I had a good weekend, stayed totally on track didn't have a cheat day and got plenty of exercise. I'm down a pound from last week but my weight has been bouncing all over the place. Friday and Saturday morning I was down to 105 and this morning I am back at 107.4. I think I'm going to have to come up with some kind of chart or something to see the overall trend. It's confusing to me bouncing around so much. It can get soooooo discouraging sometimes because I really don't know if I'm on the right track. On another note I have been having horrible headaches lately and I NEVER get headaches. I'm trying to figure out where it's coming from but no luck yet.

Mountainchick - heck yeah! Sickness to me means macaroni and cheese. And sleep. My range is closer to 3lbs and I can predict pretty well when I'm going to the top of it - it's when I eat the kind of crap I've been eating lately. Has nothing to do with the calories at all - I guess I'm just adjusted to clean, whole foods and when I don't get 'em, I bloat. Oh well - it's negative reinforcement at its finest!

maenad - welcome and congrats on the quick jump start!

time - eek ... good luck avoiding the bugs! Stay out of the sugar - I just read a study that shows that sugar almost instantly depresses your immune system.

carb - sorry to hear about the headaches!

I'm back in the groove, and at least registering on my ticker. :rolleyes: Better days to come!

HEllo ladies I introduced my self in one of the stickies. Ive had a bad wk for some dang reason...lol! I am up two lbs almost three. I know it can be because Im starting next wk but dang thats early. Since Im trying to focus on losing weight Im going to keep a running log of my daily weights. I think I do gain the wk before then it comes off when I come off. Havent slacked on my workouts even though Im mad about my weight:devil: I was hoping to be be down to 142 by the first of December. Im debating on starting to calorie count but I never really had to tweak my diet in the past to lose weight...dang ole age. So Im fighting with AGE and TOM this wknd....:cry:

timetostart- I know how you feel, my BF and our room mate were ill last week, and half the teachers and students at my school are ill now. I hope it doesn't get me next!

carbcrazy- try to not weigh yourself everyday. Our weights naturally fluctuate throughout the day and it is so discouraging to see a weight gain when it's probably just water weight. I used to weigh myself multiple times a day, it would get me so down! Now i just do it once a week. I hope your headaches go away!

Bablou- I have always found that calorie counting is the bast way to go. writing a food and weight journal is always helpful, and it makes you honest about everything you eat!

Yesterday was another healthy day, until my BF called me after work to meet up at a bar with some friends. A beer was waiting for me when i arrived. GRRR! In Turkey wine and liquor is just so expensive that beer is the only option when i go out. and of course i didn't just have one...

:cloud9: I am pretty happy this morning!:cloud9:

15 pounds since Sept 10th!!!

Bablou ... even if you don't want to count calories in the long run, I'm going to suggest that you do for a couple of days. Use a good calculator that also tells you the nutritional content of your foods. A couple of small substitutions may be all it takes. And we can help you with that :hug:

SusanB - GREAT job! That's a huge loss - it's so comforting to see that hard work can pay off, even for the feathers ... since we're fighting for every fraction of a pound. Thanks for being a role model!

maenad - yup - I can relate. I hang with beer drinkers too. I've moved to the really dark beers because it's much easier to drink them verrrrry slowly.

bablou - welcome!

Went back to eating like I was serious about it, and have been rewarded with the loss of the bad-food "puff". 3# off in 2 days - those were the easy ones. I decided I want to be able to say I completed the weight loss part in 2009 - so that gives me 7 1/2 weeks roughly to take off the final 6. At least, I hope it's the final 6 - I won't know til I get there!

Hey girls :wave: and :welcome: to Bablou

Susan :bravo: on the phenomenal weight loss....

I'm just hanging in there, I ran this afternoon and going go the gym soon...Life goes on...

I did start Christmas shopping :yes:

Thanks to all of the sweet support I received from my last thread, I'm ready to hop on the bandwagon again. This year has been an incredibly long journey for me with ups and downs and unfortunately, lots of yo-yo dieting. I'd like to think that each time I fail, I learn something new about myself and am that better prepared for the next time that I try again. Hey, if I never give up I'll have to eventually succeed right?

