Hello everyone. I hope this message finds you, and all your loved ones, happy and well!
Made it through the holidays. I was able to successfully connect the family through zoom and you tube. Lol it was fun. Right now I will take what I can get. I've been staying busy on little projects and cleaning/organizing. I really worry about the Covid and have been isolated, with few exceptions like the grocery store, for a couple weeks. I'm going to try and really put this time to good use and focus on my diet. By the numbers for me...
I am 315.8 lbs today. I would like to be under 300 by April 1st. I hope vaccines are available by then and we can regain some normality. Anyway, always looking for tips. I'm gonna do some Inter site research on IF. Is it appropriate to just not eat till early dinner, say 4 or 5 pm? What can u do to keep your blood sugars from going crazy? Anyone else take this approach?
Please be as careful as you can my friends.
Dill pickles and sunflower seeds go great together.
hi William that sounds like a good plan you have. Sorry that lockdown is tough for you.
I don't know anything about blood sugars, but the IF really seems to work for some people (and not others) but i think if you think it'll suit you, then it probably will!
As with all these diets, it's just a way to limit your overall weekly calorie intake, so completely up to you how you want to manage that. I normally eat between 8am-4pm, but always have when i'm in diet-mode so that suits me (and i never thought to call it fasting!). If you'd rather skip brekkie and lunch and save your calories til evening, then that would work too. Or the more extreme versions of fasting for longer periods on some days and eating normally on others. But yeah, if your blood sugar is a thing, then you'd need to find out about that before trying any of this.
ange82much: I like that you have an upper limit that you place on any potential yo-yo-ing. Not having a "red-line" allowed me to repeatedly sabotage and make excuses as I watched all my hard work and diligence circle the drain.
William47: Making it to 300 lbs. by April is definitely doable. I think you're wise to do some research before developing a plan. Every body responds differently but what works to your advantage is that you know how to nourish yourself well. Now, it's a matter of working out your food options and the right timing.
Martine: Ugh, stomach flu is awful! I hope David has fully recovered and that you managed to avoid it. I've been doing a lot of walking myself and it does wonder for how I feel both physically and mentally.
loganandlivsmom: I love that your husband is so supportive and is losing weight right along side of you!
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I didn't realize it had been nearly a week since I checked in. All has been well. Our region's mandatory stay-at-home order officially goes into effect at midnight but our county actually implemented it last week when it was clear that things had taken a turn. We've been doing this for so long that it doesn't seem like much of a change.
My eating has been hit and miss and the re-emergence of my adult acne tells my eating secrets. When I eat well and healthy and drink enough water, my face looks and feels fine. When I don't, it looks like a relief map. Okay, maybe not that bad, but I can definitely see it!
Next week is our final week before the quarter ends and we all go on vacation until after New Year's. I usually work a day or two prior to the holidays just to catch up and get ready for the new quarter, but this year I'm taking the full two weeks. I'm exhausted and looking forward to break from staring at a small screen and Zoom meetings.
curvynotlumpy I had seen strict confinement measures go into effect in southern California, but I didn’t know it was now applied to your area as well. I think that’s where we’re heading here soon as well. I’m glad that you are planning on not working at all during your 2-week break. Hopefully it will allow you to refuel and take good care of yourself.
William47 happy to hear from you and to know that you had a good time with family through Zoom and the like, during Thanksgiving. This time requires us to be more creative and adaptable. I think your goal of being under 300 by April is a SMART one (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely). I’ve never done IF, but as ang82much said, no matter what plan you follow, in the end it’s all about creating a caloric deficit.
As much as I was enjoying getting back into walking, I have had to stop, as my hips started hurting again after my last walk (sigh). Back to my PT exercises at home. I am really disappointed, I was consistent with it so far this month. But when you wake up with your hips burning, you have to listen to your body. I still haven’t been able to get back to my workout plan. I have been sleeping slightly better lately, though some days I still feel drained after work. But on the days that I feel ok, I should get moving. Why I don’t, even though I miss exercising, is something I have yet to figure out. It’s all in my head...
Wishing everyone a great Friday!
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Hi everyone!
