300+ Chat Thread: May 2013
 

We are a group of individuals who weigh or have weighed 300+, or near there. This group was formed to provide a place for others like us to find support, inspiration, and hope. We are aware of the distinct problems that come with weighing over 300 lbs.

We want to invite everyone (roosters as well as chicks!) to join us in our journey. We share laughter and tears, heartaches and fears ... joys and celebrations. We also share what works for us and what doesn't.

We have found this thread to be more than just a support group... we have found it to become a home. We invite you to join us!

W00T! Never been the first in a thread before...

Happy May everyone!

I had a nice weekend with my parents. I decided no alcohol and no sugar and that helped immensely. I also ended up cutting one of my bagels in thirds (slicing out the middle section) which worked great. Maybe next time I will bring different bread. The scale is still up, but I can feel the water from extra salt, travel and also it being my time of month.

I got some bad news today and am trying to not let that get me down. I had previously told myself if I got this answer I would let myself have a cupcake (why did I do that?) and now I need to decide if I will or not. I need to allow myself the option because if I don’t do what I say I will stop trusting myself and that leads to bad things (if that makes any sense). But right now I don’t feel like I actually want to go that route, so I will likely skip it. We will see how the day goes.

I got the New Rules of Lifting for Women in the mail yesterday and will try and start that program shortly. I have been lifting for awhile but not in a structured way. I would like to see larger gains so hopefully a program will help.

Jane -- (from the closed thread), sorry you had a bad day. If it continued on to today, you'll have company as I'm in a mood and a half. I've hit my first plateau and I'm not dealing well with it.

Nancy -- glad that the weekend with the parents went well and the small bagel approach worked. I finally found the small bagels -- Bagel Thins -- that they sell at the grocery. Sounds like just cutting in thirds works. Actually, the middle section could be made into home made bagel chips for those that can have them.

Got approval from my insurance for the sleep apnea test so Thursday night will be a rousing night of having electrodes taped to too many surfaces of my body, being in a room that I know has video and sound, and being told to sleep normally. Are these people friggin' nuts or what!

Off to the gym shortly and then yard work. Today we will tackle the former garden area. That "we" is me and whomever I think I'm talking to when I'm out there saying some most unladylike things when I come across an especially bad weed spot that requires lots of WORK!

Have a great day!

Not the cheat You did really well at your parents. It's hard to break the cycle of comforting ourselves with "reward food", but the fact that you're thinking you may not want it is an awesome progress marker.

Betsey I had the apnea test about 8 or 9 years ago. Good luck getting all that medical tape off after! These stalls do suck!


I have a cold on top of it, and it's a crazy week for me. Yesterday night I said "what the heck, it's the end of the month, and I have not lost a single pound. I'm going to cheat for supper". So I made a gluten free pasta salad to go with my salmon fillet, and I had a bowl of ice cream after, resigning myself to the fact that I would probably be over 380 when I woke up. Well, true to my crazy body, I'm down 1.3 today. Still not loss, I'm wavering in the same 2 pound range I've been wavering in all month, but I'll take it.

I'm going to run home and grab my "ripped in 30" dvd and do it over my lunch hour while I have to watch my nephews, or at least that's the plan if they let me! It's only 20 minutes, so I should be able to do it.

Jane - hah. I have been doing the same thing you have this month. Just stalled, a couple of losses but not many. I 'refocused' last week, but haven't seen much progress. I'm expecting TOM soon though, so hoping. I'm so glad though that you did okay the day after. That doesn't sound like TOO much of a 'cheat.' Good luck getting your DVD in!

theaimes - hey, chica. Yes, losing the weight IS possible, but it will take time. You and I are the same height, and have nearly the same starting weights. It is a long process, full of ups and downs, (and stalls...), but thoroughly worthwhile. As for IP, that is not what I'm doing. I don't think I could handle it, and also I'm a vegetarian. I'm just calorie counting. HOWEVER, if you enjoy IP, I believe that there are IP alternative products available on the web, which are MUCH less expensive. Check out the IP forum here, they have more info about alternatives!

Cuter - great song! Very inspiring.

Betsy - hahah. yes. Really, I was fairly active at my highest weight, but I needed to take a break between mowing the front and back yards. That is no longer the case, and I'm not exhausted by it. The improvement in my physical abilities, strength and stamina is really remarkable.

dgramie - keep going. You know how the scales fool us sometimes!

Nancy - I am very sorry about the bad news. I agree that you should keep the option open. I don't think that that is the worst pact you can make with yourself, and if you decide to have it you will be fine. And if you decide not to than it's not because you're denying yourself, but because you made a decision not to do it. I hope you get better news, soon. I will also be excited to hear how your new rules of lifting for women goes!

I washed my deck last night. Tonight I'm going to go to Home Depot and get some water seal and whatnot. I want to get the deck done this week. We will see.

Thanks Mnem. I fell in love with it. Good luck with the deck!

