300+ Chat Thread August 2017
 

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!

Hello everyone.
I know I am a day early but I wanted to share this before I forget about it.
It is 10 FAQs For Fat Flyers. Happy Travels.
http://www.sheswanderful.com/2014/08...or-fat-flyers/

Let's make August a successful month for us all.

Thanks Ubee-I needed that article

You're welcome sweetcakes. I need to get exercising and posting in your thread.

Anniemaxx you sure have been through the ringer with your health.
Our daughter is gluten free and it has made a huge change for the positive with her autism related behaviors. No gluten is allowed in our house to support her.
As for goals I am in a challenge to get down to 229 by Labor Day. I want to get as close to that as possible. I could only lose that much when I first started out. July was more challenging then I thought it would be.

Not much new here. Hopefully I am on autopilot for a while.

Hi Ubee,
I've been reading your posts, now I'll join in :)

353 pounds, chronically ill with Crohn's and thyroid, fatigue is my big problem.

Now working on increasing my gut bacteria diversity based on a book, the Microbiome weight loss diet.

Thanks for being here to support us big gals!

Welcome Kathy!
My cousin has greatly improved his mysterious severe health problem and lost 100+ pounds following a Microbiome diet prescribed by a specialist. He was so ill for years and is better now. Not great but greatly improved. He can lead a mostly typical life.
The 300+ Club is a great place to learn, and get and give support.
We are glad to have you join us!

Good morning.
A nice reading on the scale this morning. Down a pound.
Ubee I LOVED the article you posted. Other chairs are an issue - I was happy to sit in a chair in my office this week and find out that it was much more comfortable. YEAH! Thanks for understanding about my health issues. There were several positives to having cancer, first the chemo put me thru something called chemopause which means the chemo accelerated menopause to just a few weeks (score)
and the other is that my mom saw me go through it and 6 months later she found a lump. Mom said she would have been so scared if she hadn't seen me thru it. I am not trying to downplay cancer. I was very lucky and did not have to work during the chemo and radiation. I basically could sleep all day and my family took care of me. Then the heart attack- I called the ambulance who took me to the hospital cause I knew something was wrong (my hubby had already left for work) they put a stent in my heart thru my wrist. Next day I was fine. These issues were aggravated if not caused by the weight and bad food. I have learned a lesson and need to get fit.
Kathy Welcome, looking forward to getting to know you.
Sweetcakes I will be on that exercise thread more this month. I promise.

Have a great day everyone
anniemaxx

Happy August, everyone!

Anniemaxx - I had no idea you went through so much! I'm glad your health is better!

Ubee - thanks for the links on flying! I have read a few studies on weight loss, but not a lot on breakfast. I did read one that found eating calories early in the day resulted in weight loss and eating them all in the evening resulted in weight gain. However, I believe at least one other study found no difference in weight loss/gain based on timing. Personally, I think that most studies have sample sizes that are too small or they don't do a good job accounting for other factors. The worst are when subjects self-report!

Kathy - I have read a bit about how gut flora is different in overweight people. I wasn't aware that you can modify your bacteria community without a transplant!

The heat wave has begun. I hardly ate any lunch because it was so darn hot, and I didn't eat a real dinner, either. The next few days will be even worse! I did stock up on salad supplies for dinner this week. My husband just asked me what I was doing and was shocked when I said I was on a weight loss forum. He then went on to tell me that I love food too much and derive too much happiness from a good meal to ever lose a lot of weight. Thanks for the confidence, hun!

Anniemaxx you had all these difficult things happen and yet what you took away from it was positive. What a great attitude.
I to want to get healthier. Fear is one of the things that really helped motivate me to find a way to get healthy that I could live with. Seeing people my age with heart issues, diabetes,... also I love sleeping, relaxing in bed, and tossing about. I did not want to get sleep apnea.
So nice to sit in a former snug chair and now have room. You are doing this Annie! Hooray for another pound down!

Orion tell your hubby fit people also like food and enjoy their meals. They just don't eat like every meal is their last. As for breakfast I had read that you should eat within the first hour of waking so I did. It started my hungry engine and I wouldn't stop until 7 pm. I was never hungry in the morning just was told "I should." Some people do better with breakfast some like myself don't. One size does not fit all. (OK I guess this is the group that really knows that!)
Take it easy in that heat. I do not envy you.

I am doing good. Still need to get an exercise routine down. I want to work on some resistance stuff for muscles.

How is everyone else doing? Come on and check in and let us know.

