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!!
Last edited by scarletrunner; 07-22-2019 at 01:23 PM.
Lacerta, you had a great week last week! Good job!
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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:
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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.
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.
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:
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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.
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 Four
22: 180.0
23: 180.0
24: NWI
25: 181.4
26: 181.6
27:
28:
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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.
Yes, these threads are started once per month. 
