Went to body pump and body flow yesterday. It had been a while since I had been to body flow. It just isn't easy for me with the balance and stretching. Yoga moves just aren't natural to me, but it does get better as I go along. It was good to get back to it. Today, I probably will just go get some walking or running in. I need the steps.

Martini: Yep, weight loss just doesn't make sense, does it? I hope you have a great weigh in. I'm not confident in mine for tomorrow.

Nici: The snow is around us in the mountains, but none here yet. It can stay in the mountains!! Sorry about your foot, hope it gets to feeling better.

Good morning!

Just a quick check-in.

I am returning to intermittent fasting. It has worked in the past. For now, I think I'm just going to do a straight fast. Hopefully, though, I'll add some low-cal fruits and veggies during the day so that I am getting some nutrients.

I also am going to be focused enough on work today that I can hit the gym this afternoon.

Well, went to spin this morning. At least workouts are going well. My food plan is so off right now. My weigh in wasn't good, so I need to regroup again. So, once again, I'm recommitting to recording everything, and getting back on track calorie wise. I'm also going to readjust my expectations for the end of the year. I think it will be challenging to even make it to 210 by the end of the year, so that's my mini goal. Then, next year, I need to get to onederland.

Nici: It might be a good idea to have that foot checked out. The last thing we need is something holding us back.....

Laurie: Good to see you. Hope the fasting goes well for you!

hey hey everyone! :wave:

Diane - How much of a loss are you averaging a week?

Laurie - Hi! Hope you enjoyed the time at the gym!

Nici - I think we've both mentioned that we're having some period issues. It's had such a huge impact on my weight and I wonder if you're in the same boat.

I started spotting for a few days two weeks ago and that has been followed by an 11-day (and counting) period. Given the irregularity I've had lately I'm not too surprised and I'm not really worried about the length of the bleeding. I'm just focusing on reducing stress and am going with whatever it is that my body is up to at the moment. I'll return to the doctor in two months and see what he says about it all then.

The unexpected benefit of it all has been a 6+lb mother of all wooshes this week. There also seems to be a pretty significant weight loss from around my midsection. Over the past year I inadvertently became an apple and am now slowly returning to my pear-ness. The body and psyche are remarkable things and I never thought I'd be happy to be a pear again.

Martini - WOOT on your mother of all whooshes. Except, of course, the bleeding. Hope it gets sorted at the doctor's office.

Diane - Two steps forward. One step back. But the work-outs seem to keep you focused and moving forward. Plus - you get all the benefits of working out. Even (or maybe especially) when you're struggling, you're an inspiration.

Today is a great day. Fasting (except for a bit of chicken if I get really, really hungry) followed by dinner.

Everyone have a great day!

Ok... so I'm starting today to record all of my food and I'm going to stay in a deficit. (yes, I know I meant to do it yesterday, but once again, totally lost focus.) :)


Went to Body Pump today. It was a new workout, so feeling the effects now. Ha! I increased my weights in a couple of areas. I so much love that class. I feel such a difference in my muscles from those workouts. It makes it fun to go. I'll go to the gym after work to get some running in. I'm trying to increase my distance each time I go until I get back to where I was. I do love the running.

Martini: Um yeah.... what do I average for a weekly weight loss... well, nothing right now. If I would stay on track, I usually go with 1-2 pounds per week. So, need to try harder to stay on track with food. Nice whoosh, by the way! I think that when you finally do have a period like that, you are finally letting go of some retained water, too. Nice to see that on the scale!!

Laurie: Glad you are enjoying your fasting day. Sometimes it is a good feeling to be in control like that. Even if eating a bunch of food sounds good...

Nici: Glad that your calories were low, and you stayed focused! Good for you!

Ok, I'm on a streak!! Day 2 of recording all my food. I actually stayed in a calorie deficit yesterday, so that's a bonus. I'm hoping to make it to day 3! I went to spin this morning. It was a good workout. The regular instructor wasn't there, and the substitute is someone I kind of know but haven't seen for a while. She told me that she could tell I've been losing weight, so that was good.

Nici: Good job on the walking! I'm sure it is harder to keep on track when you're travelling. You're doing well!

Diane - Hey! Two days is nothing to sneeze at! I've found that nothing has worked for me nearly as well as tracking my calories. I hope it works for you, too!

