Uber: Congrats on both your loss and your upcoming 2 month anniversary of your lifestyle change! Every day that's past means you are one day closer to being where you're meant to be in life. Obsessive about your workouts? I can't wait to see you get started and join Diane and I in our already workout-obsessed world.
Martini: I'm in full agreement with you. You have to make an effort to reward yourself along the way down and what better way than to buy clothes that fit you properly and help you show off the changes? That being said, I really wish life circumstances allowed for that possibility for me right now. There are quite a few things - expensive things - that I would love to be able to own. But they're expensive and aren't practical within my life at the moment. I am regularly keeping an eye out for cheap - but cute - things at Walmart, Goodwill, and the like in the meantime. That being said, I did drop what little I had saved on a pricey but awesome bathing suit. With all the swimming I plan to do between now and winter, it is going to more than pay for itself. Not to mention it's the first suit in a long time that both holds the girls while I'm actively swimming and makes them look incredible.
Diane: Hope you manage to get things done!
Not much to say right now on my front. Aside from the fact that I'm a little scared of the scale right now. I didn't weigh this morning and, after having a very late dinner because of my schedule at work today (6pm-10pm with 45 mins of driving to and from), I decided to risk it. I saw as low as 224.4 lbs (and as high as 225.6 lbs). I didn't want to see that. I'm not as worked up about it as I thought I might be to see another such drop, but I think that's only because I keep telling myself that Tuesday's tape might prove that all these pounds are valid losses. I hope they do, anyway. As long as I can continue to maintain a better fat-to-muscle ratio this time around (I'm have the same inches now that I had previously when I was 15 lbs lighter) than I've had in the past, I'll be okay.
So many great things going on for so many people. I read everything, but I'm not going to comment on much of it except to say Martini - excited to have you on board with my challenge. You're going down, Trainer Boy.
I continue to see progress, both in the number on the scale and the way my clothes are fitting. Quite happy about it.
However, another glitch on the homefront. I had restricted calories so that I could eat out with my husband yesterday afternoon, but he said he didn't want to eat out. It was about 5:30, and I had eaten very little that day, and I was really hungry. So, I happily made a big plate of egg whites (cuz it's a low-cal food, so I can eat it in volume), and he said, "Maybe the reason you have sleeping problems is because of your diet and your supplements." What? This is the man who tells his kids that they have to eat the "healthy stuff" - referring to their burgers or chicken nuggets and fries - before they eat dessert. My diet consists primarily of lean proteins (primarily egg whites, tuna, and chicken breast), oatmeal, raisin bran, a variety of fruits, and occasional vegetables. And, of course, occasional chocolate or ice cream. =) Can it be improved? Yup. But I am not okay with him, with his limited nutritional knowledge, looking up from his chocolate-covered pretzels and saying, without irony, that he's just trying to help by telling me how unappetizing and unnutricious my carefully-selected food choices are. And so the food detente appears to have passed.
Hi all! Good news on the scale front for me. I am down 2.2 pounds this week, inching closer to a 50 pound total loss. Very happy! I had kind of hoped to get down to the 50 pound loss by Thursday, when I go to visit my parents... just because it is a cool number to say when they ask how much I've lost. But, that would be another 2.2 in the next few days. I'm not thinking that it will happen. So, I'm pretty happy with what I have right now. I'm concerned about the weekend because my mom is a fabulous cook. I told her to just make what she wants to make, but to not expect me to overfill my plate! So, we'll see how next Monday's weigh in turns out. I'm also a little sad that I'll be missing my Friday and Saturday workouts, but I'm trying to get over it and realize that sometimes, you just have to live!
LaurieDawn: Sorry to hear about the food comments again. It really should be off limits, but I wonder if he thinks he is helping. Shoot, you were all ready to go out to eat with him, so it isn't like you are restricting yourself all the time. Sorry for the frustration.
Garnet: I totally understand not wanting to spend the money on clothes right now. I am the same way. I think that even if I had unlimited funds, I just don't want to buy right now. I will probably need to soon, when it gets cooler. Good news on the scale for you!!
