Week Three
15: 181.2
16: 181.2
17:
18:
19:
20:
21:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Three:

Thanks sgregg. No new loss today, but I managed to hang on to my low.

15: 200
16: 198.4
17:
18:
19:
20:
21:

It's amazing what staying on plan does for my weight loss. I did well yesterday...no cheats, ate when I was hungry for the most part. Around 5ish, I got to where I was wanting to munch on stuff...so, I had a few on-plan items...not too many, just enough to curb the cravings. I also tried to drink water throughout the day when I felt like I wanted to eat out of habit. Hopefully, I can keep moving down. The lowest I've seen since starting back in January was 197.

Dragging myself back after quite a while of being off track. I wasn't able to exercise anymore since last September due to knee issues. Still not 100% but i've gained back over 30 of the 54 lbs I lost last year. If I don't get at least my eating back on track I will just rediscover it all so here I am! Nice to see some familiar faces!

July 16th Weigh-In: 269.6
Month Goal Weight: 264
July 31st Weigh-In:
Total Month Weight Loss:


Week Three
15: Forgot to weigh in before breakfast :dizzy: .
16: 269.6
17:
18:
19:
20:
21:
----------------------------
End of Week Two: 269.6
Total Loss for Week Three:

Week Four
22:
23:
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:
----------------------------
End of Week Three:
Total Loss for Week Four:

Final Days
29:
30:
31:
----------------------------
End of Week Four:
Total Loss for Final Days:

Welcome, momtopands!

ange82much: 1 lb
Lacerta: 6 lbs
momtopands: 5.6 lbs
Newlyn: 4 lbs
opheliaphoenix: 10 lbs
sgregg: 5 lbs
VickieLou: 11 lbs

Hello again everyone!!

June and the beginning of July were absolutely nuts for me - my son graduated high school at the beginning of the month, I worked my butt off to get the whole garden in, plus we built a greenhouse and 2 new garden beds (one for perennial vegetables - I can't wait for fresh asparagus and garlic!!). Then we were talked into being part of the local garden tour this year, was this past Saturday, so getting the yard to look as perfect as possible was quite a feat! We have about 3 acres cultivated with various gardens, so it was a pretty big undertaking.

The good news is I have lost some weight with all the working! The better news is that despite the scale not dropping as much as I had hoped it was because I was replacing fat with muscle and I got into a pair of jeans I haven't wore in over a year!! I am tempted to try a dress that I haven't worn in ages because I looked like a stuffed sausage but not sure I am quite up to that.

My goal for July is to lose 5 lbs. My diet now that the garden is producing is very veg heavy, and my water intake is definitely higher than normal so 5 lbs should be doable. Thanks for the thread Lacerta! And congratulations to everyone on your victories!!

Thank You GardnerJoy for fixing my weight for the month! Good Luck, Everyone!

SW: 201
CW: 196.6 (- 4.4)
GW: 190

:cheer3: :cheer3: :cheer3: :cheer3:

sgregg: Good drop and way to go getting back into Onederland.

momtopands: Welcome back. I'm sure at least some of that was just water weight and will fall back off quickly.

scarletrunner: I know we all love to see the pounds lost, but I'll take fitting into smaller clothes any day.

Week Three
15: 181.2
16: 181.2
17: 182.2
18:
19:
20:
21:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Three:

Worked a long day yesterday, so not surprised to see the scale up. My weight corresponds closely to my hours worked. I'm convinced that if I could take a month off work, I'd drop like 10 or 12 pounds instead of the 2 or 3 I've been losing in a month lately.

Welcome, scarletrunner!

ange82much: 1 lb
Lacerta: 6 lbs
momtopands: 5.6 lbs
Newlyn: 4 lbs
opheliaphoenix: 10 lbs
scarletrunner: 5 lbs
sgregg: 5 lbs
VickieLou: 11 lbs

Lacerta, why do you think you go up the longer you work? Just extra stress on your body making you hold on too fluids?
Scarlet, you have been busy, busy.
---------------------------------------------------------------
15: 200
16: 198.4
17: 196.2 :eek:
18:
19:
20:
21:

I cannot believe I dropped 2lbs over a day! I did have a good bathroom day yesterday. ;) lol 196 is the lowest I've seen since starting this journey back in January. So, I'm super pumped about it.
I have been trying very hard to stay on-plan this week with my eating and, thankfully, it is paying off. I'm expecting the weight-loss to slow down in the next few days.

nice one Scregg! You're going really well. Great that you've got back in to the swing of it, and are rewarded by seeing some low numbers. Long may it continue :)

Lacerta - yes, weird about the job v weight thing, but in the end, even with the job factor, you're losing slowly and steadily, and in the long run that's probably a good thing (says me, who dropped the weight pretty much as fast as I possibly could, lol, but that won't stop me preaching alternative advice to others :) )

I'm going good. The scales say I haven't changed for a few weeks, 51.9kg (114.2lb) this morning - but i'm happy with anything that's got a 51 in it. Gym is still fun. My knee's still getting gradually better (this has been about a 2yr recovery by now) and I've actually started running a little bit without paying a consequence for it in the last month, which i'm really excited about. Yesterday I did some standing jumps on to the biggest box for the first time during my gym class - I looked at it and thought 'no way, I can't do that' but tried, and I could! And i'm loving my regular Saturday trekking in the mountains still. So i'm all positive and enthusiastic at the moment.

Ange82much, knee problems are the worst! I hope you can continue to get your exercise in without too much pain. I started jogging some a few months back and I had horrible hip pain from it, so I had to quit. I think I'll just stick to walking and watching my diet until I lose more weight. A trek in the mountains sounds amazing.
---------------------------------------------
15: 200
16: 198.4
17: 196.2 https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/images/smiles/eek.gif
18: 197.2
19:
20:
21:

I'm up today and I know why. DH and I went out to eat last night and I overate and also ate stuff that was not on my plan. So, I'm paying for it today. However, today is a new day and I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'm going to get back down to where I was by staying on plan today and making sure I get plenty of water to flush out any excess water. I'm doing a weight loss challenge with some friends and tomorrow is the weekly weigh-in.

sgregg: I think it is partly that, but also partly that I can't eat on my schedule. I end up eating dinner 3-4 hours later than I usually would, which means sometimes I get very hungry and end up eating more throughout the day (even though I plan and take healthy snacks, it is still more). Way to go this week. Even with the bump up today, still a great week so far.

ange: Way to maintain! And glad your knee is improving. I tried running a few times. Mentally, I don't mind it, and cardiovascularly, I'm sure I could get there, but my joints weren't happy with me, so I went back to walking for now. Maybe when I get closer to goal.

Week Three
15: 181.2
16: 181.2
17: 182.2
18: 181.6
19:
20:
21:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Three:

Not a new low, but still in the 181s. Still hoping to see a 0 by Sunday.

Dropped a teeny bit 51.8kg today. 51.4 when I got back from the gym, but that doesn't count! Now it would be nice if I could get through the weekend without having an unnecessary food blow out. There's nothing too exceptional to negotiate, but sometimes those cruisy evenings are the worst! And I still have a bit of a reward mentaility at the weekend for being diligent through the week. Got heaps of work to do today before a 3-day workshop next week. That's why i'm procrastinating on here...….

Week Three
15: 181.2
16: 181.2
17: 182.2
18: 181.6
19: 180.6
20:
21:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Three:

New low. Yay! Final push to get out of the 180s. Not too much longer.

Week Three
15: 181.2
16: 181.2
17: 182.2
18: 181.6
19: 180.6
20: 179.8
21:
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Three:

So, I wasn't expecting to see that this morning. In fact, I felt a little bloated when I got on the scale, and was thinking I'd be back up in the 181s. Guess not. :woohoo:

First time I've seen the 170s since around the time I got married in 2000, right out of college. I think I actually might have already been over 180 then, not sure. But definitely not since then. I fit back into a dress I wore around that same time. So I've removed nearly 20 years of gain.

I'm getting closer to goal weight, and finding it harder to maintain a deficit on a regular basis. Some days are good, others are around maintenance, but I'm picking away. If I can get to the 160s by Halloween, I'll be thrilled. My goal for the end of the year is 167.4 (100 pounds down total). So that would leave me just a couple pounds to lose over the holidays. I haven't weighed in the 160s since high school. So I am nearing the lowest I've ever been as an adult mark. I didn't actually start tracking my weight until 2005, so unfortunately, I don't know what that number is, but it isn't too far away.