Things I'm doing differently this time: keeping a food journal (I'm not good with numbers so I'm not going to count calories, but I am keeping track of my emotions and how it correlates to my eating habits)...and posting in here more, hopefully. :)

I know there's only a month or so left, but I don't want to give up on 2009 yet. I want to start 2010 with a bang!

Thanks ladies for the warm welcome and suggestions. I am going to try the daily plate up until Thanksgiving and see how well I do with that. It says for my body wt and height that I should be eating 1750 calories daily to lose 2pounds a wk. I work nights at the hospital so I already do a lot of pre-planning on my meals. Im just at 1100cals and I usually have an apple and peanut butter around 430am and thats it until I wake up and after a workout. My problem is snacking at work. Which Ive gotten a hold of it over the last couple of months. I went a whole month w/o chips...lol!
So my plan is to try the daily plate and see how much Im taking in and hopefully I will get back on track.

Morning everybody! I'm so glad to see the new folks back!!

Working nights is horrendous! I don't do them any more but when I did ... I toted pounds of crunchy vegetables to work with me. I don't understand why but the crunch is the thing. I also used to chew a lot of gum.

Yenniechan said this ... I'd like to think that each time I fail, I learn something new about myself and am that better prepared for the next time that I try again. ... Don't even doubt it. It's very true. Practice practice practice!

Hi everyone!

Just a quick check-in. I've been really good about logging and not eating junk calories since Monday, and the downward trend continues. It's been 4.5lbs in 3 days - which tells lots about the ill effects of processed food. I have no illusions that it will continue, but I'm just grateful my wagon stopped to let me climb back on! Isn't it amazing how forgiving our bodies can be?

Our bodies are amazing machines!

I think it was at stumptuous.com that I read .... my body is not a burden, it is part of me .... I can't really explain why that had such a profound effect on me.

I got into the boxes under my bed this morning gals. I only had to put two things back. A little Mexx blazer and a straight black skirt. Everything else ... I can wear!!! I may not be able to wear a sweater under it or I may have to wear control top hose but .... I am so freakin' happy, I could just cry!

Wow, Susan, you're doing just great :)

Oh Julie ... I am sooo happy!!!

Susan B and ICUwishing: you guys are doing great! keep up the good work!

I had a bit of a down fall two nights ago, and ended up drinking a number of beers with some friends. I was so bloated and gross the next morning. I weighed myself, and i had gained 2 kilos (4.4 pounds). I am very disappointed with myself. yesterday i had a 600 calorie breakfast to cure my hangover, but managed to stay around 1300 for my daily total (resisted BF and roommates beer drinking and chip munching!).

My mother is coming to Istanbul today to visit for a week. I am very excited (haven't seen her in a year!), but i know this means a lot of meals out. Turkish food is just full of meat and fat, it's hard to find many light options on menus (salads here are generally a complete disaster.)

I'm not going to weigh myself until my normal weigh in day and hopefully i will be back at 57.5 kilos (126.5 lbs). I also an going to make a pack for the rest of this month and December - I can only drink alcohol one night a week, and try to not have it be beer if i can have any choice! Anyone what to join me in cutting out (most of) your alcohol consumption??

Maenad ... Ilene and I have talked about alcohol, just not that long ago. I really enjoy the odd drink. A glass of wine, a really frosty beer, a good gin'n'tonic ... But my weight does not respond favourably. On Saturday evening I had one lite beer and that's the first in weeks (maybe months). One didn't have much impact but ... I'm not sure what a few would have done. And I already know what happens if I have a few scattered throughout the week ... stall, bloat ...

Can you take a bottle of water in your purse?

