Woohoo! The early bird catches the worm and I get to start the September thread.

(You can tell I've already had my first cup of coffee. I rarely "woohoo" in the morning)

This thread is for Feathers and visitors to jump in and chat about, well, whatever. Regulars, newbies and drop-ins, we're happy to see you!

Aside from the excitement of starting this month's thread, I'm also woohooing because the last of my vacation weight is gone and I'm back to 121.8 -- and "mntng" -- as of now!

Hope everyone else has a happy day!

OH, how I can't wait till I am maintaining like you! When it comes to numbers and math, I am like you Amy! I calculate everything I have actually made a spreadsheet with all the calculations of 7 groups of 2 weeks. I calculate how much I plan on consuming, burning, and caclulating the weight loss. Then I have a weigh in day and see how accurate I am! My next weigh in day is 09/12 and I am hoping to weigh in at 134.5 if my calculations are correct! I will not lose hope if I am not though. I have learned the calculations don't lie and somtimes our bodies will hold on to the fat as long as it can and then "let go of its breath" and the fat just drops off. That actually happend to a friend of mine. Regardless, I know if I stay consistent it will come off! Yay for a positive attitude today

I have been doing minor slip ups these past few days. But I am still making sure it is in my calorie range. Although I would rather all my cals coming from healthy foods, sometimes thats just not easy! My breakfast today consisted of 3 small publix chocolate chip cookies and 2 egg whites. WTF lol Oh well, I still have planned the day to where my calories will only be at 1500 (and thats with a glass of red wine squeezed in ).

Happy Hump day! Have a great Morning everyone!!

Hi feathers, I'm new!
Started the no s diet (no sweets, no snacks, no seconds, except on days beginning with S) yesterday, I'm just not cut out for the logistics of calorie counting so I thought this would be an easier way to curb my food excess and constant snacking habits a little bit!
And I just spent most of the afternoon cleaning the kitchen (yes, it was totally awful beforehand! don't judge me! ) and cooking/doing the dishes all at once, and while that's not 'real' exercise, at least I got off my butt So hopefully that counts for something Gonna go back down and tackle the living room in a bit. I'm hoping I can fit into a (UK) size 8 again someday soon!
Nice to meet you all!

CONGRATS on getting back down to your maintaining weight. Doesn't it feel good to know you can vacay, have a nice time, indulge and get right back on track! Knew you would do it!!

Yay, September! Oh man I love this month.

Chelsey, I am so curious to see if your calculations work out on 9/12. I'd love to hear that they do! I haven't had as much luck getting my plans/calculations to work out, so clearly something else is going on with me beyond calories in-calories out. I suspect it's what I'm eating rather than just how much, so I am playing around with that now. But I'm a bit older than you are, and I think things (aka metabolism) start to change in the mid 30s, or at least it has for me All new fun things to deal with! But you are so right - consistency pays off. Eventually. I have to remember that more often.

coffeeplease - the "no S's diet" - that's great. I have to remember that. to the featherweights!

Amy - still my idol. I am almost down to where you started as your high weight, so maybe I'll be joining you with maintaining around, I don't know, the end of 2011?? My goal for this year, set in January, was 129 (I started at ~151). But I spent most of my adult life around your weight so that would be so nice to be back down there. Now if I can just work up to running 10 miles at a time... my record so far is 5 and more commonly 2.5-3 but right now 0.

Anyway, I am way off "schedule" to reach 129 by the end of the year, given my progress so far. I spent nearly 6 months bouncing around 140 lbs. BUT I have decided to start fresh, as in looking at it as 4 months to lose 10 lbs. THAT sounds totally obtainable. Today I was at 138.8. Holy cow, I haven't seen a number that low in TWO years. So YAY for the 130s!! (A few years ago I freaked out when I saw my high weight of 132. How times change).

Oh and after all this talk of numbers, I forgot that I supposedly don't care about weight per se. I just want to be smaller, look good, be healthy & strong and have more muscle tone/less fat. That's not too much to ask is it

Hello everyone!
I started grad school on monday, so I've been very busy since then..I still am but I thought I would drop in to say hello! I've been doing nothing but reading for 3 days straight.

I unfortunately went back up to about 135. I unfortunately also had to leave my scale at home and start using the scale at the rec, so I think I'm at around 133 instead. The rec's scale always weighs 2 lbs heavier no matter what. I skipped the gym yesterday though because my right hip was killing me. Due to the lack of cushioning on my butt and new desks, I must have been sitting an odd way during my 3 hour class and hurt my hip, so I couldn't put any pressure on it so I gave it a break for the day. I was supposed to go to the gym early this morning, but I've been battling a cold for a week now and decided to take nyquil last night. So when I woke up at 6 this morning, I was still under the effects of it haha! So I'll be going once my 6-9 is over tonight.

But I'm back to eating normal So I should be back down to 129 in no time!

anyway, congrats to those who loss, keep your chin up to those who are down, and welcome new ones!!

I'm new too

I love the "No 'S'" Diet. I've never heard that before! I'm trying to calorie count. In the past I've only tried losing weight by exercise and unfortunately, for me, that just doesn't work. I'm going to have to be strict with calories and watch what I eat. It's definitely not something that is coming naturally to me, I've never had to think about what I was going to eat before. It's super frustrating. I hope it gets easier!

I can't wait to be at my maintaining weight! I know its not going to come anytime soon, but man, that will be a great feeling Happy September everyone!

