Good Friday morning everyone. Marie, I also do a dog walk in the early morning hours and i love glancing at the stars too and imagining the majesty of the universe. My dog on the other hand is much more interested in sniffing out interlopers marking up "his" territory.
I have been focusing all meals around big green salads. when a salad takes up 80% of every meal the remaining 20% is easy for me to calories control.
I hate the scale.
I know that as soon as a post this I will go upstairs and weigh myself.
Just breathe!!!

Am2, :LOL: at the idea that losing weight is simple math. Also we're exact opposites on the fasting. Sort of entertaining.

Mary, good luck getting the BSugar under control. It's very important to say the least.

Lucinda, I love your 80% salad rule. I don't like salad enough to every do that but there is no way you can go wrong on a plan like that. And my dogs don't give a darn about the prettiness of the morning either. But that doesn't stop me from pointing it out to them.

I have actually logged all my calories for the day and it's just after 11:00. I never "plan" my meals. But DH and I decided what to have for dinner this morning since I needed to take chicken breasts out of the freezer. So I logged it and know my wiggle room for treats. I sort of like that. I did Week 1 Day 2 of C25K this morning. I'm enjoying that - at least in the morning. I like the iPhone app that tells me what to do when as it plays a playlist of my music. It was worth the $1.99 for the app.
Marie

Marie - when I saw your post said 11:13 am I said 11:13?!! I'm not as early as you but I am posting early as I have a lot to do tonight and may forget. Plus I don't plan to eat anymore until almost bedtime. If I do eat something it will be 0 to very low carb. It appears I cannot eat as often as I have been so this is my new plan. I have 2-3 carbs a meal and then don't eat for at least 3 hours usually 4. I would prefer to get it down to one carb a meal and have a mini meal every 2 hours. Like I did on Medifast. But that's not easy for me to do. I will keep trying though as that would be more to my liking I think...it's just that when I try it I end up getting more than that. So will let you know more on that later on...

Todays calories (so far) are 1022 and my carb servings are almost 8. If I have more tonight it will likely be around 100, or 200 max and only one carb. Depends on my bs.

Lucinda - I agree with Marie, I can't eat salads every day but you can't go wrong with them as long as you get plenty of dark green veggies in them and enough protein. I say GFY!!

I eat sorta junkie these days but getting better again slowly. Guess I just feel I'm going to eat at least semi-junky after I lose weight and I want a diet I can keep to forever. I still drink a lot of PB/PB2 mochas. As often as I can afford the carbs (almost 2 serv of carb). Except for breakfast when lately has most days just been my PB mocha, I make myself eat something else...fruit, protein and veggie, or starch BEFORE I get my mocha. Sometimes I can't have the mocha. Unless my bs is down to what it should be before I meal(even though it is normal for 2 hours after the last meal), I am not allowing myself a snack between meals and so far it never is. Lots of frowning faces here but that's because I'm a big baby...

Lest you think I eat terrible..tonights dinner was Italian Chicken Skillet which included a low cal pasta sauce, chicken breast and zucchini which I put on a 1/2 c of ww pasta. I also had some extra sauteed (in teeny teeny bit of olive oil and oil spray) on the side.

Marie, I think losing and maintaining weight (or gaining) is about weight. I did not say I thought that math was simple.

Yea, re the fasting when required versus when voluntary, we are opposites on that.

Lucinda, I am the opposite re the scale, I love it, even though it makes me mad sometimes and I have to threaten to bury it in the backyard at midnight or turn it into a lamp. The scale helps me out whether I like what it says or not.

Maryea, did you like Medifast? Just curious. I would like to try a plan like that to quickly get off what I want to get off but am so cautious about making the investment.

Your Italian meal sounds good! Woot! You are doing great.

I was high at 2200 yesterday. Plan to bring it down today.

Exercise was a lot of walking, a little weight time as I did not get quite enough this week, and a run/walk half hour after the last meal.

