Thanks Stargzr. You're probably right - letting loose entirely would not be good :-) I was thinking more along the lines of "don't count, but watch what you order." Like, I know grilled meats and veggies are a decent choice; pizza is not. Haha. We'll call it intuitive eating - eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm full.

Yay for 157-158! I don't have a digital scale either. It's so frustrating having to set mine to zero every morning to weigh in. Something ALWAYS makes it shift, LOL. And as much as I'd like to count 155, if the needle is well below 0, it's not good :-p

Honestly, I know some things I'm doing wrong. I added back in diet sodas, and I've been allowing myself 2 a day, which is probably too much. I need to go back to thinking of them as treats. My sodium has also been high. It reported as 2086 yesterday, and in addition to that, I added salt to my eggs (both pre-scrambling and post-scrambling!). I probably could watch the simple carbs, too - I don't know if cereal is a "simple" carb, but I did eat 3 servings of it. And my veggies were low, and fruit was non-existant yesterday (and that's NEVER my problem; yesterday I just wasn't feeling them). My fiber probably needed to boost at only 16 grams.

I need to stop using the "a calorie is a calorie" mindset. Although that's true, maybe I just can't lose weight eating just what I want. I'm going to cut out diet soda again, cut out simple carbs by themselves (blood sugar spike, anyone?), and TRY to lower my sodium. The last will be the hardest - I'm quite liberal with salt. I don't ever add any to my foods except when I'm cooking eggs/meats, but I eat a lot of frozen meals for lunches and such.

Sorry I keep talking so much! I just really need the support, and I probably need an ear too. Without my bf to talk to, I feel even MORE alone here.

Nicole, if you ate a big dinner, it could still be in your system! also could be and prob is water weight! I know, it's so discouraging seeing high numbers when you're doing everything right, but you are doing everything right, so the number will budge eventually! :hug: look at orlando as a chance to see how you do maintaining. I mean, you have to live with the new lifestyle eventually, so why not try now? Eat what you want when you're hungry, but eat slowly, chew slowly, drink water, chat, etc. And try to "want" things that are better for you. If you want a burger, that's fine but get fruit instead of fries, or water instead of diet soda. If u want the fries, get a chicken sand and only eat one piece of bread. Stop eating when u first start to feel full and sit for a minute. Still hungry? take another bite or 2. not hungry anymore? no need to finish the plate! I don't think u really want to play the how-much-will-i-honestly-gain-back game. And I think you know what it would do to your metabolism, not to mention cravings. Feel better!

stargzr- i prob won't be at her place often enough for WIs, and i weigh in the mornings. but! i thought of a solution... my honey is going out of town for the weekend, so i'm going to stay the night w my sis. i'll buy a new scale and take it with me to compare the numbers! aha!

bama girl- i know, it's so hard to have one! they're practically a desert!!

kirjava- :welcome: yay you, you're a 150-er!


Soooo, not sure if i've mentioned, but I'm an actor. my acting coach is a very well respected and connected woman, not to mention a brilliant coach and former casting director. i thought long and hard before joining her class because she's fiery and talented and passionate, which scares me! But i've been with her for about 2 months now, and it's been wonderful. last night as class was ending she asked to speak to me. long story short, she told me i'm very gifted and that she has people she wants to introduce me to, but not quite yet... and then she said, "do you exercise?" HAHAHA!! she said i'm a beautiful girl, and for normal life i'd be fine, but for this business... her point was that I am not the proper "look" yet (basically my body doesn't match my face), and i need to lose weight to succeed. which i'm very aware of, both for myself, and because this business is crazy. so, basically, i got some very exciting news, and some news i already knew about :D

my first official "you need to lose weight" in this business! haha

Congrats on the gifted comment, shasha! That's fantastic. I love acting, so I can certainly appreciate a gift like that. Good luck!

BTW, the weight comments never seem to stop in that world, so don't ever let them get you down! I know right now you have goals to get in shape, so they shouldn't phase you. But if you still get a few even when you're right where you need to be, just shrug them off. You know what you need to be healthy, happy, and look great. And go for it! Good luck with all your dreams!

152.2 Today. Boo! Oh, well I know it's not fat because I have not eaten 3500 extra calories in the past couple of days. I always have to remind myself... haha. My TOM is right about to start which means that this is most likely water weight and will WHOOSH! off when it starts. Also... Probably TMI but that fiber hasn't really kicked in yet either, so... yeah. Soon enough.

Shasha, weight comments suck. I kinda know what that's like-- I was a cheerleader in high school and even when I actively had an eating disorder, my coach was always reminding me that I was bordering on being too heavy to be a flyer at 5'3 and around 100 pounds (BMI of 17.7. yikes.). I don't even want to know what she'd say now! But it seems like you have things under control, and I'm so glad for the exciting part of that news! It takes guts to be an actor in the first place. :-)

Hahaha, Bama girl, I COMPLETELY understand where you're coming from! I was a cheerleader in high school, too, and I always felt like the "heavy girl" on the squad at like 105-110! LOL, and I remember at dance competitions my dance teacher would say to suck in your gut, LOL! I'd LOVE to be that thin right now. Most my adult life I couldn't remain under 120. I'd get lower and the weight would come right back on.