Uh.. fudgesicles... Guess I should do a mini update.

My fat arse is not so fat anymore (but has re-gained some of it's rounded curviness which it had lost for a bit). I am ranging between a M-1X top (the boobs push it up but in boobie shirts I have done M a couple times and it fit. Just buying the Larges for yoga pants, dresses, shirts and jackets mostly because I don't like being ultra slutty and all that). and a 12-18/l-xl for pants/skirts/dresses.

So a while back I made a wise crack about "knowing my luck I will end up 250 lbs and a size 12"... I've got a dress I bought last week that is just that. A size 12... I'm waiting till I am down another 10 lbs and then wearing it in front of the woman who said "I'd pay to see that". How much do you think I can get out of her??? *sorry am bratty this week*

Yesterday was rough, but instead of giving in to cupcakes I had a "lazy as I want to be day" (which basically meant not getting off the couch) and I ate a pint of Arctic Zero (150 calorie for the pint sugar free frozen stuff). I feel much better today, and no having to fight the sugar hunger monster. :)

Trying to figure out what to do with my day. After yesterday I need to be productive, but not sure exactly how yet.

We're having gorgeous weather here, so the yard is going to be conquered. To say that it has gotten away from me would be an understatement!

Nancy, I'll have to see if they sell Arctic Zero around here. I have tried the Blue Bunny sugar free, but get to visit the bathroom constantly afterwards.....the artificial sweeteners they use could be used as a colonoscopy prep (that may have been TMI). :o

Definitely in a plateau weight wise. Aaarrrgggghhhhh! Jane, I think your two pounds and my two pounds are really the same two pounds and they just switch from my body to your body and back.

Off to the gym.

Betsey That's probably the case. We'll get past it though. I've actually seen downward movement two days in a row now, granted, I"m still more than two pounds up from my ticker low though.

Didn't get the darn dvd in. Kids were being kids. But I have a lunch hour to myself today, so it'll happen!

Cuter - that's pretty incredible. I think I'll need to be in the 170s before I can even consider a size 12. I really don't expect to get there, but MAYBE, so I suppose I am crossing my fingers. Glad you have re-gained some roundedness? Heh, my behind has basically disappeared in comparison to the rest of me.

Nancy - sorry you had a bad day. I really like Arctic Zero. Not because it is good (it isn't that great?) but for just that reason. I can have small servings of it and just not worry, or a WHOLE BUNCH and still not worry. the only flavor I really like is the chocolate peanut butter. Are there any better ones?

betsy - hope you have fun in the yard! Hmm. Arctic Zero is probably not as good as ice cream or even sugar free ice cream. I don't actually think it is sugar free? they sweeten it with some sugar derived from a sweet fruit or vegetable. but it is COLD and frozen and ice-cream like and you tend to get used to it.

Jane - downward is GOOD. Hah, I am back to my ticker weight so I am feeling optimistic. Of course, I was here last week then bounced wildly upward, and got to see it come down. I wanna see more movement. I really want to enter a new decade.

I am going to finish my deck tonight. I'm housesitting for my parents this weekend too (watching their dog) which is always hard for me b/c they have so much junk in their house. I'm going to load up on veggies and work really hard to resist the junk and to walk their dog LOTS.

I suppose this is an NSV though - I went and bought a bunch of summer-appropriate clothes a few weeks ago, three maybe? and two of the pieces I bought felt kinda tight. But they were on clearance and therefore pretty inexpensive, plus I liked them. Well, I'm wearing one today and it wears very nicely. I don't know if my size has changed a bit or what, but I'm going with that. They were close enough that I didn't need much movement in size to make them acceptable, but it is ... well, nice to feel that given recent my plateau(ish thing).

Betsey – I have the same problem with anything with sugar alcohols and have to avoid them. Luckily the Arctic Zero stuff doesn’t have them. Unfortunately most sugar free ice creams do.

Jane – Glad to hear the scale is finally moving in the right direction.

Mnem – The chocolate mint is pretty good and I also like the maple one. I haven't tried all of them yet. I will report back with more taste testes. :) Hope all goes well at your parents’. It is hard to be around junk like that. The clothing is definitely an NSV. I really need to clean out my closets see what is in there. I am sure there are some smaller things from when I was in this range before.


The Zumba class I like to take on Saturday mornings is crazy popular and I normally have to get up at 5am to sign up to make sure I get in (I set my alarm, sign up, and go back to bed) but I totally forgot it was Friday and forgot to get up. Now I have to figure out what to do tomorrow instead. Do I go to another Zumba class later in the day a bit further away or do I go for another walk? I guess that will partly depend on the weather.

I should probably start cleaning the house as I may have a guest on Sunday and my place is a mess...