Nici - I will never have a kind word to say about humidity. Good for you for exercising regardless of the weather!

Laurie - Hurrah for another great day!

Although I've stayed in under my daily calorie limit, I haven't eaten particularly well this week. On Monday and Wednesday I didn't eat anything at all. It was a busy morning, the food options I had available weren't great, and it was so late by the time I got home that I decided to forget about dinner.

On Tuesday I was fine, but today I was starving. I ended up using 1,000 calories of my 1,500 daily limit on one meal. That physically doesn't feel good and it's definitely not a habit I want to get into. This whole meal planning thing is a nut that I'll have to crack.

Hope you're all doing well in this second half of the week!

Martini - I feel like if I am making bad choices in the form of not eating, I am still winning, so long as I don't start believing those are good choices. What I mean is - it sounds like you essentially had three choices. 1 - Plan and eat well. 2 - Don't plan and don't eat. 3 - Don't plan and eat poorly. Choosing 2 is a huge step forward (at least it would be in my world), and would help motivate me to choose 1 more often. It really sounds like you're heading in the right direction.

Diane - Two days! WOOT! And right in a row. It's not about making all of the days in a row. It's about more good days than bad days. And woot! on the instructor compliment. Those are great to hear.

Nici - Look at you. Making lots and lots of right choices. And I appreciate the warning - I intend to behave this weekend. It will be great if we become IF buddies! Let me know if you decide to do it, and how it's going for you.

I weighed in. 253.6. Proud of myself to have had the courage to step on the scale.

Today's plan -
1 - No food until dinner. That means no snacking. For anything. (Today's gotta be white knuckle.)
2 - Take a walk today.
3 - Eat slowly and judiciously at dinner. Get enough calories, but don't eat so much so quickly that I feel ill and sluggish.
4 - Stop eating at 7:30. No food for any reason.

I love mornings that are full of hope.

Went to Body Pump today. It was good, I went up on my bicep weight and thought I might die. I did it, but we'll see if I'm overly sore tonight and tomorrow morning. Going running tonight. I hope it is better than it was on Tuesday. It's hard getting back to where I was before with it.

I am, however.... drumroll... on day 3 of recording my food. I went slightly over what I wanted to do for calories yesterday, but I'm pretty happy that it was all entered. Baby steps.

Martini: I'm so with you on calorie counting being the way for me to go. How do they say it? "It worked so well, I quit doing it." Anyway... I know it is good to do. I also agree with Laurie (as I usually do!) in what she said about your choices. You did the best you could and you're making it through!

Laurie: Looks like a good plan you have for today! Good luck!!!!

Diane - Baby steps are HUGE steps. In fact, in my experience, they are the steps that really matter. Walking all day at an amusement park, in my experience, tends to drive down next-day weight and provide a nice boon, but getting into the habit of recording food - that leads to long-term results. Yay, baby steps! And yay increasing bicep weight and getting back to where you were with the running!

Had a good (not perfect) day yesterday. Excited about another good (and likely not perfect, but maybe closer to perfect) day today.

Pizza for dinner today. And giving blood at noon, so the right choice for me is to eat at least a little bit afterwards so I don't feel completely drained, which means I can't do a total fast before dinner. Should be a challenging day. And how do I prove I am really, truly on the right track again? Rock a challenging day!

Hope y'all have a great day, and a great weekend!

Well, I went running last night and it was better. I'm not all the way back to where I was, but at least I didn't feel like I wanted to stop all the time. Then I went to spin this morning. It was a great workout. I really enjoyed the music this time for some reason. And, I had a pretty good day yesterday with food. I was about 26 calories over what I wanted to have, but that's ok. I recorded everything, so happy with that.

While I was running, I was listening to my Ipod. The song came on that I've used as my theme/motivation for the past 2 years. It's the one I show in my signature, with the line "this time I'm going to be stronger, I'm not giving in". Anyway, it hit me pretty hard, in a good way. I've come a long way, but I still have a ways to go. So, when I'm tempted by bad food choices or not wanting to record my food, I'm going to make myself listen to it. I don't want to give in. I am tired of my excuses and my lack of discipline on food choices. So, we'll see how this goes. I want the dedication back! I think it is getting there, but just need to push through a little more.

