Exactly
 

That is exactly how I feel. I could not have said it better myself. How do we get past the self doubt and the depression of it never being over? How do we accept that this exercise and 1200 calorie diet is what has to be the norm for us? I just do not know how to accept. I am like a drug addict that has to give up drugs and work the steps. But the food can not totally be cut out and that is what gets me. The drug has to be used and controlled and I have NO self-control. Yuck.

Sorry about the moaning and complaining you just hit it on the head.

Congrats on the 199. You are awesome and I know this board helps me. I hope I can stay the course this time and get where you are. You inspire me. Thanks. Lsfunky

Wow!
 

Wow you are doing Awesome!!! Keep up the good work.

Back from the system breakdown.
 

Monday was terrible, no good foods available on the day off and the calories really added up. I did not even know the food was that high in calories until I put them into MyFitnessPal after the meal. I didn't have Internet to look it up until I got home and it was a mistake to not just have salad. Next time I will I promise.
I gained 3 pounds, how can that be? One day and I will be working on it for the next 2 weeks. And I hate exercise. HATE IT!!! I hate being sweaty and it is hard. I know others feel exercise is the easier thing to work on, but for me it is the worst. I wish I liked it. I can keep with it for a couple of weeks but then I lose it and give up. So that is my story for Monday. Three pounds up but back on plan. I am doing better than I used to do, so that is something. This board helps a ton. Thanks. Lsfunky

Hey Funky, That 3 pounds isn't "real" if it happened in one day. You'd have to have eaten about 10,000 extra calories. You're back on track - be sure to drink lots of water, I'm guessing you had some salty snacks that aren't a normal thing for you.

On the Onederland comments: it did hit me pretty hard that I wasn't going to be able to coast. I tried that once and gained all my loss plus some. The upside is I'm really feeling the difference. Last spring I spread all the bark much in my yard and could hardly walk for a couple of days afterward. I did the same chore yesterday and have a little tightness in my legs, but nothing compared with last year's pain.

I'm trying to appreciate the NSVs and all the extra stuff that comes with weight loss. Focusing just on the scale is going to be my undoing. I feel more energetic, my clothes are fitting better, I can wear shoes that had gotten uncomfortable. There are lots of little things that will help keep me in check when I wander off course like I did over the weekend.

I'm not a big fan of exercise either. I'd rather be fat than go to a gym. I do, however enjoy walking on my lunch hour. It clears my head and gets me outside in the fresh air for 40 minutes or so. I find on days I've walked I'm more careful to stay OP at night. I don't want to "give back" any of the calorie deficit I've created. My goal is to do it at least 3 days a week. Saturday hubby and I went for a long beach walk, Sunday we kayaked for a couple of hours and Monday was all about mulch. It wasn't a gym-type workout on any day, but I moved a lot more than I used to so I'll call it a win.

One of may favorite things about this thread is that we've all learned by trial and error what works best for us individually. Keep on truckin and you'll find your groove too. It won't always be easy and it certainly won't always be fun, but I think we're all in agreement that it will be worth it.

:hug: Post lots and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

SUE ~ that's so right; everything you said in your last post is so important for us all to remember. I have learned that being too strict, is not realistic for me and can lead to a big downfall. I am finally catching my groove and learning what works "for me". What I do may not suit or work for someone else exactly, but some parts of it might. I share just in case; but I continue on my own program.

The last few days my eating has been very good again; so I am happy about that too. I am finding that "Planning" is so key to sticking to my plan. Like RockinRobin used to say, "Plan, plan, and plan some more". I even plan how to stay on plan ... ;) When I don't plan effectively, I go off plan. I plan all my meals, my snacks, and what exercise I can get done each day.

I include housechores by spreading them over the week; outdoor stuff like gardening; walking indoors and out; walking at the stores taking the longest routes possible; my hand-weights; my toning exercises; my chair aerobics; and my dancing. I think when you don't like exercise per se, it is a good idea to find other physical stuff or fun activities that don't feel like exercise. I enjoy the gardening so much, it doesn't feel like exercise but is still burns lots of calories and helps us sleep well too.

