Hi everyone!

SRT4852: Good job on getting to the gym. I've been coming to that realization lately, that exercise and calorie counting is for me, I'm not competing anymore. I had been competing, with the weight loss challenge here at work, but now I am trying to be a little kinder and gentler to myself. I did not make it to the gym today... I totally overslept... but I'm not going to make myself crazy and beat myself up. I'll just get there tomorrow. It's not the end of the world!! :)

I had an awesome weigh in today. I lost 5.4 pounds. Last week, I had actually gone up .2 pounds, so I think I was holding on to a lot of water or something. I think with finally ending the weight loss challenge, I relaxed and so did my body. So, happy days! New decade! I have about 11 more pounds of this regain to get rid of.

Easily Amused: I think that's a good attitude. You have to do what is right for you, with both food plan and exercise. What works for one doesn't always work for someone else. I know that with me, this time is different in that I had to give up some beliefs I had from before regarding what I can and can't do. I feel like I wasn't giving it full effort before, so I'm trying to keep that up for as long as I can. I know I'll face struggles, and have already, but I'm trying to give it my best effort now. I just want to be stronger and healthier.

I was a little tickled today at Body Pump. Now, Body Pump is not fun to me. I do it because I think it gives me good results, but definitely not fun. Well, I decided to increase the weights I was using for each exercise. I had the shaky arms and legs going on for sure! But, I noticed that when we were doing pushups, I could actually DO REAL PUSHUPS! Not just faking it, like I usually do! So, getting stronger. And, when we were stretching out, I could do the little contortion of putting one leg behind the other and twisting to the side. I think that because I've lost some inches, my legs actually fit together like that. Little victories.

Having kind of a low energy day now, though. My almost 20 yo daughter and I are battling. She's trying to make me crazy, and I'm trying to hold on to sanity. UGH!

Hope everyone is doing ok.

Good Morning!

@Slashnl: Yea for upping weights! When I was able to go to bodypump classes I had that same semi battle - I loved and hated it at the same time. However, PROPS FOR PUSHUPS! I don't know if I will ever be able to do those (shoulder pop out when I put pressure on them the wrong way) so I envy you. Keep doing it. I am sorry you and your daughter are fighting - is it serious or young adult shenanigans?

@Easily: Keep Hanging in there - and congrats on being over 20,000 steps. I am still struggling to get to 10,000 with my desk job.

As for me...I'm doing. Skipped the gym yesterday (desire to do anything after work was a -5,000) but I made up for it by going this morning AND planning out all my food but dinner (taking suggestions - I am craving pasta in the worst way =\ . I will admit I fell off the plan pretty hard on Monday (DQ Small Blizzard was a reward from my boyfriend for trying to fish he made for dinner...). But I am back on the horse and going strong.

I also got my first graze box and I am excited - just had my first pommet (I think they are called) of coconut, cranberries and Belgium chocolate. Good combination.

Easily Amused: Wow! That is a crazy number of steps! 1.3 million! I'm very impressed with that!

SRT4852: Good for you for getting to the gym this morning. I can totally understand not going in the afternoon after work. I really don't know how anyone can be consistent going after work, but that's more my issue with being way more of a morning person than an afternoon person. I have trouble getting things done at home after work. Just want to hit the couch!

As for my daughter issue... it isn't horrible stuff, just enough to keep my worried and stressed. She's not a great student (easily distracted by wanting to be with friends and having a good time), but she's in college and I worry about it all the time. I need to be more like my husband in that he says it is up to her and if she fails at it, then she has to figure out what else she will do. Yep, I get that. But... I want her to succeed. She lives at home and that is probably a lot of the battle. She wants more freedom, and I want my rules followed. It is still my house. It would be good if she could afford to move out, but that isn't happening just yet. Overall, she's not a bad kid, but she does drive me crazy.

Doing pretty good with being on plan this week. After sleeping in on Monday and not getting to the gym, I've made it each morning. Went to spin this morning. It was really tough, but glad I was there. Was sweating like crazy, so it must be good!

