with DH. Hmm...I think I miss that the most. Hopefully he'll be back in the kitchen again soon. He's done his treatments and has been getting his energy back.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 24, 2016, 03:06:25 PM
@elaine amj - What a great victory! How are you feeling about being so close to your goal, especially since you haven't been in active weight loss mode recently?

Nothing new to report for my daily check-in. Went to yoga today, and have been eating mostly well this week. DH was going to grill last night, but he got rained out, so we improvised. HOWEVER, I am getting some of that ribeye tonight, and it's already accounted for in my food log. I think I'm going to have a small snack here in a few minutes so I'm not ravenous tonight, and it will all fit in! It's kind of cool - even my Fitbit is cheering me on for being close to having five days of active exercise this week.

We're going to a friend's house tomorrow, and she is the best cook and a constant bartender. I'm going to have a hard time. :-( Tips or tricks?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 24, 2016, 04:30:12 PM
@Microspice Its weird - I'm excited to be so close, but on the other hand, really don't want to go back to weightloss mode to lose that last pound. So it feels a little deflating. I keep thinking it really only would be a little bit of work - but finding myself resistant to going back to weighing and logging.

That said, it it amazing to find myself shrinking. I am still very lumpy so this isn't the end of the journey yet. 

About your visit to your friend, my hacks are to skip breakfast, eat a light lunch and then give myself about 1000 cals for dinner. Look for lower cal drinks and ask her to cut it heavily with sparkling water.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 25, 2016, 07:14:48 AM
Weighed in at 130.8 this morning!!!!!!! HAPPY DANCE!!!!!! Was 131.2 yesterday and now I have hit the magic 130!

Of course this isn't going to last. Hitting a sodium-filled Chinese buffet for lunch today. My son is going for a full day shopping trip with me to a slew of thrift stores and grocery stores. Hopefully we will have a nice day together :)

Last night I hit a local thrift store - found I am between a sz 4-6 now. Sz M tennis skirts were falling off me and the small FIT! Insanity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on June 25, 2016, 08:44:58 AM
Weigh-in day:

3/12: 162.6
4/2: 160.2
5/7: 157.4
6/4: 157.8
6/11: 158.0
6/18: 156.2
6/25: 155.8

I'm really pleased. This is the trend I was hoping for: slow and steadily downward. I don't care if the number bumps up a bit now and then, as long as the trend is down.

Fingers crossed that I can keep this up.

@elaine amj: Congratulations! That's fantastic. It's great when hard work pays off, and you really stuck to it.

My cobb salads are typically 400-500 calories...so yes, a very high cal meal for me (I usually keep my lunches around 300-350 cals). I know its because of the stuff I like to put in it. My fave "toppings" alone add up to 350+ calories. Half an avocado, 60g of chicken/pork, a hard boiled egg, and my fave poppy seed dressing. Throw in another 100+ cals of fresh greens and its a lot. I just tend to consider it a high cal way for me to enjoy my greens! I know I can cut back on the cals (just bought a mango balsamic vinegar, and can replace the chicken with a couple of thin slices of deli meat to keep my carnivore happy). But I figure I enjoy it, it helps me to LOVE eating salad, and I'm getting lots of fresh raw veggies into me. So its mostly worth the cals.

That's a good way to think about it. I just have to get it out of my head that salad=low-cal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: crispy on June 25, 2016, 11:52:03 AM
Great job, everyone! It looks like we are all losers this week!

I weighed in at 148.6 this morning which is down from 150.4 last week. I knew the scale would eventually reflect the work so I am pleased. I have been dealing with PMS this week so I have been craving sweets. I did eat a few sugary things, but I tracked them and kept exercising.  Definitely glad to be heading in the right direction!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 26, 2016, 07:22:32 AM
5/1 - 188
5/7 - ??
5/14 - ??
5/21 - 186.2
5/28 - 185.8 (interpolated)
6/4 - 185.6
6/11 - 181.8
6/20 - 183.4
6/26 - 184.0


Wrong direction. :(  Haven't biked as much the past few weeks. Also have been stressed out since we're buying a house. I think I'm going to make it so that I hit 10k steps every day this week, I've also been... doing worse on that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 26, 2016, 10:28:30 PM
@RedmondStash @ crispy Congrats - its been a successful week for both of you!

@ender You can do this!!! When I stopped bike riding, I correspondingly stopped eating as much food. (I eat a lot when I bike) For me, that actually helped with the weight loss. Are u still eating the same quantities as what u ate while u were biking?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 27, 2016, 06:43:39 AM
Oy. Well, I was down 0.4 pounds at weigh in on Friday. But after a weekend of cookouts and high-sodium foods, I'm up quite a bit this morning. I am clearly not capable of maintaining without tracking, so it's back to tracking for me! I brought lots of veggies and fruits for my food today, and I am committed to staying away from the microwave popcorn that has been my go-to snack as of late. Time to get this weight loss train going again! I'm also giving up the diet soda, as it wreaks havoc with my hunger signals.

I'm glad to see everyone's progress. Y'all are kicking butt and taking names!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 27, 2016, 07:04:43 AM
Weighed in at 130.8 this morning!!!!!!! HAPPY DANCE!!!!!! Was 131.2 yesterday and now I have hit the magic 130!

Of course this isn't going to last. Hitting a sodium-filled Chinese buffet for lunch today. My son is going for a full day shopping trip with me to a slew of thrift stores and grocery stores. Hopefully we will have a nice day together :)

Last night I hit a local thrift store - found I am between a sz 4-6 now. Sz M tennis skirts were falling off me and the small FIT! Insanity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So amazing!! Congratulations. What a great feeling.

@Geostache I had some high sodium food last night too, so weight was up a bit this morning. I'll be drinking water, water, water all day! I feel like I've come a long way in that I don't get all that stressed out the next morning when the scale bounces up a bit. I know what I need to do to fix it, I just need to buckle down and do it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: crispy on June 27, 2016, 07:54:03 AM
Oy. Well, I was down 0.4 pounds at weigh in on Friday. But after a weekend of cookouts and high-sodium foods, I'm up quite a bit this morning. I am clearly not capable of maintaining without tracking, so it's back to tracking for me! I brought lots of veggies and fruits for my food today, and I am committed to staying away from the microwave popcorn that has been my go-to snack as of late. Time to get this weight loss train going again! I'm also giving up the diet soda, as it wreaks havoc with my hunger signals.

I'm glad to see everyone's progress. Y'all are kicking butt and taking names!

I have to track or else I just go completely off the rails.  I wish I could eat intuitively, but I gain weight whenever I try.  I just like food.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 27, 2016, 08:07:56 AM
@geostache you are learning so much about your body! Its cool that u recognized that diet soda is affecting your body's hunger signals

I have resigned myself to Mon-Tues being higher weigh-ins. I'm up by 1.4 lbs today since Friday. Rather inevitable after weekends for me. Like @rockstache said - water, water and more water!

Today, I am escorting a visitor through the area for work. It basically means eating, eating, eating all day. I am just going to enjoy it. Good thing I threw in a short stand up paddleboarding session!!

@crispy tracking did miracles for me. I always believed in counting cals but tracking was always too much hassle. And I thought it was rather pointless. I completely credit weighing my food and logging on MFP for my weightloss.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on June 27, 2016, 08:30:44 AM
What a week. Weight has been bouncing all over the place varying more than I've ever seen before. I weigh myself at the same time of day under the same circumstances and it is relatively stable, or if there are spikes I can pinpoint what causes them, like really salty meals the night before. But this week I went from 151 to 149 back to 152.4 in the span of 4 days.

I spent all weekend in a canoe course working my ass off. The amount of upper body strength I could feel building in my muscles was exciting, and on Saturday evening, extremely painful! I skipped my body weight workout yesterday because I was physically exhausted, but I'd been working out all weekend, so not too worried about it.

I was a little upset this morning to see my weight spike up from 149.0 to 152.4 today for weigh in day, but then I read this
@Cookie78 Could last week have been that time of the month? I find I get hit with hunger pangs and feel bloated about 1-2 weeks before. Apparently, it's pretty common.
and realized my weight always spikes up a couple pounds the day before time of month. Thanks for the reminder. It could certainly help explain the hunger issues too.

 

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 27, 2016, 03:14:36 PM
@elaine amj - You are a freakin' rock star, Chinese buffet or no. :-)

@Cookie78 - You're better off today than you were in January, and I bet you're be even better in a week or so, too. That period is a real PITA. I'm starving right now, and want to eat all the things, and didn't get to yoga because of a work meeting, but we can do it. Fight the good fight!

@crispy - I, too, have failed at "intuitive" eating. I have to track and rationalize with myself on a pretty frequent basis. My lizard brain is strong.

This weekend wasn't too bad. At least, nothing of note showed up on the scale. If anything, I'm maintaining. But I did eat some emotions with ice cream yesterday - at least I put it in a bowl and had a small dinner as a result.

And I am feeling really anxious today. I think it's because of last night's Game of Thrones finale. Anyone else? (You know I don't pay for cable - we use the mother-in-law's HBO login, ha!).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 27, 2016, 08:43:20 PM
I think I am doing ok except for two little slip ups over the weekend - having a root beer and a coke. I have been slogging on the renos and hauling water to the garden and mulching and mowing in this unbelievable heat.  I think I have meals down but have to get back on track with the snacks when we are out.  It is perfect patio weather and lots of invitations to hang have been flying around.  I am also working out of town this week and the temptation to snack on the train or in the car is extremely strong.  Think I am going to have to get out the notebook and track again.  I will not be changing directions at this halfway point in my quest to my old size. 

I love seeing how well you are all doing.  Even a small loss or holding steady is still better than adding gradually over the year.  We are all going to get there - from she who wore a MEX pant and jacket that I bought five years ago on excellent sale to a meeting today.  I have to say I felt great in it.  (btw it was 35C on the car thermometer when I was driving home from the meeting and the linen suiting felt so good) 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on June 28, 2016, 07:02:49 AM
Original weight: 116.3kg
Last week's weight: 115.8kg
Current weight: 115.4kg
Goal weight: 90kg

Hooray. Hopefully I'll be able to concentrate more on it once work stops being super busy (peak season for me).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 28, 2016, 09:38:51 AM
Just checking in to say hi.

I recently discovered some delicious sparkling water at my local Aldi (brand name La Croix), which I have been enjoying when I want something other than water. I know at least one person here was struggling with soda, that may be a switch that you could make. I'm not a huge soda drinker to begin with but it has the same mouth feel, and comes in a can. I even put it in a coozie and consider it a real treat!

Also I saw this article about plateaus and really liked it. I think I am at one now. http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-upside-of-a-weight-loss-plateau/

Good work everyone! One day at a time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 28, 2016, 06:53:58 PM
Rockstache - thanks for sharing the article.  It does make a very good point.

did ok today away from my home office and on the road for a very long day but I was starving when I got home and ate cheese - lots of cheese.  Thinking about sweet after dinner snacks so I am avoiding upstairs near the kitchen.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 28, 2016, 07:12:07 PM
@rockstache LOVED the article! And the idea that a plateau means u are no longer a beginner.

Yesterday and today haven't been good. Snacked all day long due to a work thing (that involved multiple tastings of food, wine, beer, and whisky. Plus some ice cream). I was feeling ok about it though. But when I got home at 11pm, the hunger pangs hit badly. I tried a light snack. Then another heavier snack. After that, nothing else would do but a full meal at 1am!!

Super sleepy today as a consequence. Brought a salad for lunch and spent forever debating between eating it and going out. Finally I took it out of the fridge to eat. Tried a new combo and sadly, it was bitter and gross. After a few bites, I put it away and spent $18 total on all u can eat wings. *sigh*

I'm still emotional tonight so dinner is also bigger than normal. At this point, I can't bring myself to care. I'll get back in the game another day. (i'm blaming the fact that my TOM is a week or so away - been yelling at DH about the stupidest things too lol)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on June 29, 2016, 02:24:40 PM
@rockstache: I'd like to also chime in on the plateau article. It's a good way to think about it!

@Elaine AMJ: I'm with you on the hormonal-induced apathy. I'm finding that my motivation is definitely cyclical, coinciding with TOM. Coupled with the PMDD, and the desire for anything not good for you, and it's a terrible combination!

DH being away is getting to me way more that I thought it would. DCs are full of separation anxiety, and practically nothing less than being attached to me at the hip will do. It's straining my patience, and can't be making my poor MIL feel good (since she's here to help me out and see the kids). I'm tired, depressed, and at the end of my rope. And today is only day 4 of 15! I'm hoping the kids' anxiety about dad being away will calm a little bit. As a result, my eating habits are far, far worse than they've been since I started this journey back in January! Agh. I've got to find a way to get it under control! 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on June 30, 2016, 05:57:28 AM
@RedmondStash @ crispy Congrats - its been a successful week for both of you!

@ender You can do this!!! When I stopped bike riding, I correspondingly stopped eating as much food. (I eat a lot when I bike) For me, that actually helped with the weight loss. Are u still eating the same quantities as what u ate while u were biking?

I think I might actually eat less when I'm biking, or at least better food.

I tend to eat too much as a result of stress and biking reduces stress. Part of why it's important for me to bike to work, I guess :-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on June 30, 2016, 09:45:07 AM
@elaine amj - TOM is a real PITA. I ate a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos on Tuesday. Just out of control. I logged it and I moved on, and hoped that the next day would be better (it was).

Forgot to report here on Tuesday and Wednesday, so here it is:

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/28: 124.4 pounds
- 5/17: 123 pounds
- 5/26: 125.6 pounds
- 6/6: 128.8 pounds
- 6/21: 125.6 pounds
- 6/30: 124 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds

Finally feeling like I'm making some headway! I'm nervous about our upcoming vacation, though. I know I can control my eating much better this time around because of my travel companions, but I'm certain there will be water retention no matter what. I would be ecstatic if I maintained on this trip. We shall see.

And a nice little NSV - DH told me yesterday that he can see the definition in my waist again. The gut is going to be a tough thing to get rid of, but I'm happy that someone else is starting to see some changes. Oh! And instead of going to a FREE baked potato bar at work yesterday (it sounded amazing), I went to yoga class. Major win.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RonMcCord on June 30, 2016, 10:44:13 PM
Jan 4:175lbs.
Jan 28:169lbs.
Feb 27:162lbs.
Apr 1: 157lbs.
Apr 30: 151lbs.
May 31: 148lbs.
June 30: 144lbs.

Finally. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on July 01, 2016, 11:22:15 AM
My latest irregular report: Have continued to weigh daily and write down what I eat. 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).

My weight is almost exactly what it was at the last update, which is about a 5 pound loss.  However, it's been bouncing up & down within about a 3-pound range.

I'm content with that for now, as it shows that I have developed at least a little bit of discipline, I think.  Still, I'm anxious to move on to the next, lower level and see some different numbers on the scale.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on July 01, 2016, 11:25:25 AM
@RonMcCord - Great work! Over 30 pounds since January is fantastic. Is 144 your goal weight?

This will be my last post for about a week or so, so I will be excited to see everyone's progress while I'm away! I decided to join a Challenge Group on MyFitnessPal that goes until September 19. I don't think anything is won aside from bragging rights for whoever loses the largest percentage of weight, but I've always like a little healthy competition. My aim is to get down to 113 by that time, which is an aggressive rate of loss given my current pace. I want to pick it up, though. Maybe this will be the little push I need.

To all you United States of Americans, Happy Fourth of July! Don't hold on to the bottle rockets for too long!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on July 01, 2016, 04:45:09 PM
As a long time yo-yo'er (thanks to job, American food/temptation, etc), I REALLY want to take it off and keep it off before FIRE next year.  I'm down 60 so far this year.  Goal is another 57 or so by the middle of next year.    I really hope to do the Camino de Santiago next September!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 01, 2016, 10:52:02 PM
@Microspice and Ron McCord Congrats!! So nice to see those numbers go down :)

I am laying on a mattress in a tent tonight in one of the amazing provincial parks in Ontario. I just love being outdoors - puts me in my happy place.

Have a lot of food and ice cream ahead of me so hoping I can fit in a lot of activities and movement. Planning for an early morning solo hike. After breakfast, we are going on a 2 hour bike ride. Then after lunch, a nice 1-2 hour hike.

Hoping I can stay in maintenace and avoid gaining weight this weekend :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on July 02, 2016, 08:31:50 AM
Weigh-in day:

3/12: 162.6
4/2: 160.2
5/7: 157.4
6/4: 157.8
6/11: 158.0
6/18: 156.2
6/25: 155.8
7/2: 155.6

Man, this journey takes stamina. And it's full of (pardon the pun) ups and downs. I seem to have hit a good groove; I've been able to decline sweets a few times over the past couple of weeks, and to eat smaller portions of food, without feeling deprived. Fingers crossed that holds.

It really is amazing what a difference my mood makes. When things are on an even keel, or even have glimmers of hope for the future, I can follow my self-derived program with relative ease. But when there are bumps in the road, food is the first place I turn for solace; nothing else will do.

@elaine amj: Thanks for being such a tireless cheerleader. Good luck to you in your camping weekend; it sounds lovely.

@MicroSpice: Good luck with your challenge!

@Geostache: I hope you and your kids have settled into a happier place, even with your DH out of town. I hope the rest of his time away goes more smoothly for you.

I can't help but look at weight loss as a logic puzzle: figure out the right strategy, and you'll start climbing that mountain, step by step. Of course, since many of the logic steps involve dealing with powerful emotions and cravings, the puzzle is much subtler and more complex than it looks.

I hope we all figure out our most successful strategies.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 02, 2016, 08:41:09 AM
I forgot to post on Thursday so here is where I am at:
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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0

Goal : 120 lbs.

I am kind of surprised by the number on the scale because I have been slipping on the snacks so many ways but then looking over the actual data – I am not eating until I am over-full at any meals and not having high calorie drinks in a regular way.  My snacks are more likely to be fruit or nuts.  I had gotten into the habit of having potato chips to stop morning sickness – and then never stopped.  My youngest is now 12.  I haven’t gorged on a bowl of popcorn since I started this journey in April.  And that was a regular occurrence.  I have really changed my defaults.  I am going to keep going on this path for the summer – when eating is easy and hopefully we will get our major projects done. 
In the theory of not making too many changes at once, I am going to start a fitness program in September once I have consolidated the eating program.  We have so many projects I want to do on the house and between that and my new out of town contract, I just can’t add any more change.  By default I am getting more exercise as I am commuting two days a week into the city and riding my bike to the train.  I am also doing small errands on the bike and some landscaping projects.
An aside that shows how much I have changed just in the last couple of months:  We were visiting folks and after the visit DH says – man they both have put on a lot of weight. We haven’t seen them in two years at least.  It was kind of shocking to see how much they had changed in that short period of time.  It really spurred me on to keep on the trim track and so thankful that I decided to do a one-eighty on what I put in my mouth.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on July 04, 2016, 09:04:07 AM
There! Back at it. This was a good week, except the handful of chocolate chips last night (ok, ok, 2 handfuls). I've been at this weight range twice in the last few months and let myself take a little break only to creep right back up into the 150s. I know I'm going to need to be a little bit hardcore to get over this hump. I'm going to be strict with myself until 145, then reassess strictness. Third time's a charm.

I think the quick exercise routine three times a week is helping too. I was SO tired yesterday, but exercised anyway, in the hopes that I'd get enough energy to finish the projects I was working on. I didn't finish the projects, and I didn't get a lot more energy, but I was sure proud of myself for exercising. Score one for motivation and momentum.

Not having cookies in the house helps. It's a lot easier to use willpower to avoid cookies when you have to actually make them first.
 

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on July 04, 2016, 09:39:55 AM
I think the quick exercise routine three times a week is helping too. I was SO tired yesterday, but exercised anyway, in the hopes that I'd get enough energy to finish the projects I was working on. I didn't finish the projects, and I didn't get a lot more energy, but I was sure proud of myself for exercising. Score one for motivation and momentum.

Totally agree. I make it as easy as possible to exercise by having a recumbent bike in the living room, facing the TV. On days when I can't do a full workout, I try to scale down and do a smaller one.

Not having cookies in the house helps. It's a lot easier to use willpower to avoid cookies when you have to actually make them first.

So true. This is part of why I've allowed myself to buy individual portions of desserts, despite the relatively high prices, when I really want something sweet. That way, I don't end up with 3/4 of a cake calling my name. Mostly I try to just keep that stuff out of the house.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on July 05, 2016, 08:43:12 AM
@RedmondStash: It hasn't really calmed down at all! The kids are still so insecure and clingy. The food habits have been better, though! Having someone to help cook meals that isn't working during the day is a huge help.

I've been maintaining this slightly higher weight now for a couple of months. It's enough to make me get serious about my food choices, especially if we go out to eat (which is still happening on a fairly regular basis).

Sorry I haven't been active recently (see previous discussion about DH's travels). I'm glad you all are still going strong and being so supportive of one another!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on July 05, 2016, 09:49:36 AM

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2

This was not a great weekend, with the holiday. Also, having my 5 year old nephew all weekend meant I was tired and susceptible to munching on whatever was easiest. I'm back on track this morning, so hopefully will see it bounce back down, but overall I'm not too upset. I have really learned to roll with it, and just keep going. I'm still trying to lose about 5-7 lbs, but I'm pretty happy with where I am now, so if this ends up being where my body wants to stop...I'll probably be ok with it. Maybe. :)

ETA: Major kudos to those of you doing this with kids! It was a lot harder to avoid snacking when the kiddo was chowing down on parade candy in front of me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: beardsly on July 05, 2016, 02:23:16 PM
I'm 6'3" and weighed 250lbs July 1st 2015.  Got down to 225 Jan 1 2016 and now down to 205.  Goal weight is 190,    I've attributed weight lost so far to biking and slightly better eating habits.  I've been stuck at 205-207lbs for the past couple months.  I'll need more disciplined eating habits to get out of the rut.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 06, 2016, 07:58:46 AM
Been fairly disconnected over the weekend, which was rather lovely. Had an amazing time in the outdoors, with many hours of just chilling in front of the campfire. I impressed myself when I managed to avoid picking up my phone too often, even when I was alone in front of the fire. From an activity perspective, I got up early every morning and went on an hour's hike before the rest of the group poked their noses out of their tents. I also made sure we had another 1-2 hours of activity each day - hiking and cycling. That helped since I was eating like crazy! On Sunday, I was particularly hungry and ate 3 portions at every meal. And of course, these are things I don't eat often these days - naan bread pizzas with a LOT of cheese, THREE quesadillas in one sitting, and on and on. Heavily supplemented by a lot of cheetos, M&Ms, s'mores, and the like. I was stuffed by the final day and just grazed the rest of the day.

Tuesday morning, I stepped on the scale and I'm 133.4. Only up from 133.2 on Friday so not too bad. This morning, I had a slight drop down to 133.2 lbs. That said, only a week ago I hit my low of 130.8 lbs...and haven't seen it again since! Going to have to eat "normally" this week to make sure I don't gain anymore. Especially since I go another camping vacation on Sunday, this time for a week. With so many vacation plans, I definitely want to stay in maintenance, with hopefully a tiny loss of about 1 lb a month. Sabotaged myself a little yesterday though - was out running errands at lunchtime and ended up buying luscious handcrafted icecream then followed it up with a big slab of German chocolate cake. Thankfully, I cooked up some veggie zoodles for dinner. For the rest of the week, I MUST eat normally!

@Jo Jo Welcome! 60 lbs is a LOT to lose in the past 6 months. You must be averaging 2-3 lbs loss a week. What are your plans and strategies?

@RedmondStash That's so good that you're feeling at ease in your groove. It really helps to be comfortable following your plan. I have to admit, I was getting a bit worried this past weekend because I was in a ravenous mood and just wanted gigantic portions of everything. On my final day I felt more normal though and was back to more reasonable portion sizes. Maybe it was all that fresh air lol!

@Frugal Lizard Wow - that is AMAZING! And you're right - it is entirely about changing our defaults. I had gotten into such awful habits before and now, it's kinda neat that my defaults are so very different.

@Cookie78 Keep plugging away. just think about it...instead of even more weight creeping on, you're TEN pounds lighter than the start of the year. I call that an awesome win :) Kudos for you for exercising even when you were tired. I know how hard that is to do.

@geostache Sorry to hear the kids are still clingy :( That does make things more challenging. Hope things settle down for you soon!

@rockstache Our numbers have been relatively similar since the beginning so I know what you mean as you debate if you want to stop. Remember back in the beginning you said your goal weight was 135? You reached that ages ago. Still, it's not always easy to decide if reaching goal weight is good enough. I know I still feel so lumpy! Then again, last night I was wearing a t-shirt that fit perfect last year and was marveling at how much it sagged on me. Man, we sure have come a long, long way!!!

@beardsly Those last 10 or so pounds seem so much more difficult than the first 20 pounds, don't they? Glad to have you here.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on July 06, 2016, 11:38:56 AM

@rockstache Our numbers have been relatively similar since the beginning so I know what you mean as you debate if you want to stop. Remember back in the beginning you said your goal weight was 135? You reached that ages ago. Still, it's not always easy to decide if reaching goal weight is good enough. I know I still feel so lumpy! Then again, last night I was wearing a t-shirt that fit perfect last year and was marveling at how much it sagged on me. Man, we sure have come a long, long way!!!


We really have! Yes, hitting that goal weight was wonderful. I am keeping in mind what Geostache said a while back about body dysmorphia and being sure to notice the changes. I do sometimes catch myself in the mirror and think, " Dangggg...you look good!" But also I am still technically on the heavier side of things for my (our) height and I would like to see if I can get to dead-on mid range without doing anything too strenuous. As of right now, the trend is still downward, so I keep chugging away.

Great job with your camping trip. I think you do have to be able to let it go off the rails here and there for a couple of days, as long as you know you can get back on. I'm sure all the exercise helped to mitigate the damage too!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 06, 2016, 11:56:24 AM
Just found a Cdn blog - weightymatters.ca (http://www.weightymatters.ca/) that was an interesting read. It's a Dr that promotes a sensible approach towards weightloss and I like that he's open to all methods.

I particularly loved this quote from a post (http://www.weightymatters.ca/2014/06/is-it-really-scientifically-impossible.html) he wrote in response to a New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all) back in 2012 about how permanent weight loss is impossible.

Suffering as their plan?  Go figure it ain't working.  Incredible desire or not, people aren't built for long term, relentless, suffering. I guess what I'm getting at is that there is zero debate about the fact that weight management, whether it's losing or just not gaining, does require effort. What I'm positing here is that if your effort is personally perceived as a misery, given human nature, eventually you'll fail, not because you're weak willed, but rather because you're human, coupled with the fact that the world we live in is now a Willy Wonkian treasure trove of calories and dietary pleasure...My weight management philosophy has always been rather straightforward - whatever you choose to do to lose your weight, you need to keep doing to keep it off, and therefore choosing a weight loss modality you don't enjoy is just a recipe for regain.

This makes a lot of sense to me - which is why I chose my own plan. While it did require an effort, I certainly haven't spent the last 6 months suffering. A close friend of mine did one of those super strict programs last year, lost a bunch of weight. A few months later, it crept back on. This year, she went back on the program (its $$). Didn't lose as much as promised, so she went back for yet another round (free this time). She's not losing much and is fed up with the strict diet so cheats a little. I'm not hugely surprised - its a crazy program (and yes, it involves suffering) that is very unsustainable. In the meantime, she's watched me drop 20 lbs in the past few months in an easy, relaxed manner. I keep hoping she'll give it a shot but have been careful to say nothing other than sharing the stuff I'm doing and what has worked for me.

As for maintenance, the past month has been surprisingly easy. That said, I can see that it will require a certain state of vigilance for the rest of my life. There have already been times where I've let occasional treats become a very regular part of my life. Like lifestyle inflation, its rather insidious.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on July 07, 2016, 09:35:22 AM
Frustrated today. My weight bounced right back up over 150 again. I'm not even sure what I did. I know there are daily fluctuations, but I've always been able to pointpoint the causes before. I skipped my workout on Tuesday, but got up early Wednesday morning to do it then. I haven't been overindulging at all. And I've been super hungry again, but without the sense of panic this time. Still trying to think of the long game, but irritated at this hurdle.

On the plus side my garden has exploded with veggies and I have lots of healthy fresh options for snacks and meals. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: caitlin87 on July 07, 2016, 08:05:42 PM
Just popping in to say hi and encourage you all. I'm new here to the forum, having just discovered the blog about six weeks ago. I made myself read the whole thing before coming onto the forum :-)

I'm also trying to lose weight. I've been doing intermittent fasting. I'm a vegetarian who tries to stick to the slow carb way of eating. I've been traveling, so that's a bit harder, but I get home on Saturday and plan to go back to that.

I've been very pleased with intermittent fasting. I do it daily. My window is 12-7pm most days, meaning I do not eat before noon or after 7pm. it was tough at first training my body not to ask for food every morning, but now that it knows I'm not going to let myself starve, it's been remarkably quiet until mealtime!! I can almost feel my body munching away on the spare fat. I've been doing it for almost four straight weeks with just a few days off on a couple weekends. My jeans are looser, and I feel a lot lighter when I walk. I have mor energy. My blood sugar is stable. I crave less sugar. Hunger has become predictable and controllable. It's the easiest method I've done and I can't foresee any reason I won't be able to stick with it! it's way easier to eat two 900-calorie meals than three 600-cal ones or 4-5 meals with even fewer calories. I used to do that and found myself constantly hungry. My body wasn't trained to use fat as fuel because it was so used to me feeding it every three hours. Now I go 18-19 hours without food every day with no problem!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 08, 2016, 05:52:48 AM
Yesterday was weigh in day and new contract means I have very little time on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the long work day in the big city.

I continue to drop the weight slowly and steadily which is frigging amazing!
As of yesterday I was a thin hair above 125 pounds.  Love how much easier it is to wear my old clothes - especially now that at least three days a week I can't hide out in my studio in painting clothes.

I have been re-reading Slim by Design by Brian Wansink.  I have begun to implement some of the changes to the kitchen to help with the mindless eating pitfalls.  I read it last year and did a few changes, but realized after reading Foodist that I needed a refresher.  She references Wansink's studies several times.  Now that our kitchen is getting put back together, I have been setting up the cupboards with mindless snacking habits in mind.  A couple of dinners a week we are using the smaller plates and I got some really small but pretty glass bowls to make the dessert/ yogurt servings look enormous.  This morning I cut up a whole watermelon and boiled some eggs for smart snacks.  I brought a huge lunch with me yesterday so that I had snacks for the train ride home.  I don't get home until 6:30 and by the time I get dinner made I am insanely ravenous.

Welcome caitlin87.

Hang in there Cookie 78 - Wansink recommends prepping the veggies and storing them in the fridge in a see-through container at eye level in the fridge and you will eat them first.

High fives to all you folks getting through the long weekend without too much damage. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 08, 2016, 02:52:45 PM
OK - today's weigh-in was a wake up call. I am THREE pounds more than my low and seem to be hanging around the 133s. I know exactly why - been a wee bit too free with the snacking. Not a good thing for a super short girl trying to stay in maintenance . It's foodstyle inflation I tell ya!! Going on a week's vacation so will likely go upwards rather than the other way around. Will definitely have to be clear with myself just what NORMAL is when I come back. This past week, despite some efforts, I know I haven't been eating the way my "normal" should look like. 2 white chocolate macadamia cookies yesterday at a meeting. If I had more opportunity, I think I would have ate more. This cannot be my "normal".

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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs
July 8, 2016: 133.2 lbs.July 8, 2016: 133.8 lbs

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

@cookie78 So sorry for the frustration. ((hugs)) There's some hills to climb in this journey, isn't there?

@caitlin87 so glad to hear you've found something that's working so well for you! Welcome to the group - fantastic to have you here.

@Frugal Lizard I'm so excited for you!!!! That is absolutely amazing news! I like the idea of changing things around to avoid mindless eating pitfalls. I think that's where I'm having difficulties. Starting to say yes to too many things I used to routinely say no to. Time to get more mindful about my eating! (after the vacay of course lol!).

Heading out camping again this weekend, this time for a full week. Super excited to spend a week in the woods. Trees are so necessary for me :) How on earth did I ever really live growing up in a big city and spending all my time in malls?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on July 08, 2016, 07:03:21 PM
Strange week. I've eaten pretty much everything in sight, with a heavy focus on sugar.

I'm starting to notice a pattern where I start feeling better physically, then I overdo it and exhaust myself, and then I use food to compensate for energy I need but don't have -- and I have to cut back on exercise because if I push myself, I'll wipe out even harder. Pretty sure that's what happened this week.

That's okay. I'm considering this a week of vacation from the weight-loss thing. I know the numbers will be significantly up tomorrow at my weigh-in. The real key is forcing myself to take it slowly with exercise, no matter how excited I get if I start feeling better.

Hoping to get back on track next week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 08, 2016, 10:12:36 PM
@RedmondStash you are learning so much about yourself! I'm impressed - that type of pattern is not easy to recognize.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 09, 2016, 07:33:13 AM
*huge sigh of relief* Weighed in this morning and I am 131.8 lbs. Yesterday's high of 133.8 was obviously a crazy blip. I was getting pretty worried since I spent the past week seeing my weight creep up daily!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on July 09, 2016, 08:04:42 AM
Weigh-in day:

3/12: 162.6
4/2: 160.2
5/7: 157.4
6/4: 157.8
6/11: 158.0
6/18: 156.2
6/25: 155.8
7/2: 155.6
7/9: 156.2

After the way I ate last week, I'm pleased I'm only up half a pound. We'll see how I do at reining it in this week.

@elaine amj -- Congrats on all the progress! I've always been amazed at how my weight meanders up and down without any reasonable explanation on a day-to-day basis, even if the overall trend is up or down. Bodies are weird.

And yeah, I've been dealing with mysterious health ailments for so long now that I've had to treat my body as my laboratory. I run experiments, document results, try not to mess with more than one variable at a time, etc. So that pattern of overdoing, wiping out, and overeating is one I've seen before. The big challenges for me are a) being patient with my physical limitations, even when they piss me off, and b) figuring out how to deal with the screaming toddler inside me who wants that cookie/cake/chocolate NOW, especially since that voice is only rarely loud enough to be problematic.

Forging onward.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 09, 2016, 11:06:51 PM
Learning to be patient is huge isnt it? You're doing great ...keep on keeping on :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on July 11, 2016, 07:49:40 AM
I went up a pound compared to last weigh in day, but compared to all the rest of the days this week 150.6 is a huge success (the day before was 153, for example). I wasn't very good this week overall with all the free pancake breakfasts and BBQ lunches starting on Thursday. Yesterday I decided I was eating only veggies to make up for the carb loaded previous few days. I managed really well until I opened my freezer and saw that someone had left ice cream there (I had a few friends over on Friday night who brought snacks). So I had all veggies (including potatoes for dinner) and one ice cream.


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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
Goal weight: 130
[/quote]
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on July 11, 2016, 08:06:24 AM
Checking in, all. My DH's travel wreaked havoc on my psyche for the past two weeks. Throw in TOM, and it was a whirlwind of stress eating! I'm up way more than I have been on maintenance, and it was a huge wake up call. Let's just say I saw a weight today I haven't seen in 3 or 4 months - and not in the good direction! I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Given the amount of stress I've been under, I'm thankful that everyone made it through the two weeks with their wits intact!

So today, I'm recommitting to getting back on track. Mine and my DH's work travel has come to a stop for the foreseeable future; I have plenty of CSA vegetables in the refrigerator, and I got some quick protein snacks to add in to help me cut out the mass quantities of sugar I've been inhaling.

My ultimate goal is still 140, but I'm adjusting my expectations of when I will actually reach it. For now, I'm setting a mini goal of reaching 150 by the end of the calendar year. It's a slow rate of loss, but I think it's totally do-able.

Today wasn't an official weigh-in day, but I reached. 163.2. Oof. That's 8 pounds over my lowest weigh in.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 11, 2016, 08:11:44 AM
Cookie and everyone else...
A quick tip from Slim by Design - wrap those snacks and sweets in an opaque wrapper.  Ice cream covered in tin foil gets eaten way slower than in the naked state with it's appealing images calling for you every time you open the freezer.  get those healthy items in clear containers at eye level and get all those unhealthy snacks hidden in the crisper.

I am trying this - chunks of watermelon are flying out of the fridge.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on July 11, 2016, 08:27:45 AM
Cookie and everyone else...
A quick tip from Slim by Design - wrap those snacks and sweets in an opaque wrapper.  Ice cream covered in tin foil gets eaten way slower than in the naked state with it's appealing images calling for you every time you open the freezer.  get those healthy items in clear containers at eye level and get all those unhealthy snacks hidden in the crisper.

I am trying this - chunks of watermelon are flying out of the fridge.

Good idea. I do this for the most part. I hate food going bad in my fridge, so I usually wash and cut up veggies in snack size pieces as soon as I can. Also if I'm feeling like a snack I usually just go out to the garden to see what's ready to eat. I have a raspberry bush that's producing just enough for a daily snack, but not too much so that I over eat them. And peas and cucumbers and both snack size and monstrous size zucchinis and SO MUCH Swiss chard.

As for the sweets I usually don't have them around at all. I didn't even know there was ice cream in the freezer until I opened the door and it wasn't me who put it there. I'll have to try this with the chocolate chips next time I buy them though. I threw in a handful in a yogurt snack one day last week and then I couldn't stop eating them. I ended up using them up by making rhubarb oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for the party on Friday and making my friends eat most of them. What was left over I brought to work.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on July 11, 2016, 09:38:41 AM
Just realized that I haven't posted in weeks! I keep clicking in to read but then get distracted before I can respond.

I am so excited to see the successes that you all have been having and am pulling for those who are hitting temporary setbacks on their journey.

I was 145 after a week long vacation with my family so was pleasantly surprised to come back from holiday a pound lighter than when I left. I have my in-laws to thank for that. They are both extremely health and weight conscious people so there is NO junk food in their house except for margaritas. Since my SIL and her family were also visiting and they are anti-booze we didn't even have the usual margaritas while we were there. I came back from the trip a little hungry but otherwise we had a great time :)

I was realizing that I could probably drop another 5 pounds "easily" but it would mean cutting out alcohol or upping my exercise significantly - To be honest, neither of those things appeal to me at all right now. I'll work on maintaining where I'm at.

I just realized it took me it took me almost five months to loose five pounds. Wow!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on July 12, 2016, 08:21:21 AM
I'm on vacation this week and we moved last week, so I'm not sure what I'm at for weight - it's probably going to be depressing. Have ate out more than normal the past few weeks...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on July 12, 2016, 10:26:25 AM
I've had continual loss and am now down 65 lbs this year.  I'm committed not to yo-yo again and finally donated and tossed a whole bunch of my "fat clothes" over the last couple weeks.

The key for me is avoiding temptation - no sugar and very minimal starches (controlled portions).  I love summer because the veggies are fresh and cheap!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Evgenia on July 12, 2016, 10:58:39 AM
Slowly as she goes, but at least it's going. My goal is 10 lbs., maybe 15 lbs. by Christmas. We'll see what I think after the 10 lbs. are gone. Everyone says that it's the last five and last 10 lbs. that seem to take forever, and that's where I started, and I agree.

May 25: 172 lbs.

June 9: 169.8 (This was disheartening, as I had REALLY been eating less, totally cut out sweets, and was doing lots more manual labor. Aging is bullshit. The only thing I would keep from my early 20s is my metabolism.)

June 22: 168.6

July 6: 168.2 and stayed there a while

July 12: 167.2 (Will be happy when I'm under 167, as I'll have OFFICIALLY lost five little stupid pounds then).

Sigh. A week on the John Muir Trail next month should help move this along! The back country usually does.

I'm so impressed with all of you who are losing more. Thanks for the inspiration.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on July 13, 2016, 09:04:48 AM
I've had continual loss and am now down 65 lbs this year.  I'm committed not to yo-yo again and finally donated and tossed a whole bunch of my "fat clothes" over the last couple weeks.

The key for me is avoiding temptation - no sugar and very minimal starches (controlled portions).  I love summer because the veggies are fresh and cheap!

Wow, that's a huge loss! Congratulations. I love summer veggies too.

Today is not an official weigh in day for me, but stepping on the scale this morning I saw the lowest number that I have seen so far this year = 130.0 (I checked 3 times just to be sure!). It will probably go back up from that a few times before I hit it *for real* but I am still excited to see it. 120s here I come!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 14, 2016, 08:32:03 PM
Weigh in day
Oops - back up to 127.  Oh well.
Not sure what is going on - checked a couple of times and no change on the scale.
Back to monitoring....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on July 15, 2016, 08:32:28 AM
We got back from our vacation on Monday morning, and I've been playing catch-up since then, so I apologize for my radio silence. We had a great time on our trip, and the scale is definitely confirming that. :-(

But, as a little NSV, we went to a baseball game last night with some friends, and a couple of them complimented me on my weight loss and one went so far as to call me skinny! Not true, but appreciated nonetheless.

It sounds like a lot of us are hitting some rough patches, but I know everyone here is fully capable of hitting their goals, no matter how long it takes. You all impress the hell out of me. Go team!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/28: 124.4 pounds
- 5/17: 123 pounds
- 5/26: 125.6 pounds
- 6/6: 128.8 pounds
- 6/30: 124 pounds
- 7/15: 126 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 17, 2016, 10:31:17 AM
Just got back from a week's vacation last night. Well, compared to last Friday, I lost a wee bit. It's not showing the true picture though since last Sunday, I was down to 132 lbs. Oh well, I'll take it!

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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs
July 8, 2016: 133.2 lbs.July 8, 2016: 133.8 lbs...July 17 2016: 133.4 lbs

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

We tent camped all week and it was awesome. I was hiking, swimming, canoeing, jogging on the beach every chance I got - trying to make sure I spent at least 1.5-2 hours a day actively moving. Foodwise, I discovered that there IS such a thing as too much meat. We had steak, ribs, chicken wings, etc etc and my tummy was protesting. 2/3 of the way through our trip, we had to do a grocery store run to buy more salad. By day 4, I was having an avocado for breakfast and fruit for lunch. Even my kids were eating only half their normal quantities. That said, there was always plenty of room for ice cream :)

Now I am home again for a couple of weeks before our next camping trip. I plan to eat carefully and cut back on the snacking. I'm still feeling a little off from consuming so much meat and junk food. So weird how my body has changed. Its begging for more veggies now.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on July 18, 2016, 08:32:43 AM
And the yoyo continues. I was down to 149 throughout the week, then popped back up to 151. I think my biggest problem is that it's just not a big enough priority right now. Too many other things are going on that are more important to me right now to be motivated enough to stay on track consistently. Also I'm quite sure there's something physiological going on about being below 150. As soon as I get there the devil on my shoulder convinces me that I deserve cake... until I go back up. At least the yoyo is only within 3-4 pounds.

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on July 18, 2016, 10:37:51 AM
Cookie78, I am dealing with the same issues right now.   I am putting the weight loss on hold while I sort through a couple things.  It's enough (for me) to yoyo, as you say, in a 3-4 pound range.  I consider this holding steady, since the body likes to hold on to or release water weight on it's own schedule.  Just so long as it does not go up more than that!  And that I see the lower numbers occasionally too (I weigh daily).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on July 18, 2016, 11:05:43 AM
I'm making Monday my weigh-in day again, since that is the date to weigh in for the challenge I'm doing on MFP. Since starting said challenge, I'm UP .2 pounds. :-\ Oy.

But, I'm making good progress. I got a digital food scale that I started using with more regularity at the end of last week, and it's quite the eye-opener. I was eyeballing my Greek yogurt every morning, thinking I was getting about a cup, but I was actually getting LESS than that. Like, a lot less. No wonder I was so damn hungry at 10:30. Now, it's a little difficult for me to finish the whole thing, but I can definitely make it to lunch time now.

And I continue on with yoga at work. There's going to be a hiatus in a couple of weeks (break between semesters), but I will sign up again for the fall, and find something else to do during that time - I have to. I feel so much better when I do it, and since getting back from our trip, my back is killing me, which yoga definitely helps with.

Did I also mention I got a standing desk at work? Can't remember if I did - totally using it right now! Lol - back to work for me.

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/28: 124.4 pounds
- 5/17: 123 pounds
- 5/26: 125.6 pounds
- 6/6: 128.8 pounds
- 6/30: 124 pounds
- 7/15: 126 pounds
- 7/16: 125.2 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 18, 2016, 02:16:00 PM
@cookie78 I hear ya about hanging in that 3-4 lb range. Kinda annoying after a while but I remind myself that's the body's typical weight range.

@microspice a standing desk sounds rather awesome....I've often worried that it might get too exhausting though?

As for me, I'm proud to report that I have started biking to work!! Yesterday, I used my bday money from my father to buy a $45 used bike. Its a basic singlespeed (the previous owner removed the gears) that actually fits my frame perfectly. Although the front wheel is slightly wobbly, it has fatter tires and feels stable and the frame is the perfect size for me (a shocker as it is a men's frame and I am a super short 5 ft woman who typically rides kid-sized bikes!). I feel secure, even going over bumps in the road. I felt confident in traffic, even when dealing with lights etc.

Turns out it is only about 20 mins to work :) I'm doing this mostly for Mustachian reasons, but happy to sneak more exercise in too. Hopefully I can stay strong through various weather conditions! Unfortunately, tomorrow I will have to drive to work. I forgot to bring back a cart I had used and someone else needs it tomorrow. No way to transport that by bike :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on July 18, 2016, 09:31:40 PM
As for me, I'm proud to report that I have started biking to work!!

@Elaine, that's awesome! Way to go!

I ride my stationary bike at home all the time for exercise, but I haven't been on an actual moving bike in years. Work is too far for me to bike to, but if I were closer, it would be awfully cool.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on July 19, 2016, 07:21:49 AM
@Elaine AMJ: I'm jealous of your ability to ride into work! I'm only about 13 miles from work, but the kids go to daycare on-site, and there is no way I'm taking them in a bike trailer on those roads to work.

My emotions have been all over the place. June and half of July were rough as far as stress is concerned. The work travel for myself and DH (and the kids' subsequent clingy-ness) were too overwhelming for me, and I slipped right back into my old habits. And sure enough, my body reminded me of the results I get when I do that. I'm up freaking almost 10 pounds from my lowest weight. Ugh! So, time to figure out a new normal for me. And it does not include keeping these extra 10 pounds on my frame! I feel sluggish and gross.

At least I have one positive. I had my annual check up yesterday, and I was able to tell my midwife that I'm down 18 pounds from the beginning of the year. That's still nothing to sneeze at, and I need to focus on what I've achieved versus what I've lost.

Any suggestions for motivators would be greatly appreciated!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on July 19, 2016, 07:40:25 AM
Original weight: 116.3kg
Last weigh-in's weight: 115.4kg
Current weight: 116.9kg
Goal weight: 90kg

D'oh. I need to fix this. I've resumed riding my bike to work (I stopped for a month or so because of the rainy weather and because end of financial year was meaning I was leaving work later). Hopefully re-introducing exercise (and not having a great big dinner) will help things along.

Now work is starting to calm down (I'm finally able to start catching up on tasks), I'll have to get back onto it.

One thing that I noticed (and have noticed again upon resuming riding). When I drive or take public transport to work, I'll usually get home feeling a little bit hungry but not too bad. When I ride my bike, I'll often be starving when I get home. There's a good chance that I end up eating more for dinner as a result.

I don't eat a lot of snacks, and when I do it's often fruit (I usually buy fruit and leave it at my desk at work). After lunch I'm usually not that hungry until I leave for home.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on July 19, 2016, 08:44:15 AM
@elaine amj - The standing desk I got is called a Varidesk, and it adjusts up or down so that you can decide whether you are standing or sitting. I alternate between standing and sitting throughout the day. My back is thanking me for it. I actually find sitting all day to be more exhausting.

@alsoknownasDean - Maybe consider switching your end-of-day snack to something with some more protein or fat. Cheese, hard boiled eggs, crackers with hummus; those all might satisfy you a bit more than the fruit.

@Geostache - Finding motivation is perhaps my biggest problem. Probably the problem for most people. I think it's really more about creating sustainable habits, because habits are our default. Pick one thing at a time - drinking more water, going for an evening walk, meal planning, whatever - and focus on that one thing until you've got it down. Then move on to the next. Admittedly, this process yields slower results than going full-tilt on calorie restriction and exercise, but it's also more sustainable.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on July 19, 2016, 01:51:23 PM
I'll join in.  :)

My first step will be giving up my daily breakfast bagel - it's not doing my waistline any favors and it's lots of empty calories.  That will be my goal this week.  I already had one today, so I'll start tomorrow. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on July 20, 2016, 06:45:18 AM
@alsoknownasDean - Maybe consider switching your end-of-day snack to something with some more protein or fat. Cheese, hard boiled eggs, crackers with hummus; those all might satisfy you a bit more than the fruit.

That's a good idea, although often I didn't have a snack at all, and hadn't eaten since lunch.

Today I had a banana before riding my bike home, and that helped quite a lot. I probably just need to make sure I eat something soon before riding home, rather than riding home four or five hours after eating last.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Geostache on July 20, 2016, 07:56:38 AM

@Geostache - Finding motivation is perhaps my biggest problem. Probably the problem for most people. I think it's really more about creating sustainable habits, because habits are our default. Pick one thing at a time - drinking more water, going for an evening walk, meal planning, whatever - and focus on that one thing until you've got it down. Then move on to the next. Admittedly, this process yields slower results than going full-tilt on calorie restriction and exercise, but it's also more sustainable.

You're absolutely right about that. I had replaced several habits with better ones, and I thought they would stick. It was just too easy to slip back into old, not-so-good-for-me habits. Easier that I'd care to admit! Vigilance is going be key, I think!

@Elaine AMJ: I can also attest to the Varidesk. It's nice to be able to easily switch between standing and sitting.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on July 20, 2016, 08:40:20 AM

@Geostache - Finding motivation is perhaps my biggest problem. Probably the problem for most people. I think it's really more about creating sustainable habits, because habits are our default. Pick one thing at a time - drinking more water, going for an evening walk, meal planning, whatever - and focus on that one thing until you've got it down. Then move on to the next. Admittedly, this process yields slower results than going full-tilt on calorie restriction and exercise, but it's also more sustainable.

You're absolutely right about that. I had replaced several habits with better ones, and I thought they would stick. It was just too easy to slip back into old, not-so-good-for-me habits. Easier that I'd care to admit! Vigilance is going be key, I think!

I completely agree about habits being key. And it is so easy to slide back, even when you think a habit is well established.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on July 20, 2016, 09:58:46 AM
I'm terrible - since I was going to be cutting out bagels today, I ate two yesterday. 

But this morning I had a banana and was fine.  The temptation will probably kick in later this afternoon around "treat time" so I'll think of something healthy that I can have instead.  Maybe some carrot sticks to have something to crunch on.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 20, 2016, 10:16:46 AM
Like everyone said, vigilance is HUGE. And doing your best to make sure your new habits stick.

@M.Darcy: I have found the first 1-2 weeks are typically the worst. Cravings are super strong during that time. And I am always hungry. I used habit hacking to get through it. mine were lots and lots of water/hot tea, tiny mints, and when it got really bad, promising myself a small treat after a workout. The couple of times I had to do that, I wasn't interested after the workout.

I'm pleased to report I dropped the 2 lbs vacation weight gain. That dropped off pretty quickly. Hopefully I can keep this up. I have a lot more stuff ahead this summer though. The next couple of days is going to be a lot of food. Cheesecake for my birthday at my office tomorrow, then birthday dinner for my DH (we have $100 to spend at a Landry's restaurant so thinking of Morton's Steakhouse...although we might change to seafood), followed by birthday lunch for my DH the next day. On the good side, I didn't join DH and his buddy for his birthday lunch today.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on July 20, 2016, 06:54:48 PM
I should check my weight tomorrow. It's not going to be pretty, I don't think.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 21, 2016, 05:43:02 AM
A quick check in before I leave for vacation that includes a reunion with some of the people I went to high school with and haven't seen for 30 years.

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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0
7/7 – 125.5
7/14 –  127
7/21 -126 - ok
Goal : 120 lbs.

All week the scale was yoyoing around and I was thinking "damn".  I was feeling pretty confident about how easy it had been after the first week and then the scales were telling me to give my head a shake. I do not ever want to get over 130 again.  One morning I was at 129.  That was after a day and night of debauchery (well as much debauchery as a person who normally falls asleep with a book in my hands at 10:45pm can get up to)  That means I can't eat carrot cake for breakfast or have a giant Oh Henry bar or a jar of peanuts by the computer.  I was breaking all my rules.  And bam - tummy bulge.
So as soon as we can pack the car and get out of the house, we are on a road trip.  We are going to be touring cottages of friends, sites along the way and dropping off a table and chairs at one of the cottages (and making $50) and hitting the reunion.  It should be the worst possible combination of eating temptation.    I am packing the food journal.  Wish me luck.   

Keep up the good work all.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on July 21, 2016, 06:39:12 AM
I should check my weight tomorrow. It's not going to be pretty, I don't think.

188.6.... ugh.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 21, 2016, 06:44:15 AM
Since its vacation, I'd suggest relaxing the rules a teeny bit. Have your carrot cake, but maybe a small slice and nothing else after? Or up your physical activity. I'm outdoorsy and typically am super active on vacation. Last week, I ate whatever I wanted, including 3-4 days of steak (we're steaked out LOL), large ice creams THREE times over the week (not possible to be ice cream-ed out!), ribs, wings, etc. I made sure I did 1.5-2 hrs of physical activity (hiking, canoeing, swimming in the lake, jogging on the beach) most days. I also made sure I pushed myself a bit during these times (helps that I consider it more fun to paddle continuously rather than float lazily). Thankfully, near the end of the week I was so full, I was eating a pear for breakfast (there is such a thing as too much meat!!). Anyway, I did put on a couple of pounds but that melted off 2-3 days later. I had the same thing happen on my last week-long vacation in March.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on July 21, 2016, 01:22:39 PM
I've been plateauing a bit for the last week but now down 67 pounds.  50 more to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on July 22, 2016, 11:32:11 AM
I've been plateauing a bit for the last week but now down 67 pounds.  50 more to go.

Congratulations!!!

I have about 40-50 pounds to lose myself.  I'm trying to do it slow and steady to avoid rebound.

ETA:  JoJo - Can I ask how you accomplished your impressive weight loss?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on July 22, 2016, 11:58:50 AM
I'm on a really strict diet - a major part is avoiding all added sugars.  I think weight loss is 80% what you eat and 20% activity.  My diet is very boring but it works and I usually don't feel hungry or have sugar cravings.

Typical Monday-Friday
Breakfast: big bowl of regular cheerios with almond milk
Lunch: 3 hard boiled eggs (with mustard or a little hot sauce), 2 tablespoons raw flax seeds (eat like nuts), a big baggy of raw vegetables  (carrots, sweet peppers, radish, etc)
Dinner: 300-500 calories with variety - chicken breast, canned tuna or salmon, veggies, hummus, cottage cheese, avocado.  I spice it up with either curry or mexican spices and occasionally a little BBQ sauce (very sparingly as it has lots of sugar which I'm avoiding).
Lots of tea and ice water all day.

Weekends: Try to shoot for 1000 calories a day.  I eat some of the foods listed in dinner above but add a few different foods I only eat on weekends - scrambled eggs with turkey sausage or american cheese, microwave popcorn (occasionally replace dinner with this and have popcorn/movie night), if I'm hiking I have a piece of fruit.  One thing I haven't been able to kick - I do drink diet soda but only on Saturday & Sunday.

As for exercise, I try to do about 4 times a week.  1 day lifting weights (should do 2 but get so bored) and the others are walking, hiking, elliptical.  I've been meaning to get back into classes (yoga, stengthening) which are included in my gym membership.

The key to making 1000 calories a day work is to get enough fat & protein or you will be hungry.  Eggs are my go to food.  I'm so glad there isn't an egg shortage anymore so the price is right too.  Cabbage is another thing I love and is filling and cheap.

Edited to add:  "If you're sick of the yo-yo diet, then try the JoJo Diet!"    < - I need to trademark this!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 22, 2016, 01:07:57 PM
@JoJo Thanks for sharing what you do. Does that mean you are under 1000 calories during the week and at about 1000 calories on the weekend? That is definitely a strict diet!

I was on a 1200 calorie diet (5ft tall woman so that's a typical recommendation) and while it was doable and I did fine on it for months (losing my target 1 lb a week), eventually I needed a break so I switched to maintenance for the summer. 1600-1700 calories a day is so much more relaxing. 1200 cals was doable, but I had to be very vigilant.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 22, 2016, 01:19:38 PM
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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs
July 8, 2016: 133.2 lbs.July 8, 2016: 133.8 lbs...July 17 2016: 133.4 lbs..July 22 2016: 132 lbs

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

So glad I got rid of the extra lb or so that crept on in July! I'm a little high today (yesterday was only 131.2 lbs) because DH and I pigged out of seafood last night for his birthday. Overall, I'm pleased and my weight continues to hold reasonably steady through 2 months of maintenance. This is really helping me gain confidence that I CAN do this for life!

Biking to work has been going very well -I'm really enjoying it! Plus, I'm mastering biking to work in a dress :) Wore a dress twice now and both times went smoothly. Kinda cool to feel feminine on a bike. Plus gives me a very European feel and convenient since I just have to switch to heels upon arrival. I'll be doing this again although for now, I only have the 2 new dresses that are bike-friendly. (yay for thrift stores and yard sales - they were just $2 each!)

I do have to stop clothes shopping though. I've spent the last couple of months shopping for clothes for my new size. I've bought 20+ new-to-me clothes now (maybe more?!) and need to stop. Yes, they were all from thrift stores and yard sales so I've only spent $1-3 each but I'm going down a slippery shopaholic slope. Need to exercise some more Mustachian muscles!

By the way, I've been upping my water intake this week and the side effects suck. I am racing to the bathroom every 30-60 mins! In the past 6 hours I have been in the office, I have downed 6 glasses of water (I keep a 24 oz bottle next to me). I am super thirsty after all the fried seafood I ate last night and today (DH's birthday!) so still need to continue drinking. But my coworkers must think I'm insane with my constant bathroom trips.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on July 22, 2016, 02:05:31 PM
@JoJo Thanks for sharing what you do. Does that mean you are under 1000 calories during the week and at about 1000 calories on the weekend? That is definitely a strict diet!

I was on a 1200 calorie diet (5ft tall woman so that's a typical recommendation) and while it was doable and I did fine on it for months (losing my target 1 lb a week), eventually I needed a break so I switched to maintenance for the summer. 1600-1700 calories a day is so much more relaxing. 1200 cals was doable, but I had to be very vigilant.

It's about 1000 a day every day.  Just different food during the week since I pack in my lunches and a few more "fun" foods on the weekend.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on July 25, 2016, 09:39:31 AM
It's weigh-in day!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/28: 124.4 pounds
- 5/17: 123 pounds
- 5/26: 125.6 pounds
- 6/6: 128.8 pounds
- 6/30: 124 pounds
- 7/15: 126 pounds
- 7/16: 125.2 pounds
- 7/25: 125.8 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds

Needless to say, I'm a bit frustrated. However, I am chalking this bout of stagnancy to TOM, excess sodium, and weekend imbibing (all within calorie limit, though). I suppose I need to start doing actual physical activity? I KNOW that it's not necessary for weight loss per se, but maybe it'll assist in getting that scale going in the right direction. I have a health screening for a discount on my insurance premium in September, and I'd like to at least be back in the normal BMI range by then. Was hoping to be down to 115, but I'm not too optimistic about that right now.

In other news, DH and I made a new financial priority list, and I'm feeling much more confident about our future [we are nowhere close to FIRE, but in more of a hair-on-fire situation]. He FINALLY watched a YNAB webinar with me, and he's started to actually use the app, so that is a HUGE step in the right direction for us. One day, one day ...

How was the weekend for everyone?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on July 25, 2016, 11:21:00 AM

In other news, DH and I made a new financial priority list, and I'm feeling much more confident about our future [we are nowhere close to FIRE, but in more of a hair-on-fire situation]. He FINALLY watched a YNAB webinar with me, and he's started to actually use the app, so that is a HUGE step in the right direction for us. One day, one day ...


Great news! My husband was slow to get on board and still doesn't CARE like I do, but he does like to see the net worth grow (he will log into mint). I recently made a book for him with all the passwords/financial info in it in case I croak or become incapacitated. Other than that, it's pretty much all me in the finance department. He refers to me as the CFO.


My weekend was ok...we went out for Chinese and ice cream. The lunch special pricing was amazing and we made it into 3 meals each, but I still felt like I overate. At least now I feel like I am more attuned to (in tune with? Why am I having word problems?) my body and can tell when I have hit that point (a lot sooner than I used to). Halfway through the ice cream I didn't want it anymore but FINISHED IT ANYWAY because...ice cream! Ugh. Next time (because there will be a next time) I am getting a cup with my cone, and when I have had enough, I will put it in the dish and put it in my freezer for a snack the following day.

Other than that I did ok. I am still using MFP on the 1200 calorie setting, but most days I am exceeding it by about 60-100 calories. I think it is effective for me, as I am still losing, albeit slower than before. For the summer, that seems a fine compromise. I am eating most of what I want, just in smaller portions (except for the ice cream debacle).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 25, 2016, 11:39:25 AM
@microspice if you had excess sodium over the weekend, that can EASILY account for an entire pound or two extra. Keep on with what you're doing and watch those scales...if you've stayed within your calorie limit, its highly likely you will drop a little more in a couple of days (drink LOTS of water to help).

So happy to hear of progress on the financial front :) My own DH has gotten REALLY good at entering stuff on YNAB. Although when I was reconciling accounts last week, he was completely blank about several ATM deposits he had made in June/July. I finally put them in my misc. category with question marks lol. At least it was only a $100+ AND they were deposits rather than the other way around! I'm still terrible at considering the budget as a limiting factor though.

Back to the food side of the equation...my weekend went well. I had Saturday dinner at a friend's which means a lot of food. I was very careful with breakfast and lunch and was able to stay within my plans even with being relaxed about consumption over dinner. Sunday went very well, ate reasonably. And then I consumed an entire bar of dark chocolate (after deciding to eat just one row!). On the good side, I spent hours and hours and hours housecleaning so actually dropped another half a pound this morning.

I liked seeing last week's slightly downward trend and hope I can keep it up this week. I'm not entirely ready to get back into active weight-loss, but I have been pushing myself to work on a slow weight loss. Trendweight says I've been averaging about 0.3lbs loss a week for the past month. I'm thrilled! I'm trying to bump that up to about 0.5 lb a week so we'll see how it goes. I have FIVE pounds to go to have a normal BMI - after all this, I'm STILL overweight :( Oh well, 20 lbs ago, I was obese.

@rockstache It's rather amazing isn't it...how stomache space shrinks? I definitely can't eat the amounts I used to. That said, I do still succumb to temptation TO FINISH IT ANYWAY. That reminds me, I have 3/4 of a key lime pie in the fridge waiting for me. The only reason I have that is because DH and I consumed EIGHT (yes EIGHT) appetizers beforehand for his birthday dinner. It was all seafood (which helped), but the next day both he and I were suffering a little from excessive amounts of fried food.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on July 25, 2016, 11:47:19 AM
@JoJo - Kudos on your discipline and diligence!  1000 calories/day is really strict.

I was able to avoid eating ice cream this weekend even though DH was eating some.  That's a huge accomplishment for me.  A week ago I was having 2 bowls per day on weekends. 

And I too have been feeling full way sooner than I used to.  This weekend I found that my second serving of salad was too much, I was too full to enjoy it.  But I still ate it (both times), funny how we're used to overeating as a default.  It feels nice to know that I can cut back and still feel full and satisfied, not deprived. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on July 25, 2016, 11:57:52 AM
What a week! I feel like it's been a month since I posted an update here. I've been doing quite well in general. Lost 2.5 pounds on Saturday due to dehydration. Spent all day yesterday drinking as much water as I could.


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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
July 25 weight 150.2
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 25, 2016, 02:05:34 PM
@Cookie78 So glad this month has been going well for you :) Was missing you around here!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on July 25, 2016, 04:36:46 PM
@Cookie78 So glad this month has been going well for you :) Was missing you around here!

Thank you! I normally post on the forum at work, and it's been a busy, but wonderfully challenging, month at work learning new things, and I haven't had nearly as much time to spend on the forum.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 25, 2016, 06:39:14 PM
Back from vacation - and eating out all the time.  Never done this type of vacation before - staying in a hotel and eating at restaurants all the time.  So it was so tasty but so not mustachian.  Don't think all the walking will balance the eating.  Thursday weigh in will be here in no time....

Wow to JoJo - you have willpower.
Ender - Hang in there.

Everyone:  it was great to get home from vacation and read all your posts.  You guys keep me motivated.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on July 26, 2016, 09:33:25 AM
Went on a couple long hikes this weekend and the weight is falling off so hit another milestone - 70 lbs lost.

I definitely felt low energy on the second day of hiking.  It's probably not the best. 

Has any read or watched any of the documentaries about gut bacteria?  I've been trying to use some of that in my diet - eating healthy fats, flaxseeds, certain dairy products, and most importantly avoiding sugar.  I'm wondering if this is why my diet is so rev'ed up lately. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Lanthiriel on July 27, 2016, 01:56:48 PM
I looked up this thread again after posting early in the year and making no progress. Some of you are doing AMAZING and are super inspirational.

I got fed up and joined Weight Watchers yesterday, and went to my first meeting. I'm hoping that weekly weigh ins will help me with accountability. I'm also going to refer to WW as "sugar rehab" because, let's be honest, it's basically AA for food addiction. Hello, my name is Lanthiriel, and I am a sugar addict.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dogboyslim on July 27, 2016, 02:02:05 PM
I haven't posted in a long time:

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)
...
7/27: 203.5 (-5, -32.5)

A lot of travel, a lot of running and cycling, a little bit of weights and just trying not to go crazy with the food.  I fell off the food logging while on vacation and haven't picked it back up.  I'm frankly amazed that I didn't shoot up quite a bit.  Still not motivated to record everything, but will keep at the current approach for a while and see what happens.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: pachnik on July 27, 2016, 02:24:49 PM
I looked up this thread again after posting early in the year and making no progress. Some of you are doing AMAZING and are super inspirational.

I got fed up and joined Weight Watchers yesterday, and went to my first meeting. I'm hoping that weekly weigh ins will help me with accountability. I'm also going to refer to WW as "sugar rehab" because, let's be honest, it's basically AA for food addiction. Hello, my name is Lanthiriel, and I am a sugar addict.

Actually, there is an AA for food addiction.  It is called Overeaters Anonymous.  It is a 12-step program for people with various food issues.   
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on July 27, 2016, 05:07:54 PM
I looked up this thread again after posting early in the year and making no progress. Some of you are doing AMAZING and are super inspirational.

I got fed up and joined Weight Watchers yesterday, and went to my first meeting. I'm hoping that weekly weigh ins will help me with accountability. I'm also going to refer to WW as "sugar rehab" because, let's be honest, it's basically AA for food addiction. Hello, my name is Lanthiriel, and I am a sugar addict.

I am totally with you.  I made no progress at all.  Every time I lose a few, I find them again.  Right now too many of my favorite summer foods are out and there is just no use in trying to cut back. I am not giving up though. 

Keep up the good work, everyone.  Love seeing the progress.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 27, 2016, 10:27:39 PM
@Lanthiriel WW is the only program I have seen actually work for people I know. The challenge is when you complete it - did u actually make a permanent change in the way u eat or did u just go on a deprivation diet? Because after the diet is over and u go back to normal eating, the weight can pile back on too easily. I myself used MFP which is similar in that everything is allowed, u are just weighing and counting. I used this group for accountability and the constant checking in made a massive difference for me. I took a maintenance break almost 2 months ago and so happy to report that its gone really well even though I don't log anymore. Yes, I have splurges more often. But I have also gained a taste for lower cal veggie based stuff. And I know what my typical meals should be and try to structure at least half my week that way.

Would like to drop the last 10 pounds but having a hard time convincing myself to be stricter again.

@alleykat it is totally a mind thing. One day, something will click for u and it will be easier. In the meantime, try habit hacking and tiny incremental changes for the better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 28, 2016, 07:16:44 AM
Well, its that TOM - which means I will likely weigh in heavier tomorrow :( At least I know why I've been bloated the last couple of days (well, other than a few more indulgences than usual!). With summer, I have been having more get togethers with bigger meals and a lot more ice cream and birthday cakes. So I have been trying super hard to keep my regular meals lighter and more veggie based to balance it out. Pretty much had to cut out my afternoon snacks.

e.g. this week:
Monday - lighter, more veggie based food
Tuesday - out for lunch with a friend (sigh) and then dinner and bday cake for my daughter's birthday
Wednesday - one apple for breakfast (on purpose lol) followed by free work lunch, work birthday cake & ice cream, veggie dinner, then ice cream (again!)
Thursday - normal breakfast, chicken salad for lunch, and veggie dinner (hopefully today works out to about a 1000 cal day)
Friday - light breakfast (100 cals), chicken salad lunch, and then I expect to eat a lot at a potluck dinner
Saturday - light meals again

I think this will balance out my week and I will stay in maintenance, even with all the crazy social eating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 28, 2016, 08:20:51 AM
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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0
7/7 – 125.5
7/14 –  127
7/21 -126 – ok
July 28, 2016 – 128– hmmmm  I think I need a new scale!

Goal : 120 lbs.
I got complacent.  I must get my food journal out and start recording again.  Losing the first 10 pounds was so surprisingly easy that I guess I thought the rest should just come off as easily.  But the soft drinks and ice cream and cake and chocolate and potato chips are getting into me at an alarmingly frequent rate.  So back to the drawing board.  I have lost the pudginess on my face but the belly area is still there. I don`t like the belly!  I think the change in my work life has kind of sabotaged me.  It is hard to come home after a long day off site and it is so hot and make a nutritious meal.  It is hard to bring a lunch from home and find a place to eat it.  And then on the train home I am starving so I have been snacking and then eating what DH has made for dinner too.  He is not a good cook and supper if very unappealing.  I need to figure out a way to get around this.  (mostly this involves stopping being so lazy)
Keep up the posting guys- you really do help me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on July 28, 2016, 11:33:14 AM
I got rid of my scale a few months back because I tend to get too obsessive with it if I have it around.  So now I'm focusing on how I feel, look, and how much muscle I'm building.

I've also been slowly reducing my carb intake and that's been helping a lot.  These last couple of days have been challenging in terms of wanting to eat sugar and junk but I've white-knuckled through it and finally feel like I'm back to my normal self.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on July 28, 2016, 08:28:40 PM
Cookie78, I am dealing with the same issues right now.   I am putting the weight loss on hold while I sort through a couple things.  It's enough (for me) to yoyo, as you say, in a 3-4 pound range.  I consider this holding steady, since the body likes to hold on to or release water weight on it's own schedule.  Just so long as it does not go up more than that!  And that I see the lower numbers occasionally too (I weigh daily).

Well wouldn't you know.  On the day I'd posted this (1 1/2 weeks ago), I was hovering at about 5 pounds lost.  And it was the last time I saw that number on the scale.  I am now hovering around 7 pounds lost, and I have seen the number for 8 pounds lost on the scale twice within the last three days.  I feel safe to say that the first 6 pounds are gone for good, and if things keep going like this, then probably another one is ready to drop too.  Not the fastest, but I think it will stick.

I've stopped writing down my food, just recording weight (almost) daily.  It's remained a pretty good motivator.  I am of course still making careful, healthy choices as much as possible, though not all the time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on July 29, 2016, 01:46:01 PM
It seems like everybody is starting to hit a groove: we know how to do this and what we have to do to accomplish our goals, we just have to actually do it!

Happy to say that I'm down a pound, but we'll see what the official number is on weigh-in day, Monday. We don't have any plans for the weekend (aside from me going to a movie with some girlfriends tonight - both calories and $$ are already budgeted!). We'll be cleaning out the garage, finding stuff to sell, and getting our camping gear ready for a trip at the end of August.

I feel like I'm looking better. I am STILL not losing weight in my face. It's so weird, most people report that's the first place they lose or where it's most noticeable, but not in my case. Just have a cherubic look, I suppose. :-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 30, 2016, 11:41:14 PM
@Microspice I have been finding that it takes a few weeks before I really see the difference. I agree - its all a little weird sometimes though.

I lost the bulk of my weight (18/19lbs) from Jan to March. In March, ot was only slightly noticeable. From March to now, I've only lost another 3-4 lbs or so. THIS is the loss ppl have noticed. In particular, the last pound or two have been more dramatic (and I see it too). Maybe it took a while for my brain to catch up and I carry myself differently? Also I personally think all the new clothes I bought helped since they fit better.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on August 01, 2016, 08:27:45 AM
Back down below 150... Just in time for vacation. Lol. This vacation involves a 3-4 day canoe trip, so hopefully I'll get enough exercise to offset any bad vacation eating habits.

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
July 25 weight 150.2
Aug 1 weight 148.8
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: MicroSpice on August 01, 2016, 03:38:22 PM
Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/25: 123.6 pounds
- 4/28: 124.4 pounds
- 5/17: 123 pounds
- 5/26: 125.6 pounds
- 6/6: 128.8 pounds
- 6/30: 124 pounds
- 7/15: 126 pounds
- 7/16: 125.2 pounds
- 7/25: 125.8 pounds
- 8/1: 124.8 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds

FINALLY going in the right direction, it would appear. Even after a weekend of debauchery. But, back on track today, with my Greek yogurt breakfast and chicken/feta/strawberry salad for lunch.

It's crazy how gaining or losing discipline in one area of your life has a domino effect on the rest of it. I'm getting more done at work these days, I'm reading more books, our spending is getting reined in, I'm purging the house of excess, and dare I say it, but I feel like I'm starting to find some balance in my life, after what has been a really, really rough couple of years. And I am attributing that, in part, to gaining some discipline over what I do and put in to my body.

I've said it before, but I am really grateful y'all are posting your successes and struggles on this thread. It makes me feel less alone and more empowered, and I just can't thank you enough for sharing your experiences in what is typically an emotionally charged and stressful trek.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 02, 2016, 07:57:39 AM
I haven`t gotten the journal back out yet but I started to get back into the groove by declining cokes and ice cream on the many occasions that they were on offer.  We worked like dogs this whole long weekend on our house.  A number of jobs got done and we are one step closer to having the kitchen finished.  A big small job - fixing the hole in the ceiling where we relocated the light from and to got about six coats of mud (by me) and sanded and then cleaned up (also by me) so I could move back into the kitchen for the week.  There won`t be a light attached for a while while the dining room wall drywall catches up to needing primer and paint.  Seems silly to open two cans of paint for two square feet.  We are still debating the island so in the mean time I put the bbq cart into the kitchen and slim by designed it by putting the fruit bowl on it.  All the snacks are hidden except for fruit.
I know I haven`t lost any weight in the last three and a half weeks.  I think I have lost some of the resolve that I had back in April.  I fear I am in this complacent place again.  I don`t want to be singularly focused and be an annoying person at lunch but I also would like to get to my goal weight. Just not sure that I have the burning desire that I have when I stepped on the scale on my daughters birthday back in April. I am starting to understand those of you who are also tantalizingly close to your goal a little better about the maintenance.  While I am only about 8 pounds from my goal - that is also 40% of what I thought I needed to lose when I started this whole thing.  Maybe I need to shift my observation point.  I weighed about 108 pounds at 30 and 112 at 34 - four months after my first was born so my goal of 120 pounds was maybe not trim enough.  After number two child - I never got back to even 124 pounds.  Maybe I have fixated on the wrong thing - the number and should shift focus to physical ability.  Thursday is weigh in day and I will be thinking about this as that day approaches.
Bravo to those who continue to make progress. 
Happy to read about others who are struggling and persevering and sharing.  You also help me understand my own journey on this thread.  Please keep posting - I gain personal insight from your stories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on August 02, 2016, 09:20:26 AM


January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2

This was a really hard weekend. When I got home from work on Friday, my elderly relative had fallen and although not seriously injured, had to spend the whole weekend in the ER/hospital. I was there almost the entire time because she really can't understand the medical terminology anymore, and doesn't hear too well either. I tried to curb my eating, but it just wasn't entirely possible (and my willpower was lacking too), so I was glad to see that my weight only bumped up by a bit. She's home now and I am back on track.

I feel like I am at the point now where I can have a bad week/weekend/few days and just get over it. It's a mindset change, and it feels really good.

@microspice +1 this thread helps me SO much! I love reading about everyone's journeys.

@Frugal Lizard a few people here have seemed to have success by shifting their focus. The weight loss is good, but changing how you carry the weight can help even more, depending on your body type. This might be a great time to shift to a fitness goal rather than a number.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 02, 2016, 09:29:35 AM
I've continued to lose an average of 1/2 pound a day and as of this morning show 74 lbs lost!  Sometimes I plateau for 2-3 days but then I'll lose 1-2 lbs in the couple days after.   Did a 10 mile hike last Saturday and felt great.  Hoping to do 2 hikes this coming weekend. 
Yesterday I pulled a dress out of the closet that still had tags on it and it fit great so I wore it to work!  Also trying to lose a couple more lbs before I meet an old friend on Aug 14th on an upcoming business trip.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on August 02, 2016, 07:25:01 PM
I feel like I am at the point now where I can have a bad week/weekend/few days and just get over it. It's a mindset change, and it feels really good.

I sort of feel like that too. It's been a bumpy few weeks; I keep throwing my back out and then hobbling around for a few days, which leads to stress eating and also reduced exercise for a while. My numbers are up, and this week isn't shaping up to be any better. It's frustrating.

But I know I have to have patience and let myself go through this bumpy few weeks, put the brakes on where I can, accept it when I just can't. I'm in it for the long haul of years and decades, so a week here and there is no big deal. I'm eating more than I'd like, but the gains have been small, and I don't think they'll be hard to lose when my back has recovered.

Still annoying, though.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 03, 2016, 08:19:12 AM
I got back from my long weekend camping trip on Monday and am pleased to report that I LOST weight. My diet included ice cream, butter tarts, a couple of bags of cheesies, handfuls of M&Ms, etc etc. BUT...I made sure I got at least a 1-1.5hr hike in each day and my meals were rather light (although I did eat my fill of ribs one night!). Still, one lunch was a single veggie patty and another lunch was an avocado and 2 hard boiled eggs. I have to say I am rather surprised since I usually see a small bump in water weight after a trip but even with all my indulgences, I guess I managed to keep my sodium intake reasonable. 

Also, yesterday I ate a cheesecake (440 cals) AND a large scoop ice cream in a yummy waffle cone (650 cals? OUCH - it was THAT bad?!). But kept my weight steady. Breakfast was my yogurt and granola (250 cals), lunch was 2 spinach cakes (150 cals - I did forget to eat my apple and chickpeas after that), and dinner was a chicken and rice soup (200-300 cals maybe?). I didn't plan such low cal meals...but I guess it worked out as I ended up eating only about 1800 cals all day (my maintenance is about 1700-1800 since I am so short). The desserts filled me up so I wasn't too hungry plus I was too busy and kept forgetting to eat my planned sides. Interesting because I felt like yesterday was an indulgent day.

@Cookie78 Concentrate on making sure you burn plenty of calories paddling and that should offset any extra eating you do. Usually on trips like that, I just make sure I do plenty of physical activity (squeezing some extra in whenever possible) and I'm just fine. As it is, I was on the lazier side with last weekend's camping trip as usually I manage about 3 hours of physical activity. (Helps that I LOVE hiking, canoeing, swimming, etc and happily do it for hours). Do tell us more about your canoe trip - are you canoe camping too? I keep thinking of doing something like that but really, really hate portaging (and so do all my canoe companions) and just don't have the right lightweight gear.

@Frugal Lizard It's interesting how you feel at different parts of the journey. A few months ago, I wouldn't even be able to imagine switching to maintenance just FOUR pounds from my goal. After all, how hard is it to muscle through? As it turned out, I did need that mental break and the past 2 months of maintenance has given me a lot of confidence. I'm only 1.5 pounds from my goal now and am hopeful I will (very very slowly) lose that by the end of August. I'd love to drop another 5-10 more pounds after that but still don't know when I'll be ready to be more focused and increase my deficit.

@rockstache @RedmondStash I totally agree about the mindset change. It's GOOD not to feel defeated after a small setback. To know that small blips in the journey will come but that the long haul can still look good. And @microspice is so right - this group and being able to read as everyone shares honestly about their journeys - oh boy, it helps SO much!

I just spent the weekend with a good friend who was the first among our group to lose some serious weight. He used Weight Watchers and went on a rather extreme diet (1200 -1500 cals for a big and tall man) and lost the weight very quickly. He then quickly picked up all kinds of sports including cycling and running (we both started long distance cycling together). It's been about 5-6 years now. Last year, I could see about 10-20 pounds creep back on. This year, there has to be at least 20-30 more pounds back on him. I know its his eating habits. He was involved in so many endurance sports for the first 5 years that even as his old eating habits started to return, he was still able to stay trim. He hasn't been running/cycling much for the past year and with his eating getting worse, its coming back. He told me he has started cycling a couple of times a week again so we'll see. Based on what I see of his mindset, I have a strong feeling that he is going to be part of those statistics that say the majority of ppl who lose weight typically gain it back within 5 years.  I hope he is able to reverse this - but it's hard to say. It's rather heartbreaking since his weight loss changed him rather dramatically (in a rather negative way). He started hanging out with a different crowd, started drinking more and partying more...and eventually left his wife of 20 years. Both my DH and I have complained that he isn't as much fun to hang out with as he likes different things now. If he puts all the weight back on, will his new friends and new girlfriend still be around?

It also makes me concerned about long-term maintenance. I naively thought that if you successfully kept the weight off for 2-3 years, that was it - you were set for the rest of your life. I'm starting to realize that this is not the case and this is something that will require vigilance...forever.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on August 03, 2016, 03:54:37 PM
@Cookie78 Concentrate on making sure you burn plenty of calories paddling and that should offset any extra eating you do. Usually on trips like that, I just make sure I do plenty of physical activity (squeezing some extra in whenever possible) and I'm just fine. As it is, I was on the lazier side with last weekend's camping trip as usually I manage about 3 hours of physical activity. (Helps that I LOVE hiking, canoeing, swimming, etc and happily do it for hours). Do tell us more about your canoe trip - are you canoe camping too? I keep thinking of doing something like that but really, really hate portaging (and so do all my canoe companions) and just don't have the right lightweight gear.

I'll do my best! I hope to have enough time for hiking and exploring along the way too. Also, I'm bringing lots of fresh veggies and prepared at home before-hand foods, including pumpkin cookies! But the cookies are homemade and have half the sugar the recipe called for. Are there any good healthy filling campfire recipes anyone wishes to share??

We (My father, my dog, and I in 2 canoes) will be camping along the way. I've never done a multi day canoe trip before, but I'm super excited about it. There will be no portaging, and I also do not have the lightweight gear... yet. We will be going from Hudson's Hope, BC to a few miles past Dunvegan, AB where my family's homestead is. It should be 3-4 days depending on weather and exploring/hiking breaks.

In 2 years I plan to start an expedition by canoe from Hudson's Hope to Inuvik, but they are currently building a dam which will flood a portion of the valley near the start point, so I thought I'd better get on it and do the first leg ASAP before they stop letting boats through. Also it'll give me a good idea as to how much I enjoy or don't enjoy canoe camping!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 03, 2016, 09:21:31 PM
@cookie78 That's so awesome!!! As for recipes, I've fallen in love with roasting veggies over the fire. Just cut up a bunch of veggies (I usually do carrots, zucchini, peppers, eggplant, and mushrooms) and put them into a ziploc bag. Then add olive oil, herbs, and maybe worcestershire  sauce or salt (I used liquid aminos). It will keep for a few days in a cooler. Wrap in tin foil and toss in the fire for about 20 mins.

I also love roasted sweet potatoes - if u leave then for hours, they caramelize into deliciousness.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 03, 2016, 10:42:11 PM
I am the latest-ever arrival to a New Year's Party!

But, I'm in. Here's what I just posted elsewhere:

I don't have a scale, but I "feel like" I'm probably 20-30 lbs over my preferred size. It snuck up on me just the last three months. I know because in my journal I mentioned my body changing shape from swimming—it was "just right" to me—and suddenly the last while I gained until I (i) could feel fat reach out from my waist to try grabbing my arms!, and (ii) when I'm lying on my side, my legs look oddly fat to me. I'm not sure what happened: the month of travelling vs swimming? eating all those cookies at my mum's house?

I still don't "feel fat" or feel like I "look fat" but I'm not willing for this creep to continue.

So, today I joined Weight Watchers! I like how one of their approaches jibes perfectly with my optimal eating, and I feel I really need a "club" and mentor and live buddies to happily stay on track. We have no OA, etc, so it's WW. [I understand TOPS to be similar but much cheaper, but WW was 50% today.]

Being in this thread should enhance that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on August 04, 2016, 02:03:00 AM
I've continued to lose an average of 1/2 pound a day and as of this morning show 74 lbs lost!  Sometimes I plateau for 2-3 days but then I'll lose 1-2 lbs in the couple days after.   Did a 10 mile hike last Saturday and felt great.  Hoping to do 2 hikes this coming weekend. 
Yesterday I pulled a dress out of the closet that still had tags on it and it fit great so I wore it to work!  Also trying to lose a couple more lbs before I meet an old friend on Aug 14th on an upcoming business trip.

