Kim, that's an interesting thought and I think I might have that pattern! I know I fluctuate all over the place during the course of a week even when I've controlled for sodium etc. Keep us posted on that, I'd be interested to see what you find :)

Hope everyone's having a great week!

HELLO!!!!! I didn't do well in the Valentine's Challenge although I didn't have a major gain either. I'm ready and willing to try this shizznit again...Just booked a vacation for April so now I have extra incentive to get back into shape. When I say back into shape I don't mean some major weight loss , but rather a healthier body with more muscle tone. I also strongly believe in the mind/body connection and I want a healthier mind now that I'm under extreme stress due to some personal stuff going on in my life. I don't just want to survive in life, I want to live well. My goals:

1. More water and take my supplements; daily.
2. weight lifting twice a week
3. cardio 5 days a week.
4. yoga twice a week
5. less carbs. Nothing white (bread, rice, pasta).
6. NO SUGAR

Would like to lose 7 lbs.

hey everyone.
Looks like everyone is sticking to their goals pretty closely. i have been like glue to mine...and not seeing much of a weight loss at all....bummer !!
Guac....i had back pain as well, since november...horrible horrible horrible..when the doc asked me about my weight i was at least able to say i'd started to lose..she left it at that thankfully. Keep us posted on what the doc says okay?
Kuchic... well done for drinking more water...by the way..have u had ur blood pressure taken lately? mine is very low..108 / 69 and i have to watch out for dizzy spells all the time.

weight today was 68.3 kgs.- 150.3 pounds.
Will stay true to myself and my goal for march !!!

guacamole; This may sound like a silly question, but do you see chiropractor? I was in terrible back pain latter part of this past year and after 2 months of chiro treatments I am feeling great.

Kim I am from Lake Orion, Palace area :)

My past two days have been meh... I have been cooking too much (I fill freezer) and I keep sampling it all. I think TOM is near and I have no will power.

fyreflie24 - the sodium intake question is something I have been thinking about. I have been eating more sodium than usual this week and been feeling bloated and PMSy even though it isn't my time. I stepped on the scale this morning to find myself up 3 lbs! Ugh. I also haven't been as strict with carb intake this week. My husband bought a bag of mini whole wheat pitas, and I ate them all over the course of a few days. Even though I really don't enjoy low carbing...I was strict the last few weeks and lost weight. I am going to have to get back on track.

Zumbachica - Glad to have you joining in! Looks like you have some well thought out goals!

fiona46 - Good for you for staying on plan! The scale will cooperate soon if you keep going. I am going to the doc tomorrow....not looking forward to it. I am bracing myself for the "losing weight" prescription.

Sum38 - I do not see a chiropractor, but have considered it. I'll see what the verdict is at the doctor first to rule out any medical condition.

Good luck today, everyone!

Fiona - I used to have low blood pressure, but lately anytime it's checked it's been closer to "normal". My blood pressure seems to drop easily though - I annoyed 3 anesthesiologists (sp?) at 3 C-sections by blacking out at the first one and then the other 2 swore that they were doing something magical and different that would prevent that from happening again and both times I fainted on the table before I even made it to the operating room. Apparently epidurals and spinals really knock me out. I just need to pay more attention to my body's signals really. I'd been tired for the last 2 days (low iron) and I didn't drink anything before or during my workout.

Oops - gotta go - have a sick kid at school...

I'm still on my program, though I'll admit yesterday I was very bad. Very bad. I ate nearly everything in sight. If I could've gotten the kitchen sink out of the counter top I would've eaten that. I'm not sure why, I've been really good about staying on my plan. Not sure if I was feeling deprived or what. Fortunately it was just one day so today I'm resisting everything out of principal. Good to see all of you sticking with the challenge.

Guac DW has a lot of back trouble and the chiropractor helps her a lot.

Sound good guacamole. -- I had a few happenings that caused my back pain. I was a ballerina and my partner dropped me and my last vertebrae fused onto my tailbone (I did not know at the time it was broken; 30 years ago we had to work through pain...lol)...so my spine is always crooked. I was also in a car crash in my yearly 20's; a lady blew a red light and hit me directly on driver's side door and I got messed up from that. -- Doctors have always sent me to physical therapy, which I found totally useless for me; at the time I was in excellent shape and the strenght training they had me do, was not helping my back; that is when i turned into chiropractic care and it changed my life. -- I have been lucky to find good chiros... had a few bad ones, but the one I have, I adore him. He always spends a nice amount of time on my back and works on the tight muscles as well.... Good luck, and I hope it is just something minor!!

