Featherweights Planning & Chat for Apr 9th-15th
 

Oh dear, I had no internet yesterday. I very much missed you all.
So what's up this week?

I did not make any of my goals last week ... over ate and under walked ;) DH made ham and scalloped potatoes while I was at work on Saturday.

I'm making turkey etc for supper tonight and am looking forward to turkey left overs for the rest of the week.

I start full-time on the 23rd so we're gonna head south on Sunday for a quick visit with my new great nephew. Less than a week, how much damage can I do? I usually can take a dog for a walk everyday.

I'm having some very positive thoughts about having a set routine when I go full-time. Planning, packing individual sized portions etc. But I guess that's for next week's thread.

It's so great about your new job, Susan. One thing which is really positive about regular hours is that it's so much easier to stay on plan and eat properly. Until about 18 months ago I had a job that required a full day's work and very regular, lengthy overtime as well. The first 8 years of it I managed to stay at a reasonable weight because I smoked. When I stopped smoking I didn't cope with the hours at all well.

I'm having a lovely Bank Holiday Monday. I've done some gardening, walked the 2 miles to my local shop to buy 3 pots of fage yoghurt :dizzy: and generally just pottered. I love the weather we're having at the moment and it's reminded me that summer's on the way and I can't stay hidden in the winter clothes forever.

I've also acknoweldged that I'm a bit pants at this staying on plan business. Things haven't been right with me since the end of February so I'm really looking to get back into the groove. I have a week's holiday next week (starting this Friday) and so my only plan for the next fortnight is to not go mad.

SusanB: Doughnut is right about regular hours. When I worked a "real" job, I got down to 126 because of regular meals and walking on my lunch hour (most of my co-workers were health and fitness buffs also). Now that I work from home and have my own business...I am only a few steps from the kitchen and don't do nearly as much walking!

I used to bring my lunch with me to work (and no cash...so I wouldn't be tempted to visit vending machines). It really helped me stay on plan!

Good morning ladies! I did not stay on plan last week and had a really bad weekend :devil: , so on to this week.

I resolve to stay on plan this week as summer is approaching fast and I too, will have to shed these winter clothes. :p

Hope everyone has a great week! :wave:

Hi everyone!

My plan this week:

- Keep exercising! Muscle definition is starting to appear, and I'm loving my new endurance.

- Work on big-picture eating. Try to keep meals and snacks healthy. Stop sabotaging myself by eating lots of junk whenever I'm at home. Only eat when I am hungry!

- If a meal isn't perfect (say, I'm on the golf course with no good food available), eat it, and GET OVER IT! Do not turn one bad meal into an excuse to eat junk for the rest of the day (or weekend). Learn to say no if I don't want ice cream, candy, dessert, etc.

- Think about everything I wrote in the post about my NEW plan and stick to all the goals I articulated there!

My plan this week is to get back to eating well after having cake yesterday my sister showed up with an ice cream cake for my girls ,I only had a sliver cause I was stuffed but there are leftovers and i had a piece of cake for lunch so starting tomorrow (I am having a piece of ice cream cake tonight) I am back on plan and hopefully back to loosing.

I'm starting this week with my 7 week goal in mind! I will make it to my goal by then. I'm ready to make the full effort again after my "break".

I did so well last week and it shows on my ticker. Yesterday my only indiscretion was 2 glasses of wine which I carefully measured at 7 ounces each, so I didn't think that was too bad, but my weight went up to 139.5. I'm going to stay OP all week to get it back down to ticker weight!!

Hi everyone! Had a NSV yesterday - finally ran a 10K, took me an hour and 10 minutes so looking to improve in the timing before the actual 10K event end of April, but I'm really glad I actually ran it! (Have been steadily training up since my benchmark 5K run in early Feb.) And again, thanks to leg toning & stretching exercises afterwards, didn't wake up with soreness this morning. I also had a sushi dinner last night (with some sake that kinda made me burpy during the run :o )

Foodwise I did fairly well (but not perfect) last week, hope this week to be a little better though Saturday I may be bar-hopping for a friend's b-day, so see how well that goes.

