Wonderful, Darius :carrot: You will keep us motivated!

Wow Darius, that is great!!! Almost 11 pounds in one month. You must be staying busy and doing good with your eating. You are an inspiration to us all. Keep it going. :cp:

Still staying on track with my diet. Two days done. So far, so good. Today I am planning on making some type of stuffed Zucchini with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and protein mince.

Renee-I hope your purging the house of goodies does not include you eating them too. Pork Chops and Sauerkraut are a good choice. Sugar is an easy addiction, but sometimes hard to break. Stay strong and kick that habit. Oh, guess you got a bit more white than you wanted. :)
:shocksn: Hope it gets better for you.

Just a reminder of some of the things it takes to get there........

Back down to starting weight......thankful for that...I gained a few long before the holidays and have just been watching calories, sugar and carbs without doing low carb...my cholesterol was way up with low carb because I ate too much meat as I do not care for veggies much....

I have decided with such difficulty in losing anything to break mt goal down in smaller portions...right now 160 seems impossible....

Me too Deelou. It can get discouraging to think of your final goal. Was it Corinna who is shooting for 5 lbs. a month? I think 5 lb. increments are a little easier to think about. So 149 is my new goal for this month.

Have a good one everyone!

I would love to join this thread. I am new & this is my first post. I need to lose about 25lbs. I have been on several other lose fast diets but just gained it back. I am so tired of diets & failing but this time I will try to lose from 1 to 2 lbs a week & keep it off. Its nice to have others who will understand what I'm going through. my starting weight is 178 .

Hi Maxwell :wave: Glad to have you join! We usually weigh in on Saturday and most of us are just getting back into serious healthy eating after the holidays...I was very bad over the holidays and will cringe when I weigh in tomorrow :yikes: But, it's a new year and a new weight loss journey...together we can do it!

Started exercising
 

Started exercising today! "Walk Away the Pounds" - I started with 1 mile work-out. Very enjoyable - I will work up to 2 miles in a couple of weeks. Need to dust off my weights. Enjoy the week-end everyone! Marian

Hey Deelou - it is better to focus on those baby steps and see instant results. You know you want the end result, but looking at that too often may just overwhelm you. It does for me. I need to feel like I am accomplishing something now. So if I can handle something each week or even month, that is more reasonable for me. It keeps me from getting depressed. Then once you find something that works for you each week, stick to it and keep it going, and eventually you will see that end results. You wouldn't ask a baby to walk a block, but you would ask them to walk a few feet to the couch. The more baby steps you take, the stronger you will be. :running: You are only 12 lbs away, so very close. Don't give up yet!!!

Regarding cholesterol and meat, have you tried Tofu as a meat substitute? Here is one recipe that you can try and vary however you like. You can have it for breakfast or later in the day, put it in a wrap or eat it without one, add other ingredients like Zucchinni, olives, or tomatoes etc. or don't add any veggies but just put it on a sandwich. Sort of a substitute meal for scrambled eggs with veggies. Here is the website and you may find others you like too:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recip...tofu-scramble/

Hi Maxwell1 :welcome3: It is nice to have you in our group. Sounds like you have a good plan of 1-2 lbs a week. I've also found that several fast losing diets are only temporary in nature. The weight always comes back. I think it is an over all lifestyle change that makes it happen and keeps it that way. Look forward to sharing with you in the coming days. I think you will find several people here is this group will support you on your effort.

Hey Marian, sounds like your moving along. Do you listen to music while walking? If so, what is your favorite? I sometimes walk with hand weights. :lifter: I found they made a big difference for me when my body got use to the distance. I use 3 lb weights and remind myself that they symbolize some extra weight on my body that I want to lose. The extra weight makes walking a little more difficult, gets my blood pumping, and my body sweating. I do see those pounds disappear a bit faster that way. It is important to keep it being fun though. That is where the music is helpful.

It's Saturday and my weigh-in this morning said.........141. :woohoo: That means I dropped 4 lbs this week. I had put on 3 lbs over the holidays and was able to lose those plus 1 extra pound too. I know it is because I have been doing really good sticking to my diet, but it has been the support of this group that has kept me going. I didn't want to disappoint you or myself this time around. :thanks: I know I may not always be this succesful, but it is a good feeling. I hope there will be others this week who will see their hard work pay off. :goodscale:

Well, weigh in was as bad as expected :fr: I have now started on a journey of a healthy lifestyle. I can and will win the battle :carrot:

Corinna, you did great!

Hi all! Down 2 pounds this week! Was faithful to 1500 calories and exercise every day. Though I have my favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch today! I vow to eat veggies/berries the rest of the day and get lots of exercise in!

Corinna - 4 pounds, very good! What is protein mince?

Darius - Looks like you have been a steady loser over the last month. Good for you!