Oh, and I"m changing my signature. My college weight wasn't "170", it was "in the 170s, so I'm marking that one complete today. And adding one for 100 pounds down (ange, you were right, I do need that one)

Lacerta, look at you go! :cp: :dancer: :bravo:
Ange, hoping you have a good weekend that you feel proud of. I have always used 3FC & FB to procrastinate...lol.
-------------------------------------
15: 200
16: 198.4
17: 196.2 https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/images/smiles/eek.gif
18: 197.2
19: 196.4
20: 195.2
21:

I cannot believe that 195 was on the scale this morning. I had some foods that were off-plan yesterday, but I ate them earlier on in the day and then my last meal was around 3-4 and I didn't snack/munch on anything after that. Just tried to drink my water and wait it out until today. Do any of you do Intermittent Fasting? My husband is thinking of trying it out to see if it helps him lose some weight. I do it most days, but not intentionally. I try to eat when I'm hungry and not before that. It's easy right now with school out, but it's going to be a challenge when school starts back. I'm a teacher and get a 20 minute window to eat my lunch. So, I usually eat even if I'm not hungry because I don't want to be hungry in the middle of class. Okay, now I'm rambling...

Anyway, planning to eat on-plan today...NO cheats, even though its the weekend and I seem to always eat more loosely on the weekends. If anything, I'll go heavier on my veggies/fruits instead of eating breads/sugars. :) Hope you all have a great day!

51.8kg today and marks exactly a year since I got below 52kg for the first time in my adult life - and I've stayed there for a year! Got to be happy with that.
Eating was pretty good this weekend, probably maintenance, hopefully. Had more wine than I needed to on Saturday, but that's ok. I"m away interstate at workshops Mon-Wed next week though, so there'll be meals out and whatnot with colleagues to negotiate so that might make it not the best week overall. Spent most of today working in preparation for my presentations, which isn't my idea of weekend fun.

wow scregg you're going gangbusters this week! Well done! Yep i'm a bit like you in that I do IF by natural preference but not by design really - I normally have breakfast around 8.30 and eat my last mouthful for the day by between about 4-6pm
yay Lacerta for your new low and a new decade. I must say it's about time to say goodbye to the 80's - the 70's are much more exciting :) Congratulations and exceptional work.

sgregg: Great week for you. Way to go! I also do IF by choice, I eat breakfast and then combine lunch/dinner around 3:00. In practice, it doesn't always work out that way, but I do try and when it does, I lose the most weight. For some people, lots of small meals works, but that was terrible for me. 2 meals a day is perfect for me.

ange: Wow, has it been a year? That's amazing. I would say you've made it once you've maintained for a year. :congrat:

Week Three
15: 181.2
16: 181.2
17: 182.2
18: 181.6
19: 180.6
20: 179.8
21: 179.6
----------------------------
Total Loss for Week Three: -2.0

So it was a great week for me. I ended up 2 pounds down, which is the best week I've had in a while. Not only did I hang on to the 170s, I moved a smidge further down. AND, I did my first strength training workout in a while yesterday, so I'm sore with DOMS today, and was STILL down. Now that I'm into the 170s, I REALLY want to get back into strength training.

Fantastic stuff Lacerta on both the weight and the weights :D Are you doing your strength training from home or do you go to a gym? You can tell by the fact i'm still on here bleating about it that it doesn't feel like 'i've made it' with regard to maintenance, but i'm still loving being this shape and not taking it for granted at all which is good as I don't ever want to feel blaze about it.
I've just got back from a weights class 15min ago. Guessing my inner thighs and shoulders are going to be feeling it tomorrow, but that's a good feeling! And now I'm off to the airport this morning for my work workshop/meetings bonanza.....

ange: I'm just working out at home, at least for now. I have a full set of dumbbells, as well as an offbrand bowflex machine, so I can do a lot here to start with. For now, I'm sticking with bodyweight and dumbbells.

