Good morning, everyone! Back at the office and on catch-up day. (Shifting that to "good afternoon." I started this post several hours ago, and am just getting back to it.)
Thank you for your thoughts on hunger. Martini, your experience speaks to me. I may not even know what "hunger" really is. Interestingly, I am in my "honeymoon" phase right now, and there are large chunks of time when I do not feel hungry. So far today, I have eaten 160 calories of salmon, and I am feeling pretty satiated without feeling either hungry or full. And Nici, you make a great point about eating unfulfilling foods. I am often more hungry when I eat sugar than if I hadn't eaten at all. And that could be part of my hunger problem when I am not being careful about food. I eat a lot, but not necessarily good foods, and that certainly impacts my hunger. And your association between out-of-control hunger and subsequent scale drops hit home, too, Uber. I have previously made that association, but had forgotten about it. I think I just have to accept "hunger," as I interpret it at least, as a part of my life, and recognize that it will be regardless of how I choose to eat.
Martini - So glad to have you back here, and thrilled to be a fellow honeymooner with you. It is so much fun to have you as a fellow traveler.
Uber - I love your frank recognition of the oddness of some of our (weight strugglers) thought patterns. For me, being full triggers the "oh, I need some sugar now" reflex. Love having you back here.
Nici - I get sssooo sick of chicken and salad too. I have to admit that I embrace the rut most of the time, whatever that particular rut is for me. I eat the same things day after day after day, and it makes counting and planning exceptionally easy. But it also means that I sometimes look at my lunch and contemplate fasting. =) Yay for successful vacations!
Mandy - Woot for the end of pregnancy. I have always said that the only thing that would have convinced me to willingly embrace labor and delivery were the last few months of pregnancy. Can't wait to see pics of the baby boy. And WTG for your hubby agreeing to your hour a day of exercise. Inspirational thought - Even though you will be exhausted on some of those days, taking that hour a day for exercise will make it easier, not harder, to take on the rest of your day. (At least, that's my experience with it.)
Diane - I am so excited to hear about your trip! Hope the foot gives you no difficulty, and that your time with your hubby is the best.
Back at work. Was successful at limiting calories during my trip. Had a large "welcome home" meal, but not completely out of control. Feel okay about it against the backdrop of calorie restriction earlier in the day.
Honeymooning now. Which is a great place to be. Plan on leaving for the gym in about an hour.
Have a great day, and a fantastic weekend, everyone!
Hi everyone! I wanted to drop by for a quick check-in. I'm trying to manage a combination of PMS hunger and a handful of social plans so this weekend's big success might just be staying under 2,000 calories each day. Fingers crossed!
Martini - Under 2000 calories on a weekend that involves both social plans and PMS = HUGE win! Hope it went as planned.
I had a decent weekend. I was not too calorie-restricted, but I was reasonable. I think I need to be more focused on calorie restriction on weekends for a bit. However, I have five week days before I deal with weekend food issues! I was driving to work, and so excited about my food routine. It's so nice to feel confident that I can stay on plan. I have not weighed since I started, and I am toying with the idea of not weighing at all until my challenge is over. My pants are looser, and I am not obsessing over numbers. I may be able to lose faster if I monitor, but maybe not, and fast is not really my goal so much as sustainability.
I just got back from the dentist, and had a really frustrating experience. Lesson here - poverty is the gift that keeps on giving, even if you fight your way out of it. But I was hungry and frustrated and a little angry, and wanted to stop and get my favorite high-calorie convenience store meal. And I didn't. Maybe, just maybe, I am back on track.
Good Monday morning all (or whatever time it is wherever you are)
I had a very disciplined weekend. It has been very hot where I am and no AC which really is a natural hunger control mechanism for me. I drink a whole lot and am less hungry in general. Plus, instead of cooking, we had Trader Joe's salads for dinner which I love for the portion control, and it's just easier for me in general if I don't have to deal with food so much.
So, happily, I'm down another pound for a total of 18 (and really I think it's probably 20 because I did not step on the scale at my heaviest)
So, chugging along.
Laurie Dental issues. Ugh. The absolute worst! I know what you mean about the security of routine. I find that the more I just eat the same thing over and over again the better I do. Variety is too interesting, and hence tempting, for me.
Martini Good job for staying on track. Social plans always complicate matters!
Nici Walking outside is nice! But sometimes it's easier for me just to hop on the treadmill and set a timer. I'm not sure if it's easier on the joints. I feel like it is harder on my feet... I think my foot problem is almost resolved... dropping almost 20 has definitely helped! :-)
Just to add, I'm still 19 pounds above where I was last November when everything fell apart, and it is sometimes hard for me to look at that stupid ticker and realize that since joining 3FC I've weighed everything from 295 (highest ever) to 186 (lowest ever) and here I am in the mid-260s, which if I look at my fit day weight chart which starts in 2009 that has actually been my "average" weight. In short, based on that, it would seem that really all of my efforts to lose weight have led to exactly nothing...