Happy Friday. Just back from my sleep apnea test. Does anyone else get a good laugh out of the irony so frequently found in our medical system (Jane, I realize that you have Canadian, so feel free to comment on the US one). They put enough wires on you for this test to light a small city. And two elastic belts -- one around your chest and one around your waist. Then they stick things in your nose and connect all of it to a monitor, tell you that they'll be listening and videotaping you, put you in a strange bed, come in during the night to awaken you and test out the breathing apparatus and guess what the first morning question is: How did you sleep? I just smiled, but I wanted to give a classic smart aleck response.

Cuter -- Someone making a remark like that is why I was able to stop smoking 16 years ago -- I would have done just about anything to be able to show him that I could do it. Congrats on getting into a size 12!!!!!

Nancy -- Hope that things are going a little better, but good hold back on the cupcake.

Jane -- Yahoo! Maybe your stall is finally over. Good news on that front.

Mnemosyne -- Can't remember what you posted, but good morning. Just chalk it up to a senior moment for me......or lack of sleep!

Down again! Woohoo!

Even bigger Woohoo, the bridesmaid dress isn't the disaster i thought it would be. I was sure the seamstress last night was going to cluck and tell me that I "really should have gone a size up" or "watched my weight" after buying the dress, but once I got it on, zipped, and she pinned the straps she's making for me on it, it looked pretty good. (It looks so good with the straps on it that the bride has now pissed off the other bridesmaid by telling her she wants her to add straps to her dress as well - originally we were given the option, but this girl is almost the same chest size as I am). The color is nice too.

Yoga kicked my *** yesterday. In fact I left in really bad headspace after, feeling like the fat chick everyone would pity. The dress success fixed that though!

Not sticking around long, off to do shower/stagette prep for tomorrow! Have a great weekend guys!

Jane - Yay! I hope this is the beginning of the end of your stall. Also great news about your bridesmaid dress. Dress fittings sound so stressful to me, so I'm glad it was a huge success for you!

Betsy - I might not have been able to resist a smart comment either. ;) Do you know the results of the sleep apnea test yet? I hope you're feeling okay!


I just got out of the hospital yesterday. It turns out that I have gallstones and an infected/swollen gallbladder, so I am having it removed in about a week. I'm a little freaked out! I've never had surgery before.

Possibly the most annoying part of the whole thing was when my surgeon looked at my medical history and said "It looks like you've had a pretty dramatic weight loss recently. That's most likely what caused the gallstones." :dizzy: I can't believe I finally start doing well and eating right and losing weight... and I end up needing surgery because of it!

Having a frustrated day. When I first stepped on the scale it looked like I went down, but it didn’t settle on a weight (my bathroom floor is weird and sometimes it isn’t stable) and when I weighed again I was still at 260 (after the scale being up a bunch earlier in the week). I have been looking at my numbers again and something just isn’t adding up. I have only lost two pounds in the last month. With how much I have been exercising and with the fact I have kept within my calorie range (except for that one weekend with my parents, but that wasn’t too bad) I feel like I *should* (such a dangerous word) be losing more than I am.

I did take measurements and realized that I have lost an inch off my hips and chest and a half an inch off my waist, while my calf is UP, which tells me I am still retaining a bunch of water in my legs (where it likes to hang out). I have also had people at the gym tell me they can see I have lost weight, but the scale is just being such a jerk. I’m not expecting huge numbers, but I would like it to go a bit faster than a half a pound a week. Grumble. :headache:

Mapleleaf the weight loss would exacerbate stones you already had. Saying it "caused" your problem was a little misleading. Hope you feel better soon! Good luck!

I have full blown tonsilitis and the parties are today :( oh well. I slept with a humidifier, have been doing all the herbal remedies and resting as much as possible, so hopefully it won't get worse!

Hit my previous low of 374.6 today!

Nancy - cleaning out the closets can be really lovely and fulfilling, I've found. It helps remind you how far you've come, plus I definitely look better when I'm wearing clothes that are well-fitted. I'm sure you do too! Hope you find something you love when you do it. I totally get your frustration with the scale, ugh. I 'only' lost three pounds last month. Though today I seem to have broken through my plateau and hopefully you will soon, too.

betsy - that is so funny, but its great that you've enough good humor about it that you can still laugh in those circumstances, I think.

Jane - hah! SO GLAD the bridesmaid's dress worked out. That is the best sort of NSV and it really shows how far you've come. I know you told me what the color was before, but my mind is blanking right now. What color!

ALSO YAY. That is great news about the scale, though I'm so sorry you're sick in the midst of parties.

MapleLeaf - oh, so, so sorry you were in the hospital, that sounds really miserable. I've had surgery before (gallbladder removal!) and my weight loss sort of started with those symptoms, since while ironically weight loss can worsen gallstones, also they tell you go to on a low-fat diet when you are symptomatic.

My surgery was fine. It was laparascopic and I was heavier than you at the time. Are they planning to do it laparoscopically? The recovery is pretty quick! You just have to be careful about lifting, et cetera, for about six weeks. The problem is that you will feel totally fine so fast that you might forget about the restrictions!