Have a great day!

Easily Amused: You probably should take it easy on your weights for now and let your arm heal. It is so hard to do when we're trying to stay on track and keep exercising, but you don't want it to get worse either. Darn it!

Nothing new here. Went to Body Pump. It was good, but glad it is over for the week. I think it is a good thing to do, but I don't really have a great time doing it.

Hi darlings!!!!!

Quick flyby, no time for personals since things are heating up with school and with my personal life, ugh!!!!!

GOOD NEWS- 155.4 this morning. I'm sooo thrilled, I have not weighed this little since high school. I just wanted to share that with you all.

As soon as I get a little bit of time, I WILL do personals. In the meantime, great job, hang in there and don't give up, all!!!

Hi folks. :coffee:

This is carter looking shamefacedly into her coffee because I still haven't pulled it together. I'm starting to feel it in my clothes - all this binging over the past few weeks has me gaining, not even holding steady any more.

Ugh.

I have to get going to an appointment right now so I don't have time to greet everyone personally but I want to say: I am glad you are here, and I am glad so many of you are sticking to plan and starting to kick your regains. I don't usually post here when I'm struggling this badly (pride etc) but because of you, I'm here this morning. I'm going to make good choices today. I'm sure of that. After today, I'll work on tomorrow.

Carter: So good to see you post. I know that you're having a rough time right now, but I really miss seeing you on here. Keep hanging in there. I know it will get better, but I also know it is hard to work through a struggle. I'm pulling for you! And keep posting, no matter what. If you don't want to talk about progress right now, that's ok. Just stay connected!

Amandie: Good job!!!! You're doing great. Wow... high school weight. Not sure I can ever get down to that again. That was 135 for me. College killed me and then had babies and never worked hard enough to get it all off. Oh, and then the age thing happened. :)

So glad it is Friday! The weather here is absolutely beautiful, so it makes me want to be outside! I have heard that the weekend won't be quite as good, but that's ok. Just needing a weekend. Went to spin this morning. I still have shaky legs from it. Good thing I have a desk job.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Good Afternoon, Folks!

@ Slashnl: I am sorry about your daughter, I am not far into my 20s (26 - ok so pretty far) but I am sure she will mature with age. I agree with you about the weekend (glad it's here!) but I think it is supposed to be beautiful on the east coast so I have that going for me and YAY Spin Class.

@Amadie: CONGRATS. I hope your life is heating up in a good, not stressful, way!

@ Carter: You'll find your northstar again and we are always here for you! I struggle a lot and I have to fight my pride when I post about falling off my bandwagon - but I find posting helps me and reminds me I'm human. I promise - you only have to make good choices one day at a time and it'll work out!

As for myself - I'm good, not on plan but not off, I've decided to eat in a range from 1,500 - 1,700 depending on my hunger. I didn't make ti to the gym other than M/W this week but even that tuckered me out quite a lot. I ended up sleeping like a rock Thursnight (and sleeping through 6 alarms making me late for work) and last night (Fri) so maybe I shouldnt' amp it up just yet. However, I must admit I am a little worried about my weight loss already, not that I haven't lost anything but I stepped on my scale this morning and I am down to 246.6 already, nearly 10 lbs from two weeks ago (even accounting for water weight) and it's not even my official weigh in (Tuesday). Is there such a thing as TOO fast weight loss? It also happened for me really fast last time (60 lbs in 5 months).

Hi all. Just checking in for the weekend. Had a really good workout yesterday. We'll see how Monday's weigh in goes, though. I'm feeling a little puffy, so I'm thinking I might be retaining a little water!

Hi kids. :coffee:

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, all. I had an okay weekend - not a great one - and took yesterday off to hang out with my brother who was visiting for Passover.

Boy am I feeling this extra weight right now. Stuffing myself into my clothes like a sausage. Ugh. That has to be my motivation to make the right choices today.

