I had a very good breakfast this morning and took a nice walk along the Creek.

Thank you kfunk - my weight goes down a little every day - just endless cardio, weights, and aqua aerobics and coupled with a 1400 calorie diet with zero cheating, the weight is just falling off. I have to work hard to continue this at home when I return in September.

TW: 112-117
CW:112.4

Been in the mood for eating healthily this week, and the weekend didn't give me the expected bump up as much as usual this week, so all up i've been more or less dropping weight the last 10 days and am now getting closer to the lower edge of my target zone with 112.4 this morning.

No worries though because I've got a long weekend up in Queensland with friends coming up next, so doubtless i'll gain a few lbs there!

Semi confident of coming in at mid-range by the end of the month (and still expecting some high/low excursions between now and then!) so all on track really for completing my third month of maintenance.

Just happy that i'm still happy to eat well mainly and get back to it after weekend splurges. And grateful that i'm not (yet) fighting a desire to over eat 2Much!

I binged again last night, basically finished all the leftovers in my fridge:(
I'm an emotional eater, food made me feel better at the moment，but I feel so bad the next morning.

Fungirl- I can relate to feeling happy and safe during a binge, I even plan them sometimes and get really excited about them. You have come so far from where you were... to limit the binges to a meal instead of days is amazing progress!!!

gardenerjoy- you are so close to your goal, you can do it!!

Lacerta- Thank you! I might have to try your meal combo, it sounds really good!!

riestrella- that little bump will come off in no time!! That is a bummer that your paint by numbers ended up being a knock off, but it is really cool that you found a hobby that excites you!! I am right there with you with the addictive personality!!! I have gone through phases of self destructive habits and end up swapping out the bad one for something that is equally as bad. If I got a package full of chocolate I would totally eat it all in one sitting. I would talk myself into finishing it so that it is all gone because in my mind eating a small amount of chocolate each day is worse than getting rid of it at once... its crazy the stuff I can talk myself into! And I also have a difficult time with pizza, it is one of my triggers for sure. My husband would agree with your theory of why I end up binging. He thinks that I am too strict and eventually I cant take it any longer and go crazy. It is definitely a good theory, but this diet is the first diet I have gone on where I don't feel deprived, so I don't know if that would be the reason, but it makes so much sense! I definitely do not do good with grey area. If I know that I will be going out to dinner I will end up eating anything I want all day instead of being careful up until dinner and then enjoying myself. I feel like that is what most people do, but I haven't fully mastered that skill yet. And absolutely nothing you are saying is offensive at all!!! So far calorie counting has been my favorite way to lose weight. I feel like I can eat whatever (within reason) and not feel deprived. It definitely helps that my tastes have changed the older I get and I can now prefer healthy, nutritious foods over fast food!!

Joe- :hug: I feel the exact same way after a binge. I hope that you are able to forgive yourself and move on, today is a new day!!!

raining- you are so close to your goal, keep on going!!

darius- are they working with you to help you come up with a plan for when you return home?

ange- You are doing so well, I hope to be just like you when I hit maintenance!!!

Yesterday was another good day, I feel excited!! I did end up eating a bagel with some cream cheese that was not planned. To make up for that I drank extra water and did not have my nightly treat of hot cocoa. It felt good to stay in control despite going "off plan" with the bagel.


SW: 170.9
GW: 161.9

8/8 - 170.9
8/20- 168.5
8/21- 167.2
8/22- 166.7
8/23- 165.9

Hi yangzter those little setbacks won't hold you back :)
Yes kfunk we have a lot of classes about dietary "taking it back" and also fitness routines for using at home or a gym.

Anyway I made my goal of 11 pounds today;

August 2018 Weight Loss Challenge
Goal: 11 lb

Date Weight Loss lb
-----------------------
8/1 314.2 lb START
8/3 314.6 lb
8/6 319.0 lb
8/7 317.0 lb
8/8 317.4 lb
8/9 313.4 lb
8/10 315.4 lb
8/17 308.5 lb
8/19 307.5 lb
8/21 304.8 lb
8/23 303.0 lb -11.2 LB GOAL

Hi everyone. I walked about 5 miles today. I haven;t been able to walk or hike for about the past 3 days due to our really poor air quality. The reason our air quality is so bad is due to all the forest fires in western Canada, especially Alberta and British Columbia. We were a 10+ air quality rating and were issued a health warning. We are supposed to have a bit of rain this weekend which should help get rid of some of the smoke.

Darius - congrats on your weightloss!

kfunk - I'm so glad you are doing so well:)

rie - I really enjoyed reading your posts regarding overeating and dieting in general. Your posts made a lot of sense to me and very well put.

raining - you're doing great

gardenerjoy - you're so close to goal - keep going

Kfunk, Rolfing is aimed at improving body alignment and functioning. It’s soft tissue manipulation to re-organized the natural body alignment. The best way I can describe it is...I feel like they stretch all the ligaments and tendons in my body (it hurts in a good way). Each session is about an hour and half. I feel so relaxed (like I’m in on cloud 9) and I can fully move all my joints.

Lacerta, I’m a curvy girl too and wouldn’t change it. I have noticed the older I get, I just want to be comfortable. I do feel comfortable in 10-12 and like to stay in that range.

Congratulations to everyone getting closer your goal. And those who have reached their goal, that is awesome!

