Morning everyone! Happy Hump Day! Yesterday was Day 9 and on-plan for me: ~1350 calories and 30 minutes biking. Yay!

Today is Day 10. I'm thrilled. In the past year every time I tried to make a change in my eating/exercise habits I never ever made it to Day 10 before pooping out and then going on a wild binge that would last months. To see Day 10 in my journal is a wonderful feeling. I can't wait to double that number!

Ok, Deetsmom, I'm thinking (that can be a slow process) How many weeks is that?

I'm having a stab at 47 weeks. 30 lbs in 47 weeks is about 2/3 lb per week or 2234 calories. That's an average daily deficit of 319 cals.
Is this making sense so far?
I've got errands to run. I'll be back this afternoon.

It would average out to .6 per week at this point if it were 47 weeks , its probably more like 34 weeks, so lets say .6-.8 per week average....

Originally on my program I lost 1-2 pounds per week, it slowed at 140 pounds and took another 3 months to get to 133, which i stayed at for about 2 minutes. I am now 137 and wanting to drop like 7 pounds pounds and properly maintain. I implement the LA Weight Loss portions and allocations but am watching the calories, thinking maybe I am not eating enough or alternating enough. Im not sure what my proper range is since there seem to be so many different formulas, so Im hoping to learn more by hanging out here:)

Morning, all!

Good for you, Tyler, making it through to Day 10!

Deetsmom, as far as how often to weigh? It's all individual. Some folks weigh daily (*raises hand*) because they like to see trends in the making. Pinning all one's hopes on one day (which may be an "up" day) causes them too much anxiety. Others weigh weekly, because seeing the daily flucuations cause them anxiety. Neither is right or wrong. It's just a matter of figuring out which way feels right for you.

Hi, Donna! Hope your DD enjoyed her prom!

Susan, did something happen to specifically trigger a "ate-so-badly" day? I hope things go better for you today!

I know what you mean, Miles, about having to get back into action. Some days it's such a struggle to drag myself into some sort of deliberate activity.

I'm glad you're back on track, too, Valerie!

Blyn, did you ever catch up with the journalling? I haven't missed a day yet, but I'm sure my time is coming. If you miss several days, do you try to recreate them or just move on?

I weigh every day for accountability...

Deficit of 413 yesterday, and I lifted weights :lifter: so at least I have been up to something. If I can stay good another couple days looks like I am due for another 1 lb loss (though it probably won't show up until a friend joins it :lol:)

I count calories as well ... may I join in this thread?

Sure thing, Faith! Welcome aboard!

Good Morning All! Welcome Faith!

Lena: I have tried to recreate it in the past but I am such a struggler right now. I am eating well but the journaling is kicking my butt...I have written down my breakfast this morning...:lol:

Tyler: Congrats...on day 10 ..that is awesome.

Susan: I am loving those oats!...thanks I was kinda tired of regular.

Oh..gotta run...lotsa work today! See ya'll later.....Blyn:D

I'm back from my errands. Hi Lena, yes it is a busy time. My daughter is getting married on Saturday!
Blyn, I'm glad you like the oats. That's what Dd wants for her prewedding breakfast :)
Good work on the weight Miles. Feels good, don't it?
Tyler ... ten days is an accomplishment! We're proud of you.
Deetsmom ... let me do some more math. 30 pounds over 34 weeks is .88 lbs per week which represents a calorie deficit of about 3000 calories a week or about 440 per day. That's averaged over all the 34 weeks. You know yourself that sometimes it was more and some times it was less.
So since that obviously worked before, it's a good place to go from now. Just watch your intake and maybe pump up the exercise just a bit and see if you can maintain about a 500 cal defict everyday. Should work.

What I didnt mention was that over the last 14 weeks or so, I have been battling the same 5 pounds and have actually been going UP following the same program since the end of February, a total of 5 pounds...sometimes the scale may show less, then it goes right back up...and the eating program has remained the same, workouts were added whereas I didnt work out for the first part of my program. Strange, huh? I wouldnt revert for anything...I am still on LAWL just counting calories to see if I am too low or too high, etc. Somehow, 1400 cals seems like a high day, which I know in my brain is ridiculous...im just a little confused with the gain as of late:dizzy:

SusanB... I'm scratching my head... how could I have not known that??? I must have known, that's a pretty big event! Anyway, wow!!! How exciting! No wonder you may have had an off day or two of eating!

Deetsmom, I'm right there with you, dear. Dang frustrating, isn't it? I've been hovering around the same blasted point since mid-March, gaining and losing the same 2-3 pounds in half-pound increments. As I mentioned earlier, I think I *may* have finally broken through, setting a new, slightly lower point to hover around.

