Maintainers Chat: March 23 - 29

goalsuccess · 03-27-2009, 09:14 PM

Hey, All!

Iris--I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Sounds like it's been a rough week. I, too, give in to stress eating from time to time. Lately, I've put a note on my daily food journal counting down the days until I go visit my family for Easter. This reminder note is to remind me that I have 7 extra pounds I'd like to have gone before I go visit.

Speaking of those darn extra pounds I'm carrying, I've been talking to the wrong people lately. I've somewhat been trying to lose those extra pounds for over 3 months. Most that I've talked to say "maybe your body is trying to tell you something--like what you really should weigh". I knew when I went down to 175 that I'd never been able to maintain that weight for long; my goal was 190. I'm 185 now and can stay here, it seems (frustratingly!). I still think I can get these extra pounds off, but truthfully, I'm not sure I'm willing to work much harder or give up more food than I've already cut with only a 2 lb loss in the three months. Part of my thinking, though, is that if I let my weight go up now, it might just continue to inch up. I DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT THAT!!!!! My clothes still fit pretty much the same--okay maybe a bit tighter in pant legs and I know my bras aren't fitting like they used to. I've gained...it's obvious to me at least.
Guess I'll still work at it. I'm thinking when good weather, and no school, comes, I'll be able to devote more time to working out; and I should be able to work those lbs off if nothing else by doing two times a day work outs--it worked two years ago in the summer, I lost 40 lbs. Guess I just go back and forth about what to do. Making consistently good food choices certainly wouldn't hurt.
Hope that wherever you are it's spring. It was a high of 29 degrees here today! Ugh! Tough to get yourself out there to work out, but this morning I did the elliptical for 30 minutes; pool toning class for 60 minutes, and then walking 1.75 hours on the treadmill while I watched biggest loser on DVD here at home tonight. Think I've worked out enough, huh? This is closer to my "usual" though, for working out, than I've done lately.
Stay in control this weekend; there's more trouble for me when I have lots of free time! But I do love to sleep my way away from food!

Shannon in ATL · 03-28-2009, 11:14 AM

Allison- that was a pretty big step for him to have to ask the Sensei himself. Wow! My brother stopped playing sports over the having to ask for a new cup issue. Though, he wasn't very good at them anyway, so it was all good! I remember having to ask for a training bra - of course, I was in high school before I needed one so I was a little older...

I feel pretty terrible today and am trying to hide it from the boys - itchy/puffy eyes, achey, hoping it is allergies as I don't have time to be sick... DH has an infection so he is pretty darn miserable. Been on antibiotics since Wednesday night, so hopefully it will start to feel better soon. I have to be pretty on point with DSS this weekend, because there are a lot of things daddy can't do as normal. Tornadoes and severe storms expected here this afternoon, so the combination means no exercise likely. I will run tomorrow afternoon though, as the rain is supposed to break for a day after the storms...

Good weekend all!

alinnell · 03-28-2009, 12:39 PM

Boy did I have an adventure last night. DH left to go 4-wheeling (we're joining him today after Karate). At about 8 PM our house alarm started chirping. We reset it to have it start up again half an hour later. This time I can't reset it and it just keeps chirping and then the keypads stop working all together. Two calls to the alarm company and finally at 10:10 PM a tech calls. While following instructions on how to cure the chirp, I had to open the panel (which is large than a fuse box and doesn't have a door--I have to unscrew the screws). I can't get the last one out so I just work with it like that--hanging precariously from the last screw. Then suddenly the *(&* steel plate decides to rid itself of the screw and landed on my (bare) foot. I have a small cut but it developed a huge goose egg! I finished up with the tech (which basically meant disconnecting it completely which I wasn't too happy about--I don't particularly like being home without DH in the first place...). So at 10:20 PM I poured myself a glass of wine and sat for 45 minutes with ice on my foot. It doesn't look bad this morning, the swelling is mostly gone, but it hurts like crazy and there is no way I can get shoes on. I think the treadmill will be out of the question for the next week.

traveling michele · 03-28-2009, 01:08 PM

Allison-- Oh No! What an adventure!! Hope it heals quickly and you can get back to exercising!

Shannon-- I hope your dh feels better! I wonder what causes that-- it sure sounds painful..... I hope you feel better too and you don't have terrible weather-- sounds like the weekend could be rough for you!!