We should all be proud of ourselves for making an effort to be healthier.

darius- Congrats on making your goal!!!! That is awesome that you are learning about how to be successful when you leave.

raining- hopefully that means you are in store for a nice whoosh soon!!

flower- fingers crossed that you guys get some rain! Great job on your 5 mile walk yesterday!!

sunshine- That massage technique sounds wonderful! I will definitely look in to that the next time I am looking to get a massage!

I had pasta for dinner yesterday and also am due for my TOM, so that would explain the tiny bump down. I actually had a huge NSV and only ate 1/2 - 2/3 of the pasta my husband packed for me. That is so out of character for me!! I also skipped my night time hot cocoa because I had pasta.

SW: 170.9
GW: 161.9

8/8 - 170.9
8/20- 168.5
8/21- 167.2
8/22- 166.7
8/23- 165.9
8/24: 165.7

kfunk: Way to go. I have a hard time not finishing a meal also if it is a food I like. I'm not sure why. I know a lot of kids were taught they had to clear their plate, but that was never really pushed on me. Instead, I was always told I had to take at least a tiny bit of everything and at least TRY it before I was allowed to say I didn't like something. But if I gave it an honest try and didn't like it, I didn't have to finish it. So I don't know where the impulse is to always finish everything, just because it is there.

flower: Yeah, I'm down in Boise. We have smoke from British Columbia, smoke from California, smoke from Washington, pretty much smoke no matter which way the wind is blowing right now, it's bringing in smoke from somewhere. I haven't been able to see the foothills most of the last 3 days. Yesterday, hubby and I went out for our walk anyway, because we'd skipped 2 days and didn't want to skip a 3rd, and the air was clear enough we could at least tell the foothills were there, even if we couldn't really see them. I'm really hoping we get some rain this weekend too. I have friends in both Seattle and Portland, and I understand they have some of the worst air quality in the WORLD right now. So it could be worse, I suppose.

Raining: I think we've all felt that resistance for the scale not wanting to let us move into a new decade. Lots of sympathizers on this board for that phenomenon. Hope you get that breakthrough soon.

Riestrella: I wonder how many of us are addictive personality types who are in here. I am as well. For that reason, I don't drink any alcohol, never smoked anything and don't even drink caffeinated drinks. Just too easy to get addicted to them. Unfortunately, we can't go cold turkey on eating, so we have to find a way to deal with moderation, which can be difficult for those who are prone to addiction. Moderation is not our thing.

darius: Huge congrats for making goal this month. You're crushing it. I'm also glad to hear that they are trying to give you some tools and knowledge to take home with you.

Week Four
22: 225.8
23: 226.4
24: 225.4
25:
26:
27:
28:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

Never got around to posting yesterday. I had a small bump back up, but it is gone today and I'm back down a bit. So far, I'm right on my trend line to make my stretch goal by the end of the month. Just need 2 pounds in the next 7 days, and the last week of the month is usually a good one for me, so I have hope.

It's so painful to lose weight after 40.I have been focusing too much on this, feeling exhausted. Really need a good test today.

August goal: -1 kg (reach 99.4 kgs)

1: 100.4 kgs
2: 100.15
4: 100.65
5: 100.7
6: 100
7: 100.05
8: 100.5
10: 100.45
11: 100.4
12: 100.1
13: 100.35
15: 100
16: 99.65
19: 99.7
20: 99.7
21: 99.45
23: 99.6
24: 99.9 (sodium? I'll be patient)

You know how I was saying that I'm happy my average weight seems to be balancing at 183 lbs? :lol: Yeah...not so much anymore! Back to the 184's it is for me! This week I've been trying my best to get back on track with life after being sick for 4 days. I always find it hard mentally to get back into a good routine after being sick. Today I'm going to workout with my bf, which I enjoy since having him next to me really motivates me to work harder. I think my weight might be up because I'm a) exercising again and b) have gotten into a weird habit of eating dinner later than usual. Normally I cook/eat dinner around 6pm but these days I've been getting so hungry at around 4pm that I eat a snack that fills me up until 7pm. I also have not been doing as good of a job as I could be with drinking water, so there's that too.

Here is a picture of my finished painting by numbers piece! I've already ordered another one! :lol:

What is everyone up to this weekend? Tonight I'm going to a brewery with friends, but I won't be drinking since I don't like beer. They are, however, pairing beers with doughnuts so I might end up having a cheeky doughnut >_>. They are so delicious! On Sunday I'm also going to be playing D&D again, so I need to be careful about the Snacknarok revealing itself.

On Monday I'm going to be opening my annual Haunting by Halloween challenge :). Keep your eyes peeled for it!

Week Four
20: 184.8 lbs
21: 183.9 lbs
22: 184.4 lbs
23: 184.8 lbs
24: 184.4 lbs
25:
26:
----------------------------------
Avg Weight for Week Three: 183.6 lbs
Avg Weight for Week Four: 184.4 lbs
Total Loss for Week Four: - 0.8 lbs

ange82 - Congrats on getting in the 112's! So great that you've been in the mood to eat healthy :D

