I've been doing pretty well, in spite of the sick, and my scale rewarded me with a new (this round) low of 281.4. I'm almost back to the weight (275) I made it down to the last time I worked my butt off to lose weight (from 330 to 275). Then all the craziness of moving and then holidays hit (and that is from October 1 through Jan 1 in this family) and I gained back 20. In 4 months. Because there was that much food and eating out and NO wasn't in my vocabulary after the stress of moving. Then I got pregnant, had the baby, nursed for a year. Saw 315 on the scale (and a picture of myself at my son's baptism), and started over again in July. From mid July until now I've lost about 35 pounds. Not the most astonishing loss for 6 months, but still not horrible considering it includes the part of the calendar where I normally gain, and 2 months where I just didn't try at all because of dental issues.
I should be going out to get groceries and running shoes tomorrow. I'm hoping whatever demons that have possessed my sinuses and my son's chest disappear soon, because I'd rather not spend tomorrow at the doctor when I've had it planned to spend it shopping! I'm determined to start my C25K program SOON. I've even got my eye on a treadmill that will be a new addition to our basement if we can swing it after taxes.
I love seeing so many posts since the last time I posted. And so much good news about sticking to plan and being rewarded by the scale for it.
Diane - Ugh on the icy roads. You can't catch a break on the exercise front. When you're finally healing enough to be able to hit the gym consistently, the weather fights with you. Glad you're still feeling better, though, and especially glad you're finding the magic formula to stick to plan.
Carter - My pattern isn't nearly as definable as yours, but I do have a pattern. I will lose fairly consistently (and fairly quickly), then just stop, maybe even gaining a few pounds. Each of these phases can last weeks or months. But when I start gaining, I do so very quickly. For some reason, my weight is just very fluid. Ugh on the 200. It's such a psychological thing. 199 always sounds hugely better than 200. But you are not like the newbies. I would have been talking them off a ledge if something similar had happened to them. We may be a bit battle-weary, but at least we know to not freak out over the setbacks. And a huge shout-out for sticking to your plan like glue. That first week may tend to bring scale rewards, but it can be the hardest to stick to.
Mandy - Sorry about the demons taking over your sinuses. Hopefully, it goes away quickly and you can enjoy your escape into town to get your new gear. Excited that you have gotten back to your pre-holiday weight, too.
I am dreading my run today. Not the run so much, but the treadmill. I can't believe how much I am dreading the treadmill. I never used to have this issue. Carter - I appreciated your description of the cold. It is appealing to be out there in the cold, as you describe it. But, I am afraid, like Mandy, we are facing single digit temps with wind chill below 0. The 30s, I can embrace. This cold, I cannot. It bothers my lungs most of all, and there's no gear for that. So, it's the treadmill for me.
Also, January is supposed to be geared to weight loss! My division at work did not get the memo. We still have candy canes, which were joined by cookies today. Ugh! Sugar-Free January wasn't supposed to involve this level of "in your face" temptation. But I am less than ten pounds away from my ticker goal weight. If y'all can stick to your plans, I can stick to mine.
Laurie and Mandy, I acknowledge the vast difference between the 20s and the 0s when it comes to enjoying the cold. Also, all bets are off when there is wind. I don't even like being outside in the 40s when it's windy.
That said, I cannot bear treadmill running - for whatever reason, I feel so ploddingly aware of myself on the treadmill, and each step seems to take an age. On a treadmill I just can never reach that pleasant state where I am moving and I am in my thoughts and time is going by. I was thinking of it this morning; I have done a lot of running this past summer and fall (a lot for me, anyhow) but I suspect this winter I will shift my focus to strength training more, except on the days when the weather is fine and there isn't too much ice on the ground.
Good luck and good strength with the sugar-free plan, Laurie. I've never tried anything quite like that. I did realize this morning that I have not yet had a drink in 2017. In the past, passing on booze has been a good sign that I am in the groove - that I am thinking carefully about what calories are worth it and what are not. I do love my dirty martinis or a brandy in the evening. I wonder how long I will go without one this time.