I had my weigh in this morning and was thrilled. I was up 3 pounds two weeks ago and then down 2.2 last week. Today, I was down another 2.2 and was at my lowest official weight since starting. I had my leader lower my official goal weight as I had it set for 150 which I wouldn't be happy at now. I lowered it to 135 which still gives me a 10 pound window in case my thyroid goes wacky again. I exercised every day this week and ate well so I am glad to see positive results.

This was a very, very long week and I am so happy it's the weekend! Dh came home late last night after being out of town for a week. I am planning a nap today-- LOL! Dh and I are also planning a date night hopefully. I keep trying to get him to go dancing which he is resistant to, but maybe I'll drag him there tonight!

I have one more week of school before Spring Break. I cannot wait..... I am worse than the kids!

Happy weekend everyone!!

WaterRat · 03-28-2009, 01:36 PM

I'm still sitting here waiting to see if I can fly out tomorrow night. Volcano erupted 3 times yesterday, and then again about 2 am today. We have no ashfall where I live, but the problem for flying is the ash in the upper atmosphere. So annoying. Weather is gray and cloudy, with rain/snow predicted. Ugh. My biggest problem is not doing any "sorry for myself" eating. THere's not much food in the house as I was supposed to be gone,and I don't want to buy much more than I can eat.....

I think I need to get out of the house and do something - I'm just making myself miserable here. I do need to go get a new coffee pot - knocked mine off the counter this morning - talk about a mess....

Shanna · 03-28-2009, 01:43 PM

Good Morning,

Goalsuccess, I can relate to the idea of "talking/listening to the wrong people" about goals/current weight, etc. But the "wrong person" I've been listening to most is myself. lol! I gained about 6-7 lbs over the holidays and since then I've been at or just barely below my red-line. I lose a pound or two during the week, then tell myself I'm "doing so well " so I slack off on the weekends and gain back the weight.

After reading so many success stories here, and seeing so many of you who are maintaining so well, yesterday I took a good look at my long term weight charts, and realized that, while I'm doing better at maintaining than I have in 10+ years, still - I'm cheating myself out of feeling really good by staying right at my red-line. My goal was to be around 125 by now, which considering my very small frame is a realistic and healthy weight for me. So, I'm feeling much more motivated to work off another 10 lbs.

This morning I was down 2 lbs since our San Francisco trip last weekend, and instead of gaining it back over the weekend, I'm going to keep it off. I made a point of planning my weekend food and activities, which I haven't done in a while, got a good workout in this morning, am driniking my water and keeping sodium down, basically just doing what I know works.

Thanks for motivating me ladies!!

Michelle, congrats on the loss!

Allison, that doesn't sound like a fun adventure! Hope they come and get it fixed soon.

Shannon, sorry you aren't feeling well - makes it even harder to take care of kids! Especially w/dh not feeling well too. re: 5 kids, they are a blast, but they are exhausting. The three adults moved out a few years ago, so it's really just me, DH, and the twin girls. Your one dss sounds like more work than my two girls put together-lol! Hope the storms aren't too bad and you get in your run tomorrow!

I need to get started on sewing. I'm recovering cushions and making curtains for a motorhome we bought last fall. We're supposed to take on it's maiden voyage it to Oregon in two weeks, and I still have a lot of work to do.

Have a great day!
Shanna

Mudpie · 03-29-2009, 06:28 AM

Shanna and goalsuccess I beat myself up for about 4 months trying to get below 130 lbs. I was hungry, tired, and miserable that whole time. I did hit 129 once but it wasn't worth all the pain.

Then I thought about how I decided my goal weight should be 125. It was just a number that looked good, based on what a whole lot of other people my height were using. My body did not agree with this number as a realistic weight for me to diet down to and maintain at that time.

Now I'm much happier getting down to 130 and staying there. I've just been really lazy about actually getting right down to 130 as I'm good with how my body looks and feels under 135. I'm sure the warmer weather ( and skimpier clothes) will motivate me to get down to 130.

Allison and Shannon Ouch! and Ouch for your DH!

waterRat Frustrating! Hope the volcano behaves and you get to fly out.

Michele

Have a great Sunday all!

Dagmar

Meg · 03-29-2009, 06:42 AM

Good morning!

Dagmar, I think a lot of us get hung up on numbers and what we "should" weigh (I know I do). It's wise of you to step back and listen to your body about where it feels and looks good. As has been often pointed out, our weights aren't tattooed on our foreheads and in the end, it's just a number. I've gotten so that my maintenance gauge is how my pants fit, not what the scale says (though I still weigh myself every day for a reality check). Often it ends up with me having a discussion in front of the mirror: "you weigh 138 -- that's too heavy for someone your height" "but my size 4 pants are already too big!" "but you should really weigh 10 pounds less" "but then none of my clothes will fit" and so on and so on.