Ok that is staggeringly good work.... well done!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 04, 2016, 08:47:15 AM
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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0
7/7 – 125.5
7/14 –  127
7/21 -126 – ok
7/28 – 127.5 – hmmmm  I think I need a new scale!
8/4 – 128.  – knew this was coming.
Goal : 120 lbs

Next week is the final blitz on the renos, well at least the super dusty parts of it.  Then I can start to clean and find all the stuff that got packed away.  I can set up for hyper vigilant tracking.  And cooking won’t be such a pain – i.e. I won’t have to remove a coating of dust off everything before I use it.  Also working like a crazy person trying to get a job done and then having to switch gears to cook is just not working all that well.
I am eating way too much cheese.  I love fresh tomatoes and cheese salad and just about any other kind of tomato and cheese combination.  I am having trouble with breakfasts these days and then last night I had a second supper at 9pm.  Also the kids are at home and eating constantly in front of me.  I can’t seem to keep the fridge stocked with healthy food. And just noticed that the weight loss program fell off the rails around the time the kids started summer vacation….hmmm
It was so hot last night that I just sat in my lawn chair and watched my son play soccer instead of doing my laps around the park. 
End of whining-and-excuses.  Here is my plan for the next week:  Going to try and hold steady for the next two weeks just to get through this warm spell and final stretch of the mess.  Must do the grocery shopping so that the fridge is well stocked and adjusted for teenager eating habits.  Will go swimming with the kids to get some exercise at least three times. Will get the drywall compound done in the dining room so that my major dust generating activities are finished.  Will figure out a way to keep the dust out of the cupboards when DH is sanding the frames or plead with him to hand sand.

@scrubbyfish - thanks for dropping in - this type of party can always stand a re-invigoration
@elaine amj - hope your friend is able to find a way to his true self.  It is really hard to watch someone you care for make choices you wouldn't wish for them.
@rockstache - I think you are right.  I need to find a way to improve my fitness and add in more exercise to my lifestyle and changing the giggly bits to firmer muscle would be fab.  I feel a little overwhelmed with all the changes that are going on at the moment. I am trying to improve in too many areas - renos, paid work, clutter, food, finances. and just not doing one damn area all that well.  So hopefully over the next week I can start to get a sense of the critical path through all this busyness and clarify my purpose.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on August 04, 2016, 09:15:19 AM
@cookie78 That's so awesome!!! As for recipes, I've fallen in love with roasting veggies over the fire. Just cut up a bunch of veggies (I usually do carrots, zucchini, peppers, eggplant, and mushrooms) and put them into a ziploc bag. Then add olive oil, herbs, and maybe worcestershire  sauce or salt (I used liquid aminos). It will keep for a few days in a cooler. Wrap in tin foil and toss in the fire for about 20 mins.

I also love roasted sweet potatoes - if u leave then for hours, they caramelize into deliciousness.


Sounds delicious! And I have SO MANY zucchinis (I grated up 3 zucchinis last night to freeze and it came out to 30 cups of grated zucchini! My dad said not to bring any veggies because his garden is overflowing and we can raid it before we leave. But I picked a big spaghetti squash and googled how to cook it on a campfire, and will bring a big zucchini too. Also I made some meatballs from ground moose a couple weeks ago and froze them, and still have lots of frozen tomato sauce from last fall. I think those should be really easy to heat up on the fire and should be delicious with the spaghetti squash.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 04, 2016, 09:42:19 AM
@scrubbyfish The group support really does help so very much. Good for you for catching yourself before the creep gets too far. I still kick myself sometimes for letting myself go as badly as I did. I look at my photos from last December (VERY few exist) and they are dreadful. My daughter and coworkers say they don't remember me being too bad, but the photographic evidence is terrible. I must have added 5-10 pounds in the last half of 2015 alone. My photos from the first half of the year wasn't that bad.

So...I have been doing well on maintenance. But I would really like to drop some more. My problem now are treats. Since I loosened up, I have been eating a few too many treats. Desserts, ice cream, cheesies. I have no interest in cutting them out....but reducing the number of treats is a good first step - even just from a general health perspective. I really should get more nutrition into me. I did well yesterday, even though I was hit by a few strong cravings. I didn't end up having anything other than my basic meals - yogurt & granola bfast, chicken cranberry salad for lunch, and a delish tofu and veggie curry for dinner. I am thinking about going out for lunch just to see a close friend, but I brought frozen spinach cakes (quick & easy stuff from Costco) and some seaweed salad for lunch. Tonight is a basil tofu stirfry and a pork and cabbage omelette.

@Frugal lizard sometimes when you have so much on the go, it is SO easy to just let stuff slide. Sounds like too much cooking is not a good idea right now. What about sitting down and meal planning for a week, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's a lot - but then you'd be set. Write it all out and stick it on your fridge so you don't start putting your energy into changing things around. Plan easy, quick to fix, yet healthy meals.  Since you love tomato and cheese combos, plan them in ways that are yummy but don't use too much cheese. e.g. very easy to overdose on a tomato and cheese salad. But if you make a tomato and cheese sandwich/wrap, you don't have so much room for the cheese. Or make your salad, put a small amount of measured out cheese, then PUT THE CHEESE AWAY and fill out the salad with other veggies.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 04, 2016, 09:49:56 AM
@elaine - you are so right.  Invest 15 minutes in menu planning before I go to the grocery store.  I also realized that I should do some cooking first thing in the morning before it gets hot and before I am dusty and exhausted and starving. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 05, 2016, 02:34:46 PM
I'm forgetting my Friday weigh-ins. Time to catch up.

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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs
July 1 2016: 133.2 lbs.July 8 2016: 133.8 lbs...July 17 2016: 133.4 lbs..July 22 2016: 132 lbs....July 29 2016:132.4 lbs
Aug 5 2016: 132.2 lbs

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

I was hoping I was firmly in the 131s and that I would be able to report the 130s this week, but the last couple of days I have been back to the 132s. Oh well, there's always the week ahead.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: senorpanqueque on August 05, 2016, 08:47:00 PM
I jogged to my parents' house on Friday to use their scale.. was pleasantly surprised to see my weight at 188.. breaking the 190 mark for the first time in a long time. How much of that weight loss was due to water weight lost, I'm not really sure.

Spring sports start for me this week, so hopefully that will help continue towards my goal - going to try to jog to my sports events wherever it is feasible as well.

I love watching sports, especially this time of year - baseball, NHL playoffs, NBA playoffs, so rather than sitting on my butt for 4 hours, I've started trying to stand for the majority of the game, and do some movement as well - doing dances for goals, pushups during breaks, etc. It kind of makes the games more exciting!

Congrats to everyone on their continued success - keep pushing!

Weighed in at 183.6 this morning from a starting weight of 208ish on March 6th or so.

So I guess that's the 25 lb. milestone!

I should say that some of that drop may just be water-weight. I put in about 20km or so combined of running, walking, jogging, so I was sweating pretty hard. We'll see if I can maintain it through a weekend that will start with Chicken Korma and beer..

It's been a while since I've updated.. sorry about that. My weight has been ebbing and flowing for the past 6 weeks or so. You know.. summer. Week at the cottage, wedding weekends, etc. Making sure to stay active and at least eat healthier than summers before. The lowest I have reached is 173 I believe, and am currently sitting at 175. Well I was this morning.. but lunch with the boss, on my 4th beer right now.. perhaps a little higher. Anyways, I find my unhealthy weekends pose as just water weight these days. As long as I get back to a good routine during the week, I can get back down fairly easily.

Obviously it's been a lot easier to maintain than it was to lose. I don't know if I'm satisfied with my weight (I think I'm on the higher end of normal in terms of BMI), but wouldn't mind getting rid of some more "gut". May introduce some weights in the fall to hopefully aid with that.Have had to spend some money on new clothes which is awesome and terrible at the same time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 07, 2016, 10:08:14 AM
I'm in shock. Have been eating large-ish meals for the last couple of days (last night I was telling myself I need to quit eating the meals I cook for my kids and cook more veggie meals for DH and I) - I thought my scale would for sure show a gain. Instead...this morning, I dropped down to 130.8 lbs (from 132.2 lbs on Friday). I am hosting a dinner at my house tonight and will do my best to be reasonable. Part of my menu will be my favourite zoodles so will fill up on that and less on the other stuff I am cooking. I did skip breakfast and only had a 300+cal lunch. I can easily eat a large 1000 calorie dinner and still be in a deficit :)

Was also nice to wake up to a compliment on a recent photo I posted on Facebook.

@senorpanqueque That's so awesome that you are finding it easy to switch back to your regular routine on weekdays and relax more on weekends. And that maintenance has been proving to be relatively easy. That means you have made a change to your habit that works and is much more likely to stick in the long term!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 07, 2016, 10:42:25 AM
I'm on Day 4 of Weight Watchers. It pushes me to eat only my optimal foods (which triggers a clear head and big happiness), and more frequently, and to ensure sheer volume daily.

I'm noticing my triggers: every time my internet cuts out, when the AirBnBers start up with big noise.

Feeling GREAT.

On the one hand, I'll be surprised if anything shifts this week as I'm newly eating several cups of fruit each day. On the other, I realize the weekly weigh-in will likely show progress in any case—because my first weigh was pre-period, which always adds a few for me, ha!

Loving it. Very grateful.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on August 07, 2016, 11:33:25 PM
I was shocked to see a photo of myself at a wedding yesterday - I look a lot different with 48 pounds gone (took a year). Still a ways to go, but happy and surprised by my progress...its definitely a journey, not a race.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on August 08, 2016, 07:27:36 AM
I was shocked to see a photo of myself at a wedding yesterday - I look a lot different with 48 pounds gone (took a year). Still a ways to go, but happy and surprised by my progress...its definitely a journey, not a race.

I think I need to keep this in mind more.

Summer is really rough for me weightwise as we travel and I tend to eat more. Weddings, being with family, none of these are really good for eating less or healthy.

I'm probably back to where I started for this race journey which is really frustrating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 08, 2016, 08:42:57 AM
Bravo 1967mama - well done.

I made it through the weekend ok - did a menu plan and spend a good amount at the bbq so this week is solidly prepared for healthy eating.  Too much good food available at this time of year and I just want to eat and eat and eat!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 08, 2016, 08:56:39 AM
Sounds like everyone is having a good week.  I ate really well all week and got moderate exercise, yet I seemed to gain and lose the same one pound all week.  I hate plateaus.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 08, 2016, 12:40:11 PM
@scrubbyfish Glad to hear WW is working well for you. More nutrition is always a great thing for your body!

@1967mama Its amazing to see those photos isn't it? I recently hunted for a photo of myself from Dec 2015 (started this Jan 2016) and got a shock at just how bad things were getting. My daughter said I wasn't that bad, but we dug through and found photo after photo proving the point. Eeek.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on August 08, 2016, 11:36:28 PM
Thanks for the kind words here ... it was incredibly motivating to have seen that picture .. I ate reallllllly well today :-)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lordmetroid on August 09, 2016, 04:12:18 AM
I have been eating according to LCHF. Id est removing all carbohydrate and processed foods in favor of green vegetables and more fatty sauces and butter. Works great and I lost 1/3 of my body weight. The only hardship you will have is the first month when the body transitions from burning carbohydrates to fat as its regular fuel. However as long as you cook a meal when you are feeling hungry you should be okay.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Irishtache on August 09, 2016, 05:25:13 AM
Hi. Very late to this thread. Impending(within 2 weeks) need to get into a suit I bought >2yrs ago means I started the 'Mayo Clinic Diet' last Thursday. I know it is not connected to the actual Mayo Clinic, it is really a variation of the Hollywood/Grapefruit Diet. But it is really an egg diet. Eggs for both breakfast and lunch some days, lean meats, salads(dry) and fruit. No dairy, very little carb, i.e. 2 slices of toast in a week. Obviously, no alcohol or treats of any kind. For me, it is difficult to give up my favourite, homemade granola, potato chips and peanuts and, of course, chocolate/biscuits/bread and all that goes on it plus a nightly 2x bourbons. We both started it Thursday, by Friday night I had bad diarrohea. On Saturday night, we reviewed the plan and DW was bored with all the eggs and no cooking challenge. I was feeling unwell and beginning to hate eggs and not looking forward to more filet steak(which I love). So, having googled the plan again and decided it was simply a very low carb diet, we decided to vary it slightly. From last Sunday, I(DW does not eat cereal or use milk so eats an egg instead) eat:
    Breakfast: granola, natural yogurt, fresh fruit incl. grapefruit and tea for breakfast(some milk in the granola and
    tea.)
    Mid morning piece of fruit.
    Lunch(I can go home for lunch), and egg or two, e.g.a spinach omelette, chicken sald etc, tea.
    Afternoon: a piece of fruit at work
    Dinner: lean meat/salmon plus lots of veg. Normally, I would profess to hate broccoli and cabbage but I lap them
    up as if they were candy. I confess to drinking a diet cola with dinner.

I weighed on Friday night(before the scoots attack) and was shocked to hit 336lb. I was expecting 310-320. I am 55, sedentary occupation and have not been exercising much over the past 2 years. I am in fair health for my age but am on BP meds and a small statin dose.

I have moved the belt in a notch this week so I regard that as progress. The scales sometimes refuse to weigh me so can't weigh regularly. I find I don't miss the treats or alcohol as much as I thought I would. I think much of it is habit; just get up an get chips/nuts or biscuits if the notion strikes. It is hard to eat the last meal of the day and realise it will be 12 hours or more before I eat again. But it is doable and I am sticking with it. Hoping to start walking for exercise in the evenings.

That's it. Hope to be a worthy member of this thread and am inspired by the great and inspirational progress here. IT
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 09, 2016, 07:30:02 AM
Welcome Irishtache! It's good to get a wake-up call, isn't it?

I hear ya about getting bored when eating the same thing. One year I tried some soup diet and while I liked the soup, by Day 4 it got super gross. Plus, in previous attempts, I always yo-yo'ed back up again. This time around, I decided to go only with foods I find enjoyable and to take my weight loss slow and steady. I stabilized and adjusted my math (I counted calories and used MyFitnessPal to log) so that I lost 1 lb a week. It was really satisfying to see the numbers more or less line up with my expectations. I lost over 20 lbs. I'm 2 months into my maintenance break and its been going really well - giving me confidence that I can do this for a lifetime. Trying to get myself into the right mental state to lose the last 10 lbs.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on August 09, 2016, 08:01:07 AM
Been about a month since I checked in.

Still maintaining but am preparing for crazy eating ahead. We're closing on a new house in the next month which means packing up everything we own and general craziness and easy food choices (which can be less healthy for me).

So fun to be reading all the successes of people who have been on this thread for a while - Go elaine amj! - and the new people too.

I suspect I'll be checking in more frequently in the coming weeks to keep myself in check.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 09, 2016, 09:29:50 AM
Welcome Irishtache!  Your diet plan looks pretty good.  If there is one thing you could change - consider cutting out the granola.  It's so high in sugar and sugar can cause you to crave other things.  If you really want cereal, Cheerios is better as the sugar is very low. 


Update for me - somehow I gained a pound in the last couple days despite sticking to the diet - so that officially puts my plateau at 8 days :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Irishtache on August 09, 2016, 09:36:47 AM
If there is one thing you could change - consider cutting out the granola.  It's so high in sugar and sugar can cause you to crave other things.  If you really want cereal, Cheerios is better as the sugar is very low. 

Thanks JoJo. To be clear, my wife makes the granola and uses some honey and coconut flakes to add sweetness. We don't think it's too sugary but I will quiz her tonight as another batch is due this week. Hope the plateau gives way to rolling hillside soon!

IT
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on August 09, 2016, 10:49:56 AM
I couldn't even say the last time I posted here, but I think I'm back on track. I'm on a boring+fruit diet.

Breakfast is oatmeal with banana, blueberries, cinnamon. Lunch is probably some stew over rice. Same for dinner (but a different stew.) Last week I fell off pretty bad because I found myself super hungry at bedtime to the point where it took me three hours to fall asleep. I then proceeded to buy some unhealthy convenience  foods, and then to eat all of those things at shocking rates.

Anyway, I decided that rice is my fallback. I have a good assortment of hot sauces to make it more interesting.

Also, I have tea and water and fruits for whenever I want them. I normally get tired of eating fruit before it becomes a problem for me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 09, 2016, 12:41:00 PM
@Starbright Glad maintenance is going so well! Hoping all good things for you during your upcoming move.On the good side, you'll be burning lots of calories just packing and unpacking!

@yuka So very good to see you check in :) Still so grateful to you for starting this thread.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: syracusefan on August 10, 2016, 11:58:50 AM
Start of 2016: 240.1
Current weight: 209.5
Goal weight: 200

I'm a 6'2 male.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 10, 2016, 12:26:58 PM
Cool, syracusefan!!! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: syracusefan on August 10, 2016, 12:42:29 PM
Cool, syracusefan!!! :)

Thanks! Next goal is to get my finances in line :) Hence why i joined this forum...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Irishtache on August 11, 2016, 03:34:01 AM
Start of 2016: 240.1
Current weight: 209.5
Goal weight: 200

I'm a 6'2 male.

Well done Syracuse. Would you share details of your regime?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 11, 2016, 10:10:59 AM
@syracusefan Congrats!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 13, 2016, 10:01:51 PM
Finally broke the plateau and dropped 2 pounds in the last 2 days.  So, now I'm down 77 for the year.  I'm off on a business trip for the next 4 days that involves eating out, hotel breakfast buffets, and a couple happy hours so I hope they don't come back on.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 15, 2016, 09:17:26 AM
After camping all weekend and eating nonstop, I clocked in this morning over FOUR pounds heavier than Friday. Not possible even though I did eat a lot of cheesies and ice cream so I know a lot of it is just water weight/bloating.

I did my best to stay active over the weekend although this time round it was a little more challenging. We camped with friends who are pretty sedentary. It sure gave a different vibe to everything. I fit in physical activity wherever I could - swam in the lake with the kids, went on a couple of hikes, slogged through deep sand when the water was too cold to swim (which warmed me enough that I braved a 15 min swim in the chilly lake). A couple of my friends joined me for my morning hike...which turned it into a morning stroll. Still, I was enjoying the beautiful morning outdoors and I was MOVING. I did head off on my own for a vigorous hike later after everyone went home though...being outdoors makes me itch to be active.

Trying to eat really lightly today (I packed an apple for breakfast and an avocado and orange for lunch) to make up for the weekend...AND because I have a work dinner tonight with sliders and pizza that i want to relax and enjoy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 15, 2016, 09:45:10 AM
I have no idea if I'm releasing any weight (no scale at home, weigh only once weekly at meetings), but boy do I feel better with this food! Strong overlaps with paleo, Whole30, etc. I'm realizing it would be harder for people used to more starches and/or processed foods, because of the learning curve, cravings, trying to fill up and feel good on the chemical foods WW sells, etc. I completed all of that aspect some years ago, so this time I have very few changes in ingredients or prep and am only learning about portion sizes, which I'm getting a real kick out of. All whole foods, all the time, but two tablespoons of peanut butter vs 1/3 cup nuts + a host of other big foods at the same sitting. I've felt hungry only once in 11 days. Love it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Irishtache on August 16, 2016, 09:29:35 AM
Hi all. One week check in.

We have stayed on diet all week. We eased up at the weekend and had a few potatoes and some alcohol. Regrettably, the scales refuse to say anything other than 'Err' so, although I know I have lost weight, I don't know how much. Belt is on last but one hole and I am afraid to try on the suit but feel I may have to do so tonight. A bout of sciatica has meant I can do no exercise except mowing yesterday and later today, but it feels much better today. Plan to keep the regime going after the wedding on Friday and anniversary celebration next week. IT
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on August 16, 2016, 10:23:46 AM
I've been pretty stagnant at this weight for the last couple of weeks. We are planning an alcohol free September, mostly for weight loss on my side, but also to kick off the school year (both going back for Master's) feeling refreshed and getting better sleep. Hopefully I can drop a pound or two as a side effect of that. Otherwise things are pretty boring, just chugging along.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 16, 2016, 02:55:19 PM
@scrubbyfish So glad things are going so well with WW! It's so true that everything is about those portion sizes!

@Iristache Patience...the day is coming!

@rockstache It does feel like same old, same old, right? Going alcohol-free should help kick-boost things a little.

As for me...I was doing OK yesterday....then pigged out on HALF an apple crumble pizza after a dinner of sliders and pizza. In my defence, it was a thin crust pizza and was the best dessert pizza I have ever had (and I'm not a massive fan of apple crumble). Now I just dream about going back to this little restaurant. So glad we chose it for a work event. Now I need to come up with another reason why I should return. Except - its SO not good for my waist line or my wallet!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on August 16, 2016, 03:04:00 PM
@scrubbyfish,

I'm coming at this from a Paleo/Whole 30 background as well. I'm using a plan called Trim Healthy Mama, which is basically fruit, veg, whole and sprouted grains, dairy (in the form of yogurt, cream, cottage cheese and cream cheese), and lotsa healthy proteins and fats (protein at every meal and every snack).

I, too, feel about 1000% better and I think that even if I didn't lose a pound, I really ought to keep eating this way. No more brain fog, no more lying around on the couch, lots of energy from morning to night to deal with the kiddoes, etc.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 16, 2016, 04:46:08 PM
I, too, feel about 1000% better and I think that even if I didn't lose a pound, I really ought to keep eating this way. No more brain fog, no more lying around on the couch, lots of energy from morning to night to deal with the kiddoes, etc.

Yes!!! So glad you're having these effects too.

This is all in line with the medical diet my kid required, which I dutifully joined him in. The benefits for both of us were insane. When I do that strictly, I don't need to attend to portion sizes, but we no longer require the medical strictness, so do eat other stuff...at which point the portion piece comes into play.

I'm glad I'm learning this because I see my kid will likely need to one day also, when/if he ever slows down his rate of physical activity. He'll have this info in the back of his mind, and an example, and a support person in it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 17, 2016, 06:23:17 AM
Was reading in the USA Today about a cholesterol drug that costs $14,000 a year!  Wonder what percent of people could probably go off the drugs with just controlling diet?  More motivation to stick with a healthy diet.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alleykat on August 17, 2016, 07:40:01 AM
Well, I gave up for a while but now I am back on track.  I have started adding more protein to my diet and have cut back on carbs.  I am a carb junkie but I know I wasn't getting enough protein so I am making a conscious effort.  I added a protein powder to my day to ensure it until I get a handle on how I want to eat and make it a habit.  I have cut back my junk food drastically and am starting to add exercising to my day.   This last week, I am making better choices and am keeping to whole foods 80% of the time.  Knowing I am making better choices for myself has made me feel so good. 

I think I am still at 156 but will weigh myself on Sunday and make it my weigh in day.  I would like to get down to 140.  No more excuses. ....and more so than weight, I want to feel healthy and good again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 17, 2016, 08:04:01 AM
Right on, alleykat!!

JoJo: So true!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on August 18, 2016, 01:27:09 AM
I've decided to do another Whole30 starting September 1st. I'm so excited because I felt SO good on this plan and lost a bunch of weight last year. I've kinda been stalling lately so I think this will be the jump start I need! Anyone else a Whole30'er?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 18, 2016, 10:44:22 AM
Somehow managed to drop 3 pounds in 4 days of my business trip.  Probably isn't the healthiest way to lose weight but when a friend didn't meet me for the day, instead of a fancy dinner I just had an apple.  I ate a good breakfast, light lunch, and after the 2 happy hours (2-3 glasses of red wine) I just wasn't hungry any more.   On top of this, I drank a bunch of coffee, which I don't typically have.
It may be all water weight, but I have now hit 3 HUGE milestones just in the last 4 days - down 80 lbs in 2016, down 100 lbs from my highest ever in 2012, and am no longer considered obese by the US government!  I hate those BMI things... as a very tall big boned woman I think I look pretty proportional now - not borderline obese.  I regularly lift weights, hike 10 miles, etc.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: swick on August 18, 2016, 11:06:39 AM
I've decided to do another Whole30 starting September 1st. I'm so excited because I felt SO good on this plan and lost a bunch of weight last year. I've kinda been stalling lately so I think this will be the jump start I need! Anyone else a Whole30'er?

You beat me, 1967mama! I was popping into to invite anyone who is interested to join us :)

I love this thread and seeing everyone's progress!

It's been almost a year since I started the whole 30 thread and my weight loss adventure. In that short amount of time, I have gotten rid of all my Fibro symptoms, lost 71 lbs (so far), gone from a size 18 to almost fitting comfortably into an 8, Going from a high Obese to a normal BMI.

It's funny though, you notice the changes, but you are living them so it doesn't seem very dramatic, it's a slow acceptance of this new way of being. I had this exchange with a delivery guy yesterday that really made me realize how far I've come:

Package delivery, This guy is pretty young EARLY 20's. We had a lot of deliveries when we first moved, including our dishwasher (poor guy) so chatted with him a few times, enough he remembered my name in future deliveries.  Probably not had a delivery for the last 5 months or so.

Purolator dude: "I have a package for Mr. Swick"

Me: Okay I'll take it" reaches for the package, slight resistance from Purolator dude, doesn't want to give it up. He takes a long look, I could actually see the light bulb go off.

Purolator dude:  "You're not Swick, are you?"

Me: "Was last time I checked"

Purolator dude: "Wow! I didn't recognize you! Have you lost weight ?"

Me: "Yup, quite a bit"

Purolator dude: "You look awesome, congratulations!"

Purolator Dude: Holds out his fist for a fist bump

This was pretty much my first interaction with someone who I don't see that often. It was pretty awesome :)

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on August 18, 2016, 12:19:56 PM
That's awesome, swick!

I had my first encounter like that at the public pool about 3 months ago. Someone who hadn't seen me since before I lost 50  pounds (and didn't know I was doing anything) was about falling over herself with compliments for me #somuchlove

Also, someone at church I hadn't seen in a year (huge church! multiple services!) walked right by me and then stopped and turned and did a double take and said, "1967mama???" Those moments are like gold!

I'm psyched to start my next Whole30 September 1st and am moving back toward Whole30'ish for the next two weeks so its not as hard to deal with. Feeling great after a breakfast made by my 11 year old son: eggs, celery, diced ham, and a sprinkling of cheese.

Ordered Nom Nom Paleo from the library again ... some good ideas in there!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 18, 2016, 12:39:13 PM
Purolator dude: "You look awesome, congratulations!"

Purolator Dude: Holds out his fist for a fist bump

hahaha!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...then stopped and turned and did a double take and said, "1967mama???"

AWESOME!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 18, 2016, 01:07:30 PM
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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0
7/7 – 125.5
7/14 –  127
7/21 -126 – ok
7/28 – 127.5 – hmmmm  I think I need a new scale!
8/4 – 128.  – knew this was coming.
8/18 – 129  -same as last week.

Still holding steady. 
Right now there are no cupboard doors on any of the cupboards so I can see all this food every time I walk into the kitchen.  I am so aware of my reaction to just want to eat junk.  I keep trying to get the healthy snacks front and center and eat a good lunch with the kids but it is really hard. I have taken shopping back over as DH keeps buying bad stuff and I keep eating it.
Fortunately my work load is lighter at the moment.  I want to keep up with the garden and the fresh food that is so abundant and do a bunch of canning and freezing so that this winter things are easier. Tomorrow my daughter and I are going on an expedition to find a beach and hopefully buy some peaches and nectarines and blueberries to put down along the way.
It has been so hot that exercise has been really unappealing.  Have been doing a bit of swimming but mostly I seem to be working on paid work, on the house and in the garden.  I have been getting used to my new to me bike and have started doing more errands with it.  I got a basket on the back and have picked up groceries and met up with my son downtown for a Pokemon Go thing he was desperate to participate in.  We have never ridden bikes downtown before and rarely walked.  This summer we have done that a couple of times already.
I have been out to several dinners, a long weekend at a cottage with a fridge packed full of soft drinks and a couple of kids doing an ice cream tasting week and I am holding steady.  I am somewhat happy here and we are getting so much closer to having the renos done that I think the next steps are going to be happening soon.  Patience and keeping realistic expectation is working for me at the moment. And following along with you guys and reading of your efforts and sharing your success.  You all keep inspiring me.  So while I haven't made any progress in the last month, I not where I was.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 18, 2016, 01:15:42 PM
Weekly weigh-in.
Down 2.2 lbs since start (two weeks).
Very comfortable, easy process.
No cravings or stress in it.
Look better.
Feel good.

And the best: The prompt that started me was my "waist reaching out to grab my arm when it dangles." This is no longer so. (I guess it wasn't my waist. I'm very "hour glass" so my waist was always in. It was fat that had developed above my hip. Now it's gone. Last to arrive, first to go.) Now I feel "just right" again, but I will carry on with this eating for all its effects.

2.2 seems like a tiny amount, but it certainly has effects. It helps me to look at or imagine two butter blocks of a pound each, and then I feel proud of my result.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: swick on August 18, 2016, 02:12:06 PM

2.2 seems like a tiny amount, but it certainly has effects. It helps me to look at or imagine two butter blocks of a pound each, and then I feel proud of my result.

Awesome way to look at it, I love it :D Way to go!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Jschange on August 18, 2016, 03:07:31 PM
2.2 is huge. It is halfway to 5.

I bought a scale to see how my weight loss is doing. And it is...not great. Not bad, but not great.

I'm down about 9 pounds from January, but none of that is from the last month. And I'm eating cake.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on August 19, 2016, 07:44:11 AM
It's been over two months since I checked in here, but the summer of craziness is over and it's back to business for me! Amusingly, it looks like I am the same weight now that I was last time I shared back in June- after that weigh-in I made it down to 147 (!!!) before bouncing back up to 156. I'm slowly working my way back down again, after a massive, multiple-week processed foods binge that made me realize that I still have no control when it comes to sugary things that are in my house, so I really have to be diligent about just not buying it in the first place. It's frustrating, I'm so good at convincing myself that "I'll just have a normal portion and save the rest" but I always go home and eat the whole dang package anyways. So I'm resolving to just not buy the stuff, and I've made it two weeks this time with no slip-ups. I'm feeling so much better , now I just need to remember that next time I want to eat ALL THE ICE CREAM. Two steps forward, one step back, but at least it's progress.

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
...
8/19: 151.8
goal weight: 145
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 19, 2016, 08:52:54 AM
Adge, I'm the same: Can't have it in the house. That's key for me. I'm still eating All The Ice Cream but I'm making it at home: just frozen fruit, eggs, salt, a hand-held blender, and whatever else I want in there (whole ginger, vanilla, cocoa powder).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 19, 2016, 10:25:54 AM
Adge & scrubbyfish - count me in on that too - just have to leave bad foods out of the house.  The Big Binge of 2015 started by me picking up a couple free full size candy bars at a convention thinking I would take them as treats on a couple hikes, but the night I got home they were calling my name that started me eating the bad stuff all over again.  Always need to keep it out of the house. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on August 22, 2016, 09:26:41 AM
Back from vacation with a couple extra pounds, but I'm certain some of that is muscle!

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
July 25 weight 150.2
Aug 1 weight 148.8
Aug 8 weight 149.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 15 weight 150.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 22 weight 151.4
Goal weight: 130
[/quote]
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 23, 2016, 09:07:43 AM
I hadn't had my blood pressure checked in a few months.  There were times when I was very heavy and eating bad that it was flirting with 140/90.

So, this weekend I went to one of those machines in the grocery pharmacy and the reading was 110/59.  That seemed suspiciously low so I tried another machine a couple days later and that showed 106/64 so maybe it is about right!  This is about the best it's ever been in my lifetime.

Anyone else want to share any improvements in vitals?

As of this morning, I'm down 82 lbs in 2016.  35 more to go (or 45 stretch).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 23, 2016, 09:15:55 AM
...106/64 so maybe it is about right!  This is about the best it's ever been in my lifetime.

JoJo, that's AWESOME!!!!

I don't know any of mine :)   My BP has always been a tad low. (Funny, considering a family-food story I posted on MonkeyJenga's.)

...but I know I still feel great!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 23, 2016, 09:23:08 AM
"Feeling..."

One of the things I've learned in my journey is that the subjective doesn't always match the objective. For example, I can "feel fat" even when I'm not.

As we know, choosing optimal foods can result in a release of unneeded pounds. And yet, while we're eating optimally for our own bodies and feeling the wide range of effects of that, we can sometimes "feel fat" or feel like we "must have gained" or feel like "I haven't gotten anywhere this week." The fact that I step on a scale only once a week can exacerbate this, because I can't prove otherwise to myself.

Feeling like I'm not making progress can prompt me to self-sabotage, to give up, to resume eating randomly.

For that reason, it's critical that I recognize and remember that "feeling..." does not mean this is actually what's happening objectively. If I hold true to what I know to work best for my body, objective measures will reflect that truth.

Sharing this reflection in case it resonates for anyone else :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 25, 2016, 09:56:16 AM
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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0
7/7 – 125.5
7/14 –  127
7/21 -126 – ok
7/28 – 127.5 – hmmmm  I think I need a new scale!
8/4 – 128.  – knew this was coming.
8/18 – 129  -same as last week
8/25 – 127 – this is better.

Goal : 120 lbs.

Still finding it hard when I walk into the kitchen and can see everything.  DH has finished sanding all the cupboards so I am really hoping he can get the finish on everything and start putting the doors back on.  This past week was a little better on the eating because I got a whole bunch of fruit and veg into the house.  Sunday night I fired up the grill and made enough meals for the entire week.  It sure is nice to just pick something out to reheat for either lunch or dinner.  I cooked two egg plants – a food I have a hard time with – to perfection.  Both DH and I had seconds.  It meant this week was pretty good for dinner except for the coke.  DH put 8 cans of pop in the fridge.  I should just take it out and put it back into the basement.  I also made a huge jug of ice tea and put a little too much sugar in it. I keep diluting it with more tea just to make less sweet but it means I am drinking calories.  I cut out most of the wine  and cheese this week and I think that has made a difference.  Daughter and I did a little road trip and picked 15 pounds of blueberries at a farm and then spent the afternoon eating them and swimming in Lake Erie.  Pulled out my food journal this morning and am going to start tracking again to see if I can get the rest of the way to my goal.

I think feeling is really important.  I haven’t lost much weight since the beginning of July but I feel so much better.  I was quite happy at the beach on Friday and I wouldn’t have been a few months ago.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on August 25, 2016, 10:40:50 AM
I've dropped down 2 whole sizes!  And I'm thiiiiiiis close to my decent weight jeans.  I can zip them up but they're a bit too tight for comfort.  Since I chucked the scale, these little triumphs keep me going on my slow and steady approach. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 25, 2016, 11:49:53 AM
I've dropped down 2 whole sizes!  And I'm thiiiiiiis close to my decent weight jeans.  I can zip them up but they're a bit too tight for comfort.  Since I chucked the scale, these little triumphs keep me going on my slow and steady approach.

Awesome!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 25, 2016, 12:55:51 PM
Excellent, M.Darcy! I like your note re: slow and steady, because that indicates a mindful, healthy, peaceful approach :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 25, 2016, 01:03:49 PM
Weekly Check-In
Down 4.6 pds (3 weeks)
It just...rolled...off.
Arms no longer attach to my hips, which was my main goal.
Much healthier than pre-food changes.
Enjoying some experiments with going out for "treats." (Had my first ever cappuccino, low fat milk, AND A BANANA at Starbucks. Who has a banana at Starbucks?!?! Sure never thought it'd be me!)

I wish I could post a yellow butter package for each one. That visualization helps me so much!

Also, I'm aware of not just pounds lost but pounds not gained in the same period. That's a big deal, too, so to me it's like I'm "down" more like 8 pounds, for the difference in what I am vs the me in the alternate universe is. (Does that makes sense to anyone??)

I'm starting to feel hungrier, which I've seen happen with me before at this stage, so I'm going to focus on attending to that.
I drink 2-3 litres of water per day, lots of protein, some starches, some fat, lots of fibre. I may just start eating more, period.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on August 25, 2016, 02:17:32 PM
Also, I'm aware of not just pounds lost but pounds not gained in the same period. That's a big deal, too, so to me it's like I'm "down" more like 8 pounds, for the difference in what I am vs the me in the alternate universe is. (Does that makes sense to anyone??)

I totally get what you're saying!  I've been working out the last few months and I always build muscle faster than lose fat, so for me to be where I am means I've lost a lot more fat than it seems because it's been replaced by hard-earned muscle. 

Congrats on your recent accomplishment! 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Hotstreak on August 26, 2016, 10:52:02 AM
Great to see everyone's progress here, keep it up!

After flirting with 202-205 for a while, I got on the scale this week at 200.00lbs!  Very happy to have hit that #.  I've been gaining some muscle weight these past few months, so I've lost more fat than what the scale is saying.  My belt went from being snug on the 3rd hole, to the 4th hole, and recently it became so loose that I am wearing a different belt.  Starting this new-to-me belt on the 2nd hole :).

I had set a goal for myself to get to 196# by Labor Day, which I won't hit without cutting water weight.  I am happy with the weight loss though and especially the belt size coming down.  I am wanting to continue and work towards 195# before the start of deer season in October.  That's about 1#/week.  Second goal is 190# for January 2017 (so I can't gain weight over the holidays!).

Changes I have made that are working are i) riding my bike to work a few days per week ii) either lifting weights or walking for an hour, every day iii) packing smaller portions of food & making sure I have healthy backup meals iv) cut back alcohol about 1/2 what is used to be and v) continuing to generally eat paleo & staying gluten free (that stuff just kills me).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on August 27, 2016, 09:04:46 AM
I was posting over on the fitness thread and I've noticed that lately, when I think of 'rewards' I rarely think of food anymore.  Instead I'm thinking of things like trying a new workout, taking a nap, buying an electric toothbrush to improve my dental health, etc...  This is kind of a big thing for me.  I've always rewarded myself with food.  It's nice to change my mental definition of what it means to do something nice for myself.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 27, 2016, 10:23:10 AM
Hotstreak, that's really awesome stuff!!! Congrats on all the belts-and-notches progress :)   Must feel amazing.

I really like that you don't feel compelled to manipulate the number on the scale just for the sake of a date goal, and that rather you see your amazing progress and feel happy with it.

I like your idea too of a maintenance/loss goal over the holidays. I will do that too, and moreso when I'm at my mum's in autumn, which in June is what kicked off my own gain in the first place.

M.Darcy: Yes to nonfood rewards! I've been doing the same. Or, not rewards so much but "nonfood breathers/support." So, instead of eating crap to cope with life, I've been taking myself out to read at a coffee shop. I didn't used to, and it's a gorgeous treat that's really helping me. Simple, cheap, beautiful, nurturing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on August 29, 2016, 08:14:25 AM
Starting to feel like a small yo-yo. I've been going up and down a few pounds since March!

I need to find the fun in exercising again. Joined an orienteering club last week. That made running fun, but the season is almost over already. On the positive side, I needed to tighten up my belt one more notch last week. I'm not positive if my waist got smaller, or the belt leather stretched. :p Normally I'd give my waist the credit, but it was a new belt I'd just finished making the week before.

I've been eating really healthy for the most part. I came home from vacation with a massive amount of veggies I'm trying to eat/can/freeze before they go bad, in addition to the ones in my garden. Cucumbers are my go to snack choice just because there are SO MANY.

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
July 25 weight 150.2
Aug 1 weight 148.8
Aug 8 weight 149.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 15 weight 150.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 22 weight 151.4
Aug 29 weight 150.4
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on August 29, 2016, 09:29:04 AM
So, instead of eating crap to cope with life, I've been taking myself out to read at a coffee shop. I didn't used to, and it's a gorgeous treat that's really helping me. Simple, cheap, beautiful, nurturing.

@scrubbyfish - I love this!  Good for you. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on August 29, 2016, 10:52:45 PM
I am now hovering around 7 pounds lost, and I have seen the number for 8 pounds lost on the scale twice within the last three days.  I feel safe to say that the first 6 pounds are gone for good, and if things keep going like this, then probably another one is ready to drop too.  Not the fastest, but I think it will stick.

I've stopped writing down my food, just recording weight (almost) daily.  It's remained a pretty good motivator.  I am of course still making careful, healthy choices as much as possible, though not all the time.

Well I am fluctuating between 7 and 9 pounds lost.  Most of the time between 8 and 9.  I saw 10 when I was sick, but that was just temporary because I'd lost my appetite.  I think it's time to mix it up a bit, as the graph seems to have flattened out over the last month.  Not sure what I'm going to do yet.  It's probably time to start cooking.  Won't have time for that until Thursday at the earliest.  I can see already that I will need to make big batches that will feed me for a few days at a time.

Anyone have any favorite (super easy) recipes?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 29, 2016, 11:34:02 PM
oneday, I feel like mine are all super easy. Here are my three main meals these days:

1. Veggie Egg Scramble - Start making scrambled eggs, throw in a bunch of pre-chopped veggies (stir fry mix, whatever).

2. Tostada - On a flat wrap, put salsa, then veggies (as above), then previously-cooked chicken or beef or tuna, then 1/3 cup low-fat cheese. Melt in oven 10 mins.

3.  Frozen fruit meld - Frozen banana chunks, dark sweet cherries, any other frozen fruit, whole raw ginger, salt. Add an egg for protein, or don't. Add a tbsp peanut butter, or don't. Add vanilla, or don't. Add cocoa powder, or don't.

I usually eat these every day, plus other fruit and veggies, peanut butter on toast with banana, etc.

No hunger, much happiness.

Though not necessarily being the cheapest option, buying the store's pre-chopped veggies and rotisserie chicken is making this change doable for me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 30, 2016, 08:04:38 AM
Oneday:
I have struggled with changing up my cooking to support my weight loss goal.  I am cooking for four people - two are very picky (son and daughter), two (me and daughter) are celiac, one is a super hungry teenage boy.  Thank god my husband eats everything happily. I haven't really been able to change the menu up too much because I just can't deal with it.  I just want everyone to sit down, eat together and not be cranky - appreciative is good.  It is so disheartening to make something - even something quick - and have one person say "what is this?"  with that tone that is really saying "this looks gross, is this all you made?".  Mostly I have upped the veg and fibre , made sure that there is a good source of protein (size of a deck of cards) and no calories in my beverage to accommodate my goal.
My quick go to meals are:
Beans and eggs.  (deep browned beans in tomato sauce from a can)
Nachos - and I load mine up with veggies and use the cheese, sour cream ultra sparingly.  Each person makes their own tray to personal preferences.
Sandwiches - with GF bread option.  To reduce the calories, I have open faced sandwiches. Must have greens.  Sometimes this is on a tortilla for the celiacs or a naan for the non-celiacs
Stir fries with very little sauce.  Non-picky eaters add sauce to their own dishes. 
Fried smashed  potatoes with cheese - little bit like potato cakes but they don't stick together.  Sometimes the protein is a poached egg or tinned fish.   One kid will eat the white and the other eats the yolk. One kid likes all fish, the other only eats tuna.

I haven't been able to switch everyone back to brown rice.  We used to only eat brown rice but then kids stopped eating rice altogether. 
I make a salad every night.  Without dressing.  So that it can be separated back into original components.  Hub and I add our own small amount of homemade dressing to our salad.  We try to eat the salad first.  The greens are washed and kept in a giant see-through tub in our fridge.  I have also really tried to increase the nutrition in the type of salad greens that we are eating.  We get an excellent mix from our CSA with way more nutritional content than the baby greens from the grocery store.
The past two weekends I have bbq'd all the ingredients I could so that we are eating leftovers most of the week nights.  This has helped immensely with the quick part.  It took about an hour and a half on Sunday to prep and cook everything.  The meat was cooked to rare so that it doesn't get over cooked with reheating. I roasted two pounds of potatoes, a tray of different veggies and two onions and a great quantity of polenta. 
I also heard from a friend that popcorn is not too bad so I pulled out the old hot air popper.  I found some super thin rice cake like crackers that also have corn and quinoa in them and I will eat them with unsweetened peanut butter.
So you can see why the weight is only slowly coming off. I am still eating too richly! But I have arrested the creep and if I can get the exercise component back on track, I think I will be in a good place.  I think eating at home from scratch cooking is going to be better than anything else.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on August 30, 2016, 08:16:10 AM
I'm going though one of those periods where I'm working hard and eating well but my body looks like it's getting bigger.  I know it's because I'm doing a new workout and I'm developing new muscles that haven't been worked on before.  But it's making me feel a little antsy and impatient. 

I'm resisting the urge to try on my jeans again to 'check' for weight loss because it would be counterproductive.  I need to remind myself to trust my body and the process.  Deep breath......
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on August 31, 2016, 12:04:50 AM

. Veggie Egg Scramble[/b] - Start making scrambled eggs, throw in a bunch of pre-chopped veggies (stir fry mix, whatever).



Thanks for this ^ idea, Scrubbyfish! I made it this morning for my crew (and myself) along with 2 lbs of bacon. We weren't hungry for hours!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 31, 2016, 12:41:45 AM
Ah, great, 1967mama! Bonus: It's easy/fun enough that my kid volunteered to make it for me three times in the last four days! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 31, 2016, 10:23:38 AM
I lost a couple more lbs over the weekend to get to 85 lbs total lost in 2016 and now have plateaued for a few days.  Next week I'm on vacation so I'm hoping at minimum to maintain but maybe not lose so much, but there won't be any updates until at least 9/12.  We have kitchenettes in some of our motels so hopefully eating out will be to a minimum, and good on the pocketbook too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on August 31, 2016, 11:15:54 AM
@JoJo - congrats on your impressive achievement!

Today I fit into my jeans!  This is my 'decent weight' pair and I'm very happy to be at this size.  But it's not my final goal, just my first one.  I have a couple more sizes to go for my final goal.  It still feels good to be here.  My tummy is my problem area and it's where the weight takes the longest to come off. 

What's your problem area?  And how do you keep yourself motivated to keep working on it, while also being patient with the progress/process?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 31, 2016, 11:38:03 AM
Congrats, JoJo, on two more pounds in your preferred direction, and M.Darcy on feeling happy in the next smaller size of jeans!

I don't identify a "problem area". e.g., I have giant thighs, but they are curvy, muscular, strong, so I have great love for them. So, except for this last bout of my "waist reaching out to grab my arms" (quickly resolved), I don't consider that piece.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: firelight on August 31, 2016, 02:20:31 PM
Fell off the wagon a month back (health scare issues) and gained 10 pounds (ugh!) Recommitting myself to lose those ten pounds in two month since I have a conference that I'm attending and I want to be fit for that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on August 31, 2016, 03:32:28 PM
Fell off the wagon a month back (health scare issues) and gained 10 pounds (ugh!) Recommitting myself to lose those ten pounds in two month since I have a conference that I'm attending and I want to be fit for that.

I've got a conference in 2 months too that is one of my main motivators - are we going to the same one?  ;)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on August 31, 2016, 10:07:20 PM
oneday, I feel like mine are all super easy. Here are my three main meals these days:

1. Veggie Egg Scramble - Start making scrambled eggs, throw in a bunch of pre-chopped veggies (stir fry mix, whatever).

2. Tostada - On a flat wrap, put salsa, then veggies (as above), then previously-cooked chicken or beef or tuna, then 1/3 cup low-fat cheese. Melt in oven 10 mins.

3.  Frozen fruit meld - Frozen banana chunks, dark sweet cherries, any other frozen fruit, whole raw ginger, salt. Add an egg for protein, or don't. Add a tbsp peanut butter, or don't. Add vanilla, or don't. Add cocoa powder, or don't.

I usually eat these every day, plus other fruit and veggies, peanut butter on toast with banana, etc.

No hunger, much happiness.

Though not necessarily being the cheapest option, buying the store's pre-chopped veggies and rotisserie chicken is making this change doable for me.

These all sound great, thanks!

On the frozen fruit meld.  When you put in an egg, is that raw?  Then do you just blend it?

Oneday:
I have struggled with...cooking...two are very picky

I am a picky eater too.  Somehow I feel I owe you an apology!

Quote
My quick go to meals are:
Beans and eggs.  (deep browned beans in tomato sauce from a can)
Nachos - and I load mine up with veggies and use the cheese, sour cream ultra sparingly.
Sandwiches - To reduce the calories, I have open faced sandwiches. Must have greens.
Stir fries with very little sauce.  Non-picky eaters add sauce to their own dishes.  Fried smashed  potatoes with cheese - little bit like potato cakes but they don't stick together.  Sometimes the protein is a poached egg or tinned fish.

These also sound great.  I am coming from a place of not liking to cook & not having much practice, so I don't even know WHAT to cook.  This is all very helpful.

Quote
The past two weekends I have bbq'd all the ingredients I could so that we are eating leftovers most of the week nights.  This has helped immensely with the quick part.  It took about an hour and a half on Sunday to prep and cook everything.  The meat was cooked to rare so that it doesn't get over cooked with reheating. I roasted two pounds of potatoes, a tray of different veggies and two onions and a great quantity of polenta.  I think eating at home from scratch cooking is going to be better than anything else.

Eventually I would like to be able to do this (batch cook, cook at home).  You are ahead of me!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on August 31, 2016, 10:10:47 PM
On the frozen fruit meld.  When you put in an egg, is that raw?  Then do you just blend it?

Yes and yes.

I know not everyone is comfy with raw eggs, so any which way is good. I will only use free range, organic eggs raw.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on August 31, 2016, 10:38:08 PM
On the frozen fruit meld.  When you put in an egg, is that raw?  Then do you just blend it?

Yes and yes.

I know not everyone is comfy with raw eggs, so any which way is good. I will only use free range, organic eggs raw.

Thanks!  It sounds like a good breakfast to me.  And the extra protein is good, so I will have to do some reading on eggs.  In the meantime, peanut butter!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 01, 2016, 06:47:07 AM
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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0
7/7 – 125.5
7/14 –  127
7/21 -126 – ok
7/28 – 127.5 – hmmmm  I think I need a new scale!
8/4 – 128.  – knew this was coming.
8/18 – 129  -same as last week
8/25 – 127 – this is better.
9/1 – 126.5 – whoot whoot!

Goal : 120 lbs.
Feeling a lot better about everything. 
I haven’t been able to write down 100% of what I eat in my journal – but just seeing the journal sitting there on the kitchen counter has really upped the mindfulness. 
Still no cupboard doors hiding the snacks but hopefully that changes this weekend.  I think DH likes to see everything all at once.  The clutter is getting to me though.
We have been mostly eating outside these past few months.  The food tastes better.  It is now not so much fun because of the wasps.  So last three nights we ate inside.  One night I left the food in the kitchen and the other two, I put all the food on the dining table.  We had no leftovers because everyone kept eating.  When I leave the food in the kitchen we only take seconds if we get up and walk back into the kitchen.  Did not realize how much more I have been eating just because it is directly in front of me.

I must confess that I was once an extremely picky eater so that is why I cut my kids the slack.  Just as I was beginning to love the world of food, I became celiac.  So I can fully appreciate how hard it is to make meals a happy time.  And Oneday - I have a head start on most home cooks - my mom was a home economist teacher feminist farmer so my brothers and I were in the kitchen a lot from an early age. My brother and I are going to can six bushels of tomatoes tonight because that is the kind of crazy thing we do in our family.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 01, 2016, 08:17:16 AM
Somehow gained 1/2 a pound but hit a milestone today - 5 full months without sugar!

I'm on Vancouver Island next week so I might be tempted to take a bite of a Nanaimo bar!  But just a bite.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 01, 2016, 11:39:08 PM
Down 5.8 lbs (4 weeks)
No hunger/discomfort.
Total ease.

Starting to struggle again with the "eating regularly" part, so I'm setting my alarm for tomorrow morning to eat a big protein breakfast and pack a lunch before heading out.

Naturally moved around yesterday (more than my usual walking about), so it may be time to let my body do more of that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on September 01, 2016, 11:59:02 PM
Six days straight of really clean eating ... feel terrific! Why don't I eat like this all the time?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on September 02, 2016, 08:49:10 AM
Six days straight of really clean eating ... feel terrific! Why don't I eat like this all the time?

Right there with you! I've had such a hard time eating well consistently this summer, which is ridiculous because I feel SO MUCH BETTER when I do. I'm trying to take it a week at a time now, to try to build the habit back up. One week on the books, shooting for 2 now.

Prior to this week of clean eating, I went to the beach with my family for a couple days, didn't eat terrible but I did eat a lot more processed food than I normally would, so I'm blaming most of that 5 lb gain on water weight from getting more sodium than normal. Particularly since it all disappeared this week, and I haven't had a one week loss that high since the first month.

Overall though, I'm pretty happy with my progress. I went clothes shopping last weekend and tried on about a billion things, all size 8 or medium, and every single thing fit! Y'all, I haven't been this small since middle school. So I know I've still got some struggles ahead of me and  I'm still working to get under 150, but it's kind of nice to have results that I can actually see!

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
...
8/19: 151.8
8/26: 156.8
9/2: 152
goal weight: 145
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: soccerluvof4 on September 02, 2016, 09:45:20 AM
Started around first of the year

Posted on May 27th (-40)
Today ytd (-57)

I am basically now in the 5# range I want to be in. All my numbers are good with the Doc and he said 7#'s ago I didnt really need to lose anymore but I just did. I never counted calories or anything but just made better decisions. In that I have increase a little more on my plate and still lost even slower so probably /hope to level off here. My plan has become pretty simple in that one day I go for a morning walk of 2 hrs +/- and then lift 30 mins and the next day I do 35mins on an eliptical and lift weight for 30-45mins. I love to walk and usually do it and am home before now the kids are leaving for school so does not impact my day and is so mentally good for me!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Evgenia on September 02, 2016, 10:45:41 AM
I am STILL just 5 lbs. down (i.e. 165 lbs. at 6' tall and 39 yo), and trying hard not to get discouraged.

I hiked 40 miles through the Sierra recently, had terrible altitude sickness and thus no appetite, and came home to find I'd lost NOT ONE POUND. I was the exact same weight as I was when I left. I wanted to cry. Usually, for me, there's nothing like backpacking to take the weight off, and quickly.

Then, I visited family in another city and ate all the things, and my weight didn't budge then, either.

I'm so confused. That is all. Onward!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 02, 2016, 11:39:54 AM
Wow soccerluvof4 - that's great!!!

I was having lunch with another woman at work that had noticeably lost alot of weight a few years ago and has done a pretty good keeping it off.  She said she had gone off of 3 medications!!! after just a few months of dieting and excising.  She was only in her 30s and had diabetes, high BP, and high cholesterol.  Now she's cured of all without any medicines for 4 years!  What an inspiration.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 02, 2016, 06:49:41 PM
Evgenia: Lots of people lose no weight/size with exercise. What are you doing re: ongoing food?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: firelight on September 03, 2016, 09:52:42 AM
Started eating healthy this week but I realize my downfall is snacking (and late night snacking) in particular. I eat when I'm in the kitchen. Since I prep food for all, I'm there most of the time and end up eating something or the other :( I need to find a way to break this habit.

On a good note, I competed with a friend on one of the Fitbit challenges and walked like crazy (for me). Usually I'm happy with 5k steps a day but she pushed me to walk atleast 10k steps a day and sometimes more. Going to keep this momentum going since I realized this makes my toddler tired too and she sleeps earlier. And I get to spend more quality time with her.
 Sounds like win-win-win.

A big part of my culture is rice but all diets ask me to avoid rice. Has anyone eaten rice and still lost weight?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 03, 2016, 07:58:26 PM
Has anyone eaten rice and still lost weight?

If I had a cup of rice, I would be swapping out a lot of other options that for me are way more satisfying, filling, varied (interesting), and nourishing. So, I could eat rice and lose weight, but I'd probably feel weak, hungry, and lethargic, so I don't.

For example, in the Weight Watchers SmartPoints system, in which a person can and is encouraged to eat anything and everything, a cup of white rice would be 6 points. I could have 40 pieces of fruit for 0, or a chicken cheese veggie tostada for 6, and be way more satiated and still have lots of food room for the day.

A different body might be different.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 03, 2016, 08:12:28 PM
I've been eating rice the whole time, but a typical dinner for me is a very small piece of chicken, huge helping of veggies, and about 1/2 a cup of rice. I'll put a drop or two of soy sauce on it or nothing. The rice is there but it's the smallest portion of my plate.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: DollarBill on September 03, 2016, 09:27:58 PM
I'm so ashamed! I lost all that weight last year and decided to take a 1 1/2 months tour of the States and a 2 month tour overseas...I came back 30lbs heavier! It's time to kick in the afterburners again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ender on September 04, 2016, 04:05:03 PM
Six days straight of really clean eating ... feel terrific! Why don't I eat like this all the time?

This is how I feel right now, well, not really, more the opposite.

I've been consistently eating terribly for a while now and have gained weight as well as felt worse... :(

C'est la vie. It's a war, not a battle, and while I'm pretty sure I've lost quite a few battles recently I guess I've not yet lost the war.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 04, 2016, 04:43:47 PM
I've been eating rice the whole time, but a typical dinner for me is a very small piece of chicken, huge helping of veggies, and about 1/2 a cup of rice. I'll put a drop or two of soy sauce on it or nothing. The rice is there but it's the smallest portion of my plate.

This is key.

Notice my example referred to a cup of rice (and really, if I were eating rice I'd want 2-4 cups) vs a big ol' tostada. My body needs a lot of volume. It doesn't do well with "very small piece" of chicken. So, yeah, whether a person can or can't lose weight while including rice surely depends on metabolism, portions, other needs, what foods trigger vs reduce a person's hunger, etc. Getting to have only half a cup of rice would just make me mad ;)  In my mind, the ideal balance is the one you feel great on, while maintaining, losing, or gaining as desired.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on September 05, 2016, 08:45:29 AM
What a weird week. I went orienteering again and ran the slightly harder course. It makes me want to practice running so I can get better times, but I'm still so bored with running for no immediate purpose.

I've been canning and freezing food like a mad man. The jams and jellies are so delicious! But I was stunned at how much sugar needs to go in each recipe. I'd love to cut the sugar, but it's important for preserving properly and you aren't supposed to mess with it. Anyone have any solutions for that? I do have some freezer jam that is better, but only so much freezer space! This year I've already had to turn on the third freezer (The first two being the top of the fridge and the small kitchen freezer)

My weight was way up all week (chocolate zucchini cookies) and just dropped down today for weigh in day (thanks weight fairy!) so I'm quite pleased even though I haven't lost any pounds this week.

I'm really thrilled and impressed to read all the successes here lately. You all give me hope that I'll find my motivation again. :)

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
July 25 weight 150.2
Aug 1 weight 148.8
Aug 8 weight 149.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 15 weight 150.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 22 weight 151.4
Aug 29 weight 150.4
Sept 5 weight 150.6
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 10dollarsatatime on September 05, 2016, 10:48:53 AM
I've been canning and freezing food like a mad man. The jams and jellies are so delicious! But I was stunned at how much sugar needs to go in each recipe. I'd love to cut the sugar, but it's important for preserving properly and you aren't supposed to mess with it. Anyone have any solutions for that? I do have some freezer jam that is better, but only so much freezer space! This year I've already had to turn on the third freezer (The first two being the top of the fridge and the small kitchen freezer)

Most fruit can actually be canned without any sugar.  As long as the PH is ok for waterbathing, you don't have to add sugar to your preserves.  You'd just need to use the proper pectin to get your set.  My favorite is Pamona's Pectin.  It doesn't utilize sugar at all for set, which means you can use whatever kind of sweetener you want.  Ball and SureGel also make no or low sugar pectins.  Some preserves get kind of tart without any sweetener at all, so you'll have to find the balance you're ok with.  Personally, I prefer low sugar preserves.  Otherwise, I feel like I can't actually taste the fruit for all the sugar.  Sugar does help to preserve the color.  The low/no sugar jams tend to brown a bit quicker than the full sugar recipes, but the taste is the same.  The added lemon juice/acid that most recipes call for helps with color preservation, too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RonMcCord on September 05, 2016, 02:50:05 PM
Jan 4:175lbs.
Jan 28:169lbs.
Feb 27:162lbs.
Apr 1: 157lbs.
Apr 30: 151lbs.
May 31: 148lbs.
June 30: 144lbs.
Sep 1: 138lbs.

Not too sure how to turn off diet mode, so I just haven't stopped.  But if I go over my recommended calories it isn't a big deal since I'm below my target weight so if I gain a couple pounds I'm still fine I guess.  But if I go below 125 that's underweight territory so I have to be careful.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 06, 2016, 09:39:20 AM
First Tuesday of the month check in:

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8

Wow, I'm under 130. I haven't tracked my weight in much of my adulthood but I'm guessing this is the lowest I've been since high school. My MIL called me skinny minny yesterday. I'm not, but it sure felt nice to hear! I've been lazy with calorie counting this summer (still counting them, but often allowing myself to go over target), but I'm ready to get back on track for the fall. I'll be avoiding all the pumpkin-spicy-comfort-food things!!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 06, 2016, 09:43:58 AM
...I'm guessing this is the lowest I've been since high school.

WOW, rockstache!

Are you feeling healthy, energetic, etc at this weight?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 06, 2016, 10:21:46 AM
Hi Scrubby. Honestly energy is a constant struggle for me. I am a very low energy person as it is - have been my whole life- and I have a sedentary job on top of it. My husband and I have been trying some natural energy remedies lately, and those have helped a bit. I have been tested for low iron, thyroid issues etc and so far have not found anything abnormal, I guess this is just how I roll. Since I know someone will mention exercise...I do not exercise. This is a long story and not a good one, but I have not yet found an exercise that I can stick with. We walk a bit, but that is all. Even that, I can only do for short periods because of chronic pain.

As for healthy, yes I feel wonderful! I am feeling so confident and happy in my skin. I am technically still considered on the heavy end for my size (5' 2"), so I can keep going for a while without becoming too thin, but I feel better and better each day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 06, 2016, 10:46:22 AM
Wonderful that you are feeling healthy, confident, and happy, rockstache!

I too am a naturally low-energy person. I feel very well and healthy, and all the moreso when I accept and honour that I am not hyper ;)   There are some activities I love: dancing freestyle, endless walks, stretching. Key seems to be the introversion vs extroversion in these activities. Many conventional ideas re: exercise have been very harmful for me, so I've learned the hard way what works best for me.

I have no concept of ideal weight for me. I know when I'm "skinny" I don't feel well: feel irritable, a little wiggy, etc. So, I'll be curious to see what feels "right" for me at this stage in my life. Right now feels just right. I'll continue my current eating pattern for as long as that's remains true. If my weight drop results in crankiness, etc, I'll add some happy chub on purpose.

Keep up the great work!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 06, 2016, 11:25:50 AM
Oh I totally agree on the introversion! Classes and gyms stress me out. Stretching is a lovely activity, thank you for the reminder. I think I will work to make it a habit.

I've never really dieted before, and I'm not really avoiding any certain foods now. I used to eat with a scarcity mentality - eating as much as I could, as fast as I could, often competing with my husband for portion size!! I don't know where that came from (poor childhood? military?), but obviously that is about the worst way to eat. Consciously eating slowly and mindfully, on smaller plates has worked wonders for me. It allows me to feel full before I am bursting, and has taken away a lot of the gastro problems I had previously. This thread has been quite instrumental in keeping me on track too. It is so nice to journey with others.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: swick on September 06, 2016, 11:35:16 AM
We walk a bit, but that is all. Even that, I can only do for short periods because of chronic pain.

Hey Rocketstache, I use to deal with chronic pain issues and low energy. The only exercise that worked for me is dancing around the house to music I like, usually well I am doing tidying and such. I started out just a minute or so at a time, and as I figured out my chronic pain issues (Apparently my Fibro was all diet related, once I figured that out I started to get my life back. I know most people have much more complicated underlying health issues) I just started dancing a little more and a little more, now whenever I am up and moving, I am usually dancing, to whatever music happens to be in my head at the time.

Another thing that allowed me to do a little bit at a time was I got a rebounder (mini trampoline) and put it right in the middle of my living room. I started just walking on it for a minute at a time.  Jumping and up and down movement is the only exercise that really moves your lymphatic system, and most people jump rope or do other jumping that is too high-impact for people like us.  I like to keep it in my living room because I think about and see it every time I go past it. Once you get comfortable walking on it, you can bounce without your feet leaving the tramp, or just go up on your toes with your heels leaving the surface.  You can also dance on the tramp :) It's much lower impact and low-stress and every little bit helps. Not sure if any of these ideas will work for you.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 06, 2016, 01:15:06 PM
Hi Swick! Thanks for your comments. I very much like the dancing idea! My problems are back related. Some days I'm perfectly fine with only a hint of ache, others I can't even walk. Jumping is probably out, but dance moves could be tailored to how I'm feeling. I do love to dance (in private I mean - no real rhythm to speak of), but I've never considered using it as an exercise!

I love this community.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 06, 2016, 01:18:46 PM
I love this community.

It loves you, too!! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Evgenia on September 06, 2016, 04:14:39 PM
Nice work, RonMcCord and rockstache! Your updates are inspiring. Way to go!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on September 06, 2016, 11:13:29 PM
I made these (http://paleogrubs.com/turkey-burger-recipe) awesome paleo turkey burgers for dinner tonight. Everyone just loves them. Be sure to make extra for snacks ... they're that good!

I'm a week and a half back into great eating and I can't believe how much better I feel ... why don't I eat like this all the time????!!! I'm sleeping like a log, getting tons done every day and generally just being a much more pleasant and happy wife and mother.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 07, 2016, 09:08:29 AM
I made these (http://paleogrubs.com/turkey-burger-recipe) awesome paleo turkey burgers for dinner tonight. Everyone just loves them. Be sure to make extra for snacks ... they're that good!

I'm a week and a half back into great eating and I can't believe how much better I feel ... why don't I eat like this all the time????!!! I'm sleeping like a log, getting tons done every day and generally just being a much more pleasant and happy wife and mother.

Those burgers look amazing!  Might have to try that next week.  :)

I'm doing lots of grilling right now because it makes everything taste better.  Helps with the satiety factor.  And it's great to have leftovers. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: J_Stache on September 07, 2016, 11:10:29 AM
On the frozen fruit meld.  When you put in an egg, is that raw?  Then do you just blend it?


I know not everyone is comfy with raw eggs, so any which way is good. I will only use free range, organic eggs raw.

You can heat eggs in 138-140 deg F water (don't go higher than 142) to pasteurize them. 3-5 minutes held at temperature depending on size. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 07, 2016, 04:50:52 PM
The last week has been super weird. We'll see how it reflects in my weigh-in tomorrow.

1. The weather changed. Went from very warm/hot to very, very cool. Autumn. This kicked in a craving for "junk food all day every day." Instead, I moved to bazillions of balanced snacks. I'm finding that if I eat something like, for example, 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup sugar-free muesli every couple of hours, I am free of the craving for junk.

2. I've had a virus, which really tripped up my eating. I decided to make myself still eat to my points every day. That actually helped, because it resulted in me making a very beautiful stew that alleviated symptoms.

3. Life is changing. I have a stressy project gig that's been impacting my oomph and between that and school starting, etc, I daydream of sipping high-cal drinks at Starbucks all day long.

So, I seem to be on track. But I needed to ninja these three issues to be such. Being conscious of them and making little tweaks seems to have worked.

Now I will write down what to pack for our lunches tomorrow, so I can get through the first tricky day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 08, 2016, 07:40:41 AM
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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0
7/7 – 125.5
7/14 –  127
7/21 -126 – ok
7/28 – 127.5 – hmmmm  I think I need a new scale!
8/4 – 128.  – knew this was coming.
8/18 – 129  -same as last week
8/25 – 127 – this is better.
9/1 – 126.5 – whoot whoot!
9/8 – 126.5 – holding steady

Goal : 120 lbs.

Habits check in:
Record everything in the food journal – 10% of the time only.
Eat sitting down at a table – 100% of the time
Snacking – 50% of days last week I did not snack.  The other days, bad bad bad.
Pretty much eliminated serving the meal family style.  Hubbies is ok with the change.  We both eat way less. 
Soft drinks – had two this past week.
Ice cream – three times this week.
Exercise - went swimming twice this week and went for three walks. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 08, 2016, 09:41:19 AM
@rockstache Loving your new numbers! You are rocking it!

I've been MIA for a few weeks now - feels so weird! I hope to get back into checking here again regularly. Been busy lately with a lot of vacations to plan for. On top of my usual busy summer plans, a month ago, my mother tells me she is coming to visit me in November. We decided to add on a trip to DC and NYC for the both of us. A short while later, my childhood bestie (who lives on the other side of the globe) messages me saying she plans to visit me - she's hoping to come in 2 weeks! Then she asked to go to Disney World, so after some back and forth, I'm planning a weekend girls trip to WDW. To top off the craziness, DH and I had a few Southwest points left and just offered to take my FIL for a weekend in Atlanta this October. I feel like I am juggling so many balls in the air, its amazing I can keep them all up (I'm a super detailed researcher and planner - and yes, I do it all to myself lol!).

Back to weightloss - I went back into full weightloss mode 2 weeks ago when my bestie confirmed her trip. Was too lazy to calorie count though so decided to try just eyeballing things and being sensible. Plus I added back my 30 mins daily lunchtime walks.

I've gone up and down a little since then...but this morning, I'm a wee bit frustrated because in general, the scale is STILL NOT GOING DOWN!  I've started starving myself a little in desperation - fruit for breakfast, a thin miso broth soup for lunch, and a veggie-based dinner. I'm sure there's still sneaky calories finding its way into me at various times UGH. I should go back to strict logging since it worked for me before - but now I only have a week before she arrives so there's not much point.

My plan is to keep my meals light for the next week, keep up with lunch walks every day, and see where I am next week. I'm not worrying about food after she gets here though. Good thing she's only here for about 12 days! I think I'll go back to counting cals and logging with My Fitness Pal after she leaves.

On the good side, I'm still about the same weight and I am happy that maintenance has been EASY. I've been in maintenance since June and it has gone really, really well. Also, I started biking to work (just a short 20+ mins each way) in July and 2 months later, I'm STILL riding daily. its such a short ride that I really don't lose many cals doing it though. Worth it to save gas and wear & tear though!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on September 08, 2016, 01:06:26 PM
I'm guessing your visiting friend probably won't mind some healthy food and activities.  I know when I travel I really get tired of restaurant food and inactivity.  Maybe you'll splurge more with her around but that doesn't mean you can't have some reasonable days too!

@rockstache Loving your new numbers! You are rocking it!

I've been MIA for a few weeks now - feels so weird! I hope to get back into checking here again regularly. Been busy lately with a lot of vacations to plan for. On top of my usual busy summer plans, a month ago, my mother tells me she is coming to visit me in November. We decided to add on a trip to DC and NYC for the both of us. A short while later, my childhood bestie (who lives on the other side of the globe) messages me saying she plans to visit me - she's hoping to come in 2 weeks! Then she asked to go to Disney World, so after some back and forth, I'm planning a weekend girls trip to WDW. To top off the craziness, DH and I had a few Southwest points left and just offered to take my FIL for a weekend in Atlanta this October. I feel like I am juggling so many balls in the air, its amazing I can keep them all up (I'm a super detailed researcher and planner - and yes, I do it all to myself lol!).

Back to weightloss - I went back into full weightloss mode 2 weeks ago when my bestie confirmed her trip. Was too lazy to calorie count though so decided to try just eyeballing things and being sensible. Plus I added back my 30 mins daily lunchtime walks.

I've gone up and down a little since then...but this morning, I'm a wee bit frustrated because in general, the scale is STILL NOT GOING DOWN!  I've started starving myself a little in desperation - fruit for breakfast, a thin miso broth soup for lunch, and a veggie-based dinner. I'm sure there's still sneaky calories finding its way into me at various times UGH. I should go back to strict logging since it worked for me before - but now I only have a week before she arrives so there's not much point.

My plan is to keep my meals light for the next week, keep up with lunch walks every day, and see where I am next week. I'm not worrying about food after she gets here though. Good thing she's only here for about 12 days! I think I'll go back to counting cals and logging with My Fitness Pal after she leaves.

On the good side, I'm still about the same weight and I am happy that maintenance has been EASY. I've been in maintenance since June and it has gone really, really well. Also, I started biking to work (just a short 20+ mins each way) in July and 2 months later, I'm STILL riding daily. its such a short ride that I really don't lose many cals doing it though. Worth it to save gas and wear & tear though!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 08, 2016, 02:04:12 PM
Welcome back Elaineamj we missed you! Glad to hear that maintenance is going well. I agree with PMG. For me, the longer I let myself not worry about it, the harder it is to get back in afterwards. 12 days is a long time to adjust back to. Great job on the biking!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 08, 2016, 08:05:28 PM
Thanks folks!! I think my plan will be to eat light for breakfast and lunch (as I will be at work during the days) then just eat whatever for dinner and treats. I am definitely planning to cook her some yummy zoodles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on September 09, 2016, 12:44:46 AM
After about 12 days of no sugar, I broke today ... had a cookie. I baked cookies for my freshman son's university dorm and they smelled so good. REALLY regretted it ... it didn't really taste all that great.

On the positive side, went to an event tonite and ate zero sweets, even though there were cookies and a few types of bars and squares.

Aunt Flo came to visit tonight, so maybe that's why I was overcome by the desire to eat crap?! Harumph!

Back in the saddle! Had some leftover baked salmon and a small handful of fresh raspberries for a snack tonight. Former me would NEVER have made those choices, so there's that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 09, 2016, 08:49:19 AM
@1967mama  Aunt Flo really makes a difference. A lot of people who track closely report an increase in appetite for a week related to the menstrual cycle. Its just a once a month thing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 09, 2016, 09:06:23 AM
Its been ages since my last Friday weigh in! Thankfully, I've been mostly logging my daily weigh-ins on fitbit.

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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs
July 1 2016: 133.2 lbs.July 8 2016: 133.8 lbs...July 17 2016: 133.4 lbs..July 22 2016: 132 lbs....July 29 2016:132.4 lbs
Aug 5 2016: 132.2 lbs.Aug 12 2016: 131 lbs.....Aug 19 2016: 131.2 lbs..Aug 26 2016: 132 lbs
Sep 2 2016: 131.8 lbs.Sep 9 2016:    130.6 lbs

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

Its AWESOME to finally SEE 130 on the scale! My frustration is that I saw it 2 months ago and have only had a teeny bit of progress since. And yet, I have to remember...I've been in maintenance all summer. I started maintenance averaging 133 lbs in June and I've ended September at about 131.4 lbs (according to trendweight). At the end of September, I'm going back to logging. I am getting eager to see some faster progress and its obvious (after the last 2 weeks of trying) that I can't lose weight without weighing and logging.  Probably eating too many frozen mangoes LOL! Kinda bummed because it was pretty freeing not having to log....but also more confident now knowing I can maintain easily without logging (the daily weigh-ins and constant vigilance is key though).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 09, 2016, 11:26:25 AM
After about 12 days of no sugar, I broke today ... had a cookie. I baked cookies for my freshman son's university dorm and they smelled so good. REALLY regretted it ... it didn't really taste all that great.

On the positive side, went to an event tonite and ate zero sweets, even though there were cookies and a few types of bars and squares.

Aunt Flo came to visit tonight, so maybe that's why I was overcome by the desire to eat crap?! Harumph!

Back in the saddle! Had some leftover baked salmon and a small handful of fresh raspberries for a snack tonight. Former me would NEVER have made those choices, so there's that.

After 5 months and 8 days with no sugar, I had an included Nanaimo bar on a tour yesterday.  Luckily it didn't trigger the want for more...they came around with a second round and I said "no thanks".  Hopefully this is a sign that I can enter small amounts of treats without triggering binges.  So far so good on this 9 day vacation to Vancouver Island... been eating really healthy until yesterday.  Last 2 days were included hot breakfast & lunches on tours, back to the stricter dieting tomorrow.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 09, 2016, 12:17:19 PM
Wow elaineamj! 23.4 lbs is a lot of weight in (not even) 1 year! I would love to see that in scrubbyfish's butter image - that would be encouraging.

Yesterday we had (free) pizza for work at lunch. I knew ahead of time and planned to have self control. I have learned that one slice of large and one slice of small is a good amount for me. However, yesterday they only ordered large pizzas so I took two full sized slices and ate them. My stomach was not pleased by the overage. But I was happy because a year ago -I kid you not- I would have eaten 3+ slices and felt miserable for the rest of the day AND THEN TRIED TO COUNTERACT THE MISERY BY HAVING A SNACK! What a warped view. Next time that happens, I will cut a large slice in half and take 1.5, because I know my limit. I have learned so many lessons this year regarding food. And most of them have just been mental shifts.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 09, 2016, 07:10:15 PM
I would love to see that in scrubbyfish's butter image

:))

I too am very impressed, elaine amj! Great work! How are you feeling, physically?

I don't know my weight change this week. I switched from a constant sundress to winter clothes. On the one hand, this left me considering buying a scale. On the other, I don't want it to be about "a number" that will fluctuate with a thousand variables (water, menstrual cycle, type of clothes). So, I might get a scale, but I also might not and instead just use a new starting point that involves winter clothes :)

Feeling very well, in any case!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 11, 2016, 12:04:22 AM
@rockstache the butter image would sure be crazy! Good for u for learning so much about yourself. It feels empowering to be able to say no sometimes right?

@scrubbyfish THANK YOU :) I am so very glad I did this! I think I can move a little better physically which is nice. That said, I have been pretty active the last few years and done a fair bit of endurance training so it wasn't a massive change.

I like my daily weigh ins to stay vigilant but like u said, it can be easy to get consumed by a number. Your winter clothes idea might be a good one.

Its funny though. I am at my lowest weight ever and this week I have felt so fat. My clothes dont fit nice anymore and there's lumps that I don't remember being there a few weeks ago.

I'm splurging this weekend. Had 1/2 lb of wings and half a rack of (small) ribs for dinner. Then an ice cream explosion waffle for dessert. Spending the weekend out of town with close friends so lots more eating to go. On the good side, I danced for an hour tonight at a country bar. Tomorrow (today? Its 2am lol) morning I plan to get up by 8 while everyone else sleeps in and go for a swim in the hotel pool. Got to get some workouts in!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on September 12, 2016, 07:36:50 AM
Checking in after being out for a few weeks again. We completed our move last week, basically ate take out pizza for every meal for several days and I weighed myself yesterday.

I love cold pizza and coffee for breakfast! It is the one really bad college habit I've never outgrown.

Up a pound and half to 146.6. Not as bad as I anticipated.

Our new house is located within walking distance to lots of stuff so we've been out and about more than usual.

Walked to the farmer's market last week and loaded myself up with fruits and veggies. Had chokeberries for the first time since I was a little kid (my great grandma had a bush in her backyard). I've been eating a handful here and there and throwing them into smoothies -a bit sour but pretty good. I ordered a bike last week and will be picking it up today - am very excited!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on September 12, 2016, 09:33:36 AM
I'm going to have to start getting serious soon, as this is getting embarrassing!

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
July 25 weight 150.2
Aug 1 weight 148.8
Aug 8 weight 149.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 15 weight 150.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 22 weight 151.4
Aug 29 weight 150.4
Sept 5 weight 150.6
Sept 12 weight 151.8
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 13, 2016, 09:20:39 AM
I did pretty well on vacation with the diet.  Had a few treats but managed to stay fairly active and lose another 4 pounds over the 1.5 weeks.  So, now the total loss in 2016 is 89 pounds.  The end is near - 38 pounds to my stretch goal (28 to realistic goal).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 13, 2016, 10:53:53 AM
Great, Jojo!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 13, 2016, 11:00:49 AM
Does anyone else (the public??) have access to WeightWatchers Connect? Absolutely inspiring snippets all day long. I love watching those beautiful people get so healthy and comfy! I'm blown away, am coming to understand what pounds really look like, and am really motivated by these folks' journeys.

Two days ago on Connect, someone shared that a Wendy's small chilli is 5 'smartpoints'. I had a long day in town, had swum, stuff was going wrong, I was getting hungry, and had more to do. So I grabbed that. $1.89! In Canada! That'll be a new go-to.

I bought a scale, the tiny Taylor one. This allows me to stay on track even while skipping the meeting as needed, reducing my travel by kilometers, time, and money.

Swimming yesterday was incredible. Had the entire lengths pool to myself! Then time in the hot tub, steam room, and spacious shower. With the pass, works out to about $1.80.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 13, 2016, 12:03:49 PM
Does anyone else (the public??) have access to WeightWatchers Connect? Absolutely inspiring snippets all day long. I love watching those beautiful people get so healthy and comfy! I'm blown away, am coming to understand what pounds really look like, and am really motivated by these folks' journeys.

Two days ago on Connect, someone shared that a Wendy's small chilli is 5 'smartpoints'. I had a long day in town, had swum, stuff was going wrong, I was getting hungry, and had more to do. So I grabbed that. $1.89! In Canada! That'll be a new go-to.

I bought a scale, the tiny Taylor one. This allows me to stay on track even while skipping the meeting as needed, reducing my travel by kilometers, time, and money.

Swimming yesterday was incredible. Had the entire lengths pool to myself! Then time in the hot tub, steam room, and spacious shower. With the pass, works out to about $1.80.

If I must eat out/ fast food, Wendy's chili is my go to!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalFan on September 13, 2016, 01:04:53 PM
A lot of inspiring and amazing people on this post! It's a little late in 2016 but I'm joining. I think some accountability would help me lose this baby weight (my youngest is now 2!).

Starting weight is 148. Goal is 135. Will be doing Monday weigh-ins. No sugar and alcohol during the week. Letting myself drink wine and a bit of a treat on the weekends. My main downfall is bad habits when we travel (which we do a lot).

Sept. 5: 148
Sept. 12: 146
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: syracusefan on September 13, 2016, 03:58:46 PM
Start of 2016: 240.1
Current weight: 209.5
Goal weight: 200

I'm a 6'2 male.

Well done Syracuse. Would you share details of your regime?

Started doing Weight Watchers at the start of 2016.  It taught me the importance of portion control through point counting.  I eventually got sick of paying $44 per month for WW (non-mustachian) and now use iTrackBites which cost $3.99 in the App Store.  You plug in your height, weight, goal weight, etc and it provides a daily point total for you.  It is incredibly helpful.  You just scan the barcode of practically any food and it will provide the point totals for all portion sizes.  It is incredibly easy to use while at home and while on the go.

My wife and I recently had our first child in September and i had a few rough weeks during my paternity leave.  I am currently at 214.4 :(

Goal weight still 200.  Officially back on the wagon as of yesterday... I even talked my wife into counting points!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 13, 2016, 04:12:53 PM
Started doing Weight Watchers at the start of 2016.  It taught me the importance of portion control through point counting.  I eventually got sick of paying $44 per month for WW (non-mustachian) and now use iTrackBites which cost $3.99 in the App Store.  You plug in your height, weight, goal weight, etc and it provides a daily point total for you.  It is incredibly helpful.  You just scan the barcode of practically any food and it will provide the point totals for all portion sizes.

The [any] points approach is working extremely well for me, too, especially for learning portioning in my old, slower-metabolism etc, age and lifestyle.

For me, WW was more cost effective than an App, because I only have an old, non-Appy phone, no data, etc. The WW fees ($32/mo for me, which should end after six months) are cheaper than a new phone and data would be.

But if a person has an Appy-phone already, and is using data (or is in places with Wifi) anyway, iTrackBites sounds like a good alternative.

(So glad we can talk the finances of weight change!)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: syracusefan on September 13, 2016, 04:26:35 PM

Quote
(So glad we can talk the finances of weight change!)


Well said my friend!  Glad to hear you plan is working for you.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 14, 2016, 09:59:49 PM
@TravellingBiologist Great having u here!!! We travel a lot too and I don't stress about calories when I travel. What I do is push myself to be active on vacation. I aim for 1-2 hours a day of vigorous activity (walking/hiking/swimming/gym). I usually only gain 1-2 pounds or stay stable.

@syracusefan @scrubbyfish ITA that portion control is the key to most successful weight loss. Plus, its something sustainable. Its HARD to live in a state of denial for the long term. I've seen so many people use Weight Watchers successfully.

For myself, I didnt want to pay for WW (since I was being Mustachian about this lol) so I use MyFitnessPal - basic calorie counting, logging, and mindfulness. I love that It is flexible and works with my lifestyle instead of the other way around. And I like the math too - I turned out to be rather precise about the rate of my weightloss lol.

I hit a new low this morning...but went out for Chinese food tonight. Did my best to be careful...but I'm worried about the sodium hit tomorrow morning! I have some time to recover before my official Friday weigh in :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 15, 2016, 09:25:05 AM
elaine amj - That's not good to hit a new low!   :D

I hit the 90 lbs lost mark this morning.  I tried on a bunch of swimsuits bought years ago that still had the tags on.  Size 10 bikinis!  Some of them looked good (wish my boobs were smaller or they would fit great), but maybe after another 10 lbs lost I'll completely lose the "muffin top".   I'll be in Vegas in 38 days so maybe I'll brave myself to the pool one day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 15, 2016, 09:37:40 AM
WW meetings don't fit my new (autumn) schedule, and I'm not spending an hour, and $5 per week, and adding a driving day, to go only there. I'm also not going to continue wearing a sundress in winter to get a consistent/accurate reading of loss.

So:This means I'll have one weigh-in that is a reset—i.e., possibly different than the WW scale, and nekkid—but it will start my new consistent.

Unless the new scale is way off, I'm successfully down again this week, even with my previous weigh-in clothes on :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalFan on September 15, 2016, 11:27:33 AM
Thanks @elaine amj! The problem is we tend to travel for long spells. Most of our travel is active as it involves field work, and when we travel for fun we walk everywhere. But for one of our destinations the food is made for us and is generally low on fresh foods and veggies and often includes dessert, which I have a hard time resisting (easier to avoid at home as I don't buy junk food). I always gain weight there despite being much more active there. I think I just need to lose this baby weight and then focus on maintaining the weight and developing good long-term habits and better mindfulness when I travel. I had lost all the baby weight last year but gained about 10 lbs back at that place, and an extra 3 pounds slowly over the past year. I'm ready for a change!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 15, 2016, 02:38:30 PM
Today is weigh in day for me.  Since I am traveling I will just post my updated weight  -126 pounds whoot whoop for me
I he found with the kids being back at school there isn't the continues snacking and temptation surrounding me. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 15, 2016, 03:14:16 PM
@scrubbyfish That's awesome!!! I have to admit - I like the daily weigh-ins and find they keep me vigilant. I do use a website - trendweight - to average out my daily weigh-ins and find it very accurate. I like the philosophy behind it.