My scale was down 2 lbs this morning. So: a new decade. I'm celebrating by mowing the lawn. :)

Nancy - My scale has also been moving at a snail's pace for the past month, so I understand how frustrating that can be! But is it also possible that since you've been exercising, you've lost fat but gained some extra muscle? That might explain why the people at your gym can tell you've lost weight but the scale isn't moving as much.

Jane - Oh no, I hope you feel better! Being sick is the worst, especially when you're busy. Congratulations on getting down to your low weight! That is awesome and I bet it felt good to see that number on the scale. I hope things keep going in this direction.

mnemosyne - Congratulations on another two pounds! That is fabulous. :)

Thanks for your reassurances about the surgery! Yes, they are planning on doing it laparoscopically and they would only switch to open surgery if something ended up going wrong. The surgeon did tell me that he performs between 40-60 of these every year and it's extremely rare for something to go wrong, and that I shouldn't worry because I'm young and have never had surgery before (which means no scar tissue). So I'm trying to stay calm and not worry about it.

My doctor recommended that I stick to a low fat diet for now to avoid having another gallstone attack before the surgery. It's been surprisingly easy. That gallstone attack killed my appetite.

nmem- way to go on the new decade. I am kinda stuck this week in the middle of mine. I hoping by next weekend to be on the low end of it.

I ran around with some girlfriends yesterday and had a good day. I did notice I was really tired and after I got home my throat started getting sore. I am praying it will pass when the cool damp weather moves on. I know my little ones had runny noses early in the week. I am so prone to catch what they have.
We had lunch at our mexican place and I didnt stay op. I am right back at it today. I will stay op until the wedding. OH and I found shoes for the wedding. I got a wedge heel and they are really strappy. I think my knee will be better with a wedge heel than a spiky heel.

maple- I had my gallbladder out about 10 yrs ago. Mine was in horrible shape and I had many tiny stones along with some giant ones. The surgery was such a relief. You do have to take it easy for a week or so but that was about it. My only issue was that I still had to watch what I ate or I would live in the bathroom. I learned real fast that I cant skip a meal or else I will end up in the bathroom. I also learned soft drinks and other things trigger the bathroom visits.

Happy Sunday from the gorgeous Northwest!

Mapleleaf -- Gall bladder surgery and the surgeon said that weight loss "caused" it. First, I hope the surgery goes well and remember that (assuming they'll do laproscopic) even though you have tiny little incisions you've had major surgery so take care of yourself. And I'd tell the doctor that your former eating habits probably were what caused the gall bladder problems -- I've truly never heard of it being associated with weight loss but what do I know!

Jane -- Great news on the downward trends. Just please don't send those two pounds this way. ;) And I'm so glad that the dress is working out. I got a kick out of the other bridesmaid wanting to keep the strapless. Keep up the great work with the yoga -- that's definitely a goal as I continue to creak around here on my arthritic knees and hips.

Mnem and Nancy -- Thanks for the hints on the Artic Zero flavors. I noticed that Amazon sells it in a pack with all of the flavors although I'd probably leave it on the front stoop for 3 days and just end up with a gooey mess. I think after I do yard work and wash the car I'm heading into the grocery store for some Artic Zero and some fresh veggies.

Today's challenge is to get the weed preventer spread over the dry creek beds in the yard (landscaping, not real ones), wash the car, get the covers off the deck furniture, do some grocery shopping, and see how much of the day is left to decide what else can get done. I finally made up a list yesterday and it's a page and a half -- I am definitely more than a little behind on things!

Hi, new here. Like brand spankin' new. Okay so I don't yet have any specific weight loss plan. I would really like some suggestions. There are so many plans out there, and so much false information. I have PCOS with IR so losing weight is very difficult for me and gaining it takes literally no effort. I swear if I don't eat I gain weight. Anywho, hubs and I really want children so I really need to get to losing weight. I am considering Couch to 5K. Have any of you done this?

Maple – Surgery is always scary, but hopefully that will make you feel a lot better.

Jane – Boo about being sick, but grats on getting back to your low.

Mnem – Congrats on being in a new decade! That is a weird way to celebrate. :)

Dgramie – Here’s hoping your throat scratch was a one day thing and not a precursor.

Betsy – I can’t imagine that ordering frozen stuff from Amazon works very well. I guess they pack it in dry ice or something? That was quite a list you had for Sunday.

ThatWeirdGirl – Welcome!! First are you an ease into it or jump off the deep end type? I am an ease in, so I tend to recommend that strategy, but other people find radical change easier. With the PCOS and IR (I am pre-diabetic and IR), I would likely recommend calorie counting combined with lower carbs. Starting off it is a great idea to get a feel for what the calorie content of everything is. You will likely want to stay away from sugar and processed carbs as much as possible. I have pretty much eliminated sugar from my diet (this took awhile to come to terms with) and I feel a million times better. I don’t crave sugar, I don’t get as many mood swings or feel like I am going to fall asleep after eating, etc. It can all be really overwhelming. The important part is making a change you feel good about and sticking with it as much as possible. As far as C25K, I have a friend that did it with great results. I want to try it eventually, but my knees are terrible and I need to be careful with them. When I walk, I will sometimes break into a little shuffle jog as a way to prep my body "yeah, we will do this at some point, get ready", but I'm not ready yet.

