Hi all. I figure I'd start up a new February chat thread as it's the 3rd of the month and a short month at that! Let's record, reflect, share, and support!
Laura78 Technically, it's taken me two years though the first year, I lost only 10 pounds and that wasn't "on purpose." But I developed some better habits during that time. Now it's really coming off, but I was just thinking the other day that I'm glad it's generally been a slow journey. I needed time to adjust to the changes in my body. But I'm happy I'm almost there! I might go further past my goal but I'll reassess later. Good luck with your daily weigh-ins-- I like weighing daily too as long as I don't get too caught up in the fluctuations. So I go back and forth between weighing daily and not
Jb1975 You got this! Let us know how C25K goes. I've been so curious about that program and have heard great things.
NjPants Your climb sounds wonderful. Such a triumph. Keep going.
I'm feeling great about weight loss in February. I'm getting back into my routine which I know helps me succeed.
Breakfast: oatmeal with Nutella
Lunch: probably a PBJ sandwich and carrot juice
Dinner: probably rice and veggies and lemon pepper tilapia
Hi guys, I'd love to join the Feb chat if I may. I am finding it hard to drop these Holiday Pounds. I gained almost 10 and I've been too often saying "oh, I'll start losing tomorrow" or "oh it's too cold, I'll go to the gym tomorrow" and I know it's terrible. I just have to stop slipping.
Hi everyone! Just popping in to say that I'm really feeling good lately. I got back to the gym, I'm eating well, and I'm not weighing in for a while. I also bought a wedding dress, so that stress is gone. The funniest part is that I was measured as a size 6 in the bust, a 4 in the waist, and an 8 in the hip/butt. Baby got back, lol.
Hi everyone! I got my 25 min HIIT on the elliptical done. I originally started doing 4 minute slow and one minute fast, now I'm up to 3 minute slow and one minute fast. The eventual goal is 2 mins slow, 1 min fast...which I've researched is the optimum for HIIT. It's a great way to keep your workouts short as opposed to steady state.
And of course, in the spring I think I will attempt C25K...maybe! LOL
Munchy - It sounds like you're doing great! Congrats on all your success and on finding your wedding dress.
Thousandsunny - Welcome! It looks like you've lost a ton of weight so you know you are completely capable of "getting back on the wagon"....
scout - I think it's great that it has been fairly slow for you. I am making a solid and concerted effort not to get upset with a slow loss....IMHO there is no rush as long as things are going in the right direction. I forget, do you just count calories? Do you mind me asking how many cals you do? Right now I'm aiming for about 1400 cals and I don't eat back exercise cals (unless I'm climbing the walls hungry!).
Laura - I do a lot of HIIT when I run. 2 fast, 1 slow, etc. It definitely improves my endurance and pace.
Munchy - My anaconda don't want none... I'd LOVE those measurements. lol
Thousand - girl, yes. I put on 15 over the holidays and I am struggling like crazy to get them off.
Scout - thanks for starting it!
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Doing well over here! Lost 1.8lbs last week, but I definitely let it go at the Super Bowl Party and then TOM arrived, so I'm currently packed full of sodium and bloat. The scale is reminding me who's in charge. Not looking forward to my WI on Saturday. Whomp whomp.
Laura, to answer your question from the other thread..... My family and I are going to North Myrtle Beach for Spring Break.
I am down to a new low this morning. 223.6 that means I am .4 away from half way. I was hoping to hit that goal today but I can't complain! The only reason I wanted it today is because my "official" weight-in is the 4th of each month. But I've lost 57.8 pounds in 6 months so I'm happy with that!!
C25K, I've had some mixed emotions about it. First, I thought it might kill me! I seriously didn't think I could make it through it. I set off on it thinking "Well, how long is it going to take me to complete this 8 week program?" If you have trouble with a workout or a week, you can repeat that week before moving on. I did have to take a break for 2 weeks (after week 2), due to a case of pleurisy but I picked up where I left off and I haven't repeated any of the workouts or weeks. I have only done 1 (of 3) workouts this week but will be doing #2 on Thursday and #3 on Saturday and that will complete the program. So, It has taken me 10 weeks but NOT due to having trouble getting through it. Now, it's NOT BEEN EASY!!!! I DON'T LOVE RUNNING now!!!! I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER ENJOY RUNNING!!! However, I do think it has helped me!