@Frugal Lizard That.is.awesome!!!!!!!!

@Travelling Biologist What about stepping up the intensity of your activity? I know what's its like being surrounded by "free" food and I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation either? Do you think you could fit in 2 solid hours of something fun and active over the course of every day? That plus being reasonable about how much food you do eat should keep those extra pounds away. I find I have to push myself to stay active since everyone else I travel with usually aren't interested. So I get up earlier or I sneak off later in the day.

I have to report I did a happydance when I stepped on the scale this morning. Instead of GAINING weight after having Chinese last night, I lost another half a pound! Woot!! After my 25 min bike ride home, I convincd DH into squeezing in another 20 min bike ride around our neighborhood before we headed out for dinner. At dinner, I was careful and pushed for orders of lighter, lower cal dishes.  I did eat a few bites of the fried tofu and fried seafood, but filled up mostly on steamed shrimp. I enjoyed my dinner AND I still lost weight. Win Win!! (I do admit I ate rather lightly for lunch - a raw beet, apple & orange salad and was super starving by dinnertime).

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 16, 2016, 07:14:55 AM
Way to go Elaine.
Travelling Biologist - I would also suggest writing down everything you eat.  Knowing that I have to record - three scoops of ice cream is enough incentive for me to ask for just one scoop.  It is way less work than keeping track of points.  For me, adding the pause to think about whether I really want to put it in my journal is enough to remove the mindless part.  Just listing the items wasn't enough, I had to record the quantities.  Because I am kind of lazy and don't like measuring really all that much I used my own system of measures.  Four ounces of meat is about a deck of cards, and I know the sizes of my spoons so I named them and some of my favourite dishes.  No one else can understand the system - but it gives me the pause to be mindful. 

Loving all the fruit and veg that is so bountiful right now.  For our anniversary dinner I wasn't feeling like cooking so much but was feeling kind of guilty about not doing anything to acknowledge our 19 years together.  I picked up the CSA and was feeling a little more inspired.  Stopped at the grocery store and grabbed some steaks and mushrooms.  Back home, whipped up two salads - tomato-feta-cucumber and a mixed greens with cherry balsamic (homemade and waiting in the fridge), fried the mushrooms, grilled the steaks, boiled the new potatoes and pulled out the jar of coleslaw that was in the fridge (homemade on the weekend).  In twenty minutes the most colourful and varied meal was on the table.  DH had bought nice wine to celebrate.  (Wine is our never-to-be-mustachian thing) But we only drank a glass each so maybe that will be our nod to mustachianism.  The steaks weren't cheap but all in - a steak dinner feast for four was a fraction of the restaurant price and the family was marking the occasion in style and the kids enjoyed the meal with us.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalFan on September 16, 2016, 08:12:04 AM
Thanks for the advice elaine amj and frugal lizard! Those are both relatively easy things for me to do when traveling that would help I think.

That sounds like a great (and healthy!) anniversary dinner!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 16, 2016, 09:11:43 AM
@Frugal Lizard That sounds like an awesome anniversary dinner! Love it!!

I'm still so slow in the kitchen :( The other night I was making zoodles lo mein for DH and I and Kona chicken thighs for my kids - and it was over 1.5 hours before dinner was served to everyone! Every step sounds simple and quick (and I've made all of it many times before) but combined, it took ages.

@ Travelling Biologist We will all be here cheering you on - you can definitely do this! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 16, 2016, 09:26:26 AM
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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs
July 1 2016: 133.2 lbs.July 8 2016: 133.8 lbs...July 17 2016: 133.4 lbs..July 22 2016: 132 lbs....July 29 2016:132.4 lbs
Aug 5 2016: 132.2 lbs.Aug 12 2016: 131 lbs.....Aug 19 2016: 131.2 lbs..Aug 26 2016: 132 lbs
Sep 2 2016: 131.8 lbs.Sep 9 2016:    130.6 lbs..Sep 16 2016: 128.8 lbs

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

WOOOHOOOOOO!!!! ANOTHER half lb drop since yesterday! The hard work IS paying off!! The first couple of weeks when I got back into weight loss mode, my scale felt so stuck and I felt like I looked fat in everything. This week, everything is dropping magically fast and I'm super excited!

That said - I am going back to maintenance (or small gain) for the next 2 weeks. My childhood bestie is in town to visit me (from the other side of the world!) and we are travelling every weekend, etc etc. Plus she drinks and likes company when she does so I see plenty of beer, wine, and whisky in my future (I very rarely drink my calories).

I have to admit....I stress ate last night :( I was running various errands and DH got into a snit over stupid things. I finally lost my patience, told him off on the phone and headed straight for the nearest dollar store (still got to be Mustachian!) to pick up a big bag of cheesies. Which I then sat in the car in an empty parking lot to eat before my next appt. *sigh* Fighting with him always makes me turn to food :( On the good side, I pointed out his ridiculousness when I got home and after some more (fairly loud) back and forth , he calmed down and made extra efforts to get out of the grumps for the rest of the night and morning.

As a side note, it turned out to be a good teaching point for my DD. She threw a crying fit over something ridiculous this morning and my DH yelled at her. She came to me complaining that he could throw fits and yet he would yell at her if she did. I pointed out that after I spent time talking to him about self-control, not spreading grumpiness, etc....he LISTENED and changed his attitude. So now it was HER turn to change her own attitude. I got a quiet "oh" out of my 15yr old DD out of that lol. Yay for Dad being a good example!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 16, 2016, 09:35:41 AM
Elaine amj - you are an inspiration!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on September 19, 2016, 09:17:01 AM
Ok, I was doing so good all week, with the exception of Saturday. I was down to 150.0 yesterday and today BOOM! 153.2?? My weight has been much more volatile than usual over the past half a year. I'm really good at goals when I am focused on one at a time. This year, being focused more on financial stuff and FIRE planning (fixing up house, gardening, etc) has cut into my fitness goal energy and time. Ah well, at least I'm still posting my embarrassing updates and keeping myself accountable.
 
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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
July 25 weight 150.2
Aug 1 weight 148.8
Aug 8 weight 149.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 15 weight 150.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 22 weight 151.4
Aug 29 weight 150.4
Sept 5 weight 150.6
Sept 12 weight 151.8
Sept 19 weight 153.2
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalFan on September 19, 2016, 11:05:48 AM
Great job @ elaine amj!

I know what you mean, Cookie78. I really haven't put my health as a priority in the last couple of years and am trying to change that. Accountability helps! I thought about this thread a few times this weekend.

Sept. 5: 148
Sept. 12: 146
Sept. 19: 145

A bit of progress! We also had a lot of social events with free food this weekend; willpower is not my strong suit. I did pretty well one day but not so much the next. Tried to make up for it yesterday. And on Friday, I went for a run for the first time in over a year!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 19, 2016, 12:43:22 PM
Just fit into the next size down in pants.  Good news since last week was very stressful and hard and I had lots of other things on my mind other than healthy eating.  Lost a dear friend.  And even though I've been an emotional eater for many years, this time I found myself actually eating less than normal.  Also had my period this past week, just ending now, and was able to handle the stress and tiredness by taking lots of naps instead of eating junk food. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 19, 2016, 01:01:31 PM
We also have company coming into town for the week and staying with us.  I'll do my best to stay with my workout schedule and healthy eating.  I like working out first thing in the a.m.  It sets the tone for the rest of my day, but having guests will make that a bit challenging as I like to blast music while I workout.  I'll just do my best and remember to take care of myself and let the guests fend for themselves a bit more than I normally do.  They can take care of themselves too, they're grown-ups!  :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on September 19, 2016, 03:15:18 PM
I am now hovering around 7 pounds lost, and I have seen the number for 8 pounds lost on the scale twice within the last three days. 

Well I am fluctuating between 7 and 9 pounds lost.  Most of the time between 8 and 9.  I saw 10 when I was sick, but that was just temporary because I'd lost my appetite. 

In the last two weeks, I have been hovering between 9 & 11 pounds lost.  I did add back about 3 pounds after a 4-day vacation, but quickly came back to the current level once home.  Please with this progress, even though it's so slow.  I am not feeling deprived & notice an increase in healthy eating (far less soda, easier to avoid random doughnuts in the office).

Scrubbyfish, I still have not tried the frozen fruit meld, but I think today's the day!  Temperatures spiked yesterday & today, so that's perfect.  The big holdup was I had not peeled the banana before freezing.  Rookie mistake!  Then ran out of time before leaving town to either thaw enough to peel or just cut the peel off.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 19, 2016, 05:09:11 PM
So many great updates today!

Ah well, at least I'm still posting my embarrassing updates and keeping myself accountable.

Yep! That really IS good!
 
Please with this progress, even though it's so slow.  I am not feeling deprived & notice an increase in healthy eating

Love this :)

Scrubbyfish, I still have not tried the frozen fruit meld, but I think today's the day!

It's cool/rainy/cozy here today, but I'm about to have it for my second time today! :) 
Too bad about the peel, ack!
After I eat my second batch, I will be peeling and chunking a couple of dozen again.

Just fit into the next size down in pants.  Good news since last week was very stressful and hard [...] able to handle the stress and tiredness by taking lots of naps instead of eating junk food. 

M.Darcy, I'm so sorry about your friend!

I'm so glad you were able to take care of yourself in that first wave of grief, and also during your period. Also great to hear you planning for the guests to do a bit more self-care. These are all really solid points of progress/health.

And on Friday, I went for a run for the first time in over a year!

Wow!

And doing well on one day out of two is also better than 0/2 :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 19, 2016, 05:16:05 PM
I too am doing well.

Down 8.4 pounds since start (approx six weeks).
No struggle/deprivation/cravings/losses.
Very happy with what I look and feel like :)

Cancelled meeting aspect of my WW membership, as it doesn't fit my autumn schedule.
For same reason, purchased tiny Taylor scale for home—loving a daily weigh-in.
Have continued with WW's online system that I so love.

Had planned junk food on Saturday. That felt right :)
Gained 0.

Upped my food volume per new lifestyle and some resulting hunger.
Set my WW online system to add food room upon exercise, because I get weak and hungry otherwise.

Newest "fast food" is half can of salmon inside a small wrap bread, salt and pepper, roll it up.
Travels well, tasty, very sustaining.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 1967mama on September 20, 2016, 01:01:22 AM
I've decided to do another Whole30 ... successfully lost 48 pounds last year (took a full 12 months) and have been stumbling around the same 5-8 lbs up/down/up/down since the spring. I have about another 30 to get back to a healthy weight for me and this is truly the only thing that has ever worked for me. Day 1 completed :-)

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on September 20, 2016, 08:47:55 AM
I've decided to do another Whole30 ... successfully lost 48 pounds last year (took a full 12 months) and have been stumbling around the same 5-8 lbs up/down/up/down since the spring. I have about another 30 to get back to a healthy weight for me and this is truly the only thing that has ever worked for me. Day 1 completed :-)

For the past few days, I've been toying with the Whole30 thing. I'm not doing it all at once because my tantrum-prone digestive tract would rebel, but I'm reducing sugar, chocolate, grains, and dairy, to see what happens. It feels pretty odd physically, but so far, I'm not craving sweets as I thought I would.

Plus my caloric intake has dropped way down.

Interesting experiment.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 20, 2016, 09:30:47 AM
I still seem to be steadily losing 1/2 pound a day with a few plateaus here and there so now am down 3 more since last week's update.  So, the grand total lost in 2016 is 93 lbs!  I've ratcheted up my intensity of workouts so that's helping to keep momentum. 

Lots of motivation to lose - Las Vegas in late October, Cuba in November.  I'm thinking about signing up for a conference in May of next year that is my "dream job" for early retirement.

One anti-mustachian tendency is I'm tempted to buy clothes that I don't really need but look cute.  I spent $30 on clothes this weekend that I didn't need (tank tops & a skirt for Cuba).  But, I guess on the other hand I've saved 100's on food by eating healthier and less this year.  On a related note, I officially fit in my suit I wore for interviews almost 11 years ago and have head shots for work in a week so now have something nice to wear!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 20, 2016, 09:32:57 AM
I hereby declare (for accountability):

I am making zero effort for weight loss currently.
I dropped 8 lbs, and then started to feel very hungry.
This has remained true for four days, so I am just going to eat to not-hungry and weigh daily.

If I go up, I will revisit.
When my hunger has mellowed again, I will set my next release goal.

But for now, I am at maintenance.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RedmondStash on September 20, 2016, 05:48:05 PM
I still seem to be steadily losing 1/2 pound a day with a few plateaus here and there so now am down 3 more since last week's update.  So, the grand total lost in 2016 is 93 lbs!  I've ratcheted up my intensity of workouts so that's helping to keep momentum. 

I just have to say, that is damned impressive.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 20, 2016, 08:49:17 PM
I still seem to be steadily losing 1/2 pound a day with a few plateaus here and there so now am down 3 more since last week's update.  So, the grand total lost in 2016 is 93 lbs!  I've ratcheted up my intensity of workouts so that's helping to keep momentum. 

I just have to say, that is damned impressive.

I second that - truly impressive
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 21, 2016, 08:53:55 AM
I hereby declare (for accountability):

I am making zero effort for weight loss currently.
I dropped 8 lbs, and then started to feel very hungry.
This has remained true for four days, so I am just going to eat to not-hungry and weigh daily.

...therefore, after five days at precisely the same weight, I suddenly dropped 1.4 and have reached 10 pounds released! A surprise.

I like eating a lot. As in, volume. I'm really glad I did what my body needed.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 21, 2016, 09:41:42 AM
I still seem to be steadily losing 1/2 pound a day with a few plateaus here and there so now am down 3 more since last week's update.  So, the grand total lost in 2016 is 93 lbs!  I've ratcheted up my intensity of workouts so that's helping to keep momentum. 

I just have to say, that is damned impressive.

I second that - truly impressive


Thanks.  Hopefully in 2017 it will be a "Maintaining Weight in 2017" thread!  24 to realistic goal, 34 to stretch goal now.  This is my most challenging time of year - it's too easy to fall off the wagon when all the Halloween candy is plentiful.  Candy is one of my major triggers.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 21, 2016, 10:43:28 AM
I hereby declare (for accountability):

I am making zero effort for weight loss currently.
I dropped 8 lbs, and then started to feel very hungry.
This has remained true for four days, so I am just going to eat to not-hungry and weigh daily.

...therefore, after five days at precisely the same weight, I suddenly dropped 1.4 and have reached 10 pounds released! A surprise.

I like eating a lot. As in, volume. I'm really glad I did what my body needed.

That is so funny Scrubby. I have noticed the same thing, and it is usually related to random cravings. Sometimes I just really need a certain food and I don't know why, but I can't get it off my mind. As soon as I 'indulge,' I start seeing results again. Seems backwards, but the body knows what it needs!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: firelight on September 21, 2016, 01:44:30 PM
Started eating healthy this week but I realize my downfall is snacking (and late night snacking) in particular. I eat when I'm in the kitchen. Since I prep food for all, I'm there most of the time and end up eating something or the other :( I need to find a way to break this habit.

On a good note, I competed with a friend on one of the Fitbit challenges and walked like crazy (for me). Usually I'm happy with 5k steps a day but she pushed me to walk atleast 10k steps a day and sometimes more. Going to keep this momentum going since I realized this makes my toddler tired too and she sleeps earlier. And I get to spend more quality time with her.
 Sounds like win-win-win.

A big part of my culture is rice but all diets ask me to avoid rice. Has anyone eaten rice and still lost weight?
Ok... I've avoided rice like plague and the scale has moved.... 1 pound. Trying to up my exercise quotient but it's super hard with a toddler at home and full time work. Trying this week to see if I can do my workout at the office before work so I can really concentrate on it. At this point, I'm still only walking but started to add some light jogging in.

Thanks to this thread, I'm going to start journaling what I eat so I can really find the plugs. My suspicion is that I just eat way more than needed due to peer pressure from teammates (we eat lunch together and our lunch is provided by work, so I don't have a way to portion it before hand) or husband (I linger till he is done with his meal and end up eating just to keep company). Add in all the food that goes in because my toddler rejected it and I'm pretty sure I'm looking at two extra meals easy.
Here is my weigh in chart (goal:135)
In Jan I was 150
Apr: 143
May: 140
June: 152
July: 153
Aug: 155
Sept: 157
I'm hoping to get it down to atleast 150 by end of Dec so I close the year with no gains in the weight department.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 22, 2016, 02:06:03 PM
@Travelling Biologist So nice to see progress!!

@oneday awesome that you are feeling good about what you are eating

@scrubbyfish CONGRATS on the nice drop. Sometimes weight hangs around for no good reason and then just goes in a swoosh!

As for me, my friend showed up and as predicted, I gained over the weekend. By Tuesday, I was FIVE pounds over. 2 days later, 3 pounds of water weight came off so overall only up a couple of pounds. Eating light today and tomorrow because the weekend will kick off almost a whole week of eating. Going to do my best to keep up my activity levels up but expect to put on another couple of pounds by the time this is over.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 23, 2016, 06:36:50 AM
Yesterday was weigh-in day for me but I had to catch an earlier train and I am really trying to cut my data use so I didn't post.
I am now 126 again.  I think what has helped is the portion size.  We have been eating outside because the dining room is being redecorated/renovated.  Only have a small table on the front porch so we load our plates in the kitchen and don't go back for seconds.  It is really easy to be mindful this way. 
Also I have really upped the veg intake - and cut back the cheese to garnish only portions.

Nice to be see all the successes others are sharing.  Maybe you haven't lost weight in a while or maybe you have put some back on.  I still consider you having a success because you are still holding yourself to account.  I got over weight by sticking my head in the sand and pulling my head out was a huge for me.  Keep up striving to eat well and be healthier.

Anyone have any reading recommendations to share about healthfulness, or cooking?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 23, 2016, 05:41:48 PM
I've had the last crappiest 4 days this year, this diet - another plateau was hit lasting since Monday, which is totally expected after all the loss, but I feel absolutely drained - no energy, sleepy, etc.  I'm debating if I can get out of this by just allowing myself more calories, or a cheat day but afraid of what that might lead to.  Any advice?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 23, 2016, 05:47:46 PM
Sorry you're in a rough patch, JoJo.

I would think your next step would depend on the approach you're using/preferring. Different people are triggered by different things. So, while including some junk food last Saturday was just fine for me, that could be the start of a slippery slope for someone else. Some days I need more volume, some days junk, some days more protein, some days more sleep, some days other forms of self-care like a hot bath, a massage, time with a friend, or fun movement.

What is your preferred dietary approach?
What wiggle room does it suggest for tricky stretches?
Is it time to intentionally slow the weight loss, like to 1-2 lbs per week?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 26, 2016, 09:26:47 AM
So, the good news is I didn't binge this weekend even though I was tempted to.  Thank goodness the weather was great and I had planned 2 hikes with friends for both days.

The scale this morning was so discouraging.  I'm done 1/2 pound since last monday morning.  In that week not only did I eat extremely healthy, I also: lifted weights (2x50 min), did ellipical for 65 minutes, went for 2 city walks (about 60 min), hiked 8 miles with 1800 ft gain, and hiked another 8 miles with 2000 ft gain.  Ugh!

Anyways, I'm going to try to stop beating up on myself when the scale doesn't show it.  I do think my legs are looking much toner this morning so maybe it is just muscle building up now.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on September 26, 2016, 10:03:47 AM
I think I finally hit the bottom of the barrel point! I ate SO poorly on Friday at a cousins wedding. SO MANY YUM DESSERTS! Saturday I felt disgusted with myself and wasn't even tempted by the popcorn and chips at my aunt's house, my two weakest points. Saturday and Sunday I ate really well. Today has been good so far. Skipped the chocolates at work, but had a piece of zucchini banana bread that a coworker made for breakfast. And LOTS of tea, no cream, no sugar, all three days. I even got myself out of bed after sleeping in to go orienteering yesterday. And I will go for ice cream celebration tomorrow afternoon with co-workers, but I am not getting an ice cream. Once I hit that point and finally convince myself that I don't need (insert bad things here), it's so much easier to continue avoiding them the next time. It's like I'm convincing myself that yes indeed, I DO have willpower, and I don't have to listen to the little devil on my shoulder. :)

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
July 25 weight 150.2
Aug 1 weight 148.8
Aug 8 weight 149.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 15 weight 150.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 22 weight 151.4
Aug 29 weight 150.4
Sept 5 weight 150.6
Sept 12 weight 151.8
Sept 19 weight 153.2
Sept 26 weight 152.4
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 26, 2016, 11:45:02 AM
So, the good news is I didn't binge this weekend even though I was tempted to.  Thank goodness the weather was great and I had planned 2 hikes with friends for both days.

The scale this morning was so discouraging.  I'm done 1/2 pound since last monday morning.  In that week not only did I eat extremely healthy, I also: lifted weights (2x50 min), did ellipical for 65 minutes, went for 2 city walks (about 60 min), hiked 8 miles with 1800 ft gain, and hiked another 8 miles with 2000 ft gain.  Ugh!

Anyways, I'm going to try to stop beating up on myself when the scale doesn't show it.  I do think my legs are looking much toner this morning so maybe it is just muscle building up now.

Sounds like you are gaining muscle and that's affecting the scale.  This is why I don't weigh.  I gain muscle much faster than I lose fat, so if I were to gauge my success with a scale it would be very discouraging.  But gaining muscle is a positive thing and adds to our health in many ways so actually something to be celebrated.

This past week I was feeling like I was gaining in the my tummy area - my problem area - and I was wondering what was up because I was doing everything the same.  I figured I was building my abs muscle wall and that was pushing the fat and making it stick out!  :)  So I just kept on with my routine. 

This weekend I increased my pushups per workout and I've added a cup of hot cocoa in the morning before working out.  The sugar and carbs will be offset with the increased workout and it's nice to have a little indulgence in the morning since now it's cold and dark when I get up.  Keeping those little indulgences helps me stay on track and not feel deprived.  I estimate that I've lost about 10 lbs of fat per month for the last 4 months.  My legs are looking great - lots of definition and very sleek.  My upper body is smaller, and definitely stronger, but that's where I carry my extra weight so I still have a ways to go there.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 26, 2016, 11:50:24 AM
@scrubbyfish - thank you for your kind words about my recent loss.  You're very kind. 

I also want to congratulate you on achieving maintenance status!!!  Whoo-hoo!!!!!  :)  Good for you!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 26, 2016, 05:38:28 PM
I also want to congratulate you on achieving maintenance status!!!  Whoo-hoo!!!!!  :)  Good for you!

My maintenance is only temporary :)    It was just acknowledgement of variables that said "it's time to let go of the idea of releasing pounds, and simply aim for/be satisfied with not gaining." I'm down 10 pounds since I started in August, am at a very comfy size/shape/weight, so at the top of "good." I could stand to lose up to 10 more, which I may down the road. For now, just letting it be.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalFan on September 26, 2016, 06:51:16 PM
Great job everyone!

Sept. 5: 148
Sept. 12: 146
Sept. 19: 145
Sept. 23: 143.5

I can already tell the difference and my clothes fit better, so I am happy with the progress. My second kid gave me a pretty bad diastasis recti (abdominal separation) so I will never look like I did pre-kids, no matter what I weigh. But this means my waist is already larger because of the diastasis and even a few extra pounds makes it look much worse. At least I can hide it with my clothes a bit better now. And I've been enjoying running two days a week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on September 26, 2016, 08:20:15 PM
It's been a while since I posted in this thread.

Date      Weight (lbs)
7/26/2015           145
11/6/2015           134
1/14/2016           128
4/11/2016           128
5/29/2016           124
8/20/2016           127
9/26/2016           130

The scale has somewhat gone in the opposite direction :(

There have been a few things, the biggest of which have been travel. I was visiting family for almost a month. This usually means lots of food, lots of chatting, lots of sitting. It's a surprise that I did not balloon out more than this. Now I'm back home at least for the next three weeks before another round of work related travel.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 27, 2016, 09:34:33 AM
OK - now I def need to stop worrying about day to day fluctuations.  According to the scale this morning, I gained 2 pounds since yesterday!  I have been coming down with a cold for a couple days so all I had yesterday was a bowl of cereal for breakfast, my usual lunch of 3 eggs, veggies, and flax seed.  And for dinner I had a few slices of cucumber and made a package of soup mix - quinoa & kale.  The whole package is supposedly 390 calories.  Plus, I had 4 vitamin C/Zinc tabs to stave off the cold.  So yeah - apparently that makes you gain 2 pounds!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 27, 2016, 11:03:02 AM
I was thinking yesterday that I've achieved my fitness goal I set for myself this summer - to feel strong and fit.  And that feels good.  There was no specific number in terms of weight loss tied to that goal.  I had a general idea based on how I wanted to feel and what size seemed to correlate with that.  For me it was a size 12.  I'm now down to a size 10.

In terms of weight, ideally I would like to lose another 40 lbs or so.  That would put me currently at 50% of goal.  Not sure how much I'm willing to work to achieve that extra 40 lbs.  As a 48 year old female, weight loss does not come as easily as it used to.  But I'm willing to give it a try.  I suspect that I won't see significant weight loss right now because I've increased my strength training in my upper body. In fact, I'll probably look bigger for a while.  But I keep reminding myself that I'm in this for the long-term benefits.  Delayed gratification - tough but worth it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 29, 2016, 06:35:58 AM
Weigh in day again -
Still bouncing around 127. 
Having a real hard time keeping motivated to resist the second helping or the invitation to lunch.
On the upside - really when I think about it - seven months ago I was getting a little heavier each and every week so I am going to celebrate that I am still down 10 pounds. 
The cupboard doors are going back on slowly but the snacks are all hidden again.  I just have to stop eating them.
It is definitely getting a lot colder and I have a tendency to eat for a layer of insulation.  I am going to step up the mindfullness of this tendency. 

M.Darcy - getting fit and dropping to size 10 seems absolutely amazing to me.  Having muscle mass is really important as you age and helps keep bone density.  Bravo!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 29, 2016, 09:10:38 AM
It is definitely getting a lot colder and I have a tendency to eat for a layer of insulation.

I'm stable at my 'down 10 pounds' and 'acceptable' weight, but I too am finding the above. There are very cool hours here now, and no warm pool, no hot tub, so I want to use food to get warm and cozy! My homemade ice cream is not as fitting.

M.Darcy: Yes, congrats! I can't imagine feeling a need to lose 40 from size 10, but in any case, a hearty congrats on being fit and strong!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 29, 2016, 09:57:38 AM
@scrubbyfish - when you're younger you can carry a lot more weight and still look and feel fit and attractive.  A younger body is more taut and firm, and elastic, so the extra weight looks good - even healthy and desirable.  Sadly, as you age, especially for women, the body loses a lot of that and extra weight is much more noticeable.  And unattractive.  If you workout and build muscle it helps to give the body a nice firm look, but it does not mitigate the effects of age - not all of them.  But a lot of them, yes!  My body does look younger.

Also, there's the new vanity sizing.  A size 10 is not what it used to be!  :)  I'm actually kinda shocked that I fit into size 10 jeans right now.  I really shouldn't.  I should still be in a size 12, maybe even 14.  But sizing has been changed to make us feel better.  I have a few things from decades ago that are size 10 and they are tiny.  No way I could fit into those now. 

I think losing 20 lbs and adding muscle at the same time will get me to a good place, but at my height, 40 lbs (with muscle) would be the healthiest for my body. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 29, 2016, 09:58:45 AM
Oh, I see!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 29, 2016, 10:13:00 AM
There are very cool hours here now, and no warm pool, no hot tub, so I want to use food to get warm and cozy!

I recommend spicy food for this! We do a spicy chickpea dish with curry that is a wonderful comfort food for cold days, but with very little fat/calories. We use this one as a base, http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/02/quick-curried-chick-peas/ but add a lot of extra veggies and spice it up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 29, 2016, 11:05:49 AM
Thanks, rockstache! I'll include some spiciness in my breakfast this morning!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 29, 2016, 12:00:25 PM
I did it, rockstache! Simply add chili flakes to my tuna tostado. Was great!!

Also turned heat on in house, and put coffee on. (Is there a yummy way to add spice to my coffee??!?)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 29, 2016, 12:44:12 PM
Added black pepper to my vanilla coffee. It's good!!

This was inspired by a memory of my favourite DavidsTea tea: North African Mint. I will get me some of that, and maybe one other hot flavour (e.g., chocolate chili chai). I know the first one is great as-is, while the company recommends some milk with the second. Actually, that noted, read my lips sounds like the way to go. Oh wait...  Sigh, here's just their wonderful page of ginger-inclusive ones: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/our-teas/ginger/   Yes, a trip to DT is going to make my winter thermos AWESOME.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 29, 2016, 12:50:59 PM
scrubbyfish - have you ever tried homemade cinnamon tea?  You boil a few cinnamon sticks in water until the water is nice and dark, usually 15-20 minutes, and you'll have a very delicious tea - naturally sweet and spicy - and your house will smell wonderful.  Leftover tea keeps really well and you can even make a big batch and put it in the fridge if you don't want to spend the time to boil it each time.   If you make it, you'll want to taste it when it starts getting dark and keep boiling until it reaches that delicious point.  I get my cinnamon sticks in bulk at the local Hispanic market. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 29, 2016, 12:58:13 PM
Ooooohhh, that sounds great too, M.Darcy! I've made a LOT of homemade ginger tea, but homemade cinnamon would be new :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 29, 2016, 02:13:16 PM
I'm glad you liked it! The cinnamon tea does sound delish! I might try that myself.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 29, 2016, 04:57:39 PM
I didn't make the cinnamon tea (no sticks yet), but I did add powdered cinnamon to my homemade "ice cream" today, with the shredded raw ginger. Awesome! Enjoying all the new flavours today :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: crispy on September 29, 2016, 05:21:27 PM
I just wanted to check in because it has been a while.  Between school starting and a host of other random stuff, I got sidetracked.  I started at about 151 in June, and today I was at 146.  This is coming off slowly mostly my own fault), but it is at least moving in the right direction.  I lost 100+ pounds back in 2011 and my weight had crept up in the last year so I wanted to get back down to 140.  Still aiming to get there by the end of the year.

I met a friend for lunch today, and I realized how easy it is to gain weight while eating "healthy."  This restaurant is not known for health food, but I looked at the menu and nutrition beforehand and chose a meal that was fairly healthy and whose calories fit into may daily intake (around 500 calories for the meal plus a diet coke).  My friend has also really struggled with her weight and she was telling me how she ate healthy and didn't know why she was gaining.  After we left, I looked up the salad she ordered, and it had over 1500 calories plus she had two regular cokes.  It is a reminder about why I rarely eat out.  Holy cow!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: doug111 on September 29, 2016, 05:39:49 PM
When I couldn't find this thread, I figured it was about time someone started it!

What are your goals, methods, motivations, and deadlines?

There's some great stuff in the 2015 thread especially in the final page's posts (Dollarbill!!):  http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/losing-weight-in-2015/msg910056/#msg910056 (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/losing-weight-in-2015/msg910056/#msg910056)

Someone linked an article that appeals to me in the end of the 2015 article, suggesting daily weighing and moving average calculations. Here's the article https://medium.com/technology-liberal-arts/the-data-diet-how-i-lost-60-pounds-using-a-google-docs-spreadsheet-80adce62cf5c#.pij41yzhj (https://medium.com/technology-liberal-arts/the-data-diet-how-i-lost-60-pounds-using-a-google-docs-spreadsheet-80adce62cf5c#.pij41yzhj) and here's the spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/previewtemplate?id=0AiqPelI3OIXCdGhieGI3UGxNaVM4MWh4VnliUGd3TkE&mode=public?id=0AiqPelI3OIXCdGhieGI3UGxNaVM4MWh4VnliUGd3TkE&mode=public (https://drive.google.com/previewtemplate?id=0AiqPelI3OIXCdGhieGI3UGxNaVM4MWh4VnliUGd3TkE&mode=public?id=0AiqPelI3OIXCdGhieGI3UGxNaVM4MWh4VnliUGd3TkE&mode=public).  Changing the first date to 2016 should effect the same change in the whole page (and I changed the tab name to 2016 for myself.)
Try intermittent fasting. Its worked wonders for me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 30, 2016, 07:39:32 AM
I met a friend for lunch today, and I realized how easy it is to gain weight while eating "healthy."  This restaurant is not known for health food, but I looked at the menu and nutrition beforehand and chose a meal that was fairly healthy and whose calories fit into may daily intake (around 500 calories for the meal plus a diet coke).  My friend has also really struggled with her weight and she was telling me how she ate healthy and didn't know why she was gaining.  After we left, I looked up the salad she ordered, and it had over 1500 calories plus she had two regular cokes.  It is a reminder about why I rarely eat out.  Holy cow!

OUCH!! It's so true, you know. I actually have to be watchful about salads. My favourite salad (that I make at home) clocks in about 500 cals - which is a big meal for me as I'm super short and eat about 1200-1400/cals a day when in weight loss mode. I do keep it in regular rotation since it is good for me nutrition-wise, but it does have to count as an "indulgence" meal. Which is a weird way to think about a salad.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 30, 2016, 08:14:28 AM
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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs
July 1 2016: 133.2 lbs.July 8 2016: 133.8 lbs...July 17 2016: 133.4 lbs..July 22 2016: 132 lbs....July 29 2016:132.4 lbs
Aug 5 2016: 132.2 lbs.Aug 12 2016: 131 lbs.....Aug 19 2016: 131.2 lbs..Aug 26 2016: 132 lbs
Sep 2 2016: 131.8 lbs.Sep 9 2016:    130.6 lbs..Sep 16 2016: 128.8 lbs..Sep 23 2016: 130.6 Lbs..Sep 30 2016: 131.6 lbs

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

Well, I said goodbye to my friend on Tuesday. Haven't gotten back to controlled eating yet though as I had work events (i.e. free food) on Tuesday & Wednesday. Very pleased that I only put on a lb or two. Especially considering we spent a few days in Disney World together :) I did push myself to do some extra workouts whenever possible, so that helped with the extra eating. And Disney is always a workout!

Really hoping I can get back to weight loss mindset. The last couple of days I have been recovering from sheer exhaustion (need a vacay from my Disney vacay!) so no exercise - just flopping around in bed. I'm going to give myself another day or rest and then try to pick up my activity level from Saturday onwards. Most importantly, I need to get back to controlled eating. Last night's dinner was leftover nachos. Plus I raided the M&Ms my friend gifted me during yesterday's afternoon slump and ate wayyyy more than I should (I actually felt rather sick afterwards).

I think my biggest challenge is learning to be satisfied eating small portions of my favourite treats. When I like something, I often eat vast quantities of it. Still working on changing my mindset that a small handful is amazing, wonderful, and ENOUGH!

My mom comes to stay for a long 2 month visit in mid-November. It would be wonderful to greet her with 5 lbs less of me. Even more wonderful would be to end 2016 hitting my stretch goal of 120 lbs! In the meantime, I am so happy to be where I am at. I was moaning about the last 10 lbs to my (always-been-skinny) friend and she said "You look normal again right now". And she's right - I'm no skinny minnie...but I am now a size 4-8 (depending on brand haha!) and I look NORMAL. It is an amazing feeling to love taking photos again and stop looking for people/things to hide my body behind.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 30, 2016, 10:02:28 AM
Hi elaine - I feel a bit like you right now.  I've been allowing myself some food treats the last couple of weeks and I guess at some point they will need to taper off and stop.

I mentioned that I lost a dear friend a couple of weeks ago and I've been feeling sad and blue since then.  I hadn't really changed my food intake until last week when we had company and they brought me some premium chocolates and I've been eating some everyday.  And yesterday I had a bagel and some other carby foods.  I don't feel like I'm gaining, maybe I am but just don't notice, but I've been keeping to my exercise schedule and I figure that's a good compromise. 

However, I have noticed that the chocolates are starting to give me sugar energy crashes and I've been feeling antsy (anxious really), depressed, and unsettled this week.  I attribute these new feelings to the sugar since I was feeling ok before that.  I only have one more chocolate to go before they're all gone and then I want to get back to where I was. 

It's a bit shocking to realize how bad I feel when I'm eating this stuff.  It completely changes my outlook on life.  I don't like feeling this way.

It's also a bit disturbing that I keep eating that junk even when I'm aware of how badly it's making me feel.  Actually it's a lot disturbing.  :(

ETA:
You know, I'm going to cut myself some slack here and just relax about this.  Yes, the chocolate is making me feel crappy but it's not the end of the world or a moral failing.  It's just not the best choice but that happens sometimes.  No need to beat myself up about it.  I'm doing my best right now.  And I'm doing ok.  Not great, but ok.  And that's good enough right now.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 30, 2016, 10:32:49 AM
@M.Darcy Doing OK is sometimes a REALLY good place to be!

I think its important to acknowledge that life happens and there will be ups and downs. What's working for me now is an overall attitude of watchfulness. I keep an eye on my daily weigh ins and my trending weight. I don't beat myself up (too badly) when my weight trends upwards for a week but do take action when it starts going for too long. I know how to lose the weight, I know how to keep it off - so just have to keep an eye on myself and take action when necessary.

Also, need to maintain the resolve to NEVER have to go through the work of losing 25 lbs again. Oh...and nutrition. Sometimes in the quest to look good, I forget about helping my body FEEL good. This year has shown me how awesome vegetables and wholesome food can be for my body. My husband is so right - I need to be careful to fuel my body appropriately if I want to grow old and be a wacky grandma who wears purple with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me (have loved that poem since I was in my teens - before it became trendy!).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on September 30, 2016, 11:21:11 AM
Thanks elaine!  You're right.  Sometimes ok is a really good place to be.  I needed that today. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on September 30, 2016, 11:27:35 AM
M.Darcy & elaine - I totally relate on the healthy eating.  It's amazing the impact of eating sugar and how it makes you feel afterwards.  And for me the risk of it setting off a binge too.  It's been so hard lately.  People are coming back from Hawaii with chocolates, candy corn in the breakroom (I love that stuff), donuts at least once a week.

I finally have dropped a pound after plateauing for over a week and hit the 95 pound lost milestone but 'm now feeling more worried about excess skin.  I've definitely been noticing more lose skin with the last 6 pounds or so lost.  I might have to change my goal weight to a bit higher to avoid being a bag of skin.  While I'm still technically "overweight" in the BMI category, a few people have told me that I look to be at my ideal weight so we'll see.  I might just work on lowering my body fat percentage as the goal for the next month.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 30, 2016, 12:14:27 PM
In the meantime, I am so happy to be where I am at. I was moaning about the last 10 lbs to my (always-been-skinny) friend and she said "You look normal again right now". And she's right - I'm no skinny minnie...but I am now a size 4-8 (depending on brand haha!) and I look NORMAL. It is an amazing feeling to love taking photos again and stop looking for people/things to hide my body behind.

This right here! This is so great, I am feeling the same way. I feel really good about myself - maybe for the first time ever. I'm old/mature enough to not care too much about what other people think and to appreciate my body for what it is, and finally got to a size that feels/looks normal too.

Great job!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 30, 2016, 12:24:03 PM
M.Darcy & elaine - I totally relate on the healthy eating.  It's amazing the impact of eating sugar and how it makes you feel afterwards.  And for me the risk of it setting off a binge too.  It's been so hard lately.  People are coming back from Hawaii with chocolates, candy corn in the breakroom (I love that stuff), donuts at least once a week.

I finally have dropped a pound after plateauing for over a week and hit the 95 pound lost milestone but 'm now feeling more worried about excess skin.  I've definitely been noticing more lose skin with the last 6 pounds or so lost.  I might have to change my goal weight to a bit higher to avoid being a bag of skin.  While I'm still technically "overweight" in the BMI category, a few people have told me that I look to be at my ideal weight so we'll see.  I might just work on lowering my body fat percentage as the goal for the next month.

JoJo: You have lost weight REALLY rapidly. At some point, that will slow down...and it sounds like that time is coming. I'd say it's time to start assessing how the rest of your life will look like. What do you want your daily routines to be? I am assuming you don't want to live the rest of your life in deprivation. What is going to be your new normal? Who is your "new you" going to be? So very excited to see you take on the challenges ahead!

From what I have seen, the big challenges are 3+ years in. Very sadly, the 2 close friends I have who lost a lot of weight very successfully 3-5 years ago....are now letting the weight creep back on. Oddly enough, both of them have put on a lot of weight at about the same time this year (20-30+ lbs each). It's rough since those two have been my success inspiration. I've been paying attention and my assessment is that both stopped being as active as they were during/after the weight loss and stopped being vigilant. They will "lose the extra soon". I love them dearly and know how incredibly hard both worked to lose the weight initially :( It does make me a little nervous for myself - but onwards and upwards! I chose slow and steady on purpose so that I could get accustomed to a lifestyle I can maintain for the rest of my life. So far, so good and I'm just going to keep on keeping on.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on September 30, 2016, 07:17:04 PM
Appreciating the great conversation here!

Just a quick update:
Eating optimally.
Did purchase three of the spiciest David Tea teas today.
Tried hard to find a sports bra so I can start the jogging I feel like, but no luck. All so tiny and tight! Recommendations?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on October 01, 2016, 12:13:31 PM
I know it's not an option for everybody, but I jog in a regular bra: Spanx Bra-lellujah. The racer back style tends to be a bit less pricey, and buying them online brings down the price as well. I like them because the straps and band are made of super comfy, super stretchy material that moves with you much like most sports bras. They have normal underwire cups.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 01, 2016, 12:32:58 PM
Thanks very much, oneday!

Regular might actually be fine for me too. My breasts aren't giant, and most of the time I wear no bra. So, maybe I should start by, oh, wearing one of the regular bras I already own, lol!

I think the pullover sports bras are poking at my sensory stuff, because I got panicked trying them on yesterday and now even looking at any online I feel the same. I think the not-pullover is the piece that's critical for me. Now I realize any with opening/closing will do.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 01, 2016, 03:40:46 PM
I bought a Champion one which clasps normally on the back and has an underwire. Really like the support


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on October 02, 2016, 01:07:49 AM
I'll need to get back into it. I broke my ankle in late July (required surgery), and I'm now able to walk again, but it'll be a while before I can run properly.

I have to admit I didn't change my eating habits all that much when I was immobile (although I did stop drinking for about six weeks), but my clothes still feel like they fit normally.

Original weight: 116.3kg
Last weigh-in's weight: 116.9kg
Current weight: 117.9kg
Goal weight: 90kg

I guess gaining just one kilogram over the last two and a half months isn't too bad considering.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 02, 2016, 09:30:33 AM
I bought a Champion one which clasps normally on the back and has an underwire. Really like the support

Thx, elaine amj! I'm going to try on some claspy ones today.

I guess gaining just one kilogram over the last two and a half months isn't too bad considering.

I agree. An injury can have such an impact, so this is good! So smart that you stopped drinking while relatively immobile. Glad you're getting back on the horse now :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brooklynmoney on October 02, 2016, 02:13:43 PM
I've been following this thread and you all have motivated me to get on the bandwagon. I have NOT been able to lose the 5-10 pounds I'd like to. I feel like I "should" be at my target weight because I work out, a lot, both strength training and distance running (running a half marathon next weekend), but that hasn't seemed to have done anything for me. I just cut out booze for the last month and that didn't do anything. However, I got a cold last week and had a suppressed appetite from the meds. I lost 4 pounds, which I know is probably going to come back, but it really showed me that I basically just have to eat less. So I signed up for Myfitnesspal and am going to focus on eating fewer calories. I overall have a very healthy diet, and at the end of the summer was focused on really ramping up my veggie intake. I'm going to continue to do that as well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 02, 2016, 02:23:05 PM
Welcome, brooklynmoney :)

Yep, several of us are finding that besides movement and optimal foods, portions matter (dammit). For me, I can freely eat lean meats, eggs, fruit, nonstarchy veggies. So I only need to portion my full fat yogurt, nuts, muesli, and garbage.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on October 03, 2016, 12:02:40 AM
brooklynmoney -- welcome!

And I agree with what scrubbyfish says.

In my case, I am vegetarian (almost vegan) and for most of the things I eat such as fruits and veggies there is no need to track those strictly.  One thing that helped me was to understand the caloric density of food. The following chart is from the website.
https://www.pritikin.com/your-health/health-benefits/healthy-weight-loss/1318-why-not-just-count-calories.html (https://www.pritikin.com/your-health/health-benefits/healthy-weight-loss/1318-why-not-just-count-calories.html)

FOOD   CALORIES PER POUND
Vegetables   65 to 195
Fresh Fruits   135 to 420
Potatoes, pastas, brown rice, sweet potatoes, corn, hot cereals   280 to 650
Legumes: peas and beans, such as pinto, garbanzo, black, and lentil beans   400 to 750
Nonfat dairy foods   180 to 450
Seafood, lean poultry, lean red meat   400 to 870
Dried fruit, jams, fat-free muffins and breads, including sourdough rolls, bagels, pita breads, and baguettes   1,200 to 1,400
Dried cereal, pretzels, fat-free cookies, fat-free potato chips   1,600 to 1,750
Regular salad dressing   1,800 to 2,000
Chocolate bars, croissants, doughnuts   2,200 to 2,500
Nuts and regular potato chips   2,500 to 3,000
Butter, margarine   3,200
Olive oil, corn oil, lard   4,010
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 03, 2016, 09:28:01 AM
A combo of things, including the weather changes both the colder temps and the fact that the sunrise and sunsets have changed so dramatically, has led to me increase my sugar and carb intake.  Not on purpose, but as a result of increased cravings.  It gets dark so early!  And it's so dark in the mornings too. 

I gave up coffee months ago and haven't missed it but lately I'm craving hot cocoa in the mornings.  Right now I'm trying to watch the sugar in it but I ran out of Splenda and am using some rock sugar, maybe 1 tbs or so - I make my own mix with unsweetened cocoa powder.  I also had a couple of cinnamon raisin bagels this weekend.  Luckily, it has not caused any weight gain.  I did my jean weigh in this morning and things are good.  Not a lot of loss, but some, and not bad considering that I feel very indulgent with my food.

This week I want to see how I can use an increase in non-starchy veggies to give me that indulgent feel without stalling my weight loss.  I would really like to have some sweet potatoes but that will cause my weight loss to stall for sure. 

Oh, and I want to make a big batch of broth with some oven roasted bones.  I think that will help a lot with the feelings of satiety.  Plus the collagen will be good for my joints.  If I can replace my morning cup of cocoa with a cup of broth it would be a big win.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 03, 2016, 01:45:34 PM
I hear you, M.Darcy! It's cold in the night and morning here now, my kid is perpetually waking me at odd hours so I'm exhausted, my coffee machine broke, the local pool shut down... Argh.

Somemagicallyhow I'm still on track!

The broth is a great idea.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 03, 2016, 04:21:49 PM
Been struggling this last few days :( In a slump and feel like I'll be fat forever (even though I hit my first goal weight and I am at my lowest weight ever). Just got to make it through and the sun will shine again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 03, 2016, 05:28:17 PM
Been struggling this last few days :( In a slump and feel like I'll be fat forever (even though I hit my first goal weight and I am at my lowest weight ever). Just got to make it through and the sun will shine again.

Sorry it's been tough, elaine amj! I surely know how that goes: how we can "feel fat" even when we're not, and even when we're at our lowest weight or in our best shape. Sucks. You're right that it will pass. Try to keep taking care of yourself despite the "feeling like" part :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 03, 2016, 05:32:29 PM
Just home from a "win".
Kid is wanting to try all the chain restaurants once each, as he'd never really gone to any.
I'm game, so we've been doing one every few weeks or so.
Today he picked a chain that wasn't in my WW book.
I decided to let him try it anyway.
I tried to find something for me, but everything was crazy: clearly high points, high grease, high carb.
So, he had his little thing and I had tap water :)
Both happy.
I felt no craving, no sadness, no sense of deprivation, just a solid "oh, no thanks."

Lately, I've been putting my DavidsTea stuff into my homemade "ice cream." Absolutely divine!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalFan on October 03, 2016, 06:42:36 PM
Sept. 5: 148
Sept. 12: 146
Sept. 19: 145
Sept. 23: 143.5
Oct. 3: 140.5

Am feeling good about this! My pre-baby clothes are starting to fit me again. I wasn't as active last week because the weather was terrible, but I managed to eat well all week and take sweets and alcohol in moderation on the weekend. I'll need some strong willpower for next week though. We are going to visit the in-laws for a week around Canadian Thanksgiving. It will be hard to resit MIL's delicious muffins and desserts (and Thanksgiving dinner). I always gain weight when I go there because I completely let go and start eating carbs, sweets, alcohol. This time, I'll make a conscious effort to eat my regular low cal breakfast and have a light lunch knowing I'll probably indulge a bit at dinner time. I'll take the previous advice to up my activity levels to compensate as well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 04, 2016, 05:57:35 AM
First Tuesday of the month check in:

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6

Doing pretty well. A mostly alcohol-free September was helpful, and being busy helps too, because I don't eat out of boredom as much.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 04, 2016, 06:03:10 AM
Been struggling this last few days :( In a slump and feel like I'll be fat forever (even though I hit my first goal weight and I am at my lowest weight ever). Just got to make it through and the sun will shine again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm sorry you feel like this right now elaine amj. I suggest you go back to the beginning of this thread and read some of your posts and get a sense of how far you have come. I did it the other day and WOW! We are all doing so well. Even the attitudes have changed from, "boy, I'm crossing my fingers this works," to "I can totally do this." You will get past this emotional slump too. We're all rooting for you!

@scrubby - Awesome idea to put the tea in your ice cream!! And congrats at your chain restaurant win. I have really come to identify what I find 'worth it' in terms of calories, and what I don't. Chain restaurants - no way, not worth it. Even I make better at home, and I am NOT a very good cook. Great job - financial win too!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on October 04, 2016, 09:27:03 AM
Appreciating the great conversation here!

Just a quick update:
Eating optimally.
Did purchase three of the spiciest David Tea teas today.
Tried hard to find a sports bra so I can start the jogging I feel like, but no luck. All so tiny and tight! Recommendations?

Back in my soccer playing days, I had to wear 2 bras to have enough support - a regular bra with a sports bra over the top, neither underwire which I really dislike when exercising.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 04, 2016, 09:44:14 AM
Chain restaurants - no way, not worth it. Even I make better at home, and I am NOT a very good cook. Great job - financial win too!

Yep, the stuff (except McD's fries and sundae, which I enjoy) is AWFUL. I prefer my home-cooked. But the kid? He is just amazed and thrilled and delighted to "get to be like on TV" where you go out and order something different every time, lol. Not much savings in staying home, though, as each visit is maybe $3 each. We eat pretty expensive at home.

Back in my soccer playing days, I had to wear 2 bras to have enough support

Got the sports bra. I really like it. Had a great experience shopping for it, too—phenomenal salesperson who understood everything, explained the differences in them,  measured me, whipped off her shirt too, etc.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 04, 2016, 09:45:59 AM
Congrats to everyone who's going strong!  Keep at it!

I have an issue coming up with the changing weather:  my routine is all screwed up.

In the summer, I get up, do my workout, walk the dogs, shower, eat breakfast, and then get on with my day's work.  Usually summer evenings are pretty active in the garden so I'll normally take another shower before bed and sleep very well.

Now... the mornings are very cold and dark and I usually sleep in, drag myself out of bed and pile on pajamas and a sweater and cuddle with a mug of hot cocoa while I do my light box for SAD.  This pushes everything back - working out, walking dogs, eating a healthy breakfast, shower, errands, chores, etc... And my day feels completely unstructured and unproductive.

This morning I took a shower first thing to see if it would help, and it did.  I felt refreshed and energized afterwards.  But I don't really want to workout AFTER I just took a shower so that's going to be pushed back to I don't know when.  And working out in the mornings really, REALLY helps with food cravings.  I get those nice endorphins and don't have to turn to food for them.  I'm concerned that I will start eating for energy in the mornings and that will carry over the rest of the day.

I'm trying to figure out a cold-weather routine that will help me stay on track.  I always tend to gain weight starting this time of year and I'm trying to get a handle on it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 04, 2016, 09:59:44 AM
I hear you on all counts, M.Darcy!

Every variable (city pool closed, cold weather, different routine with kid school, etc) has a domino effect for me.
And I really hate showering at home same day as swimming.

I'm so far managing the changes via:
spicy food
amazing specialty teas in a morning thermos
hot, protein-centered breakfast (eggs, veggies, cheese scrambled this morning)
coffee out
treadmill vs pool
having a shower whenever I need to get warm, regardless of time of day, movement routine, etc

I tried to sign up to walk dogs at the shelter here, feeling this would keep me warm, have me outside, etc, but they have no dogs! Which is a positive for dogs, but now I need a Plan B for that part. I'm WWOOFing next week, so something after that again.

Would any of those be helpful to you?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 04, 2016, 10:39:51 AM
Thanks scrubbyfish!

The two that stand out are giving myself permission to shower whenever I need to for various reasons - getting out of bed, etc. and not feel guilty because I shouldn't 'need' to do it. 

The other is maybe scheduling a weekly outing.  I'm like you in that what I can cook at home is so much better than what I can get at an affordable restaurant, so I rarely go out.  Now that I've given up coffee and try to stay away from sugar and dairy, it really limits the things I can enjoy out.  But... there's something to be said for getting out of our regular routine and taking the focus away from should's/should not's.  Mondays are the most difficult for me, so maybe a weekly outing for breakfast would take the edge off.  I usually enjoy journaling on my breakfast dates and often get some interesting insights.  This is something to seriously consider.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on October 04, 2016, 10:43:48 AM
scrubbyfish has lots of good suggestions.  One thing that I do everyday is chew gum - I've found the Dentyne peppermint is my favorite flavor & long lasting, so I basically chew gum all afternoon at work and occasionally on the weekend if I get a craving.  I buy the 60 piece packs for $3 so it's budget friendly.

I dropped another 3 over the weekend so now am at 98 lbs lost.  But some of this has to be water weight. 

Although I feel really healthy and am starting to think I'm looking pretty good at this weight (and comments from others that they think I'm at a good wt), there are so many online & government tools that say I should be much lower.
So, I haven't revealed my wt on this forum but doing it now - I'm a 5'10" female, age 43, and as of this morning am at 189.  I'm solidly a size 12, but wearing some size 10 & some looser size 14 stuff. 
According to BMI, I'm in the middle of "overweight".  Some online info about what a large framed woman should be and it maxed out at 160 for this height.  And, the last time I checked my body fat about 3 weeks ago it was 37% and 32% or below is ideal (despite lifting weights a couple times a week for the last months).  And then I read about the other folks on this forum in the 120-140 range makes me feel like a giant :(   
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 04, 2016, 12:01:12 PM
...there's something to be said for getting out of our regular routine and taking the focus away from should's/should not's.  Mondays are the most difficult for me, so maybe a weekly outing for breakfast would take the edge off.  I usually enjoy journaling on my breakfast dates and often get some interesting insights.  This is something to seriously consider.

Beautiful!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 04, 2016, 12:10:10 PM
Although I feel really healthy and am starting to think I'm looking pretty good at this weight (and comments from others that they think I'm at a good wt), there are so many online & government tools that say I should be much lower.

Totally hear this, JoJo!

I too don't bother posting weights because while they give ME context, they wouldn't mean anything to anyone else, since we're all different genders, heights, bone size, level of muscle, etc.

I find the government charts...stupid irrelevant for me. They've just never been true for me. (Many government ideas are untrue for my body.) When I'm inside the chart, I am skinny, look sickly, feel very ennervated and yucky and cranky and mentally off. So, I ignore them and just go with where I feel great.

I feel like I feel and look right at the moment. I'm 5'4, 167 lbs. I am naturally quite strong, shapely, medium bones. I confirmed yesterday that in my old age, my boobs are indeed quite a bit bigger than they ever were before. I've been suspecting this for a year. So, that maybe adds a touch to the scale too. I suspect I could still look and feel fine at maybe 156, but based on now, I doubt I could go lower and be vital and strong and happy. No thanks, government!

At your height, I can see how your scale number could look and feel just right for you, yes!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 04, 2016, 12:11:16 PM
Jojo - I'm one of those people who's working towards 120 lbs, but I'm not 5'10"!  :)  I'm 5'1" if I'm lucky, somehow seem to be shrinking with age.  I think body type also has a big impact on how much one can carry.  I'm curvy and feel good at a higher weight.  Most celebrities at my height probably weigh 100 lbs.  I don't need to be that thin.  I find that even at 130-140, I feel good.  I would say to contemplate what size you feel good at, and like how you look, and aim for that.  Maybe you're already there! 

And remember, muscle is heavier than fat, so going by the BMI has lots of limitations.  My husband is very lean but according to the BMI he's overweight because it doesn't take into account the fact that he's active everyday so his body carries a lot of muscle. 

I think the important question is - how do you feel?  Are you happy with how you look?  Are you comfortable in your body?  Do you feel strong?  Do you feel healthy?   

ETA - scrubbyfish and I just cross posted and I like what she has to say about being vital, strong and happy!  :)  I think that's a wonderful goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 04, 2016, 12:34:24 PM
M.Darcy, did you just add the doggie photo in your avatar?!?!?! It is SO CUTE it is hurting inside me!!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on October 04, 2016, 01:41:03 PM
Thanks both for the words of encouragement.  I've been feeling particularly good and not having the cravings so let's hope this continues into the fall & winter.  With FIRE happening sometime next year I want to be the healthiest I can be to start my nomadic life!  First big stop: 40+ days hiking the Camino de Santiago - certainly will take less effort if I can keep weight under control.   One thing I've def noticed recently is how effortless just walking around town is.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 04, 2016, 04:37:08 PM
...I want to be the healthiest I can be to start my nomadic life!

Awesome!!!! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on October 04, 2016, 04:54:00 PM
Jojo, I feel you.  I am not quite as tall as you at *only* 5'7.5", but when I am around other women, typically I feel like a giant, too.

It was discouraging to see some people on here with a goal of 120, or other people with a starting weight lower than my goal weight! The feeling of discouragement has dissolved over time.  I realized a long time ago (teen age) that if I was taller, I would have to be heavier & thicker than the girls I was hanging around.  Or else I would start to look like a Holocaust survivor.  Of course, there is no danger in that these days, but the principle is still true.  I'm taller; I should weigh "more". More than the proverbial average woman, more than the women around me (for the most part).

So I don't really have advice.  I offer tall-girl solidarity, and the hope/wish that you can find a way to be at peace with this.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 04, 2016, 05:02:19 PM
Thanks @rockstache! I know this slump is just a phase that will pass. Hopefully without too much weight gain! I'll give your suggestion a try :) Hubs would be happy since he is starting to lose his patience with me - poor guy. I've been huddled in bed refusing to do most chores and just doing the bare minimum in cooking.

By the way - congrats on your current numbers!! We started at more or less the same weight and I am so very thrilled to see your numbers drop this Fall! I'm going to have to kick my butt to keep up!

@JoJo Like everyone said, its just a number, right? Also - we have a lot of shorties here. I'm 5ft tall...which means I get to eat way, way, way less calories than you to maintain/lose (believe me - I am super jealous as even a couple of extra inches means more calories/day!). Of course, that's why my ideal is 100-120lbs.

I am at my goal weight of 130 now. I have a BMI of 25.39 and am STILL overweight! I totally understand it when I honestly look at my body though. I can clearly see the difference another 10 lbs would make since I am still nowhere near slender.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 04, 2016, 08:48:36 PM
M.Darcy, did you just add the doggie photo in your avatar?!?!?! It is SO CUTE it is hurting inside me!!!!

Awwww, thanks!  I'll pass it along to my baby fur ball.  I did just add him.  I have 2 dogs and 1 cat - this little guy is Mama's cuddle bug, the other dog is a Daddy's girl, and the girl cat is the baby in the family and The Boss of Everyone. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 04, 2016, 09:01:43 PM
I've always been envious of tall women because there's so much more space for extra weight to spread out!  Mine has nowhere to go. :/  And all of it clumps up in my midsection so you really notice it.  I've been paying extra attention to my abs and shoulders and I'm looking a little 'puffy' right now since the fat is on top of my new shoulder muscles.  But it's cool to see the muscles starting to show through. 

I made a big pot of soup - meatballs with a ton of veggies.  And I roasted a big pile of bones and they are simmering in my big stock pot.  Also roasted some onions, carrots and garlic and will add those in at the end.  Also picked up some eggs and breakfast sausage to increase my protein intake after my workouts. 

Yesterday I only did half of my workout and I ate 2 bagels to make up for a busy day and being too tired to cook & eat a proper meal.  I felt terrible afterwards but I just went to bed and passed out. 

Today I skipped my workout and had 2 bagels again - I see a trend here - but I grilled some burgers and sausage for dinner and to have ready meals the rest of the week.  Tomorrow I will pick up some broccoli and prep a bunch of it to have ready as well. 

Today I showered first thing and felt energetic and got things done but my eating was not good.  Tomorrow I will workout first thing and see how I feel and how the rest of the day goes energy and eating wise.

Since we're all sharing our stats:  I'm 5'1", and appx 160 lbs.  It's kinda nice to talk about the numbers and realize that they are just that - numbers. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on October 04, 2016, 11:16:43 PM
I've always been envious of tall women because there's so much more space for extra weight to spread out!  Mine has nowhere to go. :/  And all of it clumps up in my midsection so you really notice it. 

Ha!  I am on the tall side, and my weight clumps up in the midsection too. :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 04, 2016, 11:22:48 PM
I'm only 5'4, but I feel like such a giant, "wide load", old growth tree next to women who are way more petite than me. Hate that feeling.

On the other hand, yesterday I noticed a woman who was maybe 4'11 and I felt sad that she doesn't get to eat as much food as me. It just seemed like such a rip off! (Again, I love eating good volumes of food. Also, I realize this is one of those silly thoughts I have, because if she moves more than I do, she probably DOES get to eat more than me! I think my point in this embarrassing story is that yesterday I appreciated being 5'4 because it means I can maybe eat more than I could if I were shorter.)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 05, 2016, 07:35:21 AM
I don't want anyone to feel worse about themselves from this thread.
I am 5'5" and don't look fat but I am way heavier than I had ever been in my life.  I used to wear size 2 and now I wear size 8-10. Middle age hit and my weight just kept creeping up. 
I was terribly underweight at 25 - 98 pounds and in the process of getting diagnosed with Celiac.  I could barely function day to day.  I got every bug that was going around and was constantly tired.  Post diagnosis and learning how to eat without getting glutton-ed, I gained weight to about 105 pounds and that was where I stayed until I had my first at 34 years.  Then my post baby weight was around 110 which is pretty trim.  Then along came number 2 at 37 and I never rebounded under 118 and had the puddle belly or muffin top.  I was playing rec soccer and hiking and doing all the yard work and a good share of the reno work so I was pretty happy but I always felt I could get back to 112 if I wanted to.  But at the moment life was too dang busy.  But then five years ago the weight started to creep up a little faster.  Every six months I got a little bigger and last year's summer clothes were just uncomfortable and then last winter's clothes were uncomfortable.  Photos of me were really strange looking.  Tiny eyes, no chin, no jawline.  I didn't look young and pretty anymore.  So on my second's 12 birthday I joined here and started to get things in hand.  Stopping the creep and getting back to a non-anorexic looking me.  The me that the scales say is on the lower side of a BMI. Most of my adult life I didn't get on the BMI chart in my cookbook.  My mom always said I was a "poor-doer"  But I was always moving and able to do things that most people couldn't - run 5k- ski all day- paint a room, sand a floor, dig a trench. But I will never be strong enough to haul hay or pavers or hang sheet rock.  I just don't put on that type of muscle.  My sister-in-law can bench press my brother.  (He told us in admiration - he is 6feet tall and she is 5'6". ) She can also do full iron man's.  I will never be able to do that. Now I am having trouble with my feet and I think it is because my bones aren't meant to carry as much weight as other people my height.  So I hope that I am not discouraging anyone but I am a very fine boned average height woman with a puddle belly and chubby cheeks if I carry any extra weight.  And most importantly, if I were to put on 1.5pounds a year for the next thirty years, I would likely be unable to walk.  That was where I was headed in April.  Thanks to the inspiration and example and support from this thread I am in a much better place.  Your latest posts have me thinking that I should modify my goal to hit 125 pounds instead of 120 but try to firm up my belly and be able to do a chin up or 10 pushups or something.  I want to look like me but I want to be able to do the things I enjoy and feel able and competent.  I think I just needed some sort of metric to measure my progress and chose to jump onto the scale first thing on Thursday mornings as that.  It is a very easy thing to measure. It is not perfect.  The better metric is way harder to share and to clearly hold myself accountable to. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 05, 2016, 08:20:01 AM
@Frugal Lizard It's like you said. The weight just kept creeping upwards. After my kids, I started adding about a pound or so every year. Then last year alone, I ate out a LOT (very un-Mustachian) and developed a ridiculous craving for fried chicken wings. I think I added 5+ pounds in just a single year because of that.

I had accepted being overweight. Then, I started wandering into obese territory. I had thought I would *never* get that bad. Until I did. Since my passions revolve around outdoor activities, I knew this was going to affect all the things I like to do. Plus, my husband was getting super worried about my overall health. Finally in January this year, I managed to get a hold of myself. It still shocks me that I've managed to accomplish so much this year.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 05, 2016, 08:49:08 AM
Oh I hope no one feels shamed by this thread at all. It has been SUCH an encouraging place for me. My weight has been doing well and I am feeling great. BUT!! I have never had a baby. For those of you who have been working on bouncing back from a body event so incredible and difficult that they call it LABOR....my hat is off to you. You made a person in your wonderful body! Feel no shame.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 05, 2016, 09:55:00 AM
Frugal Lizard, what an amazing and inspiring account!

It also drives home the excellent point that "ideal weight" is specific to each body. Some folks here, like you, need to maintain or pursue a much lower weight than others, due to height, natural muscleness, etc. At the same time, "low weight" as an arbitrary measure is nothing to aspire to, as for many of us it's only an indication of illness.

What a journey you've had!

I'm really glad you're getting healthy, and setting the goal that is relevant for YOU. It's beautiful.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 05, 2016, 12:03:56 PM
I agree that no one should feel bad on this thread - that would totally defeat the purpose!  :) 

I have found it to be very inspirational.  I've liked hearing everyone's weight because it just shows how different everyone is.  I think it helps to see people as individuals rather than just a number.  And course, for some people weighing in on a regular basis works great, but us women have our hormonal battles every month and that throws everything out of whack.  So we have to take that into account.  And having kids adds another amazing layer.  Sometimes if feels frustrating to see how quickly my husband can lose weight.  It's not an even fight!  So I like coming here and chatting with women. 

This morning I woke up and reminded myself that I was going to work out first thing.  So I stayed in bed an extra half hour! But then I got up and did it and it was a great workout and I felt awesome afterwards.  Walked the dogs, showered, hearty breakfast with my light box, and I've planned a light day of gardening to get some sun and just one errand to pick up some broccoli and such.

Hope everyone has a great day!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 05, 2016, 12:11:38 PM
@Frugal Lizard - since you like being active so much, I think you would really enjoy working out and strengthening your body!  It's really cool to feel your body growing stronger and you can actually see the difference.  My arms have started to tone up and I can feel my ab muscles, even though they're still hiding under some fat.  :)  I enjoy how easily I can pick up a 40 lb bag of dog food and my heavy Le Creuset dutch oven!  I don't think I pick up my husband yet, though.  Props to your sister in law.  :)

I've always had very poor upper body strength so I've been increasing my pushups (I still do modified knee pushups because I have a bad knee but hope to work up to regular ones) and I think it's so cool that I'm so much stronger than I was 4 months ago.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 05, 2016, 12:17:07 PM
I'm only 5'4, but I feel like such a giant, "wide load", old growth tree next to women who are way more petite than me. Hate that

scrubbyfish - my husband's family is Asian and all the women are TINY!  So I can totally relate to this feeling.  When I'm with them I feel huge and quite frankly, uncomfortable.  I feel like a big walrus amongst tiny sleek dolphins.  And then later I will see photos of the event and I look just fine.  I don't stand out or anything.  It's really all in the head.  I'm not sure how to change that though.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 05, 2016, 12:57:34 PM
I feel like a big walrus amongst tiny sleek dolphins.

lol, yes, that's it! And yes, I am truly a healthy weight and size! But that relativity sure does a number on me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on October 05, 2016, 02:13:38 PM
Today's success: didn't have a maple bar donut that was served in a meeting that everyone else was eating.  Those maple bars are from a famous shop in town and are to.die.for but I decided giving up my 6 month abstinence from sugar wasn't worth it.  Smelling those donuts for 1.5 hours was torture!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on October 05, 2016, 06:36:20 PM
Thank you, Jojo, for opening this topic.  And thanks to everyone who has chimed in.  I agree also that this thread is ideally a safe place for people to share their journeys.  And it seems like everyone feels the same.  I'm really glad to have this place as a resource.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on October 06, 2016, 01:04:15 AM
t also drives home the excellent point that "ideal weight" is specific to each body. Some folks here, like you, need to maintain or pursue a much lower weight than others, due to height, natural muscleness, etc. At the same time, "low weight" as an arbitrary measure is nothing to aspire to, as for many of us it's only an indication of illness.

Yeah I was about 85-90kg a few years ago (I think that's about 185-200 pounds). That was about ideal, even though it was still just in the overweight BMI range (~181cm/5'11.5" FWIW). I did reach 80kg at one point, but I looked better at 85-90.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on October 06, 2016, 03:08:10 AM
I am finally back. Fatter than ever. I decided to keep trying on my own till the end of the year, and if I don't lose any weight I'll get professional help.

I was experimenting with some new low fat recipes, and I found some fantastic ones. Steamed tofu with steamed eggplant in ginger and soy sauce anyone? Stir fried spinach with steamed tofu? They are actually really really nice. I managed to serve lots of vege meals lately without anyone complaining, so there is progress in this area. And the kids like the soups i make, so we all eat healthier. I am just upset that I still look like a Michelin figure.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 06, 2016, 07:45:44 AM
Thank you all for the encouragement.  It has been a journey to health.

Welcome back Bee21.  Expanding the menu is a big victory.  What other strategies are you going to try? 

M. Darcy - I know I would enjoy being fitter.  I have had a number of sports injuries and mishaps so I got out of shape and haven't gotten back.  I have tried taking classes and joining a gym and hated them.  My new mustachian habits seem to be working slowly - I take my bike a lot more and I am trying to add some fitness into the regular course of my day - walking to the train and farmers market.  I was hoping to swim more this past summer and I did, but not enough to increase fitness.  Our house is at the very top of a big hill and I notice it is not so hard to bike home.



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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0
7/7 – 125.5
7/14 –  127
7/21 -126 – ok
7/28 – 127.5 – hmmmm  I think I need a new scale!
8/4 – 128.  – knew this was coming.
8/18 – 129  -same as last week
8/25 – 127 – this is better.
9/1 – 126.5 – whoot whoot!
9/8 – 126.5 – holding steady
10/6 – 127 – still holding steady

Goal : 120 lbs.  Modified to 125 lbs with better fitness/muscle tone

Habits check in:
Record everything in the food journal – 5% of the time - but it is going to get better this week - notebook and pen are on the counter beside the fridge now.
Eat sitting down at a table – 85% of the time
Snacking – 0% of days last week I did not snack.  Forgot about this goal.  At least some of the snacks were healthy high fibre low sugar snacks.
Still serving meals in the kitchen but having been putting the veggies on the table.
Soft drinks – Did not indulge in any this past week. Yippee!
Ice cream – two times this week but very controlled with the portion size. (half a yippee)

Fitness Activities:  DH and I have been going for walks most evenings.  He likes a good brisk pace and I have to confess it gets my heart rate up. I have 6 cubic yards of mulch on the driveway because it was on sale.  About 50 wheelbarrow loads hauled around the back will be a fantastic work out.  This kind of thing suits my temperament better than a gym work out.  Maybe I should build a rock garden in the back.  Hauling rocks would be another great way to build some strength. 

Our kitchen now has all the cupboard doors back up so only healthy fruit and veg are visible when you walk into the kitchen.  Now to train DH to stop buying potato chips!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 06, 2016, 07:48:27 PM
Frugal Lizard - I like how you've broken out all the different areas you're working on.  I might have to steal that idea!

As for me, I put the brakes on the 2-bagels-a-day habit that was starting to form.  And today I also avoided the multiple-cups-of-hot-chocolate habit that had taken root.  I roasted some yams and sweet potatoes to help with the transition.  But boy, those things make me sleepy!  So yummy though.  I'm going to keep it as a treat though, they're pretty carb-heavy.  And I'm back on my workout schedule!  Yay!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 06, 2016, 07:55:22 PM
About 50 wheelbarrow loads hauled around the back will be a fantastic work out.  This kind of thing suits my temperament better than a gym work out.

+1! I love moving rocks, barrows of stuff, etc—creating something vs just "exercising."
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 07, 2016, 07:17:57 AM
Frugal Lizard - I like how you've broken out all the different areas you're working on.  I might have to steal that idea!

Please do - it is helping me with the willpower aspects.  It is dang impossible to have willpower 100% of the time. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on October 07, 2016, 09:34:29 AM
Frugal Lizard - I like how you've broken out all the different areas you're working on.  I might have to steal that idea!

Please do - it is helping me with the willpower aspects.  It is dang impossible to have willpower 100% of the time. 

Willpower is killing me today - the weight has plateaued for almost a week (in fact I'm up 1/2 pound despite lifting wts and salsa dancing last night - but the sleep was lacking too).  There's a bowl of Mike & Ikes in the breakroom and we get free pizza and cookies for lunch.  But, I put on a cute outfit today that I haven't worn before so hopefully that's the willpower I need.  Most of my fat clothes was donated to charity (with the rest sitting ready to be donated) so I can't go up again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: FrugalFan on October 07, 2016, 10:06:47 AM
Good luck JoJo! Willpower is not my forte and I do best when I can control what comes into our house. Free food at work would be hard.

As for me, I usually do weight checks on Mondays but we are leaving to visit the in-laws for several days, so I am posting for accountability and motivation. I'm currently at 138.5, just 3.5 lbs from my goal weight and feeling pretty darn good about it! But, I always gain weight when I'm at my in-laws. My goal is to try to maintain this weight while we are away. I plan to: eat my regular breakfast of unsweetened oats and fruit (no muffins!), eat a light lunch, and go for lots of walks. I will eat dessert and drink alcohol in moderation, and will not eat/drink anything with calories after dinner. Hopefully that's enough! Especially since it is Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: JoJo on October 07, 2016, 11:39:59 AM
Good luck JoJo! Willpower is not my forte and I do best when I can control what comes into our house. Free food at work would be hard.

As for me, I usually do weight checks on Mondays but we are leaving to visit the in-laws for several days, so I am posting for accountability and motivation. I'm currently at 138.5, just 3.5 lbs from my goal weight and feeling pretty darn good about it! But, I always gain weight when I'm at my in-laws. My goal is to try to maintain this weight while we are away. I plan to: eat my regular breakfast of unsweetened oats and fruit (no muffins!), eat a light lunch, and go for lots of walks. I will eat dessert and drink alcohol in moderation, and will not eat/drink anything with calories after dinner. Hopefully that's enough! Especially since it is Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend.

Living alone luckily allows me to control what comes in the house but avoiding the desire to swing by the store an buy a few bags of halloween candy and scarfing them down in one sitting is the pain today. 

Good luck on the Thanksgiving - do you eat Turkey & stuffing there like the states or is there some other traditional foods?  Thanksgiving meal is probably my favorite of the whole year, but this year I'll be eating lobster on the beach in Cuba!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 07, 2016, 12:30:39 PM
@ Frudal Lizard I like the idea of slinging around some rocks too! I am not hugely inspired by gym workouts either. On the good side, my favorite hobbies are mostly active - hiking, cycling, canoeing, etc. On the bad side, I have a hard time incorporating enough of these activities into my day to day life.

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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs
July 1 2016: 133.2 lbs.July 8 2016: 133.8 lbs...July 17 2016: 133.4 lbs..July 22 2016: 132 lbs....July 29 2016:132.4 lbs
Aug 5 2016: 132.2 lbs.Aug 12 2016: 131 lbs.....Aug 19 2016: 131.2 lbs..Aug 26 2016: 132 lbs
Sep 2 2016: 131.8 lbs.Sep 9 2016:    130.6 lbs..Sep 16 2016: 128.8 lbs..Sep 23 2016: 130.6 Lbs..Sep 30 2016: 131.6 lbs
Oct 7 2016: 131.2 lbs

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

Still hovering at about the same weight I have been for a while. I'm thankful that this past week of binging and hiding under the covers didn't do more damage. I can feel my mood sloooowly improving today, which helps. At this point, I just can't look at losing weight - going to be happy if I can manage to maintain. We'll see how I feel once I get past this slump.

Last night, DH, DS and I started up a season of badminton (we chip in with a group of other folks in the community to rent a school gym). It's relatively inexpensive for winter exercise. And I LOVE badminton! Plus its the best exercise for me since I push myself to run all over the court. I wasn't able to participate last year because I was nursing a tennis elbow. It's better this year although not completely healed. The challenge is to see I can manage not to drive my DH and DS crazy now that I am joining them. I'm not particularly competitive. Of course, the adrenaline rush of keeping score is fun so I don't mind playing games - but get dizzy/bored with all the switching from side to side. I honestly just like volleying and messing around the best. Plus I'm rather terrible at badminton, which drives my athletic DH batty (even though he loves that I have learned to play). 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 07, 2016, 01:01:47 PM
Well, I made a mistake this morning.  I went to Costco on an empty stomach.  I wasn't feeling hungry at all and I just needed a few things... But I came out with 2 slices of pizza for today and a Panettone for the weekend.  Had pizza for lunch and it was tasty but I felt crummy afterwards.  I had justified the pizza by the fact that I have lots to do today and it would be nice to not worry about meal prep. 

Oh well.  I'll make it up by keeping busy all day.  And I had a good workout this morning so that will help too.  However, if I want to get back to steady losing, I will need to get a handle on the carb consumption.

Last night I was thinking how I feel like I've been doing very poorly, but then I remembered that my dear friend died less than a month ago (on 9/11 actually).  And yes, my carbs went up, but I've kept to my workout schedule and kept my eating pretty healthy.  So a month of steady weight is actually really good considering the circumstances. 

I've been thinking that maybe I'll give myself a full 30 days of maintaining before I get back into losing mode.  I'm not going to let myself go crazy, but I'll remind myself that there are more important things in life than losing a pound or two. 

So, I hereby give myself this weekend to enjoy the panettone and a cup of hot chocolate or two.  On Monday I will reinstate my reduced-carb diet plan. 

Oh - and yes, rocks and mulch are great workouts!  I love getting a good soaking sweat from working with that stuff.  Right now my garden is pretty quiet, which is nice since my energy has not been as high this past month.  In a month or two I'll have lots of leaves to rake. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 09, 2016, 06:19:53 AM
Part 1: Planned Binge - Not really "binge" but that's what I like calling it. Friday afternoon I decided I would eat "a bunch" (three items) of junk food on Saturday. I was glad I did that, as Saturday morning I was reminded I was due at a potluck banquet at noon! I felt fine about just enjoying and not tracking there, as it had been planned.

Part 2: Mum's House - I find it very hard to eat optimally at my mum's. We will be there for almost two weeks. I've been pondering how I can make this work. I like the approach (of elaine amj??) to increase my activity to compensate. I also don't think my max amount of activity will cut it. So, my newest idea is to aim to drop 3-5 pounds in advance, bring my (tiny, travel) scale there to weigh daily, and aim to come out at same weight I went in. That would be headway. It was there last June that I gained significantly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 09, 2016, 04:19:08 PM
@scrubbyfish - what is it in particular that makes you gain so much weight at your mum's?  If you identify the problem area you might be able to find a way to at least keep the damage to a minimum. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 09, 2016, 06:08:46 PM
@scrubbyfish - what is it in particular that makes you gain so much weight at your mum's?  If you identify the problem area you might be able to find a way to at least keep the damage to a minimum.

It's multifold, largely sensory:

1. The house has no internet, so I go to a coffee shop to be cozy and get online. I like to get something there. I do now know what I can order at coffee shops that has less effect, so there's that!

2. I feel bored, frustrated, sad there, so I turn to food for a lift.

3. The house is chock full of candy-foods. I find I can ignore them for about three days, but not longer.

4. Every meal is a candy-meal.

5. The kitchen is very crowded and messy. I like working in a simple, clean space. I clean it over and over, but within a half hour it's very messy again. This puts me off preparing stuff. I do it anyway, but find I seek re-engergizing, comfort, etc, in the candy-foods after each few rounds of that.

As I type, I'm realizing I could keep it simple and get my own place while there! That'd run at least $720, but maybe that's worth it??
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 10, 2016, 09:43:11 AM
@scrubbyfish - what is it in particular that makes you gain so much weight at your mum's?  If you identify the problem area you might be able to find a way to at least keep the damage to a minimum.

It's multifold, largely sensory:

1. The house has no internet, so I go to a coffee shop to be cozy and get online. I like to get something there. I do now know what I can order at coffee shops that has less effect, so there's that!

2. I feel bored, frustrated, sad there, so I turn to food for a lift.

3. The house is chock full of candy-foods. I find I can ignore them for about three days, but not longer.

4. Every meal is a candy-meal.

5. The kitchen is very crowded and messy. I like working in a simple, clean space. I clean it over and over, but within a half hour it's very messy again. This puts me off preparing stuff. I do it anyway, but find I seek re-engergizing, comfort, etc, in the candy-foods after each few rounds of that.

As I type, I'm realizing I could keep it simple and get my own place while there! That'd run at least $720, but maybe that's worth it??

It would definitely be worth it to me.  The bolded section tells me that being there has a very negative effect on your emotional well-being.  If you can afford it, I say go for it!  Why be miserable for 2 weeks if you can avoid it?

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wildbeast on October 10, 2016, 09:55:51 AM
My planned weekend treats disappointed.  Apparently my gradual changes to my diet have taken hold because the "treats" didn't feel like treats at all.  They made me feel sluggish and blah.  So I gave myself some non-food treats and that was much better.  They included giving myself a facial, taking naps, having relaxing showers and going to bed early, and listening to relaxation cds.  Much better forms of pampering!

Today I start my reset for weight loss.  I did my workout this morning - a shorter version to leave time and energy for housecleaning, laundry and cooking.  I'm also going back to reduced-carb eating.  That means no bagels!  And putting a better focus on protein intake.  And back to my salads - I miss them.

I'm also going to focus on giving myself non-food rewards.  This week I've planned on giving myself a foot soak, massage and deep scrub.  And I'm going to think of a good reward for staying on track for the week.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!  :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 10, 2016, 10:59:30 AM
It would definitely be worth it to me.  The bolded section tells me that being there has a very negative effect on your emotional well-being.  If you can afford it, I say go for it!  Why be miserable for 2 weeks if you can avoid it?

Well, I wouldn't be miserable—my feelings there are much more mellow than that, and there are lots of good times (with candy!) too—but yes, after I typed that I thought, "Actually, I really would prefer to have my own place for the time, to avoid these and other matters, and also to enjoy some solo, parenting-free time." I looked up prices. They are much higher than I wrote here. So, am pondering options because I realize it really would be ideal to have another arrangement, but I want to balance the spending too. Five days solo in the middle might be optimal, and come in at or below $700. I'm brainstorming some other ideas, too, like seeing if I can rent a friend of a friend's basement suite for that time for less.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 12, 2016, 08:37:31 AM
Hi Scrubby, I don't know if this is applicable to your situation or not, but I have used Air BnB to rent a room in someone's house quite a number of times now. It is much cheaper than renting a whole place, and if you tell them in advance that you are looking for a quiet escape, they are usually pretty good about giving you space. I look for people with good reviews, but I have also rented from people with no reviews and had a lovely experience. It may be that you have already looked, but I just thought I would suggest it in case you had not considered it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 12, 2016, 01:47:28 PM
Thanks very much, rockstache! A good, practical suggestion, which is what I feel like I need. Alas, the AirBnBs there are even more expensive than the cheapest motel rooms. (Like me, my mum has a rock-bottom cheap suite in one of the most expensive places in the world. Great for us as tenants, tricky for visiting each other!)

How else do you all manage your health while visiting family for so long?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 12, 2016, 01:50:19 PM
I've been fed three feasts in the last four days. My first weight increase since I started :)      I love the daily weighing for this info! Now I know I can get away with eating what I now understand to be optimal portions for me, but not get away with "whatever!" 3x in four days ;)

My coffee place is newly offering my very favourite cookie. Recalling the wiggle room I gave myself over the weekend, I opted not to get one. That feels fine. Like winnie-the-pooh, I am stuffed with enough fluff to satisfy me for some time. I don't need to keep doing it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on October 12, 2016, 02:31:44 PM
I've been on vacation for awhile and haven't checked in lately. The first week of my vacation was a lot of sitting in a car or plane, and eating reasonable for the most part, with a few extra treats I wouldn't normally have. And eating out more. But I was home for two days and noticed that I hadn't gained any weight. Yay!!