kfunk - Wow, I've used the EXACT SAME argument for chocolate! "I better finish it now so I don't have any later!" When in reality if I had the self control to forget about it and eat it every so often it would be much better for me! I always recommend calorie counting to anyone who needs more of a guide to what they're eating. It's by far the one thing that I've done in the past that I can get on board with, I'm just horrendous at tracking everything! But I know multiple people who have had great success with it. It's kind of crazy how our tastes change as the years go on, isn't it? I used to love McDonald's, now I can't stand it! I mean, I'm not gonna lie, the fries are still amazing, but their burgers are just awful. It's funny because my boyfriend was just saying yesterday how crazy it was that he used to drink multiple cans of soda in one day as a teenager. I was the same way, but now I feel like that would be far too much sugar for me! My body is definitely sensitive to what I consume, I can get an upset stomach relatively easily (but not enough for me to consider it a health problem) whereas I used to live drinking little to no water every day and eating junk!
You know the bagel might not have been a huge problem! I think perhaps your nightly hot cocoa could be considered worse since you're having sugar at night. I once saw a video that explained that consuming sugar early in the day is much better for you, because you have the whole day to process it and burn it off with day to day activities, whereas at night when you go to sleep your body isn't doing anything to work it off. It was a lot more science-y than my terrible explanation, but it stuck with me, now I try to avoid sugars after 6pm. Well done on not eating all the pasta! I love when that happens! Look at you go, you're doing so well with weight loss this week!!

flower1 - I'm sorry the air quality is bad because of the fires :(. Thank you! I do tend to go on tangents :lol: I'm very passionate about the psychology behind weight loss perhaps moreso than the science of weight loss itself.

Lacerta - I'm the same way for those vices, my boyfriend has an espresso machine which makes supposedly excellent coffee. I know if I start I wouldn't stop! I do drink alcohol, but very rarely, I think because of the effect it has on my body puts me off from relying on it. Plus it's so expensive! I'd rather buy stationary :lol:

Thank you very much flower1, Lacerta, kFunk for the words of encouragement and support!

August 2018 Weight Loss Challenge
Goal: 11 lb

Date Weight Loss lb
-----------------------
8/1 314.2 lb START
8/3 314.6 lb
8/6 319.0 lb
8/7 317.0 lb
8/8 317.4 lb
8/9 313.4 lb
8/10 315.4 lb
8/17 308.5 lb
8/19 307.5 lb
8/21 304.8 lb
8/23 303.0 lb -11.2 LB GOAL
8/24 301.8 lb

131 stuck for the past few days, and today I saw 130! Now if that weight stays constant for a few days or more, I'll be doing great.

SW 8-14: 133
CW 8-18: 130
Goal for August: 130 (3 lb loss)

There have been some interesting insights this month about why we overeat or eat the wrong foods. I have been motivated to 'eat it all' before someone else gets to whatever treat or food, and that goes right back to my childhood, youngest of four kids and there were no 'dibs.' I put the kabosh on that a few years ago by making it clear that if something is designated as 'Mom's,' everyone had better keep their paws off of it! That goes for anyone else, too, if they want to reserve something for later. This has worked out really well and I no longer feel the anxiety I used to that I'd better eat whatever right now or it'll be gone. Case in point, I have a constant stash of chocolate and no one but me gets into it, and I feel good knowing it's there whenever I want it. :D

My parents also pushed the 'clean your plate' thing but I was a stubborn child (nothing's changed there) and refused to eat anything that didn't appeal, no matter how long I had to stay at the table. Eventually everyone would leave and I'd clear my plate with the help of the dog - voila!

All the exercising going on is starting to put me into the mood to start a routine. What fantastic hikes, watching bears play? Wow! I tend to go overboard on exercise (addictive or obsessive personality, I don't know which) so I've earmarked some 10 minute workouts that should be doable and not wipe me out.

My Navy son is stationed at Coronado Island for now. Much closer to home which is nice after he spent the last 2 1/2 years in South Carolina. The house is much quieter with him gone but I'm so glad for him going out into the world and having adventures.

kfunk, that cleanse sounds interesting but wow, 10 days or more?! If it helps you, that's cool but I wonder if for some it causes a boomerang into eating rampantly afterwards to make up for the restraint.

Riestrella, even if the painting is a knock-off, I love what you've done with it! Can't wait to see the next one. :) Beers and doughnuts? You have the best social life. Maybe D&D ought to add a Snacknarok to their monster list. I'm glad you're feeling better now, stay well!

darius, congratulations on making your monthly goal! You've made amazing progress!

Sunshine, I hope the Rolfing helps your headache. It sounds like wonderful therapy. I'm looking into CBD products, my doctor is okay with me trying it out and I'm getting kind of desperate to find some relief. The other night I caved and made myself a white russian which helped but I really don't want to medicate with alcohol on a regular basis.

Good going to all, every effort towards good health counts!

Lacerta- You are doing so well, I really hope you make your stretch goal!!

Joe- :hug:

gardenerjoy - hopefully you get a bump back down soon!

riestrella- it is hard getting back on track after taking some time off, so great job you are getting right back to it!! What type of workouts do you and your boyfriend like to do together? Your painting by numbers looked amazing!!! You are lucky that you don't like the taste of beer, that is one thing that I am really excited to incorporate back into my diet after I hit maintenance! I LOVE McDonalds fries, I have had a large fry for dinner on multiple occasions, also their diet coke is the best!!! I used to eat that junk sometimes two times per day!! I have come a long way. I thought about you last night and made sure that I drank my hot cocoa at 5:30 instead of after 6 like normal. I am going to eat more of that pasta today but think I will make it my first meal instead of my second. I hope that you had fun at the brewery!! I also hope that Sunday goes well for you, you can do it!!!

darius- look at you go!!! You are so close to the 200's!!! Its fun watching your numbers jump down like this!

cattails- YAY, great job getting to 130, I hope that it sticks for you! That is awesome that by changing the dynamics in your family that you no longer feel that anxiety around food! That must feel really good having your son stationed closer to home now! I am still on the fence about the cleanse. The times I was successful with it I didn't have a problem boomeranging, but it seems a bit extreme. I have been steadily losing my regain so it seems silly to try to expedite it, I just need to be patient!!