But on the other hand, I keep thinking about how I kept going up and up until I hit 295 and that even weighing in the 260s more or less consistently is maintaining a 30 lb weight loss (with a few bumps) for more than five years.
Still and all, I am just POSITIVE that one of these times, it is just going to stick, and I'm probably going to reach a point where I can maintain under 200. I think the "fat phase" of my life is going to come to an end.
And we've got Diane here who has stuck with it through and through all of my ons and offs! So I know it can be done!
Laurie: My teeth are hurting just thinking about the dentist!! How great is it, though, that you had a good weekend. I did, too. I had a few beers too many on Friday night, but I made up for it by keeping things under 1500 calories on Saturday and Sunday. Here's to both of us being awesome!
Uber: Don't you think that sometimes we need those ups and downs? I'm not going to call them failures because I don't think that's what that losing/gaining/losing/gaining pattern is. I'm starting to see them more as learning experiences.
I quit smoking two years ago (almost to the day!) after smoking for 20 years. It seems to have stuck this time around, but before that I had spent years torturing myself with quitting for a few weeks and then starting again. Then I'd smoke for a while and feel guilty about it and on and on. It was miserable.
One day I got off the bus and realized I was out of cigarettes. I didn't want to deal with finding a convenience store so I decided to quit then and there. And that was it.
Now I've had two good weeks on plan and I'm starting to get my sea legs. I know what this looks like and I know what pitfalls lie ahead. It feels good to be in familiar territory because I've developed the skills - through gaining and losing and gaining and losing - to navigate the problems that will come up.
I very well may have another solid two months on plan and then regain 20 pounds. So be it. If that's what happens then there's clearly something new I need to learn. I'm tired of berating myself for trivial shortcomings when the bigger picture is something that I can really be proud of. I'm categorizing regaining 40 pounds in that "trivial shortcoming" box.
Uber: Don't you think that sometimes we need those ups and downs? I'm not going to call them failures because I don't think that's what that losing/gaining/losing/gaining pattern is. I'm starting to see them more as learning experiences.
I quit smoking two years ago (almost to the day!) after smoking for 20 years. It seems to have stuck this time around, but before that I had spent years torturing myself with quitting for a few weeks and then starting again. Then I'd smoke for a while and feel guilty about it and on and on. It was miserable.
One day I got off the bus and realized I was out of cigarettes. I didn't want to deal with finding a convenience store so I decided to quit then and there. And that was it.
Martini I hope you are right! I really think so. Now, I know it is possible to lose and I know how to lose, and I have solid experience with sticking with it for long periods of time, so the only thing I haven't mastered yet is how to stick with it when I'm stressed and upset and thinking about other things.
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ow I've had two good weeks on plan and I'm starting to get my sea legs. I know what this looks like and I know what pitfalls lie ahead. It feels good to be in familiar territory because I've developed the skills - through gaining and losing and gaining and losing - to navigate the problems that will come up.
Yup. This is how I feel.Gaining and losing and gaining and losing sucks. But it does not suck as hard as gaining and gaining and gaining!
Uber - I am exactly where you are. I gained 60 pounds back over the last year, and was not happy even at 189. =/ But I am convinced that if I was not actively working at doing something, I would be 300 or more pounds right now. So, yes. Being 250 again sucks. But not as much as being 350. And I am relatively healthy. The exercise really does have a positive effect, even if it's not forever skinniness. And woot for being 20 pounds down since your restart! I really want to follow in your footsteps there.
Martini - Yay for managing your social situations and making it work! We are pretty awesome. =) And I love, love, love your perspective. Gaining the weight back is really a trivial setback for me as well. I refuse to vilify the fat or place it as the most important thing in my life.
Martini's post really got me thinking. My employment/financial situation is constantly evolving and improving. Yes, it sucks to have almost $10,000 worth of dental work that needs to be done, and it will probably take me years to be able to get it done. But I have dental insurance now, and I have enough money that I can take care of the most urgent issues now. My new marriage has had ups and downs, but things are consistently improving. My kids have challenges that require my assistance, but they are not in crisis, as they were a few years ago in the aftermath of my divorce. Even my ex-husband has regained his footing, and seems to be doing well, which has a great spill-over effect for our kids (and thus, for me).
