Author Topic: Losing Weight in 2016  (Read 459553 times)

MicroSpice

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #550 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

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #551 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.

Bee21

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #552 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.

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #553 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.

alleykat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #554 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.

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #555 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.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #556 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.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #557 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.

NeverLost

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #558 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.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #559 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.

MicroSpice

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #560 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.

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!

oneday

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #561 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
« Last Edit: May 04, 2016, 01:47:42 AM by oneday »

RuntoFIRE

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #562 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!

DesireeD

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #563 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!

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #564 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!

Adge

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #565 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

alleykat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #566 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.


alleykat

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #567 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.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #568 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. 

Adge

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #569 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.

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #570 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?

MicroSpice

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #571 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!

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #572 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!

senorpanqueque

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #573 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!

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #574 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!

dogboyslim

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #575 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.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #576 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!

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #577 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.

RuntoFIRE

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #578 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!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #579 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.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #580 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.

FIreDrill

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #581 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!

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RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #582 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

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #583 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.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #584 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 :)

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #585 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?

RuntoFIRE

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #586 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!

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #587 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.

RuntoFIRE

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #588 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.


elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #589 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.


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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #590 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)


elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #591 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.

dogboyslim

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #592 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.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #593 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

RedmondStash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #594 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.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #595 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.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #596 on: May 06, 2016, 07:37:11 PM »
@oneday LOVE the explorer journal entry. Do tell us more :)


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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #597 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....

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #598 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.

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #599 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. :)