Week Four
22: 180.0
23:
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:
---------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

Not at all surprised to be up today. DOMS are kicking my butt (and hamstrings) this morning, so I'm sure I'm retaining ALL the water. I was actually surprised it wasn't higher.

Way to go Lacerta!!! You are such an inspiration!!

I am totally not surprised to jump on the scale and see it up a wee bit - 183.5. I wasn't very active last week at all, and then spent 2 days driving which means my sleep schedule is all screwed up. It's a new week, though, and the sun is shining so here's to a good week!!

Lacerta, you had a great week last week! Good job!
---------------------------------------
Week 4:
21: 199
22: 197.8
23:
24:
25:
26:
27:

I ate crap on Saturday, which made me hold too much water over into Sunday morning. Why do I continually do that to myself? I feel like in order to be successful that I need to allow myself a cheat. Well, in the past, I have done a cheat day and just ate whatever all day...that is so not good for me. So, now I'm going to go a full 14 days on plan and allow myself 1 cheat MEAL....no cheat days. I wish I could get in the mindset that I don't need cheat meals, but I feel if I tell myself that I will never ever be able to eat a regular cookie again, I will get depressed, and be a horrible person to everyone around me. I have to constantly tell myself that I can have whatever I want, but I just CHOOSE not to.

Anyway, hoping to get this water off sooner than later.

sgregg: I could never get through this without ever eating some foods again. I still eat (a little) chocolate nearly every day. I still go out for steak dinners on occasion, I have pizza once every few months, I have a burger about once a month. Heck, I still have basic yellow box Cheerios for breakfast every day (need to work on that one next, as that is probably the least healthy thing I regularly eat these days). If I couldn't do those things, I would never stick with this new lifestyle. For me, it is about doing those things less often than I did before, in smaller quantities, and making great choices the rest of the time, so I keep my overall calories in check. I try to make good choices at least 95% of the time, and I count things like burgers and pizza and cookies in my 5%. Ok for once in a while, if I really want them, but not all the time. The Cheerios and chocolate are my weaknesses right now I need to work on to push closer to that 95% mark I shoot for, but the Cheerios are the plain kind, and one of the healthier cereal choices and I only eat small amounts of chocolate, so even those choices aren't terrible.

This week, at the store, I really wanted ice cream. Not Halo Top (that stuff tastes like cardboard to me), but the real, creamy, deal. I didn't buy any, but told myself that if I was still craving it next week, I could get some then. Or, instead of getting an entire pint, I might just stop at McDonalds one day and get a cone. Less calories than eating the entire container, and satisfies the craving. I haven't had any ice cream in over a year, so I wouldn't even feel guilty about it.

An occasional snack of something you crave isn't going to ruin your progress. The key is keeping it occasional and within reasonable quantities. If I did get a container of ice cream, I would have just a small amount each day, and it would be instead of my Hershey's chocolate, not on top of it. About the same, overall. But it took me nearly a year to get to this point of being able to have these snacks so occasionally. When I started, I still had pizza every week, and still had a burger and fries at least twice a week. It took time and practice to cut back. I'm still not always successful, but I'm still making progress. One day soon, I may be able to say I went a whole month without eating a fast food burger or fries. Eventually, maybe I'll be able to say I went a whole week without chocolate (but I don't think that day is soon).

So I know you can do it. If I can, you can too. It takes practice and patience and the willingness to accept that you are going to have days where you "failed", but you have to just keep trying to get better. Eventually, and possibly without you even acknowledging it, you will BE better, and you'll find that your baseline you are working on improving is already better than you ever thought it could be. Just like weight loss, always reaching for that next new low, eating healthy is always looking for that next new better.

Week Four
22: 180.0
23: 180.0
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:
---------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

Same today. My body hasn't released all the water yet, apparently. Still somewhat sore today, but definitely on the mend. Hoping to release the water today and go back down for tomorrow. However, I'm going to do the workout again today, hopefully with a bit less pain, so maybe my body will hold on to the water still. We'll see. I've been meaning to get into strength training again all year, and knew it would make me retain water when I did, but I'm basically at the point now where I'm happy with my weight and want to work on my shape more than I want to work on the number on the scale. So I'm now all about the inches more than the scale. Seeing that 7 made me go "it's time!"

