Woo hoo! So glad your patience paid off.

Since I got my fitbit, I have found that some days I have no trouble getting the 10K steps in, and others (like yesterday - another snowy day) I have trouble breaking 5K. One thing I have started to do is add a few steps where ever I can. If I am downstairs, I run upstairs to use the bathroom. Instead of waiting until the laundry is done and bringing it all up at once from the basement, I bring up a little at a time. Some days I just walk around the house for 5 minutes to get those last few steps in!

I hope that when the weather finally warms up I will make up the steps with longer dog walks.

Sue - sending good thoughts your way - hope there is good news from today's tests. I so admire you for staying OP through this. When things feel out of control in your life it may help to have something that you can control (eating), but that is easier said than done!

Oneuh2, I hear you on the "plateau/whoosh cycle" dynamic. I am definitely in that zone. It does seem common in the later stages of dieting. I think you are 100% right about the consistent routine really helping. And losing cravings after the first week is a great benefit and I think why so many have success on this diet.

I am glad the Ultimate Flora is working for you! I was confused about whether I was suppose to stop or keep taking those pills long term. I think once you get your flora in balance -- the body might reach some sort of homeostasis. Yes, and added fiber is great too. I was taking the Colon Care formula in the morning, on an empty stomach with water -- but recently switched to 100% pure Psyllum Husks in that same line after I realized that soy was an ingredient in Colon Care. Always fine tuning.

Sure taking that with your Tea is great. It actually helps to "choke down" fiber powders with flavored liquids, so tea is perfect. Most people don't get enough fiber and I was shocked to find out that most nutritionists recommend up to 30 grams of fiber a day -- and most of us are nowhere near that level. It does help with eliminating toxins and waste from the body -- great health and diet benefits!

My best recommendation is to always listen to what your body is telling you and adjust things based on evidence from your own body. We are all so different with different allergies, needs, and body chemistry --- and we are all trying to find that seemingly "magical formula" to achieve the fastest healthiest weight loss possible. So I am always fine tuning (which is why I log things and track things so carefully) -- It allows me to go back and study my past to figure out what works best for my body.

Gosh I am down another 1 pound overnight and down 7.25 pounds in the past 6 days. I am in a great "whoosh zone" right now -- and I just crossed the down 80 pounds line. That is helping to make up for the 2 weeks where I was going nowhere fast (sideways to slightly up).

Keep up the great work Oneuh2! I am rooting for you!

Loser58, this is really great advice. I am loving my FitBit since I got it in October. I try to reach 7,150 steps a day (which is between 3 and 4 miles) which keeps me over 50,000 steps per week. And on bad weather days I jog around my house for an hour (which I try to do when nobody is home since it looks nutty! (LOL)) -- though I do prefer walking my hilly neighborhood.

I just got a congratulatory email from that application that I logged 500 miles of walking total since October! I am sure it's helping me stay more fit and lose weight faster. Whatever it takes, right.

You are so sweet to make her favorite cake! Just be there for the support they need now ... you have other things on your mind then getting your steps in. I have been pretty sedentary this past week too...

Well DH made it thru both fine and they didnt find a "source" there. We will take the little bit of good news. DH was actually doing quite well yesterday. On to the biopsy Thursday and that should give us the diagnosis and possible "primary" location. Thanks everyone for the kind words and thoughts....

Well since i am not in Vegas like I should be....I am off to a listing apointment this morning. Then I need to stop by one of my sold listings that's in the area to meet the seller...then home to get some stuff done and lay low for the next few days LOL... Lets see if that happens....

Way to go, Alexandra! I love the whooshes, they feel so empowering when they happen! :)

One piece of good news! Did they look at his prostate yet? So often that comes up as the primary, but it is common for it to be the last place for it to be evident.

Fingers crossed that they find it quickly so he can begin treatment.

You're such a trooper to face this AND stay focused on IP. :)

I have a nutrition review with the dietician on Wednesday and it's easier to keep it all in one place until then, but I have no problem with transferring exercise and diet over to MFP. I think you are pretty much the only person who has monitored the logs anyway. I'll just carry on blogging on SP as I follow about 20 people I've known for 5 years and don't want to lose touch with them.