Everyone... how come I can gain so rapidly, but it takes 2-3x as long to lose it. Assuming most of the gain was water, wouldn't the water go away just as quickly??

SW: 170.9
GW: 161.9

8/8 - 170.9
8/20- 168.5
8/21- 167.2
8/22- 166.7
8/23- 165.9
8/24: 165.7
8/25: 164.3

Good morning!

Happy to report that after being good yesterday I am down to 183.4 lbs! I just love seeing those 183's. I'm pretty proud of myself for a number of reasons:

1. I worked out after a delay since my boyfriend heard back from a job he interviewed for. We were just about to workout but he got an email asking to see more of his work, so we sat down together and compiled a portfolio to send. Usually I would have dismissed a workout altogether, convincing myself that because it got pushed back that I should just "do it tomorrow" or something stupid. However, as soon as we were done, I did the workout and I'm so pleased! The bf didn't do it with me because he was busy, which makes me prouder because I didn't rely on his presence in order to do it. Woohoo!
2. I didn't snack on chips and salsa before dinner!
3. We hung out with friends, went to a restaurant and I didn't eat! I had already had dinner before we left, because we're watching our pennies, but most of the time I would just eat something anyway to "fit in" but I didn't.

I'm pleased that my efforts paid off on the scale this morning. I hope I can be good today and see another 183 weigh in tomorrow to lower my average. Have a great Saturday everyone!

Week Four
20: 184.8 lbs
21: 183.9 lbs
22: 184.4 lbs
23: 184.8 lbs
24: 184.4 lbs
25: 183.4 lbs
26:
----------------------------------
Avg Weight for Week Three: 183.6 lbs
Avg Weight for Week Four: 184.2 lbs
Total Loss for Week Four: - 0.6 lbs

Cattails - My mum was the exact same with telling me to clear my plate. She would make me feel really naughty if I didn't, eating everything was pretty much a punishment in my eyes! I think that contributed to my need to finish everything, perhaps subconsciously I feel like I'm going to be told off if I don't? Growing up, I now realise that my mum did that because she had an awful upbringing where she would often go hungry, so she always likes to see people well fed because of it. I think her wires are a little crossed, because she can get quite disgruntled if we don't finish everything, even today as adults! I had to laugh at your stubbornness, because I was the same way too if I could get away with it, I'd often wrap up food in kitchen towels and put it in the trash. Or give it to the dog! The key was making sure the dog didn't lick the plate clean so it looked like I ate it ;). Thanks for your compliment about the painting! I'm glad that the knock off was only a few minor differences, because I am pleased with how it turned out.

kfunk - My boyfriend and I have very different attitudes to working out! I like "weight loss" type workouts, so circuit training and cardio, whereas he's more of a hobbyist so he does Muay Thai. Basically, his tastes are expensive! We've found that we both like to do circuit training together, which is what Insanity Max 30 is, because it helps him with his Muay Thai and it helps me lose weight! Other than that, we enjoy walking a lot, but he will complain about having to drive anywhere to go on a hike! I just ignore him and drag him along and every time he always comments on how glad he is that he got to hike. I think there was a point a couple of months ago where I just HAD to have McDonald's fries and went out to get them! I hope you see a small difference with having your sugary treat earlier rather than later!
Girl, I'm not sure what you're talking about, because you are doing AMAZING at losing the weight. Look at my stats, I only lose like a pound a week if I'm lucky but here you are losing a pound a day it seems! Be sure to stay positive and congratulate yourself on your progress!! You're doing such a great job and you should be so proud of yourself. Keep on going, you can do it!

Thank you kfunk and Cattails for the words of support!
I made TWO-DERLAND today!

August 2018 Weight Loss Challenge
Goal: 11 lb

Date Weight Loss lb
-----------------------
8/1 314.2 lb START
8/3 314.6 lb
8/6 319.0 lb
8/7 317.0 lb
8/8 317.4 lb
8/9 313.4 lb
8/10 315.4 lb
8/17 308.5 lb
8/19 307.5 lb
8/21 304.8 lb
8/23 303.0 lb -11.2 LB GOAL
8/24 301.8
8/25 299.5 :angel::angel::angel:TWO-DERLAND!!! :angel::angel::angel:

No time for personals this morning, so I'll catch them up tomorrow.

Week Four
22: 225.8
23: 226.4
24: 225.4
25: 226.0
26: 226.0
27:
28:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

No real change for me. I didn't expect to be plateaued this week, but I've been basically the same weight for 6 days now. Hoping for a little whoosh between now and the end of the month.

Darius - Congrats!!!! Welcome to the 2's!!

I have been MIA for a couple of days...I really enjoyed my birthday and now it time to get back to it. I wore my dress and I received lots of compliments but most importantly I felt amazing. It's the first time I have celebrated a birthday while feeling so good about myself. But I have got to keep my eye on the prize...vacation will be here soon and I want to really enjoy it without worrying about weight restrictions.

