Good morning Girls,

We cooked our steak dinner in last night and I stayed on plan! I'm liking meats/fish/other protein more and more because the shrimp and little piece of steak that I had filled me up. This morning the scale was kind and I'm back to where my ticker says.

New mini goal is to break out of the 160's (again).

The temps will get into the 40's here today so it makes me feel like Spring (and shorts, sleeveless tops) are right around the corner. Hope I won't be jiggling in them!

ALL or Nothing?
 

Webwoman,
Thats great! No doubt you will be out of the 160's ASAP! You can do it!
I need to add more exercise and Log in my food journal. Its so easy to just wing it. If you don't write it down, then you don't have to face it.
I watch a program this am while delaying getting out of bed. It was called
"My Big Fat Weight loss Surgery". Though I did not see anything about surgery, it was about 3 woman getting into shape enough to with stand surgery. They had 6 months to lose 20- 25 pounds. 1 lost 33lbs., 1 lost 11lbs., and the other 15lbs. The trainer said the 1 that lost 33pounds did good. But simply stated to the others" That they were not trying and really did not want to lose weight." He said either to be all in, or just don't waste time pretending that you are trying.

"BOY did that hit home for me".:rolleyes:

"He said either to be all in, or just don't waste time pretending that you are trying."

I agree, sometimes we tell people we're on a diet/exercise program but still cheat by sneaking in that bowl of ice cream, snack chips, or whatever is our weakness (pizza, wine for me).

I just heard that my sister has now lost over 40 pounds and I'm very jealous. She's doing low carb, but not BFC, but the real reason is that she's stepped up the exercising. She comes into work 40 min early every day and uses the exercise room to do treadmill, sit-ups, and other machines. There is no reason in the world I can't do this too, except I'd have to get up at 5:30 each morning and <whine> "it's too early", "it's too dark", "I need that extra sleep" </whine> That's all a bunch of BS and I realize it now.

How bad do I want to fit into a size 8-10? Is it worth getting up 40 min earlier every day for a few months? Absolutely! I can just imagine this summer on vacation at the beach looking better than I have in years and wearing the cute clothes that never fit before - but I have to WORK for it, as we ALL do.

Let's re-commit to both the BFC diet part AND a ramped-up exercise schedule. Yesterday I walked outside for a mile and did a treadmill for 30 minutes - but I can do even better, or at least do that every day.

Have a great day!

Get Busy Losing or just keep spinning your wheels!?
 

Good Morning
Webwoman that sounds great! I agree to everything you said. I know I can defiantly do better. Its been years sence I was out of the two hundreds. I can just imagine how wonderful that would feel. I love cloths and use to love to dress up. I even dressed so that jeans would look up scale and very femine. Now I feel like a frumpy middle aged .......well I don't know even how to finish that thought. I was walking past a mirror the other day, and just happen to look at myself. It was so shocking! I did not even recognize who was looking back at me. I wanted to cry. How do we let ourselves get so far off track? I truly wish I could afford to go to some where like The Biggest Loser Ranch. If I COULD SPEND just six weeks, it would put back on track to losing and how to do it. There should be places everywhere like that, to help people regain their zest for exercising and eating well. Oh, I know there is WW, But I never felt motivated by their classes. The people they hire here, lack the skills to be motivating plus I hate to count points and weigh out food.
I was in a clothing store yesterday and had a casual conversation with a lady that had lost 40 pounds in the past 6 months. I asked her how she did it? Low carb was her answer. She said that she did not eat carbs or sugar except one meal a day and that you had to eat all the carbs & sugar within one hour of taking the first bit. after that hour no carbs, no sugar until the next day.(She added that in that 1 hour you could eat whatever you wanted)
Wow! I think you would consume to many calories in one hour. I couldn't help wonder what she was eating the other 2 meals.
I guess it boils down to if you want to lose it, you put the effort forth to stick with a program like BFC, etc. and truly be committed. I know one thing that I have learned about myself. I NEED HELP and POSITIVE PEOPLE For SUPPORT. I wish I could find a Buddy system in my home town; that I could team up with, to exercise and keep me accountable. I guess I am going to have to do some reach. Webwoman, you have done well and you can reach your goals by summmer. Just hope right in there and get up a little earlier. It will be worth it.

Hugs
Izzy

Happy Friday all!

Izzy, you do have a support system - right here! What a great place to report your wins and losses, or even vent sometimes. Do you have any way to workout or even walk? Aerobic exercise is still the best way to lose weight, with some toning sessions thrown in (could be dumbbells at home).

I had a pretty good day yesterday, sticking to plan until the very end when I had a small bowl of ice cream - Drat!! Dinner was a broiled ground round burger (no bun), steamed broccoli and cooked butternut squash with very little total salt. Probably too many carbs with squash AND broccoli, but way better than potatoes.

On the positive side, I did walk on the treadmill yesterday for 30 minutes and have been ramping up the incline to burn more calories.

:carrot: This morning I finally got up early and went to the gym at work where I did the treadmill for 25 minutes and worked on the weight machines for 15 minutes! If I can do this on a Mon - Friday basis, there's no way I can't lose some weight and tone up at the same time! It was no fun waking up early, but I got to bed early enough that it wasn't too hard. I know I have to commit to this more active livestyle, so tomorrow morning I'm going to attend the 8:00 am Cardio Cross Training class at the local rec center. With luck I'll be in the 150's by Monday. :)

Have a great day!

Oh WebWoman, I can totally relate to all this! The quote from the trainer is right on and honest. If you can't stand the heat......... I think I'm going to put that quote in my siggy, hoping neither you or Izzy mind.

I am where you are.....wanting to fit into some smaller clothes this summer, just like I have wanted to every other summer. Let's make this summer be the one when we really do it. We can, you know. It's still only February. My surgeon cleared me to go back to my exercising, but I've only done it 2 days. That was 2 weeks ago. So I can't blame it on my surgery anymore. I am IN!!!!

Carol Sue, that's great that you're healing enough to exercise! What kind of exercise plan/schedule will you do?

I know that spot exercising does not work, so I'll have to get down to my ideal weight before my "problem spot" (thighs) start to shrink. My sister's problem spot is her tummy, and her legs are already looking thin. We are different body types hence the stubborn areas are different.

What's your problem spot?

Webwoman - If I were you I would rethink the spot exercising. By this I mean since your problem area is your thighs you SHOULD be concentrating on exercises for that area while you're losing. You need to be firming up your thigh muscles and that will make them appear thinner and sleeker. If you don't firm up those muscles, eventually when you start to lose the fat in that area it will seem flabby. Also, fat is lost by using the large muscles in your body and the thigh muscles are in that category. And don't forget the hamstring up the back of your thigh. Your sister is like me with the tummy. That is a harder situation because you have to lose the fat in that area to make it smaller. We need more aerobic exercise to accomplish that.

Izzy - The low carb diet that woman was speaking of is "The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet". The theory behind it is it is easier than giving up carbs altogether. You have to pick one meal to be your carb meal and it has to be the same meal every day. It can't be breakfast one day and dinner the next. It's true that you can eat whatever you want during that hour, but not necessarily as much of it as you want. You're given an hour so it can be a nice relaxing leisurely meal that can include dessert if you like. Being a true carbohydrate addict, I too think of spending an hour stuffing myself with every carb known to man, and that's not it. It's just ALLOWING you to enjoy carbs that you would not have on other low carb diets. At one time I had the book. I don't know if I still have it....I've sold a lot of my diet books that I no longer follow.

Webwoman, I forgot you asked me about my exercise plan. I have converted my gameroom into an exercise room since no one was ever using it now that the kids are out of the house. I have a treadmill, elliptical, body glide, generic gazelle, a punching bag, a weight station and hand held weights. Before I started all these medical problems, I was working out for 1 to 1 1/2 hour 5 days a week. I have it set up so I can see the TV and I would exercise while I watch my soaps, The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. That makes the time go really fast. I would walk on the treadmill for about 10 minutes for a warm-up, then switch to the elliptical for 30 min, then go back to the treadmill for the remaining 20 minutes, including a cool down. Then a couple times a week I would add some punching or some weight lifting. Nothing I do would be considered strenuous because I have had open heart surgery and several stents and don't want to overdo it. But I figure, any moving is better than sitting in my recliner. I go about 2-2.5 mph. I add in the gazelle and body glide here and there for variety. It works some different muscles. I don't consider my exercise strenuous enough to be contributing to my weight loss, but it gets me breathing deeper, and I am a little sweaty by the time I'm done, so I think it's good for my health. It lifts my mood and curbs my appetite. Exercise strengthens your lungs, loosens up your joints, lowers your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides. This surgery actually started in June of 2011 with the first surgery and since then I haven't done much exercise. I want to get back to it slowly and eventually be back where I was at 60 min 5 days a week. Mostly I do this M-F because that's when my soaps are on, but I also have several exercise tapes that I can throw in on the weekend if I want. I usually don't want. LOL My weekend is my "time out".

I am not knocking off the weight left and right because unfortunately I cannot get control of my appetite the way I do with my exercise. But I won't give up. Someday something is going to click and I will be eating healthier. Maybe today!

Webwoman - Hee hee hee. I was reading your post from yesterday and I thought you said you would be at 150 by Monday! LOL I want to go on that diet!!

Carol Sue
Its good to see you posting and I am glad you are doing alright. I have the book "The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet" and tried it years ago just like a lot of others. But my problem is not so much the DIET as it is COMMITTMENT. I want to lose the weight and I do well for a while, then I fall back on my old bad habits. But just as I quote Webwoman from the "Revolution"; "Either to be all in, or just don't waste time pretending that you are trying. Thats what I have to keep saying to myself. I must stay focused and just keep going until that SOMETHING clicks for me. God I pray that soon. I do better when I have someone that I can actually do some of the activities and chat with daily. While I appreciate everyone here at 3fatchicks, its nothing like having a friend close by to give you a kick when needed. But, it is my journey and I do have to find a way to stay true and committed. I would love to be under 200 by the summer. Everyone one else is moving on and I have been spinning my wheels.

Hugs
Izzy

Izzy, don't beat yourself up. "Everyone" is not moving on. I am up 6 lbs in the past couple weeks. I have fallen off the wagon and I can't get back on. I shouldn't say "can't" because I know I can do it. Years back my cardiologist said to me "You can do it, but you have made the decision not to." And he was right. Right or wrong, I make the decision to put that food in my mouth, it doesn't jump there on it's own. I can't make the excuse that someone was serving such and such because in the end, I make the choice to eat it. I know how to say "No, thank you." We both need to learn to stop for a moment and think about every food choice we make. Ask ourselves, "Do I really want to eat this? Is there a better choice I can make?" Never look back on what you've done in the past except to learn from it. Look forward to what you're going to do from now on.

Good Morning All
Hope everyone had a great weekend. Here in Central Virginia we got 8" of snow. Everything is covered and is so beautiful. It a wonderful reminder of how quickly things change, from 60 degrees Saturday to snow Sunday.
Life is much like the weather, it changes so rapidly that we can hardly keep up with it.
Carol Sue thank you so much for the words of wisdom and your support. You are so right. I know that things have to change for me, my health is at risk and I just don't like the way I feel. But thank God, each day we have the chance to get things right. May God bless this day for us all and give us the motivation, committment and courage; to just say no. To make the right choices. I have had a good BFC breakfast and I will take this day one minute at a time. I will let you know how it goes tomorrow.
Have a Great Week.

Izzy

Good morning all,

Carol Sue, thanks for sharing so much wisdom about your own journey. I had a pretty good weekend, but am feeling bad because I overslept this morning and was late to work. :(

Izzy, I know it's easier to have an exercise/diet buddy, but that's not always possible. Remember, you're doing it for your health and a long healthy future, and you owe it to yourself to take good care of your body, excuses or not (don't mean to be harsh!).

I cleaned like a fiend this weekend and then bought a bunch of window casing which I painted last night in my family room. Didn't eat a lot, but DBF made a homemade pizza Saturday which I just couldn't resist. He's coming over tonight and I'm at a loss what to serve ...so I'm thawing out some ground round and will probably make chile. It's so tough when only one of you is on a carb restricted diet, and I hate to force him to eat only what is on my plan.

I had a good workout on Saturday called Cardio Cross Training at the rec center and it felt good. I'll do my usual walks today (and treadmill at lunch) and will try to get up early and work out again before work tomorrow.

It always feels so good when a workout is completed, but the hardest part is just putting on those shoes and taking the first steps!

PS: tomorrow starts the Lent season and usually people "give up" something for Lent. I think I will "give up" being lazy and make it a point to exercise every day!

BFC Day 2
 

After losing 93 pounds on WW, I have gained 20 of it back so here I go again. I am trying BFC because I can't stand the thought of eating plastic cheese again. I would appreciate any recipes or hints you would like to share. I'm not much of a cook, but I mastered the Chicken Parmesan Pasta in one of the books & it was very good. The portions were incredible. I had 2 eggs with 2 slices of bacon for breakfast, the chicken stuff & a small salad for lunch and 1/4 c. walnuts & 1 oz. of string cheese for snacks and feel like I over-ate and am a pig. If the scale is less tomorrow, I will be truly amazed!