Just popping in to say I am still alive. What a weekend and I didn't have any opportunity to get on. I helped DH build a shed on Saturday and then Sunday we went to the beach with the family. Then this morning about 2:00 am we got a phone call that something was wrong with my MIL. They took her to the hospital via ambulance because BIL couldn't get her in the vehicle. They thought heart attack but it was a pin stroke. They did several cat scans and all kinds of test on her and its not good. She is 59 and the health of her brain is that of an 80 year old woman. Then they found nodules on her lungs which will require further investigation. This isn't to much of a shock since she smokes 4 packs a day and eats processed meats almost daily. Plus most everything she cooks is unhealthy with lots of grease. They want her to do a stress test but she doesn't have full function of her left leg and arm so they will have to wait until that is better and besides she won't get far since she huffs and puffs just to walk.

I wasn't an angel this weekend on food but I am getting closer to being good. I know that sounds odd but I am trying to have a perfect weekend little by little. Just dinner left to get down and snacking after dinner.

Theresa ~ It was so gradual that I didn't really notice a huge difference when I lost the weight. I do have more energy and this weekend I had to carry DGS a long time. He weighs about 20 lbs and was laying on the front of me asleep. I told DH I can't believe I lost 40 lbs and used to carry it. I said no wonder I was always tired. Carrying DGS slowed my walking and it took a lot of effort.

The last time I bought bra's DH wasn't with me and I bought the wrong size. HEHEHE! I keep forgetting I am no longer 42 inches around I am 40. So they fit for a little while but I need to get new.

I was a little bummed. I didn't realize that they only weigh you once a month at Curves. Oh well, at least it should be a nice loss. I won't weight until around the 4th.

Well I am going to submit this and keep reading.

To all the newbies and look forward to getting to know you.

Tinky ~ I never heard of Krispy Kreme's until this year. Here in Michigan its all Little Debbies.

Yep for all those of you who were having sugar problems this weekend I am on that band wagon. I need to get these sugar cravings under control. never had them until about a year ago and now its getting out of hand.

Went to Curves, the tanner and for a walk so far and may for another walk later. I am off today so I can rest after a night at the hospital.

I better get going as I am getting sleepy again so it must be nap thirty. HEHEHE!

Talk at you all tomorrow.

It's so hott out this last week its so hard to push myself to get out and walk but today i put my shoes on and pushed my butt out the door and i went for an hour long walk today...I'm really sunburnt but maybe I'll tan
I woke up this morning and weighed 169 instead of 172......i wonder if thats just water weight???? Hope not,but i'll uess we'll see. Good luck girls talk to you later

Yaaay! Congrats, Tinky! That's so exciting !!

I was glad when I jumped on the scale today, and found out I still lost weight even though I hadn't been eating so well!

And RocknRoll, your exercise/food deficit and weight loss is really encouraging me to go jogging again..and I needed that, thanks! Wow, a European vacation where most people lose weight? Where do I sign up, lol?!

Hi everyone!!! Welcome to all the new people!!! I have found that calorie counting is great!! Once you do it for a couple of weeks it seems natural!!

I think that TOM is coming....I have been hungrier lately and noticed that I am eating more. Not bad but enough to really just maintain. I have been bouncing between 142 and 140 for the past week. So this week I am going to have to stick to it again and get down these last few pounds!! Hopefully I will be able to get some exercise in this week. That is something that I have really been slacking on.
Well DD is out practicing softball so I better go check and make sure everything is going ok.
Mary

Calories for today (after the two cookies I'm going to go eat in a moment)~ 1514

Fiber~ 39 grams

Meg~ Walking 2 miles is great! I walk 1.5 miles on my lunch hour (after liberally applying sunscreen! Lol.) Congrats on going for your walk even though it was hot! Oh, on the subject of fruit, did you know 15 grapes (1/2 cup) is a serving? I was so amazed at what is considered a serving when I started calorie counting. I think grapes are higher in calories due to the sugar content and bananas are a starchy fruit, so... I actually hunt out small bananas when I'm grocery shopping, it's easier than cutting big ones in half (they brown easily. Yuck.)

Grammy~ You had to mention Little Debbie! Lol! TOM is definitely coming because my mouth is watering at the thought of Little Debbie cakes... I haven't had one in years and I will be trying really hard to stay away from buying them.