Stick with it everyone! Let's see great numbers next weigh-in!

Corinna - Are you vegetarian? I ask because I am eating hardly any meat at all now and really like to hear new ideas for recipes. I splurged on some take out chinese the other day from a great restaurant. The chicken was not fried or breaded but I couldn't eat it - it tasted like fat. My dogs ate good that night! It's amazing how fast your taste buds change.

I eat eggs, yogurt and cheese, nuts, seeds, beans and lots of veggies and fruits. Tuna, fish on occasion. But I think my days with chicken and beef may be over. Thanks for the link to the tofu recipes, I will spend lots of time at that website.

You did great, Kris :carrot:

No movement
 

Is the holiday season over yet? Can I get serious now? Work...work...work...

Congratulations to those of you who have lost. Positive thoughts for the rest of us. Marian

Music while walking
 

Yes Corrina- I listen to music. My favorites are country and classic rock. I agree with your thoughts on weights. Makes a difference. Thanks for your insight. Marian

New Year’s resolutions, refreshed!
http://www.hallmark.com/new-years/id...VB_Resolutions

Guilt-free alternatives to the annual New Year's resolve-o-rama
By Penny Krugman Howard
New year’s resolutions

“New Year’s resolutions.” To some, those words are filled with pure possibility...an invitation to start anew, complete with better habits and corrected flaws. But to the rest of us, they’re a joke—a fast path to wasted gym memberships, broken promises and wilted wishes.

If you fall into the latter camp, you might just need a new New Year’s tradition. In that spirit, here are a few alternatives to the annual resolve-o-rama. Think of them as kinder, healthier and, quite possibly, more successful ways to embrace your own potential.

Do something
Take a meaningful, realistic step toward a better life. Go for a walk. Reconnect with an old friend. Apologize for a wrongdoing. Make one small move toward a life of change. You just might be inspired to do it again…and again!

Loosen up
Strict rules can be all too easy to break. Try looser guidelines instead! Don’t decide to exercise every single day—how about twice a week? Don’t swear off fried food forever—just indulge yourself occasionally. Ease back on your expectations a little...and if you end up doing more, yay for you!

Be positive
Instead of constantly reminding yourself of your many faults, make a list of the things you admire about yourself. Maybe you’re a great friend, an awesome letter-writer or a generous volunteer. In the coming year, resolve to be even more amazing at things you’re already good at.

Band together
Even if your companions have completely different goals, things just seem to go better when you have a group to share and celebrate with. Don’t know where to start? Try these ideas or check out sites like Oneword365.com, where people choose a single word to inspire their daily choices throughout the year and then share their stories.

Accept yourself
Sometimes the first step to making a change is admitting that you’re not going to do it perfectly—and that’s OK. Just because you ate a piece of cake doesn’t mean your plan for healthy eating is ruined forever. Just because you skipped the gym doesn’t mean you’re destined to live life as a couch potato. We’re all human, and we all mess up. Forgive yourself and start over.

Penny Krugman Howard is a freelance writer who resolves to eat better. This does not mean she will be saying “no” to dark chocolate with salted caramel, which to her would be like saying “no” to happiness.

Renee-okay, so now you got the shocker.....the number on the scale that you didn't want to see. Turn it around and let it be a motivator for you. You want to get as far away from that number as you can. The festive season is over and now its time for the new season of the new you. How are you going to handle it? What are you going to do this week to start the process? What small goal can you set for yourself this week? Let it be something that is realistically achievable, but still something that takes a bit of work. What will it be? No more soda or perhaps no more evening snacks. It's your choice. I know you can do it whatever it is. I know you want to feel that sense of achievement and see your body change shape into a more happy/beautiful you. You can reach that end goal. We want you to reach that goal. We know you can do it once you put your mind to it, so Let's go Renee, go!!! :cheer:


Kris-good job :cp: I knew you could do it!! Keep those numbers dropping for us. You have started off the New Year right. This may be your new you New Year!!! :) You asked about protein mince, well it is a form of textured vegetable protein from Tofu. You can find it in the vegetarian section at the grocery store. You can put it in foods to replace hamburger, but it doesn't really have a taste, so you may have to season it a bit differently if desired. The good thing about it is that it doesn't have all the extra fat like hamburger does. Yes, I am a vegetarian. I love Mexican food too. My husband makes a good taco salad using mince. If you like, I could send you the recipe. Just let me know.


Marian-okay, time to get that ticker moving in the right direction. You got the right attitude, keep it going. We are all cheering for you!!!!
:broc: Its the lean green aerobatic machine walking its way to fitness with you. Well, you get the idea anyway. Keep the beat going strong.