Martini Yes, you know me better than I know myself. I will feel awful and fat if I don't have anything to wear on vacation, and the worse I feel, the worse I do. Hating myself is never a good incentive for me. Happiness is what helps me to lose weight. I did come up with an insight last time around which was that part of my whole eating problem was that food was my primary reward. I deprived myself of literally everything-- vacations, trips to the salon, manicures... joining a gym, anything that I might do for myself I had a tendency to push off as "not necessary."
Laurie I'm sure that the experience of working out your food styles with your hubby will be a work in progress. Maybe in a weird way, he is just trying to communicate to you that he loves you the way you are and doesn't expect you to lose weight.
Jessica Ugh. Scale woes! I get it. It makes no sense that the number can psych us out, but it surely does! You are smart to be measuring. When you're exercising a lot the scale does not reflect compacting!
Diane: Hope you had an awesome weekend. Eagerly awaiting the workout report! :-)
So, I'm fully on scale crazy. Up 1.4 this am. Two possibilities-- one is that I ate Japanese food again, meaning miso soup, meaning lots of sodium! The other possibility is that my scale battery is dying... I really can't handle a scale that doesn't weigh me exactly the same no matter how many times I step on it, and for the past few days, mine has been a bit wonky.
On the bright side, I think I'm actually almost done with my editing-- I've been working on this project for ages and it feels great to be almost done!
Glad to see you all are still hanging in here! It's been a rough few weeks with medical issues and excessive amounts of business, but things are fine over here as well. It's still a daily struggle to reach for low carb instead of give into to higher carb junk, I miss the days it was effortless. But I'm prevailing, one choice at a time.
And 15 weeks pregnant - kid's the size of a navel orange now
Jessica - It's great that you're using both the scale and the tape measure to keep an eye on your progress! Try to enjoy the quick losses now, while you've got them... because even though, logically, you know it's healthier to lose slower, you'll still wish for it to be quicker when it slows down.
Laurie - YAY scale and clothes progress! Boo husband regress. I don't know about your husband specifically, but in general, men aren't too good with subtle and tend to end up sticking their foot in their mouth. My husband once tried to tell me how to behave in front of his family, and it came out in such a way that it sounded like he was both embarrassed by me, and didn't trust me to behave properly... when in reality he was just trying to warn me that his family is much more conservative than my loud, obnoxious family (seriously, think 'chuch people' stereotype... compared to 'biker bar' stereotype, and there you have it). Men tend to be fixers. He is probably just suggesting a solution to a problem he thinks you have, especially if you've mentioned it as such previously. Maybe try telling him it's not a problem you need him to solve, that you need emotional support not a logical solution here, and that this is a topic he needs to stay away from -- other than the emotional support when you're frustrated with the ongoing process and/or having the expected stress reactions, because good intentions or not his comments are more hurtful than helpful.
Diane - You can say ALMOST or ABOUT 50 pounds! :P It sounds almost as awesome, plus you'll be there soon! And yes, try to enjoy life. I had that problem last time around. I wanted to be a hermit, and to avoid all the potential 'derailing' foods... and I think that is part of what set me up for failure. Successful maintainers know how to fit in a little indulgence now and again when it comes to celebrations, traveling, or social events without completely falling off track. So I'm trying to allow myself social events and celebratory events, the occasional dinner out, and noting my body's reactions to it so I can be prepared down the road. Practice for maintenance!
Uber - YAY for being almost finished with your project. Boo wonky scale! Sodium is such a pain, isn't it? Did you have the bump up the last time you ate out? I know I bumped up more than 3 pounds over my 3 day trip! But if it's fluctuating like crazy, maybe just change the batteries anyway.
And for me - The scale obsession continues. 300.8 today. SO SO SO close! I probably won't hit 299 for my mid-week "official" weigh in, but if I don't make it by Friday, I might cry!
Diane I get that you don't want to call it FIFTY until you've actually hit fifty- but I have to say that for the purposes of a parental visit, I think you're entitled to just smile a Mona Lisa smile and say FIFTY POUNDS
Diane - Uber is SO right! You have lost 50 pounds in real person terms. And I bet, with all the exercise and strength training you do, you look like you've lost a lot more than that. Enjoy the parents, and enjoy showing them your accomplishment. It's huge! And well-earned.
Uber - Get yourself some new batteries, woman! That would make me crazy crazy. =) You know how the scale works, and you know the quality of information it gives you even on its most high-functioning days. But ain't no need to torture yourself further in lieu of a few dollars spent on batteries. I am also super curious about the author thing. Have you written books that I may have read?
Mandy - What are you planning to do to celebrate? The cross-over into Twoderville (not as cool as Onederland, but - eh...) is a huge step forward. And thanks for the good advice about the hubby. I also loved hearing about your barker bar family! The hubby honestly believes he's being helpful. But he has no clue about macro or micro nutrients, and is even more clueless about calories. He spouts off 30-year-old misinformation as though it's fact. I don't need or want his input, or quite frankly, even his support. I just need him to stop making it harder! It's kind of insulting, actually, that he genuinely believes he has a better handle on my health and food choices than I do. Dang it! =)
Taryl - You continue to be an inspiration. Maintaining is hard for anyone, but I've watched you do it through multiple pregnancies and babies. I'm sorry that you're currently struggling, but I know you're going to get this under control to the point where it's easy again. Or figure out a way to switch it up so it becomes easy again. Or just work through the hard. You'll do this, one way or another.
Jessica - I know exactly what you mean! I am so afraid that early success will equal later failure. Or an expectation that I need long-term success that looks the same as the early success in order to be satisfied. But maybe this is what you need, and deserve. With the financial struggles and the husband difficulties, maybe it's just hard to accept that good things are happening. But maybe this just signals the start of a new, easier, smoother period for you?
Martini - I thought I might post a picture of trainer boy so you (and I) could focus our "let's show him" vibes a bit better. But then, when I looked him up on FB to grab a pic, it felt too stalkish. I don't really have ill feelings toward him. He's young, has never struggled with weight, and is poorly-trained in nutrition. So Imma try to find and post a stock photo as a stand-in for Trainer Boy.
I'm in the honeymoon period of weight loss and loving it here! I have calorie-restricted long enough that I am bothered by hunger way less than I was before. TOM isn't due for another few weeks, so I'm not in the fiercely hungry time period yet. Scale's showing good results with some consistency. The gym is no longer an effort most days. Just part of my day. And I can be faced with a cookie and think, "That would probably taste good, but I would rather see scale progress than enjoy that cookie for 2-3 minutes." Gonna sit back and enjoy it, cuz it might last a day or a week or just a few hours. But the benefits from it will help motivate me during the really tough days. And I know those are coming too. =)
Laurie: I hate when people make a judgement about the way I'm eating. Especially when, in many ways, it is hypocritical. I don't know why he would feel that your egg whites are in some way less healthy than the fast food he's fed the kids. I can understand if they are unappetizing to him. That's a personal preference thing, but they aren't unhealthy. I feel bad for eggs.... they can have a really bad rap. In reality, they are some of the healthiest quick and easy breakfasts (or meals) you can have. Especially if you decide to do an omelet or scramble and start throwing in every vegetable you have. Personally, 95% of my breakfasts are two eggs, usually scrambled with whatever veggies we happen to have on hand.
Diane: You are so close to hitting such a major achievement. Take pride in it. You might not be able to hit exactly 50 lbs down by this weekend, but, as Mandy pointed out, you can say about or almost 50 lbs and it will still have the same huge impact. While you won't be able to make it to your usual workouts, maybe you'll be able to squeeze in a walk or something to help off-set your workout withdrawal.
Uber: Yeah, it was an expense I struggled to justify but I finally told myself that a $1 tape measure was not going to break my budget and that it would go a very long way to reassuring me of my progress on this journey. My scale has a habit of fluctuating all the time. It's also pretty sensitive. When I do my official weigh-ins, I always end up taking it out into the garage so that I'm sure it's reading as accurately as possible.
Also, are you a fellow writer!? I'm currently working on writing the second draft to a manuscript I did during National Novel Writing Month in 2012. It's been a long process. I had to step away from the novel for over a year and it wasn't until March of this year - around the time I told him I wanted a divorce - that all the changes that needed to occur finally started to make sense. I have to admit the 2nd draft of The Becoming is a completely different animal than the original manuscript was but it is one I am utterly in love with. I was making some pretty regular progress on it there for a while but life has sort of taken over. I'm still doing a little about once a week or so, but I've also hit a part in the plot where the characters have veered from what my outline expected them to do. So, trying to readjust and figure out what needs to happen next.
Arctic Mama: Congrats on the baby and sometimes, it can be hard to make the right choices but it will always be worth it in the end. Keep up the hard work.
Mandy: I know, I know. That's why I come here and share because I know that you all understand the crazy that's going on in my head. And I know that with as big as I am - and was - it isn't unheard of for there to be weeks of large losses. Mentally, I think I'm just trying to keep myself expecting the worst and hoping for the best. But when you get the best, it just feels wrong. LOL. Tomorrow is my official weigh-in and, I'll be honest, I'm excited to see what everything looks like.
You are doing such an incredible job! I can't wait to see when you break into that 299 lbs threshold. Even if you do hit it by Friday you still might end up crying but it'll be tears of job from all of your hard work paying off. Keep it up, we're all rooting for you!
There's been this situation at work where, going into winter, hours are getting cut here and there. I've noticed a pattern - I seem to always be on the list of those getting cut down to 16 hours. This wouldn't be a problem if I lived in town, but I have a 30 mile drive, one way, to get to work. The girl I spoke of before keeps saying I should just work closer to my home - if I could, I would but you go where the jobs are. Anyway, I mentioned that I was going to have to talk to a manager because it's not fair that I'm always shorted the hours and we got into a huff because 1) she doesn't want it to effect her 20 hours, when she lives literally 2 minutes from work and 2) I indicated that if we do the same job, started the same time, and accomplish the same amount of work it is, strictly a fairness issue. Neither of us deserves the hours more if we are on equal footing.
I didn't say I was going to ask for more hours, I said I was going to see if on the weeks where I work 16 hours I can do it over 3 days instead of 4 so I can make up the money I lose by saving a little bit extra in gas. She ended up going home and posting something on her facebook about not caring about anyone outside of her family and I've since unfollowed her feed. The fact is that I don't need the negativity of someone like her in my life. It's just not worth it to me.
In happier news related to the hours, I did talk to a manager and explained my situation. The manager, who can sympathize because she also has quite a commute has stated that she'll talk to the store manager and see if she can't actually get me bumped back up to 20 hours per week if nothing else. Either way, here's to hoping my financial situation doesn't stay as terrifying as having to try and make $250 a paycheck cover both my gas and the amount of bills I have while trying to rebuild my life.
Laurie, again: That's it precisely. I know that's what it is. I've often said that I've gotten so used to things going wrong in my life that I feel like I'm always waiting for things to finally fall into place or completely fall apart. And even when things do look like they're going to fall into place, I still end up looking over my shoulder and around every corner expecting life to sucker-punch me in the gut and the other shoe to drop.
The honeymoon period is the best. It can also be the point that makes or breaks it for some people. I, like you, prefer to enjoy it while also embracing the realism that it isn't always going to be this easy. That's one of the reasons I like to have a variety of goals that I'm working toward. This month, I set a goal of trying to hit 55 total miles walked I'm already at 40.5 miles! Given that I bumped my daily walk with Luna up by .375 miles, it's not that surprising, really. I can't wait to see how many total miles I manage to eek out between now and August 1st.
I also decided to start adding modified side planks into my July Fitness Challenge. After two days of having really good results with the modified plank, I got curious and attempted the full side planks. I was able to hold it for five seconds on each side. It felt like such a huge accomplishment. I first did side planks in about 2011 and for the longest time, I wasn't able to hold myself up for more than, literally, a second or two. To have managed a full 5 seconds so soon was a great feeling.
Last edited by garnetrising; 07-21-2014 at 05:30 PM.
Reason: Ninja'd by Laurie
Jessica - Yahoo on the side planks! I love those fitness accomplishments so much. Now, I'm gonna have to see if I can even get into position to do a side plank. =) And I know it can be very difficult to believe that good things actually can happen, and even harder to actually trust those good things to continue happening, but I hope you can wrap your head around it enough to celebrate it. Cuz it is happening. You're becoming fitter. And thinner. And stronger. And working on your income issues. Without going into details, when my ex left me, it was the hardest period of my life to endure. The emotional and physical demands (like getting my kids food) were beyond overwhelming. And the depression threatened to swallow everything. So, it was often thinking to myself, "If I do this single task, my life will be marginally better. And a series of single tasks will make it even better. And if I string enough of these together, my life may become manageable again." It was hard, and I failed countless times at countless things, but my life is monumentally better now. And it will be for you. Look at you now compared to a month ago even.
I met a friend for "drinks" right after work yesterday. (I don't actually drink alcohol, and I hate diet soda, and didn't remotely want to trade a fleeting taste for huge calorie numbers, so I didn't want soda or juice, so I had water.) She suggested ordering nachos. I asked her what she thought about the raw veggie platter. And she was totally down with it! And those veggies tasted incredible, and I generally struggle to eat my veggies. Then, I met the husband at the gym. We usually do my lifting schedule. (I follow The New Rules of Lifting For Women.) But he suggested we try the circuit machines. I am a free weight snob, but agreed, and it was HARD. Good hard, and I am very sore today. Then, we went out to eat. I had saved almost all of my daily calories for that meal, so I ate relatively heartily. After a super low-cal day and a hard lifting session, I was almost shaky hungry, so it was a guilt-free, incredibly satisfying meal. Overall, a great, great day for my weight conscious soul.
Alas, I was scared to weigh this morning. Super sore muscles, a later-than-normal heavy meal, and a low-sleep night often spell disaster. But, surprisingly good news there as well. A new decade, and (very slightly) over halfway there on my trainer boy challenge. Feeling very good about things this morning. =)
Hi all! Wow! I love this thread! I get so much out of what everyone is discussing.
LaurieDawn: I had noticed that you were in a new decade! So exciting! I don't know what it is about those decade changes, but they make you feel so happy! That's cool about working out like that and then having enough calorie deficit to enjoy a nice meal.
Garnet: Boy, can I relate to your work issues. I actually work full time, 8-5 hours, so it isn't a big issue for me. But, my son had to change jobs recently when he was driving our 20 miles into town, but then they'd cut him after a couple of hours. He found a place that he gets at least 5 hours per shift, so he can afford the gas that his old truck needs!
Uber: Yeah, I think you need a new battery. We all have enough scale issues as it is, we don't need to have electronic failure. By the way, workouts are good. I've finally embraced the MOI spin class. It is hard, but a good challenge. Then, I went to the Body Flow class on Saturday and that will be a good addition, adding the yoga moves and hopefully becoming stronger and more flexible.
Mandy: So, I think we are all holding our breath for you to get into the 290's! So exciting. And you are so right that we can follow our structure most of the time, but sometimes we need to just be mindful when we're travelling or visiting others. There are always going to be situations that we need to be able to get through without totally coming off track!
ArticMama: Hang in there! I think you are doing great!
Well, today is one of those challenge days. There are two birthdays in our office today. Normally we don't go overboard for birthdays, but for some reason, there are a few that feel the need today. So, there will be cake, and root beer floats. I'm determined not to have any. I don't think it will be too hard to turn down. It just doesn't seem worth the extra calories to me. I actually had a loss when I was on the scale this morning, so that will help motivate me to stay strong. Too close to a major goal to give in to sugar.
Laurie: Congratulations on the new decade! And with all of the lifting you probably look great!
Jessica: Grrrr on the work issue. For the longest time, I worked part-time because of my kids, and my employer kept me at 23 hours a week, just because 24 would have qualified me for benefits. Finally, an awful boss jerked my schedule around so much that I'd have to come in twice a day, or for these weird partial shifts-- and I just got fed up. I'm so lucky to be self-employed now! I hate being jerked around.
Mandy: Seems like the Twos are just teasing you... but it will be a BIG CELEBRATION around here when you hit a new century!
Diane: Ugh-- nothing worse that the work celebration! But I'd say definitely not worth indulging. In my former office they used to have cake celebrations at 10 in the morning. Who wants cake at 10 in the morning? (well, if uber is being completely honest, I'd probably eat cake any time, but it's much easier for me to resist in the morning...)
Taryl: Glad to hear that the pregnancy is going well and that the craving monsters are staying at bay. Such a wonderful time in life!