I found focusing on the scale a problem too; I would get too discouraged by the ups & downs of water-weight fluctuations, so focusing on NSV's has helped me overcome that. The weight will come off eventually (even if slowly), but I have all these NSV's as regular rewards along the way too.

While I have lost & kept off almost 100 lbs now, I am wearing much smaller clothes sizes; some that were too tight, I can now wear; and many are getting even looser as we speak. My feet/shoe size has gone down. I feel lighter. My knees feel better; and they don't constantly collapse like they used to. My blood sugar levels are normal. My cholesterol is normal. My blood pressure is the lowest it has been since my twenties. I am stronger. I can do more without being in agony for days (one day of rest works now).

SO many NSV's to be proud and happy about; and I know that this list will get longer as we go. I even include staying on plan 5 out of 7 days a NSV. Exercising 4-5 days a week is a victory for me too. Sticking under my daily alottment or even bettering it, are two victories in one. One of the most important ones for me is being able to continue on, after an off day. Plus, managing holidays better as I go along is another biggie for me.

There are so many big and little NSV's that can help motivate and propell us forward in our journey. So even if your weekend was a bust; or you ate too much, just start your planning for tomorrow. Get to the store and fill your house with good, healthy, low-cal foods. Get your plans written down in a notebook or a PC file; heck, you all come on here, you can make a file with your basic plan in it.

I have one here on my screen called "Daily Tracking and Menus". In it, I journal what I eat, plus I have my basic plan in it; and a page of meal ideas for each meal, and weekly menu plan. I have an exercise file with more ideas in it too. And, of course, I have my favorite pep talks and mantras to encourage me too.

Have a wonderful OP Wednesday ladies ... :D

yesterday was a great day. I just wish I could stay off the scales. I showed a gain and I know its not real. GUess I will increase water today and track the amount I drink a bit closer. I am using loseit to track and really like it.

Hi relosers! Home Sweet Home... we had a wonderful long weekend away. Loved spending time with my son's family and those grandkids! Best of all... I maintained my weight which was really my goal. YAY.

DH is on vacation this week and we have many things to do around the house and around town. He is putting in some garden paths so I can walk around the gardens on a level surface. I have an ankle that doesn't do well on uneven surfaces. He is such a dear person. We will get together with family and friends all week.

Now, I am back in my 'food comfort zone' and will plan to eat healthfully.

I will try and get back for personals later.

Thanks so all for your kindness, wisdom and support - as always.

quick check in. Still going strong in the gym but eating WAAYYYY over calories. :\ just weighted myself and it says I've gained 8 lbs...which honestly idk if its water weight or actually weight because I have been eating so much :\ Ugh. tired as **** too. Anyway, gonna relax a bit and try to get some sleep soon. Thought I'd check in since it has been a while.

Hi, I'm joining the fight again! I went from 191 to 169 in 2010 and then had a back injury. I stopped checking the scale and fast forward to where I am today, back to lose what I had lost and regained. I'm at 186. I'm happy to find this thread. I'm still looking around on 3fc to find what kind of program I want to put myself on to win again! Nike just do it is a great slogan but i really feel like i need a strategy of attack. first step is getting new batteries for my scale that's for sure!

Finally
 

Finally lost a pound after two weeks of struggling up and down. I am so happy.

Chouch Welcome and what is your plan? After batteries I mean. :). How did you lose before? How is your back now?

Beverly. What an awesome husband you have. Hope the paths turn out great for your ankle.

SMS. I wish I were an exercise girl it never seems to help me much. But then I can't get into it and stay with it either. Good luck. Have you looked into MyFitnessPal to track your eating and exercise. It helps me so much

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Hi! I was not focused/willing to jump back into full on plan mode yesterday. I am grateful for the willingness today. I drank alot of water, wrote down what I ate, did my execises, and got mentally prepared for today. I weighed and was up one pound this morning.

I have everything in place to make this a healthful day.

DH is so busy... I've been helping the best I can. I"ll try to get back. I hope everyone if doing well!!

Hi everyone :wave:

dgramie, congrats on a great day!

Cassie, it's good to see you - however quickly. I hope things settle down soon, you've been running full speed for a long time now.

chouchoubou, welcome to the group! You'll find great support here.

Funky, Congrats on the loss!