Not much to report weight loss wise, but I wanted to check in anyway. I had lost and then it was back, lost and it's back...not very exciting...but real. I think it's good for me to check in and report the good and the bad. It helps keep me focused. I hadn't walked much in the past week either so that didn't help. I am feeling OK about it all though.. I got two walks in today and I am slightly down this month and it's possible I could make the 30 pound goal this month.
curvynotlumpy I love that my husband is into losing weight too. He is already passing me even though he hasn't been trying as long. He sets his mind to it and that is that! I am glad you get two weeks off soon! That will keep you going just thinking about it!
ange82much I am glad you are motivated! That is a good plan to have an upper limit too.
William I haven't tried IF before really, so no advice there. I do agree with the others that basically losing is just a numbers game no matter what you do. Some restrict carbs, or whatever they do but really the total calories in vs out is what matters.
Martine I am sorry you are struggling with your hip. I am sure it's frustrating. Can you do other exercises instead like weight lifting or something else?
Hello favorites! Winter wonderland up here. Roads are super slick but everyone is on lockdown anyway. There is a tiny espresso like stand that sells take out food from their restaurant.they recently got the ok to sell mixed drinks, to go. So, like the whole town, the whole town seems to need a drink really bad because everybody has showed up. Its rIght across the street so I get to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a while. And being across the street we naturally distance. Its been good.
Been good on calories, so far so good. I just kinda let my body do whatever, and adjusted from there. For instance, I didn't really get hungry till 3pm. With copious amounts of coffee and a busy morning schedule I just dodn't have time. So I pushed that a little and try not to eat till 5 and nothing before 4 for sure. Then I try to stop eating at 10. Buy then its mostly snacking anyway. But oooh, that's been the hard one. I worry that just kinda going with it will end up bad because my relationship with food is difficult.
Thank u all for the personals. The calorie in, calorie out thing. Absolutely, gosh dang right!! I have really stalled around 320. I need to understand that to maintain 320, u gotta eat like 3200 calories. Obviously, I have been, no 2 ways about it. So I'm gonna write down everything and get serious again! Lets do this team!
Hiiii Martine 😊 I'm really feeling this weather change. I just seem stiff and slow. I've been walking pretty good and regularly. How's your puppy? Does he go with you often, on walks or adventures. I hope David is feeling better and your hip isn't bothering you. Did you not like my "4th of July joke"? I got a weird sense of humor. Did you know, sushi California rolls, come from Canada? I don't know of any really " Canadian " foods, what, maybe bacon lol...lol. What would you consider to be a truly traditional Canadian dish? I hope you have a beautiful day!
Hey Curv, what up hard worker? My lockdown homie. What a mess, huh. One thing is, is seems like the spread in school is much less then I feared. And, even though, a lot of the things we do seem invasive, I want to think we are having an impact. I know you are smart, and your work seems to care. I love the testing. Even if inly shows after you've had it, it allows people to do their own contact tracing. I can't wait for vaccine but I'm planning for April, hopefully! does your state have the phone app for contact alerts? I'm gonna sign up. Stay safe Sis!
Hi Ange, nice to have you around. I know its early in my diet but I dread, Dread gaining it back. I love the upper weight limit to a maintenance range. I had dreams of leaving the scale behind but it anxiety over "am I gaining" is to much and I know I will need a scale from here on. Please continue to share your tips, something obvious to you might not be to everyone and sometimes you gotta hear something a lot before you get it. I appreciate your experience and hope to utilize any tricks I can use. Lol I'm gonna try to be better about sharing too.
L&Lmom, how you do? Man, those scale inconsistencies are a real b*tech. I couldn't believe the range. Oh, its easy when you are losing 12lbs a month, but try 2 or 3 lbs a month. Its so hard to factor in the inconsistencies. It really gave me mood swings and my emotional state was tied to the "numbers". I am a math Jimmy and have given up. I believe a graph would narrow it down, but now I just weigh myself when I'm feeling skinny, lol.