Week Four
22: 267.6
23: 266.8
24: NWI
25: 266.4
26: 265.8
27:
28:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

BTW: I realized I passed my goal about a week ago (YAY) and while I am proud of myself, I don't want to get complacent (personal demon of mine) so I am going to keep pushing. Keeping my eye on the big prize.

Thank you FunGirl!
Lacerta sometimes electronic scales will register the last reading if it isn't more than a little different from the last reading.
One way to force it to register a new weight is to step on with something heavy like two full bottles of shampoo or a cat,
let the scale register the heavier weight, and then get off the scale and get back on with just yourself. And the scale will show a newer refreshed reading.
so it could look like
226.0 - Lacerta only
234.0 - Lacerta plus Jack the cat
225.7 - Lacerta only (new weight)

August 2018 Weight Loss Challenge
Goal: 11 lb

Date Weight Loss lb
-----------------------
8/1 314.2 lb START
8/3 314.6 lb
8/6 319.0 lb
8/7 317.0 lb
8/8 317.4 lb
8/9 313.4 lb
8/10 315.4 lb
8/17 308.5 lb
8/19 307.5 lb
8/21 304.8 lb
8/23 303.0 lb -11.2 LB GOAL
8/24 301.8 lb
8/25 299.5 lb :angel::angel::angel:TWO-DERLAND!!! :angel::angel::angel:
8/26 298.5 lb

I stayed the same weight this morning, which was a huge relief since I went a bit off the rails in the evening. I did super well during the day, but then Snacknarok occurred when watching Predator and I started to munch down peanuts. I tried to drink as much water as possible and it seems to have done the trick, since I remained at 183.4 lbs, bringing my average for the week 184.1 lbs.

Week Four
20: 184.8 lbs
21: 183.9 lbs
22: 184.4 lbs
23: 184.8 lbs
24: 184.4 lbs
25: 183.4 lbs
26: 183.4 lbs
----------------------------------
Avg Weight for Week Three: 183.6 lbs
Avg Weight for Week Four: 184.1 lbs
Total Loss for Week Four: - 0.5 lbs

August Starting Weight: 185.3 lbs
Current Weight: 184.1 lbs
August Total Loss: 1.2 lbs

https://swtc.lilyslim.com/aOfTbiw.png

Given that last week was a bit of a weird one, with me being sick and inactive, I'm happy that I'm moving in the right direction again. I hope I can continue the 183's into the final days and into October! I'm not sure I'll meet my goal of being 179 lbs by September 15th (my SIL's wedding), but I'm still really proud of the lessons I've learned in the past couple of months.

Today is D&D day, my boyfriend is gonna be making a honey mustard dip and getting pretzels, I just hope I can resist the temptation and not eat them continuously throughout the night.

darius - Congrats on entering the 200's!!

Fungirl - I know what you mean about getting complacent, it's so easy when you've reached so many awesome goals as well! You're right, gotta keep your eyes on the big picture :) Glad you had a great birthday!

Riestrella- You definitely should be super proud of yourself for continuing on and working out after you and your boyfriend got derailed. I would have totally used that as an excuse to skip my work out all together. #2 and #3 were really awesome too, way to go!!! Insanity max sounds so hard, that is nice that you guys can do that one together!! YAY on staying the same today after eating some peanuts. I really, really think that drinking a lot of water makes a huge difference. I hope today goes well and you can do well in the face of temptation, the dip sounds amazing, I wont lie!

Darius- :cb::cb: WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!

Lacerta- I hope you get your whoosh very soon so you make your stretch goal!

Fungirl- Happy belated birthday!! It is wonderful that you rocked your dress and felt confident, it makes a world of difference!!!

No surprise that I went up yesterday. I ended up eating half of a beef stick and also I ate a whole pint of Halo Top ice cream. Both of those things combined put me a few hundred over my target calorie goal.

SW: 170.9
GW: 161.9

8/8 - 170.9
8/20- 168.5
8/21- 167.2
8/22- 166.7
8/23- 165.9
8/24: 165.7
8/25: 164.3
8/26: 165.4

Stopping in quickly this morning! So happy to read all the positive input here! Everyone is doing pretty good, and some of you are just crushing it!!!

I am 4 ounces from where I was on the first of August.
August 1 - 184.1
Today - 184.5
This is not what I wanted after having lost 9 lbs last month. But I know the problems, just have to work harder on them.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

boatingmommy and Jenyreddy: Sorry to hear that you've been struggling this month. The good news is that today is always a new opportunity to do better. Just think about how much better you feel now than when you started, and how much better again you will feel when you lose another 5 or 10 pounds.

kfunk: You're still down 6 pounds in less than 3 weeks, which is great. The important thing isn't what the number says today. The important thing is that you are still here working on it. Instead of just throwing in the towel after eating that ice cream, you still came and posted today. THAT commitment is far more important than one day's number. Keep at it.

Riestrella: I love the trend lines. It may not be moving quickly, but it is moving the right directions: DOWN (and to the right of course, since we haven't perfected a time machine JUST yet.). Slow and steady is the best way to lose, anyway. Keep at it. As long as the line is trending downward, you're doing great. If nothing else, fighting the upward creep that comes with getting older is a great accomplishment. If you can keep up a steady downward creep, your older self will thank you for it.

