Hi Maintainers, I have a question for you about your final goal weight. Initially I set my goal weight at 155, which is the mid point for my height and bone structure (which is large). Now that I'm 175 and a comfortable size 10 (not too tight not too lose) I changed my goal weight to 160. My coach told me it's more about your size and not a weight (and my goal size was a size 10). I'm not ready to stop at this weight and will go to at least 160, but has anyone else changed their goal weight? I just want to make sure I'm not changing it so I can get to the end quicker. Thanks for your feedback. :)

Great realization here...I do the same thing, and tend to get lazy with it and jsut want convenience sometimes too. Good to know I'm not alone, and thanks for being strong!

I think quite a few people have changed their goal weight. It's more about getting to the size/shape you want to be. Plus maybe a few pounds for cushion. Nobody knows exactly what their body will look like at certain weights, so it's kind of an experiment.

Pixl....great job getting those lbs off! Keep it up!

I ran 2 miles on the treadmill yesterday....my quads are so sore!!! You'd think with all the step class I do, that it wouldn't be so bad, but yowza. It's a good sore though. :)

Thanks cajunladybug22!

maile- your pity party story brought a smile to my face! I was looking at a recipe on the back of a ketchup bottle for sloppy joes and found myself getting really upset that I wasn't going to be able to just make myself one and eat it. It is a lot of work... and I know you were tired after work and had already decided that you were going to take it easy only to have plans change on you... but, for the most part, don't you find it's getting easier? It amazes me how quickly my knee jerk 'no' will kick in when something unhealthy is proposed to me. How much more inclined I am to enjoy my salads and not feel resentful of those at the table inhaling pizza & subs. You are always so calm when it comes to maintenance. Your weight loss, your months of maintenance are all direct rewards of your hard work & effort. Do you ever have carrots for your veggies? They can definitely be a time saver... and oh so yummy with hummus :)
bigpassport- you, too, had me laughing (thank you both for a great start to the day!) 'recreate the wheel' :rotfl: So true. It works as is, it can be tweaked a bit with a little fat when you're having carbs ( a sprinkle of cheese, using olive oil for cooking) or fats (I sometimes have fruit/ dried fruit on my salads) but my coach put it to me like this "eat the caesar salad but pass on the garlic bread" or "eat the spaghetti but pass on the cheese"...
mom2cs- I have read that Tosca Reno quote before and have to agree weight loss is primarily diet. You put it well when you said that exercise just makes you look better when the weight is gone. When you would 'relax' on the weekends before going back to Phase 1 were you going to more a Phase 3 or 4? Or just a reasonable amount of whatever? I have to say your body fat % is astounding! It was 17?! What is your goal?
NewEnglander- you are in some awfully tricky territory. There really is some sort of mental dynamic to reaching your goal. But it is just a number. But it is nice to have a cushion. But you will get 'hooked' on the lowest number you see and it will forever be the number you feel you should be at. My advice? Just keep going. Hit 160 and then move to Phase 2. It is still very possible to lose in Phases 2,3, 4. The higher your weight the easier it will be for you to maintain. But you will want to have a cushion in place when deciding your weight range... Congrats on being so close!!!
pxlkittyYayyyyyyy!!!!!! :carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot: That is awesome news!!! Good for you! For deciding that it was time to hop on those couple extra pounds and sticking with it and now seeing the pay off!!! You're maintaining, you're maintaining, you're maintaining chachacha!
Happy Wednesday everyone!

I agree that most people -you should have a goal weight in mind, but you should reevaluate it as you lose.
I am the same height as you and also a large build (read big legs and calves). I am very muscular. At my current 146 I am wearing a pair of size 4 gap pants (I could use a 5, 6 is too big, 4 is a little tighter than I lik). My goal is 145, although last year my original goal was 135, which I just don't see ever reaching. I am hoping to see 140 at least once, but use 145 as my target that I bounce around.

My bodyfat goal is about 15%. I want to see those abs at least once.
I do carry a lot of weight in my legs. My upper body is pretty streamlined.
I do a lot of reading on bodybuilding sites. Phase 1 seems in line with their cutting diets. I hope perseverance pays off as I will be on phase 1 with my dh for a while as he has quite a bit more to lose.
I used to be pretty low carb on my free days, but would let myself drink if we were out and would have bread,etc occasionally. Wheat and sugar really do not agree with me. And mc d fries are a real weakness.....

Capricious, Thank you. I like your plan of action for me about moving into P2 at 160 as I may still lose. Mentally I can handle that... Just can't wait to have a slice of pizza...just one!!! LOL :) WOO HOO!!!

Great job on the running. I look at people running and I've even tried it. I will try it again when the weather is warmer.

As for feeling lazy, here are some things that you can do when you are feeling super lazy.

1) Order chinese. I'm not talking kung pao, but get steamed chicken and veggies with sauce on the side, hot and sour soup... even steak teriyaki. Problem solved.

2) Order Italian with virtually no carbs. Order chicken marsala and get steamed veggies instead of pasta.

3) Stay lowfat and eat some carbs. Eat Japanese! Chicken yakitori then seaweed salad, green salad, and some veggie sushi. Just make sure you are getting enough protein and don't go nuts with the rice.

Problem solved!

OMG...your before and after are amazing...over 100 pounds in less than a year....wow oh wow....great job...enjoy.



Still kicking around ladies. Went on a cruise and didn't gain any weight...wore a pedometer and walked 10 miles a day and avoided carbs....but those 9 pounds from the holidays are still there. Right now I am following a low carb diet....100%...20 carbs or less a day....I may try IP again starting on April 16th to lose those 9 and plus an additional 5 so I have a little cushion.

I am waiting until then because I have a few social events in the next month and the low carb eating is easier to follow (cheeses, meats, veggies, fats).