Littlered~ You crack me up! We all need to find our motivation where we can, right? Right! I'm glad your dd is doing so well too. Keep up the good work!

Gotta go, cookies are calling my name...

Question about calories for the day. I'm using CalorieKing which automatically subtracts the calories burned (or "burnt" as they say) from the total number you've eaten for the day. My question is, do you all look at it that way? Calories eaten minus calories burned? Or do you just try to stick to a set number of calories per day?

Here's what I did today:
Calories eaten - 1544
Calories burned - 244
Total calories - 1299

I think I'm going to just try to stay around 1400 - 1500 calories per day regardless of the exercise. What do you all think?

Anna, yeah I don't bother too much with subtracting my exercise, but will eat at the higher end of my range if I've worked out and I'm feeling extra hungry.

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Another 2 pounds down at TOPS weigh-in. I finally moved my ticker down, and was actually 169 this morning. woooohooo!

I have a better idea for you... I did this last year and it worked but I'll admit it's a weird one lol...

First off, I don't do well with Chinese at all. It gives me swollen fingers and hands and around my eyes, it's awful. What I was doing was going to the mall and taking my meal with me. My Mom wanted Chinese and hey, you go Mom lol! So.... I git this idea of us doing some mall walking and just getting some activity going. I packed food I wanted to eat and figured I would buy a diet soda or iced tea at the mall. We went to the Cinese restaurant and bought her food to go. I brought some plastic ware, good paper plates and napkins. She ate what she wanted to and I ate my meal without gult. Afterwards, I went mall walking with her and all went well that day. I was in Calif. on a travel nurse assignment.

It's funny how returning back to S. FL. I couldn't stick with it. I have been caving in instead of referring back to new ideas that were working so I say, pack the meal you would be eating and should be eating. Just bring it with you and be stubborn .

That's one good thing about hysterectomys and menapause. I don't have to deal with TOM. its been 17 yrs since I had one. Wow! how did that much time get by me?!!
well girls for now I have to get off to go to my garage and Move my butt.
later.

AnneA~ I'm like everyone else, I don't factor in my calories burned. I eat around 1400-1500 calories most days. How are you doing? Are you still laid out on your back? I wish you a speedy recovery!

Tinky~ Ooh, I hate being bloated (for any reason!) I've been eating WAY more sugar than usual (and a bit more salt too) so I hope I don't have a bad TOM this time. Since cutting back on sugar and salt it's been so much better!

NurseChef~ I always bring my lunch to work! Not just for my waist line, but for frugal reasons too. It does make life easier to not have to think about what you'll be eating at work.

Zenor,
There you go again
Now I have to keep working. the gap went up to 3 pounds. LOL.
I was planning to keep working at it anyway!

Oh congrats on the loss

AnnaA I read an article in runner's world a little while ago explaining why you should factor in calories burned. They had a good example I can give yout he gist. Basically lets say you work out well for one people almost always overestimate about 30% on how much they have burned. So a normal 400 calories workout is probably closer to 300. Then on top of that you would have burned about 50-100 calories anyways jsut doping your normal activties so only about 200 calories are really extra. They on top of it they say that after exercise for the rest of the day your basal metabolism is decreased for that day because you are more tired so you will be less animate during the day (this effect is more prominent with intensive exercise) so all in all you probably only burn maybe 100 calories extra all day.

I'm not saying exercise is pointless it's very good for. It builds muscle which in the long term makes your metabolism faster, it also makes you more sensitive to hunger horomones so in the future you are less likely to binge, it essential for cardiovascular health and so many other reasons. It just doesn't provide an immediate negative calorie balance like we think it does. Good luck.

Thanks, CoolMom, Tinky and LittleRed for your input! It's really helping me to understand how to count calories to lose weight. It's a little more complicated than I'd thought (just a little, though) but having all of your input really helps!

Zenor~ I'm doing MUCH better, thanks for asking! I actually walked/ran a little yesterday and I just got off the treadmill (30 mins, incline) a few mintues ago. Hopefully now that I'm able to exercise again, I'll start seeing a drop in my weight.

Music Addict~ I get what you're saying about the idea of exercise not making an "immediate negative calorie balance." I'm just going to stay around 1500 and see what happens!