Y'know, it's really weird, but I ate terribly while I was in NY. I think my friend and I went through 4 lbs of bacon in three weeks.. not to mention countless bottles of liquor, candy, cookies.. butter.. augh. it was just bad. BUT upon arriving back home I found that I'm not having ANY cravings... in fact, I've really been craving vegetables like a madman. I'm not trying to gloat here btw, I'm more shocked than anything that I'm really not missing any of the utter junk that I typically ate (ok ok ok, I will ALWAYS have a love/hate relationship with bacon).

I've been staying under on my calorie intake== I drink an ensure for breakfast and a lean cuisine for lunch.. it only adds up to about 600-700 calories though and I only eat dinner maybe 3-4 times a week x.x I gotta start supplementing my diet with more healthy food or I'm going to end up in starvation mode...anyone got some good ideas for snacks? :D

Oh SamanthaAngela! I am a snack-a-holic! Sme of my go-to snacks include:

Whole raw nuts
Raisins
Apples & almond butter
Fruit in general
Smoothies
Veggies & hummus (mmm hummus)
Oatmeal
There are also some fantastic recipes for snacks that taste like cheating in createnplate dot com! :) a friend of mine runs it, it's awesomeee!

I know those are kindof generic responses, but it's what I eat!! Haha.

On another note: my day today, hopefully, looks far better than my yesterday! If I don't have massively severe cramps today I will be trying out my treadmill! Wooooo! :woohoo: and I'm getting a little bored with food (and frankly, TOM makes me have zero appetite, so I'll have to probably make something really tasty to convince myself to eat it! So, I'm up for vegetarian suggestions as well!! :) (don't worry. I'm Pescetarian which is basically Lacto-ovo-fish vegetarian, and I'm this way for health reasons not ethical reasons. So we won't have to argue over bacon or anything ;p haha)

I'm not even TOUCHING the scale until TOM leaves, so no updates there! But I'm hoping once I'm all back to normal, it'll just magically be like I lost 5-7 pounds! Of not, I might be devastated! :/ I want to keep to my goal! I REALLY want this 10lb per month thing!

Hi guys :D
Scale disappointment today, 230, so yeah I am def retaining water and I am suspicious that it is as a result of starting 30DS and my sodium levels. The good thing is that based on past experience, I am due a 4-6lb woosh, which would be nice to see. I'm not sad about that, I just want to see real changes in the mirror, I know I am asking a lot at this time, so I am trying to scale back my expectations. You try to remember that it took you time to put the weight on, so it will take time for it to come off.

SamanthaAngela My favorite snacks are bananas, cantaloupes, yogurt, and pre-making homemade oatmeal raisin cookies where I can control calories helps with snacking too. Chewing ice also helps with the "oral factor" if you think you aren't really hungry.
Oh and I think someone said this earlier, or maybe it was another thread--a nice boiled egg medium or soft sliced up is a good filler too.

Wow! So many good snack foods, making me hungry thinking about it, haha!

I'm definitely going to have to hit the store soon to stock up on all these fabulous items!:D

MarliQQ: Keep your chin up! You are doing wonderfully and the results will show in due time, I'm sure :hug:

So guys, here it is. I finally told my whiny menstrual self that I needed to get a time to build from for my mile, and here it is! I did a yoga warm-up, but I still walked the first 1/10th of a mile to get a feel for the new treaddy, and the product.....


Attachment 45661

:woohoo: not too shabby!! (I think, I've never been a runner. Ever. I ran in gym class when we had to. So I have to say, I genuinely surprised myself with that time!) so. heres to improvement!! I may put on a couple more miles tonight, just to get myself feeling froggy, or maybe I'll do an hour of yoga. Who knows. Maybe I'll update tomorrow!