My girlfriend suggested that I might be over-restricting. She pointed out that I am still exercising quite a bit and that maybe my calorie target is actually too low for that, leading to the binges. I'm not sure it's that simple (about the binging), and like everyone I am always nervous about upping my calorie target. But I'm going to take her words to heart and consider adding an extra couple hundred calories of protein to my day.

Have any of you done anything like this recently? I'm thinking if it can help me keep on track it is worth doing, even if it just gets me a few weeks solidly on plant without a gain. Once I have that under my belt (as if there is any room there!) I can work on reducing again, with more care.

Hi Carter: I think that is a great idea. I've done that before and it just is kind of amazing that you eat more, but still do better with losing weight. I think you can totally restrict yourself too much. If you're working out hard, you need to make sure you are getting sufficient calories to keep your energy up. I think you should give it a shot!

As for me, just hanging in there. Not much excitement. :)

Hello, all. I'm another regainer relosing, to my shame. Still... my personal mantra is to persevere, and that means that I can't just give up. I've been lurking for a few weeks, and I think it is time to participate again.

@Calluna: Welcome! You will persevere and we are here to make sure you don't give up! PLus - we are all guilty of lurking so it happens.

As for myself! I lost a whopping 1 lb from last week to this one which, while small, is still a victory. I am having trouble keeping my calories down since I am so hungry lately (but I eat healthy foods!). I guess I just need to watch/plan better.

In more personal news - I scheduled an appointment for my first tattoo and I am extremely nervous and scared. I am not telling people or showing them what i am getting in my life because it is none of their business but...it's scary!

Hi kids! :coffee:

So: I am happy to report one day on plan. :dizzy: So far, so good. Now to string a second one on to that.

It being Passover is actually pretty helpful for me. There are some tempting, delicious foods traditionally associated with Passover but I don't have a lot of it in my house. So all Passover means for me is that I can't give in to the temptation to eat cookies after lunch or to binge on candy and pretzels.

And if I can resist the temptation this week, I can resist it once Passover is done, too.

Slashnl: How are you feeling now that the competition is done? Have you been able to keep up the pace and focus of your efforts? Conversely are you content to settle into a less intense routine?

calluna: glad you decided to step out and join us. Is there anything you
find especially challenging about approaching a regain?

SugarRomeoTango: please don't ever be disappointed with a pound lost in a week. I pound-a-weeked away 120 pounds. (More like 4-5 pounds a monthed it away, but a pound a week on average.) It's a good reliable healthy rate of weight loss. A lot of people get stuck in the "only"-a-pound-a-week trap and somehow convince themselves they are doing it wrong or need to to try harder or be more restrictive and end up psyching themselves right off plan. You're doing great! Just stick with it.

SRT4852: Good luck on the tattoo. That is one thing I'll never have. I am certainly not against them, but I would be terrified of having it done. So, you are way braver than me. Congrats on the pound loss!

Calluna: Good to see you on this thread. I just said hi to you on another thread, so glad that you are posting here, too. We'll all keep each other going!!

Carter: Great job! Proud of you for your one day at a time approach! You can do it. As for me, the end of the competition was a huge letdown. Much more so than I thought it would be. I was disappointed that I didn't win, and then it was just hard to maintain the focus. I'm working hard to get it back, so I set a mini goal of losing 50 lbs by July. I needed something to strive for, I think. But, the intensity is not back yet. I think I'm finally over the disappointment, but still trying to keep up a strong pace. (Thanks for asking! It helped to put that out in writing.)

Still keeping it going with the gym. Spin class was today. I was late getting up, so I was a little late getting to the class. I almost talked myself into not going, so I'm claiming victory for getting there! :)

Have a good one!

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone. :)

@Romeo, I think the thing that I find most challenging is focusing on my eating problem, not my weight problem. It's much easier to focus on pounds and calories.