Maenad I think I will join you! I drink a LOT of beer and I'm sure it's been a big part of why I've put so much weight on in the last couple of years. I never really drank at all before I met my husband. I have recently been limiting myself to Friday and Saturday nights only, now I am making a pact to only drink Saturday nights and change up to something with lower calories...still trying to figure out what lol. I can blow the entire week with one night of imbibing!

maenad - I've already cut way, wayyyyyy back. I really enjoy a glass of wine, or a snifter of single malt, like some people enjoy pedicures and bubble baths - to me, settled in a cozy chair and sipping something excellent is the ultimate relaxation. That being said ... because the frequency and the quantity have both dropped off, I find that I'm willing to up the quality. ;) I have given up completely on a lot of the mega-calorie bombs like margaritas and most mixed drinks - just not worth it any more.

Susan I am so proud of you :hug: ... and will follow in your footsteps...

Alcohol, ugh, if it weren't for that I think I'd be at my goal weight... Wine just screws with my metabolism, also the less I drink the less I can drink :shrug: and darn it all I love my wine :cheers: .... I've promised myself, last night after a dinner with some old friends, had 2 glasses of wine, that I would only drink at parties this Holiday season. This means, the first party is next weekend, after that it's the 2nd week of December.... NONE during the week!

On monday I ordered some books for Christmas gifts on Amazon, I do this every year, so at the same time I ordered The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess for myself... I'm hoping that this will motivate me to do better... I actually like starting a plan before the Holidays, I've done this before, it keeps me focused for the party season, and I don't gain any weight :crossed: ....

Anywhoo, this is the plan...

Thank you so much for the advice. It is hard for me because the social life where i live revolves around drinking. Everyone drinks, and they drink a lot. It is hard to not participate.

SusanB: I try to travel with water, and i notice that if i am drinking water, i do drink less.

ICU- I gave up the fancy mixed drinks when i moved here (a margurita is like $20) but the beer is still pretty high in calories. I need to give up the full blown drinking nights!

Ilene- good to just keeping it to weekends!!

Carbcrazy- funny that i hardly drank before i met my BF as well, and it has been since i met him that i have put on weight. Hmmm, I think i would loose all this weight if i just gave up the drinking!! SO lets make a pack!! We will only drink one night a week! you on Saturdays, and me on Wednesdays (my Friday night)

Today was alright, a small breakfast (300 cals) and a eggplant kabab for an early dinner with a big salad. and diet coke. Have a big day tomorrow, teaching Infinitives and Gerunds. woot woot! should be fun! Good luck ladies, off to sleep!

Good morning!

I didn't have much luck finding smaller scrubs yesterday. Darn ... guess I'll have to go shopping again ;)

The weekend is filled with traps and pits gals. Be wary!

Morning everyone :wave:

Good morning!

I got nibbling nuts last night. I know they're good for you but wow the cals add up in a hurry!

DH is cooking today for the people he sings with in church. I've set a lovely table for 12 and am going to work. He's experimenting with his smoker and the crockpot. I'll probably eat too much. Or if I'm careful ... I'll have leftover turkey and pork tenderloin for my lunches this week ;)

3 pound jump from eating the types of foods that bloat me. :rolleyes: We went to a friend's house for dinner and a movie (The Ugly Truth - :lol:) and some euchre. I avoided all the sugar without any problems, and I don't think there was much salt ... I dunno - I have some potential culprits to keep an eye on. Either way, it'll be off again quickly, I'm sure. :) Today will be better.

SusanB - be strong! Sounds like you have some very tempting tidbits in your weekend!

Hey girls :wave:

The weekend has been excellent :D I am extremely happy :dance: to say... I didn't have a drop of wine :cheers: .... Food was spot on and so was exercise, jogged yesterday and weight trained today... Did the first w/o of the New Rules of Lifting for Women, I quite enjoyed it :yes:

Please be aware … long thought filled post ahead ;)