If you have any running tips, I'd love to hear them! Also, if you have a favorite workout song, I'll take those suggestions too! For now, I'm just kindof diving in and trying to listen to my body (and push it a little too. If it doesn't hurt, it's not working. That's my theory)

Nighty night gals! Can't wait to hear from you tomorrow! :dizzy:

That is pure awesomesauce!!! I wish I had a treadmill so bad x.x I used to sell them and other sports equipment so I even know all the right brands to buy XD I hope you get good use out of it and it performs exceedingly well for you!! Whoo! I'm excited now, haha!


Soooo I decided to do a little weigh in last night after trying out this lifestyle change for the past 2 weeks or so, and while I haven't been perfect I really thought I was doing good.. so to see I GAINED a pound... I was not happy. Stupid evil scale. Oh well... I'm gonna record every day of February just to see the fluctuations, since I've never taken time to consider that your weight changes every day (or has thte potential to)

Hope all you lovely ladies are doing well!!!

:grouphug: Sam

Sam, don't let it get the better of you! Fluctuations are hard to cope with at first, especially since I just realized my monthly fluctuation is a good four pounds! Yikes! Haha. But this morning, I was a happy camper and those four pounds (and then some!) we're GONE! I've been waiting for this whoosh of loss! And now I'm ready to stick with it! My belly even looks different! So don't give in! We're here for you! :hug: to ONEderlaaanndd! ;) (I am just enthralled with that term! HAHAHAHA!)

Hi Twins!

:carrot::carrot::carrot:

I was under my calories and completed my exercise for the day. My legs are sore and I got tired just from walking up the steps :). I am at 229 today and still sitting. I plan on measuring myself on Feb. 1, which will be a month from my last measurements, I think I have made real progress, and can't wait to see what I accomplished :D.

whollyhick :celebrate:Yay!!:celebrate: I am so happy for you! 4lbs would be a sight to see for me right now :) Let me steal your happy for a moment....:smoking:...okay, you can have it back. That is also a great starting point for you on he tread, 15 min at 4.5 is really good. Keep it up! In one month I was able to significantly increase my stamina on the tread, so if you stick to it, in a month you will progress amazingly :woops:.

SamanthaAngela If you just started a new strength training regimen that can be the cause of you retaining more water while your muscles heal the tears you are making. This is what I suspect is my issue as well, but I am not certain since I don't have months and months of weight loss data to pore over :book2:.

MarliQQ I actually haven't started any workout routine XD I just completely up-ended my eating habits and cut my calorie intake, so I'm sure my body is still just adjusting ^^ That does mean I NEED to come up with a workout routine, however, lol.


Today starts with a headache... carried over from last night x.x This is gonna be a looooooooooong day ladies, so wish me luck.

Oh! And on another note, I've found I can chug water like a fiend now! I drank 144 ounces of water the other day.. that's 18 cups! Whoo!:carrot:

Awesome job with the water intake Sam! I really need to start doing that!! And. That is EXACTLY what I did too! In January I focused in diet changes, and now I have my treadmill. And of course. Yoga. I've been doing that for about half the month, ;) but I think that's the best way to go, so that you can adjust your food intake according to what your body lets you know you need! More protein when you're sore, more water, etc. learning to listen to your body and take in foods mindfully. :) I seriously need to find a YouTube link to that little mini-seminar that Dr. Deepak Chopra does talking about mindful eating and how much to eat and stuff. It CHANGED the way I eat!

As an update. Last night my cousin was in from out of state, so we had Taco Bell. Oops. It wasn't so bad. I subbed refried beans for the beef in my crunch wrap and I stayed under calories. Surprisingly, it wasn't enough sodium to cause me to retain a lot of water! So I was happy about that! I'm hoping in the next couple days I whoosh down to my ten pound goal. But I won't be upset if I don't. :) this is a process, and I think it's going pretty well so far!
(Much of it thanks to the motivation from you gals! :grouphug:

Oh My Gosh, whollyhick! My aunt just recorded that Deepak Chopra seminar on tv the other day!! We have yet to watch it but I already know good things are going to come from it. I too do yoga, or did before I went on vacay. I love yoga so much, so so so so much XD.