Laurie: It does sound like you have a challenging day ahead of you. But I know you can do it!!!!! You are strong enough and you'll feel great at the end of the day when you have hit your marks!

Diane - Day 3+ of recording calories is HUGE!!! HUGE!!! I also know what you were saying about liking the music. I'm continuing to walk to/from the office and I had a few moments this past week where I put my headphones in and was simply looking forward to hanging out with the music (forget about the walking!).

Laurie - I hope your challenging day went well. Thanks for the perspective on my three options. I had only looked at the situation as having two options: eat well or not at all. It hadn't occurred to me that by not eating I was actually doing better than eating poorly. I needed that shift in outlook.

Nici - I don't use MFP. I use LoseIt. If it speaks to you and you'd like to buddy up on it, I'd love to have a partner.

It looks like those skipped meals are going to add up to a loss for tomorrow's weigh in. I'm juggling a few things at work that have hit a wall so it's really edifying to see some progress somewhere.

What's even more remarkable is that I'm now 10lb away from getting off that 30lb regain I experienced over the summer. It feels good and the time has flown by so I haven't been too focused on chipping away the individual pounds. Once I get to 270 (pre-summer weight) I'm going to start working towards 250 as my next big goal!

Went to Body Pump and Body Flow yesterday. Good workouts. Tomorrow I am scheduled for a colonoscopy, so today is prep day. The actual "cleansing" stuff isn't done until later in the day, but I can't have solid food at all today. So, I'm starving. Not really, but it feels that way. Never doing this again..... :) Tomorrow, after it is done, I'm going to have a nice big breakfast.

Nici: I use MFP all the time. I like that I can have it on my phone, so that makes it easy for me. That's where I do all of my recording of food and exercise. By the way, I didn't like the video at all to the song in my signature. I had actually first heard it in one of my spin classes and started listening to it. When I saw the video, I was disappointed in it. So dark and sad. Anyway, sounds like you are doing well!!!

Martini: You are really getting back on track now!! Good job!

Busy weekend of posting! I love when I come in Monday morning and see that activity.

Nici - You're back! Woot! Everyone has different versions of IF. It does not sound like yours was working for you. Yay for trying something new! Yay for getting back to what works for you too! And thank you for repeating my words back to me. I do love mornings that are full of hope.

Diane - It amazes me sometimes how completely good music inspires me to do my best. And check you out - post-injury, you are getting back up to speed. Always an inspiration. Always so awesome.

Martini Woot! on taking out that regain expediently. One of these days, I would love to hear more about your work. I know it's an anonymous site, so it may not be advisable to share details, but your globe-trotting ways inspire curiosity. You're just cool.

My husband and I do weekly grocery shopping on Sundays. I peppered the meal planning last night with a few lower-calorie options, deciding that a sneak attack would be best. We were driving to the store, and the hubs says, "Do we really need to buy all the pop tarts and fruit snacks and goldfish crackers?" And my mind was blown. Since we started dating 3 years ago, I have never not known that house to contain pop tarts and goldfish. Instead, we bought actual fruit, string cheese, and healthier soups. My 11yo daughter said, "Why didn't you buy any good food?" And "Well, I guess I can't have any snacks at school." It may be an adjustment, but life is easier for me without all of the temptation in the house. =) And four of the five children in that house right now have or are developing weight issues, so I am thrilled he's willing to do this for them as well.

Just a quick check in. Everything went fine. I am not good at fasting for an entire day. Ugh. That was awful..

I'll come back tomorrow and write more!

Diane - I often read in chunks - read a bit, then have to answer a phone or a question from my paralegal, go back and read a bit, etc. So I completely missed the whole colonoscopy thing. Oof. Glad it is done. Good for you for doing something unpleasant but proactive for your health. Hope today goes well!

Nici - Look at you go! Right on with calories - improving your work-outs. And yay for 10-pounders! It drives me nuts to watch young, healthy women with 2.5-pound weights (although there are definitely reasons for it on occasion, blah blah blah).

I am super irritable lately. I might punch someone. About a year ago, I started drinking caffeine as a way to help me eat less, and it sort of backfired. It did not help me do any better, and I was getting withdrawal headaches when I didn't drink it for a while. So, I broke it off completely, and now I am struggling with the desire to knock heads over fairly innocuous behavior. Deep breath. This will pass.