Hi everyone. I've posted in this forum before, but infrequently- mostly a lurker. I am trying to recommit to logging my food every day, posting every day (which helps me to stay focused and on plan), and exercising at least every other day (exercise - or lack thereof- is really my biggest weakness). I wish I enjoyed getting up early; the logical time to work out is before the family is awake, but man do I hate getting up before 7 in order to get hot and sweaty.

So, here's to an OP month, and with any luck, getting out of the 130s before October 1st.

thanks for the welcome, everybody For those of you who thought the "no S" diet was clever, I'm afraid I can't take any credit for it! I can't post links yet apparently, but there is a no S diet website if anyone's interested (easy to find on google).
I just need some sort of 'structure' to moderate my food intake without calorie counting ... I am sure calorie counting works but I can NOT stick with it. Not the eating less, that's fine, but the research and calculations and recording, that does my head in! So I am hoping that this will work better for me

neurodoc -- exercise is the thing that I find most difficult too I am at a healthy weight but it's all jiggly, I have no muscle at all LOL. And I hate early mornings too

Good morning! I just wanted to pop in and share that after 6 weeks of maintaining and now deciding to lose a little more the scale is finally moving again! 147 this morning - a new low weight! Now I just need to stay strong through the two planned dinners out this week!

Neurodoc and Coffee I too hate exercising. If its recreational exercise, I dont mind it; I actually enjoy it. But its hard to get a recreational exercise in every day. I am aiming for running 3 miles 6 days a week. That will mean about 160 calories burned a day in exercise. Eeek sounds bad when I put it that way. Nerodoc, this is off topic but I am going to school for Sonography; do you know anything about that department?? Any advice? lol

Ncuneo CONGRATS on your weight loss!! I love when that happens!

So I messed up again last night. Was doing good and then for dinner I had 4 garlic rolls, a slice of cheese pizza, and a part of my dad's meatball sub for a whopping total of 1400 calories for dinner. That brought my calories to 2900 for the day. WTF Oh well, I am going to let my body rest and only eat 1000 today. Hopefully that evens things out.

I stepped on the scale today and it said 129. That means in one day of eating bad I lost 8 pounds. HAH My scale is broken! I stepped on again and it said 130. Stepped on again it said "E" then stepped on it for the last time and it said 133. Time for a new scale. Anyone know fo any good cheap scales?

Almost Friday ! Have a great day Feathers!!

Yay, ncuneo! I have a new low weight as well. So that's part is good.

But the whole measurements thing has me thinking.

I checked back to last year when I was near my high weight (14 lbs more than I am now). There are pretty significant differences when I look at my before and now photos. And 14 lbs is a lot when you are talking from 152 to 138 - ~10% of my weight. But my measurements don't show much progress.

@ 150.2: 36.5 - 31 - 43
@ 143.2: 36 - 31 - 41 (so with 7 lbs, lost 2 inches from hips, 0.5 from chest)
@138.4: 35 - 31 - 41 (5 slow, painful lbs later, the only change is 1 inch less from my chest )

I know that this is just the situation. Don't worry - I'm not letting this discourage me ... I am exercising regularly now (but I also was at that second weight!) so maybe things will start to shift. I guess I am posting this because 1) I am actually surprised to not see more progress; I actually thought my waist seems smaller and 2) as an FYI for others about the kookiness of featherweight weight loss.

So, in conclusion, I would say that beyond taking measurements, take photos! I was really bummed out a couple of days ago when I took some photos, feeling like in more than a year I have had no progress. When I compared side by side, it was very noticeable how much change there had been! If I ever get to what I consider "goal", I'll post those "before" photos. I may not have weighed that much, but wow I did not wear it well.

Keep on keepin' on, feathers! (And stay dry, American East Coasters )

down to 133 from 135 yesterday. Finally going back down from my oopsie!!

I survived my first week of graduate school!!!!! No classes on friday, so I'm going home early in the morning to get my car looked at because the windshield washer fluid isn't coming out...and yes, it's filled!

Today's my boyfriend's birthday, he's 23. Old fart. I'm really excited to spend the weekend with him starting tomorrow!

I had the same issues! I got a Taylor digital scale from Costco. It was under $25 I think. It's stainless steel and weighs down to the .2. I thought it weighed low since it was a few pounds under what my own scale was saying, but I went to the doctor this week and it was comparable. I finally threw away my old scale because I was under 130 on it and now I know the amount is fairly accurate.

I've still been inconsistent about going to the gym, but we have been walking alot since it's so much cooler. Food wise has been decent, but I know I haven't been as strict as I could be. That's why the scale has been going down so slowly. Since it's still going down though I haven't been motivated to change. Slow and steady wins the race right? On weigh in day I was down to 127.2, but I did see a 126 number earlier in the week. It was fleeting though and on a day I was dehydrated so I didn't want to count it. My birthday is in mid-October so my goal is to be in the low 120's (under 123) by then. I guess that means I need to be more strict. Hmm.

I'm going to the outlets this weekend and am looking forward to getting some new clothes for my new shape! Some things are way too big. Since I'm not at goal yet I will refrain from going totally crazy!

I'm realizing Thanksgiving and Christmas is right around the corner! That's a really tough time of the year, but I know it will be easier since I'm not in an office all day. Also we don't have Football season tickets this year so less tailgating calories.

Thanks for the help! I went on my lunch break and bought it! It was only $20. Im anxious to see what it says tomorrow. Wonder how off my other scale was..