@Carter: WOO, hopefully it’s more than one day on plan now. I am not familiar with Passover at all but if you are resisting temptation then you are doing great!
I am not disappointed (ok – maybe a little!) but I also know that it is currently my own fault. I am not sticking as strictly as I should to my 1,400 – 1,600 calories. I keep ending up at 1,800 – 2,000 and it’s frustrating because I know I am BORED eating which is my biggest weakness and not hitting the gym as much. I will get back on the right track – just might be a little slowe than I want.

@Slashnl: Talking yourself into going even when exhausted is impressive so I give you complete props and much credit for that. I have been so tired in the mornings I’ve only made it one day this week (Tuesday). I wish I could kick myself in the rear and get there like you do.
And trust me – I am terrified out of my poor little mind but this too shall pass.
@Calluna: I understand that because I am the same way (provided I understand what you are saying). My weight really ISN’T my biggest problem – the fact that I eat like I am starving and I love food so much is. I need to build a thicker skin around food and I am sure my weight will be much less of an issue.

As for myself – like I said, I am slinking in here shamefaced and a little OP but trying to find my north star. Exhaustion is kicking my butt and willpower but at least I am acknowledging that I am the one making terrible food/exercise choices (not blaming anyone else) which is a step in the right direction. I was talking to a friend on WW (she has managed to gain 8 lbs on it and is so discouraged) so I suggested we try a program together (Shred or Super Shred) since I have a friend who LOVES it. Maybe it will work but I am nervous. Anyone on here every tried any of those book programs?

Hi all. Not much to say today. I took a day off from the gym today. Just feeling a little too sore and tired, but I'll go back tomorrow. I don't mind working out, it makes me feel good, but I'm with all of you with the food issue. I love it and I struggle with keeping at a deficit!

Good morning, everyone! I had a good day yesterday, even finding a little time to squeeze in a brisk walk with #1 son (who is super fit). Hoping that today will go as well.

It's nice that it is warming up a bit outside - not freezing so much at night - and the snow is mostly gone. Soon I'll get the bikes out! Mine will whimper in fear when I approach it, no doubt... ;)

This thread should be the busiest on the forum because I think anyone who says they have never regained is a liar. It's the nature of weight loss. The important thing is to see it for what it is, get right back on the wagon and lose it all over again. Unfortunately, this is a life long struggle.

@Wannabe, it is/will be a lifelong effort for me. It's pretty hard for a lot of us to think about the regain, though... let alone admit it in a public forum. :)

@Romeo, you understand me correctly. I have all sorts of eating behaviors, and some of them are pretty destructive. Not all, thank goodness.

Calluna: Funny comment about the bike. I always think that my horse says the same thing when she sees me coming with my saddle. :) Hopefully, I will keep lightening her load.

Wannabe: That's the truth. I know of very few who haven't had some kind of relapse, and regain. We just have to keep trying! There isn't any other option!

Looking forward to the weekend. I'm ready! Today is my daughter's 20th birthday. She recently moved out and so we're going to do a little shopping for her new place. Should be fun! Tonight is pizza and cake.... will have to find a little discipline. :)

Slashnl, I used to have horses when I lived in PA. In AK, it's too expensive to keep them and so it is a bike for me. I hope you go for a ride on this beautiful day! (at least it is here...)

yup. me. totally.
 

This is me to a T. I went from 220 to 165 in 2010/11 because of WW and then, largely due to stress of going to school and then getting a job that provided ample temptation to binge while working in my car, I gained it all back. I'm currently at 226 and feeling super down. I imagine that I struggle with what others struggle with here- emotional eating on poor choices, not enough activity, etc.

A few posts up, someone mentioned the Shred, which I have done with some success before. The key is (ugh) consistency. I've also done the c25k program but right now, I'm not doing anything :S

Hey kids! :coffee:

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I was out of town for my brother's wedding which was a MAGNIFICENT party. I didn't overeat at all, I'm delighted to say. I might have had some wine here and there ;). I'm hoping that all the Caribbean dancing worked that off though - my lovely delightful loveable delicious new sister-in-law is Trinidadian, and you better believe her family didn't let me stop moving as long as there was music playing.