Speaking of carbs, I have decided to go back to low carb to see if that helps me unstall. I think I have let too many carbs creep back into my diet, which with the IR, might account for why I am eating in calorie range and not really losing. It can’t hurt to try. My other thing to try, which I really don’t want to do, is give up artificial sweeteners. I have done ok swapping to stevia before, but I just don’t like it as much as splenda.

I was originally hoping to get back to my lowest weight by my birthday (I am turning 40 on July 15) but it looks like that won’t happen (241, so 19 pounds). At this point if I can get back to 100 down I will be super happy.

Good Morning all. Hope it was a good weekend for everyone.

Mnem -- You and I need to work on our reward system as I tend to focus on getting things done as well. Congrats on the next decade!

Jane -- Hope the tonsils are cooperating a bit more by now. You've been planning for this wedding for so long and to feel lousy just isn't fair.

Nancy -- Lowering the carbs might be just the push that is needed. I'm trying to shake things up and definitely working on making sure that I only eat what is on my list.

My big news is that I was able to find Arctic Zero at the grocery store here and thank heavens it's over $5 a pint because I really liked the stuff! At that price, it will have to be a treat as opposed to having some every day. I have discovered Fudgesicle sugar free fudge pops. A serving size is 2 pops, but they come wrapped individually so I just have one which is only 40 calories.

Today is the start of what I am now referring to as caravanning month. I live in a little town in Washington that is about 50 miles from SEA-TAC airport. However, it takes between 1 to 1 1/2 hours to get there depending on the traffic. I think I have four different friends flying out this month and then returning so I'll be making a lot of trips to the airport. Maybe I'll stop at the grocery store and get a few more pints of the Arctic Zero.......

MapleLeaf - that all sounds great, and honestly, let me say that it is really great for the surgery that you have lost weight, too. My surgeon told me that mine was a bit tough because of the abdominal fat I had. I am relieved that he persevered and did not have to switch to an open procedure. I was probably 350-360 at the time. (My high weight comes from my doctor's visit when I had the gallstones, actually...) But also I carry most of my weight in my stomach.

Stay calm! Don't think about it. That is the best plan. You will need to take it easy for a while. I would suggest that you get some sugar-free popscicles to have at home after the surgery. I had sugar-free banana popscicles and they were lovely, satisfied the urge to have something in my mouth without being much of a strain on the system.


dgramie - so glad you found a shoe you like! Heh, yes, I think wedges are easier on us than thinner heels. Mostly, though, I don't wear heels. There are so many cute flatS! but for your daughter's wedding you want to dress up. Glad you sound the shoes.

betsy - that was quite a list of projects to tackle! I hope they all went well. How did you like the Arctic Zero? I would probably do the same thing ordering from Amazon, plus I don't have room in my freezer for all the extra cartons.

weirdgirl - cheers and welcome! I am simply calorie counting and am a vegetarian. I focus on eating loads of veggies that I like, and adding in protein sources (especially beans) and some whole grains (oatmeal!) every day. For me, the most important piece of the puzzle has been establishing a ROUTINE that I can stick to regularly, not buying any sort of tempting junk (I exercise my willpower at the grocery store, instead of testing it at home) unless I can genuinely control myself around it OR it comes in pre-portioned packages. I like to cook so I make foods that I really enjoy, as well, and plan plan plan and prep ahead.

Also: being honest w/myself about the calories in food.

I think the most important part of weight loss is getting a handle on the food. You can lose weight without exercise. So I would recommend that you start your work on the food size, and focus on basic exercise like walking in the beginning, then start adding in more exercise later. I have not done the Couch to 5k, but it seems to be a good program. I am not interested in jogging, but I do walk and have increased my speed pretty routinely as I have been walking.

Nancy - hahah, well, the grass needed mowing. After mowing the grass, I weeded and cleaned up all the junk around my roses, which will be in bloom soon. It was a good day. Hey! We are the same age. I just turned 40 last month. I hope the lower-carb thing works for you breaking your stall!

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I did ok at the folks' house. My scale was still 229 this morning. Yay!!!

I also did some shopping this weekend:

http://elizavieta.tumblr.com/post/49...me-new-sandals

None of those sandals would've fit me last year. The blue ones are 8M and the yellow ones are 7.5M. Uh, some of the sandals I dug out of my "summer shoes" bin over the weekend were size 8.5 W or 8 WW.

NotTheCheat- I'm the start something strong and never finish type. lol i have made slow changes and those seem stick longer.

Mnem-Calorie counting seems so complicted, and honestly scares me.