Kris-There is another type of mince you can try if you don't like soy/tofu. Quorn Brand has a soy free mince that is high in protein, and no cholesterol. It is made up of 88% Mycoprotein , re-hydrated egg white, barley malt extract. I like that one too. It is in the freezer section in a yellow and orange bag.

Thanks for the pep talk, Corinna! I did good yesterday...one day at a time!

One day at a time! Yesterday was spinach and artichoke enchiladas for lunch! And a few chips and salsa. And some refried beans. But kept to my resolution of completing my treadmill cardio and having a berry/spinach/pumpkin smoothee at the end of the eating day.

This morning I was of course starving so I ate the fattest breakfast I could for 500 calories - 2 eggs fried in olive oil, plus cheese on 2 rice cakes with some V-8. I love this when I want some fat! (Can't do wheat so it's crunchy rice cakes instead of bread. I like the crunch!) I'll probably have a berry/spinach/pumpkin/yogurt/OJ/flaxseed smoothee later. And maybe a salad with pecans and apple.

During the work week, I usually have an everything-in-it smoothee and hard boiled egg every morning. I make a big pot of something to freeze for lunch. This week it is a 3 beans, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, turnips, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic soup. Plus I'll eat a banana or apple. For dinner a salad or veggie burgers or tuna salad - whatever sounds good.

What are you eating? I love to hear what people eat so feel free to indulge.

Yeah Renee, go, go, go!!!

Kris-your meals sound delicious! My meals today:
Breakfast: Multi-seeded Bread Roll with Olive Hummus, Spinach, and a slice of swiss cheese.
Brunch:red seedless grapes.
Lunch: Salad made up of mixed lettuce with spinach, cucumber, carrots, multi-colored capsicum (bell pepper) slices, mushrooms, chickpeas, hard boiled egg with Italian dressing.
Snack: fresh mango.
Supper: Mixed lettuce, topped with cooked protein mince, tomato, kidney beans, onions, and topped with some avocado, olives, tomato.

Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe that you would like to share? I haven't made any smoothies recently, but yours does sound interesting.

Stroll sitting at 0 lost but really about 3 lost and 3 gained as usual up and down over and over with no real connection to anything...but I am having more energy and doing more...hope to add walking back in soon as this freeze is over...

Did ok yesterday....one day at a time......

Hi Renee and Deelou. Little steps, little steps will all add up to the big change. It may take longer, but it will last longer. I am still here backing you on your effort. Only positive thinking, you will do it, it will happen soon. You will see it. I know you can't wait. It's so exciting. The change is happening already. Can't you feel it. Don't let it stop. Keep the feeling going. Your gonna do it. Yes you are!!!!

:hug:


Breakfast today: Mixed salad with veggie bacon on seeded toast.
Brunch: Celery with natural peanut butter.
Lunch: Salad wrap
Supper: Brussels sprouts, vegetable gyozas, natural peanut butter and table water crackers.

Before & After
 

:drill: ....which one do you want to be? Let's get motivated and do it. Yesssss, go go go, think thin to win!!!!!

Darius-How many push ups and sits ups are you doing now? How often? I need a exercise buddy to inspire me. Maybe we can match each other.

Well it is usually a different number each week. I only do it as part of the xbox kinect exercise video that I have, and I only do it twice a week or so. Usually I walk for 1 hour every day.

Okay, so it would be hard to compare then. I do walk every day too, for an hour in the morning and about 45 minutes at night. However, I need to get back doing push ups and sit ups. I did 2 sets of 10 push ups today. However, they were more of a desk modified push up. I will work my way back to the floor push ups some day.

Just a bit of Humor for you day.
 

Smile

Just a few more too for you...
 

Today was a long busy day. Still sticking my diet with only good food and exercise. Just tired today.

Still doing good this week. Hopefully the scale will be happy on Saturday :)

Just had to post....down 1 pound!!

:carrot: Deelou :carrot:

Hey there - I've been away but I've been thinking about all of you.

There are some new folks - WELCOME!!

Corinna - you're doing great:carrot:
Dee - that's wonderful.
Renee - I hope the scale is happy for you this week.

I seem to be holding steady - we'll see what Saturday brings.

Have a great day or evening!

How is everyone doing - it is Friday weigh-in day.
My scale went back up last weekend after last Friday's weigh-in and has been high all week. It only started going back down yesterday.

25/30 Pound Goal - Let's Do It Together
Goal: 30 lb
Start date: 6 Dec 2013

12/06 .... 138.6 kg .... start
12/13 .... 136.3 kg .... -5.1 lb
12/20 .... 135.9 kg .... -0.9 lb
12/27 .... 134.4 kg .... -3.3 lb
01/03 .... 133.7 kg .... -1.5 lb
01/10 .... 133.0 kg .... -1.5 lb

-12.3 lb TOTAL
41.2% of goal reached

Excellent, Darius.....you inspire me :)