All 4 of you above this line: Try to remember that although you might be moving slowly, many of us would love to be in the 160s, 170s or 180s, where you are now (I can't even remember when I was in the 160s last, but it was definitely at least 20 years ago). You are already well ahead of the game, so have patience with the process. It does go slower when you have less to lose. So don't be discouraged when you see others losing more per week. Some of us just have a lot more to lose than others, so it can be easier to have big numbers. And I will give the advice I always give when people say they are losing slowly, to have your doctor check your bloodwork if you haven't already. A hormone imbalance can make it very difficult to lose weight, even when you do everything right.

darius: Congrats on meeting your aggressive goal AND on getting into the 2's. That camp is really giving you a huge starting boost. My scale finally shook loose this morning. I loved your example, but the best part is that you think my cats only weigh 8 pounds. Ha. I have 2 cats and they are both basically mini jungle cats. They are so big that they open my door levers with ease, no jumping required. They aren't at all fat, but still weigh 12-13 pounds each.

Fungirl: Congrats on making your goal for the month, too. Ok, now you need to celebrate that HUGE NSV. You enjoyed your birthday and STILL lost weight.

mom2pands: Even though you haven't posted for a while, I see that you've updated your first post with current weights. Excellent. Sure, you had a rough week earlier this month, but you didn't go off the rails. Today is a new day and the fact that you are still here is fabulous.

ophelia: We miss you. Even if you come back to tell us you fell off the wagon, please come back.

Week Four
22: 225.8
23: 226.4
24: 225.4
25: 226.0
26: 226.0
27: 224.8
28:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

Finally got a whoosh. I suspect I was retaining water the last two days and today my body finally gave it up. I'm starting to think I probably won't quite get to my stretch goal, but if I finish the month at 224.x, that would be perfectly acceptable. I started the month at 231.6, so if I can just lose another 0.2 pounds in the next 4 days, I'll have lost at least the 7 pounds I try to average each month. Good enough.

Oh, and the smoke cleared out of here (finally) for the last day and a half, so I actually got some good quality outdoor walking in without feeling like I had to chew the air. Went on a 3 mile walk by the river, and my ankle didn't bother me at all, so that was great, I think it is finally all healed up.

asegywehwre I typed up a post with personals and I exited the browser. YOU'D THINK I'D LEARN. So my post might seem a little rushed but here's the gist:

I'm up a little from yesterday due to some cake I had last night I'm sure. I'm also having a hard time with drinking water throughout the night, because I'm a lazy bum who HATES to get up and pee in the night so I just lay there dehydrated! I'm 183.9 lbs, which is just a 0.5 lb gain, so I hope I can weigh in in the 183 range for these final days to keep my average down! Luckily there were no snacks at DnD, but like I said, I did eat cake.

I've run this by gardenerjoy first and she said she doesn't mind me posting about it here, but I have officially opened my Haunting for Halloween 2018 challenge! I've been running these challenges for the past...4, maybe 5 years and they're always a blast to run. The board isn't terribly active anymore, so I hope I can get as many people as possible since it really helps having people to lift each others spirits! If you want to use the challenge for maintenance please do!

Final Days
27: 183.9 lbs
28:
29:
30:
31:
----------------------------------
Avg Weight for Week Four: 184.1 lbs
Avg Weight for Final Days: 183.9 lbs
Total Loss for Final Days: 0.2 lbs

kfunk - Ugh, the dip is annoyingly tasty. Sorry to hear that you went over with your calories, but time to move forward and try harder again today! :)

Jeny - Your body is trying to tell you something and that's whatever it is you're doing just isn't working. You could be eating too much or maybe too little. If you're exercising you might be not eating enough to keep your body fueled. WHAT you're eating might be the problem. Worst case scenario, you might even have a thyroid problem or something of the sort that's preventing your weight loss. Be sure to do your research and perhaps have a doctor check you out if you're concerned. Our bodies can take a small adjustment period to get used to a new routine, but if you've been putting in the same effort for weeks then it's time to change it up!

Lacerta - You won today! Yeah, you're right, even though I don't consider myself old I know that it's harder for me to lose weight now than it was 6 years ago. Amazing how our bodies change! I also have to remember that part of my slowness is my inability to make snap changes in my diet. I'm sure if I cut out grains and replaced them with vegetables my weight would shoot down, but mentally I know myself better than that. Thanks for the pep talk, I needed it! I found myself in a pit of sadness the last time I left 3FC because I was comparing myself to others and I do not want to repeat that again. Congrats on the WOOSH! And yay for fresh air at last and your ankle not giving you problems! Wonderful news :D

Jeny- It is super common to get stuck over and over again. Lots of us lose in a couple cycles per month and stay put or bounce up a little during the rest of the time. It is very difficult to stay patient when you are doing everything right, but what other alternative is there? "In a year from now you will be glad you started today". that is a quote that really stuck with me. Even though you aren't losing as fast as you would like, it is still a huge accomplishment to be -14 lbs!! Consistency and patience are the only things that are going to get you to your goal weight, you can do it!!!

boatingmommy- Maintaining is really awesome in the summer, seriously!!! Having said that... have you thought about doing another dry month or 3 out of 4 weekends? You did so well with it last time!!!!

Lacerta- YAY on your whoosh!!!! I appreciate your words of encouragement and I am very glad that the smoke has cleared out, that sounds awful!

Ristrella- Great job on making yesterday a success!! Hopefully that pesky little bump up will be gone soon. How much water do you drink during the day? I also hate waking up to pee, but usually end up going 4 times a night, ugh! I should cut myself off around 6 to see if it helps!