Ok so my biggest problem is my husband. Not only does he love to eat junk, but he is a picky eater. It makes dieting sooooo difficult. I have like a million excuses. But anywho. Thanks for the warm welcome.

Hi everyone!

I just posted my reintro post, so I won't bore you all with a repeat... I'll just jump in here since I've missed these chat threads since I was gone.

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thatweirdgirl: Is your husband on board with your efforts to change your diet/improve your health? If he wants to continue to eat junk, he can do it on his own time and by putting his own effort in. I'm doing a low carb plan (I find it easier and more effective than calorie counting for me), and if my Husband were not on the same plan and wanted to continue to eat carbs, I would suggest he do enjoy them for lunch or snacks before he's home. As it stands, our dinners consist of a meat and a vegetable side dish. Very simple. If he's not onboard, he could have smaller portions of the meat/vegetable, and then also have a starch. Anything to keep you from cooking two meals or feeling like you're fighting against him.

You two should probably have a chat about expectations and plans for the diet, though. Involve him in supporting you, if you haven't already.

As for C25K, I have not done it, but I have problems with my joints that makes running completely unappealing to me. I have heard people say very good things about it, but I have no first-hand experience.

Your weight-loss battle really will be fought mostly in the kitchen. Dietary changes can bring about great losses with very little exercise, but the opposite is not exactly true. Yes, the ultimate goal should be to both be MORE active and eat better, but don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to change your entire life at once. It’s okay to break it down into smaller steps.

I mentioned low-carb above, because it’s what I have the most experience with. Plain old calorie counting I find exhausting, and also I find myself constantly hungry. When I eat low-carb, I usually stay under my calorie target more easily but because I’m eating protein & fat dense foods, my body feels fuller for longer. I also know a lot of ladies who have PCOS who swear it is the only way they were able to shed pounds. (I have no idea if that’s true or not.) I know PCOS is a huge complicating factor, but I am confident you’ll find something that works for you.

Pick something, give it some good effort for a few weeks, and if it doesn’t suit your taste or lifestyle, allow yourself to try something else. It’s all about what works for you.


Mnemosyne: Cute shoes! I am looking forward to getting out of the WW shoes (I’m a 9.5 WW right now) as I lose weight. Needing WW makes shoe shopping almost impossible – I’m restricted pretty much to only online shopping. At least there’s Zappo’s….
Congrats on the scale holding steady! I consider that just as successful as a loss, some days… ;)

betsy2013: I’m going to have to figure out what this Arctic Zero stuff is…. Or maybe I shouldn’t since you said it’s so yummy.
I hope you have a lovely time with all of your visitors, and that the drives to and from the airport aren’t too bad.


NotTheCheat: I’m sorry it sounds like you won’t quite nail that goal-date. I sabotage myself so terribly with goal-dates that I haven’t set any this time around. Based on your stats, you look like you’re doing wonderfully, so I don’t think you have anything to be disappointed over. I’m low-carb, as well, and honestly my body feels so much better when I eat this way. Yet I still lapse sometimes, for food I particularly miss. I know how easy those carbs sneak back in when you look the other way!

By the way… I have to ask - is your name a HSR reference?


dgramie: I hope you aren’t getting sick. I know a lot of people who have been sick, lately. This has been a terrible winter/spring for illness. I hope you are feeling better by now, and that it was nothing.

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My big challenge this week is getting exercise in. I am having a spinal injection tomorrow, so I will be off work all day and am stuck making up the two extra hours on the other work days. Leaves me feeling so exhausted by the time I make the 50 mile commute to and from home - ugh! Still, I hope the injection helps alleviate the lower back pain I have been having for quite some time.

Have a great day, everyone!

thatweirdgirl - calorie counting shouldn't scare you! on some level, whatever sort of 'plan' you choose (and to be honest, other than being vegetarian and eating right, I don't have a plan), you will have to be calorie-aware. In order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. Most weight loss plans are varying methods to get you there. Now maybe you will feel more full on one regimen than another, or conversely something more flexible will fit your lifestyle better, but even within the definitions of each plan, you need to know what calories you are consuming because if you consume too many you will not lose weight.

Have you talked to your husband about your goals? I STRONGLY RECOMMEND getting all tempting junk out of the house. If you husband likes chips, have him buy individually-packaged single-serving bags or keep them in his car or at work.

Oh, betsy - yes! It is expensive. I make a pint last a couple of weeks, usually. And I LOVE those sugar-free fudgesicles. There is a brand where the 40 calorie ones come individually wrapped! I like that one better as otherwise I get weird freezer taste on them.