We got a great group going, I love this place. I finally did the Kale thing. Its ok, I put it on my salad. I found raw turnips have a unique taste and are pretty good. I tried Crystal lite and it was good. I just remembered the old days when it tasted like doodoo. Hehe. you can freeze all kinds of citrus, whole, sliced, or juice. Bell peppers freeze so nice! Just try to get the air out. I made peach cobbler with monk fruit, half the calories and Amazing! I love tiny tomatoes and red onion more then my own Momma! Not really. Kinda.
loganandlivsmom ups and downs are all a part of this weight loss journey. If it was all down all the time, I think we would all have succeeded at reaching our goals a long time ago, as we wouldn't have to fight the negative feelings that come with hitting a plateau/seeing the scale go up for no reason whatsoever/water bloat/etc. But you are doing amazingly well and you recognize the importance of getting back to what worked for you, and I'm sure you can reach your goal this month. And having a spouse that is on board with you definitely is a plus.
William47 I apologize if I didn't get your 4th of July joke, sometimes these things just go over my head It's great that you are walking and enjoying the brisk late-Fall weather. I walk Loki daily, but they're slow-paced walks. He sure loves to make it last longer by sniffing everything. He's gone on really long walks with David and me in the past, where David had to carry him back he got so tired. Good of you to venture out and try kale. I love pasta with sautees kale with lots of garlic. Raw kale, not so much.
Since my body was yelling at me to stop walking, I finally managed to get back to my workouts yesterday, lining up two days of exercising. I feel much better for it. Unfortunately my Apple watch series 1, which was my gift for being with my company for 20 years, is now dying. The charge on the battery doesn't last me past 3pm. I think the latest update did it in. I like tracking my workouts and putting reminders to get up and walk while working at my desk. I'll see if the battery can be changed, if not, I'll look at all the different options out there.
We'll know tomorrow which non-essential services will close down, and when and for how long. I'm thinking our stores will close sometime soon and for at least two weeks. No idea if that means employees will continue working (still got tons of shipments ready for stores at the distribution centres), or if it will be a total shut down during that period. At least they started vaccinating some people here, but it'll be a long time before everything is back to normal.
Stay safe and enjoy a great week everyone!
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Hi 3FC fam!
Well, I hung in there and now the scale is going back down. Almost too much in one day. It stays the same even though the eating is good and then the next day down two pounds? I almost don't trust it. I guess we'll see if it stays that way. So right now I am .8 from my goal of being 234 by the end of December which would also mean 30 pounds down (since starting some time in August). Martine You give such great advice and such positive encouragement. Thanks so much! You are right, we have to learn with all the ups and downs. Sorry about the Apple Watch, if the battery can't be changed I know several people who have fitbits and LOVE them! William "Weighing when you feel skinny" made me laugh! Mixed drinks to go across the street would do me in for sure. LOL I would be figuring out the calories and getting just "one more today." I sort of do the same thing you do, I hardly ever feel hungry in the morning. I will have coffee. My version of an iced coffee is some almond milk, coffee and creamer. I add up the calories. I usually have two of those in the morning vs "breakfast". My lunch isn't until 11 or noon. I basically just eat during the afternoon and try to stop eating a few hours before bedtime.
Yep, the calorie in and out thing is true, no matter how someone dresses it up like KETO, etc...I looked at a website calculator.net (there are lots of these kind of websites) and if you plug in age, height, weight, and how active you are it will estimate calories needed to maintain weight. For example if you are 50, 6ft tall and weighed 250 and were sedentary, you'd need 2400 calories to maintain that weight without any actual exercise. If you stayed under 2400 calories you'd lose weight since you know you weigh more than that. My husband is doing that for the weight goal of 200 (he is just under 250 now). We figure when he actually gets to 200 he is already eating the 2000 or less calories a day so he hopefully can maintain that or even try to lose more. The same applies to me too. If I were to get to 160 I could have 1600 a day and maintain that. I haven't seen 160 since high school.
Martine: I'm sorry to hear that your hip issues have reared their ugly head again. Do you find that they diminish or stop once you return to your PT exercises? Glad that you were able to return to your workouts. Sounds like your Apple Watch served you well. I'll keep my that all that is needed is a new battery.