Speaking of inches, my waist is under 35" for the first time ever. 35", from what I've read, is the clinical division for women between higher risk of heart disease. So by getting below that magical number, I've cut my risk. From other things I've read, the magical number for goal measurements is no more than 1/2 your height, so for that, I want to get below 33.5", which isn't too far away either. Progress!

Scregg so here is where Lacertas approach is different to what mine was - and both work, so it's good to have your own plan to suit what will work best for you.
I restricted myself quite a lot and maybe had a cheat item once a week whilst I was dieting. I could never have carried on like that for ever, but it was only for 6 months til the weight was off, and I was motivated by the weight-loss progress being as quick as possible, so that's what suited me. Now in maintenance I can have heaps more 'cheats' especially since I exercise a lot now and I did none whilst I was dieting, so the big restrictions were just temporary til I got to target. Lacerta on the other hand is living the rest of her life by starting with the weight loss bit and (I think?) doesn't plan to ever slacken off again, so of course needs to be fully sustainable all the way along.
I think your plan is a good one for a cheat meal. I agree it's important not to feel too restricted.
I never had any banned foods, so I could always eat anything I wanted which helped with that feeling of not being restricted - only problem was that I was counting calories so if I chose badly I knew i'd only have little amounts and be hungry later so ended up just with heaps of veggies instead - bang for buck again - but no restriction on actual food types. Anyway, the main thing i'm trying to say is to figure out what works for you (Lacerta's way is the best way and the most likely to succeed according to the statistics, but just thought i'd throw in the alternative option!)

Absolutely. You need to do what works for you. I think that is the biggest part of the journey. What works for me might be terrible for you. ange definitely has been successful and lost much faster than I have. Find what actually works for you and do that. Every legitimate (as in not trying to sell you something) weight loss article/video I've seen agrees on one thing. The best diet method is the one you'll stick with.

Hi, I'm new to the site, but I'd like to join. I'm at the point where I need to do something and stick with it, because I'm a couple pounds away from being obese class II, and my family has a terrible history of diseases that are worsened by extra weight (heart disease, certain cancers, etc.). I'm also super uncomfortable with how I feel right now. I used to be a healthy weight about 10 years ago, and I want to get back to what's comfortable for me. This seems like a nice quiet place to both have support and give support (not much drama, from what I've seen, which is perfect).

Well, since July is basically over, my ideal goal is 3 lbs this week. I'm counting on my body ditching a lot of extra fluid as I change my eating.

So, my July goal is 186.8. I usually weigh on Saturdays.

Do you guys do these threads every month?

Lacerta & Ange, thanks so much for your input and encouragement! It means so much, and it helps! This week has not been my best, but looking back, it is way better than it used to be. I was also looking at the calendar and saw that Aunt Flo is due for a visit in about 3 days so that would explain why I've been extra hungry and having extra cravings. Lacerta, I like the percentage that you mentioned...it makes sense! Ange, I have tried calorie counting before, and I did like that I could have whatever I wanted, but I often found myself hungry and wanting more of the "bad" stuff because I couldn't seem to give it up. I do like having a goal in mind to work toward...like one more week or 3 more days and then I can have that...it seems to help motivate me to keep going. Lacerta, I liked what you said about the ice cream...telling yourself that if you still craved it, you would buy it the next week. That helps with impulse buying and hormones that are trying to guide your cravings...like this week for me. If I can wait until next week, I may not even care to have some by then.

Keala, welcome! You are taking the right step by joining a forum so that you can discuss your journey. :) Yes, these threads are started once per month.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Week 4:
21: 199
22: 197.8
23: 196.6
24: 196.6
25: 198
26:
27:

I will be so glad when Aunt Flo comes so that this bloating and hunger goes away!

Keala: Welcome, and yes, the new thread is usually started up right at the end of the month.

Week Four
22: 180.0
23: 180.0
24: NWI
25: 181.4
26:
27:
28:
---------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

So yesterday, I just totally forgot to weigh in until after breakfast, so no reading for me. First time that's happened in a while. I have no explanation for the gain today other than I did do another dumbbell workout yesterday. so I have to assume my body is retaining water to heal muscles.