I always had super low blood pressure, I mean 60/30 kind until I hit my highest weight. One night I drove myself to urgent care because I thought i was having an heart attack...it was something like 220/120. They had heck of a time bringing it down. -- My dr. put me on meds, and as time goes by and as my weight have decreased, my BP is getting pressure. I am taking only 1/2 doze now and perhaps one day I could totally get off the meds. -- It is amazing what a little weight loss can do....

As for me; I am having a better day today. I dragged my (big) butt out the door and went for a walk. I walked 7 miles at 4.1 mph speed. I love walking. Spring is approaching and it was sunny.

My eating has been better today. Boy I packed on too many calories during the last 2 days; let's hope that my extended spike days actually reward me :D -- I am having a veggie and fruit day today. I will aim for 1400 calories.

Sorry about the novel ladies :D

Fiona My kids are Australian :) -- My Dh was born in Australia. I was born in Finland, and my kids are Finnish as well and of course American because they were born here. -- Our wish is to go to Australia, one of these years.

andrew80k You and I both...Wednesdays are always bad food days for me; I blame because the kids have late start and my schedule is off... I hope today is better for you!

kuchick I hope your baby is feeling better soon! My baby was sick last week -- we were in CO on a ski vacation :( He had to skip a few days of boarding, he was so :mad::mad::mad::mad: 'Tis the season :(

Zumbachica Where are you going? Somewhere warm? We will keep you motivated by reminding you about that vaca :D:D

Espressowhip :carrot::carrot: for you FAB week!

:wave: NEMom and fyreflie24 and anyone else I missed! :hug:

I saw this on MFP; I thought it was great!

Eat less crap:
C - carbonated drinks
R- refined sugars
A - artificial sweeteners & colors
P - processed foods

Eat more food:
F - fruits & veggies
O - organic lean protein (organic is not important)
O - omega 3 fatty acids
D - drink water

Hi all

... Well done Guac....good luck at the docs.

hmmmm sodium...salt right? never thought about it affecting weight loss. I will do a meal diary starting from today to see how much i'm eating, as i've felt bloated most of the week.

Hi all

Just went on mydailyplate am not eating enough calories. Maybe thats why i'm not losing any weight. I exercise most every day (brisk 6.2k) walk.

So...have upped the anti this morning...2 pieces of wholegrain toast with a poached egg. and 2 cups of water.


Goal this week...keep the calories up
exercise every day
drink all my water
no weighing till next week!!

Hi, guys. Couldn't log in to 3FC at all on Friday - guess the site was having issues?

The doc prescribed a 5 day course of steroids - I'm on day 2. Feeling kind of icky...but it might be psychological because I don't like taking any medications. I have an MRI set up for this Friday, and a physical therapy consult for this Thursday, and a follow-up doc visit the week after. He thinks I have a slipped disc and possible spinal stenosis. The MRI will determine how advanced it is and if I need surgery or if it can be managed by physical therapy.

Feeling pretty down.... I wanted to up my exercise and start a routine to help my weight loss...it's on hold for now. I feel like I am gaining weight by the moment....

New to this thread, but I like the idea of sticking to goals with a bunch of 40-somethings...

My March Madness Goals:
Drink 8 glasses of water/herbal tea daily
Keep on my eating plan
Avoid "sampling" sips of my hubby's beer
Walk at lunch 3x week
Do my PT exercises for my right shoulder each day
Do yoga at least 2x week
Right: and drop at least 15:lifter: lbs!

@Fiona I also (use to) have trouble keeping my calories up. I added protein drinks to my diet. I use a brand called Scitech, commonly available worldwide, it mixes without clumping, and the chocolate is very chocolately & for me taste was the most important thing with a drink mix.

They also come in individual packets, so you can try it before you commit to a big ole canister of it.

It keeps my energy levels up, my calories up, and I get to have chocolate every day - which alone, is motivation enough for me to drink them. :cool:

Newbie here looking to join March Madness
 

Hi All,

Just joined 3FC this morning, what a great site for some inspiration!

My goals for March:

1. Reduce my diet soda intake
2. Reduce the stress eating I do between client calls at my home office.
3. Eat better at restaurants.
4. Get into the 180's (stuck in the 190's for 6 months) I am only 3 pounds away but for some reason I can't do it.
5. Continue the 3-4 times a week exercise

I will report back any progress

Welcome to all the new March Madness participants! This weekend's eating so far hasn't been great, but it's been worse before. PMS is rearing its ugly head and my back is still smarting. The weather is cold and there is a layer of snow and ice on the ground. I am ready for Spring to arrive!