My local store also has sugar-free banana popsicles, which I love. I need to clean out my freezer though to make room. I think I have some left over from last summer but I expect they are gross now. I'll do that tonight. :)

Tel - thanks and welcome! Hah, seeing my shoe size fall was the most unexpected bit. Well, I expected to be able to get out of WW (and I had done that really last summer? When I made it until 300), but discovering that oh, my feet are 7.5 actually now, really is sort of a revelation. I have a bunch of cute flats that I bought last summer and fall that still feel okay, but fall off my feet (especially my smaller foot) if I am not careful, because they are all 8s. In non-sandals I still really need wide widths, but that's just the shape of my feet. Sandals being open are more forgiving. What's also great is how comfortable I feel now in dress shoes. (Well, flats - I don't do heels? except very small ones.)

Oh, and Arctic Zero is a very low-calorie frozen whey-protein based dessert. I think it would be okay for low-carb people, but I'm not sure. It is supposedly 37 calories a serving, or 150 calories for a pint. I saw a story that said it tested higher, but even so: 200 calories for a pint? That I can make last six or more servings? Yes. (It is not as delicious as ice cream, so easier to resist - but if I really want more, I am okay with it.)

I hope the injection helps! That commute sounds really tough. :(

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Ahh. A woosh! The plateau was clearly over on Saturday, but now it is over for sure. I was THREE POUNDS lower this morning. I cleaned off the porch last night and bought and assembled a new patio table for my deck. I am going to get two new chairs and am trying to decide whether to get the smaller ones (because my space is small) or the larger ones (they are more comfy - not because of size but because the seat and back is a continuous curve?). I'm going to measure the space and decide and then steal someone with a truck to help me pick them up.

(I am not sure they will fit in my car - the chairs are pre-assembled and my car is tiny.)

PS - Tel - I just read your bio. I ADORE Game of Thrones. I'm also a big fan of Garbage. In fact, I got to see them live in early April and they were amazing.

Mnemosyne: Congrats on your woosh! That’s always a wonderful feeling at the end of a plateau!

I think you might be some kind of doppelganger of mine, or something! I saw Garbage live (for the second time) at the end of last May. It was about a week after their newest album released, and I got to see them at what I think is an awesome venue for live music (Club 9:30 in DC – a small-ish, more intimate setting). As for Game of Thrones – all I can say is GRRM can’t write fast enough! I am just dying to know what happens next. I have not started to watch the TV series, but if it ever winds up on Netflix I certainly will.

Just a quickie this morning (that would be a note.......I'm getting too old to.....ok we'll just leave that to our imaginations).

Off to get fitted for a CPAP mask this morning (which should take care of anyone ever wanting to have a quickie with me again.......where is my mind this morning!). The sleep apnea results came back and I have severe sleep apnea in spite of having no symptoms. Actually in this now 3 month long journey of getting the a fib under control, I have felt fine and no symptoms. For that I am very thankful.

Sorry that I am not being very supportive of everyone this morning and commenting -- hope you all understand and I'm literally standing while keying this. Have a great day.

mnem the dress is teal

I'm feeling much better, stagette was a roaring success, and now I'm in Alberta on a mini vacation. Will check in later!

Tel - I've been to Club 9:30. I'm trying to remember whom I saw there. It was many, many years ago. Anyway, I saw Garbage at the LC in Columbus, Ohio, which is a fairly big place, but not really bad. I have tickets to see the National there outdoors (the stage rotates between the inside and outside venues) in June. I am also THINKING about going to see Of Monsters and Men later this month, but I am pretty wavery on that.

And heh, I agree: I want the books NOW thank you, but I am sustained by the TV series. I ordered HBO just for GOT (well, and True Blood, after. Heh. THERE I do not read the books, just watch people be insane on TV.)

betsy - I hope the CPAP treatment helps you feel a bit better, even if you have no symptoms! Maybe you'll have more energy during the day or something, which would be a nice bonus.

Jane - oh, I imagine teal looks really lovely on you with your skin and hair. That's awesome. Glad you are feeling better and having fun! Enjoy your mini-vacation!

Mnmen -- congrats on the whoosh! Things always look so much better after a whoosh!

Jane -- glad you're feeling better AND getting in a little mini-vacation. When do you leave for the wedding? Can you take a picture of you in your dress?

Back to more normal NW weather today. Chilly, foggy, and rainy this morning although it should burn off by noon. More weeding and yard work today. Used the bi-pap machine (I'm so special I need to force air in AND out -- geez!) last night and didn't have any problems. Only woke up once during the night which is a big change for me.

Off to the gym and then tackle the weeds. Have a great day everyone.

This will be a quick post with no personal notes, since I'm laid up in bed posting from my tablet. On plan today, but could not eat or drink before this mornings procedure, so of course I'm behind on water. Feeling tender from the injection, but hopefully it will bring relief in the coming days.

Have a rockin day, everyone. I'll catch up tomorrow.

Betsy: I really hope that machine is helpful to you! I'm glad you haven't had any symptoms - does that mean they caught your issues "early"? Anyway, you said you woke up fewer times in the night, which is SUPER!