Obviously I don't have any good answers to the dilemma!

My shortened work hours weren't so shortened this week because I had to fill in for someone yesterday, so today is the first day of my weekend.

Unfortunately, I woke up with a throbbing headache and fear that I'm coming down with the crud that's been going around the spa. Ugh. I think I'm going to try to sweat it out at the gym, then get groceries and have a cooking and cleaning day.

Time to pour another mug of coffee and catch up on the thread.

Shanna · 03-29-2009, 11:33 AM

Mornin'

Ugh, I have chronic lower back pain (along with half the women I know). I used to take massive doses of ibuprofen to get through the mornings, but a few months ago I had a bizarre experience involving a concussion and a sudden bout of extremely high blood pressue (near stroke level), which led the docs to thinking my kidneys might be failing. They didn't believe the HBP was due to the concussion, they were wrong- My blood pressure was back to the low end of normal after a few weeks and my kidneys are fine, but it scared me so much that I rarely take ibuprofen anymore.

I do back stretches/back exercises daily even if I don't do any other exercises, and most days I wake up in moderate but tolerable pain. This morning the pain level was sky high. ouch! Not sure what I did yesterday, maybe hunching over the sewing machine? Or lifting the 7 yr old girls to hug them?

Anyhow I'm going to have to do extra stretches and take it easy on my back today.

They are catering brunch in our sunday school class today. I'm usually really hungry by then-after sitting through church-so I'm going to bring a snack and be really careful w/portion control.

After that we're going to see Monsters & Aliens. Hope it's as good as Monsters, Inc was! But again - I need to stay away from the popcorn and junk.

Overall, this is going to be a dangerous temptation day for me. Add AF and a high-pain level to it and it could be trouble if I don't plan well. Send me lots of good 'healthy choices' thoughts today, okay?

I'm going to be late if I don't get in the shower. Back later.

Shanna

ps: I agree about the number on the scale, it's more about the amount of fat I still have on my tummy, hips, and thighs and how my clothes fit. If I lost the fat / increased muscle and weighed the same I'd be okay with that. I've just been "settling" because... well, mostly b/c I'm lazy about exercise and eat too much sugar and fat and processed foods.

Sheila53 · 03-29-2009, 12:18 PM

Sorry about the back pain, Shanna. It's hard when hugging hurts! Glad the back stretches make it tolerable. What a weird experience with ibuprofen.

Meg, hope your headache is just a temporary thing and not an indication of the creeping crud.

Sadly, my goal is getting back into fitting comfortably into my pants.

Preferably before we leave for England.

So my sissy and I are stuck in Yreka, CA because it appears to be snowing at the Siskiyou pass, which is what we have to cross to get back into Oregon. It's not that far away, and we were tempted to go across the border last night, but we settled for Yreka. I had a bad experience in Yreka in 1976 and was hoping to erase it. I should have known that I have bad Yreka juju. We're hoping it warms up above freezing so that we can make it to Corvallis, OR (where our RV is stored) by late afternoon. I fly home tomorrow night. We have to spend tomorrow morning removing the carcasses of all the insects that gave their lives so we could be warm in Tucson.

Have a good Sunday, everyone!

goalsuccess · 03-29-2009, 12:21 PM

Shanna, Mudpie, and Meg,Thanks for the words of wisdom. I would love to weight 177-178, but for some reason, I can't seem to get there right now. I, too, think the summer will be a better time for me to tackle this challenge. I just don't want to allow that scale to go up, and right now, it scares me to think that even with cutting out some food portions, I can't seem to get my weight to go down. What if that happens and I'm at 190?! I'll be so upset, and I won't know a way to get it down.

Thinking about trying calorie counting...I'm not sure, though; I didn't lose my weight by calorie counting and my husband has told me time and time again, why are you going to go away from what worked for you to lose the weight? What if you gain more by doing that (calorie counting)? I don't know what to do! That's probably why I'm sitting and spinning about how to handle the weight gain (or at least having my weight stuck) 7 lbs above where I want to be. I guess 7 lbs isn't a big deal; I just don't want it to become 10.