I've got to run and get my week started - wishing everyone good luck and good strength.

Happy Belated Easter, All!

Good job to everyone who stayed OP through this holiday and I hope everyone had a great time.


I, unfortunately, was thrown completely off the wagon and I've no idea when it happened - Friday night I think? My TOM is coming and that always makes me very...apathetic? I am trying to be good and get back on my plan today but I am still in the very "meh" mood. I didn't get to the gym this morning since I work until 1030pm tonight but I am trying to convince myself to get there tomorrow morning.

Since it is getting nice out, I am trying very hard to convince myself to do stuff at home after work - even if "stuff" is just a brisk walk around the block.

Hey everyone! Sounds like it was a pretty good weekend for everyone. Mine was good, too. Indulged a little, but too crazy. It was a busy, busy weekend with Easter and my daughter's birthday on Friday.

I managed to eek out a 1.4 pound loss. I was kind of hoping for more, but that's ok. I went to spin this morning, which was good. I had gone to spin on Saturday and the one instructor I really don't like was there. I stayed, but she really drives me crazy. She was all into Easter, and she put a plastic flower and a piece of CANDY on each bike. Seriously??? Candy???? I didn't take it. She doesn't seem to get that we're not there to be entertained, we're there to workout. Constantly talks about the music she chose, she sings along, she tells you that if you don't want to push yourself, it is ok. UGH. She said she's going to be there next Saturday too, so I'll have to decide if I want to go. I usually can get a good workout in, by just tuning her out and pushing myself, but that's irritating. Maybe I'll just do something else.

Well, have a good week!

Hi folks. :coffee: Still managing to string together days more or less on plan (this is good enough for me, really, if I can avoid the all-out binges I am content). It will be a while before that translates into scale results but I'm trying to stay focused on the behaviors.

Passover ends tonight. It's been helpful to me, and I need to find a way to carry that discipline forward. In case you don't know, the Passover restrictions forbid me to eat anything made out of any grains at all, except for a flat, cracker-like bread called matzah that is prepared in a particular way. If it's a grain product, and it isn't made out of matzah, I can't eat it. So that means the muffins and bagels set out at work yesterday for people to grab on their way over to watching the marathon were off limits to me. It means that no matter how much I might want cookies after lunch, a higher authority compels me to resist them. (I am not a terribly religious person as far as my beliefs go but adherence to religious traditions seems to matter to me - if I'm going to bother doing it at all, I'm going to do it properly.)

Anyway blah blah Passover is ending but I still need to treat the muffins and bagels and cookies and candy and pretzels as off-limits. I'm going to have the house to myself for the next two weeks and that is an especially tough time to stay focused. It's just too easy to binge under those circumstances.

So, here goes.

This is why it's so important to find an eating plan you can live with the rest of your life instead of a diet. I finally faced the fact that low-carb is the plan for me. I have increased my vegetable intake and lowered the carbs. On Easter, I decided to relax a bit and I ate a ham sandwich (2 slices of light bread) and potato salad. After the pat 6 weeks of faithfully following low carb, eating this food made me feel bloated and terrible the rest of the day. It was such a noticeable difference after focusing on vegetables all this time. I had no interest in eating leftovers the next day. The potato salad went down the garbage disposal. I'm sure I am not going to eat low carb 100%, but it is my main food plan from here on it. I realize it is not for everyone.

I completely understand where you are coming from. I limit my starchy carbs to only twice a week, while the rest of the week is fruits, veggies, healthy fats, meats, herbs & spices. It creates a good balance where you don't have to cut them out completely, but you monitor how often you eat them :)

Carter: Glad it is working for you. You sound happier, and that's good news! Keep going one day at a time!

WannaBe: It is definitely a plus for everyone to find what works for them. If low carb is good for you, then it is great for you to stick with that plan!!

I'm doing good with keeping on plan. While I wish the numbers on the scale would plummet, I've been keeping a good overall loss. Must be patient! Went to Body Pump today. It was insanely hot in the gym for some reason. Sweaty! But, good workout.