Allison, I'm sure you can make it back down!

Poppins, good luck on your new plan! this is a new week!

Susan, I, too, find full-time very conducive to staying on plan -- albeit, a bit more reliance on convenience foods (canned soups, frozen entrees) than I'd presonally like.

Doughnut, woohoo for day off!

Plan for today:
Breakfast- Steak fajita burrito (380)
Snack1- Bartlett Pear (90)
Lunch- Applebee's, planning on their weight watcher menu (325), the cajun-lime tilapia looks interesting.
Snack2- Yogurt (130)
Dinner- Canned soup or chili (~400) + some strawberries (~60)
Planned Total ~ 1385

Exercise:
Cardio & Weights Circuit - 50 min.
Abs & Bun workout with weights & stability ball - 15 min.

I'm know I'm unusual in this, but it is so much easier for me to stay on plan on the weekends. I now have two on-plan days under my belt. :D Hopefully I'll have more by the end of the week (although I know Thurs and Fri will both include off-plan meals, but hopefully they won't be too bad). Most of the nuts are gone, so that should make things easier.

Hey all,

Susan, I always find structure helps with my eating. I find I panic less when I know when I'll be able to eat. For me it was school, work used to be a problem for me, but I'm slowly getting used to it.

Aquawarlock. Awesome NSV. Is this your first time training for a 10k run? Do you a goal time in mind? An hour and 10mins is a good time too. :) Good luck in the run!

Blue, that's so funny, weekends are horrible for me, if I'm not busy... I just sit around the house and eat. However, this semester I was working on weekends so they weren't such a problem.

Poppins3 good goal idea. I especially like the one about getting over eating not-so-good-for-you food.

Canadian mom. Hmmm ice cream cake. Yummy. I myself had easter candy for breakfast this morning. It's horrible, but I enjoyed it so much!

I'm not sure if I have a goal this week. I think right now I want to concentrate on studying and doing well on my tests. And not stress-binging I guess. I'll still hang around here (what can I say? I have to procrastinate somehow.). Plus while my rib is improving fabulously it still doesn't feel well enough to get out for a run or an aerobics class, it hurts with jarring movements.

Later

I need to get back on track too. I looked back in fitday and about 6 weeks ago I switched from assigning a meal to each food and it seems that things have gone downhill since then, so back to assigning a meal category. I think my lunches were growing and then I was overeating because I was used to being able to have a big dinner. I dont want to eat a smaller dinner, so back to trimming elsewhere.

Also been struggling with treats. I am not a sweets girl normally, for the first 4 months I did great having ONE chocolate a day and we had icecream in the house and it took 3 months to eat 1/2 gallon (dh and me) and then suddenly whoooooomph. 1 spoonful occasionally grew to 2 oz a night to 4 oz a night to 2 huge bowls 2-3 times a week

Oddly enough I think the solution to my never hitting target (have only hit target - 6 times since March 1) is to lower my target. I need a week or so of strict eating, there is too much wiggle room in my normal allotment. Normally that is a good thing as I dont do well with too much restriction, but I need to reign in the sugar cravings and portion sizes...reset.

:bravo: :cp: :cp: TO all of you who did so well last week!!! GREAT JOB!!!!!

Oddly enough (it seems) I do the best when I'm home, near the fridge. I then tend to graze on great choices and wind up with fewer calories than even I thought by the end of the day. What screws me up are planned big meals.


A new find to share with my featherweight friends ~ it isn't a dancing broccoli, but it's pretty great:

Thomas' Light multi grain english muffins - 100 calories, 8 g fiber, sugar less than 1g. They ROCK and make an awesome snack. I've been putting laughing cow light swiss cheese (35 calories) on them.

Last week: Was awesome - in that I joined the Y and added four nights a week of water aerobics (ranging from deep water pilates to circuit training) to my schedule. That's a HUGE increase of activity for me, previously only doing swing once/twice per week.:dancer:

I had many on plan days - one evening slip up with pizza and yesterday went over with the alcohol. YAY! :goodvibes:

This week the plan: be OP during the week - next friday-Monday I'll be in Chicago, out of town, and largely not able to choose all of my foods. SO: the plan for the weekend is to try to stay within the calorie zone. SAme for tonight at dinner at our friends home.