Trying to stay on course today. Have a great day, everyone!

Doing much better today. I was really tired yesterday, and just didn't do much. Back to body pump this morning, and back at work. I'll do some running after work today. Just glad to have the "procedure" over with and no longer on my mind. It was fine, except for the fasting. The doctor said that everything looks clear and I wouldn't have to come back for 10 years. Well, maybe if I forget how it was by then, maybe I'll do it again. But as of now, no... I'm not going back.

The joys of aging. Actually, I was noticing when I was I the doctor's office that I was one of the youngest ones there. It made me feel so out of place. Oh well.

Nici: Good job on the walking! That's really good.

Laurie: I won't be giving up my coffee any time soon. :) I know the withdrawals I would have to go through if I did!! Can't handle that. Hopefully you'll make it through ok!!

Went to spin this morning. It was a good workout. I ended up not going running last night. I had a really busy day at work, and I was just really tired at the end of the day. I just didn't want to go to the gym and put up with all of the people that are there at that time of day. Most of the time, it is ok, but last night was just not a time I wanted to be tolerant. Oh well! Maybe tomorrow I can go!

Nici: Yeah, I drink my coffee black. I would probably have to give it up if I didn't. It is amazing to me how much the calories add up when you add stuff. I do like a latte every now and then!! Sorry you didn't find your groove on the bike. Maybe next time!

Went to Body Pump today. I went up on my weights a little bit. Now I'm feeling it. :) I feel better today, so I'll go running after work. I was just awfully tired on Tuesday.

Nici: Well, at least it is 3 pounds of loss!! That's a good thing! I know it is disappointing when it isn't what we thought it should be. Hope you can hit your trails!

Went to spin class this morning. It was "endurance" day, so quite the workout. I have to admit that I didn't go running last night. I've been just so busy here at work, that I've been very tired at night. I forgave myself for that, but I have to go running on Tuesday at least. Then, I might put it off until after Thanksgiving.

Nici: Let me just say I am so thankful that you are posting every day! I need to have someone to be accountable with, and I'm glad you have been staying consistent!!! I look forward to hearing from you! I had to laugh at your two whole pounds comment. I was talking to a coworker about trying to keep each other on track through December with all of the treats we get around here. I told her that I was starting to develop the attitude that I'll get back on track after the holidays. I don't want to do that because I could lose a lot of ground through December. So, we decided that our goal is to lose 3 pounds by Dec 21st. It doesn't sound like a lot, but I figured it is a way to keep somewhat on track.

Hi everyone!!!! :) Just stopping by and saying hello!

Just a quick check in!

Nici, I'll look on MFP. I usually just use the mobile version and I can't see everything on it. :)

Thought I would introduce myself to this thread since I have a little bit of time. I've been on 3FC for awhile, lol, for 11 years. I realized that I can't do this alone and hired a dietician that I will see outside of office hours this weekend. I've never worked with a professional before so I'm pretty excited and a little scared. I'm a loser/regainer/and I'm happy that I'm starting now instead of waiting until the new year. I'll be checking in and could use all the support I can get. :)

Went to spin this morning, and I'll go to Body Pump on Tuesday, but I think that will be it until Saturday. I have my parents coming for Thanksgiving, and I have stuff to do, so I'll be putting workouts on hold.

Nici: Hard to walk when it is cold, so I'm impressed! Good for you!

CutieCourt: Welcome! Looking forward to getting to know you!

Well, didn't get to work out today. My car has an issue, so I had to have my son take me to work. I didn't want to make him wait for me while I worked out, so I just called it a day. I'll probably not go now until Saturday. I'm ok with that!

Nici: I'm sure you are getting stronger and more fit! That's the great thing about continuing to push yourself! Good job!!

Quick check in. I'm at home, getting ready for company. Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Nici: Good job on your weight loss. I'm not looking forward to weigh in tomorrow.... might forget to do it!!

Back from my cruise! Some really fantastic moments. Some not-so-great. I'm traveling with my high school senior next spring, and am determined to be in great physical condition for it. Not that I am so out-of-shape that it restricted my activities, which was my biggest fear. But I climbed 8 flights of stairs to the dining room, and it kicked my butt. With my son, I want to be able to hike and swim and zipline and enjoy all of it. It shall be done.

