Hey everyone,
This is my first day as a member! I've been on a diet for a week today. I lost 2kgs so far!! Today was good It's school holidays at the moment so i've got to be careful of what i eat!

Amy X0X

tljl, congratulations on your successes and your wonderful attitude!!

Amy, welcome to Alternachicks! How much do you have to lose?

Unbelievably, this week I am starting my TENTH week of losing weight (re-started November 15) and my eighth week of exercising. I have been doing so well and have been very consistent and working out hard... like dripping with sweat for 45 minutes to an hour 4 to 5 times a week. Eating uder 1600 calories almost everyday. But the last two weeks the scale has hardly budged, which is so frustrating. Since Jan 1 I am only down 1 pound, and today is the 17th! I took my measurements and was very happy to see that I had lost a half inch pretty much all over (even my thighs and hips whoo hoo) during the last two weeks. So the answer is that I am probably gaining muscle because of the hard work outs while losing fat so the weight loss doesn't look like much. But still, its discouraging to work so hard and then step on the scale and see the same number over and over.

But I am determined to stick with it as I know the weight will eventually catch up and I am feeling so very good. I have more energy, am in a better mood, even my sex drive has sky rocketed ... so its all worth it. But I really want to meet my January goal, which means that scale better start moving pretty darn fast! Regardless, I am so proud of myself for working so hard and for the first time ever I am convinced that I will be successful. Plus, I was pretty excited to break into the 160's... another milestone I guess.

Ellis
I am doing well with not smoking. Have had a couple of tough days but it has been One week, three days, 14 hours, 21 minutes and 14 seconds. 84 cigarettes not smoked, saving $32.22. Life saved: 7 hours, 0 minutes.
I am on a support forum for that and they are a great bunch, I just today heard back from addiction services and they do an accupuncture class on Wednesday mornings, so I will be starting that this week.
Now, If I could keep the junk out of my mouth and exercise more. I am good for a day or two and then i get off plan. But I guess the good thing is I kick myself in the but and get back OP. Water, thats what I have been missing the last couple of days. BRB gotta get water! There thats the ticket. Nothing like pure, clean water to make you feel good. Hope you are all doing well, and nice to meet you Amy!! Hope you enjoy your stay here with these gals, they are grrrreat!
Virginia

Hi all,

Ellis, Den, thanks for the empathy - and yes, I was down again the next day.

Tljl - you go, gurrl! It's a great thing to be able to pick right back up after a difficult day, and treat yourself with the compassion that acknowledges that you're human and that you are learning a new way of behaving with food. Of course you'll trip up, but remaining conscious through it and getting right back to work afterwards is key, and is a great achievement. Good for you!

Amy, howdy! Welcome!

Virginia - congrats on the not smoking! You are fabulous and your lungs are thanking you right now, keep up the good work!

As for me, I'm back after the Indian Feast weekend - and what a weekend it was! Saturday's cooking was wonderful; we made a chicken-cashew curry with brown rice and onion relish, a spinach saag, a lentil dal, and had fresh papadams brought by our guests from Boston. I made a lemon-ginger sorbet for dessert. I went into this intending it to be a free weekend - and I didn't pay attention at all to what I was eating. The thing that I DID end up doing, was having a hearty breakfast on the feast day, and then was busy cleaning and cooking all day so that I barely ate again until dinnertime. So, to my surprise, not only was I down the next day, I was down lower than any previous weight this year! (That's called a "woo hoo day" in my house) On Sunday we had another hearty breakfast - whole wheat waffles, WW Popovers, and some sausage from a local farm that raises thier own pork and makes the most excellent, and pretty lean, sausages I've ever had. It was great! I ate mostly on plan the rest of the day, except for one long-awaited, highly anticipated bowl of popcorn. I love popcorn, and I have missed it sorely while doing the south beach thang. Even though they say you should start with fruit when you begin to add carbs back into your diet, I know that the first one I add back in will be a smallish nightly bowl of popcorn.
This morning the scale was up a little but not at all as bad as I had expected. Hooray!