Susan and Blyn, I've seen you mention steelcut oats. I need to look into them. Is it true you have to cook them for hours on end? Do they really taste that much different from plain old Old Fashioned oats?

Hi Everyone!

I went to my second day of a new job today and I am hungry! I think it's because I'm waking up earlier and I'm tired so it's making me hungrier then normal! I did get my exercise in today!

I have a tin of steel cut oats. I should try them sometime.

Wednesday: 1654 calories, 982 deficit, 35 minutes cardio, 20 minutes weights

Hey guys, thought I would introduce myself here and post here...I have been calorie counting (well, kinda) for a couple of days..need to do it better. The doctor wants me on a VLC diet...because I have some stubborn weight that just won't come off. I am a short (petite) person and the weight is bothering my joints and causing fatigue. He wants me on 800-1000 cal but, I think I will stay closer to the 1000. I know that's low..but, it will be hard...but, I am not going to think of it that way. I am using fitday.com and tracking EVERYTHING...starting today. I would like to be down to 135 by memorial day. My ultimate goal is 110...

I ordered the 'diet deck' ...it's like the old deal a meal deck of cards..you use them, move them to the other side of the wallet...they have different calorie guidelines...I haven't gotten it yet. Hopefully that will help too. I eat certain foods and don't get all my 'food groups' in--due to years of bad fad diets...I look at some entire groups as 'taboo'--not good!

Well, enough of me babbling about myself. Nice to meet you all...

Sarah

Yesterday was day 10, ~1200 calories and 30 minutes on the bike.

I'm not supposed to weigh until Monday but I snuck a look this morning and I'm down 3 pounds. Yippee. Hopefully it stays off until Monday. :)

No exercise again for me yesterday but I had a deficit of 468...I'm back on track eating but haven't worked out since last fiday...I need to get moving..I'm going to the gym today no excuses...also going to cut grass and work in yard.

tyler-great job on sticking to it and congrats on the loss...I'm sure you'll still be down on monday..

I also would like to know more about the steel oats...Where do you buy them at? What do they taste like? are they hard to cook?

I was all set for a high cal/low deficit day yesterday, because I had a luncheon to attend. Wouldn't you know it, I didn't like most of what was being offered! Ended up having a small, skinless chicken breast with a cream sauce, 6 asparagus spears and half a dinner roll, no butter.

And, because I had worked out in the morning, in anticipation of this massive luncheon, I ended up with a nearly 750 point deficit!

Good job on the deficit, Donna! Have fun in the yard. We're scheduled for tons of rain here, so we'll have a jungle before long.

Tyler, congrats on the 3 pounds!

Hi there, Sarah, welcome to the group!

Are you taking your vitamins, Valerie? That may help you adjust to your new schedule.

I have to learn how to do the deficit thing...I keep a log on fitday.com---but, is it simple enough as to how many calories you intake subtracted by how many you expend?

That's about it, in a nutshell, Sarah. Nothing too complicated or mysterious. When Calories Out is greater than Calories In... BAM, deficit.

Easy, eh?

Cool..well, I will start tracking that...

:welcome2: SarahL :D

Yes, someone clue me in on the steel cut oats as well, I think I have been reading everyone talk about it but letting it go over my head.

Deficit of 483 for me yesterday and feeling pretty good. Lots going on, busy at work and home and all that, I guess that's why I haven't had much time to pig out! Going to be moving out hopefully in 1-2 weeks, so maybe I'll burn some calories by lifting things around for a while :D Got to remember to buy a scale at some point too, can't be going home every day to weigh! :lol:

Steel cut oats: http://www.netrition.com/mccanns_oats_page.html

Hi All!...

Okay here is what Susan told me that she does with the oats.....
(I put 1/2 cup of steelcut oats in the crock with 2 cups of water, at night before bed on low overnight. They get a skin on them but you can pitch it or stir it in (which is what I do). In the morning, I take 1/2 cup and put it in the food processor with 3 egg whites and whiz it. I nuke that for 2 minutes. Stir it up and eat it. I like it just fine plain but lots of folks use sweetener or fruit....)
They really are very good. I use Sugar Free maple syrup and a little milk or some brown sugar and cinnamon...nummy... I get mine in the bulk food section at the health food store or grocery store. Susan you may have something to add although I used your quote anyway...lol...

Deficit of 943 and all food accounted and journaled...yyippee! One day under my belt....Have a great day ...Blyn:D

Thanks for the link, Tyler!