I am not sure when I will "conquer" this weight issue. Or if I will. But I am fairly fit, and I know how to lose weight. I am starting to get back into the familiar patterns that helped me lose. I can do this. And not in a desperate way, but in a more relaxed, committed way.
Okay. Enough ruminating. Got tons o' meetings and lots of work to get done. Have a great day, everyone!
OMG food poisoning!!! On one hand it's a dream come true because I won't have to think about whether or not I've lost weight this week. On the other hand... it's the most disgusting (but luckily not the most painful) instance of food poisoning that I've ever had.
OMG ladies .. I go AWOL for a bit and look what happens! Martini and Uber!! Whoop whoop.
Sorry I haven't had a chance to post lately, been super busy with school holidays, my oldest starting school, birthday parties (3 this weekend!) and just life in general! My diet hasn't been flash and I skipped last weeks weigh in ... which should sound alarm bells for me. Managed to reel it in on Monday and jumped in the scales thinking i would have put on 5 pounds to find I'm exactly the same . So dodged a bullet there me thinks
So cool to see all these posts, will try and read back when I get a chance. But wow Mandy time flies good luck with your up coming delivery! Exciting stuff
Hi all! I'm back from hunting. We weren't successful with shooting anything, but it was a great time up in the mountains, spending time away. We've really had a rough several months, and maybe now we can start fresh. We recently moved into a different house, and it feels like a new start. Financial worries suck. But, I think we're turning a corner. I have off until Monday, and I'm just doing a lot of unpacking now. I felt like I did well with hiking/walking at hunting. I could tell I've lost weight from last year, and that's good. My energy was a little low, and I think that was more from taking off from working out, due to my foot issue, and just the stress over the past month or so. But overall, it was great. My foot was fine, but I was also very careful with it. So I think I'm back!
I did a lot of thinking and felt a lot of recovery from the stresses we've had, and I am feeling so recharged. I am going to give my best effort to get to onederland by the end of the year. I wasn't too far off course, but just enough to stall my results. So, back to the gym tomorrow and I'm recording my food starting today.
It sounds like everyone is doing well, and I think we're all ready to tackle this thing!!! Let's do it! My gym has a shirt for sale that I really like and may have to buy. It kind of looks like this:
DON'T
QUIT
I hope that works. It is supposed to read "Don't quit. Do it."
Diane - I've missed so much - please forgive me for needing to catch up. I know Uber and Laurie are restarting. Are you also in that same boat? You mentioning not being too far off course before a stall made me think you might be. How has your year been?
Kelly - Hey hey!! Skipping weigh-ins are a warning sign for me as well. Woo hoo for facing the scale!!
Nici - Roughly how old are you? I'm in my early 40s and am getting to know that "I'm falling apart" feeling and I can't help but wonder if this is just a combination of age + a long, long history of being overweight catching up with me.
Uber & Laurie - Hope you're both having the most awesome weekend ever!!
The longest and grossest bout I've ever had with food poisoning is finally coming to an end. I'm still a bit flabbergasted as how ugly that was. Blah. FYI for anyone ever traveling to the developing world... Anthony Bourdain and all those food travel shows where the host casually eats at "interesting" food stands do not present a realistic picture!
I overate on Friday and Saturday. I went out on Friday and didn't even try to exercise portion control. Leftovers from Friday created the same problem on Saturday. If I prepare simple food and portion out what I eat, I'm fine. Right now I'm not able to manage family-style servings of really good, flavorful food. I'll have to develop some strategies to get through those nights out. Does anyone else have the same problem? Is there anything that's worked for you in those situations?
Hey everybody! Nice to get a chance to read through everyone's posts.
Diane Oh my goodness. It does sound like there is a lot going on in your life! Moving? Financial problems? I've done both recently and big stressors! But being outside hunting sounds really relaxing and recharging. Glad your foot it better and that you are feeling renewed.
Nici Good idea to take a little time off if you are that sore! Give those muscles time to heal- I always weigh a little more when I'm sore. I guess part of the pain is from muscles that are actually a little swollen, so resting may also help the scale.
Kelli It is hard to really focus when you are really busy-- skipping weigh ins never a good sign for me either.
Laurie Ugh, regains! It is the most frustrating thing, and yet, we fight on! What I have figured out in the last 5 years is that weight loss is really hard and it's even harder when other big problems are using up a lot of mental shelf space. So glad to hear that you feel like your life is on a more even keel now. That just makes losing weight so much easier.
Martini AWFUL! Food poisoning. And yet if you are anything like me, then at least you'll be happy with the post sick weigh-in ;-)
I'm doing well. I'm really not having too much trouble sticking to my plan, and the last few days the scale has gone down .2 per day, which is nice, just to see that kind of steady movement. Wish it were always so smooth and incremental.