I made graphs to chart my progress- hand made, b/c even when I went into Xcel I was having issues. I obviously am a bit technically challeneged ;)

Today has been a great day so far:
slim fast breakfast
whole grain english muffin w/ the cheese & some pineapple for lunch

It's only a couple of hours until dinner - I'm trying to go into it under calories since I won't have control over what's served.

Happy OP week to my featherweight friends!! :hug:

What I want most is my at-home scale to say my ticker weight. Without my having to adjust it, of course ;)

After finally getting on track.....after feeling for so long that I was off track....I can truly say that two things are responsible for me being on track:

1~I have virtually given up alcohol. I used to be a glass or two (sometimes more) of wine every night. Last week, I had 3 glasses all week (2 were yesterday) and all three were carefully measured!.

2~I have cut down the size and frequency of my snacks. Yes, I know I can still have them, but I was starting to see them as necessary--even if I wasn't hungry. I am trying Jen's (2frus) intuitive eating thing I guess! I have a few snacks available, but I'm not going to eat them just because they are there. I'll eat them if I'm hungry.

In addition to being on plan all weekend, I also finally made it to the pool for a swim on Saturday morning. I went to my local outdoor pool and the weather was just warm enough to make it very enjoyable. So much nicer than the indoor pool, which is hot, overly chlorinated, and full of kids. We'll see if I notice a difference in my cardio this week as a result of the swim (I did finish my Sunday run 4 seconds faster than my last time).

Cats, I work from home, so during the week I'm sitting at my desk all day, just a short walk away from the fridge. It can be hard to resist. :eating2: But the weekends, I'm totally busy. I'm rushing from one chore/errand/activity to the next, so sometimes it's hard to fit eating in. Plus my day starts later on the weekends, so there are fewer hours to eat and get hungry in. Hmmm, can sleeping be an effective strategy for weight loss?

Yuppiegirl, maybe try PowerPoint for the charts (if you have it). I find the charts there easier to use than Excel. Have fun with the water aerobics. I've never tried that, but I'm a big fan of swimming! :swim:

Alinnell, great job on the wine and snacks. I'm pretty good about limiting my wine to only once every couple of weeks, but when I have it, I'm not so good about measuring it! :s:

Well, a minor victory for me today.

DH asked me to meet him for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. Yes, I know restaurants are my downfall, as I've said a million times, but how could I resist breaking bread with my sexy husband (especially when he is wearing a suit)!

So, instead of getting the Carmelized Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza that I always get -- literally, it's the only thing I've ever had to eat at CPK, a restaurant I've gone to regularly for at least five years -- I got a salad! The Waldorf Chicken salad, which had field greens, chicken, grapes, Granny Smith apples, celery, candied walnuts, and Gorgonzola cheese. I only got a half-portion, and only had two or three walnuts and tried to avoid as much of the cheese as possible. I finished all the "good-for-me" stuff.

I did cave and have a small slice of bread (with butter) before the meal -- I need to remember to have a snack before going to a restaurant so I'm not famished and willing to eat anything that is put in front of me. Overall, I was happy.

This afternoon, I went to a running store, had my gait analyzed, and picked up new running shoes. I also found some Larabars (a whole foods bar that came highly recommended), but that are also pretty caloric -- with good fats, at least -- and a few other organic treats.

alinnell: I can totally relate to eating "planned" snacks! It's hard for me when I'm at school, because I pack a certain amount in my lunch, and I feel guilty if I don't eat it all, as there's usually some perishable items -- fruit and yogurt.

At least I only have 3 days left of class!!

I need to give intuitive eating a shot as well.

Barb I guess for me (and probably many others), weekends are times when we eat/drink out more frequently (I think you mentioned rarely doing that), thus having considerably less control of what we eat. But I am trying to stay more on-plan on weekends now.