Lately, I am moving like a turtle. It seems to take me twice as long to get ready in the morning. This morning I was supposed to drive my son school and pick up another family on the way. We took so long getting out of the house that they left without us! I felt bad, but in the end we all made it there on time. Every movement is pain. I hope the steroids kick in soon.

Oh my goodness Guac!! So sorry that you have been in pain. I hope that treatment helps you soon!!!

I have had a bad week or so. Lost focus which is easy to do when under stress the way that I am because of personal junk going on. I am trying to remind myself that gaining weight will just make me unhappier.

What has happene to Natamars? Is she in this challenge?

I look forward to turning a new leaf tomorrow....I am going to Universal with my kids in April and I'd like to feel good in my clothes. (and bathing suit).

Look forward to posting here and reading everyone else's posts for inspiration.

I'm doing well so far with the challenge. I've been tracking all of my food for a week and the scale is cooperating! Hooray! I'm wondering how much a pint of blood weighs though??? I donated blood yesterday, and the scale was down over 2 pounds this morning. I'll see what happens tomorrow.

Great job to everyone else!!

A pint is not a lb. Think of a pint sized container of milk....a lb is 16 oz. So your loss is definitley all from giving blood ;)

A US pint is 16oz, and yes, 16oz is indeed a pound.

Zumbachica, are you possibly thinking of a quart of milk and comparing that to the half-pint of milk they give to children at school?

According to the Red Cross, it takes 48 hours for your body to replenish the blood you donate. They also say, "You won't notice any physical changes." Whatever that means to how much you weigh is anyone's guess.

But you wrote that it was a good week - maybe you simply lost weight! And to that I say - YAY!!:carrot:

This reminds me of a conversation me and my pal had recently about obsessing over seeing changes on the scale...and how we will weigh ourselves after going number 2. We figured we can't be the only two women who do such things... we went on to compare other times when we might weigh ourselves and when not, and donating blood is definitely a situation we didn't consider! lol!

Good Morning ladies!

Another 1 1/2 pounds of water weight gone. Oh why oh why, did I slip so bad last week. :?: -- I am up still 3 pounds from last Monday :o (all time low during this weighloss round). TOM should be here any day, so I know I am up a bit because of it, as well.

I had a great weekend. I did a 24 hour fast on Saturday; just to cut my eating cycle. Sunday I did all veggie and fruit day; I allowed myself some rice noodles for dinner and some chocolate chips in my (homemade) trail mix as a snack. I ended up at 1465 calories for the day.

I drank over 10 glasses of water and took my vitamins and walked 5 miles on Sunday. So back on track :carrot:

Today, I am keeping up my water intake, walking 7 miles. I am aiming for higher protein day today, around 1500 calories.

traveling michele Congrats on staying OP! And thank you for donating blood! (You may be a bit dehydrated from it as well).

Zumbachica Sorry about your bad week :hug: I had one as well...I asked myself if I felt "good" after my horrid eating and the answer was simply no. This time I have decided, I am better than this. I deserve to get back in shape. -- So let's do it together this week! OP all the way! And just think of that bikini....:D

guacamole Oh bummer!!! I hope MRI will bring some answers! Back ache is the worst!!

Beverage10 :welcome: Lots of great support and accountability here!

GemIAm We are fab in our 40's :D:D Welcome!

fiona46 I upped my calories as well. I think I was eating too little (well not last week :rofl:) -- I started cycling different days; one day all fruits and veggies (with guacamole and olive oil for calories), next day high protein day...usually between 1400-1500 calories. I dropped 5 pounds after two weeks...I had stalled 6 weeks prior. I use myfitnesspal.com...if you are there, feel free to add me as your friend.:)

Espressowhip AWESOME...3.3!!!:carrot::carrot::carrot:

Anyone else I forgot :wave:







Everyone have a fab day!

Glad that everyone is on track! I kind of feel like I am slipping off plan and becoming bedridden and housebound because of my back. I'm not eating too horribly, but definitely had off-plan foods, although I have basically stayed within calorie range. Hopefully, my eating will get back on track this week even if my exercise won't.

Good luck, everyone!

Just wanted to do a quick share about my dinner - because it was so yummy!

I broiled salmon with Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb, pepper, and paprika. I made cucumber dill sauce by blending together 1 cucumber, 1/4 cup light mayo, dill weed (used the dry spice because I didn't have fresh), pepper, and Mrs. Dash Original. I put the salmon on a bed of spinach (1 cup) and poured some of the cucumber dill sauce over the whole thing (maybe about 3 or 4 tablespoons). Yummy, filling, and easy! I plugged it into my calorie program and it came back:

Calories - 327
Carbs - 6
Fat - 25
Protein - 20

I still have over 700 calories to use. Maybe some fruit or yogurt in a bit....