Hi all. We are having a day of freezing rain. Made it to physical therapy and then work, but my back and shoulder are in a lot of pain. I'll be back and post more tomorrow.....
Bonus reading for the regainers crowd: While going through some of my old posts, I came across this fantastic post by ubergirl, who also was a part of this regainers group a couple years back. I found this post so wonderfully insightful and resonant. Here are ubergirl's thoughts on how regains sneak up on us.
Carter - Thank you for posting the link to Ubergirl. It might be a good investment to spend some time reading her old posts. And others, too. Like yours. She's exactly right, too. I hadn't read that one before, but all of her words apply to me. You're also right about the treadmill. I never used to feel that way before, but with training for my 1/2 marathon, I dread the treadmill so much for long runs. I like it for intervals and as a warm-up for strength training, but it's becoming torturous for the long runs. (Clarification - my "long runs" are still only about 3 miles.) I am desperately searching for an indoor track that I can afford. Sounds like you are totally in the groove - and I love love love having you back here.
Diane - That is so crushing that you are still experiencing the shoulder and back pain. Hopefully, it's the good "I'm healing because of the physical therapy, but it hurts" kind of pain. Hope you feel much better very soon.
Yesterday was a food catastrophe. I should not be trusted to make dinner. With a relatively small calorie budget, I tend to save much of it for the evening meal, but that also makes me pretty hungry by the time I am cooking. So, I sample here and there until I have used up most of those calories, but feel like I still need to eat with the family. Blah. When I'm working with raw ingredients, things are usually okay. But I made cheese fondue last night because my husband had never had it and it seemed like a fun date night dinner. And I ate so. much. cheese. Before it made it into the pot. This also tends to happen when I hit a milestone. Cuz my mind seems pretty perverse that way. I weighed in at 169.4 yesterday morning, so of course, I need to sabotage that progress.
**sigh** But I am so grateful I have established habits. I will drink my food hangover away this morning with water and herbal tea (nothing added, so no calories). I will eat the healthy options I have stocked at work. And I will not be foolish enough to think I can cook cheese fondue any time soon. Tonight is also strength training night, so I am already committed to that. I am terrified of walking the path that Ubergirl described so well, so I'm not giving up on this.
In fact it is no longer morning here, but no matter. I just poured a fresh cup of coffee so it counts.
Laurie, after complaining about treadmill running yesterday, I had to do it today. It was a lovely crisp morning, but it was 10 degrees, and I just feared it wasn't safe with the gear I had, so I played it conservatively and HATED it. I'm even listening to a lovely book and still found every second was a trudge.
But, I did it. Oh, and I was down to an astonishing 197 this morning. As I've said already, I don't expect this pace to continue but boy am I going to enjoy it while it lasts.
I hope everyone is doing well today. Diane, especially you - I hope the pain is better today.
Well. Weather and sickness have prevented me from going out to get my running shoes. My sickness, baby's sickness. Super cold temperatures. Snow and ice. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a conspiracy on Mother Nature's part.
I did go out grocery shopping solo yesterday which wasn't horrible (and I stuck to my list!), but I haven't shopped by myself in literally years. Hubby always comes with me, because we rarely go out and do things together. And we've gotta do grocery shopping, so why not do it together and try to make it a pseudo-date? Of course, as I was driving the 30 minutes to the store, the yellow service engine light came on. My car is 16 years old. I freak out anytime a warning light comes on thinking "this it, she's gonna die for good." I got that car for my 18th birthday in 2001 and she's taken me all over this country. I'm not ready to retire her yet. So, hopefully it's something simple and fixable.
One more rest day to heal up and ditch this sickness, then I'm getting back to exercise. I'll eventually get out to get my shoes.
Carter: Thanks for sharing that from Ubergirl. I remember reading a lot of her posts and she had a lot of good info and insight. And good for you for going running on the treadmill even though you hate it!!
Mandy: I've got an SUV like your car, too. It is old, has been through the grief of teenage drivers and is now back in my hands, but it has so many miles on it. Every time something goes a little wrong, I think that it is probably going to just die. But not yet!!