Not reading past pages, but I am with you Nici. New day, new week, and tomorrow is a new month! So excited to be focused, back at work, and on track.

Diane - Hope the weigh-in goes well.

Today -

1 - Breaking off at 1 p.m. to hit the gym.
2 - Modified IF until dinner.
3 - Still staying off caffeine (though I admit to a Red Bull yesterday - first caffeine in 3 weeks).

Have a fantastic day, everyone!

Went to Spin this morning. It wasn't a great workout because we had a substitute instructor. She doesn't push very hard and doesn't provide a great workout. But, it was ok. Body Pump tomorrow. I didn't do the weigh in today. I know, what a baby. I just didn't want to face it, so I'll try to do it tomorrow.

Laurie: Good to see you! I have to recommend getting in shape for the zip line, in particular. I was so glad that I was able to do it last summer! I think we've talked about it before, how important it is to have that functional fitness along with weight loss! We want to be able to do things without killing ourselves!

Nici: Good attitude! Here we are, on to a new month. We have lots of time to work on our weight before the next holiday hits!

Kind of quiet on here, I guess.

Went to Body Pump this morning. I'm feeling it.... I missed about a week of it, so I will probably be paying for it tomorrow.

Have a good one!

Went to spin class this morning. It was a tough one, but it felt good. I was a little sore from Body Pump yesterday, so it was good to work it out a little. I went to the gym after work last night, and ran. I've lost a lot of my endurance, so that was a little disappointing. But, you can't expect to hold on to your gains when you take that much time off from it. I did about half of what I did over the summer, so I have some ground to make up. It is doable!! I've been doing better on keeping under my calorie goal, so just need to keep that going. Struggle, struggle, struggle.... :)

Nici: Well, that was an eventful trip. Glad you are ok!! That's too bad about your foot and back. It is hard enough to keep things going when you feel ok, but when you have parts that hurt, it makes it that much harder to exercise. Hope you feel better soon!

Went to Body Pump this morning, so that helped work out the soreness. I got on the scale and it was up. Not very happy about that, but maybe it will be back down on Monday for the official weigh in. Ugh..........

Good job on the walking, Nici!

Went running last night and it was much better than it was on Tuesday. I still have to build back up, but at least it is better! Went to spin this morning with an instructor I haven't seen for a while who was filling in for the normal instructor. She said that she could tell that I've lost weight and that I've improved with my endurance. That was cool!

I even resisted the urge to tell her how much weight I put on over Thanksgiving......

Hi all. Went to body pump yesterday, but I was so worn out after it, I just didn't think I'd make it through body flow. So, I skipped it. I did a lot of shopping yesterday, so that might have helped.

Weigh in tomorrow. Oh so excited.

Well, not a great weigh in, but I haven't been doing well on my food plan, so I'm not too surprised. I'll just own it and move on. I'm doing fine with workouts, but not with food. Need to be much more disciplined. I went to spin this morning. So, keeping up with that.

My cousin, who is very much obese, is planning to go in for gastric bypass surgery. I hope it helps her, but I'm worried that she will not be ready for the huge change in diet that she will have to do. I really wish she would just get on a good diet and exercise plan before resorting to the surgery. But, her choice. I hope it works.

Diane and Nici - Looks like you're keeping us alive and moving! Thank you!

We've been moving locations at work, so I've had intermittent access to my computer. Thus, I have been needing to use it for work. Gross, right?

I weighed in on Sunday at 256. I'm almost back up to my May 2012 starting weight. Less than a year ago, I was down to 189. It's sobering. But all I can do is try again, right?

I prepped my food on Sunday night for the week. Nothing fancy. Just cooked some chicken in a crock pot with some spices and shredded it and deseeded a pomegranate so I would have easily accessible, tasty food at work, as I have not been able to commit to intermittent fasting. Maybe I'll build back up to it, but for now, eating during the day seems like a better route.

The husband asked me about it, and I told him I am back to losing weight. He seemed a bit enthusiastic about it. Not overtly so, but he sort of almost sounded like he regretted making fun of my healthier food choices. I think he likes it better when I am making progress with weight loss. I certainly prefer it. I tend to be better in almost all aspects of my life.