Well, I'm down a lb. and a half from yesterday, probably because of being bloated yesterday. Still, I know that I am so NOT near where I want to be....its sad really that I wound up in this place after working so hard to lose ten lbs last year.

I hear a lot of buzz about the Paleo diet...anyone know what this is? I also hear about gluten free even if you don't have celiac disease. I"m just not sure what my plan is for trying to lose this time. I just can't get back on the Atkins diet like I should.....and winging it obviously isn't working. I feel kind of helpless, like I can't do this on my own right now.

Hey everyone. Had my WI today and am at 184.2. That's now 18 days of being on plan & stuck right around 184. It gets pretty frustrating.

I know that it's probably just because I've added weights to my workout & am building muscle, and I know I've actually lost inches in the last two weeks. But....................... I want the stupid scale to move down. I swear I hear it giggling every day. LOL

Vent is over now.

Guac, hope you're feeling better. Zumba congrats on your loss. It's downward movement, no matter how small. Don't get discouraged. Kristiina, great job on getting back on track. We will all stumble, it's just dusting ourselves back off & getting back to work that counts.

Everyone else, keep up the good work & keep moving.

Kim

So I'm still on track for my goals. I've lost 3 pounds since the V-day challenge ended with 7 more to go in a month. I should be able to make that, but I've definitely slowed my progress through my lousing eating the last week.

So, I was reading some of the other posts and while it's close, 16 oz of volume of water doesn't weigh 1 pound. I know it's confusing but volume is not the same as weight and 16 ounces of water actually weighs a little more than a pound. 1.040 pounds (at sea level, 25 degrees celcius). Now that might seem like hair splitting but if you drink a gallon of water, that actually weighs 8 and 1/3 pounds.

Hello, everyone! Nice to see everyone participating and trying! That is a success in and of itself. TOM came early this month - Ugh! On the upside, I am down to 163lbs (from 165 of bloat last week) - on the downside I am still losing and gaining the same 4 or 5 lbs and can't get past 162, so it's not real progress. Hopefully, in a few days when TOM is over I'll start losing again. I need to get into the 150s already!

Went for my MRI today and it did not show spinal stenosis or a bulging disc - which is great! It did show that I have some kind of a small growth at the base of my spinal cord that might be responsible for nerve pain. I am probably going to have to go back for another MRI with contrast dye this time. I also have an appointment with a neurosurgeon later this week. I hate going to the doctor! In the meantime, I am still in pain, and on the last few pills of my steroid treatment.

On the way back from the MRI my husband and I went for breakfast. Let's just say I have about 500 calories left for today.... I hate it when that happens!

Good luck today, everyone.

Guac, I am not a doctor but I have heard from many that taking steroids can halt the weight loss process..so try and cut yourself a break. I hope that they get to the root of your problem and you can be pain free soon.....

Andrew thanks for explaining the 16 oz vs. lb. thing, I always wondered about that.

Kim...when you start lifting weights your muscles hold on to glycogen...inflammation happens....muscles hold water ...keep lifting and you'll see the results you want to see soon!!!

I'm in. My goal is the same - to reach 199 by the end of March. I think it's doable. Being more active and exercising every night is my secondary goal.

Welcome, cldwv! Good luck on your goals.

Zumbachica - I have thought about what the steroids will do to me this week - between TOM and steroids? Oh boy. I'll just try and stay on my eating plan to the best of my ability and hope to get through it. I'm more worried about the longer term effects of not moving and staying in bed so much.

The latest news is that they think I have an ependymoma of the L1 (vertebra) - a benign lesion, but will likely need to be removed surgically. I will know more after my next MRI and doctor's appointment with the neurosurgeon on Thursday.

Thanks for your concern!

I had kinda a bad night last night, not really bad - no cake or ice-cream or anything like that, but I was disappointed that I didn't try harder to talk myself out of eating more than I should. Something poked at an emotional soft-point, so I know why it happened, I simply regret that I didn't fight harder against it.

It's been 10 days since I started this challenge and I've had 10 yogurts, which although is an improvement, still isn't optimal. And I haven't been to a class yet, in spite of removing the obstacles which "seem" to prevent me from attending. There might be more to this than meets the eye.