This week (hunting trip) consists of waking up at 5 am, going out in the cold wearing 3 times my normal amount of clothes, and carrying a lot more than normal, sometimes just driving, other times walking a bit, and other times hiking through the bush. Spending the daylight hours visiting or working my ass off, even though I keep planning naps (and the one day when I force myself to rest, here I am checking the forum). Then going out again every evening until dark, getting back late and asleep around 11.

I noticed yesterday that I've generally been too busy to eat much at all, and also too distracted or exhausted to notice any hunger. Between the extra exercise, the lack of food, and my body burning energy to deal with the cold, I'm really curious what my weight will be when I get back home.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 12, 2016, 03:27:14 PM
Wow scrubby, I'm curious about where that could be now!

When I visit my family I definitely do need my personal space. Luckily my mother is very understanding of it if I state it clearly. We have been states apart for years, so generally when I do go home it is for short stints and we try to see each other as much as possible. I do like to get with them on a more one on one basis whenever possible. For physical health I do similar things to what I do when home. Some walking, healthy choices when eating. The bigger challenge to me (calorie wise) is drinking. My sister is a bartender and my mother likes her wine, and likes when others imbibe with her. I drink much less when I'm home. I do only get there for a weekend or two once a year though so it's not usually too big a problem.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 15, 2016, 01:14:07 PM
I'm consistently 12 lbs below my starting point (Aug 3).
I feel good and "look right" according to me.
I now feel ready to drop the next 5.

I'm moving far more consistently than before, even with the pool closure.
Last weekend's three feasts aside, I have a great eating rhythm.

I think for my upcoming trip, I will pop a second set of "away days" in the middle, so three days in family's house, four days in separate suite, three days in family's house, three days away. That's a nice balance in every single aspect. It allows me to maintain my health, enjoy two brief vacations from parenting, connect with family, spend a reasonable amount.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on October 17, 2016, 10:00:50 AM
Well, not too bad after weeks of vacations. I thought I'd be lower after all the exercise of the past week, but I'll take not gaining weight as a win. :) The good news is that my calendar for the next few months is gloriously empty, which means I can catch up on reading, relaxing, exercising, Spanish, hobbies, and other neglected life stuff. :)

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
June 20 weight 151.0
June 27 weight 152.4
July 4 weight 149.6
July 11 weight 150.6
July 18 weight 151.0
July 25 weight 150.2
Aug 1 weight 148.8
Aug 8 weight 149.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 15 weight 150.5 (extrapolated)
Aug 22 weight 151.4
Aug 29 weight 150.4
Sept 5 weight 150.6
Sept 12 weight 151.8
Sept 19 weight 153.2
Sept 26 weight 152.4
Oct 3 weight 152.0 (extrapolated)
Oct 10 weight 152.0 (extrapolated)
Oct 17 weight 151.8
Goal weight: 130
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 20, 2016, 08:49:09 AM
Today is weigh in day for me.  Skipped last week because it wasn't so pretty in my head.  But I was being silly!  It's not so bad.
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
616 – 129.5
6/23 – 129.5
6/30 – 127.0
7/7 – 125.5
7/14 –  127
7/21 -126 – ok
7/28 – 127.5 – hmmmm  I think I need a new scale!
8/4 – 128.  – knew this was coming.
8/18 – 129  -same as last week
8/25 – 127 – this is better.
9/1 – 126.5 – whoot whoot!
9/8 – 126.5 – holding steady
10/6 – 127 – still holding steady
10/13 – 129 – wtf
10/20 – 126.5 – now that is more like it,

Goal : 120 lbs.  Modified to 125 lbs with better fitness/muscle tone

Habits check in:
Record everything in the food journal – 50% of the time
Eat sitting down at a table – 95% of the time
Snacking – 0% of days last week I did not snack.  I seem to be starving all the time.
Still serving meals in the kitchen but have been putting the veggies on the table.
Soft drinks – Did not indulge in any this past week.
Ice cream – only once this week and very portion controlled.  We put the ice cream in the basement freezer and it is amazing how lazy we are!

Fitness Activities:  raking leaves and planting things are about the extent of the physical activity.  We have been coping with a flu-like bug in the house for the last week and it is taking just about everything I have to meet my paid work obligations…. Really have to get to work on my fitness though.  My 15 year old son ran a 5K race on Thanksgiving weekend in under 22 minutes and I was really thinking about how I probably couldn’t do that now but I used to be able to do that kind of thing.  While we were waiting for his results we cheered on the rest of the runners. There were a number of older women also running.  Some were walking and others were running really slowly and I thought – I should probably start training because I could do that.  Everyone was cheering them on and no one was being mean.  DS was saying he would love to have me running again.  I have got to get me feet to the running shoe store and see what they can suggest for these crazy toes. 

Other notes:  some jeans that were a little too tight when I bought them last March need a belt or they fall down!  The fall and winter clothes are all looking way better than last year.  I am feeling pretty good about this place I am now. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brooklynmoney on October 21, 2016, 08:44:38 PM
I've had a wild ride the last month with weight and eating and not really in a good way. First, I got sick and lost weight because I was on speed (cold meds) basically, for a week and ate less than 1K calories daily. Then I started using MyFitnessPal, which was going fine, until I hit some extreme work stress and then returned to eating less than 1K calories a day i.e. restricting my eating and started to feel a little out of control which is how I felt in college the first year when I ended up in counseling. So I lost 6.5 pounds in a month which is like 70% of my goal, but I'm not very happy about it.  Now I'm trying to focus on getting enough calories and eating healthy. I just splurged and bough the Tone It Up meal plan, and I'm gonna make all kinds of healthy snacks and meals this weekend. I still want to lose like 5 more pounds, but I want to do it over the next 2-3 months, not in a matter of weeks. Anyway, thank you for listening. I felt sort of scared this week remembering the way I used to feel and feeling like that again. I don't really feel like I can talk to anyone about it in real life. If I feel like that again, I think I'll go back to my therapist. I'm not going to take a chance.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 21, 2016, 11:13:13 PM
Anyway, thank you for listening.

You're welcome :)

We're really here for you... and a bunch of us are big supporters of therapy as needed, too!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on October 22, 2016, 05:42:47 AM
I've had a wild ride the last month with weight and eating and not really in a good way. First, I got sick and lost weight because I was on speed (cold meds) basically, for a week and ate less than 1K calories daily. Then I started using MyFitnessPal, which was going fine, until I hit some extreme work stress and then returned to eating less than 1K calories a day i.e. restricting my eating and started to feel a little out of control which is how I felt in college the first year when I ended up in counseling. So I lost 6.5 pounds in a month which is like 70% of my goal, but I'm not very happy about it.  Now I'm trying to focus on getting enough calories and eating healthy. I just splurged and bough the Tone It Up meal plan, and I'm gonna make all kinds of healthy snacks and meals this weekend. I still want to lose like 5 more pounds, but I want to do it over the next 2-3 months, not in a matter of weeks. Anyway, thank you for listening. I felt sort of scared this week remembering the way I used to feel and feeling like that again. I don't really feel like I can talk to anyone about it in real life. If I feel like that again, I think I'll go back to my therapist. I'm not going to take a chance.

Sounds scarey, but like you are making good choices. Strength to you.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 22, 2016, 06:23:35 PM
Anyway, thank you for listening.

You're welcome :)

We're really here for you... and a bunch of us are big supporters of therapy as needed, too!
+1  this is a safe place to record how it is.  Please do ask for what you need.  We want you to find it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brooklynmoney on October 22, 2016, 08:00:09 PM
Thanks so much everyone for the support. Re-reading my post, it sounds heavy and scary and I did feel not great for the last month, but I feel much better now. I made healthy pumpkin muffins and zoodles tonight and got a massage today, so am feeling much better and taking care of myself. Anyway, I love this thread (i of course love the whole forum). I find it inspiring but also very real.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on October 23, 2016, 05:27:02 AM
Ok. Time for me to own up to a bit of a fail.

Since April(?) 6 months ago I was 75kg. I'm now up to 80kg. And it's not the good muscle type weight :(

Too many sugary snacks at work, too many sweet desserts and too many packets of chips.

Time to reverse this trend. Posting here to have sort sort of accountability.

Putting on weight sucks :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 23, 2016, 07:59:49 AM
Great job saying it out loud, marty998!

What would be the second step that would help you get started?
A high-protein breakfast?
A walk in the leaves this morning?

:)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on October 24, 2016, 01:34:35 AM
No change to the diet, apart from cutting out the crap. Said no to Celebrations and Toblerone today. That was...difficult!

I'm off to the gym for some time on the treadmill. Will report back in a couple of hours.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on October 24, 2016, 04:37:41 AM
Ok cross trainer has given me very sore calves but I think it was worth it.

45 minutes, 8.8 kilometres, med-high resistance level not sure how accurate it is but it says I burned 514 calories.

I also walked the 1.25km there and stumbled and huffed the 1.25km back :)

Felt good, can feel the blood circulating after that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 24, 2016, 06:54:54 AM
No change to the diet, apart from cutting out the crap. Said no to Celebrations and Toblerone today. That was...difficult!

I'm off to the gym for some time on the treadmill. Will report back in a couple of hours.

I read Slim by Design to help me understand the mine field that snacks can be. The premise is that you can't have willpower 100% of the time so here are some strategies that remove the requirement for willpower.  It has really helped me establish some much better healthy habits although I am still struggling with the last couple of pounds.  I need to work on the fitness.

This weekend I worked outside on the garden to exhaustion and got a whole bunch of stuff ready for winter. I think that leaf raking is good cardio if I try and push myself.  Still have 6 cubic meters of cedar mulch on the driveway but am waiting until  all the leaves have fallen then I am going to cover them up with the mulch to achieve gardening beauty, healthy soil and fitness at the same time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on October 27, 2016, 01:26:03 AM
That's true. I'm certainly not motivated 100% of the time, and frequently find myself eating and drinking things I shouldn't be.

Yesterday I did some laps and swam 1km without stopping for the very first time! All progress is good progress.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on October 30, 2016, 04:44:01 AM
Ok. Time for me to own up to a bit of a fail.

Since April(?) 6 months ago I was 75kg. I'm now up to 80kg. And it's not the good muscle type weight :(

Too many sugary snacks at work, too many sweet desserts and too many packets of chips.

Time to reverse this trend. Posting here to have sort sort of accountability.

Putting on weight sucks :(

1 week since the above and I've lost 2kg. Down to 78.

Now to lose the next 3kg
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on October 30, 2016, 10:14:43 AM
Way to go, marty998!

Does it feel like a sustainable weight loss to you? i.e., Not a big jump down only to have it rebound later?

I'm definitely finding it more challenging to stick with optimal eating in the winter here! So far so good though. Not super on-target, but this summer's approaches definitely changed some habits and those are sticking really well :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on October 30, 2016, 02:36:04 PM
Thank SF. I think it was mainly excess fluid loss.

1st week of "trying" is always the easiest getting rid of that. It's much harder to then start burning actual fat cells.

It's easier for me to stick to healthy eating away from work. At work there is always birthday cakes, chocolate 'rewards', sweets and chips.... and then of course Friday drinks. At home I'm pretty much snack free.

Winter is definitely harder but for a different reason. It's usually our busy season at work (July to September), so lots of sitting on arse at cubicle for very long days.

From October through to May I have time to be a bit more active by getting out of work at a reasonable hour.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on November 01, 2016, 08:06:31 AM
First Tuesday of the month check in:

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6


Well! It looks like no movement, but most of last week I was measuring in the 123s, so I'm not too concerned about it. I have drastically slowed the weight loss down, partially due to busy-ness, and partially because I feel pretty good at this weight. So, I am trucking along, we will see how things go this month, perhaps I will be checking in at the same level next month, or maybe down a bit more. I am not being terribly strict with myself WRT anything except portion size. If I want it, I eat it, but just a small amount. I am also still tracking everything I eat, even on the high calorie days.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 01, 2016, 08:53:13 AM
I've been off for a little while and I'm happy to see so many familiar names still sticking with this.

Confession time - this past two months have been rather bad. October has been even worse and I've been avoiding logging on to this forum even because I don't want to face myself. I haven't even been weighing myself daily because I'm scared to look at the numbers. I know I've put on about 3-4 pounds. Its crazy how quickly it happened.

I was feeling off so I gave myself permission to just eat whatever. But then it lasted more than a day. Then two days. Before I knew it, several weeks later and I'm STILL overeating. The worst part is - I can feel myself spiraling out of control again. It's become eating simply for the sake of eating. Not feeling good today? Time to go out and spend $20 on a big pile of chicken wings. Still not satisfied? Well, pick up a bag of cheetos on the way back to the office. Oh, there's an ice cream cake in the freezer? Yum! That was how the last couple of weeks have been looking *sigh*. Scarily, it looks a whole lot like last year when I piled on pounds really quickly.

I still haven't managed to get a grip on myself (after planning to eat only 2-3 little chocolates last night, I ended up chowing down 6-7 chocs). Feel like I'm floundering here and still not sure I can find my footing.

BUT...I decided enough was enough and at the very least, I was going to come on here and be honest.

PLUS (and believe me, I am really fighting against this), I am going back to logging on MyFitnessPal. I can't believe I am doing this. But, while writing this post, I wanted to look up a couple of things and after some clicking around, I ended up logging. I'm half excited, half scared. I KNOW it works for me, but also scared that I won't be able to have the motivation to stick with it.

Anyway, so what if i'm scared? Here goes!

Starting calories: 1260 cals (to lose 0.5 lbs a week - the fun of only being 5 ft tall!)
Exercise calories (been able to stick with biking 50 mins round trip to work and a 30 min lunch walk): +402 cals (woot!)

Breakfast: usual plain yogurt and granola, 244 cals
Lunch: leftover chicken fried rice, 458 cals (guesstimate)
Dinner: tofu spaghetti and 0.75 cups of homemade beef ragu, 205 cals
Gala event: champagne, 125 cals & hors d'eourves, 630 cals available :) :)

Hmmm...today may not be so bad after all. I was REALLY worried as I do want to have fun tonight. And I'm shocked that I am earning that many cals via exercise. I honestly don't consider my cycling much of a workout - but even when I say bicycling, light effort for 50 mins, MFP gives me 300 cals. I found MFP pretty accurate when I used it for 6 months. So I'm going with it :)

I'll report back tomorrow with how today went. I'm ending this post a little excited....
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on November 01, 2016, 09:55:01 AM
Great going, rockstache and elaine amj!

Awesome on the maintenance, rockstache, of a "happy weight."

elaine amj, congrats on taking that big step of showing up and getting honest. That's the biggie :)

I continue to be 11 lbs down from my start, despite being inside of a three-week party.
I am bringing my scale, and my fancy, easy, loss/maintenance foods to the next location, even though my mum will mock me for them.
I am also committing to spending the $50 to continue swimming 3x week in another city.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on November 01, 2016, 12:44:41 PM
Aww elaine amj, I'm sorry you've had a discouraging time. I know how that feels. It really does add up quickly for us shorties. I don't think I will ever be able to stop logging, or at least not until I have gone a year or two of getting it right. It takes a long time to learn new habits and tricks. Go easy on yourself. You can do this!

Scrubby, thanks for the encouragement. It is so uncomfortable when family is not totally supportive. Good for you for standing up to the scoffing. You will be happy with yourself, which is most important.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dragoncar on November 01, 2016, 12:51:37 PM
I was doing well, but I'm kinda back to where I started now... Le sigh
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 01, 2016, 10:15:48 PM
I ended up running out of time so skipped dinner and so had extra calories for my gala event, which nice. I thought I did good. However, I just logged what I ate and am quite horrified at how the few small bites I had added up to about 1300 calories! So I am well over my MFP limit for the day. No wonder I feel so full!!

I have more pitfalls ahead tomorrow - having lunch with my son and then birthday cake at work.

Surprisingly, I still feel motivated to log. I am going to skip breakfast tomorrow and hopefully that will help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 01, 2016, 10:17:13 PM
I was doing well, but I'm kinda back to where I started now... Le sigh

It's so easy to fall back into old patterns isn't it? I thought I had conquered it, but it only took a few months for me to gradually go back to my old ways. I'm trying to shake myself out of that now.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on November 01, 2016, 10:22:30 PM
I was doing well, but I'm kinda back to where I started now... Le sigh

Many of us will understand that experience, dragoncar :)     We're here with/for you in any way we can be!

It is so uncomfortable when family is not totally supportive. Good for you for standing up to the scoffing. You will be happy with yourself, which is most important.

Thank you, rockstache! This eve I was out, even doing movement, and imagined ahead to my mum's mocking, and felt how sad I would feel. Then your words (which I'd read much earlier) came back to me and I felt happy and strong instead, and knew I could feel that way there too :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 02, 2016, 04:56:25 AM
It's been a while since I posted in this thread.

It's good to see others both new and old.

Latest summary.

Date      Weight (lbs)
7/26/2015           145
11/6/2015           134
1/14/2016           128
4/11/2016           128
5/29/2016           124
8/20/2016           127
9/26/2016           130
10/30/2016         131

I guess it is somewhat steady.

I've had lots of travel recently both work and family. This is the hardest. Now I'm back and promise to be more aware of what I'm doing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 02, 2016, 08:45:46 AM
Elaine amj - was thinking about you this morning and wondering how you were doing.  Welcome back on the wagon! 
rpr - good work - trending downwards is a good thing. 
Rockstache - impressive.

Weigh in is tomorrow for me - hope the kids will get that Hallowe'en candy out of the house soon.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on November 02, 2016, 09:24:13 AM

Thank you, rockstache! This eve I was out, even doing movement, and imagined ahead to my mum's mocking, and felt how sad I would feel. Then your words (which I'd read much earlier) came back to me and I felt happy and strong instead, and knew I could feel that way there too :)

I'm glad I could help a little Scrubby. I think most people who tease others for positive life changes are just sad because they feel like they can't make any changes themselves. I always feel a little sorry for them, and it helps me to carry on my way, giving them less influence over me.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 02, 2016, 04:40:02 PM
@Frugal Lizard Thanks for checking in :) I did relatively ok today, all things considered. I just about forgot to log until I read your post and thought about responding.

I skipped breakfast. Lunch out was a fancy caesar salad but I estimate I ate at least 500 cals or more. Birthday treats was a blondie, a couple of maple cookies and a 1/2 cup of ice cream so about 700 cals. *gulp* No more cals left for dinner...but I'm eating anyway - a veggie curry with some quinoa for 500+ calories.

Looks like it is a maintenance day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on November 03, 2016, 12:20:13 PM
Quote
For myself, I'm  6'0" and 246.8 lb. I'm at a pretty bad place with my fitness; running more than about 2.5 miles makes my lower back quite tight, and I'm sure I'm not going any faster than about 8.5 minutes per mile. But my weight is where I want to focus. My goal is to lose 1.5 lb per week until I reach 185. Most importantly is keeping that target pace  through the middle of September, which is the time of my wedding.  That would put me at 190-195 by September; I've looked good weighing as much as 210, but that was when spending 2-2.5 hours working out daily. I've done calorie counting before, but for me it makes my whole process less fault-tolerant, so I'm more likely to derail. This time, I'll be skipping that. My calorie deficit should be 750 daily for 1.5lb/week, so a good guess for ideal intake is 1500-1600.  My consistency will be sticking to my egg breakfast sandwiches (2 eggs, 1 slice bacon, half piece cheese, english muffin) which runs about 350 calories, and shooting for 500 in each of lunch and dinner, with the remainder being a beer or glass of wine while I work in the evening. My lunches are a piece of fruit, some carrots, and one of several stews that I make in large quantities for leftovers. I always want breakfast, but lunch and dinner sometimes don't happen. Outside of breakfast I avoid anything as processed as, or more processed than, bread. My general rule is that my tea and canned goods should be the only colorful packaging I buy.
I had been doing twice-daily weigh-ins for the same goal of reducing noise in my measurements, but for the sake of the trend I appreciate that once daily achieves the same thing; that's what I'll be doing in the future.

Great job starting this thread! It's a really good initiative.

How did you end up doing in time for your wedding in September?

You've got a good approach in calculating a calorie deficit in order to determine at what rate you can lose weight. On the exercise, did you find a cardio other than running which helped you burn calories efficiently?

On the eating side, alcohol would be one of the first things I'd cut out when attempting to lose weight as it doesn't provide nutrition and it can impact your judgement on other eating decisions.

The weigh-ins need to be a consistent time of day with bodily functions (pre or post) being consistent as well. This helps ensure you're measuring the same thing.

I lost significant weight nearly 10 years ago and documented it here: http://www.financiallypossible.com/building-connections-for-bigger-changes/
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: scrubbyfish on November 03, 2016, 11:06:09 PM
A friend made us a gorgeous cake—from scratch, with several hundred icing rosettes topping it. We all had some together, then Friend asked us to take the rest home. Friend couldn't eat more of it, as it would hurt Friend's belly.

I took it home, ate more over three days, and today threw the rest out. I couldn't think of anyone else to gift with slices because: Halloween. No one can take anymore sugar!

I felt very sad to have to throw any of it out. And I felt very proud that I managed to. The cake was amazing, the rosettes incredible, the love so awesome. And, just as Friend gets to love Friend's belly by sending the rest away, I get to love my body and brain by sending the rest-rest away. I will miss you, Beautiful Cake! Thank you, dear Friend! You're welcome, dear body!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 03, 2016, 11:53:51 PM
A friend made us a gorgeous cake—from scratch, with several hundred icing rosettes topping it. We all had some together, then Friend asked us to take the rest home. Friend couldn't eat more of it, as it would hurt Friend's belly.

I took it home, ate more over three days, and today threw the rest out. I couldn't think of anyone else to gift with slices because: Halloween. No one can take anymore sugar!

I felt very sad to have to throw any of it out. And I felt very proud that I managed to. The cake was amazing, the rosettes incredible, the love so awesome. And, just as Friend gets to love Friend's belly by sending the rest away, I get to love my body and brain by sending the rest-rest away. I will miss you, Beautiful Cake! Thank you, dear Friend! You're welcome, dear body!

scrubbyfish -- That is a great story. A lot of us grew up told that we must not waste food. The problem is that these days, we are making more food with larger portion sizes. When do we say enough? I'm so glad you did.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 04, 2016, 02:15:28 PM
I was supposed to check in here yesterday with a weekly weigh in.  I forgot to step on the scales first thing in the morning until this morning.
It said 128. 
Which means no loss again.  I know why - too dang much sugar.   Think I am just going to focus on eating it  getting the kids to eat it.

Really having a hard time getting back on track for the rest the way to my goal.  I am close enough that it doesn't seem as much as an emergency as it was in April when I started.  And I have been coming to realizations about my finances and maybe there is only so much energy in my head.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on November 05, 2016, 03:31:28 PM
Sporadic update.  I took responsibility for a new department at work, which ended up taking 12-hour days to acclimate to for the last week, and like 10-hour days for the two weeks leading up to that.  Not a lot of time left to focus on personal interests.

So I ate a lot of fast food during that time and the scale was slowly creeping up*.  Then a strange thing happened today.  A drop of of 3.5 pounds!  I don't believe it will last, but it was nice to see.  I hope to capitalize on this as the springboard for my next 10 pound** loss.



*The goal is to weigh daily, as that helps me understand the impact of the prior day's eating, it's been a good tool for me.  I have been stretched so thin recently that this is more like 3-4 times/week right now.

**I have lost about 10 pounds this year, if you average out the daily fluctuations.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 06, 2016, 09:10:29 PM
This past week I have been fairly aware of what I have been eating and also exercising regularly as well. The scale shows a loss of about 3 lbs from the week before (a lot of it is probably just water). Eating more healthy on average (lots of oats based recipes **). Don't feel as bloated.

I got this book "Outrageous Oatmeals" has lots of wonderful recipes especially savory ones.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 07, 2016, 09:49:42 AM
@scrubbyfish That's awesome that you reframed the way you look at food and was able to throw out the beautiful cake. I have to admit, I still struggle a lot with wasting food. There are times I am able to just say "that's enough" and toss it/walk away and times where I just cannot let it go to waste. One thing I have done before with cakes is to freeze it. I don't mind them after they defrost and that helps me portion it out more slowly.

@Frugal lizard I hear ya - sometimes getting in the right mindset makes all the difference. Like you, I don't feel the urgency I used to feel. I think you're right about the energy levels available.

@oneday I have found the same thing - after going off the rails for a week or two, when I get back on track, I drop a lot pretty quickly. I think a lot of it is sodium. I have DEFINITELY seen the difference in my weight when I eat out vs eat at home. I mostly cook low-sodium meals at home and I know they have a heavy hand with salt in restaurants. I agree that weighing daily will keep you mindful.

@rpr yay to eating healthy AND exercising! Way to go on the 3 lb loss!!!

As for me, I've been doing OK. I successfully logged ALL last week. However, my weekend logging was all guesstimates since I have no clue. On Saturday, we had all you can eat sushi. On Sunday, I ate at a friend's place and didn't track what I ate. Overall, on average, each day I ate about 250 cals less than maintenance (sounds better than 1700 cals over my plan LOL!). I'm glad I logged every day and it is definitely helping me be more aware and make better choices. logging works for me. The trick is sticking to it.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 09, 2016, 12:03:22 AM
elaine amj -- Thanks. It is good that you are going back to logging. Even guesstimates are better than not.

For me, at the moment, I have to only take care of the food for one person (me as partner is out of town) and it is somewhat more in my control as to what I eat. But this past Sunday evening, I had a major crash. It was around 10 PM and I was feeling majorly jittery and so hungry and could not sleep. I then ate the following

-- One Bowl of cereal (hemp granola with pumpkin seeds) with milk -- 200 cal
-- 1/2 cup of Trail mix -- 200 cal
-- One Nature valley fruit and nut bar -- 140 cal

Total damage was 540 cal

I suppose all that sugar was probably not good. Not sure what exactly triggered this food binge. Maybe I'm just not getting enough food as I had done lots of exercise that morning (almost 1 hour running).  One indicator for this is that even with all of that bingeing I was only 200 cal above my allowed limit. 

For today things are back to more normal. Exercised a lot and ate healthy as well.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 09, 2016, 08:36:02 AM
@rpr 200 calories over is not too bad at all. I think its awesome that you still manage to track the damage. You can easily make up for it by eating 200 cals less another day. Or just move on - since it was only a very little bit over.

I'm still logging and still mostly sticking to things. Some days its so easy to stay within my calories and some days its a lot harder. It depends on my food choices :) Today, we have birthday cake at work (all these staff birthdays really add up!). I worked it into my plans and should be OK though.

However...I just had breakfast an hour ago (my usual) and I AM HUNGRY AGAIN. I am already over my calories for today by a little - so I am going to do my best to tough it out for another hour until lunchtime. Normally, my usual yogurt/granola breakfast fills me up adequately so its rather annoying to feel hungry already. Oh well. bodies are strange things. And feeling hungry for an hour or two is not the end of the world.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 09, 2016, 12:23:15 PM
Today, we have birthday cake at work (all these staff birthdays really add up!). I worked it into my plans and should be OK though.

Those cakes at work are bad. We used to have those as well in the past -- one day a month we would celebrate all those who had birthdays that month. Sadly, the wonderful admin assistants who used to arrange these gatherings have retired. Now we have some newer staff who will probably take time to mesh in. The cakes are gone. Bad for office camaraderie and morale but  I suppose good for the waistline.

Quote
However...I just had breakfast an hour ago (my usual) and I AM HUNGRY AGAIN. I am already over my calories for today by a little - so I am going to do my best to tough it out for another hour until lunchtime. Normally, my usual yogurt/granola breakfast fills me up adequately so its rather annoying to feel hungry already. Oh well. bodies are strange things. And feeling hungry for an hour or two is not the end of the world.

For me that seems to happen with dinner. I feel like I eat a good sized portion at dinner but 3 hours later, if awake, I feel really hungry. The key seems to be able to go to sleep at a good time before the hunger pangs hit.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 09, 2016, 02:26:20 PM

Those cakes at work are bad. We used to have those as well in the past -- one day a month we would celebrate all those who had birthdays that month. Sadly, the wonderful admin assistants who used to arrange these gatherings have retired. Now we have some newer staff who will probably take time to mesh in. The cakes are gone. Bad for office camaraderie and morale but  I suppose good for the waistline.


We celebrate EACH birthday - just had cake last week too! Oh well, got to make the diet fit with regular life.


For me that seems to happen with dinner. I feel like I eat a good sized portion at dinner but 3 hours later, if awake, I feel really hungry. The key seems to be able to go to sleep at a good time before the hunger pangs hit.

I think today is just a hungry day *sigh*. I JUST sat back down after eating a largish slice of strawberry shortcake. I'm still hungry and it is another hour to dinnertime at least.

Your timeline kinda makes sense since many people are typically hungry every 3 hours or so. I do find bodies run on a schedule so if you are used to eating at certain times, you'll feel hunger pangs then. I definitely find myself getting hungry if I stay up late. I used to raid the fridge almost daily at midnight. These days, I usually manage to convince myself that my bed is too comfy for me to get out. Of course, the best thing to do for my diet AND my overall health is to SLEEP EARLIER.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 09, 2016, 03:05:19 PM

I think today is just a hungry day *sigh*. I JUST sat back down after eating a largish slice of strawberry shortcake. I'm still hungry and it is another hour to dinnertime at least.


Stay strong. Rooting for you!

I am just eating lunch here. A big veggie salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, black beans, walnuts and a dressing made with mustard and vegan mayo. Hopefully that should last me till the evening. Have a tangerine on hand for an afternoon snack.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 10, 2016, 08:16:29 AM
Stay strong. Rooting for you!

I am just eating lunch here. A big veggie salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, black beans, walnuts and a dressing made with mustard and vegan mayo. Hopefully that should last me till the evening. Have a tangerine on hand for an afternoon snack.

That sounds yummy AND healthy!

I somehow managed to hang in there yesterday. I stayed hungry all day unfortunately (was SUPER hungry after dinner), but somehow managed not to eat anything more although I kept digging through the fridge/cupboards. My husband even ended up passing me several different types of "healthy" crackers. But I was in a weird mood where most things were not appealing, so I didn't end up eating anything...even though it was right in front of me!

I was rewarded this morning...another small drop. If I keep going like this, I should hopefully wrap up this week with about a 1 lb loss.

I'll put it all back on next week though - I'll be in DC/NYC for a week! With my mom...who I haven't seen in nearly 2 years. So excited :) Especially since after the trip, she comes back home with me to stay with my until after the New Year. Anyway, that's why I've been trying to be so disciplined this week, want to minimize the damage.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 10, 2016, 12:23:34 PM

I somehow managed to hang in there yesterday. I stayed hungry all day unfortunately (was SUPER hungry after dinner), but somehow managed not to eat anything more although I kept digging through the fridge/cupboards. My husband even ended up passing me several different types of "healthy" crackers. But I was in a weird mood where most things were not appealing, so I didn't end up eating anything...even though it was right in front of me!

I was rewarded this morning...another small drop. If I keep going like this, I should hopefully wrap up this week with about a 1 lb loss.

Good for you that you held off. Regarding the scale, I tend to find that weight fluctuates a fair bit on a day to day basis and thus small changes of 1-2 lbs may not be true. I suppose something like a moving average or a trend weight may be more accurate.

Quote
I'll put it all back on next week though - I'll be in DC/NYC for a week! With my mom...who I haven't seen in nearly 2 years. So excited :) Especially since after the trip, she comes back home with me to stay with my until after the New Year. Anyway, that's why I've been trying to be so disciplined this week, want to minimize the damage.

Family visits can be the worst in terms of trying to stick to a plan. Keep healthy things at home when your mom visits.  Enjoy the time with your mom as much as you can. The weight and the scale will take care of itself.

Today another healthy day has been planned so far --
Lunch is Rustic Hummus on a tortilla with red and green bell peppers, sweet peppers, spinach and cucumber. Afternoon snack is another tangerine from my yard.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 13, 2016, 10:48:35 AM
Last week was fairly good in terms of what I ate. While the scale did not move much, I am happy with it staying where it is. One thing I have actually done is increase my total calorie intake by about 15-20%. While that may seem like a lot, a majority of this increase has gone more towards whole grains, vegetables and fruit.

In addition,  exercise and general physical movement have also been increased this past week. I have been walking a lot instead of taking the car. My work place is about 1 mile away and I've been walking to and from work every day last week (helped that it was a short week). Just last week alone, I ran/jogged/walked outside for a total of almost 18 miles. This does not include time on the treadmill.

Aside: I am thinking of becoming somewhat spendypants and getting a Fitbit Charge 2. Lusting a little bit for it and have watched lots of You tube videos and read lots of reviews. Most seem positive. Now I have been mostly using my iphone Health App to track steps/distance on a daily basis and the Runkeeper app for distance runs/jogs. Maybe the Fitbit App will be a better way of keeping track.   Any thoughts?

Wishing everyone a Healthy week ahead!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on November 13, 2016, 09:07:19 PM
Weight loss does such weird things to body perception.  This evening I tried on most of my clothes with my boyfriend to help me figure out what fits and what doesn't. I am really having trouble seeing it and according to him I am wearing everything a couple sizes too big.

It's such a strange thing.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on November 14, 2016, 12:12:33 AM
Ok. Time for me to own up to a bit of a fail.

Since April(?) 6 months ago I was 75kg. I'm now up to 80kg. And it's not the good muscle type weight :(

Too many sugary snacks at work, too many sweet desserts and too many packets of chips.

Time to reverse this trend. Posting here to have sort sort of accountability.

Putting on weight sucks :(

1 week since the above and I've lost 2kg. Down to 78.

Now to lose the next 3kg

Scales on Saturday said 78.5... after I had drunk 4 litres of water in the afternoon and evening while out playing sport.

On Sunday it said 77.... so I think I'm at least holding steady from the posts above.

I've also re-started using a pedometer to track my steps. Got pretty lazy-couch-potatoish over August-October... time to get back out there again. 21,000 steps on Saturday, only 4,000 on Sunday, but today isn't over and I've already got 12,280.

Currently on a very long commute home, because one train was slow I missed my connection and have to wait another 20 minutes. Which eats into gym time :(

Also I'm suddenly very hungry.... I ate brekkie at 5am, and because of that, lunch at 9:30am. It's now just after 6pm... stomach is grumbling loudly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 14, 2016, 10:51:07 PM


Scales on Saturday said 78.5... after I had drunk 4 litres of water in the afternoon and evening while out playing sport.

On Sunday it said 77.... so I think I'm at least holding steady from the posts above.

I've also re-started using a pedometer to track my steps. Got pretty lazy-couch-potatoish over August-October... time to get back out there again. 21,000 steps on Saturday, only 4,000 on Sunday, but today isn't over and I've already got 12,280.


The long term trend is what's important. I can easily see daily variations in my weight of 3-4 pounds. Depends on when and what you ate and drank, pooped and peed. A fair bit is also water weight. 

So far been using my iphone to track steps. Not sure how accurate it is.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on November 15, 2016, 03:44:19 PM
Weight loss does such weird things to body perception.  This evening I tried on most of my clothes with my boyfriend to help me figure out what fits and what doesn't. I am really having trouble seeing it and according to him I am wearing everything a couple sizes too big.

It's such a strange thing.

You are so right.  As I gained weight, I did not update my perception and for many years would wear things that were too tight around the middle.  One day I caught sight of my reflection unexpectedly in a shop window & it finally hit me!  I wonder if I will have the same struggle on the down side.  I have not lost enough weight to change size in clothing yet.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 18, 2016, 06:59:33 PM
I didn't even bother to get on the scale yesterday for weigh in - I know that it isn't pretty.  But I am going to keep hanging out here because I don't want to find myself back where I started in April.  I am still in a much better place even if I am only holding steady at around 127 pounds. 
This whole month I have felt super stressed and was trying to figure out why. I have been really pushing myself with work on my finances. I have also had such a nasty virus that I think it was the flu and I am working on some hard projects. I think I can only do improvements in one area at a time.  So I am going to continue to cut myself some slack, get through the shorter dreary days, Christmas holiday minefield of my relatives and my own expectations and hopefully not turn back into flabby person. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brooklynmoney on November 21, 2016, 05:45:37 AM
Hi all. It's almost the most magical day of the year, Turkey Day!! Anyone have any strategies for managing? I will go for a run that morning but really want to enjoy the day. I don't like pie so maybe I will skip that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bee21 on November 24, 2016, 04:10:12 PM
Hi folks, long time no see.

No significant weight loss to report, but i feel much better these days after finally figuring out what i can eat without pain and bloating. So my diet is officially clean of the upsetting stuff. Still need to work on the portion sizes and reducing the carbs. I blame the carbs for recent weight gain, but at least they don't cause me pain. Sigh. Food is a minefield.

In other news, i had a full medical checkup, and the gp says there is nothing wrong me. As i can't blame anything else for this excess weight, i hired a personal trainer to help me with the exercise bit as i was afraid to do it without supervision after my back injury. She is great and well worth the money. I do circuit training with her once a week and she designed a workout plan i can do at home. Plus i swim 2x a week at work. I can't walk as much as i want in this heat and humidity, so i need to increase the time spent in the gym.

Hope everybody navigates the eating season successfully!


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: dsmexpat on December 05, 2016, 12:45:50 PM
Update. In January I signed up on a website that lets you make weight loss bets. One of them let you do custom bets against the house and I received my check from them today. Little over a thousand dollars. Easy money given that the outcome is entirely within your control. I had to lose the weight because I couldn't afford not to, made it pretty easy to stay on task.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on December 05, 2016, 01:53:26 PM
Welcome everyone and welcome back. I popped out for a bit too, but I'm back on track and will be checking in with my last 2016 weigh in tomorrow. Ok, I will be weighing tomorrow but probably won't post it tomorrow. How are you all doing? Are you gearing up for a new surge for 2017?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on December 05, 2016, 08:56:27 PM
2016 weight loss was a success for me. I'm 5'4" I fluctuated around 163-167 in December 2015 and wore a size 14 in Eddie Bauer and Gap jeans. This December I fluctuate between 135 - 138 and wear size 6 at Eddie & Gap. I've been steady for about 6 weeks.  I am now considered a healthy weight and proportion.

I scared myself a few weeks ago, discovered that I accidentally was eating dangerously few calories. I've been trying to reassess and figure out where to go from here. I think I would like to hit 125 by May (which is still in a healthy range for me), but I'll be taking things very slowly in order to stay healthy.
 
I've built good food habits and shifted my lifestyle to include more exercise.

It feels good.

Edited to add:

I didn't post here often but definitely benefited from regularly reading about everyone's ups and downs. It really helped me keep things in perspective. Thanks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brooklynmoney on December 05, 2016, 09:05:28 PM
Congrats to everyone who had success or even started the journey this year. I am happy I ate and drank a lot on Thanksgiving but survived with no weight gain. Going to be mindful in days when there are no holiday parties which is most days and then enjoy myself on the special occasions.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 06, 2016, 09:24:45 AM
This is the final month of the year! I love all the awesome success stories that have been reported. At the end of the year, it will be awesome if everyone posts a recap on their year, what worked, what didn't work...and their plans for an amazing 2017 ahead!

I have been MIA for the past few weeks and have gained a few pounds :( That said, I am resolving to be kind to myself and celebrate that in 2016, I managed to lose 20 lbs - a big victory for me considering that my weight has been creeping upwards consistently since I started having my kids . Considering my DD is 15 and my DS is 14, I simply cannot hang on to the baby weight excuse anymore!!

I have let myself go over the last few weeks - a lot of stress eating with things being super busy at work and at home. I got scared when I stepped on the scale and saw 137 lbs last week (so mad since I did attain my goal weight of 130 lbs) and was finally able to stop myself. I'm seeing about 135 lbs or so on the scale this week. Going to try to maintain this through Christmas and go back on serious weight loss mode in January.

You know what's scary? A few months ago, I said there was NO WAY I would return to my old habits and let that weight get back on. Well, the last few weeks, I easily slipped back into my old ways. One day of binge eating is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But it quickly became binges every day. I just ate, ate and ATE some more. When stressed, I would go hunt for my favourite chicken wings and binge eat 20+ large wings in a meal. For a few nights, it was chocolate and I raided my house for chocolate bars, wolfing 1-2 bars a day for 3-4 days (until every chocolate stash was emptied). Even worse, I started eating in secret again. On the way home from work/errands, I'd stop at a drug store and pick up a chocolate bar and finish the entire thing in my car....all while my husband was texting me worried because I was so late.

This is not the me I want to be. Treats (even chocolate and chicken wings!) are fine in moderation - but of course, the last few weeks did NOT involve moderation and any form of control *sigh*.

Anyway, onwards and upwards! Today is a new day. I had a simple spinach omelette this morning, frozen spinach cakes for a quick lunch, and a reasonable beef & broccoli dinner planned for tonight. I also packed some delicious cherries for an afternoon treat and plan to resume my lunchtime walk today :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on December 06, 2016, 03:18:20 PM
Congrats PMG!! That is so great! You have a good perspective on the slow loss. I hope you will come along for 2017 too!

Elaine...ugh. I've had some weeks like that too. They have sometimes set me back a little and sometimes set me back a lot but that part doesn't really matter.
Mentally we (both? All?) have to learn to deal with the underlying issues. I'm sure that's different for everyone but it can be so hard to think you have it figured out and then hit a wall and fly into an emotional eating tailspin. I don't have a lot of advice but I'm with you. You've done an amazing job this year and inspired me along the way and probably lots of others too. Sending you thoughts of love and grace for yourself tonight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on December 06, 2016, 03:23:28 PM

First Tuesday of the month check in:

January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

Doing ok. My goal for 12/31 is to check in at or under 123.0 to cap off 2016 with a 30 lb loss. That will likely be the only good thing about 2016.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 09, 2016, 10:31:08 AM
Doing ok. My goal for 12/31 is to check in at or under 123.0 to cap off 2016 with a 30 lb loss. That will likely be the only good thing about 2016.

I'm so so incredibly impressed with the work you've done this past year. your numbers look great!

That said, I'm so very sorry that 2016 hasn't bee a good year for you ((hugs))
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: sunnyca on December 11, 2016, 02:58:53 PM
This is the final month of the year! I love all the awesome success stories that have been reported. At the end of the year, it will be awesome if everyone posts a recap on their year, what worked, what didn't work...and their plans for an amazing 2017...

This is not the me I want to be. Treats (even chocolate and chicken wings!) are fine in moderation - but of course, the last few weeks did NOT involve moderation and any form of control *sigh*.

Anyway, onwards and upwards! Today is a new day. I had a simple spinach omelette this morning, frozen spinach cakes for a quick lunch, and a reasonable beef & broccoli dinner planned for tonight. I also packed some delicious cherries for an afternoon treat and plan to resume my lunchtime walk today :)

Elaine Amj, I totally feel you on the binge eating. Around September last year, I got to my ideal weight of around 105lbs and maintained it for a while, but... in recent months, my weight has been gradually creeping up. When I get stressed, I binge eat uncontrollably. The other night I had several See's
chocolates and a large box of cashew brittle, and ate it all. The worse part of it was, I knew I was doing something doubly wrong- spending $$ on empty, fattening calories, and eating it without restraint. Not MMM at all. And I've been doing it more and more.

But as you said, onwards and upwards!  I've got a bunch of healthy, yummy food options in the pantry that I need to work on eating. And to stay far, far away from the sweets and unhealthy junk I've been consuming.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cromacster on December 12, 2016, 11:20:18 AM
I've found this thread late, but was directed from another thread.  I shared my story there and figured I'd share it here.

I've been working with a nutritionist for the past few months and it has been very eye opening to the amount effort it is going to take for me to get my weight down in a manageable way.  I've lost weight various ways in the past and can lose it fast (once I lost 30lbs in a month), but it never stayed off.  It was interesting to learn that I was actually under eating for the amount of work that I do accompanied by some binging, so ultimately I was gaining weight even though I thought I ate relatively healthy with "some" cheat meals.

The first month with the nutritionist, he had me eat alot, more than I feel like I've ever eaten, around 4,000 calories a day.  Granted these were good foods.  Lots of Chicken, eggs, bacon, avacados, spinach, greens, yogurt, etc etc.  He called this the reset, to get my body back to functioning in a normal manner.  I remembered reading an article about sugar addiction.  The author had a comment along the lines of "see if you have sugar cravings after eating 4,000 calories worth of healthy food"  That hit home because I had no cravings for anything, I didn't even want to eat the food I was supposed to because it felt like so much, but I did.

The best thing I got out of the reset is how I felt.  I felt great.  My workouts were great.  I noticed a huge reduction in muscle soreness and recovered faster.  Overall energy levels are way up too.

Now I'm tapering down from that amount of food, so I'm eating less and it doesn't feel like such a chore.  Right now my goal is losing 5-10lbs a month.  The nice thing about working with someone is they tell me what to eat, how much, and when.  Which is really what I need. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 12, 2016, 02:15:27 PM
@Crocmaster Glad to have you here!! This group has helped me so much in the past year :)

Weekend musings....I have eaten a fair bit. On the other hand, they were all conscious decisions to enjoy the treat, not the uncontrolled awful guilt-inducing binges I had before. To accommodate that, I was very careful about my regular meals and stuck within what I wanted to eat.

This was yesterday's breakdown (keep in mind my maintenance as a 5ft woman is about 1700 cals/day:
Breakfast: slept in, so skipped
Lunch: a 2 egg mushroom and onion omelette (abt 200 cals) and a 200-300 slice of Pannetone bread (a Christmas indulgence - YUM!)
Dinner: super indulgent turkey dinner with all the fixings at a friend's place that ended with a delicious cheesecake. (maybe 1200-1500 cals??)

I was very full at the end of the day, but felt good that all of my choices were deliberate. My rough guess is that I ate at about maintenance, even with the indulgent dinner.

This morning...I actually dropped a wee bit of weight (not entirely sure why lol!). On the good side, it means that I was able to balance my indulgences. Which is a victory in my book!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on December 13, 2016, 11:19:27 AM
Sporadic update...the scale was slowly creeping up..Then a strange thing happened today.  A drop of of 3.5 pounds!  I don't believe it will last, but it was nice to see.
**I have lost about 10 pounds this year, if you average out the daily fluctuations.

Well it's been over a month. I'm still working crazy long hours, but have been able to maintain my 10-pound loss, so while I'm not exactly HAPPY about the plateau, I'll take it, since the alternative would realistically be a gain.

Had vacation for one week last month and was able to convince everyone to get off their duffs for at least an hour a day.  I wanted to get more running done, but ended up doing massive walking instead.  It was what the group wanted, so at least I had a lot of support!  And it seemed easier not to overeat for some reason.  Less stress maybe?  If that's the case, then the next month will be difficult.

Happy/sad to see so many familiar posters here.  Happy in the sense that you/we are still fighting the good fight, but sad that we are still in that fight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 13, 2016, 11:49:14 AM
Good news about sticking to maintenance!

I figure I do my best to stay on maintenance through Christmas and get back to work in January. Would be REALLY nice to drop the 5 lbs required to get me back to my original goal weight....and then maybe another 10 lbs past that. I hope I can mentally gear myself up to drop 15 lbs to get to my ideal weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on December 13, 2016, 12:27:53 PM
We celebrate EACH birthday - just had cake last week too! Oh well, got to make the diet fit with regular life.

Can you decline the cake *sometimes*?  Like, if you just had some last week?  You might start a trend at your office!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 13, 2016, 02:44:05 PM
We celebrate EACH birthday - just had cake last week too! Oh well, got to make the diet fit with regular life.

Can you decline the cake *sometimes*?  Like, if you just had some last week?  You might start a trend at your office!

My problem is that I really, really like cake :) So it's hard for me to turn it down. I do sometimes manage to summon up the willpower to ask for a small slice instead. Otherwise, I just make it work. If I'm following my plan otherwise, I don't typically find it a big deal. It's when I have too many treats all in a single week.

Hoping to maintain through Christmas although I'll give myself a pass during Christmas week itself. My mom is visiting right now (first time in 12 years!) and she's a baker (by passion - it is her hobby business in retirement)...so we're cramming in as many delicious baked treats as we can in the next 4 weeks! On the good side, in the interests of health, she switched her specialty from sinfully rich chocolate cakes to spectacular looking 3D jelly cakes. Jelly is SO much kinder to the waistline :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on December 13, 2016, 05:02:58 PM
Ah, I love cake too.  So it was just an idea that occurred to me in the moment and I thought I would toss it out there. 

Have fun with your mom!  It's great that she's revised her style to be kinder to the waistline!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on December 13, 2016, 07:52:05 PM
Gulp! I'm scared of putting myself out there, but love the support and accountability y'all offer each other. So here goes it.

I've never focused on my weight before, at least not seriously. But I'm getting close to wanting to have kids, and I'd like to be healthier and smaller when we start trying.

I'm 5'4" and last week I was about 265 when I decided to start.

I started logging my calories and staying with a 1 lb/week weight loss goal for now. I started with 1.5/ week but I was too hungry, so I bumped it down to 1 lb/wk. After I build up the habit of logging, I'll work on incorporating exercise and will bump up the pace.

I checked my weight yesterday and I was 262.  So three lbs, but we will see if it is actually loss or water weight!

Right now I'm setting my goal weight to be 170, which is just overweight instead of obese.

Basically I'm planning on applying everything I learned from paying off 170k+ of debt to weight loss. Wish me luck!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: oneday on December 13, 2016, 08:39:37 PM
wintertell, welcome & good luck!  I hear that the skills leaned while paying off debt do apply to weight loss, and intellectually it seems to be true, but I have no debt other than mortgage but struggle to lose weight.  So there is overlap, but there is definitely something else, too.  Don't give up if it's not as easy as you first thought it would be.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 13, 2016, 09:36:51 PM
@wintertell 1 lb a week is great. I actually started there but dropped a little more rapidly so I upped my calories to slow it down to 1 lb a week. Too fast left me hungry and cranky. And my husband and boss both started nagging me about how tired I looked. Plus I figure that I am learning skills for a lifetime - I did NOT want to yoyo and heard deprivation can lead to that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on December 14, 2016, 04:53:46 AM
Original weight: 116.3kg
Last weigh-in's weight: 117.9kg
Current weight: 117.9kg
Goal weight: 90kg

Whilst I've been more active lately as the weather warms up and my ankle is almost fully healed, I haven't really changed my eating habits enough. Soon it'll be the silly season, uh oh.

I need to focus on not eating so damn much :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on December 14, 2016, 06:31:07 PM
wintertell, welcome & good luck!  I hear that the skills leaned while paying off debt do apply to weight loss, and intellectually it seems to be true, but I have no debt other than mortgage but struggle to lose weight.  So there is overlap, but there is definitely something else, too.  Don't give up if it's not as easy as you first thought it would be.

I'm just beginning at this, but this is where I see the overlap so far: 1) it requires sustained commitment and dedication overtime and 2) it is a process of continual optimization -- which involves changing established behaviors and habits -- in order to try and reach your goal  To do this, you need a really great "why" to continue to stick it out and continue for the long haul.

@wintertell 1 lb a week is great. I actually started there but dropped a little more rapidly so I upped my calories to slow it down to 1 lb a week. Too fast left me hungry and cranky. And my husband and boss both started nagging me about how tired I looked. Plus I figure that I am learning skills for a lifetime - I did NOT want to yoyo and heard deprivation can lead to that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am trying for long-lasting change, so I'm going to try and keep it nice and steady for the long haul. One of my tendencies is to go too hard, too fast, too soon so I've got to watch that to make sure I can stick with it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: ducky19 on December 15, 2016, 01:54:20 PM
Just switched over to a ketogenic diet about 3 weeks ago. Have since gone from 218.4 to 203.2 pounds. I am planning to be under 200 by the end of the year and my target weight is 185-190.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on December 15, 2016, 02:24:49 PM
Update time.

Date      Weight (lbs)
7/26/2015           145
11/6/2015           134
1/14/2016           128
4/11/2016           128
5/29/2016           124
8/20/2016           127
9/26/2016           130
10/30/2016         131
12/14/2016         129

So far the weight seems to have held steady. No loss but no gain either. I suppose that is good especially since I have increased my calorie intake by almost 20-25% since the beginning of the year. Trying to eat more healthy food with lots of fruits, veggies. This week there was a work related meeting again with lots of junk food. One day I succumbed to a couple of treats but stayed focussed for the second day.

I did get a Garmin Vivoactive HR fitness tracker a month ago. That seems to be quite motivating and I feel I am less sedentary especially in my office. I've been exercising more regularly and also trying to increase intensity as well. Being able to monitor the Heart Rate when exercising encourages me to exercise a little harder to get the HR up more. In some ways, I guess having that higher HR during exercise takes a while to come down probably means that there is some after burn effect as well. One side effect of the more intense exercise is that I feel hungrier as well. But then trying to not eat junk and fatty foods.

Glad that people stayed the course. This is a marathon and not a sprint.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 16, 2016, 08:10:15 AM
@rpr Well, you're finishing 2016 at about the same as when you started, that's so awesome that you managed to KEEP the weight off! I was pretty shocked at how easy it was to slip back into my old habits when I stopped being watchful :(
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 16, 2016, 08:57:08 AM
Has it really been over 2 months since I posted my weight? No wonder it's been creeping upwards! On the good side, I've been holding steady for about 2 weeks now since I started being watchful again.

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.June 24 2016:131.2 lbs
July 1 2016: 133.2 lbs.July 8 2016: 133.8 lbs...July 17 2016: 133.4 lbs..July 22 2016: 132 lbs....July 29 2016:132.4 lbs
Aug 5 2016: 132.2 lbs.Aug 12 2016: 131 lbs.....Aug 19 2016: 131.2 lbs..Aug 26 2016: 132 lbs
Sep 2 2016: 131.8 lbs.Sep 9 2016:    130.6 lbs..Sep 16 2016: 128.8 lbs..Sep 23 2016: 130.6 Lbs..Sep 30 2016: 131.6 lbs
Oct 7 2016: 131.2 lbs..Oct 12 2016:  133 lbs....Oct 21 2016:  130.2 lbs..
Nov 4 2016: 132.8 lbs..Nov 10: 2016: 132.2 lbs.......(some crazy numbers I don't know since I refused to weigh myself and definitely didn't record anything)
Dec 8 2016: 134 lbs....Dec 16 2016: 135 lbs

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

I am currently fluctuating between 134 and 135 lbs (and have been for 2 weeks now) so I will officially state that in 2016, I lost 20 lbs! While I'm a wee bit disappointed I put on 4-5 lbs in November, I'm back on track again and am feeling good. 130 lbs is a good, "acceptable" weight for me to feel normal. 120 lbs will be REALLY nice and I'm going to work towards that next year.

(https://s24.postimg.org/uy2foecd1/Trendweight_2016.jpg)

What worked: Logging my food intake on MyFitnessPal kept me honest. It was sometimes a pain (since I weighed everything), but to lose weight consistently, it really did work for me. I was able to maintain throughout the summer by weighing myself daily and being watchful over what I ate (while still feeling reasonably indulgent). Trendweight really helped with the process since it smoothed out the curve and helped me see what was happening. Also, posting on here made a BIG difference. It was fantastic to have a place where I could be honest about the ups and downs of my weight. Regular exercise helped give me some extra calories so I could easily fit in treats into my regular plan. I started biking to work (50 mins round trip) from July to October and that REALLY made a difference without it being "hard".

Lessons learned this year:
- Routines are important. Having something I typically ate each day made it easier to stay on track. Biking to work also became routine, and I enjoyed it.
- Veggies CAN taste good and provide filling, low-calorie meals
- I CAN manage entire meals with no meat in it (and still enjoy it)
- Skinnytaste.com has the BEST recipes (that are also easy since I'm not a great cook)
- Being hungry sometimes was not the end of the world. (Often I would eat a very small lunch in anticipation of a big dinner)
- Treats are DELICIOUS and need to be a part of my life. Deprivation leads to binging for me.
- After a lot of experimenting, Calories In Calories Out was still the only "diet" that worked for me
- Logging works for me. Period. (THANKS MyFitnessPal!)

Also, I have learned HOW EASY it is to go back to old ways. I gained a few lbs in November because I slipped back into binging, stress eating, and worst of all....secret eating. Daily weigh-ins and paying attention is still essential for me.

Looking forward to hearing everyone else's 2016 recap!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on December 16, 2016, 12:10:52 PM
@elaine amj -- The twenty pound loss certainly counts as a big win in any book!!

While I'd have liked to lose more weight especially the visceral fat surrounding my abdomen, it is likely to be a longer haul. I am not sure what is the way to get rid of it. I am betting that since it took twenty+ years for it to be slowly put on, there are no quick fixes.

Tracking and being mindful does help.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on December 17, 2016, 09:30:34 AM
Hi! I'm begood, and I'm a sugar addict. Will there be a 2017 thread, because I am sooooo late to this party...

I'm coming over here from another thread. I would definitely love some company on this journey: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. :)

I am on a quest to lose 32 pounds. Since mid-September, I've lost 12, so 20 to go. Averaging a pound a week. I'm doing it for oh so many reasons, but the two primary drivers are:

1) It's the next "task" in my breast-cancer prevention regimen. My family history is rife with breast cancer, so under a doc's care, I'm trying to take some proactive steps toward prevention.

2) My left knee has arthritis, a bone spur, and a tilted patella. I've done a month of PT and have exercises to continue at home, but losing weight to take pressure off that knee is a powerful incentive.

I'm working with a nutritionist, which has been really positive. I'm a lifetime member of Weight Watchers, but found I spent most of my WW time in a profound sense of guilt and disconnection, because I just couldn't follow the regimen with any degree of authenticity or stamina.

The nutritionist is working within my framework in ways I found really empowering, and which so far have worked well: concentrating on successes, looking for non-food mood lifters, and seeking community and connection. I tell her she's half nutritionist/half therapist!

On a practical level, that's meant: cutting out candy (though I still have dark chocolate daily), cutting out chips, cutting out a midmorning snack, and walking with a group of friends for an hour on weekdays.

The last two times I tried WW, I stalled out at 9 pounds. So the current approach has been more effective, so far. I just really want to try to keep going, and try to be kind to myself over these next couple of weeks, when there will be lots of temptations and I'll need to pick and choose which of them I really, really want.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on December 18, 2016, 05:37:01 PM
Welcome begood! Congratulations on your progress so far! I'm sure there will be a 2017 version, many of us found so much encouragement in this thread. I hope that you do too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 19, 2016, 10:42:18 AM
I hover around 128 pounds and have been here for months.  I got down a little lower and then the upwards creep began.  Then I realized that there was just too much happening to really focus on the weight loss. But I did lose ten pounds and have kept it off for about 5 months.  I have made a number of changes to the way I eat.  I also do not feel deprived.

What worked: 
Keeping the food journal.  I am pretty good at this now
Eating in the dining room.  We renovated the kitchen so that there isn't a table there anymore. 
Serving the food buffet style in the kitchen so every time I have seconds I have to get up and walk back into the kitchen.  We used to do family style and hub and I would finish the food in the serving dishes.  Now there are leftovers for lunches.
Increased the amount of salads - and I only dress the greens and I do that before serving so that I can really coat all the leaves with the smallest amount of salad dressing possible.
Using homemade dressing that I make in a larger batch so that I don't have to make every night.
More protein and fruit for breakfast.
Taking a healthy snack when going to meetings so that I don't buy an unhealthy choice
Cut out sugary drinks - I am now able to enjoy a bubbly water with just lime juice instead of a coke.
Having tea after dinner as a dessert replacement. It seemed that Hubs and I would eat dessert to give ourselves a reason to linger at the table and catch up, not because we particularly wanted to eat dessert. 
Making some lighter meals for dinner such as a soup.
Expanding the types of vegetables in my repertoire.  Kids are getting fancier taste buds so things that nobody would eat before are now enjoyed.
Starting spouting various things - I like a crunchy bean mix spouts.
Not eating in front of the tv or computer as much.
Making air popped popcorn for a snack and portion controlling it.
No bedtime snack - that was just a bad habit.
I will hang out in the 2017 because I would really like to get down to 120 pounds again but I think it will be more of a fitness type goal than a diet goal.  But at the moment my main focus has to be on the money side of my life.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on December 19, 2016, 02:53:58 PM
I feel kind of silly jumping in at the end of this long thread, but didn't want to put it off any longer.  I'll jump over to a new thread for 2017 if one gets started!  I've only read the current page and first page, but I may skim through to get ideas of what is working for other people.

Current Stats:
I'm 5'3" and currently weigh 160 pounds, two years after having a baby.  When I got pregnant, I weighed 140 which is at the very top of the healthy BMI for my height.  While pregnant, I gained 33 pounds, so was up to 173 on the day I went into labor.  At one point after the baby was born, I was down to 150, but then climbed back up to 160.  (Hello, stress eating!) 

Goal:
Having a second child is under consideration and I'd like to at least be back down to my former pre-pregnancy weight before that happens.  So my minimum goal is to lose 20 lbs, stretch goal is 30, extra stretch goal is 35.  I'd like to lose the weight by June 2017.  So if my goal is 30 pounds in 6 months, that's 5 pounds a month or just a little more than 1 pound a week.  Seems within the realm of possibility.

Challenges:
I'm not sure what my biggest challenge is.  Not exercising at all is a big one.  Too much stress eating is another one.  I did not exercise during my pregnancy and I really regret it now.  I also have exercised very little since having a baby.  It look about 15 months to even have the energy to seriously think about exercising and another few months to start trying.  And I'm not doing a great job of it now.  I am not athletic and have never really enjoyed exercise.  I'm a bookworm who would rather be curled up on a couch with a good book!  So that is a major hurdle to overcome.  I'm working on trying to find some kind of activity that I'll enjoy so as to make it sustainable.

Action Items:
-Set up treadmill desk - I work from home so this could be an easy way to get some activity into my life.  I scored a free treadmill from a friend who was getting rid of one.  I need to re-arrange my office to fit in the treadmill and then rig up the desk.  I'm hoping to use this tutorial http://wholelifestylenutrition.com/health/how-to-build-a-treadmill-desk-for-under-20/ which I saw posted in another thread in this forum

-Start tracking what I eat - I used My Fitness Pal several years ago and found it to be really helpful but also kind of annoying.  Tracking my food really made me aware of how many "empty" calories I eat.  It also showed me just how hard it is to lose 1 pound a week!  I can only eat 1200 calories a day if I don't do any exercise.  That's part of why I want to add daily activity into my life.  It got annoying to calculate the calories of each and every meal.  I'm hoping to do several sessions on the computer where I load a bunch of recipes all at once so they are ready for tracking instead of doing it after every single meal with my phone.

-Eat more veggies, fewer refined carbs - I don't want to go all the way to a Paleo or Whole 30 diet, but I could stand to eat less sugar and bread.  This is hard for me, bread is my favorite food!  I think reducing how much bread/pastry/treats I eat is more realistic and sustainable for me rather than cutting them out completely. 

-Add weightlifting once I establish a walking routine - I just bought a book on weightlifting at home and will start putting it into practice.

 
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 21, 2016, 09:38:45 PM
Welcome QueenV!! We definitely will start up a 2017 thread :) I've just been waiting until the year wraps up.

I like your plans so far and am looking forward to your journey.

As for me, I have been putting on another pound or two this week with all the Christmas festivities. Went shopping for a couple of sweaters last night and realized I feel fat now that I am 5-7 lbs higher than my lowest weight. There is still a lot of food ahead so I am going to try to enjoy it while not going overboard. Still hoping for maintenance or just an extra 1-2 lbs.

Today I have been uncomfortably stuffed all night. It really is silly to suffer the overstuffed feeling just for the enjoyment of eating a few more meatballs. Why do I do it to myself?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on December 24, 2016, 11:07:05 AM
Well I sure dropped the ball this year. Started out good, then crept right back up to where I started. 10 pounds down, 10 pounds up. Pretty disappointed.

(http://i.imgur.com/NIjAbDPl.jpg)

I have 32 weeks left until FIRE and my goal now is to lose 32 pounds in those weeks. I just know I need to make some serious changes to get there. I've done it before and I can do it again. Many of my FIRE goals require being in shape and I don't want to wait until I'm FIRE to start getting into shape!
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 24, 2016, 10:22:45 PM
@Cookie78 Aww...that's frustrating! But - I know you can do this! I hear a more serious determination in your post that says you are going to get through this.

As for me...I don't know why, but I feel so FAT at my current weight. Its not bad..only 5-7 lbs over my low and really, it's TWENTY pounds less than I weighed last Christmas...but I still feel awful and FAT. With just these few pounds I now look awful in everything I wear.

*sigh* I got used to seeing myself a few lbs lighter. The larger belly, the rounder cheeks - I am just way too aware of them.

On the good side, the weather finally warmed up and I have been outdoors a lot. I walked to work on both Thurs and Fri (70 mins each way) and felt amazing! I overdid it on Friday (walking about 3+hours through the day) so had to rest today. Ate a LOT of food on Christmas Eve but have been moderate otherwise. Am going to keep up the walking when possible throughout the Christmas break.

I'm determined to get back on weight loss mode in January!

In the meantime, Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on December 29, 2016, 07:56:24 PM


*sigh* I got used to seeing myself a few lbs lighter. The larger belly, the rounder cheeks - I am just way too aware of them.

I'm determined to get back on weight loss mode in January!

Oh so much this!! The other day I felt my waist (hands on hips) and I just KNEW it was bad. Yesterday morning? Up 4 lbs. gah.

Oh well, back on the wagon.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: aperture on December 29, 2016, 08:25:05 PM
Lost 32 lbs since August 2016.  My goal is to lose another 16 lbs in 2017.  Best wishes, Ap.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on December 30, 2016, 07:33:42 AM
Lost 32 lbs since August 2016.  My goal is to lose another 16 lbs in 2017.  Best wishes, Ap.

Congratulations, that is a lot!

I'm thinking I will be ending the year with just under 30 lbs lost. I started at 153 and am ending the year in the 125 range. I'm really happy with it, so I'm not going to quibble over the last few pounds. I will lose them in 2017. Can't wait to see you all there! Happy New Year!
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 02, 2017, 08:32:55 AM
I started a new 2017 thread :) Losing weight - the 2017 edition
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/index.php?topic=66290

I am determined to kick butt in 2017!!!

Edit: I somehow missed the other thread that was started. Closing the one I started and joining in the fun: Lose 10% or More of Your Body Weight in 2017
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/index.php?topic=66119

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on January 02, 2017, 12:15:00 PM
I hope that thread is as supportive as this one has been but I have my doubts already.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 02, 2017, 12:23:36 PM
I hope that thread is as supportive as this one has been but I have my doubts already.

Why?!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on January 02, 2017, 02:40:08 PM
It just seems a bit argumentative. Weight loss is an emotional issue. It's not a place for criticizing how others choose to go about it. The fact that no one did that in this thread made me much more willing to be honest about the rough days than it would have otherwise. Different things work for different people. Hopefully the 2017 thread will be good too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 02, 2017, 08:51:00 PM
@rockstache I was a bit hesitant when I saw all that going on too...but I am hoping that with all of us around, it will be a bit different?

I really really liked how supportive this thread was all year. This became the one place I could be brutally honest - and that helped me so very much.

Lets give it a shot. If folks there end up preferring more energetic discussions about how to go about losing weight, we could resurrect the thread I started to be a support-only thread with no debates about each individual 's methods.

The discussions can be very good...I often learn a lot. But there is a lot to be said about having a safe zone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on January 02, 2017, 09:03:47 PM
I checked out the other thread too but am not sure I belong there.  I'm not interested in losing 10% of my body weight. I've got five pounds and maintenance/ lifestyle to focus on. I really appreciated the attitude and perspectives shared on this thread this year, and while it's nice to not have duplicate threads maybe there is a need for two weight conversations?

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: LG in NYC on January 03, 2017, 06:49:45 AM
Agreed! I would love to keep a regular "losing weight in 2017 thread"... I followed this thread for most of 2016 but never posted because I thought my goal of losing 5-7 pounds was too insignificant. Well, it's 2017 now and I still haven't lost those 5-7 pounds. I'd love to have the support I saw on this thread to keep me motivated.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Adge on January 03, 2017, 11:16:54 AM
Add me to the list of people who would rather keep this thread separate :) I'm with LG in only needing/wanting to lose another 5-7lbs, definitely not 10% of my bodyweight, plus I love how supportive and non-judgmental this thread has been over the year! It would be a shame to merge it and end up losing all that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on January 03, 2017, 11:37:29 AM
Why not just keep this thread active? Since it has a great community?

Alternatively, the person who wrote the first post could edit it to a different title to make it clear it pertains to 2017.

I agree that I'm not liking the direction of the other thread and would either stay here or join a similar 2017 one.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on January 03, 2017, 12:53:21 PM
Well...I weighed in at 127.8 this morning. It's mostly just from eating poorly the last week or so. I'm glad to be back on the wagon, and I think it will bump down again soon. I don't know that I want to lose 10% of my body weight either, I think I will feel satisfied with anything from 115-120.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Hijinks on January 03, 2017, 01:00:42 PM
Jumping on the keep-this-thread-alive bandwagon. :) I followed this thread in 2016 as well and really loved the good vibes. I lost about 15 lbs in 2015, then dropped a couple more in 2016 but mostly maintained. I'm quite happy where I am, but I would like to lose another 5 lbs ideally. I'd love to have a supportive group like this one while I work towards that goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 04, 2017, 09:54:31 AM
I agree with all the above.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on January 04, 2017, 01:07:49 PM
Good to see that so many people stuck with it throughout the year. Weight loss and developing healthy habits is a journey.

I too agree that we should keep this thread going.

Update to end the year

Date      Weight (lbs)

1/14/2016           128
4/11/2016           128 --> started more calorie restriction + increased strength training exercise
5/29/2016           124
8/20/2016           127 --> injury :( stop strength training + begin travel + increase calories
9/26/2016           130 --> travel continues
10/30/2016         131 --> travel ends and some weight gain
12/14/2016         129
12/31/2016         130

So the year ended about level. I had increased my calorie intake, thus a steady weight is not too bad. I still have a few more pounds I could stand to lose but it will likely take time. Patience and sticking to it is key.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: RonMcCord on January 05, 2017, 12:35:07 PM
Jan 4:175lbs.
Jan 28:169lbs.
Feb 27:162lbs.
Apr 1: 157lbs.
Apr 30: 151lbs.
May 31: 148lbs.
June 30: 144lbs.
Sep 1: 138lbs.
Jan 3: 134lbs.

Kind of stopped regularly posting in this thread due to reaching my goals so didn't see much point in saying anything.  Right now it's about staying around 135lbs and maintaining fitness gains by using Sworkit and Down Dog for morning exercises and doing a run on the weekend.  I'm not too sure if I should set any fitness goals for this year because I need to focus on my career goals and in March/April things are really going to be up in the air.  But it's great that so many people were able to lose weight last year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on January 05, 2017, 12:46:08 PM
@RonMcCord -- Congratulations on achieving your goals and staying there. It is quite impressive to lose almost 40 lb in a year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 06, 2017, 06:38:49 AM
Ok - given the consensus on here, let's just stay put. I too really love this group :) Do we want to start a new thread or just stay here? Not sure if our OP, yuka, is still around. Maybe we can get a mod to change the thread title for us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2017
Post by: elaine amj on January 06, 2017, 09:43:07 AM
Time for the Friday weigh-in of the year!

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 1.8 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

So happy I've started dropping water weight quickly. That sure helps with the motivation :) I even went to a friend's place for dinner last night, eating more than I should...and STILL stayed the same weight as yesterday (I thought for sure I'd see a small increase). Still a bit bummed that I gained nearly 10 lbs in the last few months (after successfully reaching my goal of 130 lbs in 2016) but onwards and upwards!

Today is going to be a tough one. I'm starting to get a bit sick (way too many late nights) and am feeling super hungry. Accordingly, I bumped up the size of my breakfast (plain yogurt and granola), eating about 50% more than normal. Unfortunately, I have still been super hungry since breakfast. Holding out until lunchtime when I have a really delish cobb salad in the fridge that I prepped a couple of days ago. A little worried that won't be enough though and I might dive into the instant noodles I have stashed in my desk drawer. I wish I had an avocado handy or something...all I have for snacks are kettle corn (eek!) or a few small clementines.

Its frustrating given that I am actually feeling very motivated to lose weight. This level of hunger is not normal for me...so I am considering caving a bit to be kind to my body. All the hot peppermint tea I am downing hasn't been helping :( Plus...its freezing outside so I am skipping my lunch walk.

Anyway - enough down talk about the day ahead! Its just a minor setback and I have all kinds of GOOD plans for the year ahead! Here we go:

1.  Log food on My Fitness Pal again since that helped me so much last year. Debating whether I should go back to weighing my food. I found it much more accurate and it was really nice to know every week just how much weight I would drop (my body was pretty in sync with the math). That said, weighing everything IS a hassle and I'd like to avoid it if I can. I'm going to continue considering it.

2.  "Eat less, move more" ended up being a good mantra for me with the eating less part making the biggest difference. Being a scant 5ft tall, I NEED the "move more" part though since the extra 300-400 exercise cals a day makes a massive difference when losing 1 lb a week means I can only eat 1200 cals/day. Calorie counting worked well for me - and I was happy that it pushed me to eat WAY more veggies than I normally would (since veggies are much more filling for less cals).

3. Continue cooking from scratch more often. I LOVE the recipes on skinnytaste.com and have gained a solid appreciation for zoodles, eggplant, tofu and all kinds of veggie-based dishes I wouldn't have eaten not all that long ago. I do believe that whole, nutritious foods is good for the body.

4. Improve fitness. In the spring I have to train for 2 events - a 100km bike ride and a 7-8hr adventure race (canoeing, hiking, and biking). Unfortunately, I don't typically lose extra weight during this training since I have to eat a lot to fuel the extra activity.

5. Walk/bike to work & walk at lunchtime. This was a nice way to burn some extra calories that doesn't require extra food (I consider these very light activities).

Cheers for an exciting 2017 ahead!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on January 06, 2017, 10:16:00 AM
@ elaine amj -- It sounds like you have a plan. Stick with what has worked for you. I agree with the home cooking from scratch. It helps me a lot in making sure that no junk goes in the food.

Here's my starting point for the year.

Date          Weight
1/1/2017    130

For my height, I'm well within my BMI range. However, the body fat is probably a little higher than I like. I do realize that there are no quick fixes to getting this down. Slow and steady will win the race. While it is difficult to accurately measure the calorie deficit that will be needed, I do have a pretty good idea based on the fact that my weight has been fairly steady over the past few months, how much I have been eating and how much I have been exercising. Again, slow and steady.

Best of luck to everyone on this journey this year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: cityfolks on January 06, 2017, 04:10:15 PM
I'm starting a new job soon that will restore my gym access (a nice perk) and gives some benefits if you don't drive to work (a motivational benefit). I'm hoping that between that and yardwork I'll be a little more active in 2017 than 2016!

Starting numbers: 185 lbs on 1/6/17.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on January 07, 2017, 06:47:18 AM
I was in the 2016 thread until September or so.

We had a really busy fall so I decided to give up on working out and allowed myself to buy more convenience food - guess who gained back the 10 pounds she lost in early 2016?

Starting weight 2017: 151 pounds.

Sigh- I apparently need accountability.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on January 07, 2017, 05:31:45 PM
I'm down a little over 8lbs since starting a month ago. I've started to switch my social media consumption away from financial blogs and towards health resources. This has helped me switch my focus, since my financial habits are in good shape right now.

So far, I'm tracking my calories and I bought a Fitbit to track activity. Right now, I'm aiming for 1 lb/week weight loss. Doing that has required switching out the foods I normally eat for more filling, lower calorie substitutes. I also am trying to lower the amount of sugar/carbs I eat so that my blood sugar remains stable the entire day despite eating less calories. This has involved into eating 5 small meals throughout the day, with a slightly larger supper.

I'm really encouraged by my progress, but I need to stick with it!

Also, anyone have food scale recommendations? We need to get a second one for our kitchen, since I take our current one back and forth to work.

Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on January 07, 2017, 06:28:09 PM
Also, I wanted to share a thought I had today! We were out eating lunch and chatting with the manager as we waited for our food. He happened to mention how delicious the fries were and my husband told him we were focusing on our weight but that the fries sounded delicious.

The manager then said "Well, you only live once...If you want the fries, we'd be glad to cook you up a batch!"

I was super proud that the first thought that popped in my head was: Yes, you only live once. Which is why I should take care of body by losing weight and NOT eat these fries.

Such a mindset change already!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: marty998 on January 07, 2017, 08:04:05 PM
Yes, you only live once. Which is why I should take care of body by losing weight and NOT eat these fries.

That's a brilliant way of thinking about it. I'm going to remember this one.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lizh on January 07, 2017, 10:07:10 PM
HI everyone,
I'd like to join you again this year.  I think I posted once or twice last year but was intimidated by all your great progress and my complete lack of progress!!  I see today that that makes absolutely no sense ...but it seemed to make sense at the time!!

Anyway, I'm currently at 144 and I'm a shortie (5' 1") and would love to get down to 125.  However my first goal will be 138.  (it is usually around that number that I drop a pant size.)

I think I may be MFP friends with a couple of you.  If anyone wants to friend me over there, I'm lizh9.  Last year I was experimenting with keto (my husband had big success with keto) but this time, I'm keeping it simple with Calories In and Calories Out (CICO).

Thanks for keeping the thread alive!!  and congrats to all the successful "losers!"
Liz
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: sunnyca on January 07, 2017, 10:42:44 PM
Hi lizh!  There are plenty of shorties on here (I'm not quite 5'0"), so we feel your pain!  I'm in the frustrating position of having actually gained weight last year, instead of losing it. Sigh.

I had a rough 2016, but really, that's no excuse. I really need to stop comforting myself with food- it's makes me feel worse the next day, knowing that I'm hurting both my waistline and my pocketbook for totally unnecessary, unhealthy food items.

I posted intermittently last year, but really need the accountability now. I'm Garthbear on MFP, for anyone would like to friend me so we can help each other with accountability. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: lizh on January 08, 2017, 12:11:15 PM
Sounds good!  Let's do it Garthbear/SunnyCa  and all losers short and tall!  I'm so over this "weight thing" occupying my brain so much of the time!!
Have a good sunday,
Liz
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 09, 2017, 09:15:06 AM
I'm off to a good start this year. Down 1.6 pounds this week.

My goal is 1 pound per week until the first week of August.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Hijinks on January 09, 2017, 10:16:38 AM
Nicely done, Cookie78!

I'm 5'7" and currently at 140 even. In 2015, I went from 155 to 140. Then in 2016, I bounced between 138 to 141, so pretty solid maintenance. But I would really like to lose a bit more and maintain between 130 to 135. I think I need a more solid game plan, especially during the week, as weekends tend to be a little more up in the air with meals out and drinks. I'll noodle on it and get back to you guys.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 09, 2017, 01:29:58 PM
I am so glad to check in and find this thread re-invigorated.  I did post on the other thread - but found this place so helpful I will renew my intention to get the last half of the way to where I need to go.

I am going to change weigh-in day to Sundays just because it will be easier to record. 

01-08 - 132.

Goal:  120

I got down to 124 but couldn't sustain it with all the distractions around me over the holidays.  We are also experiencing some lifestyle creep so have been eating out a bit more.  We are both committed to getting our house, finances and health under control and I keep feeling a little overwhelmed.  So I am going to re-commit to this thread and at minimum halt the belly expansion.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 11, 2017, 08:38:44 PM
@cookie78 You are rocking it! I really think this year will be different for u. There really is a serious determination in your tone now.

@frugal lizard So nice to see some familiar faces around here!

@lizh I remember u posting last year, glad u are back!!

As a fellow shortie (5ft), can I say how refreshing it is to have other shorties around?

I have been silent...which is not a good thing. I got sick last Friday and stayed in bed, eating quite large portions until Tuesday. On Tuesday, I was back in the office...but gave in to the temptation of my old nemesis...all u can eat chicken wings.

Spent all day today with a round of diarrhea (TMI, I know) so maybe I purged everything?

Anyway, back at it tomorrow with a nice spinach salad for lunch! These pounds need to go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on January 12, 2017, 11:09:58 AM
As someone who lost and then gained weight multiple times through my teenage and early adult years, I'll post what finally worked for me to enable a reasonable and consistent weight range for the last near decade now.

Motivation; habits; mindset.

This is what it really takes. A clearly identified and strong motivation to make the necessary changes. A recognition that only changes in habit will deliver long lasting results. A positive mindset.

Here's the story I wrote in early 2008 while the changes I had made were still fresh in my mind:


On April 10th 2007, I weighed 272 pounds (5'9" male).  I remember that specific day, because it was the day I decided that I had to make several changes.  My body was talking to me and the things it was telling me were alarming.  I had joint pains, occasional back pain, minor shortness of breath, and severe heartburn whenever I ate anything remotely spicy or while trying to enjoy a nice glass of red wine.  Sometimes, I would even have heartburn just trying to go to sleep even though I hadn't had anything but water for the last few hours.  My diagnostic self-check had returned the results of utter fail and I didn't need a doctor to tell me what I already knew...I was killing myself.
   
With a sense of urgency, I stopped making excuses for why now wasn't the appropriate time to make changes and abandoned the thought process of "I can lose weight anytime I want."  Anytime had to become right now.  I gave up fast food entirely and still haven't had any.  I stopped consuming products with caffeine like diet sodas and coffee until, 4 months later, I eased it backed into my diet after I was convinced I had rid myself of the addiction.  I started drinking a lot of water.  I reduced my calorie intake and started thinking more critically about all of my food decisions including any drinks with calories.  I asked myself questions like "How am I going to get enough protein for today?", "How am I getting my vitamins and minerals?", and "How am I going to get enough fiber for today?".  These questions were in stark contrast to my former mode of operation..."What do I want to eat today that tastes good?"

I became more physically active with each passing month and slowly increased my calorie intake (though still reduced) to mirror the increasing levels of physical activity.  I started with walking, weight lifting, and mild jogging in the spring, canceled my cable in May, added tennis in June, started to run in July, and joined a gym in August.  In September, I began running longer distances (approximately 5k) and started cross-training with a stationary bike at the gym.  In late September, as an experiment, I cut out all meat other than fish and shellfish from my diet and have maintained this dietary change since.

In late October, I made the decision to train for and enter the 3M half marathon.  This was a big deal for me, because the longest continuous run I had ever done in my life was 4 miles and because I had arthoscopic knee surgery on my right knee in March 2005.  I convinced my best friend to train for it with me.  I set up a 12 week training program that involved 2 mid-week short runs, a weekend long run of increasing distances, occasional recovery weeks where the long run decreased in distance, and lower body weight resistance training.  My initial goal was to complete it in 2:15:00.  As the training progressed, I revised the goal to 2:10:00.  I entered a couple 5k races to get familiar with road racing format.  On the day of the race, my goal had become 2:05:00.  The weather was ideal that morning and I completed the race in 1:56:37.

I've had people ask me if I want to do a full marathon now.  It's not in my current plans, but I do want to do things to explore new levels of fitness that I've never been to.  I'm training now for the Texas Round-Up 10k with a goal time of less than 50 minutes.  I'm also training for a 26 mile hike through the Grand Canyon in May benefiting The Hunger Project.

I now weigh 160 pounds.  I feel more fit than I ever have before in my life.  Even while simply standing, sitting, or laying down, I reap the benefits of my new fitness level every time I take a breath and that breath feels easy.  The memories of the way my body felt when I was on the brink of morbid obesity are still fresh on my mind.  As more time passes, I'm certain those memories will fade, but I can never forget.  I'm much more interested in fitness now and that interest goes beyond just my own diet and exercise.  In early January, I had my first ever physical.  I enjoy seeing other people who are interested in fitness -- at the gym, at one of the Austin area's many parks, or wherever they happen to be.  When people ask me how I lost the weight, my response is diet and exercise.  More often than not, this response causes the other person to be dismayed.  Most Americans seem to prefer some miracle solution when it comes to weight loss and this saddens me.  One person's response to my diet and exercise story was, "There's hope for me yet.  I can do that too."  And that fills me with joy.


4/10/07  - start lifestyle change (272 pounds)
5/10/07  - 17 pounds lost (255 pounds)
6/10/07  - 33 pounds lost (239 pounds)
7/10/07  - 47 pounds lost (225 pounds)
8/10/07  - 60 pounds lost (212 pounds)
9/10/07  - 73 pounds lost (199 pounds)
10/10/07 - 87 pounds lost (185 pounds)
11/10/07 - 98 pounds lost (174 pounds)
12/10/07 - 105 pounds lost (167 pounds)
2/20/08 - 110 pounds lost (162 pounds)
5/1/08  - 116 pounds lost (156 pounds)

Ever since, I've kept my weight in the 152-167 range. Today, I weigh 161.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: alsoknownasDean on January 13, 2017, 03:32:11 AM
Original weight: 116.3kg
Last weigh-in's weight: 117.9kg
Current weight: 117.9kg
Goal weight: 90kg

Whilst I've been more active lately as the weather warms up and my ankle is almost fully healed, I haven't really changed my eating habits enough. Soon it'll be the silly season, uh oh.

I need to focus on not eating so damn much :)

I did another weigh in, and I'm still 117.9kg. A bit of a pattern emerging here...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 13, 2017, 07:23:38 AM
@financiallypossible I LOVE your story. Thank you.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 13, 2017, 07:31:20 AM
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 0.4 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

Swung back upwards this week which is not surprising given how sedentary I have been (was sick for a while + bad weather). Today, even though it was -10 and I didn't sleep well last night, I pushed myself to walk to work (takes about 70-75 mins). It was a GREAT walk and I really enjoyed it. Bundled up VERY well (2 base layers + wool sweater + ski jacket and to layers of leggings) and was plenty warm (even hot). I like getting outdoors regularly....I am always in a better mood afterwards even though often its so tempting to stay indoors.

