Maintainers Staying Slim for the Summer
 

The old thread was nearing 500 so I made us a new one. Whether staying slim or getting slim is the goal, we're all in it together!

Summer for me is synonymous with beer and BBQs, which is problematic as far as the "staying slim" department is concerned. There's not a whole lot to do after dark where I live besides drink or sit watching others drink. I must ramp up my activity.

I am going to buy a bikini this year, which is terrifying. I'm floppy and squishy in some spots but dammit, I'm not getting any younger and this is the best shape I've been in - not "in shape" but not "too fat for a 2-piece" either.

Good for your Krampus!
I only buy bikinis now. Even though I have stretch marks and extra tummy skin, I feel pretty good about my body. Nobody is perfect, right?

Krampus - GO FOR IT!!!!

michele - totally agree. I have not joined the bikini crowd ... I merely admire those who do. And I have yet to see a "perfect" body in one. I just see a lot of perfect attitudes. ;)

Thanks for starting the thread, Jessica!

Lucky you, Krampus! I doubt I'll ever buy a bikini again. And it's not due to the flabby tummy, either. I have inherited, from my Dad and his Mom, I think they're called cherry angiomas (if it's not that, it's similar). Basically they look like moles, but are bright red. I have a proliferation of them on my stomach (and elsewhere, but they really stand out on my pasty-white belly!). At my last doctor's visit, he warned me against trying to have them removed. I guess they bleed a lot and can really scar.

bargoo~step away from the crackers and peanut butter! They really are crack!

My headache is waning. Not completely gone, but at least I can concentrate enough to get the end of the month work done.

Thanks for starting a new thread, I was hoping someone would.

I'm drinking water, which I haven't been doing, and squirming like a junkie, since my mid-morning snack of a banana and some unsalted dry-roasted peanuts is in the past, but lunch is still an hour ahead.

I'm just going to keep drinking that water. I am not really hungry. I just want some kind of stimulus, or something to focus on.

I also feel psychologically unsettled, which is one trigger for putting stuff into my mouth. My mother's house is in disarray. Well, I should say, further disarray, since all my stuff is being stored in various rooms. Now, however, it's been pushed away from the walls, as the contractors are coming by to fill in the nail holes in the crown molding that they installed throughout the house. I will have to continue working on my laptop through this. At least they won't be setting off the humungous nail-gun today while I'm on the phone in a meeting at 1 PM. They'll just be quietly spackling. Or not so quietly. This contractor is a talker. He talks so fast, for so long and so emphatically, he gets breathless. My mother is a talker, too. They will engage in duets, I am sure.

Hey, I just bought a bikini yesterday and I'm 55. If I can do it, you certainly can! I'm sure you'll look fabulous. I also bought myself a pair of sandals with 3-inch heels, which is the first time I've bought high-ish heels since my early 20s (I'm 5'11"). The jury's still out on whether these purchases are a sign of midlife empowerment or just midlife craziness.

Freelance

Got a wedding reception coming up it will be held in a French Restaurant, think good thoughts for me, please.

Hi guys,
I'm in a good place right now. "Remembering what works" to coin a phrase from our own Kitty.

My abdomen has 8 scars on it from all of my adventures in the OR last year, but they seem to be inspiring me to get a flat abdomen underneath them.

Back later!

If you are new to this thread I'd like to paraphrase something Kittycat40 said in our old thread
"we are here for balance and validation (for each other)"
Thanks, Kitty.

I realized this AM that the part of the bachelorette party that includes "going to the pool and beach" also includes wearing a bikini and I should pack one! Airhead alert, Megan. I just hadn't really thought about it. I got my first bikini after I lost the weight and I haven't gone back. I look far from perfect but I'm in my 20's now. If I don't wear one now, when will I wear one?

Next week I start phase 2 of NRLW. I will also review my food planning, as the seasons are changing and so must my routines. (That is not to say I am going to blow off this weekend, I will of course still try to not overeat or overdrink and stay active.)

Krampus, I hear you on the beer & BBQs, it's already started here. I find them much harder to combat than the "I want comfort food and beer" feeling I have in winter. The social element makes saying no harder for me. Buy your bikini! Go for it!!!

We can do it everyone! Go us!
:cheer2::cheer3::cheer2::cheer3::cheer2:

Oh my god. Let me join in on the "buying a bikini" group. My fiance has generously offered to buy me one for several months now. I think we're finally going this weekend.

First time in my life I am even CONSIDERING wearing one, let alone going shopping for one. My stomach and back are riddled with stretchmarks and I have some extra skin but I just don't care. I want to wear a bikini and feel like a hot babe on the beach :)

bargoo Good luck. Don't worry about it too much! French people are thin. So are you. It will work.

midwife Glad you are in a good place! I hope you can take some time and stay there.

freelancemomma Rock that bikini! I say midlife empowerment. You've lost 50 lbs - that's something to stand on the rooftops and holler about. A lot of people would just give up and say dumb things like "who cares, I'm not young anyway" but not you!

saef Sorry if you've answered this in other threads but is the end of your Central NY exile in sight? It sounds like all it will take for you to refocus and feel better is a change of environment.

alinnell May your headache disappear ASAP!

traveling michele It's not about being perfect - it's about having the chutzpah to just be without being externally self-conscious. I hope I can convince myself that it's ok not to be airbrushed in a bathing suit come the summer.

Lol, and I had Just subscribed to our old thread. Well, then, I'm really on top of things for this new thread :) Thanks for posting it.

Re: bikini- YES, just do it now, for it only gets harder ;)

So psyched to hear from you Midwife, and wild with joy, that you're in a groove :):):) share the vibe, baby...

xoxo to all,
k

Count me in as someone who bought a bikini when I reached my goal weight. I have issues with bikinis in general because of my proportions (I have to buy the ones that are specially bra-sized with extra support), but I managed to find one that fit and I still wear it.

That said, I don't wear it if I'm actually going to be swimming a bunch because it's not as comfy or efficient for lap swimming as my one-piece speedo!

Midwife, Kitty, good to see you! Hi to everyone!

I find that the summer BBQ season is easier than the winter MOST of the time because there are lots of salads and plain grilled meat, as opposed to the winter fare of casseroles and such. OTOH there is more ice cream too. Can't win every time!

Beer and BBQ has already started here in AZ... the BBQ is not so bad (as Jessica mentioned) but the beer really gets me. I like good beer - nothing I drink comes close to "lite."

I was in the bikini club last year, but need to tone up a bit for this season. My weight hasn't changed much but my tummy and "love handles" are more jiggly after the winter months!

Lite beer should be illegal! For a while, DH and I, trying to conserve calories and carbs, would drink Michelob Ultra. Then they made Michelob Ultra Amber--so a tad more taste with just a few extra calories. These days, we're more like "who cares about the calories?" and drink Amber Bock for a regular beer (BUT--I have not had one on a month!!!). For special occasions we'll get a dark beer like Kostritzer Schweizerbier (yum) or if my brother is visiting, Guiness.

Funny, I just got a fuchsia Lands End swimsuit in yesterday's mail. It's a one-piece.

I find I never get near the water unless I'm staying overnight at a hotel with a pool.

Wow - lots of activity in the new thread already! Woo hoo!

I'm also unsettled today. Have been all week, honestly. I've been off track with my exercise, off track with my eating, off track with my sleeping. My sinuses have been bothering me like crazy the last few weeks, the last several days have felt like a haze of headache and stress. Several weeks really. I've allowed that to drag me into naps and baths and bags of chips instead of things that make me fool good about myself and might pull me out of the crazy.

KC - glad that you are feeling better today.

To all in the bikini discussion, I bought my first one a couple of years ago. Like Jessica said I think, life is too short. I'm comfortable enough with me now, I'm going to be 40 in May, if I don't wear the bikini now when will I?

Fuchsia's a great colour. I almost bought a fuchsia two-piece the other day. It didn't have any shoulder straps, though, so I chickened out...

F.

Naps are good, Shannon. And baths. :hug: You are one of the strongest people I know!

Ok, I've been on-plan allllll day. Why am I not thin yet? :lol:

Midwife - thanks honey. :) and I'm snickering at the inner picture of you stamping your foot and talking about being on plan all day. High five on that by the way. ;)


I did take the bath. Felt good. The Advil I took with it felt better.

Lol! I used to feel this way! I thought if I could just stay on the treadmill long enough I would get off thin!

Dinner fail. I opted for the gnocchi rather than the ravioli. Oh, was it good. And two pieces of foccacia. I'm going to be paying for it in the morning. On the positive side, WAY less wine than usual!!!!

March was not kind to me. I ended the month with a 3.2 pound gain.

Strangely enough, the Hyatt that I'm staying at tonight on my trip downstate has a pool. (See my earlier message, which I wrote while unaware of this particular amenity soon to come my way.) I'm debating going swimming tomorrow morning, if I get up early enough and there isn't anyone else around. Somewhat because of being shy of wearing a swimsuit, but mostly because it's difficult to swim laps in a small pool if people are just treading water or if there are children in the pool.

I think I'd like to move into this Hyatt room rather than live at my mother's.

I have a 2.0 loss for March. This is where I fell apart in 2009 and stopped. From here on, it takes a magnitude more effort.

Saef, I've had similar feelings about Hilton Garden Inns. Scaled-back posh, neat, clean, and nice people. Wishing you good thoughts about your hopefully-dwindling time at your mom's house! Isn't it great to know that in the midst of it all, you can still rock your look?

Allison, it's life. Not a fail. Kudos for enjoying great food and keeping your wine boundaries!

Bargoo, you still have a terrific YTD loss and welcomed a new grand baby. April will shower you with success!

Midwife, :rofl:! I have a mini pity-party about every month about the same issue.

Iris and Allison, on Friday we went to a local place that is having an Avery Brewing tap takeover. My sampler had Mephistopheles, The Beast, Hog Heaven, the Czar and Salvation. Ohhhhhhhh, good stuff!

Enough with the BEER PORN! :drool:

Dagmar :lol3:

Becky , congratulations on your 2 pound loss.
I am pleased to be at goal but the challenge is to not go over goal and preferably to be below goal. You said it best, Becky, it takes a magnitude of effort from here on.
I sometimes read other posters who are still losing and trying to get to goal, some of them have said they can't wait to get to goal so they can start eating more calories. Have I got news for them !

WooHoo! Another half pound loss, so now only 10 to go!! I'm really hoping to lose at least 2 before our trip to Arizona in two weeks. Wish me luck!

Woke up with allergy symptoms this morning. Stuffy, runny nose and I'm sure there will be sneezing. I think the strong winds yesterday triggered it. They sure were strong! Blew us off the golf course on the 11th hole (and I was doing well--only two strokes behind!).

Saef~isn't the Hyatt where they have the Heavenly Bed? I'd stay there too, just for that!

bikini next year
This year's goal is sleeveless. Even if it's just me and the seagulls on a deserted strip of beach :rofl:, I swear it will be so liberating! I'm already seeing some muscle definition, and my triceps are looking humanoid, so there's a good chance. Luckily, I am very fair; even with spf 4,000 I burn, so the debut will be brief....

Exhale, welcome and good luck. I am sure the seagulls will applaud you efforts.

Thank you, bargoo :wave:

After all the bikini talk, I bought two yesterday without trying them on. One is going back (tiny bottoms!), but the other one is quite cute. It is Ralph Lauren, hot pink and lacy. I got it on clearance on Marshalls for $20!

This week will be hugely challenging for me. I am working Mon- Wed and I have crammed all of my classes into those 3 days so they'll be hectic. Then after work on Wednesday I will leave to fly to Spokane to see dd. Thursday dd and I will drive to Seattle to see a specialist for her on Friday morning. After we see the specialist we'll drive back to Spokane. I'll fly back home on Saturday. I don't know if I'll get ANY exercise in. I'll bring my shoes and clothes and hope.

The following week is my spring break and dd is coming here later that week. We are having a fundraising dinner to help her raise money for her service dog. I am trying to plan the dinner, figure out how many people will come, etc. Dh and I will do the cooking and dd will do the baking for the bake sale. We're hoping to have 50 people more or less but many people haven't committed so it's hard to tell. While dd is here, she and I are getting matching tattoos!! We are going to get a teal ribbon with the word HOPE on our wrists-- that is the ribbon for Tourette's Syndrome. Younger dd would have gotten one with us but she is 17 and you have to be 18 in California to get one.

exhale, welcome aboard!

allison, yahoo on the great progress!

michele, best of luck. The week sounds like a test for you!

Not even close on the alcohol goals for the weekend. Between the beer porn day on Friday, and splitting a bottle of (really good, btw) wine with DH over steaks last night - it's not where I want to be. Given how slow my weight is likely to change from here, I don't need to be actively making it even harder. I didn't get burned for it on the scale this morning (probably dehydrated), but that won't continue if I don't screw it down further.

Up 1.4 pounds this morning, mo apparent reason except the normal fluctuations that dieters experience. It is maddening, though. I am having dinner at a French Restaurant tonight......that should help !!!!

I came back the same exact weight from the bachelorette party as when I left for it. I actually went to the hotel gym while I was there (yes, alone, no one went with me) and I was able to minimize any eating/drinking damage bc my stomach just won't let me drink that much anymore. I know "learned self-control" would be a "better" answer but I'll take anything that keeps me from over-eating or -drinking. I actually came home "early" (you know, 2:30 AM) Sat from the bar my stomach hurt so badly, and I had chosen smaller portions and drank alcohol sparingly from early on in the evening, then stopped drinking altogether to try and avoid this. So, c'est la vie. It was still a fun weekend. I'm looking forward to eating normally and more regular workouts this week. I have really been enjoying my workouts the last few months and have gotten out of any workout rut I was in over the fall-winter.

The headphone jack in my ipod is broken so I sent it off for repair. I am addicted to it for any type of movement so I'm hoping it will come back quickly and my workouts won't suffer too much while it's gone.

Michele, I love Marshall's! I have several bikinis from there too. GL planning the fundraiser.

Allison and Becky, congrats on the losses! Great job! :carrot:

I didn't make any progress weight-wise in March, but feel more optimistic about April. Keep up the good work all! :cool:

I'm suffering a 2 pound blip on the scale. I think it was the tortilla chips. I'm going to be extra careful today to get it off and start back on the losing track. I'm psyched I have only 10 pounds to go, but it'll take a couple more months to get there.

Took DS shopping yesterday--2 pair swim trunks, 2 pair Dockers, 3 short sleeved dress shirts. We'll still need to get dress shoes, a long sleeved shirt and tie and possibly a suit jacket to wear with the Dockers. Then I think he'll be all set for Hawaii. I believe DD is coming home this weekend, and I hope we can go shopping for her. She's lost 25 pounds but still has 25 to go. I don't know if she'll make goal by Hawaii (90 days to go!) but she'll be close.

I cleaned out my closet this weekend. What a chore! We're not completely finished, but we did get 7 or 8 bags of clothes together for charity. I bought a nice zippered rack for each of us for our dressier things that don't get worn much. I used to keep them in plastic, but even in there the dust would accumulate. I have a pile of stuff to take to the cleaners before I stow them in there. I set aside a few things to give to DD as they're too big for me and might be just right for her for now.

<sigh> I join the group - I thought I had lost a couple of pounds in March, but the scale doesn't. Hope it's just a bit of restaurant food with bunches of sodium.