Planning and Chat - March 9 - 15
 

Well I see there wasn't a weekly thread last week so let's try again.

I am flitting between here and maintainers. I have been maintaining since September last year when I hit my goal of 140. Since then I lost a further 5 lb by Christmas to get to 135. I have since been hovering around 137 which I was quite pleased with but I have decided to further revise my goal downwards and aim for 126.

This would be 9 stone in English and would give me a BMI of 21. If I lose half a pound a week I would be at my goal on the 17th August, which is the same day we go away to Spain on holiday!

I think that's quite a doable goal but I have to stick to it.

I also started running again today after a few weeks off with an explained stomach upset. I am running a 10K on the 10th May so training for that should help.

So come on fellow feathers - where are you all hiding?

I'm kind of in a discouraged patch. I've been stuck between 143-144 since just before Valentine's Day. I have exercised for between 1 & 2.5 hours / day & eaten 1400-1500 daily - and the scale JUST WON'T MOVE!

I am trying this week to increase my protein %age & see if that helps - I've been worried about doing this b/c I am a serious volume eater & am afraid I won't feel full enough with this change - but we will see!

I wasn't quite sure I fit into the featherweight catagory, but I guess you guys won't kick me out if I'm a little too heavy, right? ;)

I need to lose 21 lbs to make it to my ultimate goal weight (which I'm trying to reach by June 15th, which will give me a month's grace before my trip to Scotland). My next mini-goal is to reach normal BMI range by St Patrick's day.

I calorie count, keeping my average level around 1450. I do a variety of different exercises including walking, hula-hooping, and strength training circuits, trying to burn 700 additional calories per day. So in theory I should be losing about 1.8lbs a week, which puts me right on track.

Montecristo, featherweight is a state of mind - if you feel like you are, then you are!!

:welcome:

The thing I find demotivating about being this weight is that the scales don't drop daily like they used to. Losing 1-2 lb a week, I almost invariably saw a drop every single day - now I don't and I find that hard going.

Not to mention the fact that my new spiffy body measuring scales don't measure in 0.1 increments like my old ones, but in 0.2 increments - I see a change even less often!

So this morning I was the same as yesterday. But I have to stick at it. I've done it before - I've successfully maintained for almost 7 months - I CAN lose this next 10 lbs.

Discouraged? Count me in!

I gained 10 pounds a year or so ago. I started running to try and take it off (without changing my diet). I didn't lose or gain (but my leg muscles did change so it was worth it). Then I had some minor surgery and stopped running. No weight gain until just recently when I managed to stack on another 10 pounds. Now I feel really frumpy and gross. I'm still in a healthy weight range, but I'm not comfortable with it.

So I'm re-committing (not that I ever really stopped). I do a very fast walk 5 times a week (2.25 miles in 30 minutes) and I'm going back to salads for lunch.

ahhh. finally. I've been trying to get back here but it has been so quiet. I thought maybe I was the only "featherweight" Although technically I am overweight right now so not a featherweight either!

Alinnell, I am up about 20 lbs also. I slowly gained about 10 lbs while my son was cutting back on nursing and a bit of not too focused on my food (plenty of exercise). For some reason I have been really struggling with my food for the past year. I've kind of been in a vicious circle where if I DONT pay attention I gain slowly and if I pay attention I gain rapidly (bingy behavior). Something mental going on along with the cutback of my metabolic boost from nursing (I swear if I had known it was as much as it appears to be I would have kept pumping...although eventually I would have had to stop. It would be awkward to explain pumping breaks when your youngest is in highschool)

Anyway then after my marathon I decided to buckle down and LOSE the weight I had gained and in the last 3 months put on another 8 lbs.

I'm not sure what is going on with the bingy behavior. I've always struggled with it a little but not to this degree, and not when I am otherwise not showing too many depression indicators. A bit baffled as to why I am punishing myself in this manner.

3 of the 8 lbs were since I stopped running and then got bronchitis (you could say they are unrelated but the last time I was too injured to run was also the last time I had bronchitis this bad).

My doctors are baffled by this hamstring injury. My PT this morning is toying with the idea that it is nowhere near my hamstring but possibly in my fibula. We'll see. Meanwhile I am slow running 3-4 days a week and adding rowing machine the other days --seems to be the only cardio that doesnt piss off the leg, but I need to build hand and butt endurance up for it.

Well that was a novel. I feel like the wallflower in the corner who cant stop chatting once she realizes you are really talking to her.


MTA: yesterday plan 1800 cal, act 1809 exercise, am "run", full body weights, pm 30 min walk. 1 successful day in the bag.

ennay~while I don't feel like any of my weight gain is due to binging, I can see where it could be a problem. I tend to just overeat. I really need to concentrate on weighing/measuring and skipping seconds.

So far today, I'm right on track.

most of mine is just eating too much, but I definitely spin into eating more than I even want. Not classic binging, just frequently eating more than I want or need. I dont sit down and eat the package of oreos, but instead of one after lunch I have one or two at random times throughout the day until by the end of the day I may have had 6-10. Stuff like that.

Coupled with the occasional small scale classic binge. It is bizarre.

Robsia, wow, you are already so thin & beautiful - you are gonna be TINY!

Well, I am 2 days into my higher-protein eating plan...I really miss the higher quantities of food; however, I have managed without getting TOO hungry. Fingers crossed that the scale goes down - my goal WAS to see 139-point-something by St. Pat's day, which was totally reasonable at the time, & then I hit this stupid stall...

im starting to think that these 10 pounds will never go! lol

Su-Bee - I am a pretty high volume high protein gal. I usually can get super high volume if I really want to if I use enough veggies. And eggwhites. Eggwhites are awesome. I make an enormous eggwhite omelet every morning with almost a whole pan full of veggies.

Thank you. But what you can't see under that corset is my flabby belly!! Anyway, my goal is only 4 lb less than yours!

ennay - you ran a marathon? Wow - I am impressed. That is my goal for next year also.

Yes, egg whites are good stuff - but what you don't realize is that when I talk about being a "volume eater"...um, at 1400-1500 cals, between 800-1000 of those per day were coming from veggies & low cal fruits - and that is a LOT of veggies!

I think I realized how different my notion of "volume" is from other people's during a discussion on here about how many beans you'd consider it normal to eat if you didn't know the serving size was 1/2 cup...my answer was, easily 4 cups or more...

What can I say? I like to feel FULL!

But anyway - after 2 days of same calories, but very high protein, my a.m. weight today was 142.0, which is the lowest I've seen yet...so I guess I ought to stick with this for a while & see what I can do!

Oh yeah, me too. When I make an omelet I use about 4 cup of veggies in it. Salads are a huge dinner plate piled about 4 inches high. I'll use an entire bell pepper, an entire cucumber etc.

I wont go any lower in carbs than what lets me keep those veggies. Fruit I dont eat much of mostly because I sugar spike bad. I eat small portions of fruit at specific times.

Beans I do control my portions because they are higher caloric...I control any starchy veggie too. But I load up on the lower cal veggies. I'm the only person in my house who eats salad and I buy all my salad stuff at costco.

Robsia - I've run 3 marathons so far and was supposed to run Boston next month but I am injured. :( First really bad running injury ever.

Some days I wish I lived alone so I could eat for myself rather than catering to my family. Yes, they support my dieting and healthy eating but DS likes pasta too much and that's one of the things that is standing in my way. Ya'll know Rockin'Robin? She eats a whole head of cauliflower every day at lunch. I could do that if I didn't have to make DH happy. He can be so fickle--I'll make a huge batch of turkey soup (really low in calories, lots of veggies) and after having that for 2 or 3 lunches he claims to be "all souped out." We're on a salad kick--one thing that he "claims" that he can eat every day. If I don't watch him, though, he'll dump half a bottle of ranch onto his dinner side salad! Guys. ugh.

My husband & I prepare & eat our meals separately when I am trying to lose weight. It's not much fun as family cohesiveness goes...but I cannot eat like him (even in a modified or portion-controlled version) & still lose.

Another loss this morning - down to *140.8*! I'm so excited; at this rate, I could see my St. Pat's day goal yet! The ONLY change I've made is switching up my macronutrient ratios to include fewer carbs (which, like I said, were just fruits & veggies - I don't eat starchy carbs anyway) & more protein. Calories have been the same. I won't lie, I've been a little bit hungry... But apparently, this is what works for me - I broke my last stall by doing the exact same thing. I think I just naturally gravitate towards more carbs, less protein for the added feeling of fullness, but then I don't lose that way.

Anyway, today I have to fast from 11:00 for some med tests @ 3:30, so I'll have a hungry patch (I also eat FREQUENTLY!), but maybe this will push me down that last fraction of a pound to my mini-goal!

In case you can't tell, I'm pretty excited today...GO ME!

Yay - WTG Su-Bee!!!

I'm finally back to ticker yesterday after too much chocolate at my bf's house over the weekend - I was up to 137.4 but got back to 136.2 yesterday.

Can't seem to make that 6 turn into a 5 though. Still, maybe tomorrow!

You're so close - it should happen tomorrow for sure!

I *am* excited - even changed my ticker for it, because I am DETERMINED to make it stick!

For b/fast, I'm having a huge plate of mushrooms & onions w/ egg whites (thanks, Ennay!) and an apple. Then I am packing some prunes for 11:00, right before I have to start fasting (I'll be on campus, so it had to be something quick & portable). Haven't decided on dinner yet, but I know I'll be STARVING after not eating from 11:00 onwards; right now I am thinking either chicken breasts or else maybe a taco salad w/ lean ground beef. Then, of course, my favourite pumpkin shake for an evening treat - right now I cannot seem to do w/o those!

Have a great day, all!

Shoot, I was hoping that 144 I saw this week was some water from all the bad food, but no...it was real. No sudden drop after a couple days on track.

Yesterday I was doing pretty well, a little higher than planned but all the right stuff and would have come in at about 1600. I went to book club with no desire to eat. The host plated individual deserts and just handed them out and for some reason I took it and ate it.

It wasnt a horrible size but I didnt need it or need to eat the whole thing. That whole afraid to hurt her feelings came out. If she had put the desserts on the table for us to help ourselves or asked who wanted dessert, I would have had no problem saying no, but once the dessert was handed to me.... sheesh. Part of my "issue" is that they were not slices of something, they were each individually hand made desserts - like she went to a lot of work for me.

Still not a bad day and despite the sugar shakes I didnt eat anything after which has been my problem. I'll give the day a C.

Congrats Su, under 140 is also under 10 stone in silly British measurements so I'm really looking forward to that one. Rosbia I love your blog title! Ennay I know what you mean my dad got an Indian take away specially for me when I was home on Tuesday and I didn't feel I could say no at that point! And by the time I had that I also had 2 beers. Allinnel- my bf is very helpful but also v skinny and I worry that my dieting will make him accidently diet too. He had soup while I was with my dad eating curry LOL. Today so far going well but then I don't tend to mess up before 4pm!

Despite the dessert last night I can feel my body slowly regaining control. Not as difficult to eat normal portions today as it was on Monday. With dh gone for dinner I should be able to have a pretty low day today (although Thursday is usually a planned higher day because of weight lifting)

Sounds like a good plan, Ennay!

I am proud of myself - got home from my med test at 4:30 after no food or water since 11:00 a.m. I was (of course!) ravenous, & b/c of this decided it would be a BAD IDEA to fix dinner right away (possibly binge-triggering). So I had a can of tuna & am finishing a cup of decaf green tea now. When I'm done w/ this, I'm going to go do 30 min on the elliptical, & THEN I can start thinking about dinner!

Well yesterday food wise was not too bad I stayed under 1500 for the first time in a while and resisted the cookies at work. Today I've not managed as well as I'm sitting in a room full of cookies (well it seems like it) on my own! But I've been logging what I've eaten so I could be within calorie limit yet! Theatre tonight but tomorrow I will be doing a DVD.

I ended up at 1812 which was at my target, didnt have a super-low day after all I found myself ravenous after my dinner.

It looks like I am really going to make my St. Patrick's day goal. I have already lost over a pound since Monday! I did change things up a bit this week; upping my workouts to burn at least 700 calories, but I also increased my calories to an average of 1500. Seemed like it should have simply balanced out, but when I went back and looked over my journal I saw that while I had upped my calories 100 a day, my burn went up 250. Needless to say, I am very pleased with the results I'm seeing!!!

Well, here comes the dangerous tme - I'm off in an hour or so to my bf's house with all his dangerous stores of chocolate. I already saw the scale go up from 136.2 to 136.6 this morning and that was me being good. Putting that down to a normal fluctuation though - happens to us all.

I have no access to a scale over the weekend so I won't get to weigh myself again till Monday morning!

I just have to be good and hope for a loss.

This will be an interesting weekend. DH and I will have lunch out today as we do every Friday, then we're off to San Diego for a day which means dinner, breakfast, lunch and another dinner out. Then Sunday my in-laws are taking me out to dinner for my birthday.

I don't even want to step on the scale Monday!

And my plans for getting to goal by my birthday is totally shot as well.

What goal should I make for myself? Perhaps goal by July? That seems doable.

Sounds like we are all going to have a few weekend challenges!

Tomorrow is going to be a horrible day for me - a birthday party AND a St. Pat's party to go to! I have already decided, though, that although I am by no means giving myself permission to shove everything that doesn't move into my mouth, I am NOT going to stress about calorie counting or over-restricting at these events. I've been really good lately and seen a lot of good scale progress
(140.2 this morning!), so having some green beer & assorted treats at a couple of parties really isn't going to make or break me.

Now, admittedly - I'll feel SO MUCH BETTER about this little indulgence if I actually see my 139.something tomorrow morning - that way I'll have actually reached my St. Pat's goal, even if I pop back up a bit from fluids or something.

Ali, based on your stats, I think it's totally doable for you to hit your goal (& in a healthy fashion!) by July. But maybe you should also look at what is keeping you from losing as quickly as you'd like, & set some goals in those areas. I posted somewhere else about it, but in addition to my "x pounds by x date" goals," I also set daily goals each morning in writing. Today, for example, it's "yoga, 30 min. elliptical, keep protein up." I find this really helps to keep me focused on the small things I have to do today to make it to the big goal down the road!

Sue~I did this. And then failed. I was writing down everything I ate, with the calories, for several weeks in January. I don't know why I stopped. I do have daily exercise goals which I'm very good at meeting. I do 30 minutes on the treadmill followed by some sit ups and push ups.

I think that as soon as next week is over I'll be prepared to really have a go at this. The next few days will just be too difficult...two days of restaurant food, my birthday, and then a "Pinot Patio Party" next Thursday (benefits the YMCA).

ugh...lunch today was worse than I thought. Lets just say the only way for me to hit my target calories today would be if I had nothing else the rest of the day. Thats not gonna happy, nor would it be wise

The sad thing is in retrospect I cant think of much I could have ordered different. They just have nothing remotely healthy there. My only option would have been to eat first and then not eat there, and I dont do well with that kind of thing.

Yeah, I'm the same - no way am I going out to lunch with people & then sit there & not eat! I can handle not eating at a cocktail party or something, but when it is a sit-down meal, it's just way too awkward.

I'm rolling right along today...the weather is so nice here (clear but cold) that I've gone for two walks in addition to my normal workout (the dog loves me!). Food is right on-plan & even a little low so far, & no potentially-derailing plans this evening...so, I'm good!

Today went pretty well. Although I did eat a lot of cookies at work today (in a room alone with them!) I got a tae bo dvd in before the theatre and just had sardines on toast for dinner. Woo sardines rock. I have no good advice for meals out it's like opening the flood gates!

I was so nervous to get on the scale this morning that I got up & did 30 min. of elliptical first, just so I could maybe shed a bit more water weight for that boost in morale that I was really needing...

And it WORKED! Weigh-in this morning at *138.6*, St. Pat's mini-goal met!

Now I get to go make an appointment for highlights (my reward for this mini-goal). :)

ugh...yesterday turned into a total binge.

Starting fresh.

Can I jump in?

I am pretty frustrated because I set a goal to lose 6 pounds in March and I have gained and lost the same 3 pounds for the past 3 weeks. I am beginning to really hate these 3 pounds. Weekends are killing me. I have been spending them out with friends and I am making some bad food and drink choices, so every weekend I put on the 3 and then I work to get rid of the same 3 all week. I am tired of the cycle.

And to top it all off, we are having some lay offs at work and so people are bringing in comfort food to help out and yesterday there was CHEESECAKE!! I ate some. It was good.

Woohoo! Just realized that the chicken tortilla soup from my freezer coop that I have been logging all week had the tortillas and cheese already in fitday. I used less cheese and logged my cheese and low carb tortillas separately. So I was double counting 100-150 calories on both Wed and Thursday. SCORE! Makes me feel somewhat better about yesterday (NOT!)

Yeah I've been up and down between 144 and 142 the past 3 weeks. Annoying!