Sam, losing even a small(ish) amount of weight is better than gaining it, and I do think the smaller we get the harder it will be. I think it was Betsy that said when she gets to goal she will probably only be able to eat 2 carbs and 10 calories a day. That scares me a little too. It sounds like you are doing everything right though, and I believe if you are then the weight will come off, eventually.
Tootsie, any chance you can go buy a dress at a store where you can try it on to make sure it fits? And meanwhile send the other one back.
Ubee,please keep posting, and please be kind to yourself. If you are too fuzzy to focus on eating healthy all the time, maybe try for some of the time, or one healthy meal a day. Or whatever you feel able to do.
Betsy, congrats on the 17 lbs. lost. That's great. I also notice that when I avoid carbs or eat very few my sweet tooth takes a vacation too. I'm going to check out that website for recipes. I've been gathering a collection of some I have tried or want to try soon.
I'm out of my funk and back on track 100%. In hindsight I should have made the salad Saturday so I could have that when I got home from the party, instead of grabbing the first thing available. I don't let myself get too hungry normally, because that is the result. So, lesson learned. I need to be prepared in situations like that.
Location: from Houston, TX—now in Maryland (Washington DC area)
Posts: 1,167
S/C/G: 351/267/140
Height: 5'3"
I just now gave up on trying to climb the stairs. I tried three times, and one of my tries got me as far as the landing. Maybe tomorrow morning I'll make it. Pain dogs me no matter what I do. Every step I take: pain.
But when I retreat to the green futon and put my legs up on the denim pillow, guess who joins me in this stage of my journey? Oscar and Nénu They've been running around like maniacs, but when I need their comfort, they shift gears and show up in my lap, sweet and affectionate.
So, tomorrow morning... maybe the next time I try, I'll climb them alll the way.
For now:... cats in my lap make it all worthwhile.
Sun is out. Dirty windows are beckoning. Today the downstairs will join the upstairs in removing the dirt from the last year.
Sam The calorie/carb counts are totally defined for each of us through experimentation and the desired weight loss for each week. I think that while it's helpful to have an alert from the counting sites on either too many or too few calories, that our bodies are so unique that too few for one person would be way to many for someone else (that would be me!). Also, I think age, activity level, and for women if you're post-menopausal all significantly impact the number of calories you can have and still lose weight. On the carb counting, I just follow what's on MFP. They use straight carb count. On Atkins, they use net carbs which is the carbs less the fiber count. Using the GI load works fine, too. The main thing is just to be consistent in what you're using. Congratulations on the sprint and timing and not having anything hurt! What does it feel like to not have anything hurt after using those joints?
Cindy Glad you're back to 100% and have things back under control. That was a speed bump compared to my previous (hopefully no more current!) cascades off the edge of the cliff. It is so hard to go to someone else's house (even family) and try to eat well.
Fi When this is all over -- and I am definitely holding onto the belief that this living nightmare will end for you -- you need to write a book and do the illustrations yourself on how your kitties helped ease your pain. What would we do without our furry friends to help us.
Lots going on here -- some of it even diet related! Can't remember if I mentioned it, but I've decided that I need a trip. Sorry Rabidstoat as I know you're in serious countdown mode for your vacation. I'm going to take Toby and the RV and drive around the Olympic peninsula. I'll be camping in state parks, taking walks, going to the Hoh Rain Forest, hit Olympic National Park, and stay on the ocean for 3 nights. When you live in Paradise, it's important to take advantage of it!
My older nephew (the one with the little kids) and his wife called last night to let me know that their house had sold. They negotiated that they wouldn't have to move out until the end of June, but right now they don't have a house for them to move into. So......looks like there is a pretty high likelihood that they'll be living here with me for awhile. I have a complete apartment in my daylight basement, so they can have their own living space not to mention that the price is right. My nephew is a teacher so he'll be on summer break and my niece works from home so she'll be fine wherever they end up. Could be an interesting summer!
On the diet front, the weight is still coming off. I am really trying to be very diligent in keeping the carb count down while still getting enough to eat. The challenge will be at the end of May through June when strawberry season hits. I could live on strawberries. So, I will have to find a way to get my strawberry fix and still keep my carb count down.
Off to the gym and then home to get the downstairs windows washed. UGH!
Good day. Betsy it is about time you took a vacation! It sounds lovely. I will be looking up the Hoh rainforest. 17 pounds off and you are a new woman. Thanks for the breathing like a porn star comment I got a good belly laugh on that one! 248 days until 2016. Looks like it is your turn to have house guests. Fi glad your kitties are bringing you some much needed comfort. Cindy I always say failing to plan is planning to fail. Now if I could just live by that it would all be good. I am wondering does your funk follow a pattern? Sam you are amazing! I love all your positive energy. Also it is interesting to me that you have always been so focused on your diet and exercise. Good job! I think cutting down on the carbs will really help your PCO's. tootsie it is encouraging to hear you are getting stronger. What you said is so true. It took years to put this weight on and it will take years to get it back down. Thanks for the reminder.
I want to thank everyone for all their support. I am going to get below 250 and you are all going to help me get there.
Have a peaceful day.
Sam ~ Yeah its been nice here lately so I've been able to walk outside. I'm glad you've been able to get outside and walk too.
Betsy ~ Yeah I got the house cleaned, I started cleaning at 10 a.m. and got done at 1:30 with 30 mins to spare
Cindy ~ I'm doing good. How are you doing? I hope your doing good too.
Ubee ~ Hi, How have you been? I've been doing good.
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Woke up at 7:16 a.m. and I hopped in the shower. We have alot of errands to do today. Its now almost 9 a.m. and Mom and I are about to go start our day.
Cindy You're right, it will get harder but I'm in it for the long haul. When I originally started losing I figured it would take me 2 or 3 years to get to my goal so I think I'm doing pretty good. I'm glad you're back on track and I think what is most important is you realized what you needed to do to correct your own mistake so it won't happen again, that is key for sure.
Fi I'm sorry you're still in pain. Our little companions definitely do know how to make it all better or at least make us forget our pain for a little while when they are around. I'm glad you have them in your life
Betsy Thanks for explaining that for me it really helped. My left knee did feel a little sore today but I didn't notice it until I started working out and it wasn't enough to keep me from doing it but other than that I feel amazing! I can't even believe I ran...I'm still in shock. I LOVE strawberry season too and it's just about to start here if not already started. The farmer's market opened up last weekend so we'll be hitting it up this weekend when the weather is nice. That is the one fruit I'm allowing myself to eat because from what I've found online they are relatively low in carbs from what I can see. So from now on I guess if I eat any fruit it'll be some sort of berry. I love fruit so this is going to be hard for me but I'm going to try it for a couple weeks and see how it goes.
Ubee That means a lot to me that you said that ...I have to be honest I think I've been so focused for the most part when I'm really on track because in the back of my mind I worry about messing up and then throwing all my hard work down the drain. The time after Christmas really had me going down a slippery slope for awhile. I was glad to only have gained 6 pounds from that and lost it fairly quickly, I just need to make sure I either pack my food when I go out of town so I don't over indulge so much and fall off the wagon or go grocery shopping for myself while I'm there. I know I'll be up there this Christmas again most likely so I need to start figuring that out now. I'm glad you're still with us Ubee...you'll get under 250, YOU GOT THIS GIRL!!!
Terra The weather is clearing up around here and it's beginning to look like summer...I hope you and your mom enjoyed your day!!
Well my scheduled rest day was a total bust....DH and I were supposed to go grocery shopping after work to stock up the kitchen again but he was being a whiny baby so we only got stuff for dinner tonight and I'm going to go tomorrow after work. I got a little miffed at him because I was looking forward to having a rest day so I can look up recipes and things since he's been wanting me to spend every moment with him when I'm not eating dinner or working out....He's being too clingy this week lol...Maybe it's my TOM issue haha. I told myself well I could just take two rest days....Then I had that mental smack in the face and told myself no. So I did a 20 minute Chalene cardio burn and then a 30 minute lower body work out. Least it's only 6:30 now and I'm about to have dinner so I can still relax a bit.
I'm starting to slowly get this carb thing under control. I think next week will be even better because I'm going to prep these little egg cups I found a recipe for online last night for my breakfast. You take a piece of ham or other meat and make a cup out of it in a muffin pan, then you can either crack the egg straight into the cup or scramble them up first and add any type of veggies you want. I'm thinking onions peppers and mushrooms. I have to prep it because there's no way I will get up early enough in the morning to make it before work so now I have double prepping to do. I also need to come up with some lower carb snacks. I usually will have a piece of fruit for one and then veggies with hummus on the other so I need to get a little more creative than that and see where it goes.
Looking forward to the weekend...it's so close!! It's supposed to be nice here so maybe I can get some beach time in! That would be great!
Well I'm off to finish dinner up, have a great night all!
Sam, congratulations on your time and your sprint. I'm in this for the long haul too, and I'm thinking it will also take me several years to get there.
Fi, so glad that the kitties are there for comfort. Mine seems to know when I need her and will lay on me or beside me. The rest of the time she's a Daddy's girl.
Betsy, your vacation sounds wonderful. And your summer sounds like it will be an interesting one. I had some strawberries with breakfast this morning. I love them too.
Ubee, I am not in a funk very often, and this one was caused by my binge on Saturday, or actually more by the weight I gained from it. I've been struggling this month with losing - it's been slow - so gaining was a setback. I kicked myself for it, but at the same time realized I'm human and making a bad choice is not the end of the world. In the past I would have just kept on eating, giving up, and most likely gaining everything back, and then some. That's a lifelong pattern that I'm trying to break.
Terra, good to see you. I hope you had a good day.
So, the 5 lbs I gained are now gone, and I'm hoping I will continue to lose. I've been cutting out some of my daily protein and also trying to keep my calories a little lower than before Saturday. It seems to be working. I'm still tracking points but only eating a little more than half of what I'm allowed. But I'm willing to do that if it helps me lose weight. I'm not sure if I'm focused or obsessed. I've also been trying out some new recipes and I'm happy that grilling season is here again.
Work is hectic this week. A coworker is on vacation, so I'm picking up some of the slack, and can't wait for the weekend.
Good morning. Cloudy weather beat a retreat this morning so if I still have my mojo working this afternoon after I get back from the dentist and grocery shopping, I'll power wash the deck. Or not.
Ubee Glad I could give you a chuckle because I know I do a lot better on the diet front when I'm in a good mood! And, yes, you will get below 250. And some decade I will join you. Although I may need to pick up the pace a little....I'm sort of running out of decades. Please tell me that about mid-July when I'm wondering what in heavens name made me think that having 4 more people in the house -- two of them children -- along with another dog and a cat was a good idea that you will remind me that this is family whom I love with all of my heart, and I should be happy that they know they can count on me to help them. Of course, I can always just get in the the RV and ask them to let me know when they've bought a house. Always wanted to travel down 101 all the way to Mexico....... Terra Good to see you again. Hope everything has been going well for you. Sam I meant to send you a post last night and tell you that I'm trying to stay under 50g of carbs because I gained so much weight back that I want to get serious about getting it off. But, for me, as long as I keep it at around 100g/day I lose weight -- just more slowly. The bad thing about low carb is that if you don't slowly (very slowly) adjust your carbs upward when you're ready to go more into a maintenance mode, you will instantly gain weight. The egg cups are a great recipe. I make a dozen at a time, stick them in a baggie in the frig and then nuke them. Good for you on not letting yourself do a double rest day. Cindy Way to go on getting those 5 pounds off already! I love that you don't know if you're focused or obsessed -- made me think that we all have to be obsessively focused to continue this journey. How's your foot been doing?
Busy day today.....or what passes for busy in the life of a retiree. Off to get my hair cut in a little while, then swing by the grocery store for stuff I need for the trip, and then a dentist appointment. Home to unload the dishwasher, put away the groceries, and maybe work up the energy to get the deck power washed. The windows downstairs did get washed yesterday, but I noticed that evidently I haven't dusted down there in a lllooooonnnngggggg time. I definitely need to do something with the downstairs and soon.
The initiial weight loss from the low carb is finally beginning to slow down to a more realistic weekly loss. I don't think the trip will be a problem as it's very easy to eat well when you take your kitchen with you. There's a wonderful bakery -- we've made trips to the ocean just to go to the bakery -- at the place where I'm staying for the last 3 days, and I've already decided that I won't go there. Funny thing is that it's not bothering me at alll.
Do any of you have what I call food memories? That's when you get a craving for a food because you remember how wonderful it tasted? I have them a lot, and they're usually part of a downfall because I give in and decide that I just have to have one (or more likely, 2, 3, or 4). But I've begun to notice that while the food may taste good, it's no where near as wonderful as my memory of it is. Anyway, what got me on this is that I absolutely love cream horn pasteries, and the bakery makes them. I got some last year when I was there and realized that they weren't nearly as good as I remembered. Just wondering if anyone else catches themselves doing that.
Better get it in gear. Hope everyone has a good day.
Location: from Houston, TX—now in Maryland (Washington DC area)
Posts: 1,167
S/C/G: 351/267/140
Height: 5'3"
Betsy— I definitely have food memories, but I guess I'm fortunate in that they cannot be reproduced: they require not only the right food, but also the people who were there, and how old I was, and what I had done that day. In order to crave something, I have to be able to obtain the object of my craving. The food video that's in my head right now is from when I was aged 10—rhubarb pie (just rhubarb, no strawberries) made from scratch by my grandmother, the crowning moment of a fabulous fish dinner, eating fish I had caught myself. My grandmother has been dead for a long time. I've tried to reproduce her rhubarb pie, without success. (Please don't send me recipes.) But it's OK, because the memory of that dinner will never grow dim, not so long as my brain is functioning. The memory is what counts, not the food.
Yesterday I went through something on the opposite end of the scale—a hellacious several hours of neurologic testing. How do you test nerves? With needles inserted into them, and then electric shock through the needles. I will say no more, because I don't want you to know what it was like. So I am exhausted today, hurting in all four limbs, with no pain killers on board. I don't know quite why I haven't pushed harder for prescription pain killers this time. Maybe I have a fantasy that if I go through all the pain without opiates, this whole blasted thing will go away faster. I don't know.
I appreciate your question, Betsy, because it reminds me of what I need to do with yesterday's memory of neurologic testing: shred it into small pieces and scatter them into the nearest dumpster.
Fi: I had no idea that nerve testing was like that... You're right about the memory. It seems that things are always better when they are made by loved ones. Hoping that this trial passes soon.
Betsy: Yes, I have food memories. Those are the foods that I have to keep out of my house. Much of my good childhood memories revolve around food.
Cindy: Congrats on losing. Even though it's after a gain, the point is that you got back to it again. It's much easier, but more detrimental, to give up.
Sam: That recipe sounds good. I may copycat it. I have some eggs that need to be used. Good job on recognizing a problem and solving it with exercise.
Ubee: You're welcome. You seem like a nice person. You don't deserve to beat yourself up emotionally and have the health problems associated with it.
Terra: Hello. Good to see you here again. Hopefully your errands went well.
Everyone else, hoping that you're having a zippity doo dah day. (Yeah, silly, I know. It's just boring saying the same things over and over.)
Haven't had a lot of restful sleep lately. I don't know why, but it seems as though my mind wants to dredge up my most awful memories and fears on top of it. Last night's nightmare was the worst.
There was some good news today. I bought a dress and shrug today. The dress was two sizes smaller than I thought it would be. It's been a while since I've gone store shopping for clothes. I also happened to be looking through my closet and found a skirt and dressier shirt. They are a little big, but not majorly big, so I can still wear them. Thanks for the suggestions. I sent the other dress back, since it was too big. They offer free shipping for an exchange. The problem is, I don't know what size to order.
Cindy It definitely sounds like you're on the right path. It's all a learning process and you'll get there as long as you give yourself time. At first I was in the wrong mindset of just wanting to lose lose lose and yes I still want to lose but I have learned that it's not going to happen over night. I think you're right there with me with that. Hope you've had a good day
Betsy Thanks for letting me know. Right now I've been in the 60-75 g a day range this week and I know a lot of it is coming from the oatmeal I eat in the morning. That will stop next week because I'm going to try the egg cups instead. One thing I'm noticing though is that my fat amount seems more or maybe not I'm not really sure. For instance, when I was at the grocery store I bought two little snack cheeses to eat on the way home because I needed an afternoon snack and was feeling famished. I put it in MFP and that little dang piece of cheese was 7g of fat!!! Needless to say I didn't eat the second one because I felt that was too much fat in one little snack even though the calories and carbs were low. I guess I just need to find the balance in lower carb but keeping my protein high and the fat mid range to low. Does that even make sense to you? I also know what you mean about the memories with food. When DH and I went up to WV there is this sub place that he has eaten at since he was a kid called Pinnacle Subs...He has dreamed about that place forever and ever and when we went up there we just had to go eat there...It was really good and he was in heaven but it was awesome to see the little kid in him show through and how happy he was. There's also this place in Roanoke, VA called the Texas Tavern. It's a small little burger shop and all they sell are burgers, chili, fries and chips. You can't order a burger with ketchup and if you do you have to purchase individual ketchup packets out of a little machine. They've been around since I think the 1950s and you can only fit about 8-10 people in there, it's tiny. Anyway, we always go there when DH and I visit his granny. I was a little bummed we didn't stop in Roanoke on the way home since his granny was in WV for Christmas, but at the same time I'm glad because it could have gotten out of hand. I think that's why people get fat sometimes....Food makes people happy and comforted because it reminds them of good times with people they love or a good time in their life so they continue to eat the bad food that made them feel good at that time of their lives. I know that's not the only reason we get fat but is part of a theory of mine lol.
Tootsie Try it. I'll be prepping mine up this weekend I hope it turns out good. I'm sorry you haven't been getting restful sleep. I've had quite the opposite for once. I think it's the new pillows lol. Glad you were able to find a dress!
Not much is going on, getting ready to cook dinner and then I'll be relaxing for the rest of the night. I'm going to keep this post short. Going to spend some time with my BIL and wake up DH. Oh and my hockey team the Washington Capitals are going into game 2 tonight with the New York Rangers so I hope ti catch that. Hope everyone takes care!!
Betsy, my foot and leg seem to be back to normal again. Thanks for asking. I have food memories, but not exactly the kind you are talking about. I have several distinct memories of sneaking food when I was a child, and I do remember the taste, and texture and it was heavenly at the time. But, these memories make me sad now, thinking about a child who had to sneak food to satisfy a craving, because she was not allowed sweets because she was fat. The baked ziti from last weekend did not taste as good as I remembered it, but DH assured me it was delicious as always. So, I think that our memories of the way food tastes become somehow magnified or intensified because we don't allow ourselves to have it, and when we do it isn't as good. Kind of like getting back together with an ex because you miss the good times, but then soon realize why you left lol. Maybe not the best analogy, but I'm tired tonight.
Fi, I hope the neurologic testing reveals some answers for you.
Tootsieroll, congratulations on getting a dress two sizes smaller. That's wonderful. Being able to wear a smaller size makes me happier than seeing a lower number on the scale. Not quite there yet, but working on it. I hope you have better dreams and more restful sleep tonight.
Sam, I do want to lose, lose, lose and at the same time know it's a process and it will take time. I believe I will do it this time around though.
Another busy day down. One more to go until the weekend. This weekend DH and I are going fishing for the first time this year on both Saturday and Sunday. It is one of our favorite things to do together. We also have our 7 year old grandson's T-ball game to attend and also his kickoff parade. Dinner will be cooking in the crockpot while we are gone so there will be something ready when we come home and I won't be scrambling again.
My spouse and oldest child were out seeing a couple of movies. My other 2 kids were in bed, so I dusted off the old Sing app and belted off several songs. I like to sing, just not in front of anyone anymore. I was curious, so I looked up the calorie burn of singing. Apparently, sitting down, singing non-stop for an hour causes a 150 pound person to burn approximately 100 calories. Being a heavier weight, I may burn more than that. I wonder if being trained/untrained and your range changes that? I was a mezzo soprano in high school. I used to practice scales every single day. Not so much anymore. I think that my range may've lowered to an alto range. I don't know though. I haven't really tried the higher scales in a while. It just feels different.
please keep posting, and please be kind to yourself. If you are too fuzzy to focus on eating healthy all the time, maybe try for some of the time, or one healthy meal a day. Or whatever you feel able to do.