But you are right, Diane. I need functional fitness. And so I am beginning. Again. And I am yet again considering the surgery. I know exactly what you mean about your cousin, though. I hope she finds that it works for her, and that she's able to deal with the psychological fall-out of not being able to resort to overeating to deal with life stresses.

Excited to see you rocking tomorrow's weigh-in!

Nici - Woot on stringing together some good days. And woot on getting rid of a lot of that water weight. And WOOT on walking five miles. Love that you're here. Love that you're making this work.

So, for today -

1 - Make it to the gym. At some point, for some amount of time. (Crazy craziness here today.)
2 - Eat the lunch I prepped myself.
3 - Unpack my office.

Life is good, though. Really good. Maybe this is where I make the permanent lifestyle change.

Went to body pump this morning. I almost didn't go because I was really dragging. But, I'm glad I went. I don't need to find excuses to not exercise. That's the one part that is really on track, so I have to hold on to that!! Ha! I'm planning on going running after work. I'm doing ok so far with staying under my calorie goal, so that's a plus for now.

I just don't want to give up on it this month. It is easy to say "screw it" for the holidays and start again in January, but I can see that resulting in a bunch of other pounds that would need to be lost, too. Ugh! So, I'm planning to work as hard as I can, but sometimes maybe slipping due to celebrations.

Nici: Wow, that's a great walk! Awesome! I'm agreeing with you that we'll all see onederland in 2016. We can do it!

Laurie: Good to see you back! Moving sounds like a really good time...not. Glad your husband is more on board with your eating healthy plan. I wonder if he saw that you were feeling so good and maybe you were happier when on plan? I know that I'm much happier when I stay on track. (Which makes me wonder why I ever get off track, but that's another story...) Anyway, hope you continue to stay strong!!

Nici - Oof. Injuries are the worst. But 8 miles! I am so proud of you! And I am going to embrace your "Onderland in 2016" challenge. Do you do any strength training? Maybe you could rotate that in to get off your foot a bit? Either body weight strength training or resistance bands could be inexpensive ways to do some strength training if you don't have weights. It may cause temporary setbacks with your scale, though. You are very unlikely to gain enough muscle that the muscle would hinder your weight loss, despite popular belief, but you will probably retain some water initially, so that can mess with your head if you're a daily weigher. But it does burn calories, and I love strength training.

Diane - I know you don't need a testament to your commitment, but I am a living embodiment of what can happen to someone who was in very good shape, but who let herself get off track. I love your commitment, and even if you never lose another pound (which you TOTALLY WILL), you look and feel good. Let's rock this holiday season!

I worked late last night, which usually means I do pretty well with food, but I just didn't. I had a good food day, but then I ate candy and granola bars and cake. All between 9 and 11 p.m. BUT - it's way better than eating tons the entire day, and today's a new day, and I packed my prepped lunch!

So -
1 - Cut off my eating at 8 p.m. Period.
2 - Go to the gym at 1 p.m. Shouldn't be a problem, if I just make myself quit working and walk out the door. I can do it!

Life is good. Besides general being-too-busyishness (which will get worse soon, as I am teaching a class on top of the full-time job beginning in January), everything is in place for success. Next focus - tighter time management.

Onederland in 2016!

Well, glad to say that I made it running last night after work. It actually felt pretty good, so I'm improving. I have a ways to go to get back my endurance to what it was over the summer, but step by step! I went to spin this morning and absolutely crushed it!! It was a tough workout, but I felt like I was on top of it! Good feeling. Food wasn't perfect yesterday, so still working on that too.

I'm going to survive the holidays, hopefully with a loss but if not, I just don't need a gain. Then, January will kick back in the discipline I had before. I want to give it a huge effort to get to onederland... and beyond! I did ok this year, but I want to do better in 2016.

Laurie: I'm joining you and Nici in striving for onederland. With that in mind, I copied you and put "Onederland in 2016" on my signature too. :) I think if we keep supporting each other and checking in here, we can make it!

Nici: I agree with Laurie on the strength training. I do that with body pump, and I think it makes a huge difference in how I look/feel. Yes, it might slow weight loss efforts at first, but developing lean muscle helps with more calorie burn when you aren't working out. Good job on the weight loss!!