Have a good one!

Wannabehealthy's post made me stop and think for a bit. She says that regains are the reason one needs to find a plan one can stick with for the rest of one's life. But I do not consider my regain a failing in my plan. I regained because I stopped sticking to my plan as assiduously as maintenance requires.

I suppose it's arguable that this is evidence that my plan isn't sustainable, but since I lost 120 pounds over three years on that plan, I think it's pretty sustainable. Moreover, you can flip around my regain, and say, I maintained 100 pounds of my weight loss for nearly two additional years, despite not always sticking to my plan. Not too many people have an achievement like that under their belts (so to speak).

"For the rest of your life" is popular diet wisdom. But (speaking only for myself) I find it somewhat daunting and counterproductive: If I have the rest of my life, why should I bother sticking to my plan today? The procrastinator in me needs to think more immediately than that. I need a plan I can stick to today, right now. That doesn't mean I give no thought to sustainability at all; I guess there is a balance to strike, between the laser-like focus on the choice in front of me that propels me forward right now, and the long-term sustainability that I needed to lose over 100 pounds and keep it off.

Maybe "for the time being" or "indefinitely" is a better formulation of that, for me, than "for the rest of your life." If there is one thing I have learned in 42 years of life, three careers, and many relationships, it is that nothing in my life is immutable. I will stick to my plan for the time being, and if it needs adjusting down the line, I will adjust.

Is the regain I am currently struggling with evidence that my plan needs adjusting? I don't think so, but it is a question worth thinking about nonetheless.

Carter I'm with you, it's not my plan but my lack of adherence to it, and it isn't the composition of the plan but sheer laziness on my part and too much justifying of too many treats. Then not buckling down immediately to get the bounce of weight back off.

The solitoon is white knuckling it a few days and getting back to what I know works, not tweaking. Tweaking rarely works for me these days, because I've already tweaked enough years to know what works and what doesn't. My body didn't magically change, even if my determination and discipline temporarily did :lol:

Oh I don't know if they're liars, some of us just don't struggle with maintaining as much as others for a variety of reasons. I've never regained more than ten pounds since I began losing weight except right now, where I'm up about 13 (starch on Resurrection Sunday and sick) and working back down. And this is a very abnormal freak out I've been in for a few weeks. Generally speaking maintenance is very doable if you're diligent, and regains are not guaranteed, but that means it takes work every day to keep it that way.

When you pout and indulge like I did and then decide to be lazy about the work to fix it, a regain is expected. But that doesn't mean it wasn't preventable to begin with ;)

Hey there,

I ate some salty ham on Easter and am still trying to slough off the sodium bounce. Makes me grumpy, even if I know I didn't gain 3 lbs between one day and the next. :)

Headed out of town this weekend to take #1 son to a junior olympics swim meet. Will have to be careful, but I think we'll be ok.

That sodium will get you every time! Me too, btw. You're not alone in suffering at the alter of yummy pork ;)

Several weeks back, I ate a whole 9 oz bag of Herr's Jalapeno Popper Cheese Puffs (3,150mg of sodium) and then the next day went to Buffalo Wild Wings and ate 7 carribbean jerk wings, a small order of beer batter onion rings for lunch AND then went to Red Robins for dinner and ate a tavern burger with fries. Can I say sodium overload? Over the course of the next couple days, I had become so swollen in my legs and gained at least 3-5 pounds of water weight. My bra was tighter and I was visibly swollen. It was crazy. When I pressed my legs near my ankles, they left these HUGE indentations. Excess sodium is no joke!

Oh my gosh, Olivia...you are almost to the 180's! What the heck are you doing? You have lost weight so fast! It's incredible! You go Girl! You sure left me in your tracks! Jodoto

Hi jodoto! Where have you been? lol The reason my weight loss goes fast at least one week out of the month is because I juice for 7 days out of the month. It is part of my weight loss / detoxification plan ;) I posted to you in the 2'teens thread. Nice to have you back!! :D