Did I sound like I was well prepared to deal with the fabulous dinner my husband was making for Sunday evening?
Well I was and I’ve learned a lot from it.
In truth … I wasn’t all that good on Saturday. I nibbled into the evening. I didn’t really ensure I had enough sleep all weekend either.
On fitday, I’ve recorded that I’d dropped to 135.2 lbs on Friday. This morning I’m 138.8.
I can hardly clench my fists and my face looks terrible … squinty eyes! Even my lips feel puffy.
3.6 pounds is a lot for a featherweight. It’s a lot for anyone.
I’m not discouraged. I know what it is. I know what happened. I know how to stop it and I know what to do now.
I also know that it will happen again.
Is it Glory87 who talks about a red-line weight? The weight at which corrective measures must be taken!
I now know that whatever weight I chose, my red-line weight is 4 lbs heavier. For example 125 and 129.
However … what if I’m sitting at 128 and have a dinner like that and bump up into the 130’s. Ack! Grrr … my brain is starting to jumble.
I think it’s safe to say that a very sudden 4 lb leap is explainable and manageable.
A slow 4 pound creep is … um … my fault. Still manageable, but.

I’d love to know what the rest of you think about this kind of thing. Anyone?

It's Monday. Yay. I've decided that I'm going to look at Thanksgiving as just another dinner at the in-laws. My MIL is a very good cook, but she does have a tendency to try and sweeten everything way too much. Sweet is not a sensation I particularly gravitate toward ... so I think as long as I watch portions and go heavy on salad and white turkey, I'll be just fine. The bigger issue will be the alcohol that FIL likes to push, but I can deal. They're nice people with hopes and dreams like everyone else. (breathe, Becky - you've got 3 days to talk yourself into this!) :lol:

SusanB - I'm new at being a featherweight, but I'm learning fast that I have a real problem with getting on the wrong side of the 150lb mark. The Maintainers do talk about a "redline", and a bunch even keep a ticker in their signatures with the redline at the left, and their tolerance range and goal. I have a mental hangup with that "decade change" from 149.5 to 150, and one of my goals is to get down far enough to permanently put 150 in the rear view mirror.

And yes ... I had a sudden 4# gain last week. Which came back off quickly. Now I'm wrestling off a 3# gain, 1/3 of which is gone already. I'm getting a little numb to those because I've had them throughout the year. I think what's kept me sane is seeing that (except for the November mark) there's been a steady downward trend every month of 2-3 pounds. I've been a lot more interested in that slow trend than the fast stuff. The fast stuff - oh yeah - rings are tight, eyelids are puffy ... it's the poster child for "I made a bad choice." :)

Chug the water and the green tea and behave yourself. :hug:

Good morning.. hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

We had a friend in town visiting with us this weekend, and I ate entirely too much. I also didn't go to the gym at all, and sat around playing video games a lot. I think I was also kinda celebrating the end of the worst TOM I've ever had. Even though I gained a couple pounds (probably some bloat - too much fast food yesterday), I'm still under 130 (woohoo!). And I'm actually looking forward to getting back in control, which is a weird but awesome feeling. :D

Hi all! I'm new to the featherweight thread. I just reached my initial goal of 135 and now I'm working on getting to a good, maintainable weight for my life (and a lower body fat %).

SusanB-I am your height and intend to try and maintain at about the range you mentioned (124-129). If I had an off meal and popped out of that range I'd just foods more closely for 2-3 days and I'm sure it'd come right off.

I am TRULY looking forward to being in "the range", though. I don't even care about whether I can eat any more calories. I'm pretty satisfied with my food now. I just look forward to staying a size long enough to build a wardrobe, having a more modest exercise routine, and having an occassional treat meal without beating myself up for it!

A quick note about me: I joined 3FC last November and have since lost approx 65 pounds. There have been good and bad months, but I have stuck with it for the entire year. In 2 days, it'll be my 1 year anniversary on here! I'm a married stay-at-home mom of 3. I look forward to knowing you all as I say goodbye to these last 10 or so pounds!

Congratulations Ms Perception! We're really glad to have you here with us :hug:

Can I boast a little?

I had a rough weekend where a group of us went to a charity banquet and after wards there was some dancing. A close guy friend and I were dancing and basically the entire time he kept checking out other girls. He's usually not that careless, but that night he made me feel so dejected. I guess we’ve grown so close that sometimes he doesn’t remember that I’m also a girl. I know it shouldn’t get to me because I don’t like him in that way either, but it hurts my pride as a female that he’s never been attracted to me. I mean, when he has a problem, I’m the first one he calls and talks to and I’m always there for a supporting word/encouragement. So apparently I’m good enough to lean on, but I’m not girlfriend material.