Hello everyone!

Had a bad day yesterday. I didn't plan my meals the night before, and I woke up nauseous yesterday morning and it lasted all day, so when I did eat it was whatever sounded appealing and less likely to cause more stomach upset. That ended up being mostly cereal and a bit of pasta for dinner. Thanks to the upset stomach, I did NOT eat the chips I'd been craving. I planned my meals for today as soon as I had a cup of tea (can't do anything before tea). Still trying to get everyone in the habit of waking up in time to take DD to school once it starts (next week!), but so far I am the only one actually getting up in the morning. At least it will be easier for me to get up once school starts. The real trick is not going back to bed after we get her to school!
Ubee, I am also having a hard time making an exercise routine. I know what I want to do, but making myself do it is another matter. Commitment, not motivation, right? I'd like to start resistance training as well, but I want to wait until I've made walking a strong habit, so I will probably start that around 2 months from now.

I'm going to jump in and introduce myself! (I've been a lurker for quite awhile...)

I'm still in the "trying to figure out what the heck I want to do" phase. But I know that my life HAS to change.

Sencha so cute that you are the only one getting ready for school. The first day of school for me when the kids were young was "The most wonderful day of the year!" How did today go?

Welcome Jacs! Figuring your life HAS to change is the best place to start. Remember we don't have to stay married to any one plan. Maybe try some and see which one you like best and are most likely to stick with. Glad you decided to join in!

I had a busy day. I've noticed the last few days when I am thinking I am hungry I hear myself saying "You are not hungry you are tired." I am not trying to convince myself it is like I am correcting my Fat Ubee. By the way I am so done with her. She is only fun when food is around. The rest of the time she is bringing me down. She never wants to wear nice clothes, get off the couch, go outside, see new places, ... I know she will always be with me BUT that doesn't mean I have to listen to her anymore.

Ubee, today went well, only had to wake DD up twice instead of four times like yesterday! I am looking forward to that first day of school. DH and I will have sushi as a treat. Not looking forward to the "getting to school" part of it though. I know what you mean by correcting yourself when you are actually tired (or thirsty) and not really hungry. You are so right about fat us only being fun when food is around. I like your mindset about it.

Sencha glad you had a better day. My attitude has changed since I discovered Fat Ubee is no longer in charge. Like I said she will always be around giving me her opinion BUT I don't have to listen.

This weekend I have a wedding and two birthday parties. Plus eating out at a Mexican restaurant. Working on a plan to succeed.

How is everyone doing?

Check in
 

Sweetcakes would you please recommend a you tube yoga video for a yoga newbie that is old and stiff?

I am doing well and planning for a temptation filled weekend.

How is everyone else doing? Come check in, as sweetcakes said we are not alone on this journey.

Hey Ubee,
If you are looking for a great all around starter, I would suggest Candlelight Yoga by Sara Ivanhoe. It lasts about 35 minutes once you skip past all the intro stuff. I would suggest you listen to the whole thing first time or two around and then after that I just start at about the 3 min mark or so. It's gentle and slowly stretches every part of the body. I only had to modify one pose, it's where she lunges and stretches out the thigh, I just lay on my side and fold my knee back, like I'm trying to get my heel to touch my rear. It stretches the same muscle and is much more at my pace. Everything else I'm able to do, but once again that's what makes :yoga: awesome, is it encourages you to listen to your body and make adjustments. Yoga is not a competition, it's a time to get in tune with your body and relax your mind. If you want to try a ten minute stretch routine, let me know what part you'd like to start with and then I can recommend some options.
I, myself, like to mix it up with different instructors. But Candlelight Yoga with Sara is where I started and where I come back to on a regular basis. The most important thing is your breathing and it really is true you can use the breathing in everyday stress situations to center yourself.
I also like Jake Mace, he has some little ten minute tai chi routines that are nice for beginners. He's kinda a west coast dude, but I love him. I'm all about people with a positive attitude.

For myself, I'm just getting back into a good flow.

Scots I would love it if you would do another challenge. I really enjoyed that.

And for those of you lurking around, I want to share something with you. Our weight and the thought of the long journey ahead has sidelined us enough. Don't let fear take anymore from your life than it has already. Here is a place of acceptance and love. Step in and let go. Become apart of something wonderful.

I am having a difficult time with the posting. Is there a way to save whilst writing. I have written t least three long posts this week and keep losing them. :(

Annie you could always write in word or notepad and copy and paste in here..I've had that happen to...it's a bummer

WOW! That was great.