What did you find out about your closure and the extend of it? I hope the impact isn't too severe considering the holiday rush, and that there is a way folks can continue working while adhering to strict safety standards. As for the Covid closures here, a couple of weeks ago our governor did two things: divided up California into five regions, and made the decision that any region that had less than 15% ICU bed capacity had to return to a stay at home order. The county I live in was hovering around 17% at that time and went ahead and moved to stay-at-home before being mandated because we saw the writing on the wall. Sure enough, a week later our entire region did the same. Nearly all of California has implemented a stay-at-home order.
loganandlivsmom: Your iced coffee sounds yummy and I appreciate that you included that you have two of these rather than something else for breakfast. Calories in and out makes a lot of sense but I absolutely believe in trade-offs. There used to be a poster on one of the maintenance threads who only ate dessert if it was something that was decadent and unique. This kept her out of things like ice-cream, , candy, run of the mill pastries, etc. When she does indulge she does so with no guilt because it doesn't happen very often. William47: The Cosmic Crisp apples have finally made their way to Northern California. It really is an outstanding and refreshing treat!
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This is finals week but you'd never guess it by looking at the campus. It's as empty as ever with classes being taught remotely. This is always my favorite time of the year as my calendar clears to almost nothing and I'm able to work on things that have been on the back burner.
I only have one meeting on my calendar today. I don't know if I mentioned this but I'm part of a weight stigma committee on campus that is looking at how inclusive (or not) our campus is of folks who are larger and not "standard" weight. Student Health polled and received hundreds of student responses and it's been an eye opening and interesting experience. We're only now beginning to look at the data. I'll keep you posted.
loganandlivsmom how exciting that you are so close to having shed 30 pounds, a great milestone! I’ve used online calculators as well to estimate what my caloric intake should be and go below that. I’m using MyFitnessPal to track.
curvynotlumpy our province announced that schools will be closed December 17th to January 11th, with online classes/homework from home for the 2 weeks in that period that kids would have normally been in school. Every company that allows work from home has to make it mandatory for that same period. And all non essential stores/businesses will close from December 25th to January 11th. I don’t know how it will impact me, as I should be training the person taking over for my position soon and should be starting my own training January 3rd. I’ll know more today or tomorrow.
Love that things are winding down for you as the semester is almost over. That committee that you are a part of on weight stigma sounds very interesting. Looking forward to hearing more about the results from the survey.
I almost didn’t work out yesterday, on the pretence that I forgot to charge my watch when I got home and it was dead and I couldn’t record my workout. But then David encouraged me to exercise and I realized how silly it was not to move because of a watch. So I did a 36-minute abs workout. I’m expecting to feel sore today, we’ll see.
It’s -26°C/-15°F with the windchill factor this morning. Hope it’s warmer where you are! Have a great day everyone!
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I am alive, and fine----just flailing a bit with my eating and exercise. I am not being very good at being accountable this past month so I am coasting for a bit. I wanted to check in and I will be back after Jan 2nd. but right now my head is not in the game -- mind you I am not gaining, which is good, but I am not giving it a real effort to lose and my exercise has been all over the place. I plan on just getting thru this very strange holiday season and refocus when life can give me some quiet routine again. Sending holiday wishes to you all and will see you in the new (and hopefully better) year. Jill
Can i pop in here just for my (hopefully) final month of effort?....Got 3lb more to go to get to 118
Over and out from me
I got to my 118 target last week, so i'm all finished.
It took about 9 weeks to lose this last 4kg (8lb), but i feel fantastic now. It's made such a difference to how i feel about myself.
Good luck to everyone on their journeys - keep going because it's absolutely worth it to get the job done
Maintenance and some strength work is my next self-improvement mission!.....
Hi everyone!!
A quick check in...still not at goal yet, but there is 10 days to go in December.