Last night was a disaster for me. I ended up eating at Mcdonalds and after my meal I ate 5 of their chocolate chip cookies and when I got home I had some ice cream. Well, I had been feeling the cravings for a few days and finally caved and gave in. Now that is out of my system I can move on! I did not weigh in today.

Four days in a row of eating too much for me, but we had a long weekend break in Queensland and I'd decided that I wasn't going to be too strict, so I just ate normal meals. I still avoided all the sugar that the others were eating (cookies, lollies etc) but calories-wise I would easily be 2-3x what i'd normally have, each day, what with bar meals and alcohol etc. Didn't get on the scales this morning, but now I know i need to have a week back on diet-regime, so that's the plan: strict again til Saturday and see where i'm at then.....

On the plus side we did a challenge called 6 Mountains in a Day on Sunday, and I completed them all with my wonky knee that held up really really well so i'm really really pleased that it seems to be on the mend more properly this time and I can finally start booking walks with the walking club i'm in. I still need to take it sensibly for a couple more months but I think I can safely keep strengthening it now without worrying that it's doing more damage than good.

Lacerta congratulations on your woosh!
Thank you Riestrella and kFunk for the words of encouragement.
Lacerta our (my sister's, mother's, and mine) dear cat Jack went missing 3 days ago and failed to return,
We live in western rural NC, and he is an indoor cat but loves to spend the nights outdoors in the summer.
He gets into fights with skunks and opossums and gets bites on his neck.
Well 3 days ago he never came back.
He is big too, about 12-14 pounds, and fearless but slow, which is a deadly combination with coyotes etc.
Poor Jack we will miss him and the other cats are pacing the floors and distraught.
We have LOST CAT posts on every facebook page in a 3 county area.

My bestie surprised me with a homemade birthday dinner of chicken breast stuffed with pesto and wrapped in bacon, roasted brussell sprouts and mint chip brownies (she only gave me three. Dinner was fabulous but the brownies did some damage. Hopefully I can work that off this week and have a nice loss this week. I have to run but will do personals in the am. Have a nice night.

Week Four
22: 267.6
23: 266.8
24: NWI
25: 266.4
26: 265.8
27: 266.4
28:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

August goal: -1 kg (reach 99.4 kgs)

1: 100.4 kgs
2: 100.15
4: 100.65
5: 100.7
6: 100
7: 100.05
8: 100.5
10: 100.45
11: 100.4
12: 100.1
13: 100.35
15: 100
16: 99.65
19: 99.7
20: 99.7
21: 99.45
23: 99.6
24: 99.9
28: 99.5 (close, again)

Welp, I ended up having a bad day yesterday! I think I need to stop psyching myself up to have a certain type of day, if that makes sense. When I see a low weight, I need to stop thinking "omg I need to make sure today is even better so I lose more tomorrow!" because I think that puts some weird pressure on myself and I end up having a bad day? It might sound crazy, but I've definitely seen a correlation between putting expectations on myself and bad days. I think what I need is to just have a positive attitude every day, an equal amount of pep so to speak! The moment I think "this is it, you better not fluff up today!" then that's when I have bad days. I'm rambling! :lol:

What made yesterday bad was a) I didn't exercise because I was waiting for the landscapers to come over and b) I ate too much. There's a huge tree right outside our balcony window and since I work from home I want it trimmed because we get no natural light in our apartment. I got a call saying they were going to come in the apartment "in the next few hours" (at around 11am) and look at the tree from the balcony, so I waited to work out until they came over because I didn't want to be mid-sweat when I let them in. They ended up coming much later than anticipated, around 3:30pm and that snowballed into me taking a nap and not doing anything :(. I also had TWO sandwiches yesterday, an egg one and a peanut butter one. *sigh* This is gonna be a hard habit to crack I know, but I need to be stronger that's for sure. Also, later that night I ended up having pretzels and dip because my boyfriend decided to have some while we were watching Sharp Objects, despite already having some in the afternoon! *bigger sigh*

I know I know, I'm a broken record. My problem areas are always the same, I just need to be stronger mentally and not give in to extra sandwiches/snacking/excuses not to workout. Apparently the landscapers are coming over today to trim the tree, I think I'm just gonna work out anyway and if they come while I'm working out then I'll get the boyfriend to handle them and I'll hide my sweatyness!

Final Days
27: 183.9 lbs
28: 184.4 lbs
29:
30:
31:
----------------------------------
Avg Weight for Week Four: 184.1 lbs
Avg Weight for Final Days: 184.1 lbs
Total Loss for Final Days: 0 lbs

kfunk - I try and continuously drink water until my pee is clear! I'd say perhaps 60-80 oz a day? I'm going by how often I have to fill up my water bottle. Cutting yourself off at 6 will definitely help, but I stay up until about 11:30pm and I get thirsty in the evening so I tend to drink water right up until bed! I have a cat that likes to get under my feet as I walk so I think that's what stops me from peeing in the night these days, since I don't want to have to "wake up" enough to not step on him and sometimes he steals my side of the bed! *hug* Something to consider the next time you find yourself giving in to your cravings is to eat half of what you normally would and then full on throwing the rest in the trash? Another thing you might find helpful; I briefly saw a documentary about food and something one of the guys said really stuck with me and perhaps you'll find it useful too. He said something along the lines of "I believe you can eat whatever you want, as long as you make it yourself." Perhaps next time you want McDonald's, make yourself a burger, fries and cookies from scratch. I'm not sure how to make ice cream, but maybe you do! That way, sure, you're eating "bad" food, but it'll be ten times better than something you can buy from a fast food place in terms of quality of ingredients. Again, something to think about, I know when the craving bug bites it's a hard itch not to scratch.