Allison kudos to you for moderation & such exacting portion control. I figure a bottle is 5 glasses worth so i kinda guesstimate my calories with wine -- though it's been quite a while since I've done a bottle/week.

poppins yay for exercising self-control at restaurant. Happened to me at Applebee's too, I was SO tempted to order a steak or burger, but decided to stick to my guns and got a cajun-lime tilapia (with corn-bean salsa, rice pilaf & mixed veggies)---pretty generous and tasty for only 310 calories!

Yea, the pre-meal bread (+ butter/oil&vinegar/hummus) used to be my weak point too; now, I limit myself to one-two slices total.

Last week till Friday food wise was good... Saturday was so-so... Sunday NOT good.... Today NOT good... on the exercise front I've been doing good...

:bravo: to all who stayed on plan during stressful situations :cp: ...

Hi everyone,
I am travelling for a few days this week, which is always hard but I am going to do my best to eat fish and salads and pass on the desserts.....Easter dinner went well, and I am still hopeful of losing a pound this week. Its hard to shed the last few pounds.

Kidnapped by chocolate bunnies
 

I'm new to this type of posting so excuse any errors. I just joined on the weekend - my story's in another thread. I applaud you all for not stuffing yourselves with Easter goodies. I can't make the same claim. My sweetie's sister gave each of us a sack of chocolate and mine didn't go to the food bank like I planned.

Back on track today. I don't think I could eat another chocolate anything even if I had one left!:dizzy:

Okay, I did great with my food choices today, but that open bottle of wine was staring at me when I got home. Probably had about 14 ounces--another 2 glasses. I'm thinking that is about 300 calories. Yuck. Although with my food choices, I still came in around 1300 for the day. Maybe 1400 because DH came home with some homemade chocolate muffins (mini) that were a thank you gift from a customer. I had one. Just one, but there are still 4 sitting on the counter. Hopefully DH and DS will eat them before I eat another.

LOL :lol: Yeah, I don't have much of a social life these days. My friends always want to out during the week; no one ever wants to do anything on the weekend. They all have kids and I guess family stuff sucks up a lot of time on the weekend. Either that or they are all going out without me. ;) I guess I should look at it as an advantage of getting old: easier to stay on plan on the weekends.

Gait Analyzers?
 

Poppins3,
What is gait analysis? The thought is intriguing as my shoe selection is more haphazard. As a result, some times I wind up with a good pair, other times not. Any advice is definitely appreciated!

So, what did you think of the Larabars? I tried a chocolate one a few weeks ago and had a rough time. I tried to give it to my DH. He wouldn't eat it and he eats MetRX bars! I'm curious as to whether I got an off flavor or if it had been on the shelf too long.

Kylie - if you go to a "real running store" they will watch you run and look at wear patterns on your old shoes if you have old shoes and determine what kind of shoe is best for your particular body. In general real running stores are not manned by teenagers but by runners, they typically sponsor lots of races and running clubs. And yes, the shoes are a bit pricier.

Well, I stayed OP today for the first time in ages. Actually a bit under as was my goal. I felt like I was practically fasting which means I have been significantly over plan for quite some time. I think i kept forgetting things and portions were growing and it may have been worse than I thought

oiadujaoijdaliusnaaoimcaom!!! That is how I feel right now. I am trying to finish another 500 words for a paper and I have a 3 hour history final tomorrow. I eat randomly well on the weekends and during the week, but I know I will be eating so much better once I live at home again.

Hope you are all have a good week, I might post here tomorrow but I'll be out for the rest of the week. :hug:

Barb EEP! Just noticed what I said and I didn't mean it that way! sorry~ (I just remembered you saying you cook in a lot, thus probably have a better grip of what's going in your meals than us dine-out folks)-- hope I got the wording right THIS time :)

Carey Do you have to submit an electronic version of the paper or just hard copy? I find that "12.5" font size and "2.1" spacing does wonders when you're trying to get most space out of your words w/o being blatantly noticeable ;) (of course, doesn't work if your prof. have to get the file too). Honestly, though, once you're in the writing mode the words practically just flow out -- and before you know you are starting to worry about hitting past the upper word/page limit! In any case, it's almost over--hang in there and g'luck!

ennay Thanks for the tip about gait analysis (in the past I've always bought my shoes at those generic teenage-run shops) -- I'm a bit overdue for a new pair of sneakers as well ~ though the old beat-up ones I currently run with are pretty good (could use a bit more cushioning...).

Anyways, gonna have some strawberries and finishing up the last of portion of my workout before goin' to bed. See y'all tomorrow!

:wave: Hello hello hello!

I had a lovely Easter weekend. Did lots of walking, lots of tiring socialising and not enough sleep! Some shopping - got shorts, dress, jeans and a vest for Spain and bought a half price Easter Egg :T

Had lovely food and really had a great time. I think this week I'm just going to look after myself and make sure I get enough rest. :)

Okay, I have a few minutes before I have to run and catch the bus. Does anyone else have young ones and ae surrounded by chocalate right now? It's maddening! I made a list as to why I want to lose weight and I am carrying it in my pocket for inspiration. Gonna try to get back on track, I've been really bad and I'm afraid to step on the scale. But it's a new day. Hope everyone is doing well.

Dana

I'm surrounded by chocolate and it's all MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE :devil: :T :D

This is so funny! My DD (still in high school) always prints her papers in size 8 font! Sometimes I wonder if her teachers can even read it!!!!

I don't know what happened yesterday......my eating was good....the open bottle of wine called my name (stressful day at work) and I had less than 14 ounces as that was all that wa left, but my weight went up another pound! No more wine this week at all. My eating will be OP like yesterday. I hope it gets back to ticker weight by Friday.

Jen~when do you go to Spain? That sounds wonderful.

No chocolate here!!! The kids didn't want anything, so I just gave them Easter cards with $20. Much easier now that they are older--no more hiding eggs, etc.

Holy crap 1 day OP and the scale was down 1.2

Mostly from not having late night food still hanging around at morning WI

That was ME last week! I don't know for sure (without my weight chart in front of me) but I think I lost 3.5 or 4 pounds last week! Goes to show you what staying OP will do!!!

Hit 147.2 this morning during my weigh-in.... so I guess I will hit my summer goal (and then some) before summer! And maybe set a new benchmark (probably another 5 pounds). Though I may want to work on maintaining and upping my lean muscle mass instead (particularly upper body -- starting to notice my rib cage just barely showing, and I am not digging that emaciated look :P) -- time will tell when I hit 145 ;)

Planning today:
B: Apple pie slice, babybel cheese, mini cereal bar - 390
S1: Yogurt + fresh strawberries - 150
L: PB&J Sandwich, whole fruit (apple or orange) - 400
S2: Turkey/Cheese roll-up with dab of honey mustard - 150
D: Mixed greens salad with balsamic, 1/2 avocado, grated parm & maybe chicken ~450
S3: Another piece of whole-fruit, if I feel hungry after dance class ~60?
Total: 1540-1600

E: 1 hour modern/jazz dance, 20 minutes strength with weights

Hello everyone!
I've been for my walk (with a repeater because I forgot my bank card), I've got the turkey divided out between the crockpot, soup pot and little baggies for me. My house is almost back in order and WNTW is on soon. So it's almost time for weights.
Lovely sun, lovely quiet ... it's a pretty nice day.

Good morning everyone.

:welcome: Mudpie.

Well, I did my weekly weighing this morning and I gained 2 lbs. and it is well deserved!!! I am actually quite ecstatic I didn't gain more!

I have been to the grocery store this morning to make sure I'm all stocked up on food and I'm back on track. I never got all the way off track just a few meals I ate things I usually don't or too much food but I didn't let ruin my whole day so I'm happy with that.

