OK....first of all, I am a self proclaimed dork. I have been looking around these message boards for like a year now and never spoke/wrote a word for a year. I have written a few in the last week and just cant seem to get a hang of all these tons and tons of things to read and keep up with.
Viva Confusion!! lol. I am 30....argghh I hate saying that! and I am a single mom of 3 wonderful little guys...10, 8 and 2 next month. I dont know when I got fat, but now its so horrendous that everything seems like a chore almost. I work in an athletic/entertainment world and am feeling kinda worthless and invisible and dare I say it...intimidated! YUCK...horrible feeling. I have to do something and I have to do it now! I have major beefs with the diet industry, mainly for preying on womens emotions and am determined to do this the old fashioned way..good ol cutting back and the dreaded torture...errr, I mean exercise. ANYWAY...drivel aside.. This is my poor attempt to get someone on board with me...someone to encourage and be encouraged. My name is Angie and I really want to hear from you.
Hi Angie! My name is Mel and I just wanted to stop by and wish you good luck on your journey. I know what you mean about the diet industry. They mostly target women and try to make them feel as if they are worthless. As far as the "torture" try to find something that you enjoy. If you do, you will be more likely to stick with it. I love going to the gym, but I know that many people would rather give their pinky toe than go, so you have to find something that appeals to you. Try something fun like walking or walking. Those are my favorite.
Hi Angie! I, too, am lumpy much to my dismay. But getting less and less lumpy as time goes by! I am 32 (okay, okay, 33 at the end of this month) and the stay-at-home mom of 3 1/2 year old twins - a boy and a girl. By the time they were delieverd (8 weeks premature by emergency C-section) I had gained 60 pounds. By the time they turned one, I had lost a respectable amount of weight. But then the kids started getting more difficult, causing me great amounts of stress and I dealt with it by eating whatever was in sight. I just gained and gained. And now I'm sick of hating the way I look and feeling bad about myself all the time. I want to feel good about myself again and finally be free from my fat. Ya know? A while back I had started Atkins and lost 15 pounds... I know you said you have major beefs with the diet industry and I know what you mean. They suck! But portion control and exercise just didn't cut it for me so I checked out some other "ways of eating". This one made sense to me, sounded simple and easy to stick to and I gave it a try. Its by far the best thing I've done and is HEALTHY despite what all the "nay-sayers" would have you believe. I'm not trying to sell you on Atkins, just don't condemn me for it.
Anyway, how is your diet adventure going so far? Did you begin it a year ago when you started "lurking" on the boards or did you start recently? It doesn't matter - if you want to lose the weight, you CAN do it!
hey there....Ahh twins! Arent they sweet? hehe I have twin sisters that will be 21 this month...and besides my precious little boys, they are the light of my life. You have so much joy ahead of you!
I would never judge you for doing Atkins.. that is definatly a personal choice. What works for you is what works for you...and thats that! lol. I myself dont much care a whole lot for meat....though I do find lentils appealing. Im just weird that way. Surely anyone who found lentils yummy would never be fat! RIGHT!!!???? arrrgghhh....anyway... My main thing is getting off my duff and exercising. I hate it...to me its like torture. But I guess that comment sounds about right coming from someone who is as big as the back end of a barn! lol. I am trying to drink a slimfast in the morning before work, and a piece of fruit before lunch...then a diet tv dinner type thing for lunch...then maybe eat a little of whatever I cook the kiddos in the evening. I eat compulsively until I make myself sick..its disgusting. I am changing that this week though...and Im glad your around..Id like to hear more from you!
Oh my gosh - I totally know where you're coming from! I eat compulsively until my stomach is killing me and I have the hugest guilt trip ever. I mean I can be sitting there scarfing down a bag of chips and a package of Oreos and thinking to myself, "This is disgusting. Why am I doing this? Put the chips down. Unhand those Oreos, woman, NOW!" and yet I still keep eating. Is that gross or what? Actually I haven't done that in quite a while, but still... its IN me, ya know?
Okay, so your *** is as big as the back end of a barn, huh? That sucks! At least its not as big as the SIDE of the barn - that would be WAY worse. Lets see if we can get that butt down to, lets say.... 3 ax handles wide? That's a good start wouldn't you say? And maybe we can get mine down to the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. Actually, I'm an apple shape so my problem area is my belly. Its like I'm carrying a large brisket strapped to my abdomen. Needless to say, its not attractive. I keep thinking that if I get a boob job my belly will look more proportionate to the rest of me.