So, as for me-- I finally moved my ticker down to 261. I'm still bouncing up and down 261.2, 261.4. I don't know if this happens to you guys, but this is definitely a "set point" weight for me. If I look at my weight chart over the last 5 years, I've spent more time right around 261 than at any other weight. So I figure that it's not surprising that I would stick here a bit. I'm hoping that I'll whoosh soon and go straight to 259! I've been really good about my food choices-- so it's just a matter of time (and I've decided that my scale battery is fine, it's just my head that's wonky! :-)
Jessica and Laurie-- I am indeed a writer. That being said, I try to keep my identity as a writer and my crazy dieter self completely separate-- that's why I never post pictures of myself, or use my real name. How embarrassing would it be if someone popped my name into google, and instead of finding stuff about my books, they found my weight, and how many times I had stripped down to my birthday suit to weigh myself everyday!
New decades and whooshes for all! Woohoo! I'm in a new decade, too, but it wasn't the direction I wanted to go. This pregnancy has been SO tough for weight gain compared to the previous four. Oh well.
Taryl - I missed your post yesterday, apologies! I was wondering how you've been doing. Happy to see you're sticking to your plan, even though it's tough. That's pretty admirable.
Laurie - Would you believe I don't really have a celebration for 299 in mind yet?! I'll get the regularly scheduled book for hitting a 10 pound mark, but nothing in mind for getting out of 300s. We're pretty broke until hubby gets a call, so I'm not sure what is cheap and not a food related thing. I was thinking maybe a new pair of *comfy* black dress shoes since I broke the heel of mine when we were in Indiana (they were REALLY old and rubber wedges - split right up the side). But since I have several other pairs of black dress shoes they aren't an immediate need. no clue.
Jessica - Good luck on the work situation! Like Uber, I've also been stuck in a crappy part time, wonky hours job for the business to avoid having to pay out/pay for certain things. Part of me gets it, part of me resents it. I hope you are able to work things out in the most beneficial way for you.
Laurie - Water and veggies is definitely a better choice than soda/booze and nachos... at least, nutritionally speaking. :P Nachos are one of those foods I'm compelled to snack on until they disappear, especially if they've got a decent amount of cheese on them, and aren't incredibly spicy. And isn't it great to be able to go out and enjoy a meal and see that it won't necessarily derail your progress? It's a mental thing, I think, but all it takes is that one time to see that you CAN go out it won't mess you up to alleviate some of the stress attached to balancing socializing and weight loss.
Diane - Laurie avoided nachos, you're trying to avoid root beer floats... Those are one of my favorite desserts! I'm glad it's y'all having to avoid them, and not me... I don't know if I'd be able to do it. Nothing quite like a frosty, creamy root beer float in the middle of the summer heat. YUM. GOOD LUCK! I also use smaller numbers on the scale as motivation to stay away from the calorie laden foods that just won't fit. I try to plan around high-calorie events by eating 100-200 calories less in the days surrounding the event (3 before, 3 after, so my rolling 7 day average stays where it should be), and exercising a little more, then eating light before the event so I can indulge without much guilt or worry other than maybe a little water retention from extra carbs or salt.
Uber - It's so weird how certain weights just seem to be impossible to pass. I remember last time it was the upper 260s that got me for a while. Of course, that's probably because I hit 269 the day before my wedding, went on my honeymoon, came back and was 275, then couldn't seem to get back past 268 for a looong time. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a whoosh soon!
and for me...
Well, no crazy celebrations yet. I don't get to announce a new decade, or even a new century today lol. Scale is being a TEASE and today I weighed in at 300.4. SO, I got to pass the 30 pound mark BUT I haven't hit the under-300 mark yet.
I'll have to be careful. I was so intent on hitting that 299.8 number that I had to eat a PBJ *after* dinner because I was only up to right at 1000 calories, and that's just way too low for me, even though my dinner felt massive it wasn't as many calories as I normally have (660, vs 900ish) We had chicken breast, cut into strips and seasoned with a home-made taco seasoning (muuuuch lower sodium), and cooked in garlic infused oil (which I used because I realized my calories were low), with sliced onion and green pepper, then put in a low carb/high fiber wrap with salsa and cheese. I even used extra cheese! 2 big wraps netted me 70g protein and 21g fiber. I was REALLY FULL so hubby and I went for a walk a little later. Dodged some rain drops and I had a PBJ and ice cream sandwich later so I finished my day at just over 1500, instead of barely over 1000, when my daily goal (if I don't exercise) is 1700.
FOOD IS NOT EVIL... even if I do want to see 299.8 on the scale.
no clue.