Welcome, Keala!

ange82much: 1 lb
Keala: 3 lbs
Lacerta: 6 lbs
momtopands: 5.6 lbs
Newlyn: 4 lbs
opheliaphoenix: 10 lbs
scarletrunner: 5 lbs
sgregg: 5 lbs
VickieLou: 11 lbs

sgregg: Thanks, I hope so! All I know is I need something for support/accountability and my family/friends in real life are great but just don't really get it.

Lacerta: Thanks! I look forward to finishing this month and doing next month! I think finishing July on a good note is a nice short term goal (though it feel long term for me right now with how I've been doing).

gardenjoy: Thank you!

Whew! I completed my FIRST day without overeating yesterday in...well, it's been a very long time. It was not easy. I still don't understand how certain food can have that strong an impact on my body/mind. Probably because (as I know) I use it to reduce stress big time.

Keala, good job on your first day! It's amazing how much food can alter your emotions. Last Valentine's Day I was so depressed because I told myself that I could not eat the traditional chocolates and other candy...it was one of the worst V-Days I've ever been through...I hope to NOT ever let food have that power over me again. It was ridiculous.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 4:
21: 199
22: 197.8
23: 196.6
24: 196.6
25: 198
26: 197.2
27:

This week has been super challenging for me...PMS week...:rolleyes:

Week Four
22: 180.0
23: 180.0
24: NWI
25: 181.4
26: 181.6
27:
28:
---------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

So that puts me a full 2 pounds up from my low. Even knowing that water weight retention was normal while muscles were healing, that was freaking me out a little bit because I'm not sore today, but I'm up even further. So I did some research. Apparently, when starting a new strength training workout program, it is totally normal to retain between 3-5 pounds of water for 10 days to 3 weeks, even if you aren't sore. After that time, the water weight should leave. Ok then, I'll just keep doing what I know I should be, and take the weight gain in stride. I've done the strength training twice so far. The second time only made me a little bit sore, so I'm going to stay on schedule and go again today, adding a little more time. So far, I've only managed 15 minutes, which is one set of this routine. I'm not going to do an entire second set yet, but I'll add in a few more reps of each exercise. I'm also going to start doing some wrist strengthening exercises I found, because I have the weakest wrists ever.

Vicki: You've had a great month. Way to go. I want to see you reach the 180s.

Week Four
22: 180.0
23: 180.0
24: NWI
25: 181.4
26: 181.6
27: 181.0
28:
---------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four:

Partway back down. I have a wedding to go to one week from today, so hoping to lose the bloat and be back in the 170s by then.

Lacerta, good to know that your weight gain is something that should correct itself eventually. Thanks for researching and posting what you have found...I have learned so much from others that have shared their experiences.
--------------------------------------------------------
Week 4:
21: 199
22: 197.8
23: 196.6
24: 196.6
25: 198
26: 197.2
27: 196.6

Well, I am happy to say that I have not gotten back to 200 at all this week, so yay! Hoping to get below 195 soon. This week was super challenging for me. I didn't realize AF was around the corner until I looked on my app and saw, which explained why I was wanting to eat everything in the house and then some. Hopefully, this week won't be as bad. I'll be working in my classroom trying to get it ready for the new school year, so my mind will be occupied with that.

Well, I definitely had an exodus of extra water weight. Part of it is that I'm at the end of my period, which often coincides with a LOT of diuresis for me. That often means that I'll have a slow down, bump up, or stall in weight the next week or two (which I have to remind myself about otherwise I get worried).

7/27 - 181.6

sgregg and Keala: Way to go both of you this week. You guys are kicking butt.

VickiLou: Great month overall for you. Way to go getting to the lower half of the 190s

Week Four
22: 180.0
23: 180.0
24: NWI
25: 181.4
26: 181.6
27: 181.0
28: 180.2
---------------------------
Total Loss for Week Four: +0.6

Apparently the forum ate my earlier post, so I'll post it again. I was back down almost to the 170s today, so that was nice. I was actually down about 1/2 a pound on average from the week before, even with the workout bloat, so that was even better. I'm hoping to have a good week this week, lose the rest of the workout bloat and whoosh back into the 170s to end the month, and have my average weight for the week drop into the 170s as well.

Here's our August thread:

https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/chi...challenge.html