Counting calories
 

Welcome CarbCrazy ! I have been on all the diets (Or so it seems ) and have found counting calories works best for me. It also carries over into maintenance. I do not knock other diets but am a dedicated calorie counter, now. Do what works best for you.....but do it, good luck !

My sister made a similar comment after I lost 30 pounds. She asked me if I was going to lose any more and I told her yes, 20 pounds. She then said "maybe you shouldn't...where is it going to come off from? You're already skinny." I was definitely surprised to hear that, since at that point I was at the same weight as when I graduated college, which was about 20-30 pounds more than when I started college. I think people are just used to seeing us at a higher weight, so when we show up weighing significantly less we already look "gaunt" (which is another comment I've received) and skinny to them. I see it as them showing their concern, so I'm not offended.

Ilene - I find that these days I'm hungry all the time, too. I'm making an effort to break up my eating into 5-6 meals/snacks per day and have found that it really helps. I have B, S, L, S, D, and another S. I've tried it for the past few days and it really helps, especially that last snack before bed. Good luck!

Boy, I miss a few days, and we have a whole new group of lightweights! Cool!

Ilene - one of the reasons I put off exercising for so long was I was afraid that I would get to a point where I couldn't eat enough to support the activity - does that make any sense? I'm still gradually losing on around 1500, and that's "enough" food to avoid hunger pangs. My plan was to just let it slowly creep off until 1500 stops working, and at that point, I'll declare it maintenance. I don't want to have to live hungry ... that doesn't sound like much fun!

misskimothy - I'm not a gym type either. I like functional body-weight exercises - nice and portable, and can be done in the privacy of my living room. If I could swim at home, I'd do that too. :) Re the getting too thin, only my mom has said anything like that, and since she's still fighting her way out of the obese category, I don't let it bug me. Heck, my hips are still over 40", so it's going to be a heck of a long time before somebody could justify saying I should stop! :)

doughnut - I have days where I'd swear it's hour by hour. Sometimes I can derail a bad episode by chugging water ... I empathize!

Civ - feeling thinner is absolutely the best, isn't it? Good luck for tomorrow's weigh-in!

TBG - I'm already having anxiety about the holidays and having to remind myself about every 10 minutes that nobody can make me fat again except me. Getting away from the familiar and easy is definitely a source of stress. Where are you headed for vacation?

Windchime - Great job with October!

Amy - I know she's not here - I'm just jealous she's somewhere warm. :D

jiggles - keep up the running! It will get easier, promise!

mountainchick - :wave: I'm prioritizing inches over pounds right now too. At least that number is still moving ...

lekshmi - welcome home! You are back home, aren't you? I think I joined here just as you were headed out.

treighsie - welcome! I swear by pistachios and almonds for killing off the nibblies. Almonds are a mere 7 cals each, and you can have 25 pistachios for 90 cals. They take a while to eat, too. :)

SusanB - way to go with the 130's! Oh, changing decades feels great, doesn't it?

CarbCrazy - hi! I lurked for almost 4 months before I actually started to post.

I hit my original goal of 150 on 10/14, and then promptly lost focus and drifted back up to 152. Revised down to 144 to buy some headroom, and to maintain in the 140's for the long haul. Nov 1, I got back to work and have been on plan since then.

Oh my lord I am freaking out :eek: I finally went and bought a scale today...weighed myself...I am at 110!!! That's the most I've ever weighed and 15lbs over my "happy" weight! Wow. I think I am still in shock :no: I mean I knew my pants didn't fit anymore but sheesh! Definitely going to start counting every single morsel I put in my mouth! Ugh.

I've been living on 1400 calories during the week... Maybe I should bring it up a bit to like 1500 because of my exercising... Speaking of exercising I gotta run, meeting up with a friend for running :lol: ....

I wanna run, too Ilene the Bean! Any hints? Is it really as easy as getting out there and putting one foot in front of the other? Or did you do C25K?

CarbCrazy, I love your username, because I'm a bit carb crazy myself!

I'm heartened by the fact that others have had the other comments. I didn't mean to leave the impression that my get together friends were being negative, because I viewed their comments as quite positive. I know there are no jealosy issues there with them, so I think they were trying to be supportive in saying "You look fine and you don't HAVE to lose weight" which is way better than hearing "You NEED to lose weight". Two different things, I think!

misskimothy -- Running is awesome!! The best cardio ever IMHO... It is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other, c25k is an excellent program which I do with one of my clients, I don't do exactly as the plan says but pretty darn close to it... The first week of the plan you warm up, jog for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds... the next week it's a little more running, and so on...