Beverlyjoy, I admire your perseverance and positive attitude - you're quite an inspiration!

I'm really struggling to stay OP with so much prep to do for the weekend festivities. Meal planning hasn't been a priority at all. I have tracked everything and stayed within my ranges, but I'm not making the best choices. My goal for the next few days is not to gain and I'll get back on the bandwagon Monday. In the meantime, there's a graduation bash to throw and a 21st birthday celebration to pull together. I will enjoy both with moderation in mind.

:welcome: CHOUCHOU ~ glad you decided to join us over here; hope you find a plan you like. Yes, I was wondering what you did before too; if it worked before, it may work for you again. Let us know what you decide.

DREAMER ~ some of that surely is water-weight. Just keep going and see what happens.

It isn't easy keeping on track with so many celebrations going on and busyness as well, but we can include some healthier options as well (leaner meats, salads, veggies, light snacks, and/or desserts). You can try to eat healthy breakfasts & lunches, even if you have something else planned for later on or dinner -- 2 out 3 is not bad.

That's one reason I like BBQ's so much; you have so many healthier choices there -- lean steaks or burgers, pork chops, grilled chicken, roasted veggies (tators, corn, sweet peppers, zucchini, etc); salads, fresh tomatoes & cukes, and so forth. I bought some turkey bangers (large sausages) that are half the calories and fat the regular ones are.

Temps were nice here today (low 70's) with :sunny:. Hope you all have a Fabulous Friday tomorrow. All of this talk of food is making me hungry; so time to go start dinner ... :flow2:

It fits! It fits!

I have had two articles of clothing to measure my progress. The first is a pair of jeans I outgrew shortly after I bought them. I went from not being able to pull them over my thighs to over but nowhere near closing to closing as long as I didn't try to breathe to closing with serious muffin top to... I am wearing them in public!

The second article is a fitted sundress I bought a couple of years ago. If I lost 5 pounds it was going to look fantastic! Unfortunately, I gained instead of losing and it has been hanging in my closet with the tags attached for more than 2 years. My goal was to wear it to D17's graduation. It fits, graduation is tonight and despite the fact that it will be too cold to wear it I'm calling it a win!

This is a great reminder that though the scale hasn't moved this week I'm making progress because neither of those fit last Saturday!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hey guys. Once again I find myself crawling back in here to make apologies for disappearing. I haven't been avoiding 3FC because I fell off the wagon or anything, it's just that life has been crazy busy and I've been exhausted so I haven't made the time.

I took the time to go back and read all the posts I've missed, and it sounds like there's a lot of struggling going on right now. I've been thinking about all of you while I've been away, and I'm glad to see that so many of you are hanging in there.

I'm on day seven of an experiment. It's not necessarily weight loss focused, which is new and scary for me, but my weight is creeping down a little, so that's something. I started out at the same weight I was at the beginning of May, so while I didn't lose anything this month, at least I maintained. Considering I had a long vacation in there, that's not so bad.

For all rights and purposes at the moment I am a caffeine-free, gluten-free vegan. I'm cheating on the veganism (I had eggs last night because I really needed some protein) but I'm eating a lot more carbs than I have been,which is scary for me. So far I'm not gaining, though, and if giving up meat and dairy helps me with the sinus issues I've been having, it'll be worth it. I'm worried that the only other alternative is surgery, and I don't really want to do that.

I've been having a lot of trouble getting back on track post-vacation, partly because I'm not happy where I'm living and going up north just reminded me of exactly why. There's nothing I can do about it for awhile, though, so feeling sorry for myself is a waste of time.

Sue, congratulations on onederland! I completely understand the letdown, having been there more than once. As soon as I get below 200 I just start thinking about how I'm still so close to that line, and then I fall into a downward spiral that results in me losing nothing for an entire month. But you've got a great plan in place, so you'll be fine. Good luck this weekend, and congrats on the sundress!

Rosebud, I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's struggles. I can only imagine how frustrating that is for both of you. I'm glad he has you there to help him, even if it's hard for him to accept the help.

Beverly, Sue's right: you really are an inspiration. WTG with getting back on plan.

:wave: to all the newbies and everyone else I missed! I am going to try to be better about making time to check in here, I swear.