Finally at the 20 lb mark I'm starting to definitely feel benefits-- looser clothes, more spring in my step, and the foot problem that cropped up when I was up in the 280s is now almost gone. Onward!
Good morning! I just realized it's been almost a week since I checked in last. Life can be crazy, but I need to be more consistent about my check-ins, particularly because I get so much out of reading other people's stories and struggles.
Diane - Thrilled to have you back! Glad to hear that there was some recharge going on, and some respite from some of the battles you've been fighting. Really glad to hear that your foot seems to have healed. As you say, onward and upward. And I love your "DO IT. DON'T QUIT."
Martini - Yuck! Food poisoning is the worst. So sorry to hear about your disgusting experience. Hopefully, you're over the weak, post-vomit funk. And I know what you mean about being unable to manage the huge portions at restaurants. I have tried many strategies, with varying degrees of success. I sometimes eat salad with lots of instructions to the weight staff to make sure it's very low-cal. But I always feel resentful and deprived. Probably my most successful strategy is to box up half of the portion, then throw it away right outside the restaurant. (I take it with me to avoid the questions from people I dine with.) Otherwise, I find myself eating it in the car on the way home or eating it first thing in the morning. I also will split an entree with a dining companion, but that necessitates a close relationship, and you may be having issues at business dinners. I am sure you will figure out something that works for you.
Nici - Hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy the cooler weather! And oof on the arthritis/injury issues. Regardless of which it is, I hope it eases up so that you can get back on plan with your exercise goals. Hope the next 10 days are excellent, so that you can justify a 'treat meal' for lunch!
Uber - The twenty-pound mark! Looser clothes, moving better, less foot pain. All wonderful things! I also love, love, love when sticking to plan is fairly easy. Hope you retain that for the next 20 or 30 pounds at least!
The antibiotics and painkillers and general nausea related to last week's root canal sent me off in the wrong direction. Going to get cavities filled today. But, nonetheless, I am getting back on the horse. I need to be able to fit into clothes!
Happy Monday, crew! It's gonna be a fantastic week.
Well, I did well for 4 years with keeping off my weight loss. Then came migraines and meds and I'm staring down 200 again. 186 as of Saturday morning. I know that's 14lbs away but I feel like at the rate I'm gaining, it's inevitable if I don't do something NOW. I have had a few 10lb here and there regains and corrected it but now I am back to "looking obese" and feeling it. So all of the old feelings are coming back. I still have migraines so I have to be very careful with exercise but I am off my meds so it's just me and my open mouth.
We had family photos taken 2 weeks ago and we got the pictures back today. They are beautiful but I think they were my finally reality check that I need to do something and now to stop this weight gain freight train.
I'm trying to remember what I used to do when I was successful and I feel like a newbie starting all over again.
This time, I am not trying to be 125lbs and I never made it all the way there anyway. But I'd like to get back to my lowest of 145lbs which would make me a size 8/10. That's PERFECT.
Ok, I'm back at work today, getting back to normal life. I went to the gym for the first time in about 3 weeks. It was spin class today and I held my own, but I have lost a little ground there. I'll go to Body Pump tomorrow, and I really think that is the one that will probably kill me. But, gotta get back and build back up to where I was before. For now, I'm going to see how it goes before I try to do running again. I have a nice lunch packed, and I was on track this morning for food, so keeping vigilant on that, recording all on myfitnesspal. Oh, and I came back to work to find that we are starting a new wellness challenge, so I have to hit the ground running! Ha!
Nici: That's good that you did measurements. I never did that at the beginning, and now I regret that. It isn't my favorite thing to do, so I ignored it. Good luck with your 10 day plan. I think that's a great idea.
BeachBreeze: Welcome! You can do it!! I'm glad you're joining us.
Laurie: Ouch! Dental issues are the worst. Glad you checked in!
Uber: Yeah, it's been a tough year so far, but things are finally looking. We're turning it around. I have to say that I love the house we are in now. It is older, but has been updated. The best part is how far away our neighbors are. It's just so quiet.
Martini: Thanks for asking about my year. While it has been a struggle for me this year with finances and other things, I've done ok with keeping on track, overall. I've lost weight since last year, but just not as much as I would have liked. I am hoping to ramp it up a little bit. I didn't regain, but I also didn't make a lot of progress. I'm hoping to get to onederland by the end of the year, or soon after. We'll see if that can be done! Glad to hear you are making it through your food poisoning issues. Ugh! Oh, and yes, I have trouble keeping on track when I go out to eat. I think with having to record the calories, that makes me stay on track much more easily.