I think what scared me a bit was just what you're talking about with the prep, Blyn. Being somewhat cooking-averse, I tend to shy away from foods that won't be ready 'til morning! I'm just used to my Quaker Old Fashioned Oats -- 2 minutes from microwave to bowl. I haven't tried dressing it up, though. Brown sugar and cinnamon sounds yummy!

Yes, Miles, moving burns a lot of calories -- and you get strength training, to boot!

I lied. I haven't had time to sit and read today. Just now my daughter and I are enjoying a little quiet time. Tomorrow we'll be decorating starting in the morning and then it's pretty much nonstop until late Saturday.
Pray for nice weather, would ya? It's been raining since yesterday!
Be well and be good to your bodies! I'll see you after the big event!

Hi everyone! I had a good day OP here.

Blyn the steel cut oats sound good! I'm going to have to make mine one of these days!

Thursday: 1577 calories, 1110 deficit, 45 minutes curves

Susan I'm praying for your nice weather, and sooo happy for you! You and your daughter must be so happy and excited, it sounds wonderful :D

Thanks Miles! Yes, I'm awake. Not frantic, just awake. I kinda wish I could go run some errands but nothing's open yet. If I run the vaccuum I'll be in trouble around here. So here I am at 3fc :)

I'm cooking adverse, too, and eat the microwave oats also. I *wish* I liked cooking, and maybe if I wasn't so busy I would enjoy it. But it is basically just an added stress. I even find boiling water to be annoying!

Yesterday was Day 11, food on plan: ~1300 cals but no exercise. So now to true-up for the week I need to do a double exercise some time before the end of the week. Maybe I'll get that out of the way today.

Getting close to my two-weeks on plan with no binging. Yippee!

Susan! Congrats on the big event, I hope it goes well :)

Yesterday I ate around 1800 calories, not much of a deficit. I am looking forward to next week when I start excercising again!.

Susan: Good Luck on the Big Day. That time went really fast! I will also pray for no rain!...hope every thing is beautiful!...

Lena: I use the splenda/brown sugar blend. It is really good...

Valerie..try it ...you'll like it...they are really quite simple.

Good day On Plan yesterday! I had a 850 cal deficit. Still journaling! yeah! and we will see how tonight goes...big family birthday..hope I have enough calories!...lol....Have a great weekend ..Blyn

Deficit of 433 yesterday, nothing exciting. Lot going on so had best get back to that, try to get back to you ladies soon, hope everything is going well.

Whats a good deficit to shoot for?

A deficit is the difference between the calories you burn and the calories you eat.

So if, on a given day, you burn 2000 and you eat 1500, you have a deficit of 500.

In order to lose a pound, you need to have a total deficit of 3,500. So if you have a deficit of 500 every day for a week, you will lose 1 pound that week. if you have a deficit of 1000 every day for a week, you will lose 2 pounds that week.

What deficit to aim for depends on:
a) how many calories you burn each day and
b) how much you want to lose.

It is not recommended to eat fewer than 1250 calories per day so if you are only burning 2000, then obviously a deficit of 1000 is too much. If you WANT a deficit of 1000 in that case, then you need to burn more i.e. do more exercise.

Note: the maths doesn't always seem to work. Many women have monthly fluctuations where they retain water at certain points in the cycle so, even though you have been really good all week, your scales might show no loss or even a gain.

Also, if you are exercising, then you are burning fat but building muscle so you might not see as much of a loss as you expect. But, if you stick with it and you are honest with yourself, it WILL work.

Nice summary!

I think I may increase my calories...my doctor told me 1000..but, I work out a lot and my 'basal' calories are pretty high...so, maybe I'll shoot for 1200 instead of 1000...

I just want the weight loss, and health!

Anyone have plans for the weekend??

I have another picnic tomorrow...yikes, picnic food!

=Sarah=

As long as we're talking about cycling... just about everything I've read about cycling indicates you have high cal days alternated with low cal days. Here's an example of the way I understand it:

Example 1
Total calories in = 4,800 or 1,600 average per day for the 3 days, regardless of exercise

My question is this. Is cycling determined solely by calories in? Or can you manipulate and cycle deficits? Would that have the same effect (keeping the metabolism guessing)? Here's an example:

Example 2
Total deficit = 1,500 or 500 a day for 3 days, which comes out to 3,500 calorie deficit, which should indicate a pound lost.

Or can you do some combination?

Example 3
I'm imagining the answer is Example 3, but I'd love to get some verification from those with more experience! Anything that can help break up a dad-blasted plateau!

TIA