Given my results, I think i'm going back to logging on MyFitnessPal. I've been trying to avoid it since it is a minor hassle....but it really does work for me. Keeps me very mindful.

Yesterday, I ate well...was pleased with the nutritional quality of my food - a yummy spinach salad for lunch and then an eggplant/beancurd stirfry with zoodles. My zoodles turned out particularly delicious this time around as I tweaked my cooking methods to include the Instant Pot so both DH and I were pleased. PLUS, I played about 20 mins of badminton last night so at least I did a little something.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 13, 2017, 08:12:30 AM
@financiallypossible I LOVE your story. Thank you.

+1  amazing
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on January 13, 2017, 11:25:26 AM
@financiallypossible I LOVE your story. Thank you.

+1  amazing

Excellent; I hope it's of help to many. Feel free to copy/paste and share with others that you feel may benefit from reading.

I was my own personal trainer. I was my own nutritionist. Like many in this community I took a DIY approach. I didn't outsource these responsibilities. If I didn't like the results, who was I going to fire? Myself?

I later ran one marathon in 2010 and was pleased with my time. I decided afterward that the human body is not constructed for such distances (at least mine and probably most others).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on January 13, 2017, 11:46:20 AM
I had big reasonable goals this week and hit exactly none of them. Weight remains the same at 150.

Workouts completed: 1/3
Smoothies for lunch: 2/5
no carbs for snacks: 0/5

The good news was that dinners were healthy and on point. Winter and darkness suck.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on January 13, 2017, 12:44:35 PM
I had big reasonable goals this week and hit exactly none of them. Weight remains the same at 150.

Workouts completed: 1/3
Smoothies for lunch: 2/5
no carbs for snacks: 0/5

The good news was that dinners were healthy and on point. Winter and darkness suck.

Winter and darkness DO suck. They suck massively. I feel you.

Things I'm doing to actively FIGHT the suckiness of winter and dark:

Light. Twinkle lights, floodlights, candles, a Happy Light in the morning for 30 minutes

Warmth: Walking on an indoor track for an hour in the morning keeps me warm pretty much all day. When I cool off (usually after lunch!), I make hot tea, pull a fleece blanket out, and when all else fails... I turn up the heat. Yup. Another 40 cents down the drain. WORTH IT.

I will not be this winter's bitch.

I weighed in today for the first time since the day the kid got out for winter break - Dec. 16. I'm down 1 lb, which I'll happily take because it's still trending in the right direction and it shows me the path forward. I ate ALL the things over the holidays. So now I'll eat LESS of the things, I'll move MORE than I got the chance to do during that busy time.

Starting weight: 189 (Sep 2016)
Current weight: 176 (Jan 2017)
Goal weight: 157
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 13, 2017, 02:21:04 PM
I totally agree - being stuck indoors sucks.

I was so much happier when I forced myself to suck it up, face the cold weather, and walk to work today. It was a great walk and my mood has improved considerably :)

Back in early Dec, we had horrible frigid temperatures and between being stuck indoors, working a lot, having a ton of stuff to do at home...I was exhausted and miserable. Worse, I got insanely grumpy and cranky. I snapped at my poor husband constantly for almost 2 weeks. He was shocked and just couldn't process why I was so awful and mean. But I just couldn't find the patience I usually have in dealing with them. Finally, the weather broke and I started walking to work and like magic, I was my usual cheerful, positive and upbeat self again.  I'm not a patient person by nature (hot tempered and grumpy is more like it) but since my 20s, I have been cultivating patience. I did point out to my husband that he caught a glimpse of what I could really be like during those 2 weeks LOL! I think we're ALL glad that I choose to work on being patient :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on January 13, 2017, 05:37:15 PM
I'm joining this for motivation.

In January of 2013 I joined Weight Watchers (for the third time or so), and over the next 18 months I lost 62 lbs. I maintained that for... 3 months. Then a little weight crept on, then a little more. Eventually a lot more. I have gained back close to 45 of the pounds I've lost. I quit going to WW almost a year ago to the week, because it was no longer working for me. Sadly, since quitting, I've just kept gaining.

As of tonight, I rejoined WW (I got a lovely $500 credit card for free from my health insurance for just such events). I'm going to head to my first meeting in over a year tomorrow morning. Hopefully this forum and those meetings can help me find the motivation and staying power that I'm sorely lacking.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: sunnyca on January 14, 2017, 06:44:38 PM
Logging regularly into MFP definitely helps- I need to start that again. I also resolved to start doing yoga, with the hopes that it'll reduce my stress eating a bit. I downloaded an app and started this morning. I'll let everyone know how it works...
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 15, 2017, 06:09:41 AM
And I thought Sunday weigh in would be a good idea.
01-15 - 132.
01-08 - 132.

Goal:  120

Bright side is - could have been higher.
We had a holiday party to attend last night and I ate way too many treats.  My friend had purchased and made all these special gluten free treats especially for the celiac guest - yes - just me. I dutifully tried them all and washed them down with a couple of glasses of wine and accidentally sat beside a bowl of pistachios.  Before I know it someone brought  a bowl of artisinale potato chips to keep the pistachios company - which are gluten free too!  Next thing I know is that there is a pile of empty pistachio shells and some potato chip crumbs. Fortunately the spanokopita and baklava are not gluten free.
Bright side: we walked to and from the party.
Not so bright side:  it wasn't on the other side town, only three blocks.

Bought two pounds of spinach for 7 dollars.  Think I should eat it for the rest of week and nothing else.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on January 15, 2017, 11:33:00 AM
I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in a year yesterday. I found out that I am 10-11 lbs away from the heaviest I've ever been. Also, that I've gained 23.4 lbs in the last year. Sigh. Since I got home from the meeting, however, I have tracked every bite of food that went into my mouth, which for me is awesome. I hate writing down what I eat, but I'm going to try to convince my mind that it's just like a budget but for food. I love my YNAB, so maybe I can convince myself  that food tracking is just like YNAB. We'll see how it goes. This week is going to be a challenge because I'm traveling across the country, so I'll get stuck with airport food for two days, and then I'll be at a conference for the other two days, which may have questionable food offerings. Fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on January 15, 2017, 11:36:40 AM
I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in a year yesterday. I found out that I am 10-11 lbs away from the heaviest I've ever been. Also, that I've gained 23.4 lbs in the last year. Sigh. Since I got home from the meeting, however, I have tracked every bite of food that went into my mouth, which for me is awesome. I hate writing down what I eat, but I'm going to try to convince my mind that it's just like a budget but for food. I love my YNAB, so maybe I can convince myself  that food tracking is just like YNAB. We'll see how it goes. This week is going to be a challenge because I'm traveling across the country, so I'll get stuck with airport food for two days, and then I'll be at a conference for the other two days, which may have questionable food offerings. Fingers crossed.

Good luck, Izybat! For your trip, maybe pack some grapes, almonds or other nuts, and an empty water bottle? That way you would have readily accessible snacks and can drink water instead of drinks with more calories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Cookie78 on January 16, 2017, 07:05:14 AM
I'm down 3.8 pounds this week! Whole30 is working so far. I think I had to go extreme to kick my sugar cravings. But now that I'm committed to 30 days I find it easy to say no. Hopefully after 30 days I can stick to moderation. That'll be the next challenge. I believe the weight loss successes will help keep me motivated.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 18, 2017, 09:43:04 AM
@sunnyca I hear ya - logging into MFP every day really does help with mindfulness.

My scale is STILL not budging. And I know exactly why *sigh*. I am 10 lbs more than I prefer and it looks terrible on me. And AGAIN, I don't have anything to wear (I already got rid of many of my bigger clothes).

I've been....so-so this week so far. Logging on and off. Gave myself a good talking-to this morning and logged everything I could remember from yesterday. I am making good choices some meals...and then overeating at dinner. Thankfully I have stepped up activity levels so my MFP numbers aren't looking THAT bad this week. My goal is to be careful and minimize intake for the next few days. I am working at a food & wine show all day Saturday and intend to enjoy the food so have to save up some calories. If I can "save up" even a 100 calories from Wed-Fri, that will give me an extra 300 calories which will help make my Saturday balance out (Especially since I will be standing for 10 solid hours). It does help that I rarely drink and have already decided not to have any wine, etc.

I have planned out my dinner for tonight and will see how it goes. This morning, I was planning to sleep in a bit and drive to work (was up late last night). But DH made a lot of noise and I woke up early and was all ready to go. I shocked myself (and my DH) when I hopped on my bike to go to work despite the forecast of drizzly weather. It was a nice ride in and I was thrilled I didn't talk myself out of it. I don't know if I can manage to bike regularly in winter (nervous of ice), but will do my best to fit it in when possible. I am also determined to go on a nice lunch walk today. I do find when I incorporate (moderate) activity into my life, it helps me stick to my meal plans too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on January 18, 2017, 06:55:22 PM

@ elaine amj -- Do not be too hard on yourself.  You are doing the right things in being mindful of what you eat.

I've been fairly sick over the last two weeks which has limited exercise considerably and made it difficult to be as organized when it comes to eating. My weight has crept up by 2 pounds over the last couple weeks. But getting better slowly -- today I was on the exercise bike for 25+ mins at a low to moderate intensity. Hopefully I can increase the level slowly. Maybe I should resume logging with MFP once again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on January 18, 2017, 08:13:41 PM
I'm holding steady here, which is a success considering family stuff, unplanned travel, etc. I'm home now and getting into routine that should help.

Im eating reasonably well, just stocked up on fresh food today.  I'm back to oatmeal for breakfast. Carrots, humus, a baked good, fruit and popcorn for lunch/ snack and stir fry and rice/potatoes/sweet potato for supper. Lots of tea and a little black coffee.

Got to the gym twice last week but the weather is between 40s and 60s this week, so today I went on a 3.5 mile walk instead of the gym.  Aiming for 3 workouts a week plus extra weekend activities. Will sometimes count long walks as workouts

Got out my big ball and did some stretching.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 20, 2017, 01:44:49 PM
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 1.6 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

The scale FINALLY budged!! I've been more committed this week and its paying off :) This morning, I woke up to light rain and temps of about 2°C. I spent a solid half hour debating with myself about biking to work, even deciding to drive and jumping back into bed twice for extra sleep. But at the very last minute, I finally decided that some stupid rain wasn't going to stop me.

I threw on a pair of nylon pants, bundled up warm and hopped on my bike. I quickly regretted not taking the extra minute to pack a change of clothes instead of counting on the nylon pants to keep me dry. I was pretty wet by the time I made it to work. My sleeves were wet (not enough insulation in the sleeves of my winter coat?) and my cotton leggings were soaked. I blasted my little space heater at myself and my leggings eventually dried after a few hours. Now I am working on my shoes and gloves - i'm impressed with how well my space heater is working - they're drying in a couple of hours.

I'm back to weighing and logging on MFP and its working pretty well. I'm finding it a bit harder right now as I have quickly gotten used to more snacking than I should be doing. One step at a time.

I have a big splurgy day planned for tomorrow as I am working at a Food & Wine Festival. So I have been "saving" calories. I will also skip breakfast on Saturday and start my noshing about 1pm. I plan to focus more on lighter veggie/seafood based options but we will see. Doubt I will have time to work out on Saturday (working from 12pm to 11:30pm) but plan to go on a good 2 hour hike on Sunday.

I still hope to end the week eating an average of 1200 calories a day (net).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on January 20, 2017, 02:20:48 PM
I have a big splurgy day planned for tomorrow as I am working at a Food & Wine Festival. So I have been "saving" calories. I will also skip breakfast on Saturday and start my noshing about 1pm. I plan to focus more on lighter veggie/seafood based options but we will see. Doubt I will have time to work out on Saturday (working from 12pm to 11:30pm) but plan to go on a good 2 hour hike on Sunday.

I still hope to end the week eating an average of 1200 calories a day (net).

This is a very similar strategy that I used when I went VLCD back in '07. I'd do 600-800 calories a day M-F and then reward myself with 1200-1500 a day on Saturday and Sunday. It was also to confuse my body so that it didn't know what to expect.

Of course, once I started getting close to my goal weight and my physical exercise intensity increased significantly, I had to up my calorie intake. It was much easier to feel hunger close to goal weight as the body doesn't have as much body fat from which to "eat" from when running a calorie deficit.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on January 20, 2017, 06:17:24 PM
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on January 21, 2017, 06:44:47 PM
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.

Apparently, it paid off. Down 4 lbs in one week. W00t!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: sunnyca on January 21, 2017, 09:48:51 PM
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.

Apparently, it paid off. Down 4 lbs in one week. W00t!

Woot!  That's awesome!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on January 22, 2017, 10:00:45 AM
I had a period of about 10 days where I wasn't weighing due to moving, but I'm back on top of it now.

I mostly am focusing on keeping up with good habits every day. It's like a personal checklist. When I've done a habit for 10 days in a row it gets bumped up to the normal checklist. Then, I give myself 1 point for the daily habits and 2 points for the stretch habits, like kindergartners getting gold stars. Do what works right?? : )

Daily habits checklist
1) Track all food in MyFitness Pal
2) Wear Fitbit all day, every day
3) Breakfast, coffee and lunch at home
4) Dinner at home 5x/week

Bonus/stretch habits
- 5K steps/day (Miss this sometimes)
- Meal plan every weekend
- Track water intake
- Drink at least 64 oz of water
- Plank for at least 10 seconds - This is my daily fun challenge -- Going to do it every day and work my way up all year and see where I get!
- Take a walk (aiming for 3 times a week)

Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
1/22/17    252.8
Total: 12.2
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on January 22, 2017, 11:57:54 AM
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.

Apparently, it paid off. Down 4 lbs in one week. W00t!

Congrats! Keep it up.

Quote from: wintertell
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
1/22/17    252.8
Total: 12.2

Congrats! Keep it up.

Sometimes you'll notice a lagging effect. It may take a week after doing everything right for the results to show up on the scale. Likewise, if you "fall off course" with calorie intake/exercise levels, then it may also take close to a week before you start seeing a plateau on your weigh-ins.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 22, 2017, 04:06:53 PM
01-22 - 130  - actually the line for 130 was completely visible beside the red needle of the scale so it is actually less!
01-15 - 132.
01-08 - 132.


Goal:  120

Strategies
Eating sitting down - good
Logging food - ok
soft drinks - only one this week
eating fruit and veg - excellent

Have a large fruit bowl on the table of oranges - amazing how often I eat an orange for dessert.

I am buoyed by an actual shift on the scale.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on January 23, 2017, 08:09:11 AM
I have tracked every single thing I've eaten all week. Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in, so we'll see if it paid off. Fingers crossed.

Apparently, it paid off. Down 4 lbs in one week. W00t!

awesome!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on January 23, 2017, 08:23:28 AM
I have always been a person who side eyed those who did "cleanses" and "Juice Detoxes" etc but . . . . I'm having a really hard time breaking the comfort eating and drinking cycles that I've been in since November (not to mention that was about when I gave up exercise).

I'm going to partially do the Dr. Oz three day detox. Mostly "green" smoothies and detox teas but I am also going to have some solid food with dinner (just small portions). I'm hoping this will help break the sort of gross carb cycle I've been in for the last several months.

I'm also wondering if my constant hunger has to do with how low we keep our thermostat. I'm never hungry in the summer but come winter I want to eat all the food! (and never salads or smoothies because they are too cold).

Anyways - I'm on day one and have had one smoothie and several cups of hot detox tea and I'm starving.  Only two hours until I can have another smoothie :)
http://www.doctoroz.com/article/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-one-sheet
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: supermustacheman on January 23, 2017, 08:56:38 PM
okay, here we go, day one on this thread: 188.2 lbs.

best of luck to everyone!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on January 25, 2017, 07:43:04 AM
So I'm on morning 3 of the "detox" (I don't believe in detoxing per se - that is obviously what your liver, skin, kidneys, etc are for ).

The first two days were brutal - I was so hungry that I could not focus. I don't know who the magical people are that feel no hunger when they do these things. I'm not even doing it 100%. I've eaten v. small portions of solid foods for the last two nights at dinner.

But I've reached a turning point this morning - I'm not as hungry. Hopefully this means that my appetite is coming in check. Hopefully my carb cravings start to trail off as well.

This is supposed to be a three day thing but I may stretch it to four or five days if today goes well. I'm very impressed with the Dr. Oz smoothie recipes - they incorporate plenty of good fats and tons of different veggies/fruits so I'm getting lots of different nutrients.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on January 25, 2017, 08:40:00 AM
The first two days were brutal - I was so hungry that I could not focus. I don't know who the magical people are that feel no hunger when they do these things. I'm not even doing it 100%. I've eaten v. small portions of solid foods for the last two nights at dinner.

But I've reached a turning point this morning - I'm not as hungry. Hopefully this means that my appetite is coming in check. Hopefully my carb cravings start to trail off as well.

Precisely my experience when I went VLCD. The first two days were rough and it's an exercise in mind over body. But after that the body figures out that that's all it's going to get. Fairly smooth sailing after that. Have a system and try not to fall off the kart.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 26, 2017, 07:18:08 AM
Some good stuff happening here. I love reading everyone's stories! Do keep it coming :)

Yesterday, I was excited to FINALLY see some movement downwards in the scale. Of course, this morning I was back up again. Overall, I'm doing ok - biking to work every day, eating a reasonable amount of calories at every meal....where I'm struggling is with the snacking. For example, yesterday I ate very reasonably all day. Then in the afternoon, broke down and ate about 250 calories of popcorn. That would have been fine though. BUT...after dinner, a friend dropped by with a Chinese New Year treat - and I ate 2 pieces. So...up a pound this morning (I know - a bunch is water weight, but its still upwards instead of the other way).

I'm definitely struggling this year. Last year, it was all rather...easy. And the pounds kept dropping steadily each week. Its now almost the end of the month and I am only about 1 pound down. Then again, I look at what I'm eating and its obvious why. I was much stricter with myself last year and said no to a lot of things I say yes to now.

Ugh...can't get too down on myself. Beating myself up never helps me. Today is a new day! Plus, I am DOWN 1 pound since the beginning of the year...and NOT up, so I'll count that as a WIN! My new goal - log in here regularly reporting my wins, being honest about my downs and figure out some solutions. e.g. for yesterday, I should have put the treat aside for today and fit it into one of my meals.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Mongoose on January 26, 2017, 09:15:27 AM
I joined the lose 10% of your body weight gauntlet but enjoy reading everyone's successes here. I'm down 5-6 pounds this year with my 10% goal of 17-18 pounds. 30-40 pounds would be a better end goal but I thought an intermediate step might be helpful. Not sure about being on two gauntlets for the same thing but reading both is helpful.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on January 26, 2017, 09:36:04 AM
I'm definitely struggling this year. Last year, it was all rather...easy. And the pounds kept dropping steadily each week. Its now almost the end of the month and I am only about 1 pound down. Then again, I look at what I'm eating and its obvious why. I was much stricter with myself last year and said no to a lot of things I say yes to now.

Ugh...can't get too down on myself. Beating myself up never helps me. Today is a new day! Plus, I am DOWN 1 pound since the beginning of the year...and NOT up, so I'll count that as a WIN! My new goal - log in here regularly reporting my wins, being honest about my downs and figure out some solutions. e.g. for yesterday, I should have put the treat aside for today and fit it into one of my meals.

How close are you to your target weight? If you're already quite close, then this is normal. It's much more difficult to lose weight when there is less excess than more. It's great that you're still losing this year. Weightlifting is really excellent for increasing metabolism -- it's like that dividend stock that just keeps on paying.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 26, 2017, 10:45:29 AM
I'm definitely struggling this year. Last year, it was all rather...easy. And the pounds kept dropping steadily each week. Its now almost the end of the month and I am only about 1 pound down. Then again, I look at what I'm eating and its obvious why. I was much stricter with myself last year and said no to a lot of things I say yes to now.

Ugh...can't get too down on myself. Beating myself up never helps me. Today is a new day! Plus, I am DOWN 1 pound since the beginning of the year...and NOT up, so I'll count that as a WIN! My new goal - log in here regularly reporting my wins, being honest about my downs and figure out some solutions. e.g. for yesterday, I should have put the treat aside for today and fit it into one of my meals.

How close are you to your target weight? If you're already quite close, then this is normal. It's much more difficult to lose weight when there is less excess than more. It's great that you're still losing this year. Weightlifting is really excellent for increasing metabolism -- it's like that dividend stock that just keeps on paying.

I got down to my target last year - but in Nov/Dec, piled on another 10 pounds that is proving rather difficult to get off now. So far, the math is still about right for me - when I eat less, the weight starts dropping. The trouble is...I am still eating more than I should. Going to take this day by day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on January 26, 2017, 12:31:53 PM
@ elaine amj -- I'm in somewhat similar position. I feel that I'm close to target weight with maybe about 5-10 pounds more to lose. Last year I had gotten down to that weight but over the last 6 months, I have put it back on. I know that I'm eating more (increased calorie intake) along with somewhat reduced exercise with an injury. No wonder the weight slowly creeps back up. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on January 26, 2017, 01:22:35 PM
@financiallypossible I'm now reading about VLCDs - very interesting! Good for you, I don't know if I'd be able to stick to it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on January 26, 2017, 07:57:54 PM
@financiallypossible I'm now reading about VLCDs - very interesting! Good for you, I don't know if I'd be able to stick to it.

Some people purposely go on VLCDs not as a means to control or change weight, but as a means for extending the human lifespan. Not for me, I enjoy food too much.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 27, 2017, 09:17:38 AM
@StarBright was thinking about you - how is the detox going?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on January 28, 2017, 05:05:11 AM
@elaine amj - how sweet! Thanks for asking.

I definitely feel better, but frustratingly my scale broke this week. My new one arrived yesterday and I hopped on hoping to see myself under 150. Sadly, new scale has me at 153. I know all scales run a bit different but that was not the result I was hoping for :). Honestly, 153 feels more correct.

I may continue to do smoothies on weekdays next week just to see if  can get a little movement on the new scale.

I also went back and checked my own posts in this thread just to see when I went off track. It took me 6 months last year to lose five pounds (through a very slow and steady method) - I maintained for about 3 months and then went off the rails in October.

I wonder if I'm fated to lose the same 5 pounds over and over again for the rest of my life? :)  Better than yoyoing 20 pounds every few years I guess.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 28, 2017, 07:46:08 AM
@Starbright did u completely stick to your detox plan or were u off a bit? I'm curious as I have also been very sceptical about detoxes, etc although my husband and my mother are firm believers.

As for the yo-yo thing...((hugs)) When I lost the 20 lbs last year I thought I would NEVER put it back on again. It only took a couple of months of returning to old bad habits to pile on 10 lbs :(

I KNOW what works for me...just struggling to do it this time. Its very much a mental thing, I think. Last year, something clicked and it was easy. This year, it hasn't completely clicked. That said, I am pressing on - at least I am not GAINING weight!

I think it is also my picture of myself. Last year I was the person who turned down office cookies, who would nibble slowly on a couple of slices of pizza and call it enough, the person who carefully weighed out my food portions, who planned my treat days instead of going on a binge because I was upset.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: SquashingDebt on January 28, 2017, 08:42:40 AM
Hi all!  Joining!  (and also glad to see this thread continue into 2017, compared to the other one)

I successfully lost 30 lbs about 4 years ago through calorie/food tracking.  Unfortunately, after about a year and a half of tracking, I gradually stopped and since then have gained all the weight back and then some.  This December I had kind of a rude awakening about how much weight I had gained and the need to get back on track.  Starting in the new year, I've been pretty good about my food tracking (every day except the 4 days I was traveling) and am down about 7.5 lbs.  I'm determined to make my food tracking and healthy eating stick, so I'm looking forward to the great support that this thread provides.

If anyone is interested, this is my preferred website for food tracking:

www.supertracker.usda.gov/

I really like it because it tracks how much you're eating from each food group, with goals for each food group based on your total calorie goal.  This has been really helpful for me to realize how I was eating way too many carbs and not nearly enough fruits, veggies, and protein.  It's fun now to get creative to make my food choices for the day fill up the categories correctly while staying under my calorie limit.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on January 28, 2017, 11:22:39 AM
Weigh in number two and I'm down 3 lbs this week. That makes 7 lbs in the last two weeks. I love it, and would love for it to continue!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Firefly on January 28, 2017, 06:17:32 PM
@financiallypossible - impressive achievement!

I am at 133 today, aiming for 120. In the past year I have been up and down between 120 and 130. I don't look like i need to lose the weight, but I feel like I need to. I feel my best at 120. I realized that last year my problem was focusing too much on losing the weight, getting discouraged when failing to lose it fast enough. So this year I am focusing on getting physically more fit and exercising more and  the weight will follow. Hoping that joining this thread will keep me accountable. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on January 28, 2017, 11:50:24 PM
@financiallypossible - impressive achievement!

I am at 133 today, aiming for 120. In the past year I have been up and down between 120 and 130. I don't look like i need to lose the weight, but I feel like I need to. I feel my best at 120. I realized that last year my problem was focusing too much on losing the weight, getting discouraged when failing to lose it fast enough. So this year I am focusing on getting physically more fit and exercising more and  the weight will follow. Hoping that joining this thread will keep me accountable.

Thanks! I think you're on the right track with making fitness the goal instead of a weight number.

Love your handle (Firefly). It's the name of my favorite sci-fi of all time (Lexx is a close second).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on January 29, 2017, 07:27:27 AM
@Starbright did u completely stick to your detox plan or were u off a bit? I'm curious as I have also been very sceptical about detoxes, etc although my husband and my mother are firm believers.

 . . . . . . . 

I think it is also my picture of myself. Last year I was the person who turned down office cookies, who would nibble slowly on a couple of slices of pizza and call it enough, the person who carefully weighed out my food portions, who planned my treat days instead of going on a binge because I was upset.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I actually very purposefully modified the detox a bit. Mostly because I didn't want to skip dinner in front of my children. I don't want them (especially my daughter) to internalize unhealthy food habits. So while the plan called for only green smoothies and detox teas (plus multivitamins and fish oil) i did half the smoothie at night and ate a fist sized portion of food at dinner. I gave the other half of the smoothie to my kids so we were all eating/drinking the same things. I did make sure the dinners contained no gluten or dairy though, which would stick to the guidelines of the detox.

My biggest goal was to kick the carb/sugar cravings and that seems to have worked so I should be happy. I was honestly just so hungry the first couple of days that I was sure I had lost some weight.

I do feel better/less gross than a week ago so i guess that should be considered a success.


Regarding the second quoted part- I think that is so interesting! While I often think of healthy eating as mind over body, I've never quite thought of it the way you describe, as a an actual sense of self. I think that could be a very useful and powerful tool. V. cool.

@izybat- congrats! down three pounds!

@squashingdebt- Welcome! and thanks for that link - it looks interesting.

Hmm reading back over the last several posts it looks like there are a lots of us that are fighting winter/holiday weight creep. I really liked @begoods post upthread about getting through winter. I'm going to try some of that stuff and see if it helps me stay focused with eating and movement. I've been looking at a "happy light" and I'm thinking of pulling the trigger.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 29, 2017, 12:15:34 PM
Sunday weigh-in
01-29 - 131
01-22 - 130  - actually the line for 130 was completely visible beside the red needle of the scale so it is actually less!
01-15 - 132.
01-08 - 132.


Goal:  120
It was a very hard week with ongoing headache, recovering from being sick week before and a sick kid at home all week with flu-like symptoms.  I think the dismal gray skies with no sunshine, fog and cold drizzle is really not helping with my frame of mind.  I had to drag myself out of the house.  Then the cold wind on the cold sore in my nose was just painful.
I had a number of eating fails this week.  Some sugar cravings (resulted in snarfing back a can of coke and half a bag of gummies).  There are so many treats around the house and willpower was weak this week.  I am thinking that if I can just hold the creep until the end of February, then hopefully more daylight and more outside time will make it all easier.  Did have some good moments though:  fruit and veg consumption was up and made some tasty family meals that kids and hubs were really keen on.
Yesterday I cooked up a bunch of low calorie super healthy dishes.  Lentils and celery, coleslaw and a spinach and chickpea curry.  No need for an unhealthy snacking this week.
I have to get a strategy in place for tax season.  My hubs works at an accounting firm and he disappears for six weeks.  I think I will be more motivated this year to cook dinner for just the kids and I because son is always hungry and is very encouraging about meals.  He eats like a cave man still but has more sophisticated tastes and really enjoys a home cooked meal.  But I still have to be aware that I will need a strategy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 29, 2017, 09:08:04 PM
Hmm reading back over the last several posts it looks like there are a lots of us that are fighting winter/holiday weight creep. I really liked @begoods post upthread about getting through winter. I'm going to try some of that stuff and see if it helps me stay focused with eating and movement. I've been looking at a "happy light" and I'm thinking of pulling the trigger.

Oooo...good point. I just got back on YNAB and have spent the whole weekend working on my budget. I was planning to go for walks both Sat & Sun...but didn't. I do regret that now - I always feel better with fresh air. Its getting super cold so I will skip biking to work (nervous about ice). I will force myself to go for a lunch walk though - no matter how cold it is!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: sunnyca on January 29, 2017, 10:40:57 PM
I haven't weighed myself recently, but my clothes pretty much fit like they should. I'm taking that as a good sign. 

Regular yoga and keeping busy definitely helps with stress and boredom eating. On the few days I skipped yoga, I ate horribly (as in a whole bag of fun-size candy bars bad) due to stress, etc. but if I do yoga, especially around lunch and bedtime, it really seems to help. I'm not doing the hard stuff (my friend joined in on a session the other day and thought it wasn't worthwhile as a workout), but I think I'm toning up a bit regardless.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 02, 2017, 09:05:48 AM
Hi Everyone, just checking in to say hello. I've been so crazy busy with school and homework and looking after my grandmother that I've barely been on the forums at all. I'm so behind in all my reading. I'm doing pretty well with my eating so I'm reasonably happy with my weight, but haven't been exercising at ALL. So bad! Hopefully when the weather warms up and it starts getting lighter in the evenings I will be more motivated to get moving. I'm glad to see you all stuck around (and some new faces yay!), and are continuing to support each other. We can do this!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 02, 2017, 01:31:27 PM
@rockstache Good to see you check in! As we all know, eating is the main factor when it comes to weight and since you have been pretty decent there, I bet you're doing just fine.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 03, 2017, 08:29:55 AM
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs...Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 1 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

And so I continue to yo-yo. I was in a bad mood yesterday and plotted to get takeout of my fave comfort food today. This morning, I was encouraged by the scale and packed my lunch instead.

I just haven't gotten my head in the game. This is such a mental thing!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on February 03, 2017, 08:42:29 AM
I had a not-as-great eating week last week (ate out 4 times in the last 10 days!), and my weight loss has slowed because of it. But, I still had a calorie deficit (just not as much). I'm back on track now, and should experience another drop soon as I've stayed a couple of days at 251.6. I'm so close to the 240s!!

Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
1/22/17    252.8
2/3/17      251.6 (-1.2) 
Total: 13.4

Daily habits ebb and flow. I've got #1-3 down. Still working on #4, but I eat dinner at home most nights.

Daily habits checklist
1) Track all food in MyFitness Pal
2) Wear Fitbit all day, every day
3) Breakfast, coffee and lunch at home
4) Dinner at home 5x/week

I have been stepping it up slightly on the exercise -- I've been walking 3 times a week as well as doing simple sit ups/planks most nights. I need to work on tracking my water intake and getting sufficient water. I think it really helps with the weight loss.

Bonus/stretch habits
- 5K steps/day (Miss this sometimes)
- Meal plan every weekend
- Track water intake
- Drink at least 64 oz of water
- Plank for at least 10 seconds - This is my daily fun challenge -- Going to do it every day and work my way up all year and see where I get!
- Take a walk (aiming for 3 times a week)

Lastly, I am on a FB group for weight loss and there has been a ton of talk about the "whoosh" effect. See here: http://leanmuscleproject.com/how-whooshes-impact-your-weight-loss/

Do you see this in your weight loss? I think I'm seeing cycles of drops every 7-10 days for me. But I've only been at this for 2 months total!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 03, 2017, 10:15:12 AM
Yep - last year, I noticed a whoosh about once a week. Its real.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: LG in NYC on February 04, 2017, 07:10:15 AM
First real post! I kept wanting to chime in, but feeling like I should wait until I was ready to be serious and focus. This year I decided to do monthly challenges so I can focus on one goal at a time and this months challenge is to track everything I eat/drink using myfitnesspal. So far so good... this is the strategy that works best for me but I've never focused enough on it to stay consistent.

Right now I'm just trying to record everything and develop the habit of "completing the entry" at the end of the day. In the past I would stop keeping track if I guessed that I had probably gone over my limit for the day. Now I've realized that even if I go over my limit, the estimation myfitnesspal makes of how much I would weigh in five weeks is still motivating.

Current weight: 142.6
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on February 04, 2017, 12:24:55 PM
Fourth weigh-in, down another 3 pounds for 10 pounds total in three weeks! I'll take it happily.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 05, 2017, 08:15:15 AM
I forgot to weigh in this morning so I won't be reporting today. I have been stepping onto the scale every morning right after I wake up so that I am tracking consistently.  I was doing great for the first half of the week.  Wednesday night I was taken out for a fancy dinner by a client.  Thursday and Friday my high school-er had no school so we decided that we would take our daughter out of school and take two days off and go skiing as a family.  In a few weeks Hubs gets bogged down with tax season so it is really nice to have some family time together before.  We had a small stretch of bickering Friday morning until we got out on the hill.  If you get overheated inside then you get cranky.  I got cranky and so did everyone else.  Then we got on the lift and got cooled down quickly.
We had a great time but we ate a lot of junk food in addition to the healthy snacks I brought with us. We got lots of fresh air and exercise.  We tried an outdoor hot tub. It was pretty with the steam and snowflakes on our heads.
I ate dessert on Thursday night, drank a coke on Friday and had chips a couple of times.  I wish I had weighed in yesterday or this morning because upon reflection, I maybe didn't overeat too badly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Prairie Gal on February 05, 2017, 12:03:44 PM
I would like to join you. I have yo-yoed all my adult life, and I have a lot of weight to lose. I am trying to solve my emotional eating so that this will be the final time I have to lose weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on February 05, 2017, 02:05:25 PM
I would like to join you. I have yo-yoed all my adult life, and I have a lot of weight to lose. I am trying to solve my emotional eating so that this will be the final time I have to lose weight.

I hear you on the yo-yo and the emotional eating. I lost 62 lbs about three years ago, and I proceeded to gain 52 of them back. I seem to eat my emotions regularly, so I'm working on changing that and focusing on being a healthier me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 06, 2017, 07:39:12 AM
For those of you who are new and perhaps haven't had time to read back through - I welcome you and would like to recommend two books that have been really helpful to me that I found last year on this very thread:  Foodist and Slim by Design. 

I jumped on the scales this morning and was happily surprised.  Not too bad considering that festivities and over-indulging of the past five days.

02-06  - 130.5
01-22 - 130 
01-15 - 132.
01-08 - 132.

Goal:  120

 I have been struggling with the lousy weather, lack of sunlight and being sick with headaches and colds. I am hoping that the pace speeds up just slightly once spring comes.   I feel that a slow shedding of weight will be evidence of solid habits and a lifestyle change.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on February 06, 2017, 08:00:37 AM
Seconding Slim by Design- I also found out about it on this thread last year.

In other news - my new scale is a bust and I can't get a consistent reading. In one day it showed a five pound range.

I have found the smoothie thing has helped with some other issues I've had for a few years (side effects from gallbladder removal) so I think I'm going to keep the smoothies going for another week or two. They are also definitely helping with my sugar/carb cravings. I'll keep having 1 red or orange smoothie and 1 green each day so that I'm getting a nice diversity of micronutrients.

Welcome LG in NYC and Prairie Gal!

Wintertell - that is some solid weight loss there - well done!

Elaine amj and Frugal Lizard - Congrats on the drops. I'm always so impressed by people who continue to lose even when it is freezing out. Everything about our biology works against us losing weight in cold weather.

Which reminds me! I turned my thermostat up a few degrees and it has helped curb my constant desire for food. I guess I can be mustachian and a bit chubby or an energy spendthrift with fewer food cravings. Vanity leads me away from a mustachian energy policy :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 07, 2017, 06:47:48 AM
First Tuesday of the month check in:

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8

I bumped up a bit during the holidays, but I seem to be back on track now, logging food on MFP and choosing my snacks for quality over quantity. The sunlight thing is really hard for me too. Does anyone have (and recommend) one of those sun lamps? I'm curious about how well they work.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 07, 2017, 02:44:55 PM
Bravo Rockstache.  Looks like you have a solid lifestyle change with your gradual and sustained downward trend.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 08, 2017, 02:11:03 PM
Thanks Frugal Lizard. It hasn't been easy as you know, but the support here has helped a lot. I don't know if I'll really ever be able to quit logging my food though. If I do that I just gradually bounce back up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 08, 2017, 05:27:30 PM
Rockstache: I don't think I will ever be able to stop logging my food either. 

All: there was a really interesting article in yesterday's Globe and Mail by Leslie Beck, a regular nutrition columnist.  Apparently certain foods are associated with less belly fat.  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/want-to-stay-slim-up-your-flavonoid-intake/article33895368/
Since I actually like many of the foods with high flavonoids - I can get this!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wiredcat on February 10, 2017, 06:03:05 PM
Just posting to bookmark this inspiring thread!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on February 10, 2017, 06:11:29 PM
Well, I worked out three times this week, getting back into my C210k app (couch to 10k). Weigh-in is tomorrow. I don't feel like it will be as great as the last two weeks, and I'm actually braced to either not lose or even gain a little. There's no reason for it, I exercised and ate within my WW points, but it happens sometimes. We'll see how it actually goes tomorrow.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on February 11, 2017, 06:53:02 PM
Weigh-in was today. I had a pleasant surprise on the scale, an actually lost half a pound. Since all week my home scale was not showing a loss, I'll take the small victory.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Prairie Gal on February 11, 2017, 09:09:00 PM
Weigh-in was today. I had a pleasant surprise on the scale, an actually lost half a pound. Since all week my home scale was not showing a loss, I'll take the small victory.

Great!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 12, 2017, 06:07:49 PM
Still holding steady just below 130.
The weather has been down right miserable so I haven't been getting any exercise so I am pretty pleased to see no gain despite my hibernation.
Today I did get some exercise shoveling the driveway first thing this morning but then got waylaid from losing weight by cooking a hardy lunch for my family plus my four year old niece and nephew.  Next thing, having my stepbrother and family for supper and had to get a gourmet meal on the table again because - well it is Sunday night and it snowed all day.  Did great on the snacking and soft drink avoidance though.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on February 17, 2017, 07:53:47 AM
Good Morning All-

I just went to the doctor this morning and was 155lbs on their scale. Other than pregnancy that is my highest weight of my life. I'm using it as my official start weight.

I had been doing a great job with the smoothies and what not and then had some work related set backs last week.

My office does a lot of work for different departments in the Federal Government and the turmoil and uncertainty there right now is threatening to really hurt us this year. This has created a vicious cycle of me watching the news for updates that might affect me and then getting so stressed out that I eat. Starting about halfway through yesterday's press conference I went and got myself a piece of cake so I could eat my feelings :)

Am starting over TODAY!

2/17 start weight 155 pounds


I'm planning on being outside a lot this weekend with the semi-nice weather.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 17, 2017, 09:51:48 AM
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs...Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs...Feb 17: 141.2 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight gained: 1.6 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

UGH - I've definitely been on an awful yo-yo since January. Down a little, up a little - but overall, the trend is up, NOT down. I need this to click. I refuse to let this be the new me. I'm so mad with myself for letting these 10 pounds to creep back on. Its SO much harder to peel it off again!

On the good side, I've been doing much better the last couple of days saying no to stuff. It's time to get back to serious logging. It's obvious that logging is the only thing that works for me. I also need to get back to healthier food. I'm pretty sure my nutritional intake is rather abysmal right now. My favorite low cal meal is vermicelli noodles in broth with an egg and a tiny bit of shredded chicken. It's not bad - but certainly not packed with veggies. In fact, I've been doing terrible with eating veggies lately. I don't naturally like vegetables so I do tend to avoid it. On the good side, I have a bunch of veggie-heavy recipes that I really like so I just need to get out of my rut and pull them out again.

@rockstache I'm so amazed with how well you've done! Congrats on getting it off and KEEPING it off!

@StarBright I hear ya on eating your feelings. That's my downfall too. When I get into a crappy mood, I eat. And I don't just eat a little...I eat a lot. Somehow (and I don't know how) logging on MFP kept this emotional eating under control.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 17, 2017, 10:51:54 AM
Thanks elaineamj, I needed to hear that. I've actually been eating A LOT this week and I need to curb it. After tonight, in which I am going out for a burger*. Sigh. I need to increase my veggie intake too. And stop snacking on chocolate. It's fancy chocolate, so it's almost worth it, but....not.

But there is hope, you/we CAN do this! We've done it before!

Good job starting over with a clean slate StarBright! Be patient with yourself and enjoy your outdoor weekend.


ETA: * and also this weekend which is my 7th anniversary for which I will eat a large and delicious dinner.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: LG in NYC on February 18, 2017, 07:47:34 AM
I have been completing my MFP entries every day for over a week now! I am starting to work on focusing on what I eat more--for the first half of the week I was more thoughtful about packing healthy snacks to bring to work but then office parties and leftover Valentine's Day treats weakened my resolve...
Also trying to up my exercise level. My office has a treadmill desk on each floor that you can reserve. I really enjoy using them but work had gotten very busy and I fell out of the habit. Now I'm going to try and use it at least a half hour each day.

Starting weight 2/4: 142.6
2/15: 142.4
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 18, 2017, 08:15:30 AM
I have been completing my MFP entries every day for over a week now! I am starting to work on focusing on what I eat more--for the first half of the week I was more thoughtful about packing healthy snacks to bring to work but then office parties and leftover Valentine's Day treats weakened my resolve...
Also trying to up my exercise level. My office has a treadmill desk on each floor that you can reserve. I really enjoy using them but work had gotten very busy and I fell out of the habit. Now I'm going to try and use it at least a half hour each day.

Starting weight 2/4: 142.6
2/15: 142.4

Keep it up with the logging!!! It really does work :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on February 18, 2017, 02:30:38 PM
So after being convinced I wasn't going to lose much this week, I lost another 1.6 lbs. I'm down 12 lbs since January 14th!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 19, 2017, 08:03:47 AM
The jump on the scales this morning was a disappointing 131. 
But I am not surprised.  I ate a LOT of sugar this week.  I just have been feeling so down about stuff.
Then yesterday the weather was unbelievable.  I did a whole bunch of outside activities and soaked in the sunshine.  I have to confess one of those activities involved lighting a potato chip on fire with just the sun.  Completely unintentionally.  The chips were in a very shiny bowl and in direct sunlight.  I have never been able to light a fire without matches before and here I go starting a fire with a potato chip.  My neighbour brought the bag of chips.  I brought the bowl out to ration how many chips I ate.  Pretty cool way to burn calories?
New week today and another sunny day...onward and upward.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 21, 2017, 09:44:02 AM
@Izybat WOW - that's awesome!!! One thing I have discovered - if you've been on track and doing well for a bit of time, falling off the wagon for a day or two really doesn't derail you much. It's like your body has all the momentum going behind it and just keeps chugging along for a bit.

As for me, I battled my over-eating self all weekend long...and emerged 2 pounds lighter. I clocked in at 139 lbs this morning (from 141.2 lbs on Friday). I did some extra eating over the weekend (including cooking an impromptu bbq ribs dinner on Saturday) but overall, I did pretty good. I struggled a LOT with the snacking and every night when I went to bed, I was starving and was so insanely tempted to get out of bed to eat a whole other meal. But I managed to force myself to STAY IN BED and I didn't eat more. Also, I took advantage of the glorious weather and spent some time hiking outdoors (although not as much as I would have liked).

I've started logging again - and it works like magic for me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 21, 2017, 11:15:11 AM
Ugh...free pizza strikes again. I ate THREE slices. What the heck??
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on February 22, 2017, 03:50:49 PM
Yeah, I'm tracking everything that I'm eating and it appears to be working for me. Ironically, I'm mentally comparing it to budgeting (using YNAB). Ever since starting YNAB I have more money in the bank than every before, because I know where every penny comes and goes. I'm just using the same logic for food.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on February 22, 2017, 09:05:53 PM
Yeah, I'm tracking everything that I'm eating and it appears to be working for me. Ironically, I'm mentally comparing it to budgeting (using YNAB). Ever since starting YNAB I have more money in the bank than every before, because I know where every penny comes and goes. I'm just using the same logic for food.

I think of it the same way. Dare I say I even enjoy YNAB because it gives me data about our behavior that I can crunch and analyze? I hoping to get to that point with MyFitnessPal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: LG in NYC on February 23, 2017, 06:47:29 AM
For the first time, I am seeing how well tracking really does work! I am so glad that I gave myself that first week to only track (with no judgement and no attempt to change my eating) and complete the entry each day. I am realizing that every time I've tried MFP, I thought I was tracking and that it didn't work well for me, but really I wasn't actually tracking. I was just inputting data for most of the day and then falling off at night or on weekends. Actually tracking and completing the entry, even when I'm not happy with the food choices I've made, is already making a difference!

2/4: 142.6
2/15: 142.4
2/23: 140.6
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on February 25, 2017, 10:08:16 AM
I'm down another 1.8 lbs for a total of 13.8. It's working and I love it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on February 25, 2017, 10:39:40 AM
I'm maintaining.  A little frustrated with myself for not putting work into it. But also pleased to be able to maintain.  I'm within healthy bmi range. I think this maintenance and slow progress will help ensure long term success. Soon I'll get over my funk and get more proactive again. I'm still learning so much.

Two weeks ago I forced myself to eat a cutie (those mini oranges, I don't know what they are really called) and I enjoyed it!  I was shocked. I have never enjoyed the texture of citrus. So I decided instead of letting this fluke pass I would take advantage of it. I'm on my second bag of cuties now.

What I crave has been changing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 27, 2017, 12:08:52 PM
@izybat @wintertell @ LG SO glad to hear MFP has been working for you! It worked amazingly well for me last year and I'm trying to get back into it again this year. After a little bit, you may want to consider getting even more precise and using a kitchen scale. I am still fighting with myself a bit about getting back into using the scale - but will admit it worked for me last year. Mind you, it was a bit of a pain. But REALLY great for number crunching! I even weighed and measured every recipe. A pain, but also nice not to be guessing all the time.

@PMG isn't that an amazing feeling? Who would have known I would become so obsessed about eggplant?! Congrats on expanding your tastebuds!

As for me, I am still battling snacking and chocolate cravings and crawling my way back on the logging bandwagon. This week, I am focusing more on nutrition (instead of low calorie junk) and increasing my vegetable intake. Also, I have been eating back all my exercise calories and things are moving much slower than I like. I'm going to switch to 50-75% of my exercise calories. And LOGGING.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 27, 2017, 01:00:06 PM


As for me, I am still battling snacking and chocolate cravings and crawling my way back on the logging bandwagon. ..... Also, I have been eating back all my exercise calories and things are moving much slower than I like. I'm going to switch to 50-75% of my exercise calories. And LOGGING.

I pretty much could have written the same. It's all about the logging, and I'm just not doing it. Back again to start over. My next Tuesday weigh in is not going to be good, but I have a week to minimize the damage. lol.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on February 27, 2017, 01:04:36 PM
You guys almost have me convinced to log my food (something I've always avoided because of the time commitment).

How long do you guys think you spend on it daily when you are doing it correctly?
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 27, 2017, 02:07:19 PM
It only takes me a couple of minutes a day, unless I'm loading a new recipe or food. I eat a lot of the same meals over and over, so it's super simple for me. A lot of times I even estimate and (at least for me) it still works because I try to be honest. So I'll put in "pasta and sauce" and it comes up automatically as 1 cup, but I knowww I ate more than that, so I change the serving size. It's shocking to see how much things are, especially fruit.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: SquashingDebt on February 27, 2017, 02:20:31 PM
You guys almost have me convinced to log my food (something I've always avoided because of the time commitment).

How long do you guys think you spend on it daily when you are doing it correctly?

I'll chime in to say that logging my food is the only thing that's really worked for me.

On most days, I don't think it takes more than 5 minutes, or even 10 minutes on days with new recipes, etc.

Here are the things that tend to trip me up when trying to log consistently:

1. Restaurant meals that are complicated and hard to log.
2. Parties or other situations where I have a lot of small amounts of different things that are a pain to log.
3. Days where I know I'm going over so I log breakfast and lunch and give up for the rest of the day.

I've found when I can push past these issues and really stay consistent, I'm most successful with my weight loss.  A big part of the success is using the logging as meal planning.  Mid-day I'll log my breakfast and lunch and then use that to plan what to eat for dinner to stay under my calorie amount and keep things well-balanced.  It's also key for keeping portion sizes reasonable.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 27, 2017, 02:29:52 PM
I am having a major failing month.
Been working really hard on the money side of changes and just haven't had the energy to focus on the food as well.  And there has been too many snacks and junk in the house. 
And there still is.  Major leftovers from my birthday party.
I was successful only when logging consistently.
It takes about a minute to write down everything after each meal in the book I keep beside the fridge.  I forget to write it down if I am not working at home.  Then there are periods when I just am too lazy - or don't want the notebook on the counter for all to see or away from home when eating. 
I don't weigh or measure everything - only eye ball stuff or list the size of the bowl (our green bowls are two cups, glass bowls are one cup).  A meat serving is the size of a deck of cards so I will eyeball the size that I put on my plate (1.5 decks of cards) and write down 1.5S for serving.
I think the effectiveness is working a couple of ways.  I measure when I am serving the food so I am honestly evaluating how much is going into my mouth.  Secondly, I am reminded of my goals very regularly.  If I know that I am going to write it down, I make a better choice or don't take a second helping.  It is just a way to be mindful.  I see that I haven't had enough veg or variety.
I don't count calories, which may explain my limited success. 
I have to find a way back to being committed.  But at this point in time I am just holding steady.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on February 27, 2017, 03:52:57 PM
I used to be super resistant to logging food. My reasoning was that I didn't want to have to track what I ate for the rest of my life, so I wanted to figure out how to lose weight without it, hoping that it would stick. Well, it didn't. I lost 62 lbs that way, and gained 52 of them back. Now I'm tracking everything I eat. It takes me less than five minutes a day, and I do it on my smart phone. I don't know yet if I'll have to track for the rest of my life, but it's really working for now. Maybe, someday, I'll have learned it well enough to be ingrained and I won't have to track. We shall see.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on February 28, 2017, 07:27:38 AM
One thing about logging for restaurants or parties .... I just take a photo of my meal and log it later, if I'm around folks where it would be awkward and conspicuous to log it. I also will look at the menu for a restaurant, choose what I want to eat and then pre-log it in my tracker. That method has the bonus of choosing whether you stay within your calorie range or not before you leave the house.

Logging doesn't bother me, so I do it. I like the data on my behavior and would miss being able to look back and see trends without it. Like I said before, this comes from my habit of logging purchases in YNAB. I know it has been super useful for me in the past, and I expect this data will hold the same benefits. I'm telling myself to get used to it, because if I want to keep the weight off, I will have to do it for the rest of my life to stay mindful. And that's not depressing, because I'm planning on keeping the weight off : )
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on February 28, 2017, 08:04:15 AM
Starting weight: 189 (Sep 2016)
Current weight: 172 (Feb 2017)
Goal weight: 157

Hi, all! So I have been doing a great program at a local fitness center where your doctor prescribes 60 days of fitness education and supervised workouts. Of course the goal for the fitness center is to gain members, and I have to say... it's WORKING. Yes, I'm going to join for a year today. It will be $69/month with a 12-month commitment.

Why? Because I have discovered that it's not enough to exercise: I need people, light, warmth, connection, positive reinforcement, and accountability. We have a small fitness center where I live that I can access for free, but it's empty, and dark, and quiet, and there's no JOY in it.

I'm doing strength training twice a week, and that could easily be replicated elsewhere, or even at home, but the real revelation has been the mind-body classes that the center offers. The ones I go to are specifically designed for older, fatter, less fit people. I do a chair yoga class twice a week where I never have to get down on the floor. The teacher incorporates a session of qi gong (energy practice) meditation, and it has been incredibly affirming. I can't replicate those things easily somewhere else.

I realize joining a gym is face-punch-worthy. But this month I've done the special program has given me a whole 'nother gear in my determination to succeed in changing habits, helped me get through winter, meet people, move my whole body. The thought of it ending in another month made me so sad I decided to just go for it.

Please be gentle with me!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 28, 2017, 09:24:26 AM
@Frugal Lizard: me too, but the month is over today! I am giving up alcohol for the Lent (Lenten?) period, so that might help to refresh my diet and kick back into gear.

@begood: no face punches from me. Taking care of your health is hugely important. The best place to exercise is the place where you will actually exercise, IMO.

@wintertell: good tip about the photo. I'm going to steal that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on February 28, 2017, 10:02:56 AM
okay you awesome people - I've created a my fitness pal account.  We'll see if I can stick with this enough to make a difference.

I'm aiming to lose half a pound a week and 15 pounds total (though I'd be happy with a 10 pound loss as well).

The smoothies aren't helping me lose but I do feel better :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 28, 2017, 02:12:58 PM
You guys almost have me convinced to log my food (something I've always avoided because of the time commitment). How long do you guys think you spend on it daily when you are doing it correctly?

Glad you set up an account - I was also very resistant - but if you actually do it, it somehow works.

I'll chime in to say that logging my food is the only thing that's really worked for me.

On most days, I don't think it takes more than 5 minutes, or even 10 minutes on days with new recipes, etc.

Here are the things that tend to trip me up when trying to log consistently:

1. Restaurant meals that are complicated and hard to log.
2. Parties or other situations where I have a lot of small amounts of different things that are a pain to log.
3. Days where I know I'm going over so I log breakfast and lunch and give up for the rest of the day.

I've found when I can push past these issues and really stay consistent, I'm most successful with my weight loss.  A big part of the success is using the logging as meal planning.  Mid-day I'll log my breakfast and lunch and then use that to plan what to eat for dinner to stay under my calorie amount and keep things well-balanced.  It's also key for keeping portion sizes reasonable.

I agree completely that these have been and continue to be challenges. What I do:
1. For restaurant food, I find equivalent meals, erring on the higher calorie side. I use a lot of Sodexo meals. Applebees is another go-to for me.
2. @wintertell's photo idea is great especially for buffets and parties. Another thing I have done is keep a mental list in my head and as soon as I can, add some quick notes on my phone - eg 1pc sushi, 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, 1 serving roast beef, 2 lemon tarts. Then later that night (or the next day even), I sit and log it into MFP.
3. Dragging myself out of ostrich mode has to be the hardest to do. Sometimes I will just do a quick add of some high calorie count like 1500-2000 cals and work with it. Sometimes, I just have to let it go and do a clean sweep.

One thing about logging for restaurants or parties .... I just take a photo of my meal and log it later, if I'm around folks where it would be awkward and conspicuous to log it. I also will look at the menu for a restaurant, choose what I want to eat and then pre-log it in my tracker. That method has the bonus of choosing whether you stay within your calorie range or not before you leave the house.

Logging doesn't bother me, so I do it. I like the data on my behavior and would miss being able to look back and see trends without it. Like I said before, this comes from my habit of logging purchases in YNAB. I know it has been super useful for me in the past, and I expect this data will hold the same benefits. I'm telling myself to get used to it, because if I want to keep the weight off, I will have to do it for the rest of my life to stay mindful. And that's not depressing, because I'm planning on keeping the weight off : )

I've done the choosing what I want to eat before I go to the restaurant too. It DOES work!

As for permanently logging, I'm still hopeful I can stop eventually. Last summer, I stopped logging and was able to keep the weight off for months (staying mindful, counting cals in my head, and weighing myself daily). Then I let myself go for just 2 short months from Nov - Dec and piled 10 pounds on quickly :(

Anyway, all in all, I am a big fan of My Fitness Pal. Some of my favorite tricks:
- recent food and my meals are very helpful
- try to only choose food with a green checkmark next to it. This means it has been verified. There are a LOT of inaccurate food in the database.
- crosscheck ingredients you are not sure of. I use the USDA database (this also helps you learn how food from the database is listed in MFP - I trust these the most) as well as other calorie counting websites.
- Break your meals down to the individual ingredients whenever possible for more accuracy. I will often create a recipe but if it is something like a sandwich or a salad, I just input each ingredient separately. e.g. 1 egg, 70 calories, 2 slices bread, 100 calories, 1 tbsp mayo, 94 calories = 264 calories
- use a food scale. Many people do well without - but if you are stalled or like number crunching or simply feel your goal is to eat as much as possible while still losing weight, a food scale was a game changer.
- create recipes. Its an extra step but it is worth it if you want accuracy - especially if you learn how to use a food scale in conjunction with this.

I'm getting strict about logging again and boy it has helped me today. Especially since it is Paczki Day. I limited myself to half of one, skipped breakfast and had a low cal lunch to make up for it. Plus last night I was dying to continue snacking after having a good dinner but rather than giving in, told my DH, whined for a while, and DIDN'T EAT!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on February 28, 2017, 03:49:24 PM
Lol elaine amj, I do #3 also. I have an entry in MFP that's just titled "bad" for 1600 calories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on February 28, 2017, 06:45:08 PM
Lol elaine amj, I do #3 also. I have an entry in MFP that's just titled "bad" for 1600 calories.

LOL - I love it - especially the title!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on February 28, 2017, 06:58:16 PM
Things have not been good so far.

Date          Weight
1/1/2017    130
2/28/2017  133.6

I've not been at this weight in a long time. It is clear that I'm not in equilibrium given the weight gain. The one thing that has worked in the past has been regular logging. It is time to go back to that with MFP.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on February 28, 2017, 08:41:43 PM
The tip about USDA is a good one. I basically search for either "ingredient raw USDA" or "ingredient cooked USDA" when I am logging.

Oftentimes I will take pictures of the tared food scale as I cooking. This means I don't burn anything, plus I can estimate how much of the meal I ate when logging.

So if I cooked 225 g of spaghetti squash but ate half, I would search "spaghetti squash USDA cooked g" and then log 113 g (after dinner, from the picture on my phone). Then when I eat the leftovers I copy the previous meal over - even easier. Makes the whole process really quick!

* fixed all the typing errors
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 01, 2017, 08:08:28 AM
The top about USDA is a good one. I basically search for either "ingredient raw USDA" or "ingredient cooked USDA" when I am logging.

Oftentimes I will take pictures of the rated food scale as I cooking. This means I don't burn anything, plus I can estimate how much of the meal I ate when logging.

So if I cooked 225 g of spaghetti squash but ate half, I would search "spaghetti squash USDA cooked g" and then log 125 g (after dinner, from the picture on my phone). Then when I eat the leftovers I copy the previous meal over - even easiser. Makes the whole process really quick!

I use a notepad in my kitchen that I scribble on. Leftovers are portioned and weighed out and labeled with masking tape, noting exact weights. If I am doing a stirfry with onions, eggplant, and tofu - this is my process for creating a recipe (everything is scribbled down on my notepad and then entered later after I am done cooking - otherwise I find it slows cooking down too much):
1. Prep each ingredient and weigh  - scribbling down individual weights
2. Weigh my pan (this really helps reduce dishes - but I often forget)
3. Cook, adding any additional notes as necessary (e.g. 1 tbsp oyster sauce)
4. Weigh the whole thing, pan and all, after it is all cooked. (Subtract the weight of the pan from this to get total food weight. This gets entered as the serving size in the recipe e.g. Servings = 1564 (instead of 4)
5. Weigh my plate/bowl and tare it out. Then serve my portion and weigh that. This gets entered as number of servings I actually ate e.g. 457 (instead of 1)

If I make the same recipe again, I will often re-use it, just editing the quantities and weight of each ingredient and the serving size.

I cook for a family. But when I cook just for myself and prep just 1 serving, I don't bother to create a recipe - just enter each ingredient separately into my log.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 01, 2017, 08:14:06 AM
re: my day yesterday. My scale is proving annoyingly stubborn but I am still determined to stick to plan. Yesterday was OK - I accommodated the fatty paczki, restricting myself to just half and not going back to the office kitchen for more. I stuck to my plans for mealtimes. However, I had so many calories left over at the end of the day that I succumbed and bought a small chocolate bar and wolfed it down (in secret from DH *sigh*). On the good side, I was still nearly 100 cals under my allowed calories for the day.

Despite all my advocacy for using a kitchen scale on this thread, I am still only using mine intermittently. Have been faithfully logging though, so that is good. I feel confident that the weight will shift soon if I stick to the plan.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 01, 2017, 08:21:28 AM
elaine emj, I SO hear you on the wolfing-down-the-chocolate-in-secret thing. I was doing that a lot before. I encourage you to include the chocolate in your daily count, and then savor every bite right in front of your husband! If he asks if you've "fallen off the wagon," just say, "Nope, I planned for it, and wow is it delicious!"

I'm convinced that the reason for this particular stretch of steady weight loss/successes is because I've kept eating the thing I really do care about: dark chocolate. I can pretty easily decide not to have dessert because I know I've got dark chocolate waiting for me.

And I completely let go of the shame, which had snuck up on me and was messing with my head in a variety of unhelpful ways. I'm here. I'm working on being a healthier version of me. It's going to take a while, so my job is to be kind to myself as I go. I try to talk to myself the way I would talk to a friend in need.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 01, 2017, 09:17:57 AM
elaine emj, I SO hear you on the wolfing-down-the-chocolate-in-secret thing. I was doing that a lot before. I encourage you to include the chocolate in your daily count, and then savor every bite right in front of your husband! If he asks if you've "fallen off the wagon," just say, "Nope, I planned for it, and wow is it delicious!"

I'm convinced that the reason for this particular stretch of steady weight loss/successes is because I've kept eating the thing I really do care about: dark chocolate. I can pretty easily decide not to have dessert because I know I've got dark chocolate waiting for me.

And I completely let go of the shame, which had snuck up on me and was messing with my head in a variety of unhelpful ways. I'm here. I'm working on being a healthier version of me. It's going to take a while, so my job is to be kind to myself as I go. I try to talk to myself the way I would talk to a friend in need.

I like this. And you're so very right. This is what worked for me last year and I need to get back to that. Wolfing down food in secret has been a very bad habit for me and has led to many a downward spiral. My DH is awesome and has been trying so very hard to be supportive. The shame part is rough for for me - I tend to feel so awful that I just go off an eat even more to drown my sorrows. This is where MFP really helped me last year as I planned for my indulgences and felt good about them instead. Thanks for the reminder!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on March 01, 2017, 10:45:35 AM
I did pretty well yesterday, and had my last alcoholic drink until Easter, as I am giving it up for Lent. Besides alcohol, I don't drink anything other than water and tea/occasional espresso), so it should be a pretty healthy 40 days wrt liquids.

I successfully avoided free donuts this morning, by flipping the calendar to March and realizing that in a VERY short amount of time I will be in a bathing suit in Hawaii. Staying strong!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on March 01, 2017, 07:07:21 PM
I had a pretty annoying day at work today, and just felt drained when I came home. I knew I was going to want some treats, so I made sure to work them in on plan. I ate a really healthy dinner (changing what I would have eaten otherwise), in order to allow me to indulge in a small amount of ice cream and a cider. It was still very yummy. I can do this.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 01, 2017, 07:56:01 PM
I had a pretty annoying day at work today, and just felt drained when I came home. I knew I was going to want some treats, so I made sure to work them in on plan. I ate a really healthy dinner (changing what I would have eaten otherwise), in order to allow me to indulge in a small amount of ice cream and a cider. It was still very yummy. I can do this.

You totally can, Izybat! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 02, 2017, 07:39:43 AM
Izybat - that is awesome! It's an awesome feeling to enjoy your treats knowing that it's in your plans - no cheating and no shame!

I did well yesterday - we had super gusty winds yesterday evening and DH offered to drive to pick me up from work. I stayed strong and biked home instead, fighting the wind all the way. I then walked my daughter to church (only 5 mins away lol!) and picked her up on foot last night despite rapidly dropping temps and even crazier winds. Plus I even (I don't know how) resisted after-dinner treats. Ended up with 275 cals still left - woot! This morning, DH again suggested I drive to work because temps have dropped even lower (feels like 16F now!!) but I held on to my resolve, bundled up, and biked to work - the wind was rough but I made it in one piece :) I'm doing all this to prep for tomorrow night when the boss is ordering fish and chips. Plus the weekend where I typically eat more and move less.

On a more frustrating note...I actually gained weight this morning :( This week's weigh-ins have not been looking good despite my typically having about a 100 calories leftover every day AND only eating back half my exercise calories. Oh well - my guess is this is just my body hanging on to the previous norm and I'll drop the weight in a whoosh if I just stick to the plan that I KNOW works.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 02, 2017, 07:44:07 AM
elaine emj, the nutritionist I go to once a month suggested not including any "extra" calories from exercise in my daily count. My first reaction was, "WTF? I need those extra calories! I earned them! WTF?!?" But over time, I've come to separate out physical fitness from healthier eating. They work together like yin and yang, but I'm doing one to be stronger, more flexible, with better balance and stamina, and the other to lose weight by choosing to eat in a healthier way overall.

And I look forward to the dark chocolate, saying "yes" to things that I really want, and the occasional shot of reposado tequila. ;)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 02, 2017, 07:49:46 AM
You guys are inspiring.  The wind was crazy last night here too.
I wrote everything down yesterday. A number of treats - but better on the veggies.

Doing a daily weigh in starting yesterday:
2017-03-01   132pounds
still the same this morning and putting it on the top of page for the day in my eating book.

I am going to try and eat 10 full servings of fruit and veg per day for Lent.  Yesterday I did 6.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 02, 2017, 08:48:10 AM
elaine emj, the nutritionist I go to once a month suggested not including any "extra" calories from exercise in my daily count. My first reaction was, "WTF? I need those extra calories! I earned them! WTF?!?" But over time, I've come to separate out physical fitness from healthier eating. They work together like yin and yang, but I'm doing one to be stronger, more flexible, with better balance and stamina, and the other to lose weight by choosing to eat in a healthier way overall.

And I look forward to the dark chocolate, saying "yes" to things that I really want, and the occasional shot of reposado tequila. ;)

I do worry that if I don't eat back ANY of my exercise calories, that I will be undereating by quite a bit. I'm only 5ft tall so I only get 1200 calories a day when trying to lose weight - and that's very little by any calculator. I have a 50 min round trip bike ride to work each day plus I go on a 30-45 min lunchtime walk. Last year, I ate half my exercise calories and after a month or two, hit a point where I was fatigued and had trouble concentrating to the point that my DH and my coworkers kept commenting on it. I had to bump it up to eating all my exercise calories. This time around, I have a strong feeling that MFP is giving me way too many calories for biking so I think going with half my exercise calories will work out well.

All that said - I agree that exercise is not a big part of weight loss. The times I exercised the most (riding 2hrs/day, 3-5 times a week) was typically when I gained weight. I find I eat a lot more to fuel me on intense exercise days, pretty much negating the calories lost.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 02, 2017, 09:04:24 AM
elaine emj, the nutritionist I go to once a month suggested not including any "extra" calories from exercise in my daily count. My first reaction was, "WTF? I need those extra calories! I earned them! WTF?!?" But over time, I've come to separate out physical fitness from healthier eating. They work together like yin and yang, but I'm doing one to be stronger, more flexible, with better balance and stamina, and the other to lose weight by choosing to eat in a healthier way overall.

And I look forward to the dark chocolate, saying "yes" to things that I really want, and the occasional shot of reposado tequila. ;)

I do worry that if I don't eat back ANY of my exercise calories, that I will be undereating by quite a bit. I'm only 5ft tall so I only get 1200 calories a day when trying to lose weight - and that's very little by any calculator. I have a 50 min round trip bike ride to work each day plus I go on a 30-45 min lunchtime walk. Last year, I ate half my exercise calories and after a month or two, hit a point where I was fatigued and had trouble concentrating to the point that my DH and my coworkers kept commenting on it. I had to bump it up to eating all my exercise calories. This time around, I have a strong feeling that MFP is giving me way too many calories for biking so I think going with half my exercise calories will work out well.

All that said - I agree that exercise is not a big part of weight loss. The times I exercised the most (riding 2hrs/day, 3-5 times a week) was typically when I gained weight. I find I eat a lot more to fuel me on intense exercise days, pretty much negating the calories lost.

You are working SO much harder than I am, elaine emj! Burning way more calories with your exercise. You are so smart to listen to your body and adjust as needed. Keep doing that!

I'm 5'8" and Lose It currently gives me 1491 calories a day. I had to work through that psychologically too - it seems brutally unfair that the more weight I lose, the less I get to eat in a day. HATE THAT so much. The nutritionist (she totally has my number) said I should shoot for between 1200 and 1500 calories a day from this point on. I like having a range instead of a particular number. We eat dinner in a boarding school dining hall, so I don't have the luxury of weighing grams and measuring units. I just eyeball it and shoot for lots of protein and veggies/fruit and not so much carbs. *shrug* So far, so good.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 02, 2017, 09:17:10 AM
I'm 5'8" and Lose It currently gives me 1491 calories a day. I had to work through that psychologically too - it seems brutally unfair that the more weight I lose, the less I get to eat in a day. HATE THAT so much. The nutritionist (she totally has my number) said I should shoot for between 1200 and 1500 calories a day from this point on. I like having a range instead of a particular number. We eat dinner in a boarding school dining hall, so I don't have the luxury of weighing grams and measuring units. I just eyeball it and shoot for lots of protein and veggies/fruit and not so much carbs. *shrug* So far, so good.

Given that you're stuck with eyeballing it, I think your nutritionist's guidance of 1200-1500/day is a great way to manage it. While I look at my daily numbers, I try to keep my focus on my weekly numbers in MFP. So I can "save up" my calories for social eating days when I eat more.

It does come down to logging for me though. Weirdly enough, its the only thing that has worked for me (and I have tried several different ways since I hit logging fatigue last June!).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 03, 2017, 08:42:48 AM
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs...Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs...Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs...Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight gained: 0.6 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

Ugh - was hoping I would get a whoosh before today's weigh in. Been following the plan all week and all my weight is doing is creeping upwards :( Keep reminding myself that I just need to stick to it and that most likely my body is just reluctant to change. It WILL happen - I know it. Just need patience.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 03, 2017, 08:59:04 AM
It will happen, elaine emj! Don't be discouraged. I think winter is super hard. We're supposed to be hibernating! I bet you will see bigger changes come spring.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 03, 2017, 09:23:44 AM
Hang in there Elaine.  If it makes you feel better my scale went up this morning. 
I am hoping the hibernating theory is true as well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on March 03, 2017, 09:31:26 AM
I have to admit - I'm impressed with MFP! The last time I tried to journal/track online was probably 10 years ago and it is SO MUCH EASIER now.

But elaine emj is totally right about there being some janky foods pre-entered. My usual bread was listed at twice the calorie count and I didn't notice it for a couple of days. So I was trying to eat within 25 calories of goal and was accidentally coming in a couple hundred under (which did probably help with weight loss this week).

I also appreciate that it lets me reset my macros because I strive to eat higher fat to help with fat soluble vitamin absorption (thanks no gallbladder :)).

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
Weigh in March 3:    154 lbs



begood - mfp is also giving me 1490 for calories (to lose .5 a week) but I'm a solid two inches shorter than you! This is one of the reasons that I'm weird about on-line trackers?! What is correct?!

FrugalLizard - that is such a nice lenten goal!

elaine emj - you just have to make it a little longer through the weather! I have a feeling that the weight will right itself come spring (at least, that is how it always seems to work for me and my mom). Just keep hanging in there!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 03, 2017, 09:35:20 AM

begood - mfp is also giving me 1490 for calories (to lose .5 a week) but I'm a solid two inches shorter than you! This is one of the reasons that I'm weird about on-line trackers?! What is correct?!

StarBright, I don't know! I started at a higher weight than you - 189 lbs - and am now at 172 lbs. So with each drop in weight, I get fewer calories per day. I'm trying to lose 1 lb  a week. I started at 1700, if I recall correctly.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 03, 2017, 09:52:30 AM

begood - mfp is also giving me 1490 for calories (to lose .5 a week) but I'm a solid two inches shorter than you! This is one of the reasons that I'm weird about on-line trackers?! What is correct?!

StarBright, I don't know! I started at a higher weight than you - 189 lbs - and am now at 172 lbs. So with each drop in weight, I get fewer calories per day. I'm trying to lose 1 lb  a week. I started at 1700, if I recall correctly.

It sounds like the difference is in how much weight you each want to lose each week. Begood is taller and should get more calories, but has hers set for a 1 lb/week loss. Starbright is shorter, but is only asking for 0.5 lbs a week. So unless my math is off - it sounds about right for both of you to have approx. the same number of calories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on March 04, 2017, 08:19:25 AM
I lost another 2 lbs this week for 15.8 total. Happy that it's working, steadily coming off.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on March 04, 2017, 10:22:45 PM
Hi There!  I posted here in December and then haven't been back (and haven't done much toward the goals I listed.)  BUT I am newly determined to finally do something about losing some weight.  I've been tracking what I eat with My Fitness Pal for almost two weeks and am seeing some progress.  I just read through the last couple of pages here since my first post and it sounds like a lot of you are having the most success when you track your eating too, so that's encouraging for me!  I did use MFP a few years ago but eventually got tired of the tracking and gave up and gained more weight. 

I'm 5'3" and have My Fitness Pal set to lose 1 pound a week, which means I can only eat 1220 calories a day.  That's basically nothing.  I had a hard time the first few days but have been trying to eat more protein and fat and less simple carbs and that's been helping me not feel so hungry.  Diabetes runs in my family and I have trouble with low blood sugar, so it's not surprising that my body feels better with this ratio.  1220 calories means very few snacks or treats!

2/20: 159.5- Starting weight
2/26: 158.5
3/4:   155 - I couldn't believe this!  I'm assuming it's a fluke or water weight or the "whoosh" someone linked to?

Here's part of my original post with updates:

I feel kind of silly jumping in at the end of this long thread, but didn't want to put it off any longer.  I'll jump over to a new thread for 2017 if one gets started!  I've only read the current page and first page, but I may skim through to get ideas of what is working for other people.

Current Stats:
I'm 5'3" and currently weigh 160 pounds, two years after having a baby.  When I got pregnant, I weighed 140 which is at the very top of the healthy BMI for my height.  While pregnant, I gained 33 pounds, so was up to 173 on the day I went into labor.  At one point after the baby was born, I was down to 150, but then climbed back up to 160.  (Hello, stress eating!) 

Goal:
Having a second child is under consideration and I'd like to at least be back down to my former pre-pregnancy weight before that happens.  So my minimum goal is to lose 20 lbs, stretch goal is 30, extra stretch goal is 35.  I'd like to lose the weight by June 2017.  So if my goal is 30 pounds in 6 months, that's 5 pounds a month or just a little more than 1 pound a week.  Seems within the realm of possibility. I procrastinated too long.  June 2017 is less than 20 weeks away so I would need to lose more than 1 pound  a week to hit my minimum goal.  I'm still aiming for 1 pound a week and will take what I can get at this point!

Challenges:
I'm not sure what my biggest challenge is.  Not exercising at all is a big one.  Too much stress eating is another one.  I did not exercise during my pregnancy and I really regret it now.  I also have exercised very little since having a baby.  It look about 15 months to even have the energy to seriously think about exercising and another few months to start trying.  And I'm not doing a great job of it now.  I am not athletic and have never really enjoyed exercise.  I'm a bookworm who would rather be curled up on a couch with a good book!  So that is a major hurdle to overcome.  I'm working on trying to find some kind of activity that I'll enjoy so as to make it sustainable.

Action Items:
-Set up treadmill desk - I scored a free treadmill sight unseen and didn't discover that the arms point down instead of out until it was in my garage.  So it won't work for a treadmill desk.  Also it's still sitting in my garage, not in my house. :/  Current goal is to clear space to get it in the house and start walking on it even if I can't work and walk.

-Start tracking what I eat - Finally started 2/20!  I'm weighing most of my food to keep myself honest and maximize every one of those 1220 calories!  I'm finding it less annoying this time, not sure why.

-Eat more veggies, fewer refined carbs - Not sure I've been eating more veggies but I have been eating fewer refined carbs. 

-Add weightlifting once I establish a walking routine - I just bought a book on weightlifting at home and will start putting it into practice. Haven't been walking or weightlifting but my dad gave me a fitness book that has some really basic exercise programs (3 "programs before the program" for people starting from zero.)  I've been doing the easiest level of "program before the program."  It's 10 minutes a day of a few stretches and then alternating days of 5 minutes weight lifting (just using your body) or 5 minutes of walking/movement.  It's such a small amount it's easy to work into my day, so I've actually been keeping it up and am hoping it will build into a more robust exercise habit.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: SquashingDebt on March 05, 2017, 05:11:36 AM

Challenges:
I'm not sure what my biggest challenge is.  Not exercising at all is a big one.  Too much stress eating is another one.  I did not exercise during my pregnancy and I really regret it now.  I also have exercised very little since having a baby.  It look about 15 months to even have the energy to seriously think about exercising and another few months to start trying.  And I'm not doing a great job of it now.  I am not athletic and have never really enjoyed exercise.  I'm a bookworm who would rather be curled up on a couch with a good book!  So that is a major hurdle to overcome.  I'm working on trying to find some kind of activity that I'll enjoy so as to make it sustainable.


Welcome!  These are also my 2 biggest challenges.  If it makes you feel any better, we're the same height and I'm starting at a substantially higher weight than you.  160 is about my stretch goal weight right now, lol.  Anyhow, sounds like you're taking some great steps towards working exercise into your routine.  I'm working with a physical therapist for a knee issue right now, but am looking forward to starting up Jazzercise again when that's resolved.  So far, it's the only type of exercise that's left me excited to keep doing it.  The food tracking is also really helping with my stress/indulgence type eating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 05, 2017, 07:00:03 AM

Challenges:
I'm not sure what my biggest challenge is.  Not exercising at all is a big one.  Too much stress eating is another one.  I did not exercise during my pregnancy and I really regret it now.  I also have exercised very little since having a baby.  It look about 15 months to even have the energy to seriously think about exercising and another few months to start trying.  And I'm not doing a great job of it now.  I am not athletic and have never really enjoyed exercise.  I'm a bookworm who would rather be curled up on a couch with a good book!  So that is a major hurdle to overcome.  I'm working on trying to find some kind of activity that I'll enjoy so as to make it sustainable.


Welcome!  These are also my 2 biggest challenges.  If it makes you feel any better, we're the same height and I'm starting at a substantially higher weight than you.  160 is about my stretch goal weight right now, lol.  Anyhow, sounds like you're taking some great steps towards working exercise into your routine.  I'm working with a physical therapist for a knee issue right now, but am looking forward to starting up Jazzercise again when that's resolved.  So far, it's the only type of exercise that's left me excited to keep doing it.  The food tracking is also really helping with my stress/indulgence type eating.

I started from a very sedentary place too, and I really don't *enjoy* exercise, per se. I'm always sure I'm going to hurt myself! I have a series of mantras or affirmations that I keep repeating to myself, and one of them "Doing something is better than doing nothing". And "More activity is better than less activity."

Celebrate your small successes and use them as encouragement to work toward the next one. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on March 05, 2017, 02:15:23 PM
Thanks you guys. I keep running across the advice to find an exercise you love and then you'll enjoy exercising. So far, hasn't happened. But I do feel good about the current book I'm using. SquashingDebt, that's cool that you've found that you like Jazzercise, I hope you'll get to start it again soon. Begood, I've been using similar mantras. I figure any type of movement is better than my current routine of no movement so I can worry about optimizing later. I don't want to get bogged down trying to decide whether cardio or weights are better right now. I just need to do something and make it into a habit for now!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 06, 2017, 09:32:07 PM
@QueenV glad to see u back on here! Looks like u are developing some great new habits :)

As for me, I followed plan all week - then went bananas on the weekend. DH and I started arguing about stupid stuff on Sunday night and I stormed off to drown my sorrows in cookies :( :(  Stress eating is my worst enemy.

To top it off, I am going to a work conference for the next 2 days and we all know what conference food is like. I'm not feeling strong right now.

On a positive note, I am continuing to stay active, biking 50 mins roundtrip to work. On Sunday, we went to a friend's house for dinner and I opted to walk 1.5 hours (5 miles) there instead of hopping in the car with my family. I have an 7-8hr adventure race coming up in June and I really need to start training. Planning to start up walking or biking for 2+ hour stretches most weekends. Motivation can be a wee bit hard for me which is why I opted to walk to my friend's place. A couple of weeks ago, I got DH to drop me off about an hour's walk away from home (so I would have no choice but to walk all the way). This really doesn't have much to do with weight loss itself - but helps in general activity level. Although believe me, it sounds much more impressive than it is - the walking and the light biking I am doing is all pretty mild...certainly nothing I would consider intense exercise.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: use2betrix on March 06, 2017, 10:02:41 PM
Can this thread work for those trying to gain weight as well? Due to my workouts/bodybuilding I'm constantly in a bulking/cutting state. One of the catches in the bulking phase is getting all the calories I need to gain weight from HEALTHY food. 3000 calories of garbage is a breeze. 3000 calories of chicken, rice, potatoes, eggs, etc, is very challenging. I find it far more miserable than going  to 1800 calories when I start cutting. Nothing worse than sitting down to a meal, still stuffed from your last meal, and knowing you have to eat the huge plate of food in front of you that's holding you from your goals.

I spent November 15th - February 13th primarily overseas on vacation which made monitoring a strict diet challenging. I've been back about 3 weeks and have gained around 5-6 lbs so far. I started around 195, now at about 201. Hope to get to around 215 over the next couple months, then hope to drop down to 180-185 over the summer.

For preserving muscle while cutting and also a good pace of gaining, I find both to be around 2-3 lbs a week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on March 07, 2017, 07:54:22 AM
First Tuesday of the month check in:

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8
March 7: 123.0

No loss, but not much of a gain either, so I'm ok with it. I'm tracking again, so I should see results this month. My revised goal is basically to get to around 115-120 and maintain right around that area.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on March 07, 2017, 12:07:59 PM
Guys- My Fitness Pal is working well - so well that I'm dubious and worried that I'm doing something wrong :)

I've been at it for a week and a half, have been eating within 50 calories of my goal (set to lose half a pound a week), but have dropped almost 4 pounds (this is after two months of stagnant weight). Do I need to go in and adjust things? give it another week to see how it shakes out and if it slows down? I just don't want to lose too fast (that sounds ridiculous right?).

MFP is definitely helping me stay on top of my macros better than I usually do. Perhaps that is what is making the difference? I aim to hit around 40-30-30 but am  not ever strict about it. I never hit the protein goal and usually inch over the fat goal but not by too much so I don't worry about. MFP is keeping me on top of my carbs though.

rockstache - your steady and consistent weight loss is a total inspiration!

use2betrix - hi! welcome.

elaine amj - I am in awe of you biking to work - I'm terrified of biking with traffic!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on March 07, 2017, 12:22:55 PM
Guys- My Fitness Pal is working well - so well that I'm dubious and worried that I'm doing something wrong :)

I've been at it for a week and a half, have been eating within 50 calories of my goal (set to lose half a pound a week), but have dropped almost 4 pounds (this is after two months of stagnant weight). Do I need to go in and adjust things? give it another week to see how it shakes out and if it slows down? I just don't want to lose too fast (that sounds ridiculous right?).

MFP is definitely helping me stay on top of my macros better than I usually do. Perhaps that is what is making the difference? I aim to hit around 40-30-30 but am  not ever strict about it. I never hit the protein goal and usually inch over the fat goal but not by too much so I don't worry about. MFP is keeping me on top of my carbs though.

rockstache - your steady and consistent weight loss is a total inspiration!

use2betrix - hi! welcome.

elaine amj - I am in awe of you biking to work - I'm terrified of biking with traffic!

Thanks Starbright! Good job to you too! With regards to the tracking/losing quickly, you can see from my numbers that when I first started tracking (Jan 1, 2016), I was losing rather quickly, but then it sort of plateaued to a reasonable steady decline. FWIW, elaine amj who is almost my height and weight had VERY similar results to me, we tracked together almost all the way through 2016. I think MFP is pretty on point. You might lose weight really fast at first, but it will slow down after the first couple of weeks, and then you'll see more along the lines of a 1/2 lb or pound per week depending on how you set it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on March 07, 2017, 08:37:56 PM
elaine amj, thanks for the welcome back!  Thanks also for pointing out that only the foods in MFP with a green check mark have had their numbers verified.  I had no idea, and am now looking for green check marks whenever I can!

Today I had a really frustrating afternoon, the sort of day where I end up stress eating.  I've been resisting so far and trying other ways to relax - deep breathing and reminding myself that I won't feel this way forever, this is just a temporary mood.  It's helped, but I still really want dessert.

Does anyone have tips on what works for them to avoid stress eating?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: use2betrix on March 07, 2017, 08:47:10 PM
elaine amj, thanks for the welcome back!  Thanks also for pointing out that only the foods in MFP with a green check mark have had their numbers verified.  I had no idea, and am now looking for green check marks whenever I can!

Today I had a really frustrating afternoon, the sort of day where I end up stress eating.  I've been resisting so far and trying other ways to relax - deep breathing and reminding myself that I won't feel this way forever, this is just a temporary mood.  It's helped, but I still really want dessert.

Does anyone have tips on what works for them to avoid stress eating?

Drinking a good amount of water tends to curb those immediate urges.