Also, aside from last night I've been subbing out food I would normally eat for vegetarian meals and I'm wonderfully surprised at how much I don't miss the meat o.o Crazeh. thinking of sticking with a predominately vegetarian lifestyle (I've gotta work on the dairy half of that) because my body sure likes it!

On another note, the headache is gone and the day is passing swiftly. I'm on my 4th "sippy cup" of water, which is... *does quick math* going to be 96 oz of water so far! Whoo whoo.. I find I mindlessly drink water while I read on the computer.. so strange. But it's kinda interesting that once I started getting into the habit of getting at least 8 glasses of water a in, it because sooooo easy to just drink drink drink. Loving it. :D

BTW Jimmy John's Veggie Sub is amazing, just putting that out there!

Hi Twins!

Today I did workout and was on track to have a good under calorie day, but yeah...that didn't happened. I pigged out for dinner with take-out. I won't regret it until later, right now I am completely guilt free :lol:. As far as my weigh-in, I am still plateauing at 229. Crazy that this has been occurring for almost 3 weeks. This is starting to feel like I am maintaining, which I know I am not. I guess I should stop calling it a plateau, because they do say it is not really plateauing if you are losing inches...

SamanthaAngela I lived in a house full of vegetarians and I was miserable :D. I mean I could stop eating some types of meat, but not all of them :eek:. I got a meat addiction I suppose :). Now as far as the water topic goes, I started, about two months ago, to drink solely water, but I am not drinking 144oz :dizzy:, more like 96oz-112oz. I think drinking calories can be a waste...I like food more:corn:.

whollyhick Regarding the sodium, that is a surprise, because fast food joints and restaurants seem to stuff every centimeter with it. I however, am trying not to deprive myself of things I like to eat just to lose weight. I only live once and I am sure there is a balance I can achieve for the rest of my life. Anyway, with all the rambling aside, you can have your Taco Bell and not lose track of your goals, because then it becomes dieting, and who likes dieting :?:

MarliQQ- I was shocked myself (by the sodium and how well my body took it.) but you're right, NOBODY likes dieting, that's part of the reason I just let myself have it. Last time I ate something bad I beat myself up over it. And it was silly and just made me lose traction in this lifestyle change. So. I just try to stay conscious of what's going in my cashew-hole!
(Haha, previously a cake hole, but I'm currently obsessed with raw cashews, so it seemed fitting! Hahaha :joker: yeah... That's not the last corny joke I'll be making.... Unfortunately. :rofl: :ziplip: )

I'll join. I'm 5'7"? (at work they measured me at 5'6" but a boyfriend of mine is 5'6" and I am taller than him). I always said I was 5'8". I'm 215/26. The last week has not been on plan. But I let myself eat yesterday and feel better and am on plan.

:welcome: to the cool club ;)

But in all seriousness. I'm glad you've joined! :) I am excited to check in every day and see everyone! And I hope you will be too! Looks like you have a sweet trick for your loss, and I'm going to be checking out that blog soon as I finish my post! ;)

But today, fluctuating again. As usual. A good friend of mine sent me screenshots of her first ten pounds and how much she fluctuated, and it really smoothed out my bitter feelings toward my scale! :P slowly but surely. I'm a little shy of my ultimate month goal of ten pounds, but that means high gear in FEBRUARY!!

And also, I have a confession to make. Being that Groundhog Day is on the 2nd, I should tell you all.... Punxsutawney, is my hometown. So for all of you that get angry that our prognosticating rodent didn't "being spring" fear not, I want to shoot him too! Haha. Just kidding. As weird as the tradition is, it's the town I grew up in, and truth be told, it's not that bad. (Not that good either, just like any other mediocre small town, just with a lot more rodent statues. Hahaha!)
So now you know! :D haha

Good luck in February girls! I'm rooting for you! :grouphug: