Snack ideas from a lurker
 

I'm as frugal as they come. Have you seen what WW charges for their low-point snacks? I recommend you do some research and see what's out there. For instance:
When I'm at work and would love to munch some sort of carb....you know...an apple won't do it, candy bars are bad for you...hmm...just some cookies or something. I reach into my desk and pull out one of those snack baggies of Life cereal. No kidding. 1/2 cup of those is less than a point...it's cheap and they're slightly sweetened. But look into different cereals if you don't like Life.

Also the lo-cal icecream popsicles? Please. I just need a creamy fudgy cold something during a movie and I reach for a fudsicle. It's sweetened with Splenda and sold with the kiddie popsicles. I took the time and used my little WW slider thingy. 1 point for a fudsicle! Now I have one almost every night.
My point is that some good snacks are out there but we don't have to pay an arm and a leg if we take some time and do some math.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/weight-tra...3/153/173/.png

Running
 

To everyone doing the couch to 5k:
today is the first day of week three for me. i got out and did the required run without and trouble at all. i think i may like running. This is an admission of monumental proportions or me. I've always said i'll run only if there's a man with a knife or a dog chasing me. There're no dogs or knife wielding maniacs at the track, yet i'm doing it still. I like passing people, not that i'm running that fast, and they're usually walking, but there is a certain amount of pleasure that comes from passing soemeone on the track. Plus i get a huge amount of satisfaction from just being able to run without all the wiggling and jiggling there used to be. At any rate, hope everyone is doing well.
Christine

Christine You Go Girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haven't been able to workout since last week. I am on week 3 of couch to 5k as well. I can't wait to be a "runner".

I got in 45 min of walking yesterday (hard surface, up and down smallish hills) and kept it under 1200 calories--woo hoo! ;)

Hey guys!
Congrats to all the weight loss and exercise!
Well I am back from my trip to VA and I had a blast. No fromal exercise but lots of walking but unfortunately lots of eating :(
Good news I am back to normal today adn will not let 5 days of bad eating deter me from my plan!
Thanks for all the great snack ideas!

New
 

Ok well i registered a while ago, but of course never stuck to my word will last weekend i put on shorts ( ewww big mistake) so i now have the encouragement i need.. im not even sure what to eat or not to eat how many calories etc

yesterday i went to the gym and rode the bike for 30 then did about 15 of strength training

today no gym ( think im getting a cold :( )

so far today i have had

1 bagel w/ cream cheese
iced tea
water
one of those tuna lunch to go things
a banana
and water

what should i or shouldn't i be doing :)

Sometimes if I think I'm getting a cold, one of the best things for me is to exercise (lightly). Sometimes it can kick it, cause it boosts your immune system. My boss is a marathon runner, and when he thinks he's getting sick, he actually does an extra-long, extra-hard run because he says it can burn it out of his system. He's only had to take 3 sick days in the last several years, and they were all for one nasty flu. Just a thought...

Well Nikki, it's different for everybody, but the main thing is to make sure you're getting the right balance of diet and exercise and it looks like you're off to a great start! Personally, I am trying to stick to a 1200 calorie/day diet, and trying to get in at least 30 min of exercise every day, alternating between cardio and weights. Also, drink LOTS of water...remember the 64 oz. minimum! I'm currently getting a miniumum of 100oz., but again, it's different for everybody. :)

Nikki
Exercise is the key for me! Try to do it no matter what else gets in the way.

I have trouble controlling calories but it is necessary to do so try aiming for between 1200-1300 cals a day.

Hope this helps some...

hey Christy!
Watch your calories - they may be too low especially if you are execising every day. For our weight and a moderate activity level try 1500 - 1800 a day. Disconeryhealth.com has a BMI caculator that will help you determine this!

Thanks Shennan--I'll have to check that out! I went over a little today though--I was around 1350 instead. :( However, I lifted some weights, did a little Oxycise, and walked 45 minutes at an incline too, so I think that makes up for some! I'm planning to wait 2 weeks before I weigh again--hopefully the scale will move--I need to measure too so I can see how many inches I've lost...I'll keep y'all posted. :)

Everyone must be doing as bad as me cause no one has posted in a few days. Hang in there girls, we are coming up on another weekend!

Yeah, I did REALLY crappy yesterday! :( I've been doing great today though--I've watched my calories really carefully, have already had a half hour nature power-walk, and am about to do some free weights, crunches (100 hopefully), and push-ups. However, I've only had about 900 calories and am about 20 oz of water shy of my goal, so I need to eat some more fruit or veggies before bed and drink some more water.

This will be my first weekend since getting my eating/exercise regimen in order--I hope it goes OK!! Good luck to everyone else this weekend--make it a great one!! :)

Hi - I'm new here, but really stoked to have found this site. My plan is to track everything that goes into my mouth, shoot for 1400 calories a day and 30 mins of cardio. Does anyone know, what's a realistic rate of weight loss for someone who's 145? 1-2 lbs /week?

Hi Kaz! Sounds like you are on track. Slimfast onine actually suggest for your weight (since it is so low already) that you actually try 1100 - 1200 calories a day. Check out http://health.discovery.com/tools/ca...sal/basal.html there are BMR caculators that will help you figure out exactly how much you should consume a day. For us in the 200's 1500 - 1800 is suggested, depending on our activity levels.

Good luck!

Hey all
 

Hello everyone!:wave:
Hope you are all doing well.....is there still a challenge going on?(i think it was 2 lbs a week??)
I have finally got my computer going so hope to post more often-I also started Body For Life 2 weeks ago and am feeling good results..if i could keep my sweets to only on "free" day itd be great! it sure is hard to say no to them laying around the house sometimes...
Does anyone have any protein breakfast solutions? im tired of eggs and cottage cheese...:lol:

Cheers,
Karla

Finally!
 

Hi all! I just had my first week weigh-in this morning, and I lost 5 lbs!! No more 2 in front of that number for me--I hope I never see it again!! :) I didn't get to work out yesterday, but I've been sticking to my low-cal diet and am planning to get in some walking today, and probably some more crunches and push ups. This is so exciting--I actually see some results!! :)

Have a great weekend everyone--happy losing! ;)

Christine's bathroom scale adventures
 

Good Morning All,
So, Monday is my official weigh-in day. I have my walk then i go in the restroom strip down, hold my breath and hope for the best. I came in this morning from my walk, did some stretching and some abs work and headed for the restroom. Got there stripped down and prepared to face my demon. Now, when i weigh myself i do it more than once because i like to get the same number 2x, just to make sure it's accurate. Anyway, the first time i got on, the scale said 189, i just looked at and said "you's a lie." A nine pound weight loss in one week would be ridiculous, so of course i had to re-weigh myself in order to get a more accurate number. Attempt #2: 197, not bad, a loss of 1.5lbs, i can can handle that, but we need to confirm it. Attempt #3: 191.5, AHH! now i'm getting a little frustrated,not that i wouldn't love to be down there, but i'd would like to just see one number 2x, not 3 numbers 1x each. Attempt #4: 196.5: Woohoo! 2lbs, i like 2lbs, but we still need to confirm it. Attempt #5: 196.5: At last, 1 number 2x, all of my dreams have been fullfilled, i can breathe easily again. So, that's my long winded way of saying i lost 2lbs this week, and that i might need to get a less contrary scale. I swear the damned thing does it just to spite me. Anyway, happy Monday everyone, hope you all had a great weekend and that you have a good week.
Christine

Thanks for the advice Shennan.
I took your advice and have been eating 1100 - 1200 calories/day. But it's so little; I'm just starving constantly. It's hard to stop eating when you're still actively hungry. :devil: Does anyone have any suggestions for food that is filling, but very low in calories? Right now I'm eating lots of cauliflower and broccoli, but I imagine that will get old soon. Any suggestions are welcome!

I'm also 22 and wanting to lose about 20.

Hi Kaz! You definitely should be eating until you're full/satisfied, otherwise you won't be able to stick to it. I've also been trying to stick to 1200 calories, and I find it really easy if I eat those pre-packaged healthy choice type meals and supplement them with fresh fruits and veggies, light yogurt, applesauce, whole-grain bread, baked tortilla chips, etc. My lunch every day basically consists of one of those meals, a package of baby carrots (our local wal-mart sells individual serving packages), and a cup of yogurt--this gets me full pretty much every time! For dinner I usually pair a meal with both a veggie and a fruit (I've been sticking to carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, bananas, melons like cantaloupe, and apples), maybe some wheat bread depending on how many calories I have to go, and for dessert have yogurt, applesauce, or a low-cal fudgecicle. For snacks I always try to stick to fruits and vegs, and I allow myself pretty much all the veggies I want at any time (fruits have more calories, so I limit those some). Probably the thing that helps me maintain portion control though, is making sure I get a minimum of 100 oz of water every day. The water will help take up room in your tummy so that you feel full faster, and you're able to save some of those calories you would have eaten at a meal for snack time. I lost 5 lbs on this plan last week, and I'm hoping to keep it up!! A lot of people also find it easier to eat 5-6 smaller meals/day (which also keeps your metabolism up), but that doesn't work with my schedule unfortunately.

Anyway, I hope some of this helps--good luck!! :)

On another note--I'm having trouble with breakfast. I find that when I eat it, I actually feel MORE hungry when lunch and dinnertime roll around, and end up eating more than I normally would--even when I have just a small breakfast. What should I do?? Plus, I haven't really come up with any good breakfasts (cereal usually makes me sick in the mornings--I think it's the milk--and I don't like oatmeal). Does anyone have any ideas for really filling low-cal breakfasts?

Kaz -
Hmmmm... One thing that I read in "The Idiots Guide to Weightloss" (I know, I cant believe I bought it either) is that 1. Eat when you are hungry - this mean's even in the morning when you are NOT hungry, why force yourself and eat. 2. Eat till you are satasified (on a scale of 0-10 eat till you are a 5; when you get back down to 0, eat again).

It also went on to describe our genetic makeup. Our ancestors did not have a ready supply of food around them like we do; and in our country "food servings" in a restaurant are actually enough to feed 4 people! ** Your stomach is only the size of your fist - so hold out your fist and eat that much; then STOP ** Now you may still feel hungry, but give it a few minutes, it takes 15 minutes for your body to realize you are full.

I know we are all experts around here, which is why we are all 20+ pounds overweight, but I have really been trying to keep this in mind when I eat and I think it is working - it has taken 10 years to pack on 60 pounds, it may not come off in a year for me; but it will come off eventually. I am still usually eating on a scale of 0-7 or 8 instead of a 5. As soon as I can successfully do 0-5 I KNOW the pounds will come off.

Christy - The slim fast shakes and a granola bar seem to do it for me in the mornings. If you can't drink milk based things, they have a soy version. But only eat when you are hungry ;) I know all the research says "eat in the morning" but you know what... I never ate breakfast till two years ago and I have gained 20 pounds, not sure if there is a coorlation, but maybe.

Well I am very rarely hungry until lunch time, so I think I will just continue skipping breakfast. I had a handful of wheat thins this morning just to get something in, but they've given me heartburn (something I have been plauged with since pregnancy--even SlimFast gives me heartburn). :( I wish I hadn't though b/c today is lunch with the co-workers day and they want to go to a little bar-b-q joint--I've been perusing their online menu to try to find something fairly healthy that won't make me feel like I'm "missing out" when everyone else is chowing down on pork sandwiches, baked beans, french fries, and brunswick stew...:( It doesn't help that BBQ is one of my fave things to pig out on, but I didn't get to make the decision...

Oh well, I'm going to try to order the grilled chicken sammy with no mayo and fresh fruit on the side...all their veggies are fried. Wish me luck!!


**edit** well, I had turkey breast instead (which I think is actually healthier), but it did come with a piece of toast and about 1/4 cup of beans...not too bad though. The fruit was delish!!

Christy once you lose some more weight that should help with the heartburn I had never had it before either of my preg. but after the second it stayed (because I still need to lose more weight) the joy of being fat. But after the weight comes off it'll probablly go away. Good Luck with the lunch. Well I've decided to get back on the wagon and start my low carb diet it's the only diet that works for me because I can stick to. So I'll start tomorrow after I go to the grocery store. Well good luck to all of you ladies :)

Hello
 

Hey Ladies!
How is everyone doing? Just wanted to say Keep up the good work to those of you losing...and to those who aren't--Keep Trying! You can do it!
I have to get to the gym this afternoon....litfing weights :wl:has really helped me to see the scale move some more.....I am sore the next day but it is worth it to get my 'old' jeans on...even if i cant do them up yet!:lol:
Hop you all have a good day....:cheer:
Karla:df:

Hi I am 21 I just had my second and last child 2 1/2 weeks ago I was 191lbs right before I had him then magically dropped to 174lbs right after giving birth,
easiest weight ever lost! anyways I dont have a specific number I would like to be but I do not ever want to be this size again! and I am very interested in having all the support and motivation I can get and I will gladly be encouraging and supportive to anyone else my biggest problem is that no matter how much weight I lose I fear I may never truly feel good about my body with my stomach so stretched out from this past pregnancy . So many people have said that you can never have a flat firm stomach after having two kids but I pray they are wrong! I am going to follow Atkins religiously starting tomorrow (need to go grocery shopping) and I am truly ready to make life long commitment to a healthier lifestyle, right now I am still very low on iron so my energy is zapped but hopefully really soon my pills will start helping my iron level go back to normal but until then I dont have an exercise regime, once my energy returns I will be doing Slim in 6. anyways I am finished rambling lol, best wishes to everyone on the road to a healthy lifestyle!

WLS the only way?
 

Welcome mom2nicolenmatthew! :)

Well folks, I've been sticking to my diet very well, but I really have to get my butt moving. I FINALLY get to do some working out tonight (WOO HOO)!! We'll just see how a week with little exercise pans out on the scales Saturday morning... :(

I went last night with my cousin to a WLS seminar because she's thinking of getting the lapband, and they said something that really concerned me--they said that obesity/being overweight is a chronic disease that doesn't go away even with just diet and exercise. They basically were telling these folks that if they didn't get the lapband or gastric bypass they might lose weight but would always gain it back. They specifically said the diet and exercise will not do it; however, they stress that after you get one of the procedures you must maintain diet and exercise for the rest of your life or you can gain the weight back. Now, that makes NO sense! If in both cases you still have to maintain diet and exercise for the rest of your life to keep the weight off, why can't diet and exercise alone do it too?? Do you guys think maybe they were just trying to sell their product? I just find it very hard to believe that this lifestyle change I'm making won't get me to where I need to be without some type of surgery, but it's kind of discouraging to think that might be the case. What do y'all think??

I think they were deffiently trying to sell their procedure.

Weight loss and maintaining it is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE there is no way to loose 50 pounds doing one thing then gong back to your old habits and NOT think it wont come back - cause it will!!!

Exercise and diet will deffiently help with weight loss, but sometime weight loss just won't do it, sometimes plactic surgery is necessary to help with the extra bellyflab from pregnancys or massive weight loss (where do you think all that skin goes).

My aunt lost 50 pounds and has had lipo twice to get that "flat belly" again (2 c-sections = ruptured abs and belly flab that no amount of crunches will get rid of).

So working out, eating healthy, and taking care of yourself is a life long project. Giving any of them up for any duration of time will equal weight gain.

I agree, they were trying to sell their product. They were banking on the fact that their audience either wasn't very well informed or that they had given up hope after numerous diet failures. While statistically, a large number of people who lose weight regain it within 3yrs, that can be avoided by sticking to a healthy eating plan without all the possible consequences of WLS. They still really don't know the long-term consequences of WLS, not the i've ever been fat enough, but i'm content to do things the old fashioned way.
Christine

Monday morning euphoria
 

I know it's and oxymoron isn't it? Euphoria and Monday morning. But there is a very good reason for being euphoric this monday morning, i did the first day of week 4 of the couch to 5k. I was supposed to do week 4 last week but didn't think i was ready, so i repeated week 3. I almost didn't do it this week either, but then i stopped and thought about it. I couldn't tell if i was being held back by a physical limitation or a psychological one. I'm willing to take my time if it's really a physical limitation because i don't want to hurt myself. I just refuse to be my own worst enemy, so i got out today and made myself at least try. This week's program requires 1/4 mile run(jog), 1/8 mile walk, 1/2 mile jog, 1/4 mile walk, 1/4 mile jog, 1/8 mile walk, 1/2 mile jog. Now, i knew i could do the 1/4 mile, been doing that for weeks, but i had just convinced myself that i could not do the 1/2 mile. I got out there and did it though, the first lap of the 1/2 mile was pretty easy and once i got about halfway through through the second i started smiling cause i knew i could finish it, and i managed to do it again, even if the second 1/2 mile kicked my booty. So that's where my monday morning euphoria came from, i did something i didn't know i could do, i love when i find i can do something that i didn't used to be able to do.

On another note, i cleaned out my closet yesterday. It was a kind of bittersweet. There were lots of clothes in there that i liked, that had pretty good memories attached to them. It was also a really great moment, cause i had to get rid of all of my old size 20's and most of the 18's, made me do a little dance that those clothes don't fit. It was a surprise to realise how much they don't fit. I was swimming in them. I guess that's enough of me for now.
Christine

HI ladies I'm back sorry I haven't posted I just put my computer back together it's been a week I moved everything around in my house and just now starting to get things back to normal. I'm going to make this short I have to head out and take my son to ice skating lessons ( he wants to play hockey but he has to learn how to skate first) well I hop everyone is having a good week

Congrats Christine,
it does feel good to put on some of those old smaller pants on!!!!!!!!!! you go girl

totally frustrated
 

Hi guys!

First off congrats to all those with the weight loss... :)
Now as far as I am concerned I have been working out for an average of 5 days a week ( weights 2 days and cardio 3 days) for almost 3 months and have only lost 2 pounds :mad:
Now I am trying to stay under 1200 calories and do most of the time. I don't know what else to do I can cut calories more but I don't know how much lower to go to lose. I am trying to get to 140 by July 22 which does not appear will ever happen...any help????

Hi Lauroura,
Congrats on sticking to the exercise regime so long, even without the results you were hoping for. As or suggestions for help, i don't know how long you work out, but maybe you need to lengthen your workouts, or add another day of cardio. Maybe if you already do a pretty long cardio workout you can up the intensity, if you're walking, jog a little, if you're jogging, run a little. That's all for me. Hope you reach your goal.
Christine

My name is Carri
 

Not sure how this thing works yet but I am sure I will figure it out. I am a 28 year old woman in Las Vegas Nevada. I am getting married in 1 1/2 months and weight 250 pounds. I already bought a dress and it fits like a glove but I want it to fit better. I need help. I have been on every diet out there and can not stick to anything but I have no choice! If someone could talk to me I would love that..

lauroura
You may need to eat MORE! Working out that much requires more fuel for your body. Your body may think it is starving cause you are working so much and not eating enough... try going up to 1400 and see what happens...

of course, as always, if youa re not hungry, don't eat, also try to spice it up a little with your workout... try something totally new and different

Hey 20s ladies!!
 

Hello!!
Welcome Carri![/B] :wave: Congrats on getting married! Here's a tip I have learned on my weight loss journey....start out small....I find it easier to keep up with small changes (ie. eat more veggies, drink more water...take the stairs instead of elevator) and add more than to go gung-ho and change everything overnight and try to stick to it for any length of time....I have also found that adding weights to my exercise has been aa awesome addition![/B]
Laurora- Way to go on sticking to your routine!!:cheer: Keep trying! Somtimes it can be good to change up the type of exercises you are doing...to keep your body adapting and not getting used to the same things week after week...?
Christine-- thats awesome about your clothes!! Im hoping to have the same problem in a couple weeks....just in time for my sisters wedding!

So everbody have a good day and keep on trying! ;)
Karla:df:

25--30lb to lose!
 

Hey ladies!
I'm 25 yrs old....145lbs...30lbs to lose. I'm new to this forum so I'd love as much support as I can get! LOL. I'm ready to do this right this time...I'm absolutely sick over not fitting into my clothes...and bringing myself almost to tears everytime I have to get dressed. I think about the fact that I am overweight constantly and it's affecting my life. I'm extremely unhappy with myself and my appearance....I do nothing but put myself down. I can't wait until the day I can look in the mirror and proudly say "I love myself!". My boyfriend loves me the way I am, but the fact that I don't feel sexy and am constantly covering myself up (large t-shirts, pillows on my lap when I sit on the couch) aggravates him and our personal life. I began my 'new life' yesterday and can't wait to post my first weeks weight loss. Hope to speak to you all soon....Thanks!!!

-Danielle:tread:

Hey Lauroura
I would try going up on the calories also i think you are eating less food than your body need i would try 1400 cals if you don't see a differance go to 1550 cals