Other than my fear of dying the other reason that I have had some reservations about it was the STALL/Yo-Yoing that came shortly after I began the program. I expected that for about 2 weeks, as my body adjusted to a change in exercise. But, I didn't expect to be at 235.0 on the day before Thanksgiving, start C25K on Dec. 1 and be at 235.8 on Jan. 1!!!! I do believe that SOME of this stall/yo-yoing was due to my body just needing time to adjust to the program and some, I believe, was my body adjusting to losing weight! I have read several articles that suggest that our body has a "memory" and when we hit a weight that we stayed at for some time that our body believes that weight to be it's target. Therefore, it will maintain that weight until we convince it that this is NOT where we want to be! Now, in my HEAD I knew this! But when I saw that number, on the scale, stay the same or just bounce around I was shattered! Dadgummitt! I was jogging 3 days a week, where was my weight loss?! So, I struggled with putting on my running shoes and going out in 25 degree weather but I decided that weight loss, or not, it was good for my heart (my actual heart, it was killing my emotional heart) so I was going to do it! As of mid month in January I was ready to quit C25K and dieting! I wasn't seeing a change in the number on the scale. While I know sometimes you are losing inches while you see the same number on the scale, I wasn't going to be a size 12 at 230+ pounds! There is a limit to how small you can get without actually losing the weight!! I just wanted to eat a whole cheesecake in bed!!!
I just started losing again...within the last week or so. So, I was on week 7 before I saw a move on the scale, at least one that stuck. But, during this time of stalling and yo-yoing is when people started noticing that I had lost weight! I had been seeing the number go down but no one saw it in my body, or at least no one that didn't know I was on a diet. But the number was staying the same, then, and people were seeing a difference in my body? By the time I was half-way through the program people were coming up and saying things to me and asking what I was doing to lose weight! Thank God, or I would have eating that cheesecake! Do I believe that people's noticing was ALL C25K? No. I think some of that stalling/yo-yoing was my body taking time to "shift things around a bit" but I DO believe that the process was helped from my jogging. I can especially tell this in my thighs!!! I'm NEVER gonna be able to see sunlight between my thighs....even when I was a child my thighs touched......but they have gotten smaller!!!
So, is it a run today, lose today program? No! At least not in my experience. Is it easy? Uh....NO!!! Does it hurt? YES! I have bad knees, a bad ankle and I started at 70 pounds from my goal weight....which is, by the way, considered "overweight" on the charts you find all over the place! Does it get discouraging at times? YES!!! Would I do it again? YES!!! I may have said no if you had asked me 2 weeks ago. In fact, I only kept going to say that I had done it. Now, I am planning on continuing it. Not because I have become addicted to running (as my sister predicted) but because I have done damage to my body and I need to try to help build it up. My dad died of a heart attach at age 46 and I don't want history to repeat itself. I should have done something about my health then (when I was 23!) instead of waiting nearly 17 years but I can't do anything about the past.
Thousandsunny, wecome!! And I had nutella oatmeal again today!
Munchy Glad to hear you hit a stride, keep it up!
Laura78 Of course I don't mind you asking! That's why I come here, people actually like to talk weight loss My magic number for calories is 1600. I started by counting every day but probably 5 months or so ago I just started estimating. By that time, I'd relearned portion sizes and felt comfortable knowing good amounts of food for me. When I got my fitbit for Christmas, I started counting calories again but that kind of counting isn't sustainable long-term for me so I've since started eye-balling again. I'd guess I still eat about 1600 a day, probably more on days I'm more active (or go out for drinks ).
SoMuchFattitude I read somewhere that the Super Bowl is quickly becoming the highest calorie days of the year. I can believe it. Good luck Saturday!