Laurie: I think one night of fondue is ok. I'm sure that was a tough one to get through because... cheese! But, you're back on track today, so you'll be fine!!
The weather is still nasty here. The ice is kind of all over the place. It makes it challenging in the mornings to get to work. I'm hoping the sun comes out today to take care of some of the ice.
My back is just stupid. It got really sore on Friday and was sore all weekend long. I went to PT and she tried to work out some of the knots that had accumulated, but it still was sore last night. My husband is helping by trying to rub it all out too. It is still sore today, but not quite as bad. She said that there will be ups and downs with this as it heals. I'm pretty much over it. But, I just need to keep trying to get it better.
Hi everyone! My name is Nancy and I'd like to join your thread. I consider myself an expert regainer, although I'm not proud of it. Just off the top of my head, I can think of 8 regains, half of them being full plus regains and the other half just being partial but a regain just the same. Yesterday, the Mediterranean diet was mentioned on the Today show and something just clicked. I did some research, joined this site and FitDay. I've used MyFitnessPal in the past but I just wanted something totally new. So here I am!
carter I also want to thank you for posting the link to ubergirl's post. It was excellent and so correct! Thin people don't understand how difficult it is but they don't HAVE to think so hard about it! I swear that's the biggest difference between being heavy or thin! Losing weight takes a lot of mental time and effort along with physical time and effort! It has to stay first and foremost in your mind! Food is a necessary part of life! Quitting smoking was much easier for me! No one HAS to smoke but you HAVE to eat!!
Diane I don't know how you injured yourself but I do know first hand about back and shoulder pain. I had a solid 2 years of physical therapy for my shoulder along with 2 surgeries after an injury. And years ago, I fractured my back after a fall. I think physical therapists are amazing! However, I prefer to stay away from them if all possible! Good luck in your therapy! I hope you get over your injury soon!!
Here in northern Michigan, we're having a winter storm today! It just stopped snowing, we got about 5 inches of new snow today. It's getting windy, we're supposed to have winds up to 60 mph. Then it's supposed to rain before it starts to snow again tonight! The news has warned us of possible power outages and icy roads. Lucky for me, I'm retired so I'm staying inside. The wood stove is going, I have candles out and ready and if needed, we have a generator. I'm all set, so let it snow!!
Nancy - Excited to have you join us! If you are an expert in regains, you must also be an expert in losing. It's just the maintenance part you struggle with. I think that's probably true for all of us on this thread, and probably 95% of people who lose weight. Glad you found a new way of eating that appeals to you. Hope you have fantastic success with it. Yay for retirement and avoiding winter storms too!
Diane - Ugh. Your back/shoulder pain just needs to go away already! I am glad that you are getting treatment, and yay for your hubby for helping out with backrubs! But it just needs to be healed already.
Carter - Yay for the 197! Wouldn't it be great if this time were different and every week was a four or five or six pound loss? Good for you for tackling the treadmill running. I have scoped out options for an indoor track, and I think I have a few temporary solutions, but they will not get me through the remaining winter months.
Mandy - Sorry about the sickness. You, too, have grappled with far too many physical ailments over the last few months. Hopefully, you will get those running shoes soon and feel well enough to put them to good use. I predict your car has at least two more good years in her. Might as well match the 18 years you were alive before you got her, right?
And. . . I am feeling totally out of control with food again. I go to the gym at 6:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I was going to grab a snack when I got home from work so that I wouldn't be starving at the gym. I am talking like a 4-almond kind of snack. But I just could not stop eating, and I felt too full to work out when we got to the gym. I had planned to lift weights, but I couldn't even be parallel to the ground without inducing heartburn. So, I did the stationary bike and then did "hillwork" on the treadmill, varying the incline from a 5% grade to a 15% grade. When I got home, I was still full from my pre-gym food, so I planned on drinking some water and herbal tea. As soon as I walked into my house (I have to go through the kitchen), I wanted candy and cookies and all the food, even though the cookies were from Christmas Eve and stale. I ate one small stale/gross cookie, wanted more, but walked upstairs with my herbal tea, took a bath, did some stuff in my room, and went to sleep. I knew I couldn't trust myself in the kitchen.