Anywhoo... exercise is not my thing either. Its for the birds - I really, really hate it. I had joined Curves but it sucked so I quit. I had a treadmill that turned into a very handy place to hold folded laundry. Sold it. Bought some weights to work out my arms. They collect dust. Now I have a nice, new elliptical machine... I promised my husband I'd use it and I don't. And I have such guilt I sometimes lie to him and say I used it while he was at work. Isn't that awful? Ugh, I despise myself sometimes. I will readily admit that I am super lazy. I just am. That's how God made me, okay? I love to hang out and read books for hours, knit, sit at a coffee shop and drink mochas while I watch the world go by or zone out and watch TV. I'm not a "doer" and never will be. Every once in a while though I get inspired and do some Pilates, but if you only do it once in a blue moon, it does you absolutely no good. Such a pity.
Hey, maybe we should start a food log here to keep ourselves accountable?
Okay, gotta go. Kids are screaming. (Again!)
-Sarah
Brisket strapped to your abdomen huh? I love it! hehe. I suppose I am an apple too...that is, if a watermelon shape is not an option. I am very proportionate...the problem being that my proportions are very large and saggy. My freaking belly is huge...I am talking ho, ho, ho. I am nursing still and I am afraid that when I quit my boobs will resemble a bowling ball in a sock....but I know this is totally worth it!
Well I have wonderful news....I too have a new elliptical! Well its not too new...but the only miles its got on it, are the ones my sister puts on it after she gets off work. I told her I would buy it if she would come over and use it too, then I wouldnt feel so bad for spending all that money. hehe. Shes doing just great! So what do ya say about keeping the food log here and committing to around 30 minutes on the elliptical at least 5 times a week? Is that too much. I know you are probably run ragged by the little ones...and I work full time. But surely this is do-able..right? I am getting a little teeniney glimmer of hope here.....
Hey, no worries! Even if your boobs do end up looking like bowling balls in gym socks, you can just put on one of those Victoria's Secret push-up bras that lift and seperate and squish everything together and you'll be super-sexy! I on the other hand am pretty darn flat so I'll have to stuff the gym socks into MY bra! (If only I could squish all my belly fat up to my chest. Hmmmmm....)
Okay, so let's go for the food log and exercise accountability! (Ugh - I'm already dreading it )
This is what I'm planning to eat today:
B: Carb control shake + vitamins
L: Large salad with chicken breast
D: Another large salad with chicken breast
Snack: String cheese
64 oz. water throught the day (I have a REALLY hard time with this!)
Tonight I'll log in again and say whether or not I stuck to my plan.
Ask you sister "Miss Elliptical" (since I don't know her name) what keeps her motivated for exercising. Maybe she'll have some wonderful insight for us!
I hope you have a wonderful day and eat healthfully. (Is that a word?)
Hi Girls - It only takes 21 days to form a habit.....like walking maybe? Once you get in the habit it will be something you look forward to.
Good luck - you can do this!
I am proud to report that I stuck to my meal plan today except I had a low-carb bar for snack instead of string cheese. And I didn't drink all my water. Over all I did quite well though! How about you? How'd you do? Did you exercise tonight? If you did, you're one up on me.
Hey! Sounds like you did superdeeduper!! I must confess....I am going to start tomorrow...so it is you who is one up on me.... I had a lunch date with my boss and his wife today. But tomorrow is the day....diet and exercise. I am soo going to do this! I wont let you down tomorrow. I am a bit nervous...I have a big ball game to go to this weekend....5 hours of travel there ....the game and then 5 hours back.. Those are total snack times. If I can make it through that...I can make it through anything! Again....YOU GO GIRL! I dont think you ever told me how much weight you needed to lose?
Also...to Star...I could walk for years like Forrest Gump and there would be no habit...just hatred. But thanks for trying to make it seem sunny!
Momof 3 - You HATE to walk? Well I guess that's out of the question for exercise sake. So is there any exercise you don't HATE? I didn't mean to make it sound 'sunny' just doable.