Ange82much congrats on making your goal!! I hope you "stop by" some time and let us know how you're doing. Keeping it off is half the battle for most of us!
gzgrl22 I am so glad you are doing OK and checked in! Not gaining is really great in my book. "See you next year"
Martine I laughed at what you said David said about you not exercising without the watch. Men are so practical, aren't they? Oh and here it's in the 40's. Nowhere near as cold as it is there!!
curvynotlumpy Yes, I really love those almond milk iced coffees! I count them as part of my total calorie intake and have even found lower calorie "less sugar" almond milk, so that helps too. I agree with what you said about the previous poster who said she only indulges in treats that are worth it! The weight stigma committee sounds great to me. I have always been somewhat overweight. Even as a teen I was a size large. Now I am a 2x, being tall hides it somewhat but still I can relate to those who are younger and have weight issues. Luckily I have never been larger than a 3x but still, I feel I can relate.
Merry Christmas team!
Wonderful day here in the Northwest! Almost like spring. Quick hello. I would suggest we do another virtual party...but we all know what happened last time. So, Happy New Year!😉
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ange82much: Congratulations on meeting your goal! You've been so diligent and have worked hard to achieve your goal and I'm grateful that you allowed us to journey with you. I echo loganandlivsmom, please drop by and let us know how you're doing and what other lessons you're learning in maintenance.
loganandlivsmom: Thanks for sharing part of your background in terms of where you've been weight wise. It's interesting, a broad scale survey was sent out to students and while the responses overwhelmingly skewed toward issues of being overweight and all that goes with it, there were a fair number of students who struggled with weight stigma and they saw themselves as being at normal or even underweight. For me, I've been at various stages of overweight all my life (except when I exited the womb ) that I didn't stop to think about weight stigma working the other way. I'll keep everyone posted as it is one of the more interesting committees I've been a part of in recent years. Good luck as you wrap up December!
gzgrl22: Happy holidays to you! We'll see you over on the January thread when you return.
Martine: I don't know if it's more difficult to get your workouts in this time of year due to the holidays, but I hope you're able to stay on your plan. Regarding work closures, it is ugly out there. Uglier in some places than others. From what you've mentioned, your store made good decisions in the past in regards to keeping employees and staff safe. I pray that continues.
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I hope everyone is having a good start to the holiday week. Not a lot to report from my corner of the world. The last two days have started in dense fog that lifts by midday. I have split pea and ham soup in the crockpot which is perfect for cold days like these. I've been out a couple of times to look at Christmas lights and decorations. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but this year it seems like more people have put up lights and assorted yard/window . I enjoy even the smallest of efforts immensely. It's hard not to think of better days when you see the joy and exuberance that show through in the dark winter nights.
I think you're wise to do some research before developing a plan. Every body responds differently but what works to your advantage is that you know how to nourish yourself well. Now, it's a matter of working out your food options and the right timing.
I've been doing a lot of walking myself and it does wonder for how I feel both physically and mentally.
Okay, maybe not that bad, but I can definitely see it!
It's great that you are walking and enjoying the brisk late-Fall weather. I walk Loki daily, but they're slow-paced walks. He sure loves to make it last longer by sniffing everything. He's gone on really long walks with David and me in the past, where David had to carry him back he got so tired. Good of you to venture out and try kale. I love pasta with sautees kale with lots of garlic. Raw kale, not so much.
I sort of do the same thing you do, I hardly ever feel hungry in the morning. I will have coffee. My version of an iced coffee is some almond milk, coffee and creamer. I add up the calories. I usually have two of those in the morning vs "breakfast". My lunch isn't until 11 or noon. I basically just eat during the afternoon and try to stop eating a few hours before bedtime.
that all that is needed is a new battery.
, candy, run of the mill pastries, etc. When she does indulge she does so with no guilt because it doesn't happen very often.
It really is an outstanding and refreshing treat! 
You've been so diligent and have worked hard to achieve your goal and I'm grateful that you allowed us to journey with you. I echo loganandlivsmom, please drop by and let us know how you're doing and what other lessons you're learning in maintenance. 
) that I didn't stop to think about weight stigma working the other way. I'll keep everyone posted as it is one of the more interesting committees I've been a part of in recent years. Good luck as you wrap up December!
. I enjoy even the smallest of efforts immensely. It's hard not to think of better days when you see the joy and exuberance that show through in the dark winter nights.