ange - I hope your weekend didn't set you back too much, I'm sure you'll bounce back soon. And hey, awesome job on resisting sugars. I'm so pleased to hear your knee held up during your walk. I have to be sure to strengthen my IT band or my knees will get a bit wobbly too!

darius - :hug: I am so so sorry to hear about Jack. I am a new cat mama to an indoor cat, so I can't imagine how upset you are. I know that considering where you live it's perhaps easier to consider the worst...but I still like to hold on to hope that maybe he just ventured into someone else's home.

Fungirl - Aww, what a lovely friend to make you a birthday meal! Even if it hurts the scales, at least it warmed the soul :) God, how cheesy was that line?! :lol:

ange- Great job avoiding all the sugary sweets while you were away! I'm interested to see where you end up come Saturday's weigh in! That is awesome news that your knee held up!!!!!

darius- I hope that Jack makes his way back home safely.

fungirl- That dinner sounds amazing!! Hopefully you will come back down fast, drink lots of water!

gardenerjoy- You've got this!!!

Riestrella - I am sorry that you had a bad day yesterday. I do the same thing when I see certain weights on the scale, so I understand the pressure you are talking about. For what its worth, 2 sandwiches and pretzels are much better choices than you could have made... A 6pm cut off definitely wont help if you stay up until 11! I can't remember the last time I slept through the night, isn't that sad?! I am lucky if I only have to go to the bathroom two times per night. OH, I was really good at throwing food away, or giving it away.. not sure what happened but I am not as strong (at the moment!). I have this desire to eat even when I am not hungry, I have been noticing it lately. I am not too worried about it, I know it will pass! Isn't that the truth about making food at home?! It is crazy how many extra calories restaurants can jam into their food!! I hope that you have a great day today!! Don't beat yourself up if you go off track a bit, it happens!!

raining- you are so close!!

Yesterday was a decent day. I ate lunch from the café at my work, so I am sure the wrap I chose had a ton of calories in it and I chose tator tots as a side. I did not have any candy, cookies or ice cream yesterday though, so that is a win! Today has not been so good.... lots of candy, some cookies... eh. I will not be weighing in for the rest of this challenge, but will continue to stay for the support and encouragement! We are going to the MN state fair tomorrow and I am super excited about that!! I am not going to monitor what I eat at all, complete free day. I do expect to hold myself accountable starting on Thursday, no excuses!

Just want to say hello:)
I'm doing OK these days.

kfunk, have you ever checked out the South Beach plan? The first two weeks you go without any sweets (including fruits and the more sugar-intense veggies) or bread, and that knocks out the sugar cravings nicely. You eat every four hours (breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus two snacks and even a sugar-free dessert if you want) so hunger is not an issue. After the two weeks, you can add back in a little bread and fruit as long as it doesn't spur more cravings. I find it a very adaptable and livable way to eat.

As to why we can gain so fast and it takes forever to lose those pounds? That is the million dollar question. :)

Jeny, I'm glad you're still with us! Sorry that you're so frustrated right now, but you can be proud of the fact you are working for your health. Hopefully some small tweaks will get some more weight loss going.

Riestrella, you and I had a certain way with the family dogs, hm? Once I even stuffed mutton into my sock during dinner, then excused myself to visit the bathroom and flush it all. It was so stringy and awful I couldn't swallow any of it. Hey, that was a terrific day you had! Lots of reasons to feel good about yourself. I know it's tough when others are eating goodies - is there something you might keep around or bring with you to munch on while the others (husband and friends) have their treats? I sometimes like to devour a huge bowl of air-popped popcorn, plain.

boatingmom, what kfunk said: maintaining this month is awesome, especially after such a big loss last month.

Hi yangtzer. :wave:

Lacerta, grats on your whoosh! It's always nice to see the scale finally break loose. It's good to hear your ankle is all fixed up now.

Fungirl, your birthday sounds like it was a blast! Glad you had a great time and congratulations on making your goal!

darius, welcome back to two-derland. I'm so sorry to hear Jack is missing. I hope he turns up. We are rural also and lose cats frequently to coyotes, hawks and foxes. Several years ago, one big black cat of ours went missing for two weeks - I went around calling him without much hope and amazingly he finally answered and came strolling home from across the back field. I guess he was just out doing his thing down by the creek. Troll ended up living to 24 years old.

6 Mountains in a Day, wow! That sounds exhausting!

gardenjoy and raining, you two are so close! I'm sure you'll see a whoosh any moment now.

SW 8-14: 133
CW 8-18: 130
Goal for August: 130 (3 lb loss)

130 has stuck, now I'm hoping to see the 120's soon!

August goal: -1 kg (reach 99.4 kgs)

1: 100.4 kgs
2: 100.15
4: 100.65
5: 100.7
6: 100
7: 100.05
8: 100.5
10: 100.45
11: 100.4
12: 100.1
13: 100.35
15: 100
16: 99.65
19: 99.7
20: 99.7
21: 99.45
23: 99.6
24: 99.9
28: 99.5
29: 99.3 (yay!)