Do you not feel worse after you stress eat? Personally while the immediate gratification of cheating on my diet is is ok, I find it hard not to feel worse after knowing I didnt even have the self control to not stuff shit in my mouth I don't need.

The key is to not get on a diet so miserable that you have zero enjoyment. Eating isn't meant to be some magical enjoyable experience. It's meant to have tons and tons of benefits of health, focus, energy, etc. if you love ice cream, plan a small bowl once a week or every other week and plan for it.

Also... if you don't keep "cheat food" readily available, you won't eat it. If you have to make a special trip to the store to eat crap not in your diet plan, I'd say the problem is beyond self control. My wife makes one grocery trip a week, buys exactly enough food for every day and every meal of the following week, and does it again. If something isn't in our meal plan, we don't have it in the house.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on March 08, 2017, 08:19:04 PM
I concur with drinking something, be it broth, coffee with splenda, or hot cocoa. 

That said, I feel great when I binge, and usually I'm still under my maintenance calories.  I like to make lists of food I really want, and only eat off that list.  In other words, no binging on mediocre junk, but get that croissant or five guys burger and fries, or the best pizza.  Well, sometimes I have to wait for the best foods, and by then I'm not as stressed.  Or giving myself permission means I'm okay with half a burger and no fries.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 09, 2017, 06:13:10 AM
I concur with drinking something, be it broth, coffee with splenda, or hot cocoa. 

That said, I feel great when I binge, and usually I'm still under my maintenance calories.  I like to make lists of food I really want, and only eat off that list.  In other words, no binging on mediocre junk, but get that croissant or five guys burger and fries, or the best pizza.  Well, sometimes I have to wait for the best foods, and by then I'm not as stressed.  Or giving myself permission means I'm okay with half a burger and no fries.

That's a great idea - to make lists of things you really want and choose from that! It would definitely limit the "crap factor".

I have a horrendous head cold, and it makes me want to eat ALL the food ALL day long. And my energy level is really low, I think because, hello, my brain is not getting enough oxygen through my clogged nostrils! I did a qi gong routine from YouTube for energy yesterday and it was amazingly effective. I'm going to do it again today:

Morning Qi Gong 10 Minute Exercise (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac08kMK-dyI&index=1&list=LLBuFaUIr64W5bxB-9_cjbXQ)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on March 09, 2017, 09:04:21 AM
elaine amj, thanks for the welcome back!  Thanks also for pointing out that only the foods in MFP with a green check mark have had their numbers verified.  I had no idea, and am now looking for green check marks whenever I can!

Today I had a really frustrating afternoon, the sort of day where I end up stress eating.  I've been resisting so far and trying other ways to relax - deep breathing and reminding myself that I won't feel this way forever, this is just a temporary mood.  It's helped, but I still really want dessert.

Does anyone have tips on what works for them to avoid stress eating?

When I'm stress eating, I'm normally snacking throughout the day non stop. I like the feeling of eating and crunching. So, I'm trying to just provide myself with a healthier, satisfying alternative. This normally means pairing some sort of protein with whatever I eat so I feel full, as well as having crunchy health options.

A couple of examples of how I'm fulfilling that need in a healthier way:
- Putting slivered almonds in my Greek yogurt.
- I made tuna salad, subbing avocado/greek yogurt for the mayo (more protein and healthy fat!). I also put a whole bunch of cruncy cucumber, celery, carrots in as well with the tuna. Then I ate that with celery/baby carrots most of the after noon.

Basically I've found that protein + healthy fat + crunchy = no eating a bag of chips or a whole bowl of popcorn.

If I can't get the crunch element from whatever food is around, I'll have a protein bar with a glass of milk so at least I feel really full and won't want to keep eating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on March 10, 2017, 04:56:16 AM
Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6


Apparently when I'm stressed I can have A quesadilla or a seven and seven - but not both or more than one of each! Who knew ?! ;)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: LG in NYC on March 10, 2017, 06:45:00 AM
I like that idea to identify the texture that you're craving (crunchy) and then find a healthy food that fulfills the craving.

I struggled last week because I was sick with a cold. I don't understand how being sick kills my appetite, and yet somehow I end up eating more because I'm feeling sorry for myself! Ah well.

I am better now, and I am working on breaking my habit of going to the office candy bowl every day. So far I have three days in a row of not eating any candy. I didn't realize my habit had gotten so bad, but looking at MFP I was eating about 250 calories a day in candy. Yikes. I'm starting to see some weight loss, which has been very encouraging!


2/4: 142.6
2/15: 142.4
3/2: 142.2
3/10: 140.8


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on March 10, 2017, 07:30:31 AM

I struggled last week because I was sick with a cold. I don't understand how being sick kills my appetite, and yet somehow I end up eating more because I'm feeling sorry for myself! Ah well.


LOL! I don't mean to laugh at you, but I know this one so well. I will have a sore throat that literally hurts to eat, and still want to eat because of the comfort factor. So silly!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on March 10, 2017, 08:28:11 AM
I am sorry to hear that you were sick LG!

I like that idea to identify the texture that you're craving (crunchy) and then find a healthy food that fulfills the craving.

I learned this from my weight loss support group. I heard someone call them "buffer foods". Basically, they are healthier substitutes that still really hit the spot in terms of satisfying a craving.

For folks that really like sweets, for example, might like this recipe: http://www.hollyscheatday.com/protein-pumpkin-pie/ (I'd do it without the whipped cream so no crazy sugar cravings).

I also will do Greek yogurt with 1 tsp honey, strawberries and almond slivers (crunch!)  for a nighttime snack as well.

elaine  amj -- I've switched my tracking while cooking to your method and it is much easier. I just jot down everything while I'm cooking then record later. It really speeds up the cooking process. So thanks!

Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2 (-9.4)
Total: 22.8

I'm at 242.2 - I've been bouncing around for the last 3 weeks between 241-249. 

Once I hit a 20lb loss, I started to struggle. I maintained at 245-250 for many years. It's nice that all my clothes fit again : ).

Mentally pushing pass that 20lb number that was a hurdle, plus I guess my habits (mainly poor food choices when eating out) keep me in that range. So, long-term, I need to stay consistent with eating well and continue to change up things and try new things to see new numbers.

This Monday I got back on track. My mind is back is the right space again. I expect it will be another week or so before I start to dip into new territory below 241 since I've been fluctuating so much lately. I was at 249 on Monday, for example. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 10, 2017, 01:20:03 PM
Visited the nutritionist today and I'm down 3 lbs from last month, so:

September 2016: 189
February 2017: 172
March 2017: 169
Goal weight: 157

It's very motivating to get into the 160s and to reach the 20 lb mark. Just 12 more to go!

She asked what I attribute the steady loss to, and I told her in all seriousness: chocolate and tequila.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on March 11, 2017, 09:52:43 AM
I feel like I'm in the zone this week, hitting some good numbers for food and exercise.  I often finish a meal still a little hungry, which fades in half an hour.  Hopefully my body is just asking for what its used to, not setting myself up for a binge. 

The cold weather this week is putting a damper on my exercise, but I did half. 

Two pitfalls coming up: birthday event and pizza at work.  I feel about pizza the way Elaine feels about cake, so I might restrict to one piece but I doubt zero.  I make sure to have a healthy meal to distract me, and I've been trying to see pizza as bad as cake, donuts, or bagels, which I could turn down easily.  The donuts have more sugar obviously, but theyre both basically white flour and fat.  Right?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on March 11, 2017, 07:08:00 PM
Lost another 1.4 today, which came as a surprise. I was expecting a smaller loss or to maintain, but I'll happily take it. Down 17.2 since January 14th.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on March 13, 2017, 09:41:00 AM
Weigh-in:

2/20: 159.5
2/26: 158.5
3/4:   155
3/7:   154.5
3/12: 153.5

I'm really encouraged to be seeing progress.  I definitely have days where it feels easy and days where it's a struggle not to eat whatever I want.  I do feel like I've somewhat "reset" how many calories my body expects and that's encouraging too.

Thanks everyone for the ideas for avoiding stress eating.  I will give some of them a try.  When I stress eat, I'm mostly looking for a dopamine rush (is that the right chemical?) ie a mood lift.  So yeah, I almost always feel better after eating a piece of chocolate cake or some fried food or pizza.  I do feel like my general mood is improving overall, so I'm not experiencing those cravings as often lately.  I'll have to think about other ways to get a similar mood lift.  I know exercise is supposed to help, so maybe more of that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on March 13, 2017, 08:04:20 PM
Urggggg. I ate really well today, all day. Then I got home from my class at 8pm ish and was feeling emotional. You know what happened next. 1 slice of pizza, 3 squares of chocolate, AND a pile of cheese and crackers later....I have  a stomach ache. Really wish I was over the emotional eating thing. I didn't even enjoy it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: swick on March 13, 2017, 08:44:16 PM
When I stress eat, I'm mostly looking for a dopamine rush (is that the right chemical?) ie a mood lift. 

A lightbulb went off for me a while ago when I realized that I wasn't getting most of the dopamine hits I was used to and thus feeling more prone to SAD and just general sadness. If you change the way you are eating a lot of the different ways you get dopamine tend to go, the ritual and habits around food, the excitement of cooking and eating certain foods, the addictive and chemical responses to some foods. So if you take away most of the different ways you get dopamine kicks from food, what are you left with?

I googled and came across a couple of strategies I am working through:
https://bebrainfit.com/increase-dopamine/ (https://bebrainfit.com/increase-dopamine/)
http://www.chatelaine.com/health/wellness/addicted-to-food-sex-stress-it-may-be-a-dopamine-imbalance/ (http://www.chatelaine.com/health/wellness/addicted-to-food-sex-stress-it-may-be-a-dopamine-imbalance/)

Quote from above I found interesting:"Researchers at Princeton University found dopamine decreased in rats when they lost weight on restricted eating programs. With this drop in weight, the rats’ appetites increased and they began to eat more in an attempt to naturally restore dopamine levels."



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on March 13, 2017, 10:26:04 PM
Swick, those articles were really interesting, thanks for sharing the links. I'm going to spend some time thinking about the suggestions. The description of how people feel with low dopamine levels matches how I've been feeling for the last few years. I've been trying to counteract those feelings with food, but it would be nice to try something else.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: swick on March 13, 2017, 10:50:53 PM
I've been trying to counteract those feelings with food, but it would be nice to try something else.

I think it is a big challenge, and I mean, you can lose all the weight you want, but if you don't come up with a replacement for eating as a source of dopamine, your chance of gaining it all (and then some!) back is very real.

I have found that dancing has worked well for me. I've found some good electro swing mixes and I stick em on when I'm cleaning up. It takes longer, but it is hard not to feel good :) I've been liking this one lately: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFh9ebba2BI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFh9ebba2BI)

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: SquashingDebt on March 14, 2017, 04:48:43 PM
Funny dilemma just now - I was on my food tracking website, and had just finished entering what I've eaten so far today.  Then suddenly, it had an error message saying the site is temporarily down.  I exclaimed (to myself), "Now how am I going to figure out what to eat?!"

It's become pretty ingrained to check in at this point of the day and plan my dinner to fit in my total calorie allotment.  I guess that's a good sign.  Now to figure out what to eat.  Luckily, I'm pretty sure I had 600 calories left, so it should be easy to stay under my goal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on March 15, 2017, 08:03:45 AM
So my DH has the metabolism of a humming bird and I've realized one of the things that makes losing/maintaining difficult for me is making sure he's getting enough while I'm not getting too much. He goes through at least two bags of chips every week, usually a pint or two of Ben and Jerry's, and trail mix and energy bars out the wazoo- in addition to the three meals that I prepare for him each day.

I'm thinking about buying him a mini-fridge to keep at work so he can keep a lot of the the snack foods there. He's a professor so he has his own office - but is snacking on chips and guac at work totally unprofessional? I just want it out of my house. I work from home and his delicious food just sits and taunts me all day. But he eats all that food and maintains a very healthy weight with no effort - so he clearly needs the calories that he's eating.

Will have to do some thinking about this.

Also, I always get sad and jealous (and lose my will power) when he is devouring entire pints of Ice Cream in one sitting. So I bought myself a pint of Halo Top this week. I gave myself a couple of scoops while Hus had his Cherry Garcia last night and it was pretty darn good. I usually try not to eat "diet" foods - but man - the Halo Top was totally palatable (I had the salted caramel flavor)!

SquashingDebt - your post made me giggle.

Swick - thanks for the introduction to electro swing - that should help me get through the work day in a peppy mood :)



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on March 16, 2017, 02:51:45 PM
@StarBright -- I agree it is a challenge, if you have lots of snacks at home. It requires a lot of will power to stay away from those.

From my end, the weight is finally trending down.

Date          Weight
1/1/2017    130
2/28/2017  133.6
3/10/2017  132.2
3/16/2017  131.0

Being more aware of what I eat (plus logging) and stopping before getting fully stuffed seems to help. Have decreased my calorie intake to some extent (5-10%). For example, I used to add peanut butter, maple syrup, and nuts to my morning oatmeal. Now I just have it with fruit only. I still enjoy my breakfast and do not need the extra calories. Every little bit helps. Those oatmeal toppings were almost adding up to 200 calories.

Also been doing regular walk/jog/run about 5 times a week. Weekdays, I do about 2 miles and on weekends, up to 4 miles.

For weight related issues, consistency is the key. Hopefully I should at least aim to get to the starting weight at the beginning of the year. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on March 17, 2017, 05:37:18 AM
Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6

Snacks are my killer - If I can keep them in control (like I have for the last few weeks) Then my regular meals (which I haven't really changed from my usual) will keep me well within my maintenance calorie range.

My goal for this week is to investigate snacks that keep me full but aren't carb and calorically dense. Right now I'm relying heavily on apples with a tablespoon of peanut butter, and while that is great for now, I know I'll lose interest eventually.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on March 17, 2017, 06:01:08 AM
Nice going starbright! I rely heavily on hard boiled eggs and hummus with veggies for snacking. Salsa is a good one too. I find that the act of dipping makes me feel like I'm snacking but replacing the chips with cut up veggies keeps it low cal. Cauliflower is a favorite of mine because it goes with everything but celery, carrots, bell peppers are all good too.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on March 17, 2017, 07:44:31 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
3/17/17    239.8 (-2.4)
Total: 25.2

Solid progress this week! Not all of that loss this week is from body fat - I watched my salt intake closely this week, so I expect some of that is water weight loss from lower sodium.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on March 17, 2017, 07:48:38 AM
wintertell you are seeing some great progress! congrats!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 17, 2017, 08:24:59 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
3/17/17    239.8 (-2.4)
Total: 25.2

Solid progress this week! Not all of that loss this week is from body fat - I watched my salt intake closely this week, so I expect some of that is water weight loss from lower sodium.

Wow, wintertell! Go, you!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on March 17, 2017, 11:00:48 AM
Thanks y'all! I'm working on it! That was a big dip today, so it should be slower for the next week or so.

I was 255 at my wedding - gone
I was 245 right after grad school - hopefully gone
If I can get down to 235ish, I'll be back to the weight I was when I met my husband

Looking forward to hitting more milestones in the future, too. We'll see  : )
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on March 18, 2017, 08:28:27 AM
Down another 1.4 today for a total of 18.6 lost since January 14. I'll take it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 18, 2017, 08:34:57 AM
Down another 1.4 today for a total of 18.6 lost since January 14. I'll take it!

\o/
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on March 20, 2017, 09:52:15 AM
Congrats everyone!  Looks like people are making good progress!

Weigh-in:

2/20: 159.5
2/26: 158.5
3/4:   155
3/7:   154.5
3/12: 153.5
3/19: 153.5

No progress this week.  I know I did a little too much cheating recently.  It's time to buckle down again, I guess!  Also, I've been doing this for a month now, so I'm pretty excited I've stuck with it.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on March 20, 2017, 11:50:41 AM
Ive also finished a month, so it's a good start.  Historically I falter when the hot weather makes it hard to exercise, but the next two months of spring should be easy.

Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7

Onward and downward.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on March 24, 2017, 09:03:52 AM
Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2

I'll take a .4 pound loss - I'm hormonal this week so am thrilled to see the scale stay the same rather than go up.

Successful finds for snacks included avocado toast on sprouted 7 grain bread, a sweet potato/bean dip with carrots and Yoplait Greek Whips. I'm not thrilled with the extra chemicals in the yoplait but I miss having yogurt and have a much harder time finding basic cultured milk yogurt here than I did in NC.

I wish I like hard boiled eggs, as so many people swear by them but I just do not like eggs (though I make myself choke down a scrambled egg a few times a week because my whole family loves eggs for breakfast).

Hope everyone else had great weeks! looks like everyone was trending down last week - good going all.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 24, 2017, 09:06:17 AM
StarBright, do they have Siggi's skyr where you live? It's basically Icelandic yogurt. It comes in whole milk, 2% and 0% fat versions delicious and full of protein. I have a blueberry whole milk one every afternoon!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on March 24, 2017, 09:18:45 AM
My local grocery is supposed to start carrying Siggi's and Noosa soon but I haven't seen them yet.

I was so spoiled in NC and didn't even know it. I lived in a small town there but never had any problem getting local, organic, "whole" foods. Ohio seems to have a very different food culture.

For instance my grocery doesn't seem to carry much full fat yogurt at all! It all seems to be  mostly fat free (which feels very ten years ago).
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 24, 2017, 09:21:42 AM
My local grocery is supposed to start carrying Siggi's and Noosa soon but I haven't seen them yet.

I was so spoiled in NC and didn't even know it. I lived in a small town there but never had any problem getting local, organic, "whole" foods. Ohio seems to have a very different food culture.

For instance my grocery doesn't seem to carry much full fat yogurt at all! It all seems to be  mostly fat free (which feels very ten years ago).

Our Target carries Noosa - maybe check there?

I completely agree about the fat free yogurt. I switched from 0% to whole milk Siggi's and find it infinitely more satisfying and filling.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on March 25, 2017, 10:22:25 AM
Well, I lost 4.2 lbs this week, though I would recommend the method to anyone. (I was extremely ill this week and missed 3 days of work.) However, those 4.2 lbs helped me bypass two goals. I'm now down more than 10% of my starting weight and also more than 20 lbs since I started on January 14th.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 25, 2017, 10:27:15 AM
Well, I lost 4.2 lbs this week, though I would recommend the method to anyone. (I was extremely ill this week and missed 3 days of work.) However, those 4.2 lbs helped me bypass two goals. I'm now down more than 10% of my starting weight and also more than 20 lbs since I started on January 14th.

Poor Izybat! I hope you're feeling better now.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on March 25, 2017, 04:23:15 PM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
3/17/17    239.8 (-2.4)
3/25/16    242.6

Slid backwards this week - Less movement because my plantar fasciitis flared up really bad. Working on stretching the feet and will resume activity tomorrow. Onward and downward!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on March 27, 2017, 12:30:47 PM
Weigh-in:

2/20: 159.5
2/26: 158.5
3/4:   155
3/7:   154.5
3/12: 153.5
3/19: 153.5
3/26: 154
3/27: 152.5

Progress this morning after my weight has been up to 154 or 154.5 other days this week.  Yesterday I recorded the 154 result in MFP and then checked again this morning and I was at 152.5.  No idea what it means as I doubt I dropped 1.5 pounds overnight.  I've been discouraged all weekend at the higher numbers but feel better today as I'm hoping there's an overall trend downward?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 29, 2017, 08:36:40 PM
I've been quiet for a while - but glad to open the thread today and see some nice successes!

@begood Have u thought about making your own yogurt? I make mine in my Instant Pot and its pretty satisfying knowing I don't have to add any extra ingredients - just milk and a couple of spoonfuls of leftover yogurt (as a starter).

@QueenV That is likely the "whoosh" effect. Its very normal to hover around the same number for a week or two and then "whoosh", a big drop. You've lost a lot in only a month!

The last few months have been a struggle weight-wise. Frustrating that after starting serious weight loss in January...all I've managed to do is GAIN weight, adding on 3-5 more pounds! It's been one step forward, two steps back.

Something finally clicked about 1-2 weeks ago though and I've finally started losing consistently again. This morning, I clocked in at about what I started with in January. So back to having 10 pounds to lose.

It's not yet easy. Most nights I fight intense cravings and often think I will give in. Thankfully, more often than not, I have been able to not give in.

The one night I did have more than I should...didn't really end up affecting me. My theory now is that the body takes a while to adjust to what we do to it. So even though I believe in Calories In, Calories Out...it takes several days for the body to change direction. One bad day/meal has very minimal effect on things. And similarly, one good, low cal day does not mean a lower number the next morning. But if u stick to something, your body figures out what u are doing after a few days.

I wonder if I gained weight SO quickly in December and again these last couple of months is because I kept switching back and forth so drastically between low cal and high cal days with no consistent pattern? Even intermittent fasters have reasonably consistent patterns whereas I was just all over the map.

Anyway, that's just a pattern I think I am seeing after over a year of almost daily weigh-ins. Anyone else see the same patterns?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on March 30, 2017, 04:48:16 AM
elaine amj, I can definitely relate. The "pattern" I notice is that on weekends, I have less control over what's coming my way - whether that's a social plan with friends, or my husband or daughter want to go out to eat, or whatever. So my weekend days tend to be, on the whole, less predictable and higher calorie. I've about decided that's okay, because it doesn't seem to have affected my relatively steady progress. So perhaps my body is factoring in that unpredictability? *shrug*

For those nighttime cravings... can you have a little bit of whatever you crave earlier in the day? Then you can say to yourself, "Hey, you had that, remember?" I try to do that with chocolate, which affects my sleep if I have it late in the day.

I have not tried making yogurt! I have a CrockPot so maybe I will look up a recipe. Thanks for the tip!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: swick on March 30, 2017, 09:19:46 AM

The last few months have been a struggle weight-wise. Frustrating that after starting serious weight loss in January...all I've managed to do is GAIN weight, adding on 3-5 more pounds! It's been one step forward, two steps back.

Something finally clicked about 1-2 weeks ago though and I've finally started losing consistently again. This morning, I clocked in at about what I started with in January. So back to having 10 pounds to lose.

It's not yet easy. Most nights I fight intense cravings and often think I will give in. Thankfully, more often than not, I have been able to not give in.

...So even though I believe in Calories In, Calories Out...

Anyway, that's just a pattern I think I am seeing after over a year of almost daily weigh-ins. Anyone else see the same patterns?


elaine amj, I don't mean to pick on you, and really I don't have the right since I haven't been very active in the thread, although I have been following all of your journies and cheering you all on.  I figured out pretty early on in the thread that I had to do something very different and jump off the perpetual dieting cycle following the same old advice that kept me yo-yo-ing, fat and sick.

I use to believe all the same stuff, calories in, calories, out, it was just a matter of tracking, it is just a matter of having will power, calorie counting is the way to go etc.

I realize we all have different paths to the same goal and what is right for me might not be right for you, but it seems like you are struggling so much and as the bolded parts above, it doesn't seem like it is really working, and there are a lot of other people on this thread who seem to be bouncing up and down and having the same struggles.

I've basically been on one diet or another since I hit puberty. I've gained and lost hundreds of the same pounds over the years, I've been in a constant state of worry/thinking/feeling like crap/guilt spiral about what I put in my mouth. But You keep the same beliefs and doing what you always do, you will get the same results, over and over and over.

Calories in, calories out, I've come to realize, is a catchy, overly simplistic bullshit line that doesn't do anyone any good. It doesn't hold up to any of the recent science on nutrition, addiction, or HOW those calories are metabolized in the body. Food, medicine, everything, is broken down in our bodies the same ways. How they are broken down matters, how the energy is utilized or stored matters, what by-products are created from the different foods we eat matters.

Eating "Low-fat" and "low-calorie" anything that comes in a package is not going to help us. Eating sugar substitutes that still feed our psychological addiction for sweets and still mess with our biochemistry and saitey signals isn't really going to help us. Calorie counting and "cheat days" may help give us some surface control, but they aren't going to do anything long term about "why" we eat the things we eat.

With sugar being 10x as addictive as cocaine, do we think we have the will-power to have it and it is fine if it is in our calorie allowance? I use to think that way, but I was wrong and it leads to the same cycle of giving in, and feeling guilty and thinking I was a horrible person who had no will power. Rinse and repeat, and feel a little worse about myself every single time.

Dopamine release, tolerance, addiction, psychological cravings, physiological cravings, emotional humer...none of these are considered or addressed by a strict "calories in, calories out" mentality. "A calorie, is a calorie, is a calorie regardless of if it comes from steak or soda" That is the phrase that comes from the nutritionists lobbyists from the sugar/beverage industries. If they are recommending it, maybe we have to look twice.

Calorie reduction, tracking everything and the mental cycle that happens when you try and fail all can lead to some pretty unhealthy eating patterns that you can slip into without even realizing it. I have a friend who works in eating disorder recovery and she treats people who developed eating disorders mid-life and almost all of them were originally overweight, chronic dieters who slipped into unhealthy patterns after trying the usual and accepted weight loss methods - mainly calorie reduction, tracking, weighing everything etc.

Sorry, this became a long-winded rant. and I don't mean it to. I think seeing our patterns in a different light is important. All our beliefs need to be on the table for examination, especially if they might not be working for us. They might work for you and if so, awesome. All I know is I needed something different.
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on March 30, 2017, 09:21:20 PM
@swick i agree in many ways that there are a lot of underlying issues around weight and that there are so many issues around "why" etc etc.

Overall I like the whole foods movement and agree with cooking from scratch, eating nutritious food, avoiding added sugars, etc etc. I just can't get overly militant about it myself (don't worry - I do cook for a husband who is very against sugar and I put a lot of effort into cooking him meals with almost no sugar. Eg he flipped out tonight looking at the nutritional label for agave syrup! He makes it even more challenging since he has started restricting fruit too. Thank goodness sweet potatoes are still on his OK list)

Part of my issues is seeing so many food trends come and go. One day carrot juice is the most amazing cure all. Then the next guru says that it is bad for u. I find it too hard to dig through all the claims so I am pretty sceptical about everything (especially when I have to peel 10lbs of carrots a week for hubby's juices). My mom has tried just about every alternative weight loss trend out there and amazingly enough, still fervently believes in every single one.

At the core though, I have seen straight calories being the main thing to determine someone's weight. Whether they get there through Whole 30, Intermittent Fasting, juicing, high protein, low carb, high fat, etc etc.

Pure calorie counting worked amazingly well for me last year. My problem was succumbing to various emotional pulls and turning to food for comfort. And then letting that become habit again. Which comes back again to how right u are that I never really addressed "why" I eat. Food for thought (pun intended lol)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on April 02, 2017, 05:50:29 PM
Lost another 1.6 lbs last week for a total of 24.4 gone. Loving the progress!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on April 03, 2017, 07:19:44 AM
Lost another 1.6 lbs last week for a total of 24.4 gone. Loving the progress!

Yay, Izybat!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 03, 2017, 07:57:45 AM

Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4

A little late this week on the weight but still down even after the weekend so Hurray!

@Izybat, @runrooster, and @QueenV! Well done!

@elaine amj - Glad to see you back. Your DH's low sugar thing sounds exhausting - especially if you are the one preparing the foods. As I'm gently navigating with my DH around watching what I eat (but he has crazy caloric needs) I'm struck again by how our food intake really isn't just about us but also our families and the people we share a food environment with.

I know there are plenty of people (especially on the MFP boards) who espouse the idea that it is all on the individual losing weight and using their will power and we shouldn't inflict our food choices on family members who don't need to lose weight,etc. But that just seems insane to me (and also like a recipe for failure). I feel like working within our family food parameters is something that must be tackled for sanity's sake.


@swick - I agree with you generally and kept a whole foods diet for the last decade that kept me in the same 5 pound range with ease. However, an extra 7 pounds in whole foods this year also shows me that you can eat too much good food. I've always avoided CICO because I'm prone to be too controlling and nudge into disordered eating territory. BUT I'm currently doing CICO for the first time in about 15 years (in addition to eating whole foods) to get me back to a healthy BMI. We'll see how it goes.

@begood - I found Noosa at Target but didn't buy it because the sugar seemed really high. I'm going to keep looking for Sygii's or try making my own.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on April 03, 2017, 11:21:34 AM
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11

I'm counting calories but the easiest way to do that is to stick to a healthy diet.  I do include fruits and use normal sugar in my tea. I eat the same basic diet most days, with one day of pizza.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on April 04, 2017, 02:16:41 PM

First Tuesday of the month check in:

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8
March 7: 123.0
April 4: 123.0


Well. Here we are again. No loss, but no gain. But I haven't tracked (at all really), and I've eaten most of what I wanted, besides giving up alcohol for Lent. So I guess I'll just keep plugging away.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on April 07, 2017, 07:29:38 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/2017  235.8 (-6.4)

Total Loss: 29.2 lbs
Total Percent: 11.02%

I'm in the middle of a big drop the last couple of days. I've been eating well, but not anything different from previous weeks. Maybe less salt? Anyway, it's been a huge drop this week - We will have to see if it fluctuates back up any.

Feeling pretty proud of myself. I'm very close to getting into a 18/20. I've been in the 22/24 range for most of the past 5 years. It's amazing that I'm still in the same size after almost 30 lbs! I was right on the verge of having to bump up a size, though, when I started.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 07, 2017, 08:04:24 AM

Wintertell, Rockstache and Runrooster - YAY!!!


Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2

We are having a celebratory meal this weekend and I plan to embrace it: Roast chicken, lemon pasta, Caesar salad, champagne, derby pie - I will eat as much of it as I want!

Also- since losing has been far easier/quicker than I anticipated (using MFP I've lost the same amount in 1.5 months that it took me 6 months to lose last year) I'm thinking of taking a break and doing maintenance for a month or two when I get to 145. If I feel like trying to lose 5 pounds after that, I'll give it a shot but may also just be content at 145 (which has historically been my "happy since it takes little effort" weight). But all in all I'm hoping my body sort of "resets' itself at 145 and I don't want to mess it up by going below that to a number that is harder to maintain for me. Does that sound nuts?

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on April 07, 2017, 08:09:00 AM
Star right, that doesn't sound nuts at all! I'd like to settle at a healthy weight range that I can maintain without much effort but still allows for  the things that bring me joy. If that means Mexican food on occasion, then so be it. If 145 is your happy weight, then embrace it. Especially if you like the life you live at that weight - since that it was supports its maintenance anyway.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on April 07, 2017, 08:12:30 AM
Also, a weight that is attainable isn't always the same as a weight that is maintainable. And what you want to settle in and maintain, right? Try settling in for a couple of months and then see if there are things you want to do that you can't as a result of the weight you are maintaining. If yes, then sure, keep on losing 😁
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 07, 2017, 09:01:22 AM
Also, a weight that is attainable isn't always the same as a weight that is maintainable. And what you want to settle in and maintain, right? Try settling in for a couple of months and then see if there are things you want to do that you can't as a result of the weight you are maintaining. If yes, then sure, keep on losing 😁

exactly! I'd probably look a lot better at 135 - but it takes effort to maintain it. Whereas, at 145 I'm in the healthy BMI range, and i look fine (but not great) but it has historically taken little to no effort to maintain it. I want to reset at "NO EFFORT" :) I'm happy to be lazy and not look perfect, but to be healthy.

I think I'm also paranoid about getting to a "low" number and setting off a cycle of Yo Yoing - I've spent my life watching my mother hit low, but non-maintainable numbers and then spend the next two years going up and then down again. I'd rather stay higher than optimal, but not YoYo.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on April 07, 2017, 10:16:05 AM
A little slower, but still steadily going down, for my April nutritionist visit:

September 2016: 189
February 2017: 172
March 2017: 169
April 2017: 166

Goal weight: 157

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 07, 2017, 09:17:14 PM
@rockstache Look at it this way - u are maintaining your pre-holiday weight :)

@wintertell that's awesome that u are progressing so steadily! You are probably going through a "whoosh". Do u use any type of weigh trends? I use the trendweight app and it really helps to show the overall pattern.

@Starbright That's what I did last year - I got tired of dieting so I switched to maintenance thinking I could switch back to losing easily. That proved much much harder. If possible, do your best to keep the momentum going for another few pounds. That will give u a bit of a "safety" zone. That said, I would be thrilled to drop 10lbs and get back to the "reasonable " weight I was last year. Not skinny...but it worked.

I have been checking in only sporadically. Happy to report that weight loss has been going well for 2-3 weeks now, which is the first decent stretch since I started again in January! I am still being lazy about MFP but being rather strict about intake in general has helped and I am losing about a half pound a week, even with indulging a fair bit on weekends. Finally a wee bit less than my beginning of January weight (so annoyed that I gained instead of losing!).

And of course, I had to add a new setback. I messed up my shoulder swimming laps a couple of weeks back. Rotator cuff injury with a few weeks of therapy ahead. And man, it hurts! Plus I am babying it like crazy so it can heal ASAP. On the good side, I can still walk (although I just saw a podiatrist for plantar fasciitis and will get new orthotics in a few weeks) and I can still bike. No badminton AND no canoeing though (just when canoeing season is about to start).

I'm quite worried as I am competing in an adventure race (biking, hiking, canoeing) in late June. My physiotherapist said I should be better by mid May.

Every cloud has a silver lining though, right? My teens have been very concerned about my injury. My daughter helps me dress and even braided my hair this morning! (I had to grit my teeth through the pain and redo it lol) and my son mopped the whole house tonight. All in all, both have been super helpful so I can avoid using my shoulder as much as possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on April 09, 2017, 08:13:01 AM
All week I was expecting not to lose weight this week, since every time I stepped on the scale (which I do daily) It showed me staying the same. Randomly however, when I actually went to weigh in for real on Saturday, I lost a pound. I'll take it. 25.4 lbs total lost!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on April 09, 2017, 08:33:17 AM
All week I was expecting not to lose weight this week, since every time I stepped on the scale (which I do daily) It showed me staying the same. Randomly however, when I actually went to weigh in for real on Saturday, I lost a pound. I'll take it. 25.4 lbs total lost!

Yay, Izybat!

I weigh in once a month, at the nutritionist's office. I think of it like my investments: checking every day sets me on a mood roller coaster, so instead I just stick to the plan and check in monthly instead. ;)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on April 09, 2017, 05:44:18 PM
I think I'm one of the rare people whose weight doesn't tend to fluctuate all that much. Maybe a pound or two, but usually far less than that. Weighing in every day doesn't usually make me depressed, it just usually keeps me accountable. This why, if my weight is up, I can assess why I think that is and make adjustments if necessary.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on April 09, 2017, 07:13:20 PM
I'm like that too Izybat. And I don't get discouraged, I actually like to use it as a bit of a check. That way I can catch the weight gain (when it happens) before it gets too crazy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on April 09, 2017, 07:16:00 PM
I both my Fitbit and MyFitnessPal to look at the trends. I try to have the Avg Weight for the Week at least be less than the previous week! I also have a graph in my Google drive. Anyway, this was  a much larger whoosh than normal - I think because I was eating really well consistently.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 09, 2017, 08:59:16 PM
@izybat That's awesome!!! Congrats!!!

@wintertell Trendweight syncs with fitbit (and is the only reason I have a fitbit account) so it could be a much easier way for you to track trends. Even better, it generates a nice graph for u :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on April 10, 2017, 07:26:58 PM
Date          Weight
1/1/2017    130
2/28/2017  133.6
3/10/2017  132.2
3/16/2017  131.0
4/10/2017  135.6

Once again, travel gets to me. Been traveling for work these last three weeks. Zero formal exercise and lots of eating out. Heavy breakfasts, heavy lunches and even heavier dinners. Have walked a fair bit and that probably helped somewhat. Have to get back on the saddle again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 12, 2017, 09:38:10 AM
@rpr Traveling for work - especially for such a long period of time is definitely hard! I have such a hard time resisting the lure of free food. I think I NEED to learn the concept of "enough". One small slice of decadent cheesecake is indulgent, delicious, and enough. I don't need 3 to feel satisfied (so not there yet!).

I've been doing ok. I do need to reframe my attitude towards food though. Last year, I went with the mindset that as long as about 80% of my intake was nutritious, I was good with about 20% junk. Right now when I eat anything I classify as "junk", I'm triggered to raid every piece of "junk food" in sight, both at my office and at home. That's just not a healthy mindset so I'm going to work on that.

I am still not logging seriously on MFP, but have been somewhat ok about eating approximately 1200 calories a day. Not counting exercise (50 min roundtrip bike commute 3-5 days a week and 30-60 min walks 2-3 times a week) has helped with some of the extra eating on the weekends and the fudge factor with my eyeball estimates. If I stick with this, I know I will continue losing. Logging on MFP would help me be a lot more precise though so I'm trying to get the motivation to do it again.

I'm also spending more time on the MFP boards as I find that keeps me more "in the zone".
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on April 12, 2017, 03:16:49 PM
@ elaine amj -- Thanks. It is definitely hard. I see what you mean by the free food aspect. The room rate had breakfast included so I gorged on it. One butter croissant was not enough, I had a second croissant but this one was chocolate filled ;) Plus, lunch was covered as well. It is not surprising that I gained about 4 lbs in 3+ weeks. I must try harder to be more conscious about what I eat especially when traveling.

Junk food poses a challenge as well. At home it is easier as I avoid buying them completely. But at work it is a different matter as often there is stuff that is definitely not good.

Regarding, MFP, I find the logging part reasonably useful. This is the one definite way I know to be focused on what and how much I eat.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 13, 2017, 07:46:09 AM
Well, last night, in my quest to add junk food to my life, I ate a handful of Munchies snack mix. My DH was horrified and I told him why I was doing it. He's not a fan, but made no further comment. Afterwards, I was still full after dinner and contemplated taking out my frozen mangoes (my usual after dinner snack). Amazingly, I didn't feel any strong cravings for it (OR for anything else!) and I ended up skipping any further after-dinner snacks.

This morning, we had an Easter Egg Hunt at work. My boss is a hoot and sets up an Hunt for us in the office. He stays late the night before and covers the office with chocolate and treats, some scattered all over the floor and plenty scattered in various nooks and crannies - including an elusive golden bunny (the finder wins a $50 gift card!!). Anyway, I now have piles of chocolate to add to my office. I decided I would add a small chocolate bunny and a rice krispie square to my breakfast. BUT, I will eat my breakfast first (a banana and 1 homemade energy bite). I'm going to go over my calories a bit today but I spent half an hour bending and standing (VERY good workout - got me sweating!) to collect all this chocolate so I must have burned at least 1 bunny's worth of calories!

I'm really hoping this strategy will work - it's nice not to feel guilty about treats.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on April 13, 2017, 07:58:38 AM
Well, last night, in my quest to add junk food to my life, I ate a handful of Munchies snack mix. My DH was horrified and I told him why I was doing it. He's not a fan, but made no further comment. Afterwards, I was still full after dinner and contemplated taking out my frozen mangoes (my usual after dinner snack). Amazingly, I didn't feel any strong cravings for it (OR for anything else!) and I ended up skipping any further after-dinner snacks.

I'm really hoping this strategy will work - it's nice not to feel guilty about treats.

Sounds like the concept of "buffer foods" might work for you. Or maybe this is your buffer food?

A friend of mine purposefully builds in treats throughout the day, like Werther's Hard Candy, so that it replaces other junk food that would be a poorer choice. Then, it never feels like you are deprived and you can stay on plan. For me, it was Greek yogurt with the sweet toppings for a couple of months. For others, it is that Halo Top ice cream that has all of the protein in it so you stay full longer. Or individually wrapped chocolate?

The suggestions below are really healthy ones, but I have seen people do it with treats, in the example above. They normally reserve some calories just for this so they stay on plan long term.

https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-add-a-buffer-food-to-your-diet

http://vitals.lifehacker.com/buffer-foods-help-curb-cravings-and-keep-your-diet-on-1788415798?utm_content=buffer44d0c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on April 13, 2017, 08:52:30 AM
Well, last night, in my quest to add junk food to my life, I ate a handful of Munchies snack mix. My DH was horrified and I told him why I was doing it. He's not a fan, but made no further comment. Afterwards, I was still full after dinner and contemplated taking out my frozen mangoes (my usual after dinner snack). Amazingly, I didn't feel any strong cravings for it (OR for anything else!) and I ended up skipping any further after-dinner snacks.

I'm really hoping this strategy will work - it's nice not to feel guilty about treats.

Sounds like the concept of "buffer foods" might work for you. Or maybe this is your buffer food?

A friend of mine purposefully builds in treats throughout the day, like Werther's Hard Candy, so that it replaces other junk food that would be a poorer choice. Then, it never feels like you are deprived and you can stay on plan. For me, it was Greek yogurt with the sweet toppings for a couple of months. For others, it is that Halo Top ice cream that has all of the protein in it so you stay full longer. Or individually wrapped chocolate?

The suggestions below are really healthy ones, but I have seen people do it with treats, in the example above. They normally reserve some calories just for this so they stay on plan long term.

https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-add-a-buffer-food-to-your-diet

http://vitals.lifehacker.com/buffer-foods-help-curb-cravings-and-keep-your-diet-on-1788415798?utm_content=buffer44d0c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Thanks for those links, wintertell. I hadn't heard of the "buffer" concept before, but it makes sense and it's kind of what I've been doing without realizing it had a name. I have turned away from my biggest trigger foods - donuts and cake - with more ease than I expected because I have not limited dark chocolate (60% cocoa or more). But I'm trying to cut out even more sugar, and that's one place to do it, so this week, I replaced my Dove dark easter eggs (where eating one makes me want another, and another... and some days I get most of my fat from chocolate...) with Ghirardelli 100% cocoa unsweetened baking chocolate.

One 80 calorie section lasts me a whole afternoon because a wee bit goes a very long way. It has the texture and taste of chocolate but it's bitter. It has 0 grams of sugar, so I'm giving it a try this week. *shrug* I can always go back to Dove dark, but for now it's working.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 13, 2017, 10:11:04 AM
One 80 calorie section lasts me a whole afternoon because a wee bit goes a very long way. It has the texture and taste of chocolate but it's bitter. It has 0 grams of sugar, so I'm giving it a try this week. *shrug* I can always go back to Dove dark, but for now it's working.

That's awesome!

I've been doing substitutions - but sometime nothing but the junkiest junk food will do. And for some reason, trying to switch EVERYTHING to its nutritious counterpart was just triggering me to eat all.the.things. So we'll see how this 80% nutrition, 20% junk works for me.

I'm proud to report that after eating the chocolate I set aside (and logged) to eat this morning...I had not the least temptation to raid the giant basket of chocolates in my office! Normally, one piece of chocolate means 10 pieces. So far, so good. One day, I'd like to get the the point where a juicy, delicious orange gives the same satisfaction as the most forbidden of junky treats!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on April 13, 2017, 11:47:30 AM
I haven't logged in for awhile because I was out of town for a bit.

Weigh-in:

2/20: 159.5
2/26: 158.5
3/4:   155
3/7:   154.5
3/12: 153.5
3/19: 153.5
3/26: 154
3/27: 152.5
3/31: 150.5
4/3:   154.5
4/10: 152

I weighed myself right before and right after my trip and was definitely up after several days of mostly eating out.  Not too surprising.  I'm working on getting back down again!

rpr, like you I have a really hard time eating healthy while traveling.  It seems like everything at a restaurant has twice as many calories as the same item if I made it at home!  I'm not sure why that is, are restaurants frying everything in butter? 

I think this month is going to be a challenge as we have a lot of events coming up - Easter this weekend, a fancy gala thing for my husband's work the following weekend, and an overnight trip for my birthday the weekend after that.  I'm working on keeping my calories down during the week, but we've done some eating out in the last two weeks so it's time for me to be more disciplined again!  I'm finding that tracking with MFP really helps me avoid all the empty calories though!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 13, 2017, 12:05:07 PM

I think this month is going to be a challenge as we have a lot of events coming up - Easter this weekend, a fancy gala thing for my husband's work the following weekend, and an overnight trip for my birthday the weekend after that.  I'm working on keeping my calories down during the week, but we've done some eating out in the last two weeks so it's time for me to be more disciplined again!  I'm finding that tracking with MFP really helps me avoid all the empty calories though!

I think it helps to remember that these social things are a part of your life....and will be popping up regularly for the rest of your life. Coming up with a strategy that works for the rest of your life will help you live it and maintain.

I maintained easily for months last year. But then in November started "Trying to Diet". I gained 10 pounds in 2 months. I am starting to feel I sabotaged myself with all that diet thinking and restriction which lead to bingeing.

You CAN do this!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on April 13, 2017, 01:10:22 PM
@ QueenV -- The important thing is the long term trend which is good in your case. 

Indeed, in my situation it was literally true that the restaurants were either frying in butter and/or olive oil with huge dollops of cheese thrown in for good measure. Plus there was plenty of drinking as well, wine mostly.

Also I agree with elaine amj, that in the short term, there are things that will come up and we appear to be sabotaging ourselves. But have to get back on that horse again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on April 13, 2017, 02:47:13 PM
elaine amj and rpr, those are good points. I do keep thinking about that, that I have to find a way to make this sustainable. There will always be events and gatherings and special occasions and I wouldn't want to stop doing them!  I'm fine restricting treats for a small amount of time but I don't want to give them up for the rest of my life, you know? Plus my ultimate goal is to create new habits around food. I don't want to "diet" I want to develop a new way of eating. I think I'm on my way, I seem to have "reset" how many calories I need to feel full. And I've discovered that increasing fat and protein helps me feel full longer so I'm not feeling the need to snack as much.

Thanks for the encouragement!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 14, 2017, 07:45:14 AM

Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8

As y'all suggested would happen, using MFP my loss is definitely starting to trend towards less than a pound a week and that feels good and sustainable. The nice weather for the last week has also been infinitely helpful; we spent several hours in our community garden plot last weekend, went hiking, and I've taken several walks with the sunrise this week.

Ending my second winter in the mid-west (since childhood) I think I can definitely say that I have mild seasonal mood issues. I actually feel like an entirely different person this week in regards to energy, anxiety and general mood. so yay- Hello Spring!

Queen V- i used to travel a lot for work and my plan was/is always "Sushi, Salad, and Soup." Due to sodium and what not it is not perfect, but it certainly keeps crazy eating in check. It is also sort of a treat because restaurant salads are so much more creative than what i make myself at home. Social events are definitely harder, especially things with finger foods!

The whole buffer food idea is really interesting.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on April 15, 2017, 01:54:45 PM
I had a great weigh in today! I lost another 2.2 lbs for a total of 27.6. I'm very happy with my progress.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on April 17, 2017, 10:25:47 AM
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11

week7:-12
week8:-13

slowing down due to new job, but should settle down soon.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on April 18, 2017, 06:34:35 AM
This article was just what I needed today.  Thought others might be encouraged as well.  It's about attitudes, emotions and food.

https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/How-Stop-Food-Shaming-43178266
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 18, 2017, 12:00:32 PM
@starbright That's so great that MFP is helping!!! Easy and sustainable is perfect!

I ate quite a bit over the weekend but balanced it with lots of walking and lighter meals and my weight held steady.

I'm pretty excited - I checked my trendweight, and I'm trending at about 2.6 lb loss over the past month! It is SO good to finally see my weight trending DOWNward. It's very slow (only about a half pound a week) because I have not been logging strictly. I'm hoping to start logging more strictly soon. For now, this feels pretty good and I'm going to work with it. That said, I will need to pick up the pace a bit because I REALLY want to hit my goal before my big vacation in August.

I logged today (but didn't weigh my food) so that's a start. In the spirit of my goal to include empty calories into my plans, I had two shortbread cookies after lunch, which were delicious. Then I went for a walk. Unfortunately, now I am craving something again. Haven't quite decided what to do - just popped a mint. Since I've already had my empty calorie treat of the day, I think I will resist this craving and stick to my plans.

I am very undecided on whether to include my exercise calories. I think I'll include my lunch walk but not my commute-by-bike calories. When I get to the point where I am logging strictly, I'll log all my exercise calories too. For now, it gives me some leeway since I am mostly guesstimating my calorie intake.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: QueenV on April 19, 2017, 09:13:15 AM
Starbright, Izybat, Runrooster, and elaine amj, sounds like you are all making great progress! 

Weigh-in:

2/20: 159.5
2/26: 158.5
3/4:   155
3/7:   154.5
3/12: 153.5
3/19: 153.5
3/26: 154
3/27: 152.5
3/31: 150.5
4/3:   154.5
4/10: 152
4/15: 151.5

Things are moving in the right direction so overall I'm happy with my progress.  And I finally got my treadmill moved into my house!  I don't love walking on it compared to walking outside - 10 min on the treadmill kind of feels like torture, 10 min or even more outside feels like no big deal.  BUT there are enough days where I just can't get outside because the weather's nasty or I just got too busy, so this is a nice backup plan.  Spring is finally here (mostly) and that makes it easier to just get outside.  I went on a long walk with my son yesterday and it's been SOOO long since we were able to do that because the weather's been so bad this winter.  He loves being outside, so getting some extra exercise in should get easier as the weather gets nicer.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 19, 2017, 09:16:04 AM
My weight dropped another wee bit this morning. AND for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long, my weight is finally trending under 140 lbs!! I have to say, I had a bit of a battle last night as I really wanted a snack after dinner. But kept seeing that red number in MFP (I was over by a few cals) and managed to resist. I even went to bed early! I was planning to sleep at 11pm...and eventually went to sleep at 11:30pm. Which is still awesome since I typically hang out on various forums until 12:30-1:30am...which has not been good for my body. I'm going to keep up with aiming to go to sleep about 11pm, which is a much more reasonable time. Plus, weight loss IS easier on better sleep :)

I'm hungry again and it's about 30 mins until lunchtime. Fighting the snack temptation now so came on here to post (it helps boost my willpower!). After lunch, I'm going to have 2 delicious shortbread cookies as my junk food treat of the day!

I also have another victory to report. The weather is looking dicey today and I have a physio appointment right when it is forecast to rain. DH tried to convince me to drive to work. But I was reluctant to "waste" waking up early. So I packed a change of clothes and rode my bike to work. REALLY hoping it doesn't rain when I go for my physio - it's a 10 min bike ride. I have visions of coming back to the office soaked completely through lol! Tonight, my bff and I have plans to go for a long walk. Again, really hoping the rain doesn't mess things up!

I actually kind of shocked myself - we talked about rain being an issue and I told her if necessary, we'll go mall walking. If we want to form habits, consistency is going to be key.  No, it doesn't make much of a difference to skip a day here or there. But it feels GREAT to persevere through the challenges
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on April 19, 2017, 09:17:57 AM
Starbright, Izybat, Runrooster, and elaine amj, sounds like you are all making great progress! 

Weigh-in:

2/20: 159.5
2/26: 158.5
3/4:   155
3/7:   154.5
3/12: 153.5
3/19: 153.5
3/26: 154
3/27: 152.5
3/31: 150.5
4/3:   154.5
4/10: 152
4/15: 151.5

Things are moving in the right direction so overall I'm happy with my progress.  And I finally got my treadmill moved into my house!  I don't love walking on it compared to walking outside - 10 min on the treadmill kind of feels like torture, 10 min or even more outside feels like no big deal.  BUT there are enough days where I just can't get outside because the weather's nasty or I just got too busy, so this is a nice backup plan.  Spring is finally here (mostly) and that makes it easier to just get outside.  I went on a long walk with my son yesterday and it's been SOOO long since we were able to do that because the weather's been so bad this winter.  He loves being outside, so getting some extra exercise in should get easier as the weather gets nicer.

@QueenV Your progress has been amazing! AND what's better...very consistent for 2 straight months! Keep enjoying the victories - your hard work is definitely paying off!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on April 19, 2017, 09:56:39 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8 (-3)
Total Loss: 32.2 lbs
Total Percent: 12.15%

Food
I've been eating a diet focused on decreasing insulin resistance/increasing insulin sensitivity. It has really been helping.

This involves:  5-6 meals a day. Limiting processed carbs. Building healthy fats. Limiting hydrogenated or trans fats. Making sure every meal has protein, fat and carbs.

Exercise
I also have been doing exercise that is focused on the same thing. This involves: starting resistance training and flirting with HIIT. Flirting with HIIT so far involves 1 10 min session on the stationary bike with an interval app on my phone.

I also am doing this routine for resistance training - I did 1 set the first time and 2 the second time. Working on it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvhHhDNjtxM&list=PLvoXP_hU3AqUDbqZmkHvnDH-BouToFllq&index=2

I also have done some yoga -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBu-pQG6sTY&index=2&list=PLui6Eyny-UzwxbWCWDbTzEwsZnnROBTIL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnHTeHAZQhM

I also have been doing cool downs/warm ups/stretching off of YouTube -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XewzQ9MRDh8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3rJ5AzoQzk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsGgI0ThLG8&t=101s
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 21, 2017, 10:15:50 AM
Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2

@wintertell - I msut have missed when you passed the 10% mark - well done!!!! I feel like I've read the first 10% is the most important health-wise.

Go @QueenV!

@elaine amj - I think the "red number" in the MFP food diary is the no. 1 thing that is helping me right now. I'm actually still craving my stress snacks but I dial them into MFP and I see how they are the single thing that throws off my entire day and then I choose something that comes in at a lower calorie point. This happens almost every single day.

@pmg - thanks for sharing that article - I needed it too!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on April 28, 2017, 09:42:20 AM

Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2
April 28: 147.2

Also - I measured myself this week (since I'm at the two month mark) - Have lost two inches from hips and waist and a half inch from my neck (I didn't even know the neck was something to measure - but since MFP asked for the data I did it :)).

I actually was down a bit more Tuesday- Thursday but I ate the most delicious sandwich yesterday and know that I'm up a half pound today due to retaining water from the sodium. Whatever! It was worth it because I had a sandwich and a beer and it was SO GOOD!

Hope everyone had a nice week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on April 28, 2017, 05:03:07 PM
Here's my update:

Date          Weight
1/1/2017    130
2/28/2017  133.6
3/10/2017  132.2
3/16/2017  131.0
4/10/2017  135.6
4/28/2017  132.8

At least trending in the right direction ;) Been watching what I eat, no logging. Also resumed daily exercise ritual of running/walking 2+ miles in the morning, first thing after drinking my cup of tea. My interim goal is to at least get it consistently below my weight at the beginning of this year. I know I can do it.

It's been a couple weeks and its good to see these updates from everyone.

Starbright -- I agree that measurements are a better indicator. While I have gained weight since my lowest weight from a few months ago, my clothes still seem to fit almost the same as back then.

Wintertell -- great job hitting the 10%+ drop in weight. That is a good milestone.

elaine amj -- I'm slowly making a switch to no screen devices in the evening about an hour before scheduled bedtime. That includes internet-TV and even my beloved kindle. Switching to reading paper books. That seems to put me to sleep better.

QueenV -- a pound a week is darn good progress!

PMG -- Thanks for the link to that interesting article. It's all about our attitude to these things.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on April 29, 2017, 05:23:43 PM
Lost 0.6 lbs this week, which I'll happily take as when I jumped on my scale this morning (as opposed to the Weight Watchers one), it looked like I was going to stay the same.  Down 30.8 overall, and happy about it!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Suzanne on April 30, 2017, 06:43:22 AM
While searching online I have found that dieters lose weight more quickly at the beginning of their diets.  Even when they stick to their diets, the rate of weight loss slows down over time. So I want you to check for your weight loss program so that you lose weight which is healthy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 01, 2017, 08:37:56 AM
@Izybat That's some fabulous progress! Congrats on passing 30 lbs!!

@rpr Haven't been ablt to wean myself off my phone at night - but been mostly consistently sleeping by 11pm -12am for a whole week or more now and that is a huge step forward for me (other than last night when it was closer to 1:15am).

Was thrilled when I stepped on the scale this morning! 137 lbs - finally it seems like I am making some progress. All of last week was rough with the scale stuck at 139/140 despite my sticking to the program. I was getting quite disgruntled by the weekend (even when I knew better). Then finally this morning, I got my whoosh!

Of course, this is accompanied by feeling like I am starving. I had my usual breakfast and I am still so hungry. So had a buttery shortbread cookie. So far I have managed to stop myself there and WILL stick with my plans for the rest of the day. On the good side, I have managed to really ingrain my biking commute habit. This morning, I woke up to rain in the forecast. I packed a change of clothes and hopped on my bike anyway (without even much of an internal debate!). Thankfully, the rain held off. Hopefully it will stay away when I bike to my physio appointment (only 10 mins bike ride) at 1:30 today.

Overall, weight loss is slower because I am not logging. Despite trying for months, have not been able to work up the motivation to log. I really do need to though if I want to hit my goal weight by August. I am losing - but only 0.3 - 0.5 lbs a week with my current method. It's so silly - I know logging works. I know it's not that hard. I know all the strategies to make it easier. And yet, I still don't do it. Ugh.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: SquashingDebt on May 02, 2017, 04:40:46 AM
Anyone have a recommendation for a good scale? 

What I don't like about my current one:  I have to step on it to zero it each time I use it, and it seems to give me fairly inaccurate readings.  I can step on it three times in a minute and get weights that are more than a pound different from each other.  It also sometimes will give me exactly the same reading for days in a row.  I can believe that I haven't lost much weight, but it seems unlikely that I'm exactly the same for that many days straight.

I learned while doing some quick Amazon browsing that some scales, if you're within .6 lb of your last reading, will just display that previous reading.  I'm sure you all can understand why that would be frustrating when doing daily weight tracking (and is quite possibly part of the problem with my current scale).

Doesn't need to look fancy or do any fancy things like connect to a Fitbit.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 02, 2017, 07:29:54 AM

First Tuesday of the month check in:

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8
March 7: 123.0
April 4: 123.0
May 2: 122.6

I'm pretty happy. This is a decent weight for my size, and I'll probably try to stay here. I do still do my check-ins though because it is still hard to maintain. Last month I saw as high as 127 on my scale, but knowing that I need to come here at the beginning of the month keeps me honest. :)

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on May 02, 2017, 07:39:15 AM
SO! I know I'm REALLY late to this party (over a year!!) ha. But, I really like the community on this thread better than on the one for 2017, so if you all don't mind I would love to join you. You guys are all making fabulous progress, it's seriously inspiring!

I am 29, mama to 3 kiddos (5,3 and 6 months) and my weight has slowly been creeping up since I got married in 2010.  About 2 weeks ago, I started a whole food diet. No processed foods, no added sugar (except trace amounts) and no bread. Before I started my diet was pretty bad. I have a serious sweet tooth and I love my bread.  I'm being pretty strict with this diet, but to be honest after the first 3 days my cravings have seriously subsided, so hopefully it can stick.

 My goal weight is 140 lbs with a stretch goal of 135, starting 2 weeks ago (Monday after Easter), I was at 165. I am 5'6''

Weigh ins:
4/17: 165 lbs
4/24: 158 lbs
5/1: 156 lbs

I plan on weighing in weekly and posting my progress!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 02, 2017, 10:08:40 AM
@SquashingDebt Unfortunately, I don't know. My guess is pretty much anything you buy should work just fine. I got mine from a yard sale like a good Mustachian. I was a bit frustrated with mine too - then one day, I put my dumbbells on it. Turns out my scale is scarily accurate - I'm just not so good at standing still on it! Mine varies by about a half pound every time I stand on it. So I weigh myself about 3-5 times in a row until I get two matching numbers.

@rockstache That is SO awesome!! And you've maintained this for the past few months too. You have done phenomenally well over the past year. Very inspiring.

@Crystal1588 WELCOME! I love this group and I really credit it for helping me a ton last year. It makes a big difference to have a place to come to and be honest. Even when you are dying to have another cookie. Sometimes, just typing it all out here gives me the strength to say no.

As for me, I was thrilled to see another half pound drop this morning. After an entire week of frustration with the scale not budging (or going up!) its nice to see confirmation that my whoosh finally happened. Now it's a matter of sticking to the program. Yesterday, after all my excitement, I craved sweets like no tomorrow and ate some of the chocolate and the last of my shortbread cookies from Easter. Thankfully, I had a very active day and was able to restrain my eating otherwise. When I did some rough math of my calories, I was only about a 100 cals or so over my 1200 cals a day. So no big deal, especially with all the activity I did.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: 10dollarsatatime on May 02, 2017, 11:15:34 AM
It's been a while since I posted last, but wanted to update!  I started this year at 177.  I started the whole30 in an attempt to reign in fibro symptoms (which worked once I went to the AIP).  I'm now weighing in at around 164!  I'm doing reintro now, but the packing all the food habit will carry on, which means I'll continue to eat healthy meals at work.  I've also started running again (had to back off due to a hip injury last fall), and have a half marathon in about 6 weeks. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 02, 2017, 01:00:01 PM
@10dollars That is amazing!!! Congratulations! (and thanks for updating the rest of us). Sticking with the "pack food to work" habit is awesome for the wallet AND the waistline so kudos on a double whammy :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 03, 2017, 03:03:37 PM

I learned while doing some quick Amazon browsing that some scales, if you're within .6 lb of your last reading, will just display that previous reading. 


Whoaa- I didn't know that but it explains so much! I'll weigh the same for days upon days and all of the sudden lose or gain a pound. Thanks for sharing this.

@elaine amj - so glad you had a good week. You are such an awesome support for everyone in this group that I feel sad when you aren't happy with your weigh ins!

@10dollarsatatime - congrats! and thanks for the update.

@Crystal1588 - welcome! Our stats our very similar, I'm 5' 5.5" (that is an important half inch for BMI :)) and also have a stretch goal of 135. I have little ones the same age too (well, a 3 and a 5 - I can't fathom anymore children, so good for you!).

@Rockstache - you continue to inspire. I love that you are still checking in here for maintenance.

@izybat and @rpr - well done y'all!


I'm basically just checking in midweek because I am STARVING and I'm trying to stop myself from eating anything else or I won't have any calories left for dinner. I'm in a plateau and I'm hungry and typing keeps me from eating :)

Hope everyone is having a good week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on May 03, 2017, 04:24:23 PM
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13


week9:-14
week10: -15

slow but sure.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on May 03, 2017, 04:52:37 PM

I learned while doing some quick Amazon browsing that some scales, if you're within .6 lb of your last reading, will just display that previous reading. 


Whoaa- I didn't know that but it explains so much! I'll weigh the same for days upon days and all of the sudden lose or gain a pound. Thanks for sharing this.

This information was new to me as well! So I'm trying to trick the scale with alternating by lifting something else (greater than 1 lb) when I step on it. However, the scale I have seems to register this difference quite well. The scale I'm using is the cheap generic digital scale from CVS.

http://www.cvs.com/shop/home-health-care/monitors/scales/cvs-digital-body-scale-prodid-864739?skuId=864739 (http://www.cvs.com/shop/home-health-care/monitors/scales/cvs-digital-body-scale-prodid-864739?skuId=864739)

It is quite inexpensive. I bought it locally but it is listed at $10.99 online. Happy with it so far.

Quote

I'm basically just checking in midweek because I am STARVING and I'm trying to stop myself from eating anything else or I won't have any calories left for dinner. I'm in a plateau and I'm hungry and typing keeps me from eating :)

Hope everyone is having a good week!

These plateaus are the hardest. Our body has gotten used to this equilibrium. Need to do something to shake it out of it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 04, 2017, 07:38:42 AM

I'm basically just checking in midweek because I am STARVING and I'm trying to stop myself from eating anything else or I won't have any calories left for dinner. I'm in a plateau and I'm hungry and typing keeps me from eating :)


Ugh - those are the worst! That was me last week. I don't know how but I managed to mostly stick with the plan. I just kept screaming in my head "STICK WITH THE PLAN!!" and finally this week it has paid off. Yet another 0.5 lb drop this morning :) It's nice to be excited to look at the scale again.

And yet - I am still adjusting to my current eating plan and have been battling hunger. I've been eating enough and been eating enough of the right kind of meals so I have no real reason to be hungry. I'm chalking it up to still getting used to eating less - which I know from experience takes about 2-3 weeks. I have found that drinking a cup of herbal tea helps. Or just plain drinking water. A lot of times, I'm thirsty and my body is interpreting it as hunger.

The sleep has been going reasonably well too. It's great that I've been falling asleep before midnight the vast majority of the time now. I know my body is thanking me for this. An 11pm bedtime would be better though since I wake up around 7ish. I have managed 11pm a few times so I count that as a success.

It's just a bit tough because late night is "me" time. My DH & kids go to bed about 10pm and anytime after this is my time to chill in complete peace and surf on my favorite forums. I do get time to do that earlier in the evenings, but rarely in complete peace as my family likes to follow me around. I had always thought that teenagers keep to themselves but my teens tend to gravitate to whatever room of the house I'm in. And so does my DH. It's a nice compliment - but does drive me batty sometimes when I just want to be completely by myself. Every once in a while, I ban them all from my room, shut the door, switch off the lights, and claim some "me time".
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on May 04, 2017, 01:53:17 PM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (2.8)
Total Loss: 35 lbs
Total Percent: 13.2%

Another drop today! I expect it to go up a bit since it was bigger drop, but hopefully down towards the 220s soon!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on May 04, 2017, 02:00:06 PM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (2.8)
Total Loss: 35 lbs
Total Percent: 13.2%

Another drop today! I expect it to go up a bit since it was bigger drop, but hopefully down towards the 220s soon!

Wow, wintertell, that's great! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on May 04, 2017, 02:08:30 PM
Thanks begood! As well as to the folks on here who give great encouragement further up in the previous threads : )
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 04, 2017, 02:34:54 PM
Yay @wintertell!!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on May 04, 2017, 02:50:15 PM
wintertell -- That is awesome.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on May 04, 2017, 02:55:21 PM

It's just a bit tough because late night is "me" time.


Now I understand your motivation for staying up late since I don't have kids. Usually I'm done with all chores well before 8pm. Often in bed by 9pm and  asleep soon thereafter. But I wake up around 5am most days. But for me there is a somewhat of a loose correlation between staying up late and screen watching (TV/computer/phone). So switching back to paper books at night instead of my beloved kindle.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 04, 2017, 10:17:29 PM
Other than losing sleep, the big prob with staying up late is midnight snacking. At 11pm, I was hit by an intense craving for something...and most things I could think of were not hitting the spot.

So I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen to look around. Managed to muster the strength to walk out again only to turn around and walk back in. The only thing I wanted was a couple of packages of instant noodles. I negotiated with myself and packed it for lunch tomorrow. Walked out of the kitchen...made it a few more steps and then back in again. Filled a pot with water. Talked myself out of it and poured the water out. Immediately refilled the pot and put it on the stove. Then considered all the add-ons that I had to have (1 egg and some shredded chicken) and poured the water back out again and hightailed it to bed.

Yes, I am really that crazy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: begood on May 05, 2017, 08:42:16 AM
September 2016: 189
October 2016: 184
November 2016: 181
December 2016: 177
January 2017: 176
February 2017: 172
March 2017: 169
April 2017: 166
May 2017: 162

Goal weight: 157

Weighed in at the nutritionist's office today. Four more pounds! Five to go to reach my original goal. I hope to get to my goal by the time we leave for vacation June 23. That would basically require maintaining a "pound a week" plan. We'll see - end of school is chock a block with dinners out, receptions, parties, and desserts.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 05, 2017, 09:14:13 AM
Wow - it has been a while since I have had the desire to post a weigh-in. Good thing I track manually on my fitbit account so I can still post my history.

Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs...May 5: 136.6 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 3 lbs
Goal weight: 125 lbs

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 08, 2017, 07:55:49 AM
A little late and I didn't weigh myself last Friday - but . . . . .I had my first Woosh!!!!

Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2
April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143.8


I fully expect to bounce up a bit by the end of this week but I've weighed in at 143.8 for three days in a row so I count it as real.

I also didn't track food much last week, so it is nice to know that if I go a few days without tracking that I won't go insane and over indulge.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on May 08, 2017, 10:46:31 AM
SO! I know I'm REALLY late to this party (over a year!!) ha. But, I really like the community on this thread better than on the one for 2017, so if you all don't mind I would love to join you. You guys are all making fabulous progress, it's seriously inspiring!

I am 29, mama to 3 kiddos (5,3 and 6 months) and my weight has slowly been creeping up since I got married in 2010.  About 2 weeks ago, I started a whole food diet. No processed foods, no added sugar (except trace amounts) and no bread. Before I started my diet was pretty bad. I have a serious sweet tooth and I love my bread.  I'm being pretty strict with this diet, but to be honest after the first 3 days my cravings have seriously subsided, so hopefully it can stick.

 My goal weight is 140 lbs with a stretch goal of 135, starting 2 weeks ago (Monday after Easter), I was at 165. I am 5'6''

Weigh ins:
4/17: 165 lbs
4/24: 158 lbs
5/1: 156 lbs

I plan on weighing in weekly and posting my progress!

Happy Monday! Time for a weekly weigh in!
5/8: 152 lbs

Seems to be dropping off pretty quickly, but I made some huge changes to my eating so i'm glad it's paying off.
Hope everyone has a great week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 08, 2017, 06:07:51 PM
@Starbright Yayyyyyy!!! It always feels sooo good when u hit a whoosh!!

@Crystal Looks like u are off to a good start!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on May 08, 2017, 06:38:12 PM
StarBright, Crystal1588, and elaine amj -- looks like all of you made wonderful progress these past weeks. Nothing to sneeze at.

This morning, I was similar to my weight from 10 days ago. So holding steady. But there is still ways to go and I know I can do it.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 09, 2017, 09:18:09 AM
@rpr Yes we CAN!

I'm a little frustrated (again!) this week as I'm back up a whole pound again. I know I haven't eaten that much and just have to be patient for my body to do its thing. Just annoying to see the scale go up when I expect it to go down. Also feels a little de-motivating :( Oh well - I'm going to stand strong and STICK TO THE PLAN.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on May 10, 2017, 06:59:48 AM
Well, I believe it's been ages since the last time I posted in this thread, but I had a great moment yesterday, so I thought I'd share.

For lent, I went off all wheat products, processed sugar, and generally additives that make food seem fake. It's not anything scientifically rigorous, and I cheat over the borders (sometimes a thing just needs a bit of honey or maple syrup!) in small amounts, but it's been working for me. My eating is hilariously 'clean' compared to a couple months ago.

Anyway, I hopped on the scale yesterday with a 20lb. sack of oats (used to be 25) to see how much I'd eaten of it, and I realized that, with the oats in my arms, I matched my earlier weight. So I handed over the bag to my wife and said "this is what I was carrying around 2 months ago."

So:
February 28: 256.5
May 9:          236.4

And with that, I'm down to my lowest in three years. Hopefully I'll keep on this trajectory, at least to 220. I think I'd be happiest at about 200, but at some points I've looked sickly thin weighing only that much. So, we'll see!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on May 10, 2017, 10:28:09 AM
yuka -- welcome back! and that drop is fantastic.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 10, 2017, 10:40:07 AM
Still following this thread. 
Congratulation Yuka and everyone else.

I have started getting on the scale in the morning and am getting myself around to tracking again.  I still feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of change I am trying to implement in my life so I think actually making a concrete effort to re-loose the 9 pounds I lost last spring isn't going to happen just yet. 

I think my path to success will be through exercise as well as diet.  I really hurt my shoulder somehow in January and it still hurts at night.  In March I sprained my ankle and that injury is still healing. By 8pm I can not walk down the stairs without pain.  I have so many trips up and down in the day and by 8 they are used up. So my plan is to try out My Fitness Pal, keeping hanging out here and work on getting healed up so I can enjoy day to day activities.  I am really focused on finances at the moment and just feeling overwhelmed at times.  Which leads me to the chocolate or chips.

Small success - I resisted the urge to have a coke on the weekend about four times.  There are no gummies or chocolate covered almonds in the house.  Unfortunately there is ice cream but I kept the serving size very small. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 10, 2017, 07:40:47 PM
@yuka That's amazing!!! Congratulations - it must have felt soooo good.

@Frugal Lizard With so much on your plate, maybe u shouldn't focus too much on weight loss for now. It does take some head space and its a funny thing. When it works, its relatively easy. But when you're not mentally ready, its endlessly frustrating. I have found that it helps when I feel good about myself.

About your shoulder, maybe its time to seek help? When I got tennis elbow a couple of years back, I waited 5 months to finally get help (it was pretty bad by then). It's been almost 2 years and finally I feel like I have mostly recovered. More recently, I damaged my rotator cuff. When it didn't recover after a week, I went straight to my physio. Now almost 2 months later, I've started using my shoulder again (went paddling today!) and I am on my way to recovery much faster than before. Moral of my story: get help sooner. I am terrible about going for medical help and always put it off so it is something I have to nag myself about.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 11, 2017, 02:45:10 PM
I found out why my weight was going up this week instead of down. Turns out its that time of the month *sigh*. On the good side, another whoosh this morning and I'm down to my low of last week.

I KNOW I need to stop worrying about my daily weight and my trendweight really does reassure me - but I've really been letting the daily ups and downs get to me more than I should. I'm just being impatient. I'm happy again now that things have moved back into the downward swing.

On the physical activity side, I've moved into more serious training for my big adventure race in June. Focusing on fitting at least 1hr of activity a day - I've been managing 1.5 hours when I can. My Physio cleared me to try paddling again so I hopped into a kayak last night, battling some crazy choppy waves for a short 20 min session. Worked out well and my shoulder feels great :) I'm back in the water next week. Also been working on both hiking and cycling which has been good. I need to add more hours and more distance to build up my endurance. This weekend, I plan to go hiking/cycling for at least 2 hours, preferably closer to 3 hours. The combo will be good for me as my race requires us to switch between hiking, canoeing, and cycling for about 7-8 hours.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 12, 2017, 12:41:45 PM
For once, I am excited to post a Friday weigh in :)

Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 4.6 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

WOOT!!! I was super excited to hit 135 lbs this morning!!! Considering I was clocking in at 137ish from Sunday to Wednesday (up from 136 the week before), it was fabulous to finally get the whoosh I was not-so-patiently waiting for.

Overall, my strategy has been to eat with about 1200 calories a day using guesstimates and keeping a running total in my head (I'm still not logging in MFP regularly). I haven't counted any of my cardio. Since I have been doing about 1.5-2 hours of cardio a day (50 min roundtrip bike commute + 30-90 min daily walks/bike rides), this has given me a good buffer and covers the extra cals when I eat socially about 3-4 times a week...I eat pretty freely during those meals. I do tend to skip meals or eat very tiny portions (i.e. go hungry) on days I know there is a big meal coming up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 13, 2017, 07:10:23 AM

Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2
April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143.8
May 13: 145

I was on a business trip this week with food provided the whole time. It was a smorgasboard of all fried food and carbs, including a rather insane cheesesteak sandwich that was also covered in french fries which was offered at every meal. My rule was to eat a quarter of what I was served. I did the best I could and I fully expected an uptick after big woosh last saturday.

In other news- my DH doesn't want me to lose weight because I can't eat food with him. He loves to eat huge breakfasts in particular and since I am not particularly starving in the mornings I've been having a single scrambled egg and some fruit. I really would like to lose five more pounds but that means being really careful with what I eat, basically all of the time. My DH is well over six feet tall and has the metabolism of a hummingbird. He probably eats 3500 calories a day to my 1400-1500. I'll have to see if I can rearrange my eating schedule a bit more to accommodate him maybe.


@elaine amj - I'm pretty in awe of how much physical activity you get. That is awesome.

@Frugal Lizard - I think focusing on one thing at a time can be a great idea when you are overwhelmed. I'm actually chilling out on our finances a bit while I focus on health because trying to do both (including living regular life) sends me into panic mode. Maintaining where you are, and fighting the urge to have cokes and gummies, is great!

@Crystal1588, @Yuka and @rpr- well done all!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on May 13, 2017, 08:31:07 PM
So, I've been on vacation for the last week (Disney and Universal), and while I tried to do well at the meals I could (mainly breakfast and lunch), dinners seemed almost like a free-for-all. I'm fully expecting a pretty decent gain this week, despite having run twice while on vacation and walking 5-7 miles every day I didn't run (those parks are enormous!). Tomorrow morning will be the moment of truth with the scale.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 13, 2017, 09:49:52 PM
@izybat I bet it won't be that much. I did Disney and Universal last March and ate a ridiculous amount of food. I put on maybe 2 pounds, which fell off quickly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on May 14, 2017, 03:58:42 PM
@izybat I bet it won't be that much. I did Disney and Universal last March and ate a ridiculous amount of food. I put on maybe 2 pounds, which fell off quickly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, you hit the nail on the head. I gained exactly 2 lbs. Not bad overall. Now it's just a matter of getting back on track.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on May 15, 2017, 01:13:25 AM
@izybat I bet it won't be that much. I did Disney and Universal last March and ate a ridiculous amount of food. I put on maybe 2 pounds, which fell off quickly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, you hit the nail on the head. I gained exactly 2 lbs. Not bad overall. Now it's just a matter of getting back on track.
Plus 2 lbs could just be water weight. In my case after a three week trip, the scale showed a 5 lb increase. Its been a month since I got back and have lost about 2 of those. Another three more to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 15, 2017, 12:44:27 PM
Well, you hit the nail on the head. I gained exactly 2 lbs. Not bad overall. Now it's just a matter of getting back on track.

Haha - I sure was exact :) It should fall off quickly if you get back to your regular (losing weight) habits.

I did pretty good over the Mother's Day weekend.

- On Saturday morning, we went out with my MIL - I didn't eat that much, but certainly more than normal. I skipped bfast to help with this.
- Saturday night was a homecooked, low cal meal...followed by 250 calories of yummy dark chocolate.
- On Sunday I skipped breakfast (slept in yay!) and had a light lunch.
- On Sunday night, DH took me out for a delicious steak dinner (and fed the kids at home!). Near the end of my portion of steak, DH asked me and I noted that I was really, really full. I was VERY tempted to keep eating anyway but upon further consideration, I was reaching the point of being uncomfortably full. So...I got a takeout box and packed away the last 2 oz of steak with half my twice-baked potato, the sauteed mushrooms, and a large wedge of delish bread. I really thought I should finish it since it's not a lot of food, but I'm glad I thought about it some more - the box is now sitting in my work fridge now for lunch tomorrow.

On the other side of the equation, I did a lot of physical activity over the weekend. On Saturday, I fit in a 1 hour walk followed by a 2hr bike ride (training for my adventure race). Then Sunday, we joined up with our best friends and took all the kids out biking. It was slow paced - but we ended up strolling/biking for over 2 hours. I rewarded us with ice cream so ate all the calories I lost lol.

Hope all the Moms here got treated well for Mother's Day!! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on May 15, 2017, 05:16:38 PM
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15

Week11:-16
Week12:-18

Hit 10% bodyweight, woot!  There's hot weather coming up so this may be all I get this spring.  Hot weather means less walking, which I'm doing primarily to fight diabetes.  My A1c dropped at least .3 points, hopefully more since my last test.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 16, 2017, 09:17:05 AM
@Runrooster That's AWESOME!!!! Good job!

I'm a bit disgusted with myself. I was doing pretty well following my plan and everything. The few pounds I've lost is actually showing and I'm liking how my body is starting to look. Then last night, I sat down with a bag of chocolate covered almonds planning to have a handful. I ate at least 3/4 (prob more) of the bag! My rough estimate is about 750-1000 calories!!!! (it's 250 cals per serving - there were 7 servings in that bag). That's insane.  I woke up dehydrated and I didn't even dare to weigh myself this morning.

*sigh*
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on May 16, 2017, 09:59:11 AM

My goal weight is 140 lbs with a stretch goal of 135, starting 2 weeks ago (Monday after Easter), I was at 165. I am 5'6''

Weigh ins:
4/17: 165 lbs
4/24: 158 lbs
5/1: 156 lbs

I plan on weighing in weekly and posting my progress!

Happy Monday! Time for a weekly weigh in!
5/8: 152 lbs

Seems to be dropping off pretty quickly, but I made some huge changes to my eating so i'm glad it's paying off.
Hope everyone has a great week!
[/quote]

A little late on the update, but progress has slowed. I'm not too surprised because this weekend was not my friend food wise. Oh well!

5/15: 151 lbs

Down 14 lbs so far, initial goal is only 11 lbs away!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 17, 2017, 07:24:21 AM
@Crystal1588 You're getting there! Maybe a bit more slowly, but the trend is great!

As for me, I stepped on the scale this morning and cringed. Still dealing with the aftereffects of Chocolate Almonds Overdose. Up 1 pound :( Oh well, I'm not going to dwell on this anymore. STICK TO THE PLAN!

On the great news side - last night, I was going to walk for half an hour. At the last minute, I decided to switch to a (excruciatingly slow) jog. I chugged along for 30 whole minutes without stopping (my best record yet!). Even better, about 20 mins in, I noticed I wasn't even breathing heavily and was finding it relatively "easy". So I picked up the pace to 5 miles/hr for the last 8 mins and while I was breathing hard, it was still manageable!

I was soooo thrilled. I am not a runner and usually, 5 mins is enough for me to be absolutely winded. Not sure what's been happening...but I've been adding 30 min runs 1x a week and been doing better and better each time. I'm not aspiring to be a runner - but it is nice to feel that if I need to pick up the pace, I can do it for a decent amount of time without feeling like I'm dying. I plan to sub today's 30 min lunchtime walk with a light jog.

I've tried this a few times over the years unsuccessfully. I'm thinking its a combo of having lost a bunch of weight and maybe my overall fitness improving.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on May 17, 2017, 12:48:01 PM
@ elaine amj -- I've had similar experience. Indeed, fitness slowly improves with decreasing weight and increased activity levels. I've been closely monitoring my heart rate with a Garmin Vivoactive HR. It used to be that even with moderate activity, my heart rate would spike up and also tend to stay high for quite a while after the conclusion of that activity.  These days, after about 6 months of monitoring, I'm noticing that it does not quite spike as high. Also it tends to come down much faster.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 18, 2017, 09:33:28 AM
@rpr It's a wonderful feeling when you can do more than you think.

I need to hang on to that - especially right now. Last night I went canoeing and got tired much, much quicker than normal (we were out there less than 30 mins!). I think it was partly because I like to canoe for leisure (I happily paddle for 3 hours straight without stopping) and this time I'm training for a race. Paddling like that gets me very tense as I'm not naturally good at it. Got pretty annoyed with how weak my strokes were and now I'm going to look up what kind of strength training exercises I can do to muscle up. I have one month to go before my big race!

Last night was rough. After struggling so much with paddling, I came home tired out to a grumpy husband who was upset I haven't been doing as much as he'd like around the house (he cut his finger badly a couple of days ago and part of his irritation is because he can't do as much as he'd like either!). So I had a bunch of household chores-type stuff to deal with punctuated by disgruntled husband comments. During all this, my DD15 interjected as many comments about her day and questions on how to do XX or YY as she could (she's just like the classic story of the housewife who saves her thousands of words for when her husband gets home from work). It was just a barrage of stuff when I was tired and exhausted. I told DH he was being an idiot and thankfully he exerted some effort to tone down his crankiness and we worked together the rest of the night to do all that we needed to get done. I prepped half of dinner for tomorrow, and he's going to handle the rest.

I went to bed reasonably early (for me) and was asleep before midnight. Unfortunately, my dumb dog woke me up at 2am begging to be let out. He's done this for 3-4 nights straight now - which is probably contributing to my overall exhaustion. The dog woke me up yet again at 4am but this time I refused to let him out and made him get back into bed. I'm going to have to be strict with him again and say "no" to the middle of the night poop breaks (which does mean exerting a bit more mental energy in the middle of the night for a few nights - boo). 

Anyway, I'm still tired today and am dealing with temptation to ignore the salad in the fridge and go out to buy my favorite comfort foods. Ugh.

On second thoughts, I do feel better after typing all this out (thanks for being here guys!!) and I think I will stay put and eat the salad I brought instead.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 19, 2017, 10:35:06 AM
For once, I am excited to post a Friday weigh in :)

Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs....May 19: 135.7 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 3.9 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

A little bump upwards this week - darn those too-tempting chocolate almonds. but trendweight still assures me I'm on the downward trend. I've been exhausted this week but maintained a certain level of physical activity. I went to bed late (yet again) last night despite being in an exhausted fog all evening - but somehow had a good night's sleep and feel MUCH better today. Going to relax about eating this weekend - we're going camping and I'm planning for lots of hammock time!! I'm going to keep up with hiking though. The place we're going has 10 miles of trails on their property so I'm excited.  We also really need some time to reconnect as a family..its been a bit of a rough go for us lately with lots of general crankiness.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 19, 2017, 01:27:43 PM
Wow elaine amj, you have a lot going on in life, and yet you are still trending down for the most part! Great great job! I'm so happy for you.

I am back from vacation and must pay the piper. I'm up about 6 lbs overall, and I think it will come off quickly, but it's still hard to get back on the wagon. I will take the weight from my next check in (first Tuesday of the month), as my real status, so I have about 2 weeks to sort it out. Sometimes mental gymnastics are what's needed to get me doing the right things, ha! Knowing that I have to post here will hopefully keep me eating well for the next few weeks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 19, 2017, 09:49:22 PM
@rockstache It's about getting back into the routine, right? But sometimes it is easy...and sometimes it just isn't. We're here rooting for u!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on May 20, 2017, 07:55:28 PM
Huge surprise at weigh in this morning. Not only were the 2 pounds that I gained from my vacation last week gone, but I was also down 3.4 pounds total since my last official weigh in two weeks ago. That means that I possibly lost ~5 pounds this week! I don't really trust it, as a lot of it has to be water weight. I only worked out once this week, and definitely didn't do anything all that different with my food. Either way, I'll take it for now.  I'm currently down 35.4 since mid-January.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on May 22, 2017, 06:55:57 PM
My randomly timed update.