Jane: I'm glad you're feeling better, and mini-vacations are awesome. Hope you return rested and recharged!

mnem: Sounds like you have a potentially busy summer concern schedule! I'm a little jealous. We slightly overextended ourselves with our belated honeymoon this past month, so we will be holding the purse strings tightly for a few months.

I have considered getting HBO just for GoT, but I can't justify the cost, since I would have to subscribe to cable just to get it. Maybe if one of those really good promotions comes around, I might... But otherwise, I will stick to Netflix/Amazon Prime/etc. At least since I've read the books, I don't have to worry about random people on the internet "spoiling" the show for me. ;)

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Yesterday was very uneventful after the injection. Which - OW!! - hurt pretty badly. But it was thankfully over rather quickly. Left me very tender in the injection area, and I couldn't drive for the rest of the day. They said I might still hurt today, but that I should see benefit between days 3 - 7. Fingers crossed! I do feel a little "off" due to the steroids, but I have experience that before with prednosone, so no surprise.

I've been very good on my plan for the past week or so, and it's finally showing on the scale. I'm still in the first two weeks, so I don't think I can call this a woosh just yet. Today I was down at 304.6, which is the lowest I've seen this year, and just 0.6 away from the lowest I saw LAST year. So that's a little mini-goal of mine, and I have to decide how I'm going to reward myself since we're watching the funds. I think I might carve enough out to get a massage, since I've been feeling very tight and stiff lately. Easier to justify, since there are health benefits.

Anyway, hope you are all wonderful. It's intermittently stormy here this week, but that's pretty typical for May in Maryland.

Mnem – I love those sandals! Yay on the whoosh!

Telorida – Welcome!! My ticker isn’t the full story. I lost 112 pounds many years ago, gained 70 of it back and am currently working my way back to where I was. It feel so much harder this time around. I think in the meantime my insulin resistance has magnified. Or something else that I haven’t been able to figure out. Yes – my name is indeed an HSR reference. Everybody to the limit! :) Plus I figure the idea of cheating on a diet makes no sense, since can you really cheat yourself? I keep Netflix disks just for stuff like GoT. It isn’t that much more a month and I get to watch the stuff that doesn’t stream.

Betsy – I know several people who have CPAP machines and have had amazing changes from them. Hopefully that happens for you too.

Jane – Have a great vacation!

Yesterday was day one of swapping to an Atkins/ketogenic plan. I went shopping after Zumba yesterday and my kitchen is stocked. I just don’t know what to do with the fruit I have left – a pineapple, a mango, grapes, some oranges and apples. I hate to throw them out. The hardest thing for me will be limiting my splenda intake. I have several cups of coffee a day and I need to watch the sweeteners, at least the powdered stuff. I tried using some pure stevia this morning and remembered why I don’t use it very often (it is hard to adjust to).

betsy - glad the Bi-Pap machine is working for you. It sounds like you had more night-time awakening before so I suppose you were a bit symptomatic. Hopefully it gives you lots of energy to tackle those weeds! It has been rainy here all this week but we needed it. Today is sunny, I want to make a run to the greenhouse but I probably should work late, we will see.


Tel - hopefully the injection works! It sounds rather unpleasant, not the way I want to spend my afternoon off. I totally understand watching finances. I really need to do that. I am promising myself that I will stay away from the shoe store now that I have my blue summer shoes. I really have enough clothes/shoes for a while now and have to make myself. One of the hedges on the concerts is the cost: not just the tickets, but Columbus is a 2.5 hour drive for me and requires an overnight stay (I don't want to drive 2.5 hours home leaving there at 11 or 11:30 p.m., ugh.).

I bought the National tickets as a b-day present for my brother who lives in Illinois, though, so I'm really looking forward to that. The other things are both weather and budget permitting. :)

And yes: I wouldn't subscribe to cable just to get GoT show. I had DISH network and have a two-year committment to them (hah), but it is SO EASY for me to add on HBO and see the price, and take it off when I am done. I appreciate that, they are pretty up front regarding their pricing.

Congrats on getting so close to your lowest weight of the year! As for the massage: does your insurance cover Chiropractic treatment? They often offer therapeutic massage, which perhaps would be covered by insurance?

Nancy - thank you! Hah, when I have Netflix (I cancel it while I subscribe to HBO, hah), I keep the discs too. There are so many things that don't stream that I want to see. :) I read that they may have even fewer streaming options soon, I'm not sure.

I definitely am not an Atkins person, but could you use some cream in your coffee instead of sweetener? Would that be more Atkins friendly?

You know, apples will keep for a long time. surely after induction you are allowed some fruit? So I would at least keep the apples in the crisper drawer of the fridge.

well I had to face the scales at the dr and it felt so good not to dread it. THey noticed right off that I had lost 28lbs on their scales. I think even better than that is my blood pressure is down 10points for both numbers. woohoo
I go back in 6 months and hoping to be down another 30-40. I would love more but know its slower this time.
I got an antibotic and hoping to feel better quickly.