I don't think the comments were meant negatively but only expressing everyone's experiences...

Well off to the gym now... TTFN

Good morning!

I think some times our friends equate what we are doing with "difficult" or "deprivation" or "hard work". I think they think they're giving us a break by saying "you can stop now". Being kind, ya know.

There seems to be some new folks floating around in Featherweights who aren't coming to the chat thread!!! I'll see if I can fetch them in ;)

I'm interested in this Couch to 5k thing! Has anyone else here tried it? I'm a little skeptical if I can actually do it...I'm soooo out of shape.

I am a carb ADDICT:D I'm pretty sure carbs are really bad for me because I have noticed lately since cutting alot out of my diet I have been feeling MUCH better:smug: Carbs are such a hard habit to break!

Hey ladies... I've been lurking in this forum for a week or so now, since I have less than 15 pounds to lose to get to my goal. :) I'm finally jumping in and saying "hi" to everyone!

The short version of my story for those who haven't seen it elsewhere: I lost from 150 to 120 about 6 years ago, was almost happy, but gained all of it back. Then about 2 years ago I started half-***edly trying again, got down to about 135, and stayed there. About a month ago I seriously recommitted, and now I'm under 130 for the first time in years! I'm hoping to get to 115, just 5 pounds lower than I got the first time, but I have a lot more muscle now so I think it will be enough.

Hi mayness!!!!
You know everyone, sometimes I think that it is actually HARDER to lose small amounts of weight! I don't mean physically, but getting the mindset there.
I've been really big and I know at that time, I was looking at 110 lbs to lose (which means I was piggybacking Ms Mayness around with me ALL the time!).
Now, I've been gracefully accepted into the Featherweight community because I have 35 lbs to go -- not a litte, but not a lot -- and I have to confess that the sense of urgency isn't there.
I didnt understand this at my biggest -- it was like "oh, you only have 15 lbs to go what are you worried about. I have 110!" but now it is "I've lost 75 lbs and look pretty good. WHY WORRY ABOUT THE LAST 35."
Sometimes fear is a great motivator -- fear for your health, fear over diabetes, fear over premature death -- and those of us in the featherweight category don't necessarily have this "advantage".
I use the word "advantage" in quotes, because in a weird sense, it IS. If you have no choice and your back is against the wall and if you DON'T lose weight you'll be on insulin, MAN you become motivated.
When you get to the point where diabetes and increased health risks aren't there, you have to find your motivation elsewheres.
The Featherweight threads are really helpful in reinforcing my motivation and help me understand WHY the small amounts are just as important as the big amounts of weight. It helps me feel that the last 35lbs are just as "valid" as the first 75. Thank you for that!

Rambling, I know. Just some thoughts!!!
Hang in there everyone!

Yes, we struggle most IMHO with complacency. Ya know ... we're OK at this weight, not bad, not big, not small but OK. It's easy to lose focus.

Hi Mayness!

How true I almost settled for a higher goal weight, just cause it was so darn hard to lose those last ten pounds but persistance pays off.

Agree totally about the mindset, and the complacency! I hit my stated goal of under 150 on 10/14, and that complacency set in almost the second I saw the number on the scale. I coasted for a couple weeks and then decided to take it down further because a) there was room for improvement b) I want to maintain "in the 140's" - that decade change is a biggie - and c) I sure as heck didn't want to hit the holiday season in that frame of mind - it was the holiday season of 2008 that got me to my highest weight!

Got into some pizza and pretzels this evening ... instead of supper. I'm at around 1500 cals so ... no big deal.

A nice bout on the elliptical this afternoon. 40 minutes as I recall.

I'm on DS#2's computer. Mine is dying, I think. So I may or may not be here over the weekend. Be good!

To bed now!

I noticed you're coming down again, Susan. Way to go!!!

Hi everyone!

I hear you guys on the complacency issue. Now that I'm at a comfortable weight, I've refocused my goal from losing weight to improving my fitness, building muscle. It helps me stay motivated when the scale doesn't move so much anymore.

But recently, I've really begun to see the results of months of hard work... eating vegetables at every meal and working out most days. I'm so excited to be here again! How I've missed you, fit body! I feel different when I move, walk, bend over, run... more compact, my core feels strong, and my clothes seem to fit better.

There were days when I didn't believe I could ever be in this shape again, even though all possible evidence proves that good diet + exercise = fit body. I'm proud of myself for not giving up and seeing the BIG picture. I feel like I'm reaping the benefits of all those days now. I haven't been in this shape since about 3 years ago.

BUT. Here comes the REAL challenge. Maintenance. The most challenging part for me. And with the holidays coming, *gulp*, it will be a true test of my commitment to staying healthy. I will definitely be needing the featherweights' support to make it through!

Nice to meet all of you newbies!

I, too, think that one of the main differences between now and when I had more to lose was ... fat loss vs slender fitness. The details of eat less/move more ... ya know?

I'm plugging along and getting results. Thanks for stopping by Carol! It's good to see you :D

Be good everyone (and if DS#2 allows ;) )I'll see you after work.

Good morning!

My "thing" today is hover, waiver, drop ... repeat. It's a pattern that I've kind of got used to as I've lost weight but it's still annoying. Perhaps even moreso since we are losing at such a pokey rate now.
We work away for days to lose .4 of a pound and presto! One morning after being completely on plan for weeks ... we're up 0.5.
There's no good reason for it and we know it will pass.

Thoughts? Can you take it in stride? Does it blow you out of the water?

While it can take the wind out of my sails, I try to "fake it 'til I make it'. I so agree on the complacency! It would have been super easy to quit 15-20 lbs ago. I looked good, but I look better now. I felt good, but I feel even better now. I actually have a waist! I think it is the complacency that makes maintenance difficult. It's like we have to re-wire our brains to create new habits of eating better and sticking with the exercise. It would be so easy to backslide or ease up!

I know that pattern! I lost 1/2 a pound today :)

Anyway, to be honest, being up 1/2 a pound is so much the norm it never occurred to me I should be bothered by it. That kind of thing is constant. I'd be literally in the loony bin if I even blinked an eye at it.

I have to weigh in weekly because the daily fluctations drive me crazy. For me, a weekly loss of .5-1 lb is really good. But I can fluctuate up and down a pound or so. I have to really be strict with weighing in because of this or else I get very discouraged.

I agree with all of you. The .5-1 lb fluctuations are frustrating. I guess weighing weekly would be a good idea but then all week I think about weighing myself - it's crazy. So, I just keep plugging along and hope all the good things (eating OP, exercising, etc) outweigh (ha, ha) the not so good things (poor choices, halloween candy). For me I guess it comes down to portion control and consistency. Easier said then done. It's good to know I am not alone in my struggles. Also, getting dressed now is so much easier and I am much happier with the way I look, so we just keep on trying.

I'm not sure what I just did but I lost a long and insightful post :joker:

Nice discussion about the ups and downs of decimal points. It's great to come to 3FC isn't it?

Yesterday, I took a rest day. It was weird. I kept thinking I should get on the elliptical for a few minutes ...

What's up this week? I think I'll do more of the same ... maybe fool with my protein percentage ... Anyone doing any interesting tweaking?

Well I had a very disappointing first week on this diet...I actually gained a pound!! What the heck??? :?: Can't figure that one out. I know weight can fluctuate but normally first thing in the morning I'm consistenly at 108.2. This morning I was 109.4 grrrrrrr. I have been sticking to my calorie limit and worked out 3 days this week and I NEVER worked out before. Hmmmm...I'll weight til next weeks weigh in and if I haven't lost anything or gained again I guess I will have to re-evaluate my strategy. Boo. :mad:

Oooo I love questions like this .... 1.2 pounds is only a half a litre of fluid. 2 cups! You could easily have that on board for any number of reasons. Not the least of which could be fluid in your newly worked muscles. This will pass.

You're very wise to give things time before you jump to a conclusion and switch gears. Very smart to wait a week and see! Good work!

Ugh, I'm pretty sure I had my first gallbladder attack yesterday. Miserable! And long! Nonstop pain for over 6 hours, several hours surrounding that of "just" plain pain, and several more hours surrounding that of uncomfortable. Close to 12 hours in all. It probably didn't help that I mistook the beginning of it for severe hunger from waiting too long to eat, and had a big, satisfying dinner. We'll see how far I get on 3 or so hours of sleep today. I'm afraid to eat but nibbling on some lowfat granola and fruit.

Julie ... get yer gall bladder to yer doctor ;) It's attached to important parts of you.

A good day so far my friends. Cardio done. Resistance done. Breakfast and lunch both good. Yup, it's a good day!

Julie - yikes on the possible attack - is there anything you can point to that might have triggered it?

I've been bouncing around on the same pound for 3 weeks now - just hoping that it has more to do with the swimming and things will re-settle in the negative direction again shortly. I had my share of zero loss periods of time this year, but that was purely with changing my eating. Don't know what the muscle's going to do ... I guess I've just learned to be amused instead of annoyed. :)

Thanks guys. I'm hoping it won't come back :^: I don't know what caused it but it's good motivation to eat well, that's for sure.

Thanks for the welcome. :)

I was a little too relaxed over the weekend, and my weight is up a bit (130.2 this morning)... but I think most of that is from high sodium (I had a meatball sub on Saturday that was out of control, and pad thai yesterday) since I definitely didn't eat enough to GAIN, just maintain probably. Oh, and I ate dinner late last night, so I'm sure that didn't help.

I finally bought a gym membership (for the campus gyms - it's only $150 for a year so I had no excuse NOT to, really!) since it gets dark out too early to go running much, and soon it will be too cold. I started going regularly last week. It's so easy - I can go right after work, then head home to shower. Tonight I'm going to go to one of the fitness classes, and I'm super excited. It's a cardio-kickboxing class... I used to go to it at least once a week last year and loved it. I just need to pay attention to the schedule - there's only one instructor who's really good, this perky blonde sorority girl who makes her classes super intense.

Julie, good luck avoiding future attacks - gall bladder problems run in both my family and my husband's family, so while I haven't had any trouble yet, I'm familiar with how much pain that can cause!

Julie, I agree get yourself to the docs!!

My weekend in Stowe and Smugglers Notch Vermont was very nice... but junk food laden :faint: up 4# of bloat this morning :rolleyes: ... Onward and downward!!

Today 5k run, done, gym in about an hour... food spot on...


:welcome: newbies, we loves newbies :dance:

Grrrr.... food has been GOOD, exercise daily, lots of water intake...

So I'm gonna say my 1.5lb gain is due to sodium. Yeah, sodium. That's why.

Good morning!

And yes, it's very good! Just keep going girls. Do what you know is right.

G'mornin' Susan and everyone else :wave: ....

Good Morning! So true Susan, we do know what is right. I am going to go exercise, housework can wait. Once the exercise is done, I will keep food in check. I am going to try and track my calories over the next couple of days, should be very eye opening. Hope everyone has a great day.

Amy

Good morning, feathers!

Another thing that has occurred to me about approaching "thin" that maybe won't get much play anywhere else ... every pound at this level REALLY makes a difference! I honestly think my cellulite goes away at 151.0. It was absolutely there at 152.0, and at 150.5 this morning - vanished. Did anybody else read the analogy of the roll of paper towels on the support thread? That just makes so much sense. Maybe ... even though each # is exponentially higher to fight off, the benefit is also greater?? I'd be crucified for tossing that out anywhere else, but I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences. Does one little pound make that big of a change for you?

I was kind of off plan yesterday. The boyfriend and I ordered in pizza after dinner. The good news is that I ordered a small. The better news is I only ate half! I consumed 1625 calories, which is okay because I calorie cycle. It just means I'll have to be extra careful this weekend with my calorie inake.

Julie - I agree with everyone else - get yourself to the doctor, girl!

ICU, I totally agree!

I used to think it was all about percentage of total weight... so if someone weighed 300 lb, and lost 1% of their weight (3 lb) it would make just as big of a difference as if I lost 1% of mine (1.3 lb). But now I think it's even more skewed than that.

Maybe it's more about the percentage of weight you need to lose to get to your ideal weight? So, if someone had 100 lb left to lose and lost 10 lb of it (10%) it would make as big a difference as me losing 1.5 lb (10% of what I have left to lose). That seems a bit closer... but falls apart when you get REALLY close to your goal (if you've got 2lbs left to lose, and lose 0.2, would you even notice it??).

Obviously, this type of stuff would vary a lot from person to person... depending on their genetics, body shape, type of exercise they do. So maybe it's not even worth my sitting here trying to come up with a general hypothesis. :dizzy: But what else is a bored scientist to do?? :D