So I'm feeling good, and back on plan this morning; I'm going to go back to the first phase of SBD for a while to clear out my wild weekend, and then start modestly adding carbs - popcorn first, and probably some fruit with breakfast after that. I exercised before coming to work today, and over the weekend I kept up my activity level with lots of walking, and I hiked our 1/2 mile hill to sled back down with my dog. That was a hike, for sure - but the ride down is SO fun!

Take care ladies, hope you are all well, and staying warm - it's 18 degrees F today, and expected to be less than that tomorrow, brrr!

Solarmama

"I've fallen and I can't get up"! Girls...I never realized what an important role this forum was playing in my plan. I got into trouble in a couple of ways and fell WAAAAAAY off the wagon. First, I lost "control" of my computer while one of my sons was working on a school project. Then, my family went away for the long weekend (no work or school this past Monday) to our cabin in the mountains of West Virginia. I was in a "vacation" frame of mind and once I bit into the forbidden fruit, it was all downhill after that. It was the sugar. (and the popcorn, and the extra helping of potatoes). I just feel like.... HOW CAN ONE GAIN 5 POUNDS IN ONE WEEKEND????? I did get my exercise in Saturday (took a 3 mile hike in the mountains), but Sunday it was snowing and I just loafed around the cabin. Monday on the drive back home, I thought I did pretty well with just a salad. But this morning, when I stepped on the scale, I nearly passed out. And was so depressed. AND I didn't have my scales with me over the weekend (Regardless of what may be best for the majority....I MUST weigh in everyday. I am doomed if I don't..) So, today I feel like I have lost 2 weeks worth of HARD work...I was doing GREAT....PERFECT! So far today I have been OP, but I have to go through those first few days again of fighting the demon (HUNGER). Just keep me in your happy thoughts. I am relearning this lesson....AGAIN!....that this is a struggle everyday, with failure always lurking...and being impowered over it, is a mighty thing to have. I have to value that more. And coming to this forum everyday was such a reward....and I know it was a VERY important part of my success. And when I don't come here...EVERY DAY...to get my shot in the arm, really weakens my armor against the enemy. I need my group hug EVERY day!

NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS....and nothing tastes as good...as being in control does.
I'm not beaten yet...and I'm still in the January challenge (BY GOLLY!!!)
Sweetpea

hey sweetpea (group hug )

Don't be so hard on yourself, we all have bad days. This is a minor setback. Pick yourself up and hop right back on the wagon. We have all had those bad days (I know I can relate) It's when you feel like you have been taken over by this crazy, extremely hungry monster that you can't stop. (this could be just me)

I know you can do it...put those few bad days behind you and start anew.

Know that we are all here when you need us. We are all marching down the same path. We will all standing beside you cheering you on.

GO SWEETPEA GO GO SWEETPEA GO RA RA RA WE KNOW YOU CAN DO IT SIS BOOM BA

don't give up
T

Sweet Pea, Sweetie,

I totally can relate - I spent yesterday absolutely GORGING on meatballs, quiche, hamburger soup and chocolate at lunch time, and blew off my exercise entirely. I was so full at dinner time that I just skipped it, I was all bloated and gross. Had a cup of soup later in the evening, but still, I definitely over ate in a big way. Didn't feel all that great afterwards, either, puffy and uncomfortable - my body must be adapting to the better eating patterns.

But this morning, I woke up, and even though I felt logy and slow, and my weight was up over a pound; I did my exercise, and by the time I was done with the second mile of WATP I felt so much better that I did an extra mile - I almost NEVER do three miles in the morning. So that made me feel both energized and proud that I had gotten right back to plan.

My advice? Don't sweat it - the weight gain if you've been eating a lot of popcorn and salty stuff may just be water, and may have to do with your *ahem* excretory status, 'nuf said. Just do something consciously today that is on plan and that you can take pride in - make a super-healthy salad for lunch, or take a walk (If you won't freeze to death!) or walk your stairs ten times or something personal to you that makes you feel like you're getting right back on the horse that threw you. It's worked wonders for me today.

And you know we're here for you all the time, right?

Tljl - you should be a professional cheerleader with that routine! If that's the reception we get, I think I might start to have more crises around here just for the cheering. It's cheered me up to no end, thanks.

Ciao all, I'm off to log my more toned, chunked, ripped, solid A** into the exercise thread. Woo hoo!