I don't feel really confident about the scale this week. Have had nonstop insomnia and a sort of general angst ... really need to be working lol.

A little high today mostly due to lunch out. 1604 calories and 13.5 carb serv.

Amara - I liked Medifast because it was so simple and it worked! just 5 MF meals plus one lean and green meal a day. Nothing to count or think about really. I was on it about 2 mo I think and was never hungry. The meals are full of fiber and protein and usually one carb serving or less. Perfect for a diabetic and my bs did get much better. I lost 18 lbs. The problem I had was that I got sick of the food. It seemed to all have a common taste which I think was soy. I like soy milk but the meals began to make me sick...I started out ok, some aren't so good but others aren't bad, I can do this, but eventually I couldn't stand most of them. When you go off the plan you are suppose to transition off gradually, but since by that time I hated most of the food I didn't do that and in 2 mo or less I had gained the 18 lbs back. At the end too, I began to feel a little hungry although I think it was mostly because I was so tired of the food rather than real hunger. I wish I could have at least maintained the 18 lb loss, darn it!

I had the worst day Friday. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and went out to eat twice and ate all kinds of bad things like a cheeseburger, fries, diet coke, lots and lots of coffee, wine, pasta, sausage, garlic rolls. OMG-total calories must have tipped 3000. I was just tired and cranky. Anyway, the good news is I think I hit rock bottom. On Saturday I called my neighbor and we jogged/walked about three miles. I did not eat out at all yesterday and came in closer to 2000 calories despite the two beers, homemade potato salad and the BLT for dinner. I have already been on one walk this morning and plan to get another one in later-maybe even jogging instead of walking. I feel much, much better and am ready to take on the world. But first I am planning to work in the yard. My husband and I went to Home Depot yesterday where we met the most knowledgable salesperson in the garden department and we bought a bunch of plants to try out in our yard. I want that saleslady for my new best friend. It must have been obvious since my husband teased me about it the whole way home.

maryea-Good for you on the calorie total. I am thinking you may be hungry between meals because you are not eating nutritionally dense food. Junk food is not so good. I find since I have to limit my calories, I need to be very choosy about the composition of my meals. When I am behaving -for me it is lots of fruits and vegetables with some protein. I aim to avoid diary, starch or sugar in terms of calories. I realize you need to be more careful with the fruits and vegetables but you did eat a lean and green meal everyday when you were succesful with the Medifast. Perhaps if you could add back that component you might not feel so hungry. Maybe you could try every other day. Think of the lean and green meal as your vitamin for the day to promote good health and vitality.

Am2-I totally relate to the insomnia and the general angst feeling. I recommend staying away from Chili's and Frankies Italian restautants and lots of walking outdoors.

Marie-Aw Friday Night Club. I forgot about that since I have taken up Every Night is Friday Night Club. Not exactly but all my little trips this summer have contributed to some serious backsliding lately. However, as I already attested, I am feeling much better today. No more Every Night Is Friday Night and I am committed to good eating and exercise again. The phone app sounds really cool. I am not very technology minded but you inspire me. I am considering getting a music player since I am finally ready to admit that radio is not so great.

lucinda-I have never had strong feelings about my scale either way. I hope you come to good terms with yours again soon though. Keep up the good work.

And woot again! Good morrow, Challengers! Yikes, I lost .4 (current weight 137.6) ... know one is not supposed to have their moods determined by the scale but that makes me HAPPY! I needed to be happy today. Yay!

Okay, well yesterday really THOUGHT I'd blown it as for two weeks have had a weekly average in the 1700s and that will not fly with me anymore. The bod does NOT like it to be that high. However, squeaked through and am back on track hooray!

Marie, I've been off yoga and am starting a 15 minutes, two times a week for the month of September. It will be in addition to my regular stuff. Let me know how you like the app. I own a few but mostly I just wing my yoga like I do weights, turn on music and go. Good job on the bike ride. You are right about the slow route to weight loss, it is the only thing that works for me.

Maryea, thanks for the info on Medifast. You know everyone I know who has been on Nutrisystem or Medifast, as well as Ideal Protein, has said the same thing. They loved it for awhile but got tired of the food. I still am thinking of it if I get stuck but honestly I eat 1550 to 1650 calories on a weight loss day and get slow but steady results so if I can hang on, I probably won't go with the Medifast. But it attracts me.

Tera, good for you on having the bad day and hitting the wall and reversing. you know, I think when we are long-term weight managers, losing, maintaining, gaining, losing, maintaining, etc. (well, at least I do that, although I've never regained the majority of my weight, just these piddly, impossibly small but stubborn amounts), we do need to go all out on the high calorie train for awhile every now and then. It seems to me that the body requires reassurance that sometimes we will do that, so it'll start to cooperate again and help us get back on the right track after.

I definitely will stay away from Chilis and Frankies Italian restaurants, plus adding Pizza Hut ... always stay away from Pizza Hut. Woot. I do walk a lot, so that is okay dokey. And yea, walking is one of the best things for angst, although nothing helps insomnia for me, I think, lol.

Lucinda, your eating plan is great. I wish I was a salad eater ... I make green smoothies instead, can't really digest veggies anymore, although I eat some in cooked food.

Lol, I LOVE the scale. I gave my scale a raise today. I was going to fire it but changed my mind when I saw I did not gain and actually lost.

Ahhh, well, must away, see ye, Challengers! Have a great day.

Posting early again today as I have a busy evening planned. Just finished dinner and so far I've had 939 calories and 9 carb serv. I expect I'll have an evening or bedtime snack and get 100-200 more calories and probably 2 more carb serv.

My weight was down 1.8# today.

Amara - MF is simple and it works fast...that is why people (incl me) like it. But if you do it you HAVE to transition back from their food to your regular food and most people struggle with that. However, my pastor lost 50 lbs with it and has successfully transitioned. It's been more than a year and he still looks great. I also have a friend who did it without problem and she hasn't gained back all her weight although she thinks she needs to lose a little more. You're doing fine and are so close to your goal...I think you're better off just sticking it out..be patient...I have no doubt you will get there. You know what works so why change?

Marie - As you can see above you don't have to stay on MF food forever but you DO have to transition back...if you don't transition you are likely to gain back your weight as I did. Great rules that are working for you! I do something similar, but it was never weighing or tracking that messed me up...it was always just going back to my old habits of snacking too much. I usually tracked them even! LOL A long time ago I used to eat a lot at meals, but I haven't done that for many years...its just my snacking that tripped me until recently. I'm doing pretty well with it most of the time now. I now know I can't eat so often so I keep 3-4 hours in my mind rather than 2, in fact most of the time I have to wait til 4...depends on my bs. When we got home from church I was hungry...tested and my bs was 121 which is ok, but for me is actually kinda low and I was feeling it.

Tera - I do eat a lean protein and green vegetable meal almost every day.. say almost to be truthful but it is pretty rare that I don't. That's dinner and I usually get a lean protein at lunch too and most days I get a vegetable with lunch too. When I have pasta or rice I only eat 1/3-1/2 cup. I love fruit and eat as much as I can but of course I have to restrict it due to the carbs. Today I had to put the cherries I just bought in the fridge because I was too tempted by them! My "downfall" right now is my mochas but I do get some milk and pb with each of those. The rest is kinda like powdered coffeemate and a little chocolate and caffeine. I only use 1 oz of it, not a full scoop. I use real PB with breakfast and usually PB2 with any others I may have. Today I've only had one but sometimes I have more. I am not eating as many veggies as I did pre-MF I'll admit...for some reason I can't, but it is one of my goals to get back to it.

Actually my goal is to get back to eating similiar to MF...one carb, low fat with protein and lots of fiber at each mini-meal (every 2 hrs). The problem is with regular food it is not so easy to do this and keep the carbs to about 1 and calories down to abt 100. And if I can't keep them down to that I get too much to eat so often. I don't know how they do it with MF but of course, my food tastes better too. When I was on MF I used to fix my mocha so it worked with the requirements for a meal but it wasn't nearly as tasty and I can't get myself to go back to it.

I'm like Marie - I have to have a plan I can live with. I think I can continue what I'm doing now. I know my priorities and as long as I do what I need to do to keep them straight I do ok. It's harder when company comes (Wed again), but I just have to keep my focus regardless.

Well, I need to get busy.

eating plan today is as follows
breakfast.. protien shake w/ frozen banana 250 caloreis, coffee w/ crud creamer another 70 calories
lunch tbd
dinner tbd
If I eat lots of salad for the remainder of the day, and limit the amount of olive oil I put on that salad I will be fine.
Why does my house smell like garbage!!!???

Hi everyone! I'm new to this thread, but I'd love to join in! I am 154 today and excited to get back into the 140's. 5 little lbs and I will feel even more motivated when I see that # on the scale! Today I'm going to have a big salad and protein bar for lunch because I eat every day in the uni dining hall where the only protein is beef brisket or something equally as fatty. Fitness classes start today also! I am excited to get muscular again and strong.

Do most of you guys do strength and cardio, and if so how often do you strength train?

Marie - I agree with you on fasting when you have to vs when you want to. After both of my surgeries I was allowed nothing by mouth, no food or drink, for 6 days. My body just got used to it, and when I was allowed to eat it was just jello and broth for a couple days. I can do IF, not eat til 11AM and quit at 5PM. but I cannot do a 24 hour fast.

Hello, Ailsa! Glad to meet you, so great to have you joining in. This thread is so fun. Your ticker shows that you have done FANTASTIC work there and yay for only five pounds more to the 140s! Almost there.

Re exercise, I do strength (weights and bodyweight stuff), cardio (jogging and run/walk, walking, etc., and sometimes DVDs) and mind/body stuff such as yoga, plus whatever else I can find to have fun with in exercise. I exercise daily. I love to exercise.

Maryea, thanks for the wise words re my thought of going on MF. You are right. I am doing okay with what I am doing and will be sticking with that.

Lucinda, I admire your salad eating. That is great.

Marie and Carol Sue (added as we posted almost the same time woot) huzzah!

I walked an hour and was going to do all sorts of things today but am just kind of brain fogged. Not sure if this is STILL related to having given up the sugary stuff.

Monday is always hard for me calorically as for so very long I always worked deadlines sitting in my home office ALL DAY Monday and always overate. This was when I was a reporter, which I have not been since 2011, and also the whole of last year starting from June doing contracts, especially one major one that I also ended up doing deadlines on Monday and sat here and worked and ate. Have only been having Mondays off work recently and have tried to schedule appointments on Mondays and do productive things on Mondays since the beginning of August and here I am feeling all angst ridden on a Monday because I have NOTHING productive to do and I am DETERMINED not to go over the calorie budget. So I have logged all food to be eaten in My Net Diary and the times I will eat said food and DO NOTHING PRODUCTIVE all day.

Need to break the Monday curse. :laugh:

Thanks for the congrats Marie and yea, will be stickin' with my plan and also have NOT let Snacky Monday get to me. Stuck to calorie plan, although switched things around a little.

Sorry the smoke is getting bad where you are. I worked in a fire zone for years and I guess actually, this whole area is a fire zone, even the city, but smoke rarely gets as far as where I am. Some years have been bad. It doesn't bother me much but for those with health problems it is so not good.

Hope you don't hike with pups if air not okay for you. Probably wouldn't do them any good either.

Ending eating day at 1500, which happens to be my new official cal budget. Previously it was 1550. I have had to lower it as I've lost.

I calorie cycle anyway and rarely stick to the budget but I am going to see how many days I can stick to 1500 or below for awhile. This will be day 2 when completed.

Exercise was pretty much the same as my usual stuff. I am stll logging the streakity. Just some walking and some running.

Very unexciting day.