Okay Momof3 - today is YOUR day! You can do this! I have confidence in you because I know how badly you want it. Just take it one meal at a time and drink tons of water. And don't worry about the ball game. The key to that will be preparedness. Brink healthy things to snack on with you. Apples (or apple chips if you want a little crunch), a couple cans of SlimFast, baby carrots... How about a SlimFast bar? Those are chocolatey and might satisfy a sweet tooth. And even if you're a little disappointed while you're eating these snacks (because, c'mon, they are not as tastey as a hot fudge sundea) you WILL feel good about yourself afterward because you did something good for yourself. And that will make it easier to start making better food choices later. I know it may be hard to resist the snack bar hotdogs, nachos and pretzels with cheese sauce (it would be for me anyway) but before ordering one, just imagine it glued to your butt, because that's where it will end up. Is 5 minutes of tasty hotdog worth the hours of EXERCISE to get it off your behind!?
WARNING: And don't go the easy route and say, "I promise I'll start my diet AFTER the ballgame" because that is a cop out. There will ALWAYS be some reason to put off your diet - I'm living proff of that mistake. There will always be someone's birthday, a ballgame, an office party you have to attend, or a holiday that will give you the excuse you want to eat as you wish... You just have to go to these events and make better food choices.
Also, I try to drink nothing but water. Almost any other drink is loaded with calories and goes down so easy you get a ton of calories without even realizing it. Especially juice and soda! Try to stick to water as much as possible. (Or Crystal Light or iced tea with sugar substitute.)
Okay, here is my inspiration for the day:
IF YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING,
YOU'LL KEEP GETTING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN GETTING.
Tell yourself that every time you feel like bombing on your diet!
Well, I'm off to the beach with the chitlins and a friend. I know you'll have a great day (but if you don't, don't beat yourself up about it!) I'll check in tonight!
Star, its not that I really HATE walking...because I do feel blessed that I have the ability and all that...I just dont like exerting myself....which is prob the reason for my weight gain...that and pregnancy. I havent been fat until after my 3rd pregnancy...and have always been quite athletic up until then and I just blew right up like a blow fish. There were things I enjoyed and walking for no reason wasnt one of them and its awfully hard to go to the gym with the kids. We do take strolls sometimes, but walking aerobicly with them is dang near impossible! I will have to learn to love my elliptical. I am hoping it will be my new best friend Thanks for the encouragement though and from the looks of your ticker, youve done a great job. Have a great day!
Sara your encouragement is what I needed today...your right about the ballgame. I think Ill make it. I drink a buttload of water everyday...mainly because I am hoping to slow down the wrinkle process. You sound like you are doing great...Im really proud of you!! So far this morning I have had a slimfast and will be going home for lunch and having a frozen weight watchers dinner.... I have no idea whats for dinner yet...but I am going to get on "the machine" for 35 minutes this evening. That is a promise. Have fun at the beach for me and Ill check in tonight. See ya!
Ok...I did everything I said I would do today... I didnt elliptical as long as I had planned....but I did it nevertheless and it felt good. Slimfast for breakfast and lunch and a big salad for dinner. Yea Me! How did you do? I am looking forward to hearing... Today was long and crappy...so I am taking my grumpy butt in bed early....talk to you soon!
An early bedtime sounds fantastic. If only the kiddies thought so too! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!! You go girl! Now if we could just take that great feeling we get when we stay on track all day and bottle it... Then when we needed a little inspiration - it would be right there. I am extra proud of you for getting on your elliptical. And so what if it wasn't 35 minutes? The point is you DID it. (I can only do it for about 15 minutes or so myself.) Tonight I'm going to try and do some Pilates.
The beach was great fun, but I'm sunburned and soooooo exhausted. You'd think I ran a marathon I'm so tired, but all I did was wade in the water and watch the kids. Anyway, I stayed on track too. Drank lots of water and did not indulge in anything that wasn't "Atkins friendly". I feel I'm off to a good start. We're BOTH off to a good start!
Keep up the good work and lets have another great day!
-Sarah
BOOHOO...Im lumpy..PLEASE LOSE WEIGHT WITH ME!
)
Thanks for the encouragement though and from the looks of your ticker, youve done a great job. Have a great day!