I keep forgetting to weigh myself before my morning coffee/water, so I can't give a mid-week update on my weight-loss goal -but I've been working out as usual, and I feel good, so I trust things are continuing to move in the right direction!

Oh...feel good! Feel GREAT! My next goal size - 18W, fits much more comfortably this week than it did last week! Exceedingly happy about that! I'm a firm believer that just because you can stretch fabric across your body, does not mean it fits and can be worn out of the house...so these aren't ready for public viewing just yet...but they are getting closer...YAY! :broc:

Espressowhip - try not to be too hard on yourself! We all have those moments. As far as the yogurt goes, yogurt is healthy for you in moderation. What kind of yogurt do you eat? If you are eating a high sugar/calorie kind, maybe you can switch it over to Greek yogurt or another healthier variety? Take away the guilt but still get the enjoyment - plus the calcium!

I also follow the rule that just because an item of clothing can be stretched over me and pried shut, does not mean I should be wearing it in public! :o
However, when I have an item like that in my closet, it does serve as an incentive to periodically try it on at home to see if it is getting looser! It is a great visualization technique to imagine myself wearing the item and having it fit perfectly.

I am still hanging in there and doing what I can with my back - carpools, cooking, light straightening up. I have been sticking within my calorie range, although my carbs were higher than I wanted them to be yesterday, thanks to breakfast with my hubby - but it was worth it!

Tomorrow I have a day filled with a 2 hour MRI and a doctors visit. Ugh. I will enjoy the relaxation of being at home today.

Hang in there, everyone.

Guac I hate that you're having so many health issues. That makes everything else that much more challenging. And weight loss is already that. Hang in there and keep us posted.

Espresso Failure is not falling down, it's not getting back up. You sound like you're making great progress. There will always be little challenges. Keep working at making good decisions that get you closer to your goal. You will get there. Just stay focused. That great feeling you get when you see progress only comes when you make those good decisions that get you closer to your goal. Good luck!

Kim What is your plan? What sort of exercise are you doing? Getting stuck sux. Are you counting calories?

Guac try and enjoy your day off.....funny how we take household chores and being able to do them for granted until we're not able to do them!! I was on bed rest when I was pregnant and just wanted to get up and clean the house, never thought laying down would get "old"....lol....I hope you get some promising news at the docs tomorrow.

Well today is my day "off" which means tons of housework and office work to do......The scale isn't my friend today, but I'm back at square one and I have my work cut out for me to try and get back into fat burning mode. I turned to food for comfort again and I need to really get to the source of why I do that and stop it...because otherwise I'll never be successful.......not having clothes that fit isn't helping my state of mind.....and I can't afford to buy new things..and quite frankly I don't want to...
Well I know that I am rambling on but maybe that's what I need to do this morning....time to get started on this super busy day....have a good one everybody!!

Hello ladies;

We are having a real yucky day; we had an ice storm last night.

I am staying within my calories but I am not feeling good about my choices. -- Having TOM really sucks. Being 44 yrs old; it seems to rule my life 2 weeks out of 4; with cravings, bloat, ovulation..... I can't wait to be done!

Weight is hovering around 150. I seem to have lost some of my drive, but as long as I don't gain, I am okay with it, for now. Maybe I need a mental break.

Zumbachica Why is it that many of us women seek comfort from food? I wish I could get hypnotized and leave these cravings behind. Life would be so much easier... I hope today is a better day :hug:

Guacamole I hope your 2nd MRI will bring some good news and a treatment plan. I have been thinking about you!

Espressowhip I AGREE! Just because things have stretch they don't always fit :D I am a huge snob what comes to ill fitting clothing. BUT, the feeling about how something fit last week vs this week, and especially when it fits better, is amazing. -- Making progress girl!

andrew80k 3 pounds is fantastic! :carrot::carrot::carrot:

cldwv Every step counts. Do you have a pedometer?

kandd416 I was stuck for 6 weeks. It sucks...but I took measurements and they were going down and it got me going. Do you measure? :hug: You will get your drop and it will feel glorious!

Everyone have a fab day :)

I'm not a huge TV watcher but tuned into The Biggest Loser last night out of boredom. How do those people lose so much weight in one week? Also, something really annoying, I swear the people who weigh less than me on that show look bigger than me. I wonder if it's the 10 lb. television weight they talk about or am I totally delusional?!

When you have a LOT of weight to lose, in the initial stages weight loss can be really fast. Oftentimes a really obese person has a fair amount of muscle under the fat due to the sheer effort of packing around the weight. This can be useful in the beginning to help kick start fat burn. A certain amount of it is water weight as well. It slows down a lot as the process goes on though.