So anyways (sorry for the mini-rant), after work today it started pouring outside and the house was a mess and I really wasn't in the mood to run. But then I thought about the other night and something in me snapped. I hit the gym (before my sanity took over) and did 4 miles on the treadmill all the while envisioning the banquet next year where *I'll* be the one getting checked out. I'm usually not this superficial, but sometimes you just need a little anger to channel your energies and what better way then through productive exercise. I feel great right now and I *know* Thanksgiving day will have nothing on me. I'm a woman on a mission right now! lol Good luck to everyone else getting through the holidays! We can do it gals (&guys?)!!

Good morning!

yennie - you go! Way to head for the gym instead of the fridge!

Ms. Perception - welcome! I'm new at this too - never thought of myself as a "feather", but yes, there is a LOT of good support and knowledge here for the last few pounds. You can whine here about half a pound and people will still talk to you. ;) And kick your butt to get it back off.

SusanB - Was thinking of you this morning when I jumped on the scale and yet another 1.5 is off, and how I'm getting jaded by the rapid cycling too! Maybe it's easy come/easy go. The Maintainers had a thread a few weeks back where they were talking about that same thing - that "true" weight gain needs a couple of weeks to settle in and get comfy, and tends to sneak on - unlike a night on the town, where 3-4lbs can magically appear the next morning. If I remember right, the general consensus was that if you behaved and flushed it back out in a week, no harm done. :)

ICUwishing ... you know you're a 3FC addict when ... :hug:

Let me see ... I think that means we know our bodies and we're mature in our weight loss journey. Sounds good eh?

Susan, :hug: this bloat too shall pass ;) ... and probably has by now... As Feathers almost Maintainers we do have an extremely fine line before going over to the other side, bad side of the scale. As for myself, the more I am careful with sugar, wine, fats, calories the more they affect me when I eat off plan, even in moderation... very discouraging/disheartening to say the least ... It's a constant battle...

I've been pretty darn good this week and over the weekend just past :D sure am happy about that...

Thanks, SusanB and ICUwishing for the welcome!
It's certainly safe to say I've never considered myself a feather weight. I'm not one of the skinny people who wants to lose 10 pounds to get to into size 0 jeans or down to 12% body fat or anything. So, I wasn't sure where I belonged since I'm not quite to maintenance. I'm glad to be here though.

I enjoyed seeing a modest loss of .4 this morning. I've been psyching myself up for a successful holiday weekend, so I wanted to start the week strong so I felt good going into the danger zone known as my hometown! LOL SO many yummy foods there! We also have 2 T-givings (Thurs & Sat), one with DH's family and one with mine. I have however planned pretty much all my meals, though I don't know cals for some. I may be able to maintain through it, but even if I gain a little I'll be okay with it as long as I follow my plan. Then I know I made good, reasonable choices (yes, I'm having one of Grandma's cinnamon rolls and a slice of pie) and didn't let the food control me!

Hey guys....I'd like to join in this discussion too. As of this morning, I've lost 72 pounds and I am eight pounds from my goal. I'm so darn proud of myself! I really really really want to hit goal by New Year's, but with all the holidays, I'm not sure if it can happen. So if it happens, great, but if not I'll move on and lose it in the new year. Either way, I'm losing it. And I'm not regaining. That is my promise to myself!

I've posted around 3FC, but I feel like I really belong here now, and I look forward to chatting with all of you!

hiya, kellost! Final 8, final 10, final 25 ... teetering on that fine line between the last few pounds and maintenance ... Welcome aboard!

SusanB - "mature". :lol: Never!!!! :lol2: What's the saying - age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill? ;)

Major bullet whizzed over my head today - tomorrow is the Operations group potluck (just announced this morning). I will be safely at home, in a dessert-free zone ... telecommuting so I can take DH for his colonoscopy. Poor fella is at home suffering through the prep. He'll be good and ready to pig out on Thursday, I'm sure. :)

LOL, I've never heard that one, but I like it :)