This is the rest of my life, I know. I will never be rid of the urge to binge, often at unexpected times. But I am going to white-knuckle today. I am going to continue my training schedule and do high-speed intervals as my run this afternoon (less awful for me when the treadmill is my only option). I will renew my commitment to sugar-free January, and see if I can find a way to reestablish my footing. As on Monday morning, I was fewer than 10 pounds away from my ticker goal. Maybe that was what triggered this? Regardless, I am done pretending that I don't need iron discipline to keep myself from eating everything I can possibly stuff down my face.
So, I just bit down on the bullet and ordered some new clothes, which is something I have found myself doing in the past right when I buckle down for weight loss. It seems funny - if I can just hang on for a few months, then maybe my good clothes from my lower weight will start fitting again, right? But I think what's going on is that renewed attention to weight loss comes with renewed attention to how I look, and the fact is that having clothes that fit me now will make me look better now. And so I've invested in a couple of new trousers and new blazers and new shirts. Which, if all goes according to plan, I will only get to wear for one season before they no longer fit... but perhaps it is prudent not to count on that.
Laurie, do hang in there with the slip-ups. It doesn't sound like you spiraled into any full-on binge; you still have this. You are getting back on plan with your very next bite which is the best way to go. Sometimes I have to stay out of the kitchen in the evenings, too.
Mandy, good luck with the car, and I hope the sickness is on the mend.
Diane, sorry about the back. I've heard that about PT, that it can make you feel a little worse before you feel better. Hang in there.
Nancy, welcome! I love what Laurie said about expert regainers being expert at losing as well. Always interesting to turn one's perspective around that way. Good luck and good strength as you pick it up again.
Nancy: Welcome to the group! Looking forward to getting to know you. Just to catch you up on my back issue... since I whine about it daily... it isn't really from a specific injury, just seems to be a strain. But it is getting in the way of my workouts. So, makes me cranky.
Laurie: Darn it. It is such a battle, isn't it? I think it is good that you are aware of those tough times! Just keep trying to overcome it!!
Carter: Good for you and the new clothes! It is frustrating to keep waiting for the smaller clothes to fit, and you still want to look good as you're going through the process!
For me, just fighting through the back issues again today. I don't know... it is hard to be patient with this. I want to hit the gym and get back on track, but I don't feel like I can do what I want with this nagging pain. The good news is that the weather cleared a little!!
I am struggling. At work, my safe place (generally, when people don't bring food in). I only have "approved" foods here, but I stock up rather than bring in a daily lunch, so I can eat and eat and eat those foods until they're gone and I feel horrible. I am here to refocus and to remind myself that if I give in today, I will struggle more tomorrow. If I fight it today, tomorrow will be a little bit easier. I need to stay calm and focused, and I have a lot of work to do (like actual, this-is-why-they-pay-me work), so I have plenty of distraction. I have a meeting at 1:30. After that, I will sneak out and go for my run, so that will carry me until 3ish. So, it's really the next half-hour that I need to beat. I can do that! And when I'm running, I will figure out a plan for the next two or three hours until I go home from work. Then, I will figure out a how-to-be-home-without-eating-the-kitchen plan.
Thanks for letting me rant. I feel like this is a moment of truth for me. If I can nail it, things will get better. I may have to do it again tomorrow and the next day, but eventually, it will get easier for me.
HI Guys! I don't know if anyone remembers me from a while back, but I managed to drop a crap-ton of weight (that's a Canadian metric measurement, eh!) thru some therapy (nothing scary!) and getting a handle on WHY I was such a big eater. I've managed to gain 17 lbs. back, not a huge amount but scary enough -- just goes to show you never really are "done" with this...it's a lifelong journey
I'm getting my butt back in gear, physically and mentally, and getting back to my fighting weight ...one of the biggest factors in my big loss was having a place to vent, and to read inspiring & struggling posts from so many going thru the same things.
I'm even listening to a lovely book and still found every second was a trudge. 