I don't use a smart phone (Pay As You Go little flip-phone that is seldom on) so apps aren't part of my life, but I will see if I can get the Garmin to play nicely with MFP to save me copying over from the Garmin page. :)

Interesting how the MFP community is anti-ketotic diets - a lot of intolerance compared to the SP community in general. I guess all the real fitness freaks/geeks are lording it up in MFP. :)

Mmmm brussel sprouts. Poor old Dad - it must be great for him to know that you are strong in your eating habits, despite his palate being in a different generation. Bless him. He must be hugely proud of your weight loss achievements though, and glad that you are headed for better health and a longer life. :)

EDIT: Oops, forgot my own update. The running seems to make my weight bounce around a great deal - yesterday I was up to 171 and back down to 169.4 today, despite having breakfast in a truckers' stop during the kitty transport run yesterday. Buttermilk pancake with eggs and tiny sausage links. I viewed the butter as my healthy oil and kept to 1/3rd of the little container and I carefully poured out a tbsp of the maple syrup (because I knew it wasn't calorie or carb free) and deliberately pared down the rest of my meals for the day.

Interestingly enough, the dietician said that having a break was possibly a good thing, as it allowed the thyroid to reassess and do what she called a "soft reset". I know Lisa has had issues with thyroid on IP, and it seems that a couple of others have recently commented that they have also had it checked. I was expecting to be up today, so quite shocked to be at my lowest ever weight.

Keep on keeping on, Summer folks. :)

I posted on daily chat but I was so excited I had to repost with my Summer peeps. Thanks for letting me have a little brag moment!

OMG….I hit 100lbs lost at WI today!! :carrot: I am in shock. I really didn’t think I’d hit it based on my home scale this morning. 41 weeks ago, I started this diet and went to bed crying the first night asking what I’d gotten myself into and kicking myself for wasting so much money on a crazy strict eating plan that I’d never be able to follow. I went into this diet with the mindset that it was something I needed to live with for the next year. A means to an end. Today, I couldn’t think of another way to eat or live.

I rewarded myself with a Fitbit and the Fitbit Aria scale (which gave me a higher weight than the IP scale btw) last week to prepare for the next phase of my life, exercise and maintenance. I still have 25lbs to go. It may take me longer to get there than I had originally estimated but I have every faith that if I follow the plan, I WILL get there.

CenTXChk, because it's so awesome I will have to congratulate you here too :)

AWESOME JOB!!!! Something to celebrate and be excited about indeed.

Post it everywhere! Shout it from the rooftops! Savor this moment that you have worked so hard for. You are an inspiration to all of us who are (hopefully) right behind you.

Girlfriend, brag away!!! that's awesome, you've been working so hard :hug: Now let's attack that last 25!


I wanted to post this for anyone who might be interested in yoga - this pretty much sums up exactly how I was feeling about it before I started: http://rryogaroom.com/blog/

Congrats!!!! You have earned every right to have a million brag moments! Keep up the hard work - it's paying off! :carrot::carrot:

:congrat:
How absolutely fabulous!!!! So happy for you! I gotta go look at your food diary closely -- you are rockin' it, despite getting closer to goal. I need to get me some of that!!!!

:congrat:

I am double congratulating you too!!! Congratulations!!!!!

Way to go, Alexandra. I love when the scales play nice again after all the effort you're putting in to stay 100%. :)

Woot Woot, what an incredible achievement, CenTXChk. So thrilled for you. I hope you twirled and did the naked scale dance when you got home. Congrats on a job well done! :)

My neighbours will be making noise complaints to the council when I get to that stage, trust me. LOL

Wowie Zowie CenTXChk! You are the queen of 3 Fat Chicks today! Your 100 lb accomplishment has everyone applauding and reveling in your success!!!

You had your moments during your journey when I was afraid you were going to fall off the wagon and not climb back on... but you adjusted as much as you needed to, and have come through like a real champ. I am SOOOO happy for you!