I am also thinking about changing my daily weigh in. I don't like looking at that scale number on a daily basis anymore. I read this morning that I should consider weighing in once a month. That seems a bit long to me when I feel like I'm still trying to figure out how to maintain my loss (evidently with 8 extra lbs, I haven't figured out how to maintain the loss yet--Have to be more positive! I've kept off 89 lbs off for 17 months!). I think I'm going to start by weighing in every other day and gradually, as I'm comfortable, cut it back to once a week.

Meg, I like the clothes idea, but it scares me since my clothes all still fit even with the 8 lbs extra. Yes, some are tighter in the legs and bust, but not so much that the clothes don't fit. I do have one pair of pants that are my barometer. They fit but not as I'd like them to. I keep them on a shelf. Since you've maintained for so long, did you struggle at first (for a few years?) with how to maintain?

Meg · 03-29-2009, 12:46 PM

Goal, the hardest time in my weight loss journey was the summer of 2002, right after I reached my goal. I was lost, clueless, and didn't have any idea how to maintain. No one was talking about maintenance and we didn't have a Maintainers forum at 3FC. I was lonely and terrified of gaining the weight back. I didn't know a soul in real life who had ever lost weight and kept it off. What to do?

It was pure luck that I stumbled onto the only thing that's worked for me, and it's just what your DH said to you: keep doing what you did to lose the weight.

For me, weight maintenance looks just like losing, with a few extra calories thrown in once a week or so. I eat the same things, I do the same things (counting calories, journaling, weighing and measuring food, preplanning etc), and I exercise the same way as I did during the year I was losing. March 29, 2009 looks no different from March 29, 2002. The only difference is now everything is on autopilot.

Yes, you need to celebrate losing 89 pounds and keeping off for 17 months! That's a HUGE achievement!!

Honestly, a lot of us aren't exactly where we want to be weight-wise, but we're sure as heck not back where we started. That wonderful, amazing fact should always be front and center. You're not a failure because of 7 lousy pounds; you're still a resounding success!

Even though we always say to keep on doing what you've been doing, I don't think there's anything wrong with tweaking your plan a bit and trying new things like calorie counting, but you might want to weigh more often than once a month just to be sure things don't get out of hand. I don't know about you, but it's a lot easier for me to deal with two pounds than 10 pounds.

Your idea of waiting for summer sounds like a good one -- I always have thought it's the easiest time to lose weight because of all the wonderful summer fruits and veggies. Plus it's too hot to pig out. Perhaps if you just focus on staying where you are for now, it will take a little pressure off?

No matter what, you and all of the others here are doing fantastically! We're beating the odds every day -- and having a lot of fun doing it.

Shannon in ATL · 03-29-2009, 03:18 PM

Allison - ouch! Sounds like the whole thing was frustrating!

Michele - high five on the weigh-in!

Goal - calorie counting has been very important for me in the initial maintenance process, but it was also how I lost the weight in the first place. Trying something different now might be harder for you than just focusing back in on what you were doing to lose. Weighing less frequently and depending on the 'clothes test' might take some of the pressure off, though I agree with Meg - weighing once a month might be a little too seldom!

Sheila - sorry you guys are stuck!

Dagmar - I'm trying to pull myself back out of a 'what I should weigh' place myself right now and to remember that I rationally set my maintenance zone for a reason. It is amazing how the number on the scales drives us - like Meg, my clothes fit, some are even loose, yet I look at the scale and say 'it shouldn't be that high!' anyway...

Shanna - that is weird with the ibuprofen and your kidneys and all - scary! Hope you guys enjoy the movie! Stay away from the junk food!

We are having on okay weekend with out little terrorist - there has been some discipline, some crying, some screaming, but we are all surviving so far. And, he only got up once last night before his official 6am wake up time - got up at 5:41 to pee in the potty, then fell back asleep until 6:30... Only once the night before, too - but not to potty. To get his blanket fixed again. So, no sticker on his calendar made him mad, which is why I think he stayed in bed last night... Whew...

WaterRat · 03-29-2009, 05:26 PM

Shannon, I like that the reward is something besides food or money. Of course what use would a 4 year old have for money.

But they do like the stickers.

We're having what Winnie-the-Pooh called a blustery day. The actual temps aren't bad, but the wind, which is blowing pretty steadily and gusting besides makes if feel pretty cold, and is not pleasant to be out it. I got blown across the grocery parking lot. Good thing I had a gallon of milk to hold me down.

No eruptions today, but not many flights either. All the planes that did get out last week didn't get back to Anchorage, and are just now starting to arrive. I bit the bullet and accepted that I won't leave til Tues night, and I extended my trip 3 days on the other end. Means DH and I will cross in the air on Wed, but whatever....