Date          Weight
1/1/2017    130
2/28/2017  133.6
3/10/2017  132.2
3/16/2017  131.0
4/10/2017  135.6
4/28/2017  132.8
5/21/2017  130.6

It is getting down there slowly towards the goal. So it looks like it took about 6 weeks to get rid of all of the weight I put on during my three week work trip. From my one data point, weight is put on twice as fast as it can come off ;) Another 0.6 pounds to go to hit my goal of at least being less than my weight  on Jan 1st of this year. I have other goals but one step at a time.

Been doing a fair bit of activity this past weekend.

Saturday: 7 mile hike (level at elevation of 5000 feet)
Sunday: 2 mile modestly paced walk, 40 minute exercise class, 1.75 mile walk downhill into town, then 1.75 mile walk back uphill

Everything is so sore. My legs hurt as well as the behind. So stiff I can barely bend down to pick up stuff :( Maybe it was too much.

Rooting for all of us on this journey!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 23, 2017, 08:24:31 AM
@rpr Yay for getting that weight off! It sucks how much faster it is to gain weight than to lose it, doesn't it? That's an impressive amount of activity over the weekend!

@Izybat That. is. awesome!!!!!! I really think our body remembers what we do in "normal" life and if we're able to return to it, we never put on as much over vacations as we think we should.

I was shocked when I weighed in myself. I had dropped another pound between Friday and Saturday (down to 134.4 lbs woot!), finally getting rid of the chocolate almonds effect. But I was relaxed during our camping weekend and had a couple of bags of my favourite junk food (cheesies!!) along with the most mouthwateringly delicious beef brisket ever in a tiny town near Woodstock, ON. We drove 45 mins to get here on a rainy Sunday- and it was so worth it. Afterwards, my son was craving ice cream sandwiches so we swung into a Walmart to price match a box of ice cream sandwiches for $1.99(thank you rebee app!). I ate THREE ice cream sandwiches! On top of that, the crummy weather and my incessant need to talk for ages to everyone we came across on our hikes meant I only managed 1+ hours of hiking each day. I was pretty worried about what my scale would say.

So, this morning, it was the moment of truth. Amazingly enough...I clocked in at 135 lbs!! Only a 0.6 lb gain - which should easily drop off this week! I most likely dropped the water weight yesterday as I was very careful what I ate all day.

In other news, we were scrambling for something quick and easy to make for dinner last night. I ended up whipping up a Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad (http://www.skinnytaste.com/zesty-lime-shrimp-and-avocado-salad/) from my fave cooking website - Skinnytaste.com. Check it out (not my image):

(http://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ZestyLimeShrimpandAvocadoSalad-170x255.jpg)

I didn't have tomatoes (skipped it), jalapeno (skipped it), red onions (replaced with regular yellow onions) or cilantro (replaced it with mint from my garden). I also skipped the olive oil, salt, and pepper. It was STILL delicious! It was sooo simple to make too. Chopped onions marinated in lime huice, then add chopped up cooked shrimp, chopped avocado, and some cilantro.

We have been eating a lot of tofu and I've been trying to reduce the frequency a little (too much of a good thing, kwim?) and this turned out to be healthy, low cal (under 200 cals per serving!!), filling, and super yummy. I was also short on shrimp so I made 2 versions - DH got the one with shrimp, and I made mine with fake crabmeat. Shrimp was better, but the crabmeat was still yummy. Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend this! I made extra for my lunch today and am very excited for lunch. Mmmmm.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on May 23, 2017, 10:04:33 AM
Update time! Quick stats are 5'6'', 29 years old. 3 kids (5, 3 and 6 months) which is where my weight came from. Put on about 20 lbs since I got married in 2010, looking to lose all of that plus an additional 5-10 lbs :)

Starting weight on 4/17: 165
5/15: 151
5/22: 149

Goal: 140 lbs
Stretch: 135 lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on May 23, 2017, 01:45:46 PM
After being on a serious decline in weight for a few months, I think I had a slight upturn because my wife and I got a puppy who demands constant round-the-clock attention while she's so young (should've adopted an adult dog perhaps.) Sneaking off to work out has been hard, as has preparing good food.

Anyway, we redoubled our efforts and I think I'm on the right path again.
So:
February 28: 256.5
May 9:          236.4
May 23:        233.0

This is really cool. I remember at the start of lent thinking "it'd be amazing to get down to 220, and I'd be really happy, even if that's still 10% over my ideal weight." Now it's not looking so far away, and I don't see any reason why I can't keep flying right past it! Also I'm excited because I'm going to be able to join my family for a summer vacation that includes water skiing. Slalom skiing is a brutal, brutal activity, and I think of it as a hard test of my fitness anytime I can get around to it. Last time I did it I was ~240 and not much muscle. If I can get down to 220 and keep working out, I should be able to do quite well.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on May 23, 2017, 07:11:20 PM
I'm a bit worried about my weight this week. I had a semi-uncontrolled food fest on Sunday, which put me up on the scale the next morning. Normally, that wouldn't be a huge problem as I would just eat really well the rest of the week, except for one thing. I've traveling for work and have very little control over the food (pizza for lunch today, Italian restaurant for dinner, sandwiches tomorrow, etc). Fingers crossed that I don't do too much damage, especially such a short time after my vacation gain/loss from a week ago.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 24, 2017, 08:31:07 AM
@Crystal you're getting closer!Not much more to go now.

@yuka It's pretty amazing when the weight starts moving isn't it? Rather like a snowball gaining momentum. It feels sooo good to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

@Izybat Work travel is rough for my waistline. I have such a hard time turning down free food! Case in point, I was working an event yesterday evening and my boss said we could expense dinner. I promptly got a large box of nachos (topped with ground beef, lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream) for dinner. Ack - I rarely ever eat nachos! Then rounded it off with a 250 cal Tim Hortons Iced Capp because it smelt too good when I walked past. Darn free food.

On the good side, I only went slightly over my calories for the day so still lost weight - I'm back down to 134.6 lbs - which is close enough to my Saturday weight before the long weekend eating fest.

On the bad side, I'm back to my terrible sleeping habits. I didn't sleep until 1am Monday night so I was exhausted on Tuesday evening. Curled up in bed at 10pm promising myself that I would sleep early. Then started reading the ACA debate thread here on MMM and was up until 2am when I finally forced myself to put down the phone! I have read a ton of articles on American health care and the American viewpoint still fascinates me. I know Canadians still grumble about our universal healthcare up here in the Great White North and there are certainly improvements to be made but as an immigrant from the Third World - I absolutely love the single payer system and really appreciate not having to worry about healthcare here. It's not as fancy or as quick as it is in the US (DH worked as a nurse in the US for 20 years), but I personally feel we are pretty well taken care of. It's also great from a humanitarian point of view to know that as a country, we can ensure everyone can get a decent level of care.

Wow - I went off in a wild tangent (see why I was up until 2am?!). Back to weight loss! I am pretty excited seeing my trendweight numbers. I am currently trending at a loss of 0.8 lbs a week. Would like to see that go up a week bit but overall, it is very close to my 1 lb/week goal and it's good. It's only been 5 lbs, but I can see my body is trimming up and I'm feeling good in clothes again. Weird how 5 lbs made such a massive difference in how I look. I think it's because this weight range is my teeter point. Under 135 lbs and I look reasonable (IMO) and you can see my waistline while I look fat at 140 lbs.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 25, 2017, 02:33:50 PM
So apparently I indulge in wild mood swings and crazy binges. Yesterday, I ate one square of dark chocolate. Next thing I know, I ate the whole bar. Today, I wolfed down a large bag of cheesies. I think its that TOM. Ugh.

Tomorrow is another day.

On the good side, I'm doing great at actual meals and my general habits (still bike commuting despite the gloomy rain yesterday and today). Just need to stay away from the crappy junk food.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on May 25, 2017, 03:10:41 PM
Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2
April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143.8
May 13: 145
May 25: 144

Logging my weight today because we are getting take-out tonight and I know I'll be retaining water tomorrow. I've actually weighed 144 for the last 9 days so maybe I'll get another woosh in a week or so? Nice to see consistency in any case.

The weather has become gorgeous and springlike so I've spent a lot of time in the garden and just taking walks after the kids go to bed and DH is playing video games. Walks are a habit left over from my teenage years for sure. Whenever I was bored my mom would say "so go take a walk." I'm so thankful our new house is in a very walkable/bikeable area.

@elaine amj - I'm the same way and I've felt a binge coming on for the last couple of days (hence yummy take out). I've eaten an entire pint of Halo Top over the course of the week because I'm feeling crazy for sugar. The good thing is that it passes :) Also that shrimp/avocado looks amazing and I think I'll make it next week.

@yuka - Yay puppy! We keep thinking about getting a puppy but I'm not ready for the time commitment right now.

@Crystal1588 - great loss - especially with running around after 3 kids!

@rpr - Hiking is so great for your whole body! Good for you.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 25, 2017, 08:05:51 PM
@elaine amj - I feel you. Yesterday I ate an (entire) old Hershey bar that had been sitting in my cabinet since last summer. I don't even like Hershey. Today I got my period. Oy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on May 26, 2017, 04:21:13 AM
@StarBright: if I were to do it again, I'd find a 12 week puppy or maybe an adult. We've had her for two weeks, just now reaching 8 weeks, and it's been rough. Their mothers and litter mates are really the only ones equipped to handle them at this age, and they're capacity for learning this young is somewhat limited. She is cute though. Also, if you get them super young, you should just add $200-600 to their price because of vet visits.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 26, 2017, 09:22:06 AM
@yuka She's adorable!! I considered it - but not for long and ended up adopting a 4 yr old adult. Simply couldn't bear the thought of the crazy puppy stage - especially with all of us gone most of the day. But...but...puppies are sooooooooo cute!

@rockstache I give up on the dieting thing again today. Still needing my comfort food!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 26, 2017, 09:25:02 AM
Friday weigh-in

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs....May 19: 135.7 lbs...Mat 26: 135.8 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 3.8 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

Not so good weigh in. That TOM is coming and I've been gorging on junk and sneaking in naps whenever possible. Just seems so weird that after training hard for the past few weeks, that I've mostly taken this week off. Other than my bike commute, I've done just about nothing extra and eaten lots more junk food. Oh well, I declare a dieting break until my body gets back to more normal operations! Feeling guilty about lack of training through....my big race is in just a few more weeks!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on May 27, 2017, 04:34:27 PM
@ elaine amj -- On a weekly basis lots of things happen. If you compare it to a month ago, you've done very well. Almost 4 lbs lost is damned good. Give yourself both a pat and a break. You will come back energized.

I did weigh myself today and it was 129.2. This is the lowest it's been in almost 6 months.

Date          Weight
1/1/2017    130
2/28/2017  133.6
3/10/2017  132.2
3/16/2017  131.0
4/10/2017  135.6
4/28/2017  132.8
5/21/2017  130.6
5/27/2017  129.2
 
Initial Goal < 130.0
Updated Year End Goal < 125.0


Most of it is probably water loss from dehydration. I'd gone for a 4 mile walk/run. I'll take it. Now to make sure that it stays below this.

I have added a stretch goal of 125 lb. It is at that weight that my tummy starts to not look as prominent on my rather small frame ;) It is likely doable but needs lots of focus.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on May 28, 2017, 05:18:06 AM
February 28: 256.5
May 9:          236.4
May 23:        233.0
May 28:        236.0


Sooooo, that's not so good. What happened?

Well, I got in the mood to bake things because it's a beloved hobby of mine. My wife and I made bread and pizza. Both came out of the oven excellent, but then we ate them... not so good. To say nothing of the facepunch-worthiness of using the oven in South Carolina in the middle of the summer.

Anyway, I'm sure those 3 pounds are mostly glycogen stores (I don't normally do bread) rather than fat, but I'd rather they not be there, because that's the road to frustration and re-gaining weight. I think I'm going to do a 24 hour 'fast' from dinner tonight until dinner Monday. I suppose that's sort of the opposite of a normal Memorial Day weekend, but I don't have many friends in SC anyway.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on May 28, 2017, 06:06:04 AM
Well, I didn't go to my official weigh in yesterday because I ran a 5k instead, however unofficially I'm up at least 3 lbs this week. It was a perfect storm of emotional eating (due to various factors), travel for work (where food was largely out of my control), and then visitors in from out of town for memorial day weekend. I need to get back on track.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on May 28, 2017, 11:03:14 AM
Sounds like everyone's going a bit off the rails so I'm in good company here. I ate a ridiculous amount yesterday and the weekend is not over, and I have two enormous cupcakes on the counter that I will definitely not be letting go to waste. Sigh. My weight is creeping up, and even when I don't weigh myself I can feel it on my body. I'm going to have to double down in June.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on May 28, 2017, 12:37:51 PM
Well, we r all in good company then!! Looks like it was just that kind of week.

On to good news - I think my binging is over. Today I have had practically no cravings.

Also, I went for a 3hr training session this morning. My teammate and I biked and hiked. I was drained after about 2 hrs because I didn't stop to snack. Thankfully, my friend immediately pulled over and ordered me to eat (I was going to muscle through). I had a 100-cal homemade energy bite and started feeling better 15-20 mins later. All in all, a good training session and I ended it with plenty of juice still left in me. A bit achy and tired now, but not completely wiped out.

Next week, we are going to planning a 2hr bike ride with a 1hr paddle in between.

Yes, this is what we do for fun :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 02, 2017, 10:15:36 AM
Just posting to let you guys know I am still sort of working this thread.  I have been trying to just hold my weight steady until I have brain capacity to focus on this aspect of my life. I think this time of year is easier for me.  I joined the thread just over a year ago and the pounds fell away without too much sacrifice.  Then at the end of summer they found their way right back to my belly.  Most of them came back in November and December.  I think I have a propensity towards hibernation.

Well spring is back. My gardens are starting to produce really tasty snacks. I tend to stroll out the door instead of to the fridge when I am resting my eyes from the screen (procrastinating).  I am happier. My husband is guarding the kitchen in the evenings again (ie he is not at work and can see me sneak in there).  He is doing some of the shopping so the type of treats entering the house is not my choice.  He is eating dinner with us every night and that motivates me to make veg and salads because he really likes them.  I am getting a lot more exercise with all this gardening and renovating and just being outside.

I have been getting on the scales for about six weeks now but not wanting to post the same 135 pound weight but in the last three weeks the needle has been moving slightly down and now I have had three readings of 133 in the last two weeks.  This morning it was 132.  I am back on track and now I am way more aware of the fall loading that comes my way. 

I have been trying to reduce stress and make lots of profound changes in the last year and I think I can handle a "vigilant monitoring" of weight creep now.  Not ready for active tracking and striving for my goal quite yet.  I am hoping that my shoulder and foot feeling a little better also means that I can start to add more fitness activities to my day.  Am going to go really slowly so that I am not re-injuring myself.  Have to be able to hike a bit by the end of summer for a camping trip with my son.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on June 02, 2017, 10:27:32 AM

Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2
April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143.8
May 13: 145
May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8

Ha! Based on my losses from Feb to April I thought getting to 140 would be a piece of cake - I suspect i'll be losing about .5 pounds a month from here on out. I'm just not active enough (and at this point of my life it isn't possible to add more activity in) and I am not willing to cut my calories below 1400 a day (and I'm hungry on that).

My doc just added a daily fish oil supplement too and it is 50 calories! 50 calories gone in a teaspoon.

Hi @Frugal Lizard - good to see you!

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Also- does anyone here use a food scale? I'e avoided it and I'm generally pretty good at eye-balling servings but think I am close enough to goal that a food scale might make the difference. I appreciate thoughts, recommendations, etc.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on June 05, 2017, 01:06:24 PM
Weigh-in this morning after spending a weekend walking around and eating too much with my brother who came to visit:

February 28: 256.5
May 9:          236.4
May 23:        233.0
May 28:        236.0
June 5:         235.4

I was a little lower (maybe 233) going into the weekend, but the bottom line is that bread needs to be kept out of the house for a while. It's just too effective a tactic for me to discard.

@StarBright Your recent (gentle) roller coaster looks a bit like mine. I use a food scale, but it's about 50/50 for cooking and for portion control. It's good if you're portioning nuts (super dangerous in relatively small weights) or snack foods (why do I do that to myself?) and want to actually know the servings. My scale is not the result of any research, but if you're trying to pick a good one, I'd send you to http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-kitchen-scale/
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on June 05, 2017, 05:21:16 PM
I forgot to post on Saturday after my weigh in, but after two weeks of eating and drinking pretty much everything, I gained 7 lbs. It's a big gain, but I just have to remind myself that if I wasn't on this journey, it would likely have been bigger, because I wouldn't have stopped myself. Though, I have to admit, it's been much harder to get back on track than I was thinking it would, especially since I'm on a strange restricted diet this week from the doctor.

Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 06, 2017, 06:04:50 AM

First Tuesday of the month check in:

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8
March 7: 123.0
April 4: 123.0
May 2: 122.6
June 6: 129.4

Well, I've been reporting the good all along, so it only seems right to report the bad too. I've been back from Hawaii long enough to know this is clearly not water weight anymore. Sigh. I'd better get back on the program before I get over 130 again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on June 06, 2017, 09:31:03 AM
Update time! Quick stats are 5'6'', 29 years old. 3 kids (5, 3 and 6 months) which is where my weight came from. Put on about 20 lbs since I got married in 2010, looking to lose all of that plus an additional 5-10 lbs :)

Starting weight on 4/17: 165
5/15: 151
5/22: 149

Goal: 140 lbs
Stretch: 135 lbs



6/5: 147 lbs
Moving in the right direction!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Dicey on June 06, 2017, 09:49:27 AM
I love how supportive this group is! I need a little help and I hope the collective mind will have an answer. I am a vegetarian (not vegan) and I'd like to knock off about ten more pounds. I've lost about six pounds since January, but it's not enough yet. I walk at least 10-12 miles per week.The weight gain came from marrying into an instant family and cooking all of our meals at home. My peeps are not vegetarians, so I make meals with meat on the side. Help!

What's a vegetarian who wants to lose some weight to do?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 06, 2017, 10:24:33 AM
Hi Dicey, welcome!

I'm not a vegetarian, but if I were I imagine I would fill up on carbs such as rice and pasta. Do you think this is one of your tricks? If so, it might be a good place to start. Also eating vegetables is also low calorie and super healthy until you start adding high fat dressing, lots of nuts etc. Even though they are healthy, I have found that the calories add up quick. Does any of this sound accurate? What sort of meals do you cook most often?

Also, I have had great luck with the (free) tracking app myfitnesspal. When I quit using it, that is when my weight starts to drift back up. It's pretty great, and you can add your home cooked recipes in pretty easily. Maybe you could look into it?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 06, 2017, 10:58:19 AM
Hi Dicey -- Welcome from me too. That you have already lost 6 pounds shows that whatever you are doing already works.

I'm a vegetarian as well but vegan at home. 

For me going from vegetarian to vegan really helped. When my vegetarian sandwiches became vegan by removing the cheese, the calories dropped by at least 30%. Choose lower calorie spreads and condiments. I also slowly increased my fiber intake by moving up to more whole grain and whole plant based products. I am currently aiming to reduce oils even more by cooking with very little or even just water/broth. 
 
I agree with @rockstache regarding MFP. Tracking really helped me figure out how much calories I ate. I figured out how many calories I needed to eat in order to maintain my weight  assuming a sedentary lifestyle. I then aimed for a little lower (about 10%) for weight loss. I did this tracking for a few weeks with my usual foods in order to get a good idea of the calorie contents of things I ate. I did not track non starchy veggies.   

One other thing that is motivational and works for me is to get something like a Fitbit or  Garmin activity tracker and consistently meet or beat the goals these set for you. Your smartphone can also do the job provided you have it with you all the time. These things also calculate calories burned but I find that number to be completely unreliable.  On a sedentary office day for me (computer desk job), I was taking less than 3500 steps with no other exercise activity. I aimed to at least double that to start with. If possible get a fitness buddy or someone you can be accountable to.

Walking 10-12 miles a week is quite good. See if you can increase it slowly to 14 (2 miles/day).  You can do it. I have found this thread to be quite motivational for me.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on June 06, 2017, 12:38:39 PM
Welcome Dicey! I'm not vegetarian, but a lot of my meals could be if I didn't add meat at the last moment for the texture.

Anyway, my intersection of cheap and healthy (which is vegetarian, naturally) is chickpeas, beans, and lentils. They're more filling than rice and pasta, and they go really well in stews.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on June 06, 2017, 05:27:42 PM
I'm vegetarian too, but as I've discovered, you can both gain and lose weight on a vegetarian diet just like on a non-vegetarian diet. I gained somewhere near 30 lbs in the year after I turned vegetarian (I wasn't watching what I ate at all, and was eating like crap), but now since January, I'm done 28 pounds.  I totally agree with more vegetables, fruits and whole grains. I find that most vegetarian recipes are actually shockingly low on vegetables, so we add them into pretty much every dish we make.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NorthernDreamer on June 07, 2017, 10:33:50 AM
I'd like to join this thread too. I had a moment yesterday of "this weight is a hair-on-fire emergency!" I am married with two kids under 5. I work part time and run a side Etsy business. Life is fairly busy but I need to get used to making time for myself to exercise.

Current stats: 160.5 lbs, 39.3% body fat (ouch) if the Fitbit scale is to be trusted
Goal: 145 lbs, under 30% body fat

Plan: yesterday I re-downloaded the My Fitness Pal app since calorie and macro tracking really helps. I plan to get my calories on track and drink at least 8 cups of water a day. I have been half-assed exercising for months, so I need to up that. I aim to do strength training twice a week and cardio (probably jogging) twice a week. That feels doable with my life right now.

My issue is I "know" what I should do, it is just having the willpower to do it. I was 138 lbs going into my first pregnancy a few years ago, so aiming for 145 right now feels good. My family is pretty much all obese other than my siblings and I, and I do not want to follow in their footsteps. Pretty much the entire older generation has multiple health issues.

I did the Whole30 in the fall and lost 8 lbs (was down to 151 lbs), then regained it and more. I didn't do the reintro phase properly but did learn that legumes, soy and some veggies (broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage) make me super bloated and gassy and I've cut them from my diet. The strict eating will not work for me long term, so I want to find a balance where I can have a drink/dessert once in awhile and be okay. I did struggle with an eating disorder in high school (was underweight) so finding a balance without going nuts it key.

Looking forward to posting updates and following along!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on June 07, 2017, 07:27:57 PM
Welcome Welcome Dicey and NorthernDreamer!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on June 09, 2017, 01:28:04 PM
Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2
April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143.8
May 13: 145
May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8
June 9: 143.6

I'm hanging in there! I've been solo parenting all week and my work schedule has been out of control so I actually upped my calories for the week to allow for a couple of comfort food meals.

I will also actually have time to grocery shop next week so I'll go back to putting in real effort :)

Hope everyone had a better loss than me this week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 10, 2017, 06:38:08 AM
It is definitive - down to 132 for a whole week now.

I have a very sore mouth - must have eaten some gluten so I can barely eat at the moment.  Trying to see this as a reset week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on June 10, 2017, 08:26:03 AM
After being up by 7 lbs last week (over a two week span of time), this week I weighed in and was down 4.8 lbs. I'll take it, but I know it's not really anything I did, as I had a medical procedure this week that messed with my diet and body all week long. Hopefully, the weight stays off now that the medical thing is over.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on June 11, 2017, 11:38:37 AM
I too have been holding steady. This week was a mixed one in terms of exercise. I had a few low activity days followed by a huge one at almost 35000 steps. I walked everyone yesterday -- to the market, the ocean, the movies at night. It feels good to be up and about.

Edited to add: this morning after my walk I weighed 127.4. The lowest in months. Likely to be mostly water but we will see.

@ NorthernDreamer -- welcome. This has been a supportive thread for me.

@ Frugal Lizard -- good news on the loss front.

@ Izybat -- Sickness can indeed cause changes, some of them dramatic. The question is how to keep that off. Good luck.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on June 12, 2017, 07:35:10 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
Total Loss: 37.8 lbs
Total Percent: 14.2%

Checking in again -- I've been struggling lately, but am finally back on track. I was a bit too restrictive with my diet. Plus I had been making a ton of changes even when life was getting crazy, which caused me to burn out. To recover, first I worked on getting out of my mental funk and then I took a maintenance break for a week, two separate times. The second maintenance break went much better than the first and was a true mental break because I went on a work trip and left the scale at home.

This week seems to be fairly low key, so I'm aiming for weight loss again. When life gets busy again or I have a ton on my plate I will switch back to maintenance. I only programmed a 300 calorie deficit this week to slowly get into the swing of things again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on June 12, 2017, 04:51:52 PM

I've been struggling lately, but am finally back on track. I was a bit too restrictive with my diet. Plus I had been making a ton of changes even when life was getting crazy, which caused me to burn out. To recover, first I worked on getting out of my mental funk and then I took a maintenance break for a week, two separate times. The second maintenance break went much better than the first and was a true mental break because I went on a work trip and left the scale at home.


I might need to take a page out of your book. I've been struggling a lot lately, not just with my diet, but with life in general. I have been eating and drinking things I shouldn't, not exercising, not doing my usual hobbies, etc. I've been really frustrated with life and since I'm an emotional eater, I just stop caring about being healthy and eat whatever I want to. I keep trying to get back on track, and then something will set me off again (usually just my brain thinking stupid thoughts).

I have to figure out something to snap me out of this funk or it could be much worse in the long run.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on June 12, 2017, 07:38:43 PM

I've been struggling lately, but am finally back on track. I was a bit too restrictive with my diet. Plus I had been making a ton of changes even when life was getting crazy, which caused me to burn out. To recover, first I worked on getting out of my mental funk and then I took a maintenance break for a week, two separate times. The second maintenance break went much better than the first and was a true mental break because I went on a work trip and left the scale at home.


I might need to take a page out of your book. I've been struggling a lot lately, not just with my diet, but with life in general. I have been eating and drinking things I shouldn't, not exercising, not doing my usual hobbies, etc. I've been really frustrated with life and since I'm an emotional eater, I just stop caring about being healthy and eat whatever I want to. I keep trying to get back on track, and then something will set me off again (usually just my brain thinking stupid thoughts).

I have to figure out something to snap me out of this funk or it could be much worse in the long run.

I cannot recommend a maintenace break enough. The first time I was like a tiger let out of the cage; I went on a rampage and ate like crap. I then went into a deficit for a week to recover. Then, I did true maintenance. I planned my meals and tracked, but not super closely. I didn't weigh myself. I focused on other things going on in my life. I realized that I only have so much bandwidth. The reason I was getting burned out continuously, so much so that even rest couldn't fight the burn out, is that I was putting too much pressure on myself. So I adjusted my expectations and kept with maintenance until I was able to do my normal weekend routine of meal plan/shop/prep on the weekend, thus setting me up to succeed this week. The mental break was so worth it and refreshing!

Plus, doing it for a week or 2 can jump start your weight loss again as it helps your metabolism reset rather than having to cut down on calories more and more as you lose weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 12, 2017, 07:59:35 PM
I too was having a bandwidth deficit.  Resetting my eating, buying and saving habits and de-cluttering and lowering energy use and learning about banking and investing and small appliance repair and trying to get off the track all our friends and family are on is overwhelming.  So I had to dial back on some things.  I was feeling completely panicked and suddenly I was headed right back up to where I started a year ago.
I lowered my sights to not gaining all the weight back.  It took me 12 years to put it on so I am cutting myself some slack but not letting go completely.
I think that I may never meet my goal - but hey - I won't ever let things get so far out of hand again. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on June 13, 2017, 07:53:42 AM
I think it's any step in the right direction of changing your lifestyle and being more healthy is awesome. Little changes yield huge results over the long haul. It's a marathon not a sprint!

I think everyone is doing fantastic and I find this thread to be so inspiring!

Now for my update, a little late

Starting weight on 4/17: 165
5/15: 151
5/22: 149
6/5: 147
6/13: 145 lbs

My initial goal is 140 and my stretch goal is 135. We'll see how hard it is to lose the last 5-10!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 14, 2017, 12:01:51 PM
You peeps - I'm gone for a week or so (life has been insanely busy) and I was shocked just how much I had to catch up on!!  So glad so many folks are still hanging in there :)

A belated report on last Friday's weigh-in.

Friday weigh-in:

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs....May 19: 135.7 lbs...May 26: 135.8 lbs
Jun 2: 135.4 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 4.2 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

I spent about 2 weeks wavering between eating a lot and eating in my normal "diet" mode. Lots of indulgence and it showed in the numbers as I mostly maintained. At that time, it felt right. Now, I am a bit annoyed as I slowed my progress for 2 weeks.

That said, this week I have been more watchful again and sticking to "normal" food and this morning I weighed in at 133.4!! I was SUPER excited.

I have realized that I have my big vacation to Disney in mid August. I have started shopping for outfits for my daughter (for a few bucks from thrift stores - I'm still Mustachian!). I also want to buy some new-to-me outfits - but do NOT want to do it until I lose some more weight. I've noticed a sharp difference in the way clothes fit me between 130lbs and 135 lbs - must be the point where I move between sizes. So I won't shop until I get around 130 lbs. I need to do this by mid July to give me enough time to shop. So now I am on a timeline for losing weight. Wonder if the pressure will be good for me?

I am still eating out here and there and having treats - but do admit I do include some occasional starving methods - lunch for the past 2 days have been an avocado. And then a handful of pistachios for a snack later. It's not as bad as it sounds - I promise. I'm only 5ft tall so only get 1200 cals a day when losing weight. Which means lunch is usually 300-400 calories. An avocado is about 160 cals + another 100 cals in pistachios. And this is mixed in with several 600-1000 calorie meals during the week.

Activity levels remain high. On the plus side, I'm seeing definite improvement. I mostly bike to work but occasionally I walk. Last year, it regularly took me 75-90 mins. This morning, it took me just 65 mins and I kept it at a relaxed, easy pace! I was so pleased :) Hopefully this means I will be OK for my crazy EIGHT hour adventure race THIS SATURDAY!! Excited and a bit nervous. This is supposed to be my "rest week" but it worked out best logistically for me to walk this morning so I figured it would be OK since I kept it to an easy pace.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on June 16, 2017, 07:39:45 AM

Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs   
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2
April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143.8
May 13: 145
May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8
June 9: 143.6
June 16: 142.8


I finally got below 143 but it just doesn't feel like a success right now.

My goal is 140 and I had considered aiming for 135 as a stretch but I honestly don't think I have it in me. I am hungry ALL OF THE TIME!  I think the 135 is just a dream and I've always had doctors who recommend that weight for me but it is just not going to happen.

It is starting to get hot here now and that usually suppresses my appetite so I'm going to hang in a few more weeks and see if it makes a difference. Otherwise I may call it maintenance at 142 (which is a weight I maintained so easily before children, ahh well).

@elaine amj - good luck on your race!

@Crystal1588 - good luck! We have almost the same stats and 145 is where it got hard for me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is easier for you.

@frugal lizard - your post sounds so wise. Sometimes it isn't about hitting goal, just keeping things from falling apart :)

@izybat and @wintertell - hope the struggling has passed for you all!

@rpr - all that walking sounds lovely and you get to walk to the Ocean! My dream is to be within walking distance of a large body of water. I find water to be so incredibly soothing. I'm within walking of a large-ish river right now and it is my favorite place I've ever lived :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 16, 2017, 11:13:34 AM
@starbright maintenance after losing THIRTEEN pounds is absolutely nothing to sneeze at. Stop for a bit to congratulate yourself on an amazing job :) I plan to call it quits before my ideal weight. It will be nice to drop to 125 lbs - but we will see. When I hit 130 last year, I liked the way I looked overall (yes, plenty of lumps and my belly was still big but overall I looked reasonably slim) and felt good. It was also a relatively easy weight to maintain.

Friday weigh-in:

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs....May 19: 135.7 lbs...May 26: 135.8 lbs
Jun 2: 135.4 lbs...June 9: 134 lbs.....Jun 16: 131.8 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 7.8 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

YOU GUYS! I just about bounced off the ceiling when I stepped on the scale this morning! I know it's just a low and my real weight is about 1+ lbs higher but still - I was blown away. I had been hoping for it to say 133 lbs and was shocked to see 131.8 lbs!

And then of course, today is a big eating day. My 8 hr adventure race is tomorrow so I am in carb-loading mode. Still, I'll burn it all off tomorrow - I'll be surviving off nuts, granola bars, and energy bites. As a side note, just made a batch of high calorie energy bites yesterday and they were YUMMY! Filled with all kinds of good stuff like shredded coconut, oats, protein powder, peanut butter, wheat germ, flaxseed, pecans, dried cranberries and then some cocoa powder, honey and chocolate chips for good measure :) Hope my kids don't eat them all before my race!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brooklynmoney on June 17, 2017, 12:18:44 PM
I think it's any step in the right direction of changing your lifestyle and being more healthy is awesome. Little changes yield huge results over the long haul. It's a marathon not a sprint!

I think everyone is doing fantastic and I find this thread to be so inspiring!

Now for my update, a little late

Starting weight on 4/17: 165
5/15: 151
5/22: 149
6/5: 147
6/13: 145 lbs

My initial goal is 140 and my stretch goal is 135. We'll see how hard it is to lose the last 5-10!

Damn you lost 20 pounds in 2 months? That's lightning fast!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on June 19, 2017, 07:44:09 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
6/19/17    224.6 (-2.6)

Total Loss: 40.4 lbs
Total Percent: 15.2%

An update -- I'm finally, finally back on track and am seeing results. I've been counting calories, cooking at home, avoided eating out and going on frequent walks. Nothing fancy, just the basics.

I'm still eating paleo-ish -- maybe 75-80% paleo. I still have occasional treats that involve sugar. I also am experimenting with beans and whole, unprocessed grains such as quinoa and farro, to see if I can handle those. Right now, it seems they make me feel fuller for longer, but also are causing my digestion to seriously slow down. I've cut out most diary except for cream in my coffee in the morning.

I cleaned out my closet this weekend. I'm finally down a full size, to a size 20. Previously I was just about to bump out of a size 22 into a 24. This is the size I was in college, so I haven't needed to buy anything yet.

What was driving my funk was unhappiness about not making progress on finding a new job. So, I am working on switching up my routine to make time every day for job searching. It just took a while to figure out how to do that while also making time for health stuff. Both are now important to me.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 19, 2017, 07:54:42 AM
Happy to report that Saturday's race went really well! All my training paid off big time. My one teammate wasn't able to train as much (health issues + too much going on at the time) so we worked around what she could handle. It was a really fun race with my 2 best friends so we had a ball. We stopped after 6 hours and ended up on a good note. They adjusted the race format this year and we were able to pick and choose which sections we wanted to complete - which worked out great for our team. Added lots of funny stories to our collection (including my losing my shoe in the mud!), a few more scars to my legs and lots of fantastic memories.

I ate out for both lunch and dinner yesterday. Between that and muscle repair (at least that's what I hope lol!), I am up a pound today - so 132.6 lbs. I am pretty sure sticking to my plans will drop the weight again this week. I am sooooo close to my goal of 130 lbs!!

I took last week off from working out to rest up - stuck to just mild bike commuting all week. I'm actually itching to getting back to regular evening workouts - I kinda miss it! Hopefully I can keep it up a few times a week even without having a big event to train for.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 19, 2017, 07:57:04 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
6/19/17    224.6 (-2.6)

Total Loss: 40.4 lbs
Total Percent: 15.2%

An update -- I'm finally, finally back on track and am seeing results. I've been counting calories, cooking at home, avoided eating out and going on frequent walks. Nothing fancy, just the basics.

I'm still eating paleo-ish -- maybe 75-80% paleo. I still have occasional treats that involve sugar. I also am experimenting with beans and whole, unprocessed grains such as quinoa and farro, to see if I can handle those. Right now, it seems they make me feel fuller for longer, but also are causing my digestion to seriously slow down. I've cut out most diary except for cream in my coffee in the morning.

I cleaned out my closet this weekend. I'm finally down a full size, to a size 20. Previously I was just about to bump out of a size 22 into a 24. This is the size I was in college, so I haven't needed to buy anything yet.

What was driving my funk was unhappiness about not making progress on finding a new job. So, I am working on switching up my routine to make time every day for job searching. It just took a while to figure out how to do that while also making time for health stuff. Both are now important to me.

Isn't it amazing how just the basics produce such amazing results? And yes, weight loss is such a mental game. When your head is in it, it's easy. When your emotions are all over the place, nothing seems to work. You're rocking this - and the job search too!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 19, 2017, 08:22:44 AM
Nice job with the weight loss wintertell! Congrats elaine amj on the race!

I ate absolutely horribly all weekend. Today I am paying for it, and last night my stomach was hurting from all the rich food. I need to get back to my routine asap! I clocked in on the scale this morning at 131.8 (posting that for accountability even though it's not an official weigh day), and that is NOT ok by me. So. Here I am, and here I will stay.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 19, 2017, 09:50:24 AM
Nice job with the weight loss wintertell! Congrats elaine amj on the race!

I ate absolutely horribly all weekend. Today I am paying for it, and last night my stomach was hurting from all the rich food. I need to get back to my routine asap! I clocked in on the scale this morning at 131.8 (posting that for accountability even though it's not an official weigh day), and that is NOT ok by me. So. Here I am, and here I will stay.

You just put on some weight to make me feel better :)

We'll get rid of it together!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NorthernDreamer on June 19, 2017, 11:36:27 AM
I've been struggling to find the time to exercise when it feels like there are not enough hours in the day. Work, parenting two littles, and trying to find time in the evening after they go to bed to run a side gig means that unfortunately fitness has been pushed to the backburner for over a year.

I FINALLY realized that the answer lies in getting up early. I usually go on my phone before bed for at least half an hour. Last night I cut that out, and woke up an hour earlier than usual (5:30 gulp). Then went for a run/walk. My goal is now to do that 2-3 times a week in good weather. Make it a habit. Then at the end of the day I don't have to dread finding time and energy to exercise.

Any other early morning exercisers? I should add that I am NOT a morning person, and I LOVE sleep. My husband didn't think I would do it, that bugger. I dragged my butt out of bed at least 50% out of spite.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 19, 2017, 01:25:56 PM
I've been struggling to find the time to exercise when it feels like there are not enough hours in the day. Work, parenting two littles, and trying to find time in the evening after they go to bed to run a side gig means that unfortunately fitness has been pushed to the backburner for over a year.

I FINALLY realized that the answer lies in getting up early. I usually go on my phone before bed for at least half an hour. Last night I cut that out, and woke up an hour earlier than usual (5:30 gulp). Then went for a run/walk. My goal is now to do that 2-3 times a week in good weather. Make it a habit. Then at the end of the day I don't have to dread finding time and energy to exercise.

Any other early morning exercisers? I should add that I am NOT a morning person, and I LOVE sleep. My husband didn't think I would do it, that bugger. I dragged my butt out of bed at least 50% out of spite.

I am in awe of you. I'm not a morning person either. And the whole getting off the phone before bed will definitely save a ton of time for more productive things.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on June 19, 2017, 07:36:39 PM
I've been struggling to find the time to exercise when it feels like there are not enough hours in the day. Work, parenting two littles, and trying to find time in the evening after they go to bed to run a side gig means that unfortunately fitness has been pushed to the backburner for over a year.

I FINALLY realized that the answer lies in getting up early. I usually go on my phone before bed for at least half an hour. Last night I cut that out, and woke up an hour earlier than usual (5:30 gulp). Then went for a run/walk. My goal is now to do that 2-3 times a week in good weather. Make it a habit. Then at the end of the day I don't have to dread finding time and energy to exercise.

Any other early morning exercisers? I should add that I am NOT a morning person, and I LOVE sleep. My husband didn't think I would do it, that bugger. I dragged my butt out of bed at least 50% out of spite.

I'm not an early morning exerciser: 9-10 is my best window, I've found. It gives me some time for breakfast to sit, but not so long that I get hungry again. I get up at 5:30, but work on other things.

On another note, I'm jealous of your nice weather. The weather has made running outside less pleasant than treadmill running since the beginning of April. I'm getting cabin fever, and it probably won't get better for three months.

On the bright side, I'm traveling to Ontario in a couple weeks :) Hopefully it won't be the middle of a heat wave when I get there.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on June 19, 2017, 07:41:19 PM
I am not a morning exerciser, but I realized that the only way I was going to apply for jobs at night during the week is if I got some more time back. So today was Day 1 of an early morning walk; tomorrow will be Day 2. I LOVE sleep and HATE getting up early, but I also want a new job. So #priorities, have to make time for all the things, and so I am setting my phone early and going for a walk in the morning.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on June 20, 2017, 08:36:08 AM
I think it's any step in the right direction of changing your lifestyle and being more healthy is awesome. Little changes yield huge results over the long haul. It's a marathon not a sprint!

I think everyone is doing fantastic and I find this thread to be so inspiring!

Now for my update, a little late

Starting weight on 4/17: 165
5/15: 151
5/22: 149
6/5: 147
6/13: 145 lbs

My initial goal is 140 and my stretch goal is 135. We'll see how hard it is to lose the last 5-10!

Damn you lost 20 pounds in 2 months? That's lightning fast!!

ha, yes it came off quickly. BUT. I radically changed my lifestyle all at once. I was eating a ton of sweets, bread and general crap day in and day out. Not exercising pretty much at all (other than chasing after 3 little ones). Now, I'm eating no bread, tons of veggies, very very little processed sugar and going for a 30-45 minute brisk walk every night. I'm also breastfeeding my 7 month old which I think helps. In the beginning a lot of it was water weight but now it's coming off at about 2 lbs/week. 

Progress update:
6/5: 147
6/13: 145 lbs

6/19: 143 lbs
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 20, 2017, 09:23:19 AM
Nice job with the weight loss wintertell! Congrats elaine amj on the race!

I ate absolutely horribly all weekend. Today I am paying for it, and last night my stomach was hurting from all the rich food. I need to get back to my routine asap! I clocked in on the scale this morning at 131.8 (posting that for accountability even though it's not an official weigh day), and that is NOT ok by me. So. Here I am, and here I will stay.

You just put on some weight to make me feel better :)

We'll get rid of it together!

Haha elaine amj, yes that was it exactly. :)

I have found that I do better in short increments. Like if I say I'm going to eat healthy/lose weight/exercise or whatever, I have to put an end date on it. Then when I get there, I start over with a new date in the future. Currently, my sister is pregnant and due in August, at which time I will travel to where they live and visit. That is my short term goal (1/2 to 1 lb per week until then). Once I get there, I will probably bump it out to CMC or Christmas, or whatever next event it is. For me, they can only be a few months in advance, and usually have to involve seeing/meeting people I don't see all the time (something I want to look good for). YMMV but I thought I would share what seems to work best for me. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on June 20, 2017, 07:25:43 PM
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15
Week11:-16
Week12:-18

Week13-15:-19
Week16:-21
Week17:-22

Slow going but it's still going.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 20, 2017, 08:20:36 PM
Nice job with the weight loss wintertell! Congrats elaine amj on the race!

I ate absolutely horribly all weekend. Today I am paying for it, and last night my stomach was hurting from all the rich food. I need to get back to my routine asap! I clocked in on the scale this morning at 131.8 (posting that for accountability even though it's not an official weigh day), and that is NOT ok by me. So. Here I am, and here I will stay.

You just put on some weight to make me feel better :)

We'll get rid of it together!

Haha elaine amj, yes that was it exactly. :)

I have found that I do better in short increments. Like if I say I'm going to eat healthy/lose weight/exercise or whatever, I have to put an end date on it. Then when I get there, I start over with a new date in the future. Currently, my sister is pregnant and due in August, at which time I will travel to where they live and visit. That is my short term goal (1/2 to 1 lb per week until then). Once I get there, I will probably bump it out to CMC or Christmas, or whatever next event it is. For me, they can only be a few months in advance, and usually have to involve seeing/meeting people I don't see all the time (something I want to look good for). YMMV but I thought I would share what seems to work best for me.


Good point. My current goal is to look decent for my Disney trip (with my skinny SIL lol) in August. I MUST get to 130 lbs!!!! There'll be way too many photos :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 21, 2017, 04:51:07 PM
Ok! Here we go to August then!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 23, 2017, 08:59:09 AM
Friday weigh-in:

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs....May 19: 135.7 lbs...May 26: 135.8 lbs
Jun 2: 135.4 lbs...June 9: 134 lbs.....Jun 16: 131.8 lbs...June 23: 132 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 7.6 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs
(current trendweight: 133.7 lbs)

I've not been too crazy about my numbers all week. I blame muscle recovery (and maybe a wee bit of overeating LOL!) after my big 6 hour race on Saturday. I've been weighing in at about 134/135 all week. So was really careful about food intake from Monday onwards (although I was probably sneaking in a little too many extra bites of this and that). Today, I finally got my whoosh today and clocked in at 132 lbs, which I am happy with. The hard part will be not going crazy and eating a lot (which is how I often celebrate a successful number on my scale).

I'm REALLY hopeful I can drop the last 2 pounds in 2 more weeks, which is when I plan to hit a bunch of thrift stores for clothes for my August trip.

That said - we'll see how clothes fit. I'm not where I was last year yet based on fit. And trendweight shows that I'm at about 133.7 lbs. Much as I prefer looking at my actual scale, I know trendweight is pretty accurate - especially since I feel at about that weight. Which means almost FOUR pounds to go. Oh well, that's a pound less than a week ago! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 26, 2017, 08:29:48 AM
Welp....I went on a crazy eating binge at dinner on Saturday. We hosted our home church and I was going to be sensible - prepping a nice big salad for DH and me. Unfortunately, I also decided to serve garlic bread. That was my downfall. I ate one slice and it was soooo good that before I knew it, I had eaten 3 slices. ACK! Then at midnight, I had some of my nemesis, cheese puffs - and ate THE WHOLE BAG.

*sigh* oh well. One day won't kill me so I pushed it aside and moved on. The last couple of days, I've hung in pretty steady with my weight and only gained a teeny bit from Saturday's binge.

On Sunday, DH and I rode our bikes to his office as he needed to get some stuff done. Beautiful. I'd add a 30 min bike ride + a 30 min run while he was doing it. First time I've been able to workout since my big race last Saturday. He took a bit longer than expected and I continued running while he finished up. Next thing I know, I had been running for almost an HOUR! (Never done more than 30 mins before). I was sooo thrilled. I did get him to slow wayy down on the 30 min bike ride home as I was feeling rather jelly-like after that.

So I did:
- 1.5 hr total bike riding
- 1 hr run

Have to admit I overdid it a bit. I was wiped when I got home. Had to help my son study (Grade 9 finals this week!) and I was laying on his bed snoozing while "helping".
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 26, 2017, 08:40:33 AM
I ate like a crazy person all weekend. Sigh.

I hear people say they eat more in the winter when they want comfort food and their bodies want to bulk up, but I think I have more trouble in the summer when ice cream, cold drinks, and bbq are looking me in the face. Oh well, at least it was only two days of badness. Hopefully I can shake it off.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 26, 2017, 09:39:52 AM
I ate like a crazy person all weekend. Sigh.

I hear people say they eat more in the winter when they want comfort food and their bodies want to bulk up, but I think I have more trouble in the summer when ice cream, cold drinks, and bbq are looking me in the face. Oh well, at least it was only two days of badness. Hopefully I can shake it off.

From my regular experiments (all in the name of science of course!), 1-2 days really has minimal impact. Yes it still has calories and yes, it still adds up. But what makes the most difference is what you eat about 80% of the time. So time to get back to "normal eating" this week! :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on June 26, 2017, 10:04:18 AM
I'll add a vote that one day rarely has a huge effect. Maybe ups your weight for 3 days max.
Onwards and Downwards (ha!)

Now for my weekly progress update:
6/5: 147
6/13: 145 lbs
6/19: 143 lbs

6/26: 141 lbs

Only 1 lb away from my goal! Buttttt this week's going to be rough as we have a whole bunch of get togethers where I'm pretty sure I won't stick to the 95% healthy eating I've been doing. So, my goal is to hold steady through til next Monday and then keep the downward trend.

Cheers to a fun summer week!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 26, 2017, 11:15:56 AM
I'll add a vote that one day rarely has a huge effect. Maybe ups your weight for 3 days max.
Onwards and Downwards (ha!)

Now for my weekly progress update:
6/5: 147
6/13: 145 lbs
6/19: 143 lbs

6/26: 141 lbs

Only 1 lb away from my goal! Buttttt this week's going to be rough as we have a whole bunch of get togethers where I'm pretty sure I won't stick to the 95% healthy eating I've been doing. So, my goal is to hold steady through til next Monday and then keep the downward trend.

Cheers to a fun summer week!

WOOT!! You are SO close!!!! And I love your plan. Hold steady at maintenance this week and get back in gear next week.

I'm in the last 2-3 pounds of my 130 lb goal myself and have been getting excited. And then of course, last night (a 12:45am no less), I picked up some old college photos of myself when I hovered around 120 lbs. Then started dreaming of how cool it would be to get down to that weight again. Hard to ever be satisfied, isn't it? Oh well - my first goal is 130 lbs and with all your help, I. WILL. DO. IT!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on June 26, 2017, 11:33:00 AM

I'm in the last 2-3 pounds of my 130 lb goal myself and have been getting excited. And then of course, last night (a 12:45am no less), I picked up some old college photos of myself when I hovered around 120 lbs. Then started dreaming of how cool it would be to get down to that weight again. Hard to ever be satisfied, isn't it? Oh well - my first goal is 130 lbs and with all your help, I. WILL. DO. IT!!!

Ha it's funny that you mention that. I know as soon as I hit 140, i'll have my eyes on 130. We'll see where my body plateaus. and YES you will get there! It's amazing how support can be such a motivator.

That said..Now that i've lost about 25 lbs (and after 3 kids in 4 1/2 years!), I'm finding that I'm really needing to tone up. A lot.
So,  I was thinking gym membership for group fitness classes or possibly a personal trainer (not very mustachian at all!). Anyone gone that route or just working out at home? I just want to be toned to go along with the lower weight!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on June 26, 2017, 04:36:08 PM
I've been in a horrible mindset for the last month or so. I can't 100% place what's going wrong in my brain, which is making it that much harder to get over it and get back on track. I seem to have no mental capacity to stick to my healthy eating regime and I'd been doing so well! I've now regained about 10 pounds of the 35 that I had lost. Sigh. I hate to have to re-lose the same weight, but at this point I'd settle for being able to stop the upward progression.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 26, 2017, 10:34:46 PM
I've been in a horrible mindset for the last month or so. I can't 100% place what's going wrong in my brain, which is making it that much harder to get over it and get back on track. I seem to have no mental capacity to stick to my healthy eating regime and I'd been doing so well! I've now regained about 10 pounds of the 35 that I had lost. Sigh. I hate to have to re-lose the same weight, but at this point I'd settle for being able to stop the upward progression.

Izybat - I was in your shoes just a short time ago. In December I piled on nearly 10 lbs of the 25lbs I worked so hard to lose last year. Then Jan - March struggled to lose it but got nowhere. And then something clicked. Not sure what. And I've been losing steadily (slowly though)since.

I don't really know what changed - but I'd start with not beating yourself up. Liking myself makes losing weight much easier. When I am hard on myself - I just binge eat for comfort.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 27, 2017, 05:58:13 AM
I've been in a horrible mindset for the last month or so. I can't 100% place what's going wrong in my brain, which is making it that much harder to get over it and get back on track. I seem to have no mental capacity to stick to my healthy eating regime and I'd been doing so well! I've now regained about 10 pounds of the 35 that I had lost. Sigh. I hate to have to re-lose the same weight, but at this point I'd settle for being able to stop the upward progression.

Izybat - I was in your shoes just a short time ago. In December I piled on nearly 10 lbs of the 25lbs I worked so hard to lose last year. Then Jan - March struggled to lose it but got nowhere. And then something clicked. Not sure what. And I've been losing steadily (slowly though)since.

I don't really know what changed - but I'd start with not beating yourself up. Liking myself makes losing weight much easier. When I am hard on myself - I just binge eat for comfort.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I too put half of what I lost back on.  Between winter and too many self improvement goals.  I am not back to where I want to be by any means but I am ok hanging out here for a while.  I am consolidating a few habits - not drinking pop, increasing the fruits and veg intake and having a solid breakfast with protein. I like to think that I am working on the whole self.  And even just halting the pound or four year over year increase is no small success. 

IMO having young children is demanding on resources (and I only had 2).  Focus on being a good enough parent.  Some smaller goals such as eating at the table with them every now and then, having outdoor fun, enjoying the world around, modelling good sleep hygiene and learning where food comes are not too hard, fill the time and are good habits to develop. They grow up quickly. Hubs and I are noticing how much less difficult and demanding they are now that they are 13 and nearly 16.  And I am now focusing on me and hubs again.

I would like to grant you "a bit of cutting yourself some slack" permission.  You have already won half the battle really - identifying a problem and deciding to change it.  It took you how to get here?  Lots of time to get to the next place.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on June 27, 2017, 08:13:15 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
6/19/17    224.6 (-2.6)
6/24/17    222.4 (-2.2)

Total Loss: 42.6 lbs
Total Percent: 16.1%

After a May where I was burnt out, off track and not in a good mental place, I've finally recovered. My mind is in a good place again, first and foremost. I've switched up my routine so I am now walking in the mornings before work. This means the walk gets done most days, unless I don't sleep well the night before. But then I try for a walk in the evenings when that happens.

My theory is that I'm also dropping weight fast right now because most of May was a maintenance break, eating at higher calories. I reset my metabolism so that now my body is more responsive to cutting calories. My plan is to keep doing what I am doing until the rate slows, and then I will take another break. That break was so helpful, physically and mentally!

Also, I have been much better about cutting out emotionally eating due to stress. It seems I am more aware of when it happens, and then I think about what is causing the stress. Then I try to solve the real problem rather than eat to cope. If I'm worried I upset my MIL, I will call her. If I'm stressed about work, I'll get back to work or take a walk.

I've also tried really hard to be prepared for travel - I'm packing more/better snacks for trips, I'm buying groceries to take with me on trips so I don't eat out to cover the gap where there's no food in the house, etc.

I'm going to keep doing what I am doing - Still waiting see where this latest "whoosh" settles out for a while.

Also, I am officially in a size 20! I didn't have to buy any clothes because this was my size in college. I now fit into my full college wardrobe. I went through my closet last weekend and got rid all of the 22s and 24s that are now too big. That was a great feeling : ). Plus it is easier to get dressed because all the clothes hanging up in my closet fit; the bigger clothes are waiting to get donated in a separate room.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 27, 2017, 09:37:48 AM
@wintertell That's awesome! It feels soooo good to get back into clothes you've had collecting dust for a while :)

As for me - I'm super excited to report that I actually saw the magic 130 on the scale this morning!!!! (well, it was actually 130.8, but who's counting?). Been trying for this since January!! now, I know this is just a "fake" low and my actual weight is a pound or two more and it will bounce up over the next day or two. I mean, I was 132.2 lbs yesterday lol. Trendweight says I'm 133.1 lbs. But that's OK - it means I'm soooo close to my goal! Just a wee bit more to go.

I am headed out clothes shopping in 2 weeks for my big August trip. I'm now super hopeful that I can get close enough to my goal by then!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on June 27, 2017, 10:45:36 AM
Woohoo elaine amj! You're almost there!!

Wintertell that is awesome. You are coming right along.

Nice going everyone!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on June 29, 2017, 01:33:10 PM
Sounds like everyone's going a bit off the rails so I'm in good company here. I ate a ridiculous amount yesterday and the weekend is not over, and I have two enormous cupcakes on the counter that I will definitely not be letting go to waste. Sigh. My weight is creeping up, and even when I don't weigh myself I can feel it on my body. I'm going to have to double down in June.

This! I think you nailed why I struggled for years with weight management (losing, then gaining again, repeat). I was raised to not waste as I suspect many Mustachians were likewise (or have since developed a strong habit to not waste).

Learning moderation was very difficult for me and I had to balance practicing moderation against my very strong desire to not waste.

Reply #1404 on January 12th in this thread documents my journey to finally achieving the balance I so longed for.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on June 30, 2017, 07:51:39 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
6/19/17    224.6 (-2.6)
6/24/17    222.4 (-2.2)
6/30/17    220 (-2.4)

Total Loss: 45 lbs
Total Percent: 17%

Y'ALL! For some reason I am dropping like crazy this week. I woke up this morning at 220 even on the scale, which means exactly a 45 lb loss or 17% body fat since Dec. 6th.

I've been eating my normal meals totaling up between 1750-1900 calories a day. Plus taking daily walks from 30min-1hr either in the morning or the evening. And that's it, nothing else.

I'm eating at maintenance today / making today a rest day and then will go back a deficit tomorrow. I'm interested in seeing how long this big drop will continue!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on June 30, 2017, 08:36:55 AM

Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs   
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2
April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143.8
May 13: 145
May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8
June 9: 143.6
June 16: 142.8
June 30: 144.6

Add me to the list of people struggling. Also, I am frustrated because I've really stepped up my exercise. I'm walking at least 40  minutes a day for the last three weeks and added 30 minutes of biking a few times a week as well. I thought it would give me the bump I need to stay at 142.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for next week. We are visiting my in-laws for the holiday and they only eat salads and trail mix so I should definitely lose a couple of pounds while there.



Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 30, 2017, 09:49:26 AM
@wintertell Yay for the whoosh!!! It's always so exciting when it happens!

@Starbright I find when I up physical activity, I can get into my danger zone. I usually end up convincing myself I can eat a wee bit more and I get more relaxed about food intake (sometimes unconsciously). Some years ago, I was in intense training for an event and biked 2-3 hours a day 4-5 days a week. I gained weight. I can't outwalk the amount of food I can eat!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on June 30, 2017, 09:54:53 AM
Friday weigh-in:

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs....May 19: 135.7 lbs...May 26: 135.8 lbs
Jun 2: 135.4 lbs...June 9: 134 lbs.....Jun 16: 131.8 lbs...June 23: 132 lbs.....June 30: 130.8 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 8.8 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs
(current trendweight: 132.6 lbs)

Soooo close I can taste it!!! Been holding steady in the 130s for the past 3 days!! Going to be rather relaxed about food through the weekend and then back to work next week! Hopefully I'll get rid of that final pound next week!

Plus, my theory is right. For some reason, around 131 lbs, my body shape shifts and all of a sudden, it's looks like I dropped a size compared to 133 lbs. It's so odd that is such a noticeable (to me) difference - but the same thing happened last year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on July 01, 2017, 01:21:40 PM
Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 8.8 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs
(current trendweight: 132.6 lbs)

Soooo close I can taste it!!! Been holding steady in the 130s for the past 3 days!! Going to be rather relaxed about food through the weekend and then back to work next week! Hopefully I'll get rid of that final pound next week!

Plus, my theory is right. For some reason, around 131 lbs, my body shape shifts and all of a sudden, it's looks like I dropped a size compared to 133 lbs. It's so odd that is such a noticeable (to me) difference - but the same thing happened last year.

Congrats on your progress and being so close to your goal!

Possibly you built extra muscle mass? Or those last two pounds reduce body fat by that key percentage where all the muscle underneath becomes much more noticeable?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bicycle_B on July 01, 2017, 05:18:32 PM
Hi everyone.  Cross posting (sort of) from the Strength and Fitness thread because it finally dawned on me - what I'm doing this this year is losing fat, that's more like the Losing Weight thread than gaining strength.  Lost 9 1/2 pounds in 4 months.  Details below. 

5'8" male.  Starting points on March 1:  33% body fat, near sedentary lifestyle (former runner, got out of the habit), 166 lbs.  Had gained 20+ lbs in 3 years and was accelerating; on track for 175 lbs by end of year.

Input goal: Run 130x in 2017 (13/month). 
To date: Mar 5x, Apr 5x, May 9x, June 13x.

Results goal:  Drop from 33% body fat to 30% or below.
To date:  Now 30%!

Notes:  In mid-May, joined a community track training group.  Has been helping a lot.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on July 01, 2017, 07:43:01 PM
Well, weighed in today. I lost .2 lbs this week, which there was absolutely no reason for as I did everything wrong. Either way, I'll take it and work from here. I'm trying to get my mind right again so that I can get back on track with weight loss. Overall I've regained about 10 lbs in the last month, so now I just need to accept it, move on, and get back on track.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 01, 2017, 11:02:06 PM
@financiallypossible It's one of those weird things about weight loss. Even though I believe it comes down to the simple math of Calories In - Calories Out, its true - weight loss is not linear.

@Bicycle B: Welcome!!! And congratulations on changing your lifestyle from sedentary to active! That's a pretty amazing transformation. I too was a sedentary couch potato and I am still getting blown away by the things I can do now. I like that I can still surprise myself.

@Izybat It was just a blip in the journey. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 07, 2017, 11:08:22 PM
Friday weigh-in:

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs....May 19: 135.7 lbs...May 26: 135.8 lbs
Jun 2: 135.4 lbs...June 9: 134 lbs.....Jun 16: 131.8 lbs...June 23: 132 lbs.....June 30: 130.8 lbs
July 7: 130.8 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 8.8 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs
(current trendweight: 132 lbs)

Hit that TOM so I was bloated and my weight swung upwards for this past week. Today, it finally dropped again and I am back to last week's weight. I was careful all week so should see another whoosh soon.

That said, its the weekend now and I always eat more. I have a lot of eating planned for the next 2 weeks due to various things I am doing. Free food at work until Tuesday and then I am off on vacation. No biggie - going to enjoy it thoroughly:) My birthday is next week and I started the celebrations tonight :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brooklynmoney on July 08, 2017, 07:20:41 AM
Congrats and Happy Birthday ElaineAMJ! I started at 138 last September with the goal of getting to 130. I'm now consistently below that and have even started regularly seeing 125 even though I stopped actively tracking. It's amazing what is possible in both weight loss and finance with hard work and dedication!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on July 08, 2017, 10:40:42 AM
So, I gained 1.4 lbs this week, all due to my crappy eating and drinking. Howeve, I'm finally (after like 5-6 weeks) feeling like I'm getting my motivation back. I think it has a lot to do with joining the Uber Frugal Month challenge, during which I plan to cut out all dining out and alcohol purchases. That should help my weight loss in a BIG way.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on July 08, 2017, 10:45:54 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
6/19/17    224.6 (-2.6)
6/24/17    222.4 (-2.2)
6/30/17    220 (-2.4)
7/8/17      219.6 (-.4)

Total Loss: 45.4 lbs
Total Percent: 17.1%

After huge drops the last couple of weeks, I settled in to around 220 this week. I just saw the 210s for the first time this morning! Gotta keep up the progress! Also, I went shopping last week for the 4th of July sales and was able to fill out my wardrobe with new clothes in a size 20. Yay, I am finally down to a new size! Next week is a work trip, so I am preparing as best of possible but also recognize that I might see some fluctuations on the scale next week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 09, 2017, 06:58:32 AM
@brooklynmoney Thanks :) That is so awesome that you are dropping even more than u planned. I hit diet fatigue at 130lbs last year and stopped. This time around, I am actually still feeling good so may continue for a bit more.

@Izybat There's just something that changes when u finally have the motivation. I cannot explain it - for me it is like something clicks and then suddenly it's not that hard anymore.

@wintertell Soooo awesome to buy clothes in a smaller size! I finally dropped to my preferred dress size so hit up my local thrift stores for a shopping spree yesterday! Spent about $10-15 and scored some amazing things - a couple of cute tops, a couple of cute casual shorts, and best of al - a dress that is PERFECT for today's event! I needed a stylish dress that would go from day to evening for work and could not find a dress in my closet that would work. Scored a gorgeous dress for $1 from a thrift store!!!!! Love it so much :)




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on July 09, 2017, 10:08:35 AM
February 28: 256.5
May 9:          236.4
May 23:        233.0
May 28:        236.0
June 5:         235.4

Just got back from vacation last night, and I thought my weight was going to be distressing. Actually, I wouldn't have weighed myself, but I wanted to know how much bigger my puppy has gotten (19.6 to 23 lb in the last 9 days), so I had to step on.

Last night (after dinner): 235.2. I guess it wasn't nearly so bad as I was worried it might be! Basically, I lost 20lb. really fast in March and April, then I've been fluctuating, but mostly just stuck, ever since. Fortunately it's still recent enough memory that I can appreciate how much better I feel now, which gives me some motivation.

I just try to keep other good habits on track, no matter how small, and that helps me feel like I'm in control of my life, which then leads to eating in a controlled way.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Crystal1588 on July 10, 2017, 07:26:02 AM
Two weeks late on my updates but...life. ha

You guys are all doing awesome!
Elaine amj: How are you figuring your trend weight? Apologies if you explained it earlier!

6/5: 147
6/13: 145 lbs
6/19: 143 lbs
6/26: 141 lbs


7/3: 140 lbs
7/10: 139 lbs

I bit the bullet and joined a gym to get the last few lbs off and to tone up. I'm going 4x/week at 5am. I have no motivation by the time evening rolls around and so if i'm going to do it I just need to do it in the morning. I'm interested to see if my weight plateaus because of added muscle.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on July 10, 2017, 09:56:16 AM
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15
Week11:-16
Week12:-18
Week13-15:-19
Week16:-21
Week17:-22

Week18:-24
Week19:-26
Week20:-28

A few good weeks, and I hit 15% bodyweight lost!
I bit the bullet and have been exercising on the treadmill indoors.  It's getting easier with time and at least I can watch Netflix.  It's a harder workout on the incline than outdoors so I'm done faster.  About 8 weeks until the weather lets me back outside.  I want to lose another 17 pounds so I might be at maintenance by then.

Even though I'm pushing through, I'm feeling diet fatigue.  I'm worried that I won't be able to maintain any more weight lost so why bother? But I'd like to try, at least.  If I bounce up 5-10 pounds, it's better to bounce from a lower weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on July 10, 2017, 10:33:42 AM


First Tuesday of the month check in (backposting from the beginning of the month). :

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8
March 7: 123.0
April 4: 123.0
May 2: 122.6
June 6: 129.4
July 3: 131.0

Yuck. Need to head in the other direction. I give myself a C+ for my eating/tracking right now. I'm not being great about it, but I'm not completely off the rails either. Onward!

Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 10, 2017, 11:47:45 PM
@Crystal I like TrendWeight because I can login from my desktop or my phone. I manually input my weight every day on a fitbit app/website which I sync with TrendWeight (and My Fitness Pal). Then trendweight just does the math :)

@rockstache Noooooo...u can do this!! U are my inspiration and we are all totally rooting for you!!

I have to say, I have surprised myself for the past 2 days. I am currently spending time visiting a bunch of cool places, including very cool restaurants for work.This means I have the opportunity to eat a lot of very good (and free) food. I am enjoying myself and not restricting - but am actually not eating anywhere near as much as I expected.

Today I had
Breakfast - matcha muffin, cookie, iced caramel macchiato
Lunch - grilled calamari (I turned down the entree)
Snack - smoothie
Dinner - half dozen fried calamari, beef short rib with potatoes, white chocolate bark and half a small slice of key lime cheesecake (just because I felt like I had enough).

So a lot of food but I shocked myself because I usually gorge myself at these things. I was content when I had enough and didn't feel the urge to eat more just because I could. That was seriously cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on July 11, 2017, 07:41:59 AM
Friday Weigh-In:

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs
March 3:    154 lbs   
March 10: 151.6
March 17: 150.6
March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4
April 7: 148.2
April 14: 147.8
April 21: 147.2
April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143.8
May 13: 145
May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8
June 9: 143.6
June 16: 142.8
June 30: 144.6
July 11: 146.8

Sad Trombone Sound! My in-laws decided to splurge on food while we were at their house instead of the usual healthy food. My FIL made decadent meals w/coordinating cocktails and a new dessert every. single. day.

This week will be about intense concentration for me- I'm travelling for work for a couple of days and then next week I'm taking a mini trip with my mom (the focus of which was supposed to be food!).  I will be relying on my work travel recipe for success: Soup, salad, Sashimi and I cannot stray!

@rockstache - I know that feeling of weight creeping back up is frustrating, but also look at your start weight. You are still doing fantastically and we all know that you can do this!

@runrooster - you are doing wonderfully!

@izybat- I'm doing the uber frugal month challenge too (though I haven't actually posted in the thread). DH and I just made a commitment to buy no more drinks (DH loves a manhattan a few nights a week while he works on lesson plans and I love Pimms in the summer.)

Congrats to everyone else who is kicking butt and welcome to the new folks to the thread.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on July 12, 2017, 05:07:29 PM
Starbright I'm so sorry to admit that I laughed at your "sad trombone sound," right out loud. Thanks for your encouragement, you're so right, I have come a long way and I'm not giving up! 122.8 I'm coming for you again!! You're doing really well too. If someone made me a meal with matching cocktail and dessert, I promise you I would have put on more than 2 lbs!!

Thanks Elaine amj....I think it's time for you to be the inspiration. Your activity level is something I can only dream about! I love hearing that you are eating what you want to without overdoing it, great job!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 15, 2017, 06:54:35 AM
Friday weigh-in:

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs....May 19: 135.7 lbs...May 26: 135.8 lbs
Jun 2: 135.4 lbs...June 9: 134 lbs.....Jun 16: 131.8 lbs...June 23: 132 lbs.....June 30: 130.8 lbs
July 7: 130.8 lbs...July 12: 129.2 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 10.4 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

Well, getting food poisoning/stomach flu wasn't a recommended way to lose weight. Been sick since Tuesday. It's now Saturday and am still not 100%. Barely ate any food from Tuesday to Thursday. On Friday I finally felt hungry and ate enthusiastically. But have had stomach issues after each meal :( Think I am going to eat extremely lightly today (ie maybe a few pieces of dry toast at various times).

I weighed in on Wednesday last and was 129.2. Likely am lighter by now (Saturday) considering how little food I have eaten.

Looking for every silver lining possible. It was my birthday this week PLUS I'm tent camping with my favourite friends in my favourite Ontario park. Sucks to be sick. Oh well, we are still having fun :) And after we say goodbye to our friends on Sunday, we drive on to cottage country for a week in a beautiful cottage on a riverbank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on July 15, 2017, 11:53:00 AM
My mind is finally back on track. I tracked everything I ate this week (well, 95% of it anyway), and I managed to lose 3.8 lbs! That's awesome considering I had regained close to 12 lbs in the last six weeks. It's super nice to be going in the right direction again.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on July 15, 2017, 02:56:02 PM
Aww Elaine amj! I was just gearing up to throw you a celebratory post about getting under your goal when I read the rest of it. Sick on your birthday is no fun - I'm really sorry.

I think you should get better as soon as you can and then eat cake.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 16, 2017, 12:42:42 AM
@izybat Yayyyy That is soo awesome!! I know exactly what it is like to pile on weight so quickly and then struggle to lose it again.

@rockstache Ooooo...I want cake in my future. Going to have to hunt down a decadent bakery next week. If that fails (we'll be deep in cottage country), I already have plans to have cake with my coworkers when I am back in the office week after next.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 17, 2017, 07:11:29 AM
Longish time without a post.
I am hovering around 132. 
I think things are kind of settling into a routine so I can attempt a wider variety of improvements.

Eating a great variety of fresh vegetables and fruits.  Gardens are producing heaps of fresh produce so having salads almost every day - and holding the cheese and dressing.
Really doing well at minimizing soft drinks, snacking and alcoholic beverages.  My soda stream is my friend - lime juice, a sprig of mint with the tiniest amount of sugar in the bubbly water seems to be just as tasty as a coke.  Also making the odd unsweetened iced tea.

I am also working a way at my landscaping project.  I am trying to get in two hours three days a week.  It is really slow going but I do make progress, get really sweaty but haven't hurt myself.  It is more of a workout thing that may (in two years) result in a garden at the back.  Mosquitoes are brutal and two hours seems like an eternity.  I may have to increase the time once I get the prep done.  But two hours gets a trench done for a drain line or some other step done so I don't feel so overwhelmed.

ElaineMJ:  when recovering from food poisoning give you tum time to heal - lots of clear liquids to keep you hydrated.

And bravo to everyone keeping on their tracks.

 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on July 17, 2017, 07:51:02 AM

Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Current weight: 143.8

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs, March 3: 154 lbs,    March 10: 151.6, March 17: 150.6,  March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4, April 7: 148.2, April 14: 147.8, April 21: 147.2, April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143, May 13: 145, May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8, June 9: 143.6, June 16: 142.8, June 30: 144.6
July 11: 146.8
July 17: 143.8

I ate super "clean" all last week and banished the vacation water weight. I also stuck to my plan of eating salads for my work trip last week - yay!

Next hurdle - 3 day minibreak with my mom. We're heading to Mackinac and had plans to taste test fudge from every single shop on the island. My new plan is keep the planned fudge tasting but also do one bike loop around the island for every fudge shop we hit (the loop is 8 miles) so that should keep me in check.

Our garden is starting to produce more than the odd snack so we had a lovely beet green quiche yesterday and today will be homemade pesto tossed with the first of our greenbeans and a few potatoes (and a chicken sausage on the side for protein). This is our first time gardening in the upperish mid-west and all of the food is coming about a month later than it used to in North Carolina. I can't wait to live on tomato sandwiches in a week or two.

@elainemj- hope you feel better!

@frugal lizard - that sounds like quite the landscaping project! Good for you, I would have given up once the mosquitoes hit.

@rockstache - I sort of would love a scale that makes a sad trombone noise when I gain weight. Maybe the sound of an angelic choir when I lose? I wouldn't even need to look at the numbers.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on July 22, 2017, 10:12:07 PM
@Frugal Lizard Love hearing about all that delicious fresh produce from your garden!!!

@Starbright Your Mackinac plans sound fantastic. I like that u are fitting in treats and then figuring out a way to make it work for your weight loss plans. I am typically super active on vacations (I get excited) so rarely put on much weight despite eating a ton.

Friday weigh-in:

Jan 1: 139.6 lbs...Jan 6: 137.8 lbs....Jan 13: 139.2 lbs...Jan 20: 138 lbs.....Jan 27: 139.2 lbs
Feb 3: 138.6 lbs...Feb 10: 142 lbs.....Feb 17: 141.2 lbs...Feb 23: 140.4 lbs
Mar 3: 140.2 lbs...Mar 13: 144.6 lbs..Mar 16: 143.8 lbs...Mar 23: 140.8 lbs..Mar 30: 141.2 lbs
Apr 7: 139.2 lbs...Apr 14: 139.2 lbs..Apr 21: 138.4 lbs...Apr 28: 139.6 lbs
May 5: 136.6 lbs..May 12: 135 lbs....May 19: 135.7 lbs...May 26: 135.8 lbs
Jun 2: 135.4 lbs...June 9: 134 lbs.....Jun 16: 131.8 lbs...June 23: 132 lbs.....June 30: 130.8 lbs
July 7: 130.8 lbs...July 12: 129.2 lbs...July 22: 129.6 lbs

Start weight: 139.6 lbs
Weight lost: 10 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, I am mostly recovered from being sick although it took a full week to feel normal again. And now almost 2 weeks later, my tummy still gets upset easily. *sigh*

Sucks that it happened during a vacation week. Oh well, I had a wonderful time and managed to devour yummy butter tarts, local ice cream, and piles of chips. Oh I also balanced it by spending 2-3 hours in the river most days - canoeing and swimming.

Came home last night and based on today's weigh-in, am settled in the 129 range. We'll see what the scale says tomorrow.

I got some disappointing news though - I checked the BMI calculator and am still overweight :( :(  Looks like I have to drop a couple more pounds to 127 lbs to be normal weight for my 5ft height.

So more work ahead. 3 more weeks before the next big vacay!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on July 23, 2017, 06:52:18 AM
Weigh in from yesterday has me down .2 lbs, which I'll actually take. I started the week mostly fine, but went off the rails for dinner several times. I'm actually just happy I didn't gain. This week, back to tracking and back to eating on plan!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Allie on July 24, 2017, 02:07:04 PM
I heard this was the place for recent mfp calorie slashers to get support...

I gained a bunch of weight during a long, sedentary vacation and am really trying to get healthy.  I'm doing OK, I think. 

When I started, June 4, I was at 147.  Last time I weighed myself before my scale gave up the ghost last week, I was at 140, and that was the 17th maybe.  But, my scale went crazy before it stopped working, so I wonder if any of this is accurate.  I'll have to start over with a new baseline when the new scale gets here. 

First goal is to get back to 135, which was where I was before the vacation.  If that isn't too painful, I'll keep it up.  Before my last pregnancy (5years ago) I was 125.  It would be nice to either be there again, but I also need to get some muscle and endurance and such.  Focus on 135, then maybe make some fitness goals to focus on, then maybe weight again! 

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: KBecks on July 25, 2017, 04:03:06 PM
I'm joining in also.  I've gotten quite heavy in the past year or so, and now at a big for me 192.  My goal is to lose 2 pounds in 2 weeks, and then move on from there.  Hopefully 1 lb a week loss for several months.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Izybat on July 25, 2017, 06:52:28 PM
I think I've pinpointed my problem recently with my weight loss. Whenever you're trying to do something that goes against the grain or against your nature, it's helpful to have a very clear "why". Why do you want to lose weight? Or, for this crowd, "Why do you want to save an exorbitant percentage of your income?"  For me, the fact that I just do NOT want to do my job anymore means that I have a very strong "Why" for frugality and being smart about money. However, whenever I've tried to come up with a strong "why" for losing weight, none of them really seem to work. I have a lot of whys, but none seem to be strong enough.

"I want to be healthy."
"I want to fit into my clothes."
"I want to not hate photos of myself."
"I don't want to get my parent's diseases."
even the one that goes like this:
"I want to lose weight so I can lessen the chance of severe back pain" (I have a chronic condition that certainly isn't helped by extra weight.)

Unfortunately, of late, my why's aren't strong enough. They aren't stopping me from eating garbage, and they aren't strong enough to keep me working out. I'm not sure what it's going to take.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Allie on July 25, 2017, 08:16:17 PM
New scale arrived!  Either the old scale was off or I gained 2lb in 6 days despite exercise and hunger

142
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on July 26, 2017, 05:53:04 AM

Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Current weight: 146

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs, March 3: 154 lbs,    March 10: 151.6, March 17: 150.6,  March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4, April 7: 148.2, April 14: 147.8, April 21: 147.2, April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143, May 13: 145, May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8, June 9: 143.6, June 16: 142.8, June 30: 144.6
July 11: 146.8,
July 17: 143.8
July 26: 146

I actually did GREAT in Mackinac and was surprised to see my weight jump back up again. Mom and I would usually split some sort of salad and protein at most of meals, fudge was kept to a minimum (my eyes are always bigger than my stomach when it comes to fudge) and even drinks were kept to a minimum. I only had a one Rum Runner a day!

Miles biked: 48 over three days
Miles walked: about 12 over 3 days

Welcome new folks! We don't always post a ton over here since we've been here a long time - but we're super supportive and welcoming!

@Izybat - I know exactly what you are talking about! I'm having a hard time caring about my current weight too. My "why" is usually that I don't want to go above a certain number. That is about the only thing I can really get myself to care about. If I look back over my numbers it is also pretty clear my motivation drops way off when I get a couple of pounds below that number. I don't remember your numbers but if you are within, or close to, "healthy" BMI - maybe just don't worry about it too much?

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on July 26, 2017, 07:32:51 AM
Hi everyone, and welcome KBecks and Allie!

My bff came to visit this past weekend and she tends to eat a lot worse than I do, plus she's pregnant, so also ate a lot more often than I do. My weight spiked a bit, but has already started going back down since she left - thank goodness. This morning I was at 130. I'm hoping that for next week's first-tuesday-of-the-month weigh in, I will be in the 120s again.

I'm tracking sort of half in MFP and half on an excel spreadsheet at work. I like the spreadsheet better, but MFP is mobile, which makes it easier when I'm out and about. Hopefully the combo works out.

Great job with all the activity and will power on your vacation StarBright!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 26, 2017, 08:09:02 AM
@Izybat - I think I am in a similar place.
All those beautiful smaller clothes in my closet are still there because I am not ready to admit they don't fit yet.  And looking at photos- I don't accept that I look that old.
BUT
It is not that I have a huge problem now that I have stopped the ascent.  Holding steady at 132 for the past four months approximately is not the end of the world and I can't get the motivation going to get back down to my original goal.  It is so easy to creep back up as I observed last winter.  I now see how easily it could be a pound or four per year of creep.  And over twenty years - that would be awful.

I have not been super active in trying to meet my goal - or any of the huge goals in other areas of my life that I have set myself- it can be overwhelming.  But checking in here to help with the holding steady is super helpful and if I halt the weight gain creep - that will actually be a huge achievement.  Just like starting to save money and stop buying stuff I don't need.

I am definitely eating better food by making conscious eating choices and I kind of hold you people in my heart when I am shopping or making dinner. 

I really enjoy the support and this is not something I am able to share with my real life friends and family.


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Allie on July 26, 2017, 03:25:02 PM
I just realized that 1200 is the lowest calorie level mfp has.  It doesn't matter how small I am or how much I want to lose.  I have to eat way less than even the 1200 to lose more than a little weight.  Or exercise like crazy.  :-( 

I'm very much regretting all the road snacks I ate on my last trip.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: KBecks on July 26, 2017, 03:35:03 PM
Allie, have you calculated your calories needed for survival?  If you are eating too few calories your metabolism will slow down.   

I'm in this MFP group called Eat More 2 Weigh Less.  Haven't been following closely, but it might be interesting to take a look:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3817-eat-more-2-weigh-less

Here's a calculator that's telling me I should be eating 2200 calories a day.  I'm eating at less than that now and probably could eat a little more.  Right now, it's a grand experiment.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/weight-loss-calculator/

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Allie on July 26, 2017, 06:45:46 PM
Fear not!  I'm not eating less than is necessary for survival.  I was just noting that mfp can't adjust down and doesn't tell you it's pegged.  If I were super inactive, there is no way I'd be losing a lb a week and mfp doesn't tell me that.  I can see how that would lead to some people being disappointed in their progress.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: KBecks on July 26, 2017, 07:29:37 PM
Calorie counting is weird and I think there is some imprecision to it also, or, at least the way I do it.  At the gym where I work they have a tool for measuring your metabolism and apparently it can tell you exactly how many calories you should eat.  I have not done it, but might if I struggle.  I do not have a fit bit and have been guesstimating my workout calories burned, on the low side, I think!  We'll see how it goes over the first couple weeks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brooklynmoney on July 26, 2017, 09:28:51 PM
Fear not!  I'm not eating less than is necessary for survival.  I was just noting that mfp can't adjust down and doesn't tell you it's pegged.  If I were super inactive, there is no way I'd be losing a lb a week and mfp doesn't tell me that.  I can see how that would lead to some people being disappointed in their progress.

MFP would give me very stern warnings when I consumed less than 1200 calories in a day and would not give the "if you keep eating like this you would weigh x in one month message." They are trying to be reponsible I think and discourage disordered eating. Not to say that is what you are doing at all, that's just my guess to explain why you can't set your target below that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on August 01, 2017, 12:13:00 PM



First Tuesday of the month check in:

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8
March 7: 123.0
April 4: 123.0
May 2: 122.6
June 6: 129.4
July 3: 131.0
August 1: 129.2

Ok! Trending down again finally so I'll take it. It's going to be a tough month of work travel and vacations, so it might be hard to stay on track, but I'll do my best. :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Bicycle_B on August 05, 2017, 11:55:09 AM

Well, getting food poisoning/stomach flu wasn't a recommended way to lose weight.

Duly noted.

Five month check-in (even though I joined the thread 1 month ago).  Continued gradual progress. 

Input Goal: Run 130x / 10 months = 13x/month.
Performance:  Mar 5x, April 5x, May 9x, June 13x, May 12x.
Total runs 44, avg 8.8/month,  68% of target rate.  Slow start, now on track.

Results Goal:  Drop from 33% body fat to 30%.
Results: Body fat now 28.75%.  Winning!

Notes:  Dropped from 164.8 lbs to 151.5 lbs so far.  Still tweaking measurement skills... finally dawned on me to properly measure the weight of my clothes.  So, I started out a pound or so less than stated previously.  Waist down from 39.25 inches to 36.25.  Continuing track workouts that started in mid-May.  By appearance, am getting more toned.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on August 07, 2017, 06:50:00 PM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
6/19/17    224.6 (-2.6)
6/24/17    222.4 (-2.2)
6/30/17    220 (-2.4)
7/8/17      219.6 (-.4)
8/7/17      215.2 (-4.4)

Total Loss: 49.8 lbs
Total Percent: 18.8%

I'm so, so close to 50lbs lost! I should hit 215 tomorrow morning or the day after if I stay on track! I had a slower month due to a wedding and a work trip, but I"m still really happy with 1lb/week loss in July.

My plan is another two weeks of weight loss and then a two week maintenance break. I'm taking a two week break every 12 weeks. Depending on how far from that 50lbs loss I can get in the next week I might start it a bit early - I'd like to see a least a lb of padding before I go into maintenance for those two weeks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: financiallypossible on August 08, 2017, 06:58:56 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
6/19/17    224.6 (-2.6)
6/24/17    222.4 (-2.2)
6/30/17    220 (-2.4)
7/8/17      219.6 (-.4)
8/7/17      215.2 (-4.4)

Total Loss: 49.8 lbs
Total Percent: 18.8%

I'm so, so close to 50lbs lost! I should hit 215 tomorrow morning or the day after if I stay on track! I had a slower month due to a wedding and a work trip, but I"m still really happy with 1lb/week loss in July.

My plan is another two weeks of weight loss and then a two week maintenance break. I'm taking a two week break every 12 weeks. Depending on how far from that 50lbs loss I can get in the next week I might start it a bit early - I'd like to see a least a lb of padding before I go into maintenance for those two weeks.

This is amazing work wintertell! You should also expect your weight loss rate to decelerate as you get closer to your final goal (unless you introduce extremely high levels of exercise). What is your final goal?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on August 08, 2017, 07:24:12 AM
This is amazing work wintertell! You should also expect your weight loss rate to decelerate as you get closer to your final goal (unless you introduce extremely high levels of exercise). What is your final goal?

Thanks financiallypossible! I'm not sure what my final goal is. I'm aiming for under 200 by mid-December so I can take the holidays off. Then I think my next big goal will be <174 so I bump from obese to the overweight category. Then I will probably take a much longer break of a least a month, maybe two before continuing onward.

I was a size 16 junior year of high school and a size 18 senior year of high school, so who knows what I will feel like doing once I get back to that size 16. I'm not sure if I will want to continue onward or just stay there for a while.

Taking it one day at a time right now : )
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on August 08, 2017, 12:43:32 PM
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15
Week11:-16
Week12:-18
Week13-15:-19
Week16:-21
Week17:-22
Week18:-24
Week19:-26
Week20:-28
Week21:-27
Week22:-30
Week23:-31
Week24:-32

Averaging 1 pound/week, for no obvious reason.  Guess my metabolism is slowing down. At least its not a total stall.  I'll take it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on August 09, 2017, 08:00:27 AM
Runrooster and Wintertell - you guys are kicking *ss!

Well done
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on August 10, 2017, 10:50:37 PM
It feels like ages since I have checked in. Been crazy busy for the past little while and still running off my feet. I go on my amazing 2 week Disney extravaganza in just 2 more sleeps!!!

I'll try to post a weigh in tomorrow. In the meantime, I am happy to report that despite some bouncing around due to water weight and bloating, I have hit a new low of 128.8 lbs this morning. Looks like I am firmly in the 129/130 range! Very happy to finally hit my goal weight. Finally feeling good in what I wear and when taking photos (although some angles of me still look horrible!)

I think I want to continue dropping (I really need to drop another 5 lbs to finally have a "normal" BMI again) but I will reassess after I come back from vacation. We will be eating a LOT (I have had my meals planned out for months!!) but hope with all the walking, the damage won't be more than an extra couple of pounds. I plan to fit in as much extra walking as possible! My norm is usually 20,000 steps/day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on August 25, 2017, 07:28:13 AM


Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Current weight: 145

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs, March 3: 154 lbs,    March 10: 151.6, March 17: 150.6,  March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4, April 7: 148.2, April 14: 147.8, April 21: 147.2, April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143, May 13: 145, May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8, June 9: 143.6, June 16: 142.8, June 30: 144.6
July 11: 146.8,
July 17: 143.8
July 26: 146
August: 10th or so 146

I'm just hanging in at 10 pounds lost. Not sure if I should chase the last 5 or not. It just takes SO MUCH WORK to lose the last 5 pounds.

My DH has decided he wants to eat healthier though so that will definitely help! With school starting I'm also back to walking a couple of miles a day since I do the round trip walk for my kiddo twice a day.

Hope everyone is doing well with their goals.





Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on September 03, 2017, 07:15:34 PM
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15
Week11:-16
Week12:-18
Week13-15:-19
Week16:-21
Week17:-22
Week18:-24
Week19:-26
Week20:-28
Week21:-27
Week22:-30
Week23:-31
Week24:-32

Week25:-32
Week26:-34
Week27:-36
Week28:-37

Well I hit 20% lost this month.  I'm pretty thrilled that I continued to lose weight over the summer, though I wish it had been a little more.  I'm a pound away from normal weight, bmi of 25.  I'm trying to add running to my exercise regime now that the weather outside has cooled off. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 05, 2017, 02:55:18 PM
It feels like ages since I have checked in. Been crazy busy for the past little while and still running off my feet. I go on my amazing 2 week Disney extravaganza in just 2 more sleeps!!!

I'll try to post a weigh in tomorrow. In the meantime, I am happy to report that despite some bouncing around due to water weight and bloating, I have hit a new low of 128.8 lbs this morning. Looks like I am firmly in the 129/130 range! Very happy to finally hit my goal weight. Finally feeling good in what I wear and when taking photos (although some angles of me still look horrible!)

I think I want to continue dropping (I really need to drop another 5 lbs to finally have a "normal" BMI again) but I will reassess after I come back from vacation. We will be eating a LOT (I have had my meals planned out for months!!) but hope with all the walking, the damage won't be more than an extra couple of pounds. I plan to fit in as much extra walking as possible! My norm is usually 20,000 steps/day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

well, I came back from vacation last week. The food was sooo good. And we had sooo much of it! It was completely fun to let all restraint go and gorge on slushies, ice creams, desserts and all manner of junk food. Also spent way too much money (so not normal for me, even on vacation. But this time, I had a niece, a brother, and a father to spoil). Didn't want to face it...but I gained SEVEN pounds in just 2 short weeks. Sigh. Normally I can combat the excessive eating with excessive walking. But this time I was there with my 3 yr old niece. And very slow brother. And slower father (although he moves pretty good for being nearly 70!). So I averaged only about 110-12k steps a day, all at a snail's pace. After a week I was going a wee bit out of my mind and took off for an early morning brisk walk just to get my body moving again. Man, it felt good. Unfortunately, I was too tired the rest of the trip to attempt it again. It's a lot of work travelling through Disney with 8 people!

I came home...and my basement flooded the next day. So we've been focused on cleanup. While that does involve moving around, it also involved a lot of comfort eating. And zero proper exercise. On top of that, I have still been recovering from vacation and been tired all the time.

Today I finally biked to work and it felt great! Didn't end up going on my lunch walk though...thought of it but just never got around to it. it's time to get back to my "normal" habits. Not quite ready to diet yet though.

@Starbright Adding a couple of miles walking every day will definitely help! I bet you CAN do this!!!

@Runrooster 20% lost is amazing!!!! I love it :)

How is everyone else doing? So quiet in this thread...can almost hear the crickets chirping. Come on folks...just a few months left to the year!!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 07, 2017, 09:19:55 AM
Just realized that Camp Mustache Canada is in 6 weeks. I have 6 extra pounds on me now that NEEDS to go before my first meetup with Mustachians. It's time to get serious.

You know the frustrating part? It takes so so so much work to take the weight off. And then I can pile it back on in just a few short weeks of being ridiculous. Ugh. I need to get a better balance on things and stop piling the weight back on.

I brought an avocado to work for breakfast. Sliced it but ended up being busy enough that I didn't eat it. It's now almost lunchtime and I am debating what to do before this things browns. Maybe I should just eat the avocado for lunch (along with the cherries I brought) and save the noodles I packed for tomorrow. That would cut way back on my calorie intake today. That's too little food for "normal" eating but here and there, it doesn't really affect me and should still give me sufficient calories to get through the day.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 07, 2017, 03:19:23 PM
Hi elaine amj. I'm with you. I'm up so many pounds it's awful (up 12 lbs from the lowest weight) But I'm back on the wagon after getting back from vacation yesterday, and sure enough, CMC is my next short term goal. I'm aiming to be down 7 by then. Let's do this!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on September 10, 2017, 06:00:08 AM

Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Current weight: 144.6

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs, March 3: 154 lbs,    March 10: 151.6, March 17: 150.6,  March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4, April 7: 148.2, April 14: 147.8, April 21: 147.2, April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143, May 13: 145, May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8, June 9: 143.6, June 16: 142.8, June 30: 144.6
July 11: 146.8,
July 17: 143.8
July 26: 146
August: 10th or so 146, August 25: 145
 

elaine amj- I'm convinced and I'm back in! I'm aiming to to lose my last 5 by Thanksgiving (so that I have room to gain again between the holidays :)).

@runrooster your loss is amazing! 28 weeks of weightloss is such great work. You are an inspiration!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 10, 2017, 06:02:39 AM
I miss this thread when it is quiet. 
I am still holding steady at 131.  Which, come to think of it, is actually a decreasing line on the trend graph.  While you need a magnifying glass to see it- a trending down line is precisely what I am trying to do. 
I am not feeling deprived in any way - and gorged at cottage weekends and camping trip- but have been able to maintain the balance through exercise and fun activity.  I don't feel as pleased with myself as I did when I got down to 125 in June of 2016.  BUT I spent the entire month of August here just about.  If I can make it to 130 before winter and hold that weight through the cold months and holiday eating - then I think I can say I met my goal.
Only challenges that I continue to have are the injuries.  My left ankle continues to swell up after standing all day (like yesterday canning tomatoes) or hiking on uneven surfaces.  I shall have to get me to physio.  The original sprain was the first day of March. 
Best of luck to CMC challengers.

Title: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 11, 2017, 08:43:55 PM
@starbright You know..I was wavering today and have already been in the kitchen planning a midnight snack. Until I realized I am feeling pretty full and should listen to that instead of my mind that is screaming at me to eat! Then I came here and read your post. U convinced me - I am going to hang in there, for today at least. Been having some emotional ups and downs and that always makes me want to eat.

Come to think of it...its almost that TOM - might explain why I've been screaming like a banshee at my DH the past few days! Can't excuse him too much - he's been an idiot too. Still, I can call him out on it without needing to scream.

@frugal lizard Holding steady without feeling deprived is amazing! That is a giant leap forward and a huge accomplishment. The ankle sprain sounds concerning. I have to say, physio helped me greatly in my last 2 injuries. Not so much the physio itself...but doing those exercises and having to report on it each week. I'm finally almost completely back to normal after being in mild pain for 2 years.

@rockstache CMC..here we come!!! Hopefully, with less of us to lug along. After all, there's hiking and canoeing in the plans!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on September 18, 2017, 07:49:18 AM

Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Current weight: 146

Start Date: Feb 24: 155.4 lbs, March 3: 154 lbs,    March 10: 151.6, March 17: 150.6,  March 24: 150.2
April 3: 149.4, April 7: 148.2, April 14: 147.8, April 21: 147.2, April 28: 147.2
May 8: 143, May 13: 145, May 25: 144
June 2: 143.8, June 9: 143.6, June 16: 142.8, June 30: 144.6
July 11: 146.8,
July 17: 143.8
July 26: 146
August: 10th or so 146, August 25: 145
September 10: 144.6
 
Was doing great all week last week and then binged at end of week: up a pound and a half. Also my youngest child was up for hours last night and I couldn't fall back asleep. I actually ate leftover pasta at like 2 am - gross but the full feeling and the carbs helped me doze back off :)

Am close enough to goal weight that I wonder if I need to be more exact with my counting. For instance, just my daily supplements/vitamins add up to almost 100 calories and I don't count them.

Hope you CMC goers hit your goals! You can do it!

Frugal Lizard- hope your ankle is better this week.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 22, 2017, 11:40:24 AM
Well, I have been quiet. Unfortunately I wasn't able to stop the binging last week and kept going nuts. A couple of days ago, I saw 138 lbs on my scale and freaked out a bit. So I have been doing better for the past 2 days and today, I was back down to 137.

I still deal with my age old problem...once I start chewing, it's really hard for me to stop. Last night, I finished my dinner. Then I snuck a little bit more chicken from the kitchen. Then after that, I ate up my kids leftovers, then scraped my plate clean. Then topped it off with some frozen mango for dessert. Thankfully, this does usually get me to stop when I start shivering with cold lol.

This is starting to feel like a ridiculous cycle. I need to figure out how to keep this off for good instead of my current binge - starve - binge.

It's mostly an emotional thing for me. When I get upset, I eat. A lot.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 22, 2017, 12:03:31 PM
I'm sorry elaine amj. I have no answers but do have commiseration. I am eating ok (not great, mind you) but not moving the scale much. I'm sitting at about 133 which isn't terrible until you consider that I'm up from 124 not that long ago. So yeah. Yuck.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on September 23, 2017, 09:49:23 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
7/8/17      219.6 (-7.6)
8/7/17      215.2 (-4.4)
9/23/17    211 (-4.2)

Total Loss: 54 lbs
Total Percent: 20.4%

Long time, no check in! I have been in a super busy period at work and with applying for jobs. Health stuff has been delegated further back in my priority list.

After hitting 215, I took a maintenance break for almost a month. Then, I took a deficit again and have worked my way down to 211. I am home from work travel for the next week so I will go into another deficit again to try and work down to 210 this week/early next week. Once I get back from work travel I will see how things are going and see if I feel up for another deficit before my birthday at the end of October.

So weight loss has definitely slowed, but it is more a function of ME being less consistent rather than my body fighting me.

In other news, just these last two lbs have pretty much bumped me into a size 18, which is pretty exciting!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on September 25, 2017, 08:36:09 AM

Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Last week's weight: 146      Current weight: 145

Ending weights for each month:
Feb: 155.4 lbs   
March :150.2
April: 147.2
May: 144
June: 144.6
July: 146
August: 145

 
It is sad to look back and see that I have basically been treading water since May. But there it is.

I remember when I started posting on this thread in 2016 that I said 145 is my body's happy weight and it is just where my body wants to be - After putting real effort into losing I'm worried that this is indeed my weight floor. My Doctor has always said I should aim for 135 but I've just never been able to get and stay there. grrr- what an exercise in frustration!

In any case - I'm going to keep trying to get to 140 because at least it will keep me from creeping up. I'm also definitely feeling hungrier this week so I know that my calorie reduction is real. I essentially took a break for the last two months so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I'll at least bottom out at 140 and maybe stabilize at 142?

@elaine amj - are you a tea drinker? I am also an emotional/stress eater and I try to force myself to start with a cup of tea when I want to jump into eating something. I use a teapot too because I feel a microwave is too instantaneous. The process of filling the tea kettle, bringing it to boil, steeping, etc usually at least fills 10 minutes when I would have been stuffing my face. If I'm really antsy I will get out the flowering tea and glass teapot to force myself to engage my senses fully and in a non-caloric way :)

Because I work from home I end up having several cups of tea of day - at least I'm hydrated, I guess!

@wintertell - your success is just wonderful. Thank you for continuing to share it with the rest of us.

Also- is this about the same time this topic slowed down last year? Must be something about the fall.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on September 25, 2017, 08:45:13 AM
I remember when I started posting on this thread in 2016 that I said 145 is my body's happy weight and it is just where my body wants to be - After putting real effort into losing I'm worried that this is indeed my weight floor. My Doctor has always said I should aim for 135 but I've just never been able to get and stay there. grrr- what an exercise in frustration!

In any case - I'm going to keep trying to get to 140 because at least it will keep me from creeping up. I'm also definitely feeling hungrier this week so I know that my calorie reduction is real. I essentially took a break for the last two months so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I'll at least bottom out at 140 and maybe stabilize at 142?

I am a member of a great weight loss community and one of the phrases that we often talk about is - an achievable weight isn't always a maintainable weight. And your "forever" weight is one the lowest weight that you can maintain while still thoroughly enjoying your life, the food you eat and the exercise you do. Because you can't maintain a weight that where you aren't thoroughly enjoying your life.

So I say that if 145 is that weight for you, then just concentrate on maintaining that - dr be damned. If 142 is that weight for you, then work your way down to a bit below, like 140, and then let it pop back up to 142 once you bump up to maintenance calories and settle there.

Some food for thought : )
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 25, 2017, 09:13:12 AM
I second tea drinking.  I make a huge pot in the morning with organic loose leaf tea.  It is nearly a ritual.  I pour the tea into a funky modern era thermos that hangs out on the kitchen counter.  My office is in the basement so I have a little hike up the stairs.  It gives me something to do when I get into the kitchen but it doesn't take a moment.  And it really does slow down my snacking tendency.

I was finding I was snacking while waiting for the kettle to boil. Thermos eliminated that opportunity.

I am thinking that I have hit my realistic weight at 131 for this part of my life.  I was only briefly down to 125.  My current thinking is that 128 would be my ideal weight.  I would fit into my clothes comfortably and like the look of my arms and thighs and face. This morning when I got on the scales - it was almost 130 but a couple of times last week it was 132.  I think that I am going to have to be super vigilant not to have the fall spread like last summer.

I just keep thinking about how I don't like myself at all when I am above 135.  And it was so damn easy to get to that place.

Ankle is ok - don't think I can hike on even surfaces but I was able to walk around NYC for four long days of sightseeing without issues. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on September 25, 2017, 09:35:24 AM

I am thinking that I have hit my realistic weight at 131 for this part of my life.  I was only briefly down to 125.  My current thinking is that 128 would be my ideal weight.  I would fit into my clothes comfortably and like the look of my arms and thighs and face. This morning when I got on the scales - it was almost 130 but a couple of times last week it was 132.  I think that I am going to have to be super vigilant not to have the fall spread like last summer.

I just keep thinking about how I don't like myself at all when I am above 135.  And it was so damn easy to get to that place.


I'm in a similar place to you on a lot of this. 123/124 was awesome. I felt SO good about myself, full of energy, etc. But I don't know if it was sustainable. I'm around 133/134 now. It feels too big and uncomfortable. I know that sounds like not much, but 10 lbs on a shorty is a lot. I think 128/129 is where I can be happy with myself without starving myself to get there. It's just so easy to bounce up without being careful. Sigh.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on September 25, 2017, 10:02:48 PM
@wintertell I am LOVING your progress!! That is fantastic. And getting back to a deficit after sitting in maintenance for a bit sure isn't easy - so congrats!!

@Starbright It's rough when those darn pounds insist on hanging around!! I do agree with what wintertell said about the best weight being the one u can maintain.

And thanks for that tea suggestion! I do enjoy a lovely loose leaf herbal tea. I just need to change my habits when emotional. Love all the different strategies folks have used :) Most of the time, I'm a pretty happy person. Then I get a crazy mood swing and just work really hard to sabotage myself.

@rockstache @frugal lizard #shortiesunite!! I agree - I felt great at about 129/130 while still feeling a few pounds less was desirable. Ideally I should be 100-120lbs (short with small bones) but 130 lbs feels reasonable to me (I think 125-128 would be about prefect to stop). 135 is NOT feeling good :( I seem to drop a dress size at about 132-133.

On the plus side, I have done really well for the past week. Still eating a little too much occasionally but because I am being reasonable overall and staying active, the scale is starting to shift downwards.

Today I went for my usual lunch walk. Shortly after I started my usual circuit, a couple came by and the guy was talking very loudly with a lot of intense swearing. They weren't fighting but I found it very annoying. So I took off on a jog to get past them quickly. I only planned to jog for a few minutes but it felt good. Before I knew it, I had completed my whole 30 min circuit at a jog practically the whole time!

I was so pleased. I don't plan to be a runner (too worried about injuries haha), but it is awesome that to know that if I have to, I can run a little. Not sure if I will walk or run tomorrow - we'll see how I feel :)




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on October 03, 2017, 05:23:37 PM
Starting weight:170
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15
Week11:-16
Week12:-18
Week13-15:-19
Week16:-21
Week17:-22
Week18:-24
Week19:-26
Week20:-28
Week21:-27
Week22:-30
Week23:-31
Week24:-32
Week25:-32
Week26:-34
Week27:-36
Week28:-37
Week29:-38
Week30:-38
Week31:-39
Week32:-40

That's 23.5% lost, end weight of 130.  I'm still edging my way down another 5 pounds, hopefully. 
It was a difficult month, with various illnesses for two weeks putting a damper on my exercise.  I think the weight loss is just momentum.  But I think I'm  back to my 8 miles a day, mostly walking.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on October 06, 2017, 08:18:52 AM

Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Last week's weight: 144      Current weight: 143.8

Ending weights for each month:
Feb: 155.4 lbs   
March :150.2
April: 147.2
May: 144
June: 144.6
July: 146
August: 145
September: 144

 I adjusted my calories in MFP a couple of weeks ago to account for my supplements and the milk in my coffee in the morning. Knocked 100 calories from my daily allowance and have seen some movement again.

I'm definitely not aiming to go below 140 and will be thrilled to end up at 142/143.  I think there is a lot of wisdom to aiming for what you can maintain (Thanks wintertell). Even though I would love to be more active, I just know that at this time in my life it isn't possible. I'm in awe of the working mothers who also get up at 4am to work out - but that is not me and that is not my current life. In fact if I'm still hungry at this calorie level in a week then I'm calling it maintenance time. Life is too short to be hungry all the time :)

Run Rooster - Congrats! that is awesome.

So glad to see that I am not the only one dealing with the optimal weight for my current life vs. "Best" weight possible.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on October 06, 2017, 09:20:34 AM
Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
4/19/17    232.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-2.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
7/8/17      219.6 (-7.6)
8/7/17      215.2 (-4.4)
9/23/17    211 (-4.2)
10/6/17    208.8 (-2.2)

Total Loss: 56.2 lbs
Total Percent: 21.2%

I am finally back in the groove! It's 2lbs down in the last two weeks. This is despite some pretty intensive work travel.

I am enjoying being in my new size (16/18). I cleaned out my closet last weekend and removed anything that was too big. I am still keeping the size 20s in my closet as they fit but are just a bit loose.

I travel again this weekend but have not prepped nearly as much as normal. I will need to plan more closely later in the day so that I don't fall off track. It is so easy to make poor choices when I am tired.

I am still keep with a deficit. My hope is that I can get to 205 by the end of October (my birthday). I'm not going to push it though as I don't want to ruin my birthday with goals out of my control. Overall I am trying to get under 200 by the end of the year but again I'm definitely not pushing it. I can be consistent with my food and exercise but I can't control when my body decides to release weight.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 06, 2017, 03:00:51 PM
@StarBright Yay for some movement - especially of the downward variety.

@wintertell It's not easy losing weight during work travel so kudos to you.

As for me, I'm somewhat on the bandwagon and been doing OK for the last couple of weeks. Last weekend I ate a bit more expecting to do a bunch of exercise...but ended up sleeping and laying around all weekend. So the weight didn't budge like it was supposed to.

I'm back to more movement this week, making a concerted effort to bike commute (even though it was raining this morning!) and forcing myself to fit in my lunch workout. A couple of days ago it started drizzling when I went out for my lunch walk. I turned and went to my garage and proceeded to stairclimb the 10 flights for about 15-20 solid minutes until I had to get back for a meeting. It was TOUGH - and used muscles I didn't know existed and I have been in pain since lol. The next day, I did a 30 min slow run during lunch. Today, I forced my aching body out for a walk. It felt good to push myself into regular activities.

Tonight, I'm going out for a beer festival with friends and really hoping I can manage not to overeat much. At this point, I am not expecting to drink so that will help (I'm a social drinker and not keen on paying for drinks). Mostly going out to have some fun - they'll have a DJ playing 80s/90s throwback music so hoping to dance all those calories away!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Ascotillion on October 08, 2017, 04:39:45 PM
I've had a few occasions that required a suit and tie in the last few weeks, and I only own one suit (purchased ten years ago at age 19). When I put it on a few weeks ago, I honestly thought it would split and had to watch how I moved for the whole day...

I definitely need to shed a few kilos! I've got a good exercise routine planned at the gym near my house, and my food habits are going to get a little better too. I'll post some more stats and stuff when I get back home.

Total Loss: 56.2 lbs
Total Percent: 21.2%
That's amazing! Well done!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 08, 2017, 09:26:35 PM
@ascotillion Welcome!!  It's good that u are catching yourself before u get too far!

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Harper on October 09, 2017, 03:29:27 AM
Hi all!

Sorry to barge in here but wondering if you guys could give me some ideas on the ways you are losing weight.  I feel like I've tried everything and the scale is not budging.  I've been exercising consistently 3-5 times a week since May and have been watching what I eat but nothing.  I'm pretty overweight but falling down a spiral of despair (why should I wake up so early in am to not gain any traction?). 

Are you guys just calorie counting?   low carb?  what?

Appreciate any help and apologize for interupting the thread.

H
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 09, 2017, 06:49:49 AM
Harper - the best thing about this thread is that you jump in whenever and wherever you are.  Welcome.

First off -I may not best coach for strategies to lose weight as I haven't really lost much weight.  But I did stop putting it on.
I had a creeping weight gain.  A couple of pounds a year for a few years and then a big eight pound gain over 14 months before I found this thread.  It was kind of like the lifestyle creep that I had going on.  So with the help of these great folks I really focused on weight loss for a few months.  Then I bit the bullet and started working on financial health and some of the emotional things that were going on.  With the shift in focus, and colder temperatures, many of the lost pounds came back.  So this year I am working on a very slow but consistent holding steady more than weight loss approach. Others on this thread have been much more successful than I.

I lost 14 pounds at about a pound a week. Added ten back over the fall and winter 16-17 at about a pound every two months.  And have lost three again but - very importantly have kept them off so far - at about half a pound per month.  Total lost is only seven pounds and I think I am only going to try for three to five more pounds and then I am at a great weight for the rest of my life.

here is what I did at the beginning and much of it I continue to do:

-read Thin by Design.  I implemented a number of changes to my kitchen, dining room and shopping cart.  Habits are hard to develop. Willpower 100% of the time in unrealistic.
-kept a food journal.  I wrote down everything I put in my mouth. Sometimes it is too embarrassing to write it down so I chose not to eat it.
-(nearly) eliminated coke. I got a soda stream and now just drink bubbled water from the tap.  That meets the 'special drink' need most of the time.  Perrier was silly expensive.
-try to eat some protein at every meal.
-try to eat something raw at least two meals a day
-10 servings of fruits and veg - I am not worried about the carbs in bananas etc.
-get on the scale every morning (same time of day before I shower)
-get outside for a walk or activity (gardening, snow shovelling)
-no eating while doing another activity such as watching tv, reading or working on computer
-eat off a plate or bowl all the time (controlling portion size and measuring the serving)
-no eating in the kitchen
-no standing up while eating
-eat really tasty food

I got a number of books out of the library, some recommended on this thread.  (Foodist I think was the title of one of the titles that really spoke to me about how I wanted to eat) I am trying to make a healthstyle change.  I should note that I am celiac so I can't eat most processed foods and so I could (and was) filling up on expensive cardboard gluten free crap before MMM. The mustachian shift to spending less on junk I don't need has helped with my diet as well.  Now I have to be vigilant so that I don't prepare for winter hibernation with a couple of pounds of padding this year - but I am being extra vigilant.

I would suggest starting with the journal.  The first week I didn't diet - I just recorded.  I had no idea I was snacking that much and so much after dinner.  Getting on top of the unconscious eating was huge for me.

Best wishes for your success.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on October 09, 2017, 03:26:02 PM
Harper, I think you probably know what to do- exercise more and eat better.  It's just a question of how much you can do.  It took me awhile to work up to 8 miles walking every day ( taking a day light about once a week), and even longer to clean up my diet.  So for me that meant no more white carbs - bread, rice, sugar, alcohol- but not necessarily low carb.  Cutting out the midnight snack was maybe the hardest.  Maybe start with a food diary to get a sense of how often the junk food creeps in, and then cut down based on that?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Allie on October 10, 2017, 11:40:21 AM
Harper, I started to see the scale move when I made the conscious effort to track what I was eating and exercise more.  For two weeks, I used Myfitnesspal and religiously entered every single thing I ate and all my exercise.  I preplanned my eating for the day in advance, weighed my food, and made sure that what I was putting in my body was healthy, simple, and in line with my predetermined goals.  After 2 weeks, I still used mfp, but not as militantly.  It was really surprising to see how much I was snacking, how much I was eating (even though I thought I was doing a great job being healthy), and how quickly my body adapted to not craving all of the little treats here and there.  I was hungry for the first few days, and it sucked, but by the end of the 2 weeks I felt much and now I feel a ton better than when I started.

So, maybe dedicate a short period of time to being really conscious of everything you are doing.  I liked having the app and those little graphs, but maybe you don't need that.  There were a bunch of times I would be about to put something in my mouth and I'd have to stop myself and realize I hadn't even been thinking about what I was doing.  It wasn't about being restrictive so much as becoming more mindful and aware.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on October 10, 2017, 12:21:48 PM
I'm joining this thread because recently I discovered I cannot get into most of my jeans. :( I have no idea what I weigh; I do not own a scale. But my hips and stomach are definitely bigger than they were.

I have no idea how to lose weight in a healthy way - so I imagine reading through this thread would be a good place to start.

I was an overweight kid and teen; lost a bunch of weight in high school, mainly through, I'm sorry to say, just plain not eating. Struggled with my weight through college and my 20s - again, when I lost weight, did it through just plain not eating, and also avoiding fats in any form when I did eat. Around age 30 I suddenly grew a metabolism and could pretty much eat whatever I wanted. I was actually pretty underweight for a few years there, though I was eating whatever sounded good and not restricting my food at all. Now I'm in my mid-40s and, well, looks like that's coming to an end - although I feel like I've been eating fairly healthy - vegetarian for around 25 years, eat lots of fruit and veg and try to minimize crap.

So, the last time I was actively trying to lose weight was back in the day where fat was bad. Now apparently fat is good? This seems so counterintuitive and confusing to me.

For the past few weeks I've been trying to cut flour and sugar, as that seems to be the conventional wisdom of what to do now. (Also because Boyfriend is obese and wants to lose weight, and he cannot control himself around white carbs so he's asked me to keep them out of the house.) And I am hungry - no, HANGRY - all. the. time. It's incredibly frustrating. As I said above, I don't own a scale so I've no idea if my efforts are even helping. I sort of don't want to buy a scale, though, because in the past I'd obsess about the number and if I gained a pound I would just not eat for a couple days until it went back down. I really don't want to go back to that.

I'm generally active outside of work - we don't own a car so we get a lot of exercise naturally just getting ourselves from point A to point B. But I don't actually work out. I LOATHE gyms, running, weights thanks to some very punitive gym teachers in high school. I used to take dance classes, which I really enjoyed, but quit to save money. Until recently, we had lunchtime yoga at work, which I LOVED - but it got cut for budget reasons. I'm the sort of person who needs someone standing over me telling me what to do, in order to actually get off the couch and move.

I struggle mightily with meal planning even when not trying to lose weight so I worry that any regimen where I have to carefully measure my food is going to immediately go out the window due to lack of time and mental energy.

So, um, hi? I'm off to read through this thread and see what I can learn.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 10, 2017, 12:32:41 PM
Welcome Tris Prior
The first thing is to understand what and how much you are eating.  Find a way that works with your life to gather that data - some app or my method - notebook and pen beside the fridge.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on October 10, 2017, 12:40:23 PM
Tris Prior, Welcome to this thread!

Different methods work for different people. If beginning, just track what you eat on your regular basis.  One suggestion is to slowly add healthier foods such as lots of fruits and veggies first before trying to subtract. Eat till you are full. This will prevent the HANGRY! As you get rid of processed foods, again replace them with healthier foods. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on October 10, 2017, 01:39:08 PM
I remembered that I had an old My Fitness Pal account that I never did anything with. Just entered my breakfast, lunch, and snacks. I'm already 72 calories over my limit for the day. So, I guess, no dinner then? :(

I haven't even eaten anything bad for me! No flour, little sugar (I put a spoonful of homemade jam in my oatmeal). I guess it was the nuts I snacked on, that killed me. I thought we were supposed to be eating healthy fats now? Argh. This is very frustrating.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on October 10, 2017, 02:02:44 PM
I remembered that I had an old My Fitness Pal account that I never did anything with. Just entered my breakfast, lunch, and snacks. I'm already 72 calories over my limit for the day. So, I guess, no dinner then? :(

I haven't even eaten anything bad for me! No flour, little sugar (I put a spoonful of homemade jam in my oatmeal). I guess it was the nuts I snacked on, that killed me. I thought we were supposed to be eating healthy fats now? Argh. This is very frustrating.
IMO, the calories counting is not very precise. There may be individual variations of 20% or even more in each item. In addition there are differences in metabolism as you know.  While I would not trust the absolute numbers, what matters is just keeping a journal of what you are eating. Just this alone will increase your awareness of food. Make slow and sustainable changes.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Allie on October 10, 2017, 03:09:52 PM
No, eat a super healthy dinner!  Then, tomorrow, you can choose other foods that may be more nutrient dense or add in more veggies or whatever. 

I switched from a big bowl of yogurt to a big bowl of yogurt and fruit mixed together...from pasta with my dinners to a really delicious homemade soup that had pasta in it.  That sort of stuff.  It turns out that most of the foods that are better choices for reducing calories also taste amazing.

It's just a guide.  For me, just having to enter it in the little app was really eye opening how often I wasn't making healthy choices, especially when there was a healthy choice right there. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Harper on October 11, 2017, 04:52:31 AM
Thank you for the thoughts and replies.  Yes, I really need to start with journaling and see what I'm eating.  I'm off work without the family next week so maybe it's a good time to really hunker down and start.

@TrisPrior - let me know if you want to be weight loss buddies since we are both starting out.  :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 11, 2017, 07:12:32 AM

 I guess it was the nuts I snacked on, that killed me. I thought we were supposed to be eating healthy fats now? Argh. This is very frustrating.

Healthy fats are good, but you do have to watch the calories on them. A very small handful of almonds is 100 calories, but they are a good snack if you keep to a prearranged amount. Where I got in trouble was having a whole bag open and eating until I was full. I found that if I separated the amount that I wanted to eat ahead of time, it wouldn't necessarily fill me in the moment, but the full feeling would come a little after eating, and last until my next snack or meal.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on October 11, 2017, 08:11:10 AM
So disheartening and frustrating. Just to see how it came out, I entered in, as best I could from memory, what I ate Monday - a day that I felt like I was eating next to nothing and was hangry to the point of being shaky and dizzy and Boyfriend telling me "you have to eat more, you are going to fall over!". STILL over my calorie limit! By like 900 calories??

rockstache, I think you are right. I have been adding nuts lately because I was thinking of doing Whole 30 (decided against it because I am vegetarian and the ban on legumes made it feel not-doable for me) and they are all about eating high-fat snacks to stay full and have energy. I cannot possibly stop at just a few nuts when I am starving. Best just to kill them entirely, I guess. Time to look for a new snack that I can keep in my desk at work that does not require refrigeration and that doesn't have any flour or sugar in it.

Am I the only one for whom fruits and veg just do not fill me up? I like eating them but I'm always still starving afterward. Except apples. Maybe I should eat more apples. Is there something wrong with those too?!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on October 11, 2017, 08:55:43 AM
rockstache, I think you are right. I have been adding nuts lately because I was thinking of doing Whole 30 (decided against it because I am vegetarian and the ban on legumes made it feel not-doable for me) and they are all about eating high-fat snacks to stay full and have energy. I cannot possibly stop at just a few nuts when I am starving. Best just to kill them entirely, I guess. Time to look for a new snack that I can keep in my desk at work that does not require refrigeration and that doesn't have any flour or sugar in it.

Am I the only one for whom fruits and veg just do not fill me up? I like eating them but I'm always still starving afterward. Except apples. Maybe I should eat more apples. Is there something wrong with those too?!

I have to have snacks with protein, fats and carbs - balanced by having all three food groups - or I am starving. Fruits & veg don't do it for me because they are all carbs and soon lead to low blood sugar, which means I am snacking within an hour or two.

I do jerky or pepperoni or deli turkey, sometimes adding a bit of hummus or guac + grape tomatoes, cucumbers, snaps peas, carrots etc for snacks on the go. I keep RxBars for emergency snacks - They have egg whites and nuts in them and are good in a pinch when you are in a meeting or travelling and can't pull out veggies for a snack.

I recommend using the calculator on Eat More 2 Weigh Less to figure out the right deficit - MyFitnessPal sets it too low and then sets you up for failure. Link here: http://eatmore2weighless.com/weight-loss-calculator/

Also, it took me a full 2 weeks to figure out how to eat within my calorie range of 1900. The first thing I did to break the cycle of overeating was to meal plan lower calorie meals that were versions of my normal favorite foods. So I used Applegate chicken tenders + salad + low calorie Ranch as my work lunches rather than a fried chicken salad. I used the 260 calorie Jimmy Dean egg sandwiches rather than getting breakfast out at Dunkin Donuts, etc. Over time I switched to eggs & veggies for breakfast because they are more filling than breakfast sandwiches.

After the meal plan I went shopping for the week to get the new food to go with my meal plan. Then and only then was I able to start sticking within my calories.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 11, 2017, 09:09:22 AM
MFP sometimes gives a very low number. I had to manually adjust mine up to a more reasonable amount. There are calculators online that seem to do a better job of helping you find a reasonable number to shoot for. I can track down some links if you're interested.


Oh +1 to this for me too. They wanted me to eat 1200 calories per day (which is as low as MFP goes), and that was too low for my body. On my best days I could only get to 1300 unless I was fasting, but I didn't let it bother me much and mostly used it as a tracker once I knew what my goal was. I still lost weight pretty quickly just by being conscious. Also be careful not to make up for what you eat by exercising. If you do high intensity exercise of course you will eat more on those days, but MFP will erase the calories, therefore giving you more to eat and I found that to be a little too free for me and ended up eating more. It was better when I planned what I would eat before exercising and just added that to my daily total instead of a certain calorie amount. YMMV
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on October 11, 2017, 09:15:13 AM
MFP sometimes gives a very low number. I had to manually adjust mine up to a more reasonable amount. There are calculators online that seem to do a better job of helping you find a reasonable number to shoot for. I can track down some links if you're interested.


Oh +1 to this for me too. They wanted me to eat 1200 calories per day (which is as low as MFP goes), and that was too low for my body. On my best days I could only get to 1300 unless I was fasting, but I didn't let it bother me much and mostly used it as a tracker once I knew what my goal was. I still lost weight pretty quickly just by being conscious. Also be careful not to make up for what you eat by exercising. If you do high intensity exercise of course you will eat more on those days, but MFP will erase the calories, therefore giving you more to eat and I found that to be a little too free for me and ended up eating more. It was better when I planned what I would eat before exercising and just added that to my daily total instead of a certain calorie amount. YMMV

+ 1 as well.  I set my calorie target from this site and recalculate it for every 5-10 lbs lost - http://eatmore2weighless.com/weight-loss-calculator/

I wear a Fitbit but don't eat any of my exercise calories on a routine basis. If I'm super hungry I may eat some of the exercise calories because I need it, but in general I just consider the activity a bonus. However I'm just doing walks and light exercise, nothing that makes me starving.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on October 11, 2017, 09:21:01 AM
MFP asked me what I weighed (I guessed as I don't own a scale) and what I wanted to weigh - and then told me my limit was 1,200 calories. Maybe that is too low for me? How would I know? I remember from counting calories when I was younger, following a 1200-calorie limit so I didn't question it. Back then I was able to skip meals and still function, though; 20 years later I really cannot any more.

I tried out that weight loss calculator link and it gave me 1,375. Maybe that would be more do-able (though so far in the few days I've been tracking I've been around 2,000 and Still. Freaking. Hungry. :( )
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on October 11, 2017, 09:36:26 AM
I don't know how tall you are but 1200 is probably very low. Google TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculators. This will take your weight (estimated is fine), height and activity level into account and calculate an estimate of how many calories you burn in a typical day. Many of them also have an extra part for how much you should eat if you want to lose. I've done a lot of these and they've all been pretty consistent. It gives me 1800cals/day for weight loss at 5'9" and a sedentary office job.

Seriously? I'm 5'10". And I put in "sedentary" for activity level because I don't formally work out, though I am generally active outside of work, walk a lot, garden, etc. And it gave me 1,200.

Huh. OK, I'll google some of those.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on October 11, 2017, 09:44:17 AM
I don't know how tall you are but 1200 is probably very low. Google TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculators. This will take your weight (estimated is fine), height and activity level into account and calculate an estimate of how many calories you burn in a typical day. Many of them also have an extra part for how much you should eat if you want to lose. I've done a lot of these and they've all been pretty consistent. It gives me 1800cals/day for weight loss at 5'9" and a sedentary office job.

Seriously? I'm 5'10". And I put in "sedentary" for activity level because I don't formally work out, though I am generally active outside of work, walk a lot, garden, etc. And it gave me 1,200.

Huh. OK, I'll google some of those.

How big of a deficit are you taking? That seems way low to me, especially for 5'10". I'd recommend no more than a 10% deficit.

As you get lower in weight, folks tend to not be able to take as big of a deficit. Folks in my online support group who are less than 180 tend to take a daily deficit of 250-300 calories. The only person I knew who was taking a deficit down to 1300 was 130 lbs.

My daily deficit is 500 calories, or 1 lb/week but I'm at 209 right now. I aim for between 1800-1850 a day.

To be able to eat that and not get hungry though, I had to change the composition of my food - more fibrous veggies to make my stomach fill full and to slow my digestion down so I feel fuller for longer.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on October 11, 2017, 10:18:18 AM
I don't know how tall you are but 1200 is probably very low. Google TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculators. This will take your weight (estimated is fine), height and activity level into account and calculate an estimate of how many calories you burn in a typical day. Many of them also have an extra part for how much you should eat if you want to lose. I've done a lot of these and they've all been pretty consistent. It gives me 1800cals/day for weight loss at 5'9" and a sedentary office job.

Seriously? I'm 5'10". And I put in "sedentary" for activity level because I don't formally work out, though I am generally active outside of work, walk a lot, garden, etc. And it gave me 1,200.

Huh. OK, I'll google some of those.

How big of a deficit are you taking? That seems way low to me, especially for 5'10". I'd recommend no more than a 10% deficit.

As you get lower in weight, folks tend to not be able to take as big of a deficit. Folks in my online support group who are less than 180 tend to take a daily deficit of 250-300 calories. The only person I knew who was taking a deficit down to 1300 was 130 lbs.

I have no idea; I put in my weight (estimate) and a goal weight and that's the number MFP spat out. I weigh around 135-140. I think, so maybe that is why they gave me such a low number?

At any rate, I'm starting to think that MFP might be good for tracking what I eat, but maybe not so good for determining my calorie limit?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on October 11, 2017, 10:32:41 AM
MyFitnessPal automatically makes your deficit larger, I think.

I just guessed your info but I got 1375 bmr, 1500 at a 10% deficit and no activity, and 1670 maintenance or TDEE. I put 135, 70 in and age 35 as a guess. 

BMR = Basal metabolic rate, or the amount of calories your body needs just to run if you were literally in a coma doing no activity. Basically, you should eat at least 1375, preferably more, to keep your body from thinking you are starving according to this calculator.

However as folks age their metabolism slows down and so these  numbers might lower at higher ages.

If you get a Fitbit that can give you a better understanding of your TDEE/maintenance but until then this calculator is a good guess.

The TLDR is that I would aim for 1500 calories to start with.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 11, 2017, 10:54:40 AM
I would suggest figuring out how many calories you are actually eating on average over the course of two weeks. Then start to cut it back a little at a time over each week.  You don't want to go into a starvation mode and then have your body become over efficient.  I figured I put on the weight by eating an extra 2-300 calories a day over five years.  My new approach is to take it off over the same length of time so I don't feel like I am dieting. 
I do better on snacking for the entire day if I have a really good breakfast.  Yesterday I made six large scrambled eggs shared between four people. With two breakfast sausages sliced really thin. I had half a gluten free bagel with mine. And some cantaloupe.  I was really hungry for lunch at 12:30 but hadn't needed to snack.

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on October 11, 2017, 10:58:25 AM
I would suggest figuring out how many calories you are actually eating on average over the course of two weeks. Then start to cut it back a little at a time over each week.  You don't want to go into a starvation mode and then have your body become over efficient.  I figured I put on the weight by eating an extra 2-300 calories a day over five years.  My new approach is to take it off over the same length of time so I don't feel like I am dieting. 

This also a great approach as well! I'm a numbers gal so I just like to know the numbers, but I definitely didn't jump low right away.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Allie on October 11, 2017, 11:43:29 AM
Hold on.  I just kinda skipped forward...so maybe someone already said something...

5'10" and 135-140 is a totally healthy weight at the low range of normal.  Under 130 is under weight off your height. 

I get wanting to have comfy pants, but just consider that if you lose more than a couple pounds you are drifting into unhealthy territory. 

Also, take the time to figure out what works with your plan and adjust your eating based on that.  I like foods that have a little bit of carb, fat, and protein and then are stuffed with veggies.  So, a bean/shrimp/fish soft taco with the meat, cheese, and tortilla in moderation stuffed with salsa, onion, lettuce, tomato, etc.  Or a yogurt parfait with a moderate amount of sweet vanilla yogurt and sprinkle of granola but a million berries.  Or a stir fry with the oil, sauce, noodles, and shrimp in moderation and a ton of peppers, onions, snow peas and baby corn.  But, everyone is different, you just need to adjust based on what works for you. 

I went super restrictive for a couple weeks and was hungry and angry and a grump and then adjusted up because I don't ease into things well. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on October 11, 2017, 12:27:31 PM
Hold on.  I just kinda skipped forward...so maybe someone already said something...

5'10" and 135-140 is a totally healthy weight at the low range of normal.  Under 130 is under weight off your height. 

I get wanting to have comfy pants, but just consider that if you lose more than a couple pounds you are drifting into unhealthy territory. 


+1 - I was trying to gently and positively word a response and was  happy to see your post pop op.

Also - @Tris - I don't know how quickly you said you wanted to lose weight in MFP - but if you said two pounds a week it will automatically give you 1200 at your current weight. Because you are already at a healthy BMI weight and have very little to lose and if your current concern is mostly clothes fit, I recommend you read the mfp community forums regarding body recomp.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on October 11, 2017, 03:34:18 PM
Thanks for the feedback. As I said upthread, I'm the first to admit that I have no idea what I'm doing here. :)

For many years I easily maintained a weight of 125 lbs regardless of what and how much I ate (plenty of carbs, sugar, crap) and whether or not I exercised, and I felt good at that weight.  (Did dip below that a few times, mainly because stress kills my appetite and I was in a really awful job/family situation, and I did look underweight and unhealthy at that time. ) So I guess I figured that was what my body wanted to weigh. I am tall but small-boned, and very pear-shaped.

Then I didn't weigh myself at all for a long time; figured that as long as my clothes fit the same, I was good. It was definitely an oh-shit moment a few weeks ago when the temps dropped, I put on a pair of jeans.... and discovered that I now can't get into any of them. :(

I'm in my mid-40s and probably starting some perimenopause symptoms, and I want to avoid that packing-on-belly-weight thing that happens to all the women in my family when we get older. I have no idea what I weigh; I have a doctor's appointment next week for my annual exam and I suppose I will find out then. But I have definitely gained fat in my stomach  since spring, when I last put on pants. (Haha, that sounds funny - I'm mostly a skirt person unless it's cold out.)

If I should be focusing on body recomposition instead (I assume this is losing fat and gaining muscle?) I can get behind that. I honestly don't care about a number on the scale; but I don't want to have to buy a whole new wardrobe for my bottom half because I can't fit into what I've got. Though, eating properly has got to figure in there somehow too, right? I just haven't figured out exactly what that means for me, now that I clearly cannot eat anything I want with wild abandon as I've done for a good chunk of my adult life.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on October 13, 2017, 07:21:45 AM
Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Last week's weight: 143.8      Current weight: 143.4/142.8

Ending weights for each month:
Feb: 155.4 lbs   
March :150.2
April: 147.2
May: 144
June: 144.6
July: 146
August: 145
September: 144

My scale wouldn't stop on a number this morning but kept flipping back and forth between 143.4/142.8. I'd obviously prefer the 142.8 but since both are lower than last week - I'll take em!

My eating was pristine this week with only one beer and otherwise only water, unsweetened herbal tea, and coffee. I cleaned out the last of my garden so most meals consisted of lots of green beans, tomatoes and peppers with some protein thrown in.


@Tris - regarding "healthy eating" since you last dieted. Low fat is definitely out. A study came out about a decade ago that concluded a low fat diet offers no benefits regarding heart disease or cancer (and many people gain weight on them). But as for high fat vs. high protein vs. high carb - you should experiment and see what works for your body.

Carbs make me ravenous. If I eat an apple I will actually be more hungry 30 minutes later than I was before I ate my apple. My husband eats apples and popcorn all day long and it fills him up completely. Protein and fat both work better for me, with protein keeping me full the longest. I don't shy away from fats at all (other than trans-fats) but try to focus on proteins.

Do you eat dairy? If so, someone on this thread once recommended the Icelandic style skyr/yogurt. It is super high protein and keeps me full for hours. It is a perfect afternoon snack.

Welcome AerynLee and other new people to the thread!!
 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on October 13, 2017, 08:07:29 AM
Weight Log
* My monthly fitness anniversary is around the 6th of every month.
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-5.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
7/8/17      219.6 (-7.6)
8/7/17      215.2 (-4.4)
10/6/17    208.8 (-6.4)
10/13/17 207.2 (-1.2)

Total Loss: 57.8 lbs
Total Percent: 21.8%

Another solid week! I am finally back in the groove! I had several walks, ate well, and drank a ton of water this week. Now, the next challenge is to navigate the weekend. I will meal plan and grocery shop today. Then I will use Sat/Sun to get some of the week's food prep done so that I set up for next week. I also want to really relax on Saturday and then use Sunday to catch up on personal tasks.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 13, 2017, 08:55:15 AM
So awesome to have new folks on the thread!

@Tris Prior I think you're missing the exercise component in MFP. If you go for a 30 min walk, you NEED TO EAT THOSE CALORIES BACK. That's how MFP works. Other calorie counting systems include activity calories into the calorie count you are allowed. MFP expects you to eat your exercise calories. So you need to log any exercise and it will up your available calories for the day.

Also, I suggest you change MFP to just 1 lb a week. 1200 cals/day is tough! (I know - I'm only 5ft tall so that's all I can eat if I want to actually lose weight).

I do find for me, I have to change the types of foods. When I'm actively losing weight, I'm very careful with things like nuts and peanut butter, etc. And also careful with fruits. MFP doesn't give you free fruits so you need to limit fruit intake as well. To feel full on less calories, I typically eat meals high in vegetable content (I love a zoodles lo mein recipe I have). Salads are a high calorie meal for me (because I like to add avocado, eggs, and use a poppy seed dressing) and I have to be careful when I eat a salad. It needs to be accompanied by a low cal meal for dinner. If I'm hungry and have few calories left, I make a simple egg drop soup or drink another cup of herbal tea. Water intake is also important. A lot of times, I think I'm hungry when I'm actually thirsty.

I'm back on the bandwagon again this week. Struggled a lot the past couple of weeks. My problem was that I had upped the level of my physical activity (sometimes biking 2 hours a day). This always ends up leading me to binge on more snacks "since I have the extra calories from the extra exercise". So, while my general meals are low cal and healthy, I kept reaching for snacks like fruit, veggie chips, etc etc. One snack a day is no problem. I was reaching for snacks 3-4 times a day. Ack! OK OK..and to be brutally honest, some of those snacks were kettle popcorn, fruit in syrup, chocolate covered almonds - no wonder I couldn't lose weight!

I've lost a teeny bit from a month ago and am hoping to stick with the downward trend!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 15, 2017, 06:56:48 PM
Ok it is happening again - the weather is getting cooler and the days shorter and I am gaining weight again.
This past week my morning weigh-in has consistently been 133.
No damn good.  All summer a slow trend down and then one week and it is a jump up - I was occasionally hitting 130.5

I am going away this week to a conference with university friends so dieting is going to be next to impossible.  But the journal is coming back out and I am joining the fruit and veg gauntlet as well. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: brooklynmoney on October 15, 2017, 08:25:07 PM
I loosely follow the Tone it Up nutrition plan. There are some really good recipes in it. If anyone is interested ping me and I’ll hook you up.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 16, 2017, 07:34:54 AM
Ugh Frugal Lizard, I'm with you. But CMC is this weekend and I refuse to care until I get back. After that though, I have to get back into it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 16, 2017, 08:44:59 AM
Me three. Ate too many snacks over the weekend. I have to get a handle on this endless snacking!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 19, 2017, 06:14:11 AM
Doing OK I think.  The cinference has no gluten-free options.  So lunch is under my control.  The breakfast at the hotel is 14.95 so I am eating food I bought at the grocery store.   Dinner is the only downfall option and I have done my best.   Add in some evening exploring.   Thinking I is all good.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 19, 2017, 08:14:12 AM
@Frugal Lizard That's great!

I've been much better the last few days. Been busy so less time for snacking. On the flip side, have done no additional exercise over my 50 min round trip bike commute for almost a whole week now. Ack. At least I dropped a pound or so. Unfortunately, not the 5 lbs I had hoped to drop by now.

CMC this weekend. No restraints planned.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on October 20, 2017, 07:13:26 AM
Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Last week's weight: 143.4/142.8      Current weight: 142.6

Ending weights for each month:
Feb: 155.4 lbs   
March :150.2
April: 147.2
May: 144
June: 144.6
July: 146
August: 145
September: 144

Am definitely nudging down weight wise but add me to cold-weather club. The temp drops below 60 and all I want to do is eat oily, emolient-y (is that a word?) foods. I am clearly very in touch with my paleolithic ancestors who feasted before winter :) It is taking up a lot of will power to hold food cravings in check.

Interestingly, my house is much messier than usual. Suspect that all my "can do" spirit is focused on keeping food in check and the rest of it is going to h*ll. Ahh well!

Hope those of you going to CMC this weekend have lots of fun!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 23, 2017, 08:14:54 AM
Uugggh
Scale on Sunday morning tipped over 135 my big bold line in the sand.
Why is this so frigging hard?

drilling down to basics again.  Food journal take four.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 23, 2017, 09:47:25 AM
I am rather horrified at what the scale said this morning. Even after canoeing for 3 hours yesterday at Camp. I can easily easily out-eat any physical activity I do.

I know some of it is the excess sodium from eating out for 3 days but it is past time to change my eating habits and learn the word ENOUGH.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 23, 2017, 06:33:23 PM
I haven't stepped on the scale yet, but I know what it's going to tell me. Im here with you guys. I vote we start a losing weight in 2018 thread in January. Until then, we get serious!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 24, 2017, 08:16:59 AM
I like the plan Rockstache.

This morning I got up and jumped on the scales as part of the program restart and it read 132.5.  This is not permission to snack all day.  But it does make me feel so much happier.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on October 24, 2017, 08:26:47 AM
I could use some suggestions for portable breakfast options that I can take to work that will actually keep me full. I've been doing overnight oats with about a tablespoon of homemade jam (I do home canning) and unsweetened almond milk. Since I've started tracking my food intake I now know that this has a TON of calories that I didn't realize. Also: always still hungry afterward.

I don't eat meat. I do eat eggs, though I really don't like them hard boiled. I may need to learn to start choking them down though, if that's my only option.

I thought of greek yogurt with fruit, but it's so cold in my office all the time that I try to eat hot things whenever possible.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 24, 2017, 08:49:25 AM
Tris Prior - could you wean yourself off the jam?  I can do oats with chopped apple and a teaspoon of maple syrup.  Are your oats whole rolled oats? The less processed they are, the more processing your tum has to do... I used to be able to eat seven grain cereal and that would also keep me fuller but now as a celiac I can't eat that. 
What about a squash soup or a frittatta made in muffin tins for portability in a good thermos?  does that sound appealing?
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on October 24, 2017, 09:03:45 AM
I could, but dammit, I spent the entire summer canning jam and I have TONS of it. (Seriously, like, more than 50 jars.) Boyfriend will not eat it. Sigh. All that work and time and effort for nothing. :(

Yes, they are whole rolled oats, unprocessed. Honestly, that is what shocked me - not the jam calories, but that a cup of rolled oats is 300 calories?!

I would probably eat the frittata. Not a fan of soup for breakfast. I made pumpkin soup recently and it had Unpleasant Consequences so I feel like I'm off squash for the time being. Ugh.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on October 24, 2017, 09:09:36 AM
My main go-to breakfasts:
- Sauteed coleslaw (cabbage + carrots), green onions, ground turkey + 2 over easy eggs. Cook in bulk on the weekend and portion out.
- Roasted sweet potatoes, kale, sausage + scrambled egg/egg whites

In terms of rolled oats, I have heard that folks reduce the amount of oats / carbs and add in egg whites for extra protein - increased protein helps with satiety. Also could add in protein powder (perhaps eggs white protein powder or vegan pea protein powder)

Example recipe (Haven't tried it but it is a sample one to show the type of things you can do): https://food52.com/recipes/31142-egg-white-oatmeal
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeonPegasus on October 24, 2017, 09:15:46 AM
I could use some suggestions for portable breakfast options that I can take to work that will actually keep me full. I've been doing overnight oats with about a tablespoon of homemade jam (I do home canning) and unsweetened almond milk. Since I've started tracking my food intake I now know that this has a TON of calories that I didn't realize. Also: always still hungry afterward.

I don't eat meat. I do eat eggs, though I really don't like them hard boiled. I may need to learn to start choking them down though, if that's my only option.

I thought of greek yogurt with fruit, but it's so cold in my office all the time that I try to eat hot things whenever possible.

You are hungry because there is little protein or fat in that breakfast.

I don't know how practical this is to bring to the office but I used to like eating steel cut oats (cook them overnight in a pyrex dish in a crock pot full of water - double boiler style) with two poached eggs on top. I used silicone egg poaching cups. I found it too hard to adequately sweeten steel cut oats without adding a ton of sugar and found that embracing the savory side was really yummy. 1/4" cup of steel cut oats yields 1 cup cooked. You can prepare 1 cup steel cut oats at the beginning of the week and nuke leftovers as needed. So, scoop some warmed oatmeal into a bowl, plop in two poached eggs, season with salt and pepper and you're done.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 24, 2017, 09:19:27 AM
@Tris Prior -that is surprising.  Measured when cooked or before? 
Jam as Christmas presents and hostess gifts?  I use jam but not a whole tablespoon - in plain yogurt and with peanut butter.  I am all for not quitting cold turkey - just reducing but then I haven't actually lost a lot of weight so take my advice with a (tiny) grain of salt.

My Asian friend makes congee for breakfast - but I don't know exactly what it is - it looks soupy to me and I can't eat it because she doesn't use gluten free ingredients but she swears by it as a breakfast food.

I am starving at the moment and set a poor example because my breakfast in addition to several cups of tea was a handful of peanuts and a spoonful of turkey chili that didn't fit in the DD's thermos this morning.  Breaking a number of my own diet rules (snacking, eating standing up, eating in the kitchen, not eating off a plate) so I should perhaps just stop here....All this thinking about food has me pining for lunch.   
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: NeonPegasus on October 24, 2017, 09:39:14 AM
I don't know how tall you are but 1200 is probably very low. Google TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculators. This will take your weight (estimated is fine), height and activity level into account and calculate an estimate of how many calories you burn in a typical day. Many of them also have an extra part for how much you should eat if you want to lose. I've done a lot of these and they've all been pretty consistent. It gives me 1800cals/day for weight loss at 5'9" and a sedentary office job.

Seriously? I'm 5'10". And I put in "sedentary" for activity level because I don't formally work out, though I am generally active outside of work, walk a lot, garden, etc. And it gave me 1,200.

Huh. OK, I'll google some of those.

How big of a deficit are you taking? That seems way low to me, especially for 5'10". I'd recommend no more than a 10% deficit.

As you get lower in weight, folks tend to not be able to take as big of a deficit. Folks in my online support group who are less than 180 tend to take a daily deficit of 250-300 calories. The only person I knew who was taking a deficit down to 1300 was 130 lbs.

I have no idea; I put in my weight (estimate) and a goal weight and that's the number MFP spat out. I weigh around 135-140. I think, so maybe that is why they gave me such a low number?

At any rate, I'm starting to think that MFP might be good for tracking what I eat, but maybe not so good for determining my calorie limit?

Try this calorie calculator - https://www.muscleforlife.com/tdee-calculator/

It puts my TDEE at 1850-1900 calories depending on whether I'm 135 or 140. I am 5'7" and around 22%-24% body fat. I lift weights 4 days a week for over an hour and do at least 3 30 min HIIT workouts a week. So, I exercise 5-6 hours/week. I have found the calculations to be fairly correct. To lose weight, I am running a 500 calorie/day deficit and shooting for 1 lb a week.

So, if you are 140 lbs, do less than 1 hr of exercise a week and are 28% body fat, your TDEE would be 1500 calories/day. Dropping to 1200 calories/day would have you on track to lose about 1 lb every 2 weeks. If you log your calories religiously for the next couple of weeks, you'll get an idea of whether that is accurate or not based on your weight loss. In fact, you can try eating at your suggested maintenance level for a week or two and see what happens. If you lose weight, then your TDEE is actually higher.

When you log your calories on MFP, what are your macros looking like? I suspect you are hangry due to having too many carbs and too little protein and fat. Work on decreasing your carbs to 40-50% of your daily caloric intake and see if you feel better. Go slowly because suddenly dropping your carbs can leave you feeling really weird.

Because I am trying to lose some body fat, while maintaining muscle, I'm eating 40% protein, 20% fat and 40% carbs. No matter what, I try to eat as many grams of protein as I weigh. As my calories go up, my protein stays the same and I make up the difference with more fat and carbs. I am dieting for two weeks and eating at maintenance for two weeks based on the results of the MATADOR study - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319474.php. Hopefully I can kick off some extra fat so I can wear something besides yoga pants.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 24, 2017, 10:05:57 AM
I'm totally in for Losing Weight in 2018!!!

As for breakfast - my default is half a cup of plain yogurt + 1/2 cup of granola. I don't add much extra because...calories. I usually feel satisfied until lunchtime although lately I've still been hungry. But I think that's a whole expanded my stomach again thing. Check out www.skinnytaste.com for really good recipes with calorie counts in them.

I also often do 2 slices of sprouted grain bread, a smidgen of nutella (as little as I can get away with so about 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon) and a banana. I make it an open faced sandwich as that makes me feel like I'm eating more food. I'd suggest cutting back on the jam and seeing ways to add protein to your breakfast.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on October 24, 2017, 11:14:50 AM
My breakfast is pretty much the same every day. I have 1 egg plus 1 egg white scrambled, and 1/2 cup of fruit smoothie, just to get some fruit in me but keep the calories down. That's it. I think of breakfast as a utility meal (ie. not for filling me up), to jump start my metabolism. If I didn't believe it did that (for me it really does), I would just skip it and eat lunch.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: OurTown on October 24, 2017, 12:23:14 PM
I have not been posting here yet, but since circa August 2016 I am down from 206 to 168 (38 lbs.).  Male, late 40s, 5'11.  First, I quit drinking, which eliminated all those empty carbs/calories in beer.  Second, I went ketogenic, which is under 20 g carbs per day.  Third, I did some intermittent fasting last spring, namely two to three 36-hour fasts per week.  This fall I have been doing warrior fasting, which is essentially one meal a day, on the weekdays.  Waistline is back down to 36 inches.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on October 24, 2017, 12:38:09 PM
My breakfast is pretty much the same every day. I have 1 egg plus 1 egg white scrambled, and 1/2 cup of fruit smoothie, just to get some fruit in me but keep the calories down. That's it. I think of breakfast as a utility meal (ie. not for filling me up), to jump start my metabolism. If I didn't believe it did that (for me it really does), I would just skip it and eat lunch.

I am a breakfast skipper myself. I don't like breakfast food and felt like I was wasting 300 calories in the morning. If I ate breakfast then I would have to cut either a morning snack (and eating breakfast made me ravenous!) or forgo wine or carbs with my dinner (both things I LOVE). So I gave up the thing I didn't like :)

One of my favorite things about this thread has been seeing how everyone does something different - I have tried little bits of everyone's strategies and I love it!

Breakfast skipping aside - if I'm starving when I wake up I go with a piece of toast with peanut butter on it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on October 27, 2017, 08:27:06 AM
Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Last week's weight: 142.6      Current weight: 142.8

Ending weights for each month:
Feb: 155.4 lbs   
March :150.2
April: 147.2
May: 144
June: 144.6
July: 146
August: 145
September: 144

I've had three weeks in a row that have ended in the 142 range. I declare it official that I lost at least a pound in October! If I can keep it through Thanksgiving I'll be quite proud.

A down note (or maybe not) - my husband mentioned that he couldn't really tell that I'd lost weight since last winter.  He said it in a nice way like "really?! well I always think you look amazing" - but still. I've been busting my butt (literally) for the last 10 months and DH can't tell a difference. I suspect this has to do with my post-babies tummy. That thing will never be the same :) ahh well.

Onward and downward!

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 29, 2017, 06:33:38 AM
Sunday am weigh in - 133lbs.  Ate a lot of really good food last night but since I was hosting, didn't drink a lot of wine.
I am being super vigilant 90% of the time and then slipping up badly the remaining 10%.  So my plan is to work hard on increasing the veg intake and adding in some walks on those days that there is potential for sweet snacking.
Starbright - I think your husband probably sees you as he did when he met you long before babies and fell in love.  Don't be too harsh on your image of yourself and celebrate - you are losing weight in a very healthful consistent way.  Amazing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on October 29, 2017, 07:06:22 PM
Starting weight:170
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15
Week11:-16
Week12:-18
Week13-15:-19
Week16:-21
Week17:-22
Week18:-24
Week19:-26
Week20:-28
Week21:-27
Week22:-30
Week23:-31
Week24:-32
Week25:-32
Week26:-34
Week27:-36
Week28:-37
Week29:-38
Week30:-38
Week31:-39
Week32:-40
Week33:-41
Week34:-43
Week35:-43
Week36:-44

That's an end weight of 126. It's pretty nice out and I'm jogging 4 miles a day in addition to walking another 4.
I'm getting close enough to goal that I am loosening the reins on eating.  Not sure what my maintenance regime should look like.  I am debating between adding more to my daily calories, one fruit one nut two breads, or adding more room for occasional junk and social eating.  Week 35, no loss, was a result of 3 social events where I ate both variety and quantity but stuck to my weight loss habits the rest of the time.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on October 31, 2017, 08:14:05 AM
@Runrooster That is absolutely amazing! I am in awe.

@Starbright I agree with Frugal Lizard. 10 lbs lost does show - but obviously, he's simply not noticed as you've added the 10 lbs :) :)

As for me - I clocked in at 136.4 lbs this morning. One step forward, 2 steps back. I'm still about the same weight I was 2 months ago *sigh*. Especially I successfully hit 130 lbs just 3 months ago :( Oh well - I'm fighting the upward creep. I do need to lose a few pounds before the holidays though! My general meals are good - it's all the stupid snacking in between. I must cut out the snacking. 1-2x a day is ok...right now I am snacking 3-4 x a day, which is not good.

On the positive side, I'm back on my bike again. Yesterday I biked to work and then decided to repeat the 50 min round trip to go home for lunch (and get the extra workout). My DH said I was crazy because it was a cold and windy day. But it actually felt like quite nice weather on my bike (I did bundle up). It was windy, but it wasn't super strong winds so I just went slow and steady.

Lots more eating out ahead to navigate. Going out for dinner with DH on Wednesday and then DD and I will be having a free dinner of sandwiches on Thursday at an event. This weekend, DH and I are going out of town with another couple so we'll be eating out all weekend.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on November 08, 2017, 07:56:47 AM


First Tuesday of the month check in:

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8
March 7: 123.0
April 4: 123.0
May 2: 122.6
June 6: 129.4
July 3: 131.0
August 1: 129.2
September: 135.2
October: 135.6

November 7: 135.0

I meant to post this yesterday but totally forgot. So here it is, it's not pretty. September and October are extrapolated because I fell off the wagon and didn't post. Working on it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on November 08, 2017, 08:12:07 AM
Weekly-ish Weigh-In:

Start weight: 155.4     Last week's weight: 142.6      Current weight: 142

Ending weights for each month:
Feb: 155.4 lbs   
March :150.2
April: 147.2
May: 144
June: 144.6
July: 146
August: 145
September: 144
October: 142.6

Inching downward :) averaging a quarter pound loss a week.

Rockstache - I know it frustrating when we bounce back up - but you've lost/kept off most of the weight for almost two years - that is awesome!


Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on November 08, 2017, 08:21:01 AM
Rockstache - I know it frustrating when we bounce back up - but you've lost/kept off most of the weight for almost two years - that is awesome!

Thanks StarBright! It IS hard to see the positive sometimes. I am trying to focus on the fact that the bounce up happened quickly, and if I STOP IT NOW, I can do so gradually and I won't have to slog through it all over again from the beginning. The holidays are coming and that can be tough, but I'm hoping to indulge myself on the few days that we have plans, and keep the rest of the days surrounding the holidays on my normal routine.

You've done great this year! I love how you post the end of the month weight. It's a total psychological thing obviously, but it seems to me like a good trick.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 08, 2017, 11:37:47 AM
@rockstache I feel your frustration. And as per usual - my numbers are somewhat similar to yours although I do swing upwards and downwards more wildly than you do. I clocked in at 136 this morning. Which is better than the 137 not too long ago!

I confess I am a bit worried about the holidays. Last year I piled on 10 lbs from Nov - Dec that took me half a year to shed. I'm starting out a solid 6 lbs higher than last year at this time AND less focused so I do worry. I plan to do my best to keep the snacking under control. My regular meals are not usually all that bad - it's the multiple snacks per day that are doing me in. Oh and more vegetables would also be a good thing :)

On the positive side, I was away on a weekend trip from Friday - Sunday. I had planned to work out, but that kept getting nixed. We also ate quite a fair bit. Overall though, I kept my overeating on the more reasonable side of things. Even after I pigged out on chicken wings on Monday, I've still managed to bounce back to my pre-weekend weight on Wednesday.

I'd REALLY like to level out at about 130 lbs. I've hit it twice now, but just need to be able to hang out there. I think I need to post here more often instead of hiding from this thread.

@starbright VERY nice downward trend!!!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on November 08, 2017, 12:45:47 PM
Weight Log
* My monthly fitness anniversary is around the 6th of every month.
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-5.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
7/8/17      219.6 (-7.6)
8/7/17      215.2 (-4.4)
10/6/17    208.8 (-6.4)
11/8/2017 203.8 (-5)

Total Loss: 62.8 lbs
Total Percent: 23.7%

I have kept mostly on plan this last month, despite a lot of life happening + family celebrations. I think the fact that I am so close to 200 AND I really want to hit it before the end of the year is helping me keep on track. After I hit it I will take another maintenance break, but for now I am pushing onward unless I just stall out.

Continued weight loss in the holiday season is likely to be difficult, but I really want it to happen so I will see how it goes. Thanksgiving should be OK because we are going to my sister's and she is currently also watching what she eats. I expect to have more difficulty with the office candy and family celebrations around Christmas.

This week I have had several walks, tracked my food, ate prepped food from the week and in general stayed mostly on plan. However, I am struggling to hit weight loss calories on days where it is too cold or dark to walk outside after work. We have no gyms withing 30 minutes of our house, so when those days I happen I can either do the stationary bike in the garage or some other kind of home work out.

I also keep ending up around 1900 calories when I am aiming to eat closer to 1800. 1850-1900 was my previous target and so my body and mind must be accustomed to it. I need to figure out how to tweak my day to cut out the extra 50-100 calories - basically where do I want to take it from within my daily allotment.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: yuka on November 14, 2017, 05:59:29 PM
I've been a long time gone, but I finally have a result that I'm proud of again. For some context, my highest weight was 255 at the end of February. 

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: PMG on November 15, 2017, 02:38:45 AM
I've been gone from this thread for months.  Haven't read everything. 

Had lunch with my partner's mom last week and she said something that's been resonating with me.  English is not her first language. She was talking about cutting out caffeine and only drinking herbal teas and feeling so much better after a long day and later said, "I want to change my weight." 

change vs lose.  active vs passive.  Changed vs lost. intentionall vs accidental.

All that rolling around in my brain right now. 

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 15, 2017, 04:59:14 AM
Interesting PMG.  Now it is rolling about in my brain.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 16, 2017, 11:58:56 AM
I think it is a really good way of describing it. We are trying to change our weight permanently. Working on making a real and lasting change to way we approach and consume food.

Change. It's a good thing.

Remind me again tomorrow when I think I have to eat multiples of some favourite treat instead of being Content with one reasonable portion.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on November 16, 2017, 02:22:44 PM
I thought I had beaten my winter urge to eat - NOPE!

A random health scare last week (everything is okay - Doc just freaked me out) and DH being out of town for an extended period led to a week of comfort eating.

I'm up a pound this week - 143.

I'm having a salad for dinner tonight, come hell or high water!
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 27, 2017, 09:04:56 AM
Been feeling like I have been reasonable, but in reality I have been eating much more than I should. I have been indulging cravings for sweets every single day.

Was horrified by the scale this morning - 139.8. Dang it! I have put on those stupid 10 lbs yet again. This will be my 3rd round at losing this same 10 lbs.

It is time to get serious. No more eating extra because DH is. No more snacking just because I can. No more being ridiculous because I think I am going for a bike ride.

I am not cutting out every indulgence - the holidays are coming after all :) And sometimes (like last Friday), a body just needs chocolate to make it through a day. But in general, I need to get smarter and a whole lot more disciplined. I was full enough last night but kept eating and eating and eating.

Also, been eating too much comfort food and concerned how little veggies I am eating. I don't naturally like veggies so I usually have to push myself to up my intake. Today, I had a banana for breakfast and will be having a yummy salad for lunch. I have an apple in the fridge for dessert/snack.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 27, 2017, 09:15:01 AM
elaine amj -- This may be obvious advice.

Be kind towards yourself. Otherwise things will only get more difficult. Just make only one small change today, and make it stick this week. Winter is here and it is harder to get out and be more active.

Good luck.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 27, 2017, 09:25:34 AM
Elaine amj - next time you see a farm stand or market get yourself some really tasty local apples - 5 or 10 pounds.  They are way tastier than most grocery store apples and they are so crunchy and delicious - they meet the treat need. 
You have a lot on your metaphorical plate - don't beat yourself up over your dinner plate.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on November 27, 2017, 01:58:11 PM
@rpr You're right. And weight loss is always so much easier when I am not beating myself up.

@frugal lizard I do have a lot on my plate. Just so annoying that's this part of my life is also suffering for it. Ugh. Will take your advice to go slowly though. This week's project is to increase my vegetable intake.

On the good side, I woke up yesterday morning feeling really rested for the first time in a long time. It was truly wonderful to feel really awake and not groggy and sleepy. I have been making an effort to catch up on sleep and it's paying off. And of course, yesterday was planned as a fun day (and it sure was!) so that must have helped too lol.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rpr on November 27, 2017, 02:05:27 PM
@rpr You're right. And weight loss is always so much easier when I am not beating myself up.

@frugal lizard I do have a lot on my plate. Just so annoying that's this part of my life is also suffering for it. Ugh. Will take your advice to go slowly though. This week's project is to increase my vegetable intake.

On the good side, I woke up yesterday morning feeling really rested for the first time in a long time. It was truly wonderful to feel really awake and not groggy and sleepy. I have been making an effort to catch up on sleep and it's paying off. And of course, yesterday was planned as a fun day (and it sure was!) so that must have helped too lol.

Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk

Good for you. Sleep is crucial.

Re veggies -- Pick one vegetable that you like and cook more with it during the week.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on November 28, 2017, 10:27:08 AM
I didn't go hog-wild over Thanksgiving but I didn't practice portion control either. Actually, it's probably the first time in more than a month that I ate until I was full, rather than stopping while still hungry. It felt good. Too good. :(

I also violated my two-glasses-of-wine-per-week rule. Big time. And ate white flour and sugar.

I've lost 9 lbs in about a month and a half, but was afraid to do the weekly weigh-in on Saturday due to Thanksgiving overindulgence, so I skipped it. I'm sure I gained. But - I can get into my jeans again! Tighter than they were, but they don't look obscene and I don't have as much muffin-top blupping over the waistband.

I am having a really hard time going back to the portion control this week. I am Always Hungry and I'm finding it hard to stop when I've finished my portion. (The time of the month certainly does not help; I always sleep horribly during my period and I find that makes me much hungrier.) I did buy some herbal tea from Trader Joe's that I really like so I've been drinking that in the evenings to try to feel more full. And drinking more water, though I find that really hard when it's so cold out.

It is nice out today (well, for Chicago in late November, haha) so I am going to make a point of taking a long walk at lunch. I miss doing that.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on November 28, 2017, 02:52:01 PM
Starting weight:170
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15
Week11:-16
Week12:-18
Week13-15:-19
Week16:-21
Week17:-22
Week18:-24
Week19:-26
Week20:-28
Week21:-27
Week22:-30
Week23:-31
Week24:-32
Week25:-32
Week26:-34
Week27:-36
Week28:-37
Week29:-38
Week30:-38
Week31:-39
Week32:-40
Week33:-41
Week34:-43
Week35:-43
Week36:-44
Week37:-45
Week38:-46
Week39:-47
Week40:-47

That's an end weight of 123.  I'm pretty happy with the maintain last week as it includes one weekend guest, one Thanksgiving dinner, two wedding receptions, and no self control.  I'm mostly hoping to maintain over the holidays, though I won't be surprised if I bounce up a few pounds. Right now I'm trying to keep my daily eating and exercise at weight loss level, to counteract weekend events and missed exercise.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: rockstache on December 07, 2017, 11:51:28 AM

First Tuesday of the month check in:

2016
January 4: 153.0
February 1: 147.2
March 7: 140.2
April 4: 135.8
May 2: 134.8
June 7: 133.0
July 5: 132.2
August 2: 130.2
September 6: 128.8
October 4: 124.6
November 1: 124.6
December 6: 123.4

2017
January 3: 127.8
February 7: 122.8
March 7: 123.0
April 4: 123.0
May 2: 122.6
June 6: 129.4
July 3: 131.0
August 1: 129.2
September: 135.2
October: 135.6

November 7: 135.0
December 5: 135.8


Late posting from Tuesday. Looks worse than it is....I was higher after thanksgiving but am coming down from that. Good movement in the last week or two. I checked in today at 135.2
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 07, 2017, 12:27:45 PM
I am still holding steady - even though I keep having the desire to snack ALL THE TIME - this morning I was at 134.
I am  hoping if I can keep hovering around this weight until the beginning of January, then I will have avoided the winter padding that got me last year.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on December 07, 2017, 03:07:37 PM
I am still holding steady - even though I keep having the desire to snack ALL THE TIME - this morning I was at 134.
I am  hoping if I can keep hovering around this weight until the beginning of January, then I will have avoided the winter padding that got me last year.

Me Too Frugal Lizard!

I managed to hit a new low the day before Thanksgiving (141), bounced up to 144 and have gotten back down to where I'm fluctuating between 141-143.

I think it has to do with the sodium I'm getting from extra holiday events.

I am CONSTANTLY hungry. I'm actually thinking of trying HUEL just because it is supposed to be so filling. If I can make myself full then maybe I won't want to snack.

I have actually eaten six clementines and like 8 cups of tea today.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Harrington on December 10, 2017, 01:16:35 PM
March 1st I was 245. Just hit my goal today of 170. I feel amazing.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 10, 2017, 05:28:49 PM
Bravo Doneat49
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on December 18, 2017, 08:20:29 AM
March 1st I was 245. Just hit my goal today of 170. I feel amazing.

Congrats! That is amazing :)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 18, 2017, 08:24:50 AM
I got on the scales this morning after a weekend of socializing and baking and just plain having a good time but with a self-check - do I really need this, will I still feel good if I eat this?
And I am still hovering just below 134. 
I have been trying to fit in walking to things whenever I can.  If it is impossible to walk - I park further from my destination so that I have to walk even just a little - or push that grocery cart through the slush just a little further.  Every little bit helps.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on December 18, 2017, 08:26:00 AM
I bounced up to 146 after work travel/holiday party (sodium, meat and booze) last week and am working my way down again. I'll probably hit 141 the day before I leave for Christmas travel :) But I figure if I let myself eat whatever I want for a week and then spend the next couple of weeks losing it again, I'll still be ahead of the game when it comes to the new year.

Usually I let myself have a food free for all between Thanksgiving and New Years. This year I'm giving myself the holidays/trips themselves and then trying to get myself back on track.

My mom actually bought me Huel for Christmas so I'm going to be working it into my food this week. My plan is to eat a piece of fruit when I'm getting the snacking urge, then some protein if I'm still ravenous and if fruit and protein doesn't work I'm going to give myself a glass of Huel.

We'll see if it works and if it gets me through my insane need to snack in winter
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 22, 2017, 06:02:13 AM
I got on the scale this morning and EGADS it said 136.5.  I nearly started to cry because I was over that magical threshold that I set of 135.  In the next moment I thought well - must do some serious snow shoveling this weekend and get it together.  So I shoveled the driveway and then decided to re-weigh - before I got in the shower.  The scale was not zeroed.  So set it at zero, and low and behold, I am at 133.5. 
I am still going to shovel the driveway as quickly as I can a couple of times and maybe even get on the rowing machine.  The longer days start now so technically I should have made it.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on December 22, 2017, 07:54:25 AM
I'm grumpy because after a week of saying no to literally every holiday treat that was shoved into my face, saying no to booze, even saying no to eating until I'm satisfied - four ounces up. I know it's not a lot but I am really pissed off that I was starving all the time for the entire week and still gained.

I plan to bake over the holiday weekend, though. And have some wine. I will just have to undo the damage later. I am so sick of being hungry all the time that I could just scream. Also getting very sick of herbal tea, which is what I have in the evenings when I am starving. I bought a couple new flavors last night though so maybe that will help with the boredom.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: wintertell on December 22, 2017, 08:02:04 AM
Wellll I am up about 10lbs from my last weigh in. Lots of stress with a new job, moving and in general being tired of dieting. I am holding on about 8-10 lbs up from my lowest. Plan is to keep holding on and not self-sabotage through the holidays. Then we will move right after the holidays. Then, when I set up my life at new job and house, I will set myself up for success with health incorporated into the routine. Just have to hold on for a couple days longer. 

Weight Log
12/6/16  ~265
1/7/17      256.4   
2/3/17      251.6
3/10/17    242.2
4/7/17      235.8
5/4/17      230.0 (-5.8)
6/12/17    227.2 (-2.8)
7/8/17      219.6 (-7.6)
8/7/17      215.2 (-4.4)
10/6/17    208.8 (-6.4)
11/8/17 203.8 (-5)
12/22/17 213 (+9.2)
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: StarBright on December 22, 2017, 08:12:37 AM
I'm grumpy because after a week of saying no to literally every holiday treat that was shoved into my face, saying no to booze, even saying no to eating until I'm satisfied - four ounces up. I know it's not a lot but I am really pissed off that I was starving all the time for the entire week and still gained.

I plan to bake over the holiday weekend, though. And have some wine. I will just have to undo the damage later. I am so sick of being hungry all the time that I could just scream. Also getting very sick of herbal tea, which is what I have in the evenings when I am starving. I bought a couple new flavors last night though so maybe that will help with the boredom.

Tris -  I'm sipping peppermint tea right at this moment and hating it :) All I want is something warm and cheesy.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Tris Prior on December 22, 2017, 08:32:03 AM

Tris -  I'm sipping peppermint tea right at this moment and hating it :) All I want is something warm and cheesy.

Right?? When it's cold out, my usual snacks of fruit or raw veg are completely unappealing to me because they're cold. I want comfort food. (and I don't like cooked vegetables unless they're in something - ugh, mushy and gross - so that doesn't work.) At least the tea is hot.

I bought an herbal tea yesterday called Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride. Spoiler alert, it does not taste like sugar cookies.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on December 26, 2017, 08:32:24 AM
Folks...Its time to start a Losing Weight in 2018!!

After drowning my sorrows in food and gaining 14 pounds since August, I jumped back on the bandwagon last week and am actively losing weight through Christmas (while not depriving myself of treats or Christmas feasting).

Let's do this in 2018: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/index.php?topic=83561.0




Sent from my STH100-1 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: Runrooster on January 04, 2018, 06:12:35 PM
Starting weight:170
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15
Week11:-16
Week12:-18
Week13-15:-19
Week16:-21
Week17:-22
Week18:-24
Week19:-26
Week20:-28
Week21:-27
Week22:-30
Week23:-31
Week24:-32
Week25:-32
Week26:-34
Week27:-36
Week28:-37
Week29:-38
Week30:-38
Week31:-39
Week32:-40
Week33:-41
Week34:-43
Week35:-43
Week36:-44
Week37:-45
Week38:-46
Week39:-47
Week40:-47

Week41:-48
Week42:-49
Week43:-49
Week44:-49
Week45:-48

That's an end weight of 122.  I know there's a new thread but I wanted to finish 2017 here for completeness.  I probably will just be maintaining in 2018, though I wouldn't mind losing a few more pounds.  Just because I survived the holidays doesn't mean I'm out of the woods.  I gained one pound and am having a hard time with the unusual cold.  I'm being more sedentary even though exercise warms me up, and eating too much.  So maybe in three months I'll be needing to lose the winter blubber.
Title: Re: Losing Weight in 2016
Post by: elaine amj on January 15, 2018, 07:22:58 AM
Starting weight:170
Week1: -3
Week2: -5
Week3: -6
Week4: -7
Week5: -9
Week6: -11
Week7:-12
week8:-13
week9:-14
week10: -15
Week11:-16
Week12:-18
Week13-15:-19
Week16:-21
Week17:-22
Week18:-24
Week19:-26
Week20:-28
Week21:-27
Week22:-30
Week23:-31
Week24:-32
Week25:-32
Week26:-34
Week27:-36
Week28:-37
Week29:-38
Week30:-38
Week31:-39
Week32:-40
Week33:-41
Week34:-43
Week35:-43
Week36:-44
Week37:-45
Week38:-46
Week39:-47
Week40:-47

Week41:-48
Week42:-49
Week43:-49
Week44:-49
Week45:-48

That's an end weight of 122.  I know there's a new thread but I wanted to finish 2017 here for completeness.  I probably will just be maintaining in 2018, though I wouldn't mind losing a few more pounds.  Just because I survived the holidays doesn't mean I'm out of the woods.  I gained one pound and am having a hard time with the unusual cold.  I'm being more sedentary even though exercise warms me up, and eating too much.  So maybe in three months I'll be needing to lose the winter blubber.

This. is. amazing!!! Congratulations on such an amazing job well done. You were consistent and focused for an entire year. And you survived December! That is so very impressive and inspiring.