*I* think I'm doing well so far today. Lunch was a chicken sandwich with grilled chicken on 2 slices of multigrain bread (6g fiber, 10g protein in the bread). I polished it off with a side of baby carrots (probably 2-3 servings), and a big glass of water. No soda here!!

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone!

Nicole, it sounds like you have a good plan for the vacation. Counting would be really tough, so just making good choices and watching portions should ensure you come back either the same weight as you left, or lighter!

shasha, congratulations on getting a great compliment from your acting coach! It's unfortunate the acting business is so looks-focused. The good news is, having the talent is the hardest part, but you've got it! And thanks to your hard work, you'll soon have the look to match.

bama, I like your thought process when you see higher numbers on the scale. I'll have to remind myself like that next time I see a small gain!

Next Friday I get to go home for spring break, and I can't wait to try on some of the clothes I left behind that have been too tight for months (or in some cases, years!). I've filled my suitcase with clothes that are too big on me that I'm going to bring home and sell on consignment, and I'll be bringing back another full suitcase of clothes I can finally fit into again!

hey all!
@ nicole, im sorry to hear that you're dealing with all that stuff :-( at least you are staying on track and are continuing to treat your body right! slipups come and go, but sustained weight loss is what we're all after here, right ladies?!

@ shasha, that is sooo cool! i can really appreciate acting, im not very artsy whatsoever, so when i come across people that are gifted, i am kind of in awe. good luck to you on your path!

I weighed in today at 156.0 today, in the evening! after drinking eating etc im a bit higher, so im gonna go with the higher number for now. i can't believe how quickly some of this weight is coming off. i eat a lot of small meals throughout the day, usually 4-6 times, and ive been doing this learn-to-run thing. I definitely think the jogging is where the credit is due for the last 2 whooshes ive had recently! i hope it keeps up, and i hope this 156 sticks! :-)

Hi all!
I was 147.2 lbs at weigh in today! Now I need to commit to making sure I don't cross back over 150. See you all in the 140s thread!

Hey ladies!! I'm gonna jump in here cuz I'm trying to not be so much a lurker and post more :D I'm at about 153 right now!

Hey ladies! Ugh, yesterday was a loooong day. We had Open House at school, so I ended up being here until 8 last night. I need it to be Saturday right now!

Nicole - first of all, I am super jealous that you are going to Disney World. I am the world's biggest Disney fan! I live in CA and have a pass to Disneyland, I probably go once or twice a month. During the summer it's once a week! I don't know about DW, but DL has gotten really good about offering healthier choices, lots of fruit stands and things like that all around. I'm sure you will be able to find the right balance of tastes good/good for you food.

Kirjava - that's such an exciting feeling when you fit back into old clothes! Congrats!

Shasha - I can totally relate with that acting comment. I had a drama teacher once tell me I had the voice and acting characteristics of the ingenue, but the looks of the "fat friend." Nice, huh? At least you are well on your way to looking and acting the part!

I have been doing my no crap plan for three and a half days now. Tummy is still not very happy and has started making some interesting and very loud noises. Looking forward to that going away! As we get closer to Saturday, I'm getting more and more worried about my weigh in. This is the first week I haven't been weighing myself every day, so I have no idea how the new plan is affecting me weight wise. I really don't want another week of not losing or even worse, gaining. I have been working out every day, but I definitely don't feel any lighter :?:

Hello ladies i am new to this thread. Due to a scale malfunction (using it on carpet instead of a hard surface) i found out i weigh 156 not 146 like i thought.....boo. Im starting a gym membership April 1st and my goal is to get to 129 by Halloween. It'll be tough but i can do it if i stay focused. I feel sooooo discouraged by my little discovery but nowhere to go now but down from here lol. My other Goal is to post here once a day to keep me motivated. Look forward to getting to know all of you and getting out of the 150s ;)

I'm still 159! Grrr!!! I will not get frustrated. I will not get frustrated. LOL

I'm not sure what to do to switch things up. I was hoping a day of no bad foods would bring the water weight down. At least I'm hoping these 2 pounds are water weight. I guess I have two options - when I get back, I either increase or decrease calories. I just decreased from 1600 to 1400 - wondering if that's the issue? I somehow doubt it though. It looks like most of you all are eating even less than I am :-)

Thank you everyone for the kind words!

And Hot4Teacher, that's great to hear. My dad's diabetic, so I'm sure most places we eat at will have at least a few good options :-) He doesn't eat any carbs at all. (Save for friut and veggies)