Here is to a lifetime of wellness ALL:D

I would just like to say today was a hard day mentally. Spent the past three days on Phase 1 trying to eradicate the weight I gained through having a free evening on Saturday. It didn't want to leave. It wanted to move in and live on me. My husband laughs at me that I am so sensitive about two pounds but that two pounds is above the top of my range not at the top of my range. Anyway finally broke through today and saw the top of my range. So back to a Phase 3/4 day. But after breakfast I was still ravenous. After snack I was still hungry. After lunch still hungry. After another snack same deal. And at this point I'm questioning whether this is true hunger or 'mental hunger' which is so much harder to get rid of and wearying to deal with. Lasted all day until I went to the gym this evening, which I would usually do earlier in the day but today didn't allow for it. Boom, felt better mentally & physically and wasn't hungry anymore. Exercise may not give me weight loss or even weight maintenance but it sure does make me feel better. Just wish that particular light bulb had gone off earlier in the day.
pxlkitty- thank you for the takeout suggestions...
maile- did you get your take out??? What did you have?
darbs- congrats on not gaining on the cruise- that's definitely admirable!
NewEnglander- I'm happy if I helped... I hope your last few pounds go by quickly...
cajun- we do the same exercises!!! A fellow step class/ runner. I do feel that the running is a bit more high impact I feel it a lot more in my knees. How hard I work in step is very dependent upon the instructor. Our regular instructor is away on holidays and I'm going a little crazy because I keep showing up for step and not getting a very good work out cardio wise but they've been pretty good about incorporating strength training so I am appreciative of that. I don't know if you & pxlkitty have ever done a social club type run (in Canada we have the running room- you can join them Wed evenings/ Sun mornings and jog with them) they have every level. From those who are only walking, to learning to run to 5k to 10k to half marathon to marathon. I've done a few learn to runs and this spring I'd like to join the 10k class. I find it's a lot more fun & motivating when you're doing it with other people...

I hear ya with the exercise. After I feel great, and cravings seem to disappear as long as I eat my panned meal.
I wish I could get into the 130s. Maybe when dh gets home and needs to seriously refocus after traveling it will push me to drop more. Every pound seems to be a challenge though!

Hey there. Some days are just tough. I almost feel like crawling into bed. I was lax for a little bit in December and I'm still paying for it. That's why I finally decided to get things under control. I threw all my rules out (no cheat day unless 147.5 or lower), and was operating under the assumption that somehow I deserved a cheat day no matter what. Well, that missy is the attitude that got me heavy in the first place. So, bravo for you. If it's not those 2lbs, it'll be 5lbs, 10lbs, slippery slope.

Also, I think it's the reitroduction of the carbs in phase 3 that gets our bodies kicked into "hunger" mode. Perhaps be prepared for that on those days and have tea ready, be prepared to take a long run/walk, etc.

Hang in there. We understand you!

Thanks pxlkitty for the support :hug: Got to be one of the best things about being on here... the understanding...
mom2cs- I'm small framed so me in the 130's I would have to think is somewhere similar to you in the high high 140's. We wear pretty much the same size (4/6) depending on whose selling it. But your body fat is significantly lower- I'm in the 22-23 range. I can see my obliques but a six pack?? I had a 'fake' one in Hawaii... I ended up with kind of a funny horizontal tan line in the middle of my belly from how I was sitting -and it ended up delineating something that isn't there! still made me smile though...I can see the ribs in my upper chest so don't really want to lose more weight have come to accept that a lot of what is left is skin... it's tightening... sloooowwwwllllyyyyy. I agree that one of the best things we can do in maintenance is still set goals for ourselves, to keep challenging ourselves with something besides just what to eat. Whether it's couch to 5k or having a visible six pack:D

Thanks so much for this! Great ideas, and it shows that I can still have stuff we don't have to cook ourselves. :) I just get in a rut, I think...so thank you!

Good for you to persevere through the hunger all day and do something positive in the gym! I think a lot of it is us having food/eating schedules on our minds constantly, so we think we're hungry. Endorphins and exercise can totally help!

How cool that you do step class too! I've been doing it for a looooong time, so I definitely get super disappointed when an instructor doesn't push me. And I love to try out advanced forms of the moves to challenge myself ( reverse turns instead of regular turns, etc). It's just fun!

As for running, there is a group here called "Women Can Run" or something like that, but I haven't really checked into the schedules and stuff. I'm super slow, and it's very hard for me to get into the "zone", so I don't want to drag people down or slow them down. But as it warms up some more, I might look into it.

As for my reboot, I think it's time to go to P2. I'm losing my motivation for P1...plus I lost pretty well in P2 last time. I think it will be good to switch it up.

[QUOTE=capricious;4245264]I would just like to say today was a hard day mentally. Spent the past three days on Phase 1 trying to eradicate the weight I gained through having a free evening on Saturday. It didn't want to leave. It wanted to move in and live on me.

Cap..I am glad you made it through a rough day. I am not sure how we slip into these emotional whirlpools..but we do,,then you find yourself feeling hungry or anxious. That pity party reaction on my part was much the same..feeling like I wanted the easy way out without the effort!
Exercise has saved me..It really does increase the seratonin positive feelings in your brain. I am usually in an excellent mood AFTER exercise.
You are right..It is getting easier. I am actually very happy most days..and have lots of energy. I also really enjoy the meals that I make..even though they may be time consuming because I like very spicy food., Like you I do not feel sorry for myself if someone next to me is eating pizza, while I am eating a salad. I am very happy with the meals that I make and usually do not feel deprived. I still shy away from carrots because of the glycemic index..

My husband does not understand me either..two pounds up and I worry.
Hope your day goes well today! Good job on working throught the rough hours.