Solarmama

All I can do is agree with tljl and Solar! ALL of us have been where you are....REPEATEDLY!!! The thing to do right now is to get up, dust yourself off, and keep on going. I know it is discouraging (from EXPERIENCE!!) but if you keep on going, in a couple of weeks it will just have been a blip along the way. We're all rooting for you!!!

Thank you for the uplifting words.
I dropped 2 1/2 pounds since yesterday, so some of my damage probably was water retention. I did get into my workout clothes first thing this morning, but school was cancelled (we got a coating of fresh snow, but when there is a flake in the air, southern Ohio comes to a standstill!) So, I have boys home today...putting a crimp into my morning routine. But I DID GET MY BUTT downstairs to the treadmill and got in 3 miles while watching Clean Sweep. And my sister called me while I was walking. She had a sucky weekend, too, so we cheered each other up. I feel pretty strong today about being "good". I can relate to feelings of feeling bloated and gross, puffy and just depressed and mad at myself. I could just wring that little "food devil's" scrawy little neck ...always sitting there talking me into making BAAAAD choices!
I'm still working toward my goal for the January Challenge...10 pounds. I am back to a 4 pound loss, but if I really work very hard and stay on track and DON'T GIVE UP ...I can do it.
Now....going to fix lunch for the boys and go out and shovel snow.

Hi gang

Ater many, many months, I'm back. I had some stuff to sort out. Unfortunately I gained a ton of weight during all that sorting. I also never realized how much this forum helped me stay on track, so I'm back.

Starting weight: 192
Goal for the end of the month: 2 lbs at this late date.

Glad to be back.

Welcome back Teufelchen!

Glad to have you back Teufelchen!

I am sure once you get started again the weight will come off You can do it!

hey

So I continue to log my calories and food on fitday. Today I looked back on what I have been eating. I am doing not bad. Most of the days I was really close to where I should be, there were a couple days that really stuck out as 'bad' days. All in all I feel I am doing well. I like the way that they show you all your info on the site. I find that because I can see everything and how each food choice influences the number of calories I eat, I am making better food choices (or if they are not great foods to eat, I am portioning better) So I am still eating foods that are higher in fat, and foods that are 'treats' but I am eating them in smaller portions (like one cookie not the whole bag) Another way that I am able to do this is, my DH has all my chocolate in hiding (if it wasn't and I knew where it was I would eat one and the next time I walked by I would eat another...this would go on until I had eaten everything) So when I do want something sweet I can have one and I have to ask him for it. Works for me

I am happy to say that I am down another pound. Yay! On the other hand I am anoyed to find out that my scale is 4 pounds off. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH so instead of changing my weight thing to 186 I will leave it at 190 (that sucks) One more pound and I will be at my goal. Who knows maybe I could get passed my goal. OOOOOHHHHHH That would be great! It makes me gitty!

I have not been exercising like I should. I have been doing an hour of movement each day, but it's not what I am capable of. I need to get to the gym and work up a sweat. If I did that I know I could get to my goal and then some.

Teufelchen- Welcome back! It's great to meet you. I totally know what you mean about this group. They are great, and I so apreciate having them around.

Oh,sweetpea- how are you doing? Keep us updated, we want to know what's going on....

solarmama- thanks for the compliment and you don't need to have a crisis to get some cheering. yeah!!! SSSOOOLLLAARRRMMAAAMMMAAA yeah!!!

all our hard work will pay off
T

Welcome back, Teufelchen! We missed you, hon!

tljl, get to the gym, girl!! You know you can do this, hon!!
And good for you for tracking your food... it makes a huge difference to actually see it down on "paper".

Oh, Sweetpea... sending you a big hug, sweetie... Weight loss is one of the most frustrating of things... We're always here for you, girl.
Way to go, getting on the treadmill! You must have felt great afterwards!! Remember that feeling, and get back on again!

Sojo, don't give up... that weight WILL start to come off again... you're doing so well!!

Virginia... are you there, girl? How goes the battle?

Solar, you smart girl! You're so right about moving on. We all make mistakes, but that doesn't make us failures... we just have to jump back on the wagon!

I just got back from WW, and have lost 3 more pounds!! Yippppeeeeee!!! I'm almost back to my pre-Christmas weight.