I too wish Scotsgal would join us again. That is one thing that is hard about being on here. I miss my on line friends when they slip away. I too am guilty so I understand...
Thanks for all the you tube info now I just have to start.

Annie I hope it was good news you were going to share with us.

Do any of you ever have days where you just feel like one part of your body is huge? I am very apple shaped and have lost 10 inches around my middle. When I am sitting I can see so much more of my legs. Still when I look down today all I see is a massive beach ball. Yesterday it seemed so much smaller. These mental weight loss challenges are crazy.

Have a great weekend everyone!

ubee
For me it's my hips. I've lost 25 pounds since March my waist loss is almost 4 inches...my hips...not even 2..ARGH ITS SO FRUSTRATING!!! I'm like really? My pant size is one in waist and a different in hips I'm not even close to this Mrs Claus outfit I want...my hips are still 5 inches too big...but I'm closer than I was...

Kathy I hope you have a great weekend as well :hug:

Ladies
thanks for the posting ideas. Yes they were very positive posts. So it's disappointing not to be able to share.
sometimes I am so happy about losing weight then something happens to bring me down. I spent all week enjoying shopping from my closet and feeling better all round. My company bought tickets for everyone to go to a local baseball game. I was very excited and invited all the family. Well as the week progressed I found out that it was in an open area and we had to bring chairs to sit in. Still okay. Then on Friday the day of the game the company sent a message saying that we could not bring the fold up chairs and instead to bring a blanket to sit on the ground. Bubble Burst - I know it is so difficult for me to get up and down from the ground that I just don't want to have all my colleagues see me struggle. So we did not go. The body image is so difficult to overcome. One of my co-workers hurt her foot surfing and she is on crutches. She needed help getting down and up. She went and accepted the help. Why should it be different but it is. I realize that I have missed out on so much over the years but NO MORE. This physical impairment must go.
Please don't see this as negative. I am going to use this to help me stay strong.
Ubee I understand that our body image keeps on changing. 10" leads to 11". Lets get there together Ladies. Great quote you posted inviting more people to join.
Sweetcakes) You have encouraged me to take my measurements. I have avoided it because I don't want to face the number. But how cn I know how much less I measure.

anniemaxx

Right on JacsNHL, you are not alone!

Oops! I guess I posted in the July thread, so I am copying and pasting here:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Everyone,

Very nice to meet you all! I am 50, a school teacher, mother to a 22 y.o. son, and recently widowed.

Our family went through some very tough times with my DH's cancer diagnosis 2 years ago and his struggle and passing. In the last 2 years, I paid zero attention to what/when/how I ate and the end result is over 30+ extra lbs. on my already heavy frame.

I have been somewhat successful on Low Carb and am now combining that with Intermittent Fasting.

I'm looking forward to know everyone and give and receive support to help all of us achieve our WL goals.

Welcome Eliza! I am so sorry for all you and your son have been and are going through.
I think this will be a great place for you to start on your new healthier you journey.
I also do IF. I also do low carb but not everyday. I know I would lose faster and be healthier if I did but I just am not totally committed to it. Looking forward to getting to know you.

Hi Kathy! Not too chatty are you? When you are ready please share how you are doing and what you are up to.

Annie great job turning that into a positive motivator! I know what you mean about every one viewing weight differently. Could you imagine if society were to publicly bash and harass an alcoholic? Sweetcakes is the one to get all the credit for that great quote.

Sweetcakes with your permission I would like to add it to our opening invite every month. A Mrs Claus outfit? You are so cute! Love that goal!

Well another weekend of eating has come and gone. The scale says I did not do as well as I thought. I still think a lot of it is salt... Oh well on my lifelong journey I continue.
Have a great day everyone.

Is it crazy to be happy that I only have 99 lbs to go to reach my target.

Please join my contest. I am putting a dollar in a box for every pound I lose. The winner of the money will be the person who guesses correctly the sate I reach my goal.
Goal 180 lbs. and guesses are accepted thry end of August.

Will give me a little incentive,

talk more tomorrow

anniemaxx

Ubee Of course girl, no worries

Annie March 19, 2019
Remember that day will come whether you are working on it or not so just keep pushing forward.
I've thought a lot about your post from last week about skipping an event you wanted to do to. Why do we do that? I used to do that a lot but the last year or so I just said screw it....nothing is off limits. I know you will get there, don't be so hard on yourself.

Good Morning all, I hope this finds all of us ready for a fabulous and fun filled day.

Kathy-how is everything going? I see you lost 10 pounds-that's awesome:carrot:

Welcome Eliza I'm sorry for your loss and I'm glad you are here. We all are in the neglect yourself boat so know you are among friends.

I'm looking to end the month seeing my number start with 27 but I need to start my weight exercises again...my muscles feel so mushy. I'm a little sad, the boy leaves in 11 days and then its just us. Financially there is so much on the plate to do over the next five years, every time I think about it I get a little overwhelmed. First thing is getting all the debt paid off.. 23k just in credit cards and things for the house....argh...but I can do it...one step at a time...I can do it

Welcome Eliza, we're glad you are here. So sorry to hear what you've been through lately.

Great idea of thread !

I'm happy to say that I should leave the 300 lbs club soon ( hopefully in 1 month or so ), but happy to stick in this group because being overweight and being 300+ is NOT the same thing.

I'm thinking about the struggles to take the plane ( I used to ask for a belt extension all the time, so humiliating :( ) , avoid sitting in a bus ( because nobody could have enough space next to me ) , getting clothes ONLY in specialized store, struggling to take the stares, feeling tired all the time, having bigger boobs ( when you're a man ) than your partner, so on so forth...

So happy to be part of this discussion bros ans sistas :)


Anyway my number 1 advise would be Walking. Walking has really saved me. I use to hate walking, I could not stand it. But i started to walk, step by step, and now I love it and it allowed me to to get in better shape and prepare me for the next step, the gym.

So few advice for walking :
1. Get comfortable shoes, very important !
2. Find a nice spot where you like the vistas around you ( seaside, nice park, forest, etc )
3. Have some music or podcast to listen
4. Take rest when you need to
5. Walk at your own pace and then when you have the rhythm increase the pace regularly
6. If you can, find a someone to walk with, it helps

Enjoy :)

Welcome Unapologetic Lover! I think we all agree that being 300+ is definitely a whole different game. I see you have lost a nice chunk of weight. How long ago did you start to change your ways?

Hi Kathy! Nice to have you pop in.

Sweetcakes one day at a time and you will get out of debt. Just like weight loss, keep at it and it will happen. You and hubby will be fine with Jr. away. You will be surprised how soon you will get used to and enjoy your new way of life.

I need a good nights sleep. My busy little mind is always worrying. Being tired makes this so much harder.

How is everyone doing?

I've been off track for a few days. Mini-vacation took its toll on me and I gained half a pound, and then the few days after that were difficult too, due to pizza for dinner and leftover pizza the next day. I'm mostly back on track now, except that it was our once-a-month sushi day, and that can really add up in terms of calories and carbs! I'm having a protein smoothie for dinner tonight, so I'm not too far over my calories for the day. Tomorrow I'll cook my meals for the week so I won't have to eat heavy dinners. My problem is that on days when I eat heavily at breakfast or lunch, I still have to eat something in the evenings even though I am not hungry because I have medications that I have to take with food. I don't usually eat too heavily, but it's still frustrating.
Also, I just can't seem to get back into my walking habit. I'm trying to do it in the mornings, because if I don't do it then, I talk myself out of it. At least I got some exercise in today when I did the grocery shopping (and carrying-in).

Sencha is it necessary to eat a lot of food with your medications? Could you get by with a piece of fruit or a serving of veggies?

Ubee, I have to eat at least 350 calories for the one med, and if I don't eat around 500 calories for the other med, I get a horrible upset stomach. As long as I'm not eating too heavily for breakfast and lunch, it's not hard to fit 500 calories into my dinner plans so I can take both meds together, I've just had a couple bad days. But I've got my meals planned for today, so I shouldn't have that problem.
On a side note, I've noticed that the shirt I put on today seems to feel looser than usual. Is that possible with a weight loss of 5 pounds? Maybe I've lost some inches?

Sencha how many calories are you eating daily. Those meds don't give you too much leeway.
Yes, it is very possible for your shirt to be loser. I notice it before I lose weight and then as the scale goes down I don't notice anything. It is a great feeling isn't it?!

I think I am going to be behaving for quite a while on the weekends. Taking all week to get back to where I was last week is getting old. Of course I have less social occasions where feasting is included in my future so that makes it easier.

How is everyone doing?

Ubee, my calorie limit for the time being is 1800, but typically I eat around 1600-1700.

omg work today is so BOOOOOOORRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!
I can't wait to get home...went for a walk yesterday finally and it felt so good!!
We move the boy next Friday so I'm hoping that maybe after than I can get some calm back to my life.
Everything feels so crazy...

My next goal is 275 and I'd love to get there by the end of October....what a nice Halloween gift that will be but it won't happen if I'm not working on it.

I just need to breathe and take it all in...I'm looking forward to an awesome fall...What great moments are coming from now till the end of the year.

Ubee I agree... most frustrating....you side track one day and its all kaboom....why can't it work the other way....don't exercise for a week and then exercise for one day and lose 5 pounds...oh that would be amazing. won't ever happen but....it's fun to dream.

ALRIGHT LOVELIES....OUR EXCERCISE THREAD IS A LITTLE THIN AND NOT IN THE GOOD SENSE....DON'T QUIT ON YOURSELF!!! KEEP MOVING!!

http://thescienceofeating.com/wp-con...9396438857.jpg

I've started the 26th of December 2016, best decision i took in my life ( 2nd best was to enter the gym on the 1st of February 2017 ). My plan is to reach my goal by May 2018 or 18 months after I started my diet.

But no way I will be fat again after this. The amount of efforts you need to put in to lose weight when you're older (I'm 40 now ) has nothing to do with how it was years ago.

I did a diet nearly 20 years ago after having the same weight issues as I did in the past decade, and I lost so easily. So I never had a sense of urgency losing weight because I thought it was going to be easy as it was back then. And boy, how wrong I was !!! NEVER AGAIN ! It's too painful to lose weight, I'm won't go into that ordeal again, I'm sure of it. Contrary to what i did back in the day, I'm taking new habits that will stick with me for life.

Sorry for that long answer lol

Hi everyone!

It's been a busy week. I had a stomach bug of some kind on Monday and spent the day in bed, but the rest of the week was a whirlwind! I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday. I'm looking forward to relaxing over the weekend... my husband just suggested a trip to the shore. Sounds wonderful!

I'm down to 307... quite happy! My goal to be 300 or less by the time of my trip to see my parents might just be met! I need to make sure I stick to my calorie plan and not get sucked into the whole, "oh, but I burned all of these calories working out so I can eat just a little more." I've been eating more salad, too, and sticking to a nice light vinaigrette instead of ranch!

sweetcakes - I think you can totally hit your next goal by Halloween! I'm also looking forward to the fall, although I'm still enjoying my summer. I miss having a real fall, though. I used to live in the northeast and was treated to beautiful fall leaves with chilly nights perfect for hot cocoa with friends. Here in western Oregon, the majority of the trees are evergreen and sometime around the end of October, it's like somebody turns a faucet on and the rainy season begins. I'm hoping that since the last two winters were so unusually wet (or so I'm told), that maybe this one will be a little drier. Then again, it's so hot and dry right now that the fire risk is terrible. The valley here is actually filled with forest fire smoke from Canada, plus a little from more local forest fires. It's like smog. We could use a good soaking.

Sencha - I had a very odd bit of weight loss in June when I got my fitbit and got way more active. The scale was headed down, but I suddenly gained and I discovered that my scale was wonky anyway and gave me different readings depending on where on the floor it was. I ended up hanging out around the same weight for a while, but I lost two inches off my hips, plus inches elsewhere. So you could be muscling up a little, which would result in less of a change in the scale but a definite change in inches. I'm pretty excited to be approaching 300 because once I get below that, most of my 2X t-shirts should fit good again. One shirt in particular my dad bought for me at the aquarium about a year and a half ago when my parents came to visit me. I got home and tried it and it was like skin on sausage. I recently wore it and it's still a bit snug in the belly, but definitely an improvement!

Ubee - I feel your pain. I've had numerous slip ups over the summer that have cost me time... it's so terrible to hop on the scale and realize that you've gone backwards. I'm of course thrilled that I've lost about 13 pounds since June, but I know if I had been more diligent, I could have lost twice that.

Unapologetic Lover - Welcome! I'm also a big fan of walking. I have a terrible habit of not sticking with other forms of exercise (biking, paddling, etc.), but walking is easy to do and there's lots of places to do it! I hope our weather cools down soon so that I can go hiking again. I love hiking in our mountains, but temperatures have been close to 100 F (or higher... last week was insane) and heat and bright hot sunlight really wear me down. I mentioned that I'm looking forward to fall... also looking forward to mushroom hunting! Lots of walking opportunities there, with a marvelous reward!