Hi fitmama84
C25K Thank you, Jb1975, for writing that. Especially about the yo-yoing. It's good to know those experiences going in. I don't know if I'll do it. I've never liked running so, much like you, why would this change that? I love hiking so that's my exercise. But...maybe to try. We'll see in the spring.
I'm holding steady here. Nothing to exciting. I ate well during the day yesterday and then went out for drinks which added, oh, a few hundred calories. C'est la vie. I also drank a lot of water to mitigate the dreaded bloat. Today is going to get busy so I expect I'll be eating on the run but will make good choices. Have a good one, everyone.
Hi everybody, me again I'm doing not to badly but I've caught something, I'm really tired, stuffed up and have an on/off head ache. Also it's just gotten quite cold here so I haven't gotten out much or even worked out inside. I'm trying to keep up on my physio exercises and think that's probably about the best I'll be able to do for another few days. To top it off it's that TOM So I'm feeling gross from that. I'm hoping I'll drop a little after it though Always look for the silver lining.
Fitmama - Good for you How far along are you?
Scout - Have you tried peanut butter and oatmeal? Add a bit of milk and it's delicious. My dad got me hooked on it when I was young.
JB - I also did C25K and I loved it. I also had the "I'm going to die" moments but eventually made it through. It's a tough thing to do if you don't love it, congrats on finishing!
c25k I've fit in two runs so far this week and I smiled through both of them. During my run last night, when the timer went off I said, "already?" I actually do enjoy running, but I certainly never thought I would get to the point where I could actually run. I'm the kid who passed out in gym class while running our weekly mile. The c25k has definitely helped me get here.
My scale is being a PITA this week for sure. I hate that it only rounds to within .5 - my last one that broke rounded within .2....but in a way it makes it easier to be less obsessed I guess I did have TOM, but it has been over for a couple days now so I guess I was expecting a bit of a swoosh. I guess we'll see tomorrow for my "official" weigh-in.
All the C25K stories are inspiring! First of all, I'm VERY jealous that it's warm enough where you are to go running. At my house, we have a foot of snow.....not likely to be able to go walking/running for a couple months yet! I think I mentioned that my goal to start C25K is to be 199 (ONEDERLAND). However, it's tricky because I have a 3 week vacation coming up in June/July....so we'll see. I'm trying really hard to NOT put so much pressure on myself and take things a step at a time and not race through it this time.
Norma - It's so amazing you can get through a run so easily!! Do you have a goal to run a marathon or something like that someday?
Aunty Jam - Feel better!
Fitmama - Good luck on your last stretch of pregnancy! Better you than me....LOL!
scout - 1600 cals seems like a good number. I try to aim for 1300-1400 cals, but sometimes I think it's too low because I'm feeling a bit weak here and there. I am starting something new where I don't eat after dinner to see if this helps me. Usually when I start weightloss it comes off quick then slows down.....I'm not used to this snail pace right out of the gates! BTW, I notice you live in Chicago. I was there on and off for 8 months (well, I stayed in Schaumburg) - I LOVE Chicago - but once the project I was on was complete I was ready not to see it for awhile....LOL. And I did it during the Polar Vortex which was so brutal. My travel to Chicago was the reason I gained so much weight from all the AMAZING restaurants there (paid by the company to boot) - so I guess technically I can blame you for my weight gain :P LOL
Jill - WOW - that's incredible that you stuck through it even with your number not budging and you struggling through it. I may need you to cheerlead me when it's my turn. Are you going to continue running?? Your weightloss is INCREDIBLE - you should be so proud....and halfway is soooo great. I will be happy if I lose 30 lbs in 6 months, never mind 57!
Danielle - How is your week going? Have you lost your Super Bowl/TOM bloat?
--30-Something Feb. Chat--
and I've been too often saying "oh, I'll start losing tomorrow" or "oh it's too cold, I'll go to the gym tomorrow" and I know it's terrible. I just have to stop slipping.
Not looking forward to my WI on Saturday. Whomp whomp.
So I'm feeling gross from that. I'm hoping I'll drop a little after it though 
Always look for the silver lining.