We went to TGI Fridays (a chain restaurant) and I had a pulled pork sandwich. It was delicious. It usually comes with fries but I ordered mashed potatoes instead. Well, these mashed potatoes were loaded with anything fattening you can think of (except chocolate!). Of course I ate them but later I was thinking how I would have done fine with just the sandwich. It was very good & it would have been just enough to fill me up comfortably instead of making me too full. Oh well, live and learn :dizzy:

I have laundry in, a pot of chili on the stove and the rest of the day is mine to do as I please. Hope everyone has a great day. Jane

We are a cheerful bunch today aren't we? Lots of weight loss talk too, good good. I finished my paper, but I have a final in two hours, that's ok by me, though.

I realized that my post before this was my 500th post!!! Holy. Time has flown by.

Mudpie: :welcome3: I think you'll find that everyone here is super encouraging,a nd honest about their own struggles. It's good to have you with us!!

Carey: The year is almost over! Hang in there! Hoping you're finishing your paper and feeling a bit less stressed.

Ennay is right - the right shoes make ALL the difference!

As for Easter - Chocolate bunnies don't tempt me at all. I'm much more of a breads and pastas and desserts person than a candy person. I could pass on the candy any day.

Very randomly, my scale went down one pound one day, another pound the next, and then up two today - and all 3 days have been OP days. Who knows! Scale gremlins I say :dizzy: Actually, for me that's a really good sign. When that happens (and I'm OP)_ I usually have a solid 3 lb or so drop coming up that sticks. :)

Today: Another OP day! YAY!

Heading to yoga tonight with a friend - I'm going to get there early and put in 30 minutes of walking on the track or so beforehand.

Hi everyone!

I spent a very chocolate free easter. I didn't even really think about it. I got the kids some blueberries and granola bars for treats and we colored real eggs and hunted for them. Fun was had by all. No one complained or seemed to feel deprived.

I am amazed by the rapid movement of the scale last week but still having trouble appreciating the difference. I look down and all I see is belly. It is surely the last thing to go. Stubborn little thing.

One of these days I will no longer look 4 months pregnant.

An elderly neighbor was out walking yesterday. I stopped my jog to say hi and she said "you have really lost weight" well that made me very happy. She says she has been watching my progress from her house (right on the steep part of my road). So I have a fan...kind of cool. I really needed to hear that because I am starting to get a bit self critical and perfectionistic. I have to fight that inner voice.

Yuppie girlie I just noticed your ticker and how incredible you have done. Big high five from me!!!

Happy day everyone!

Thanks Hikerchick!!! :hug:

And hikerchick? I have that same inner voice that tells me not so nice things about myself. Sometimes I have to remember how far I've come myself! These last 25 pounds (now it's 18 but still) have been the SLOOOOOWEST ever. Moves like a snail, but I'm moving in the right direction!


:yoga:

off to yoga!

Okay, cheers for me! Two posts and one day. Starting to get the hang of it, I work with infants and it can really be draining.

YuppieGirl, I was thinking the exact same thing as Hikerchick, you have come a long way girl! You must feel pretty good about yourself, your an inspiration!

Hikerchick- Doesn't it feel awesome when someone else notices the weight loss? I am totally with you on the belly, 4 months pregnant :), I have the same problem, I lose weight off my but and my boobs first, I like the booty! Leave that alone and shave some off on the tum! ALways the last place to lose.

[B]A WARM HELLO TO ANYONE WHO JOINED WHILE I WAS "TAKING A BREAK" [B]

Well, so far it's been a really good day, fruit for breakfast, sushi for lunch, pasta, fish and veggies for dinner. I would say it's about a 1300 calorie day and that's good for me. Unfortunantly, the chocolate in the house is beakoning me. "EAT ME, EAT ME" but "NAY I SAY" I will be victorious today. I have already caught myself try to logically talk myself into some chocolate, "Well, I have only had 1300 cal. that means I have 100 to spare, I could just eat a small piece of chocolate." But there is no such thing as one small piece of chocolate, especially when my house is overun with it. So I will have none. I might be on here a few times to talk it out, can you see the madness already in my words....Anywho..

Who is going to kick my but to get back to the gym! I need an excercise buddy or buddies, anyone interested. Someone I am accountable to and will be accountable to me. We can just post on here but I have been slacking big time and need some serious encouragment to get me moving again.

Nice to be back and read all your wonderful posts.

Dana