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Irish and Shooting Star- thanks for the encouragement!
Day 2
SW 198.5
CW 196.5
Total lost 2lbs
Days w/out bingeing 2
I work on the weekends because I have 4 children still at home and I am a SAH mom during the week. Today I worked a 12 hr shift. I ate 3 bars and a large salad. Last night I packed my WS foods, shaker cup, and salad dressing , but I waited until this morning to make my salad. Evidently at 5:45 am my brain was not firing on all circuits because I made a huge salad with lettuce and tomatoes but forgot to put the protein in , of course, this occurred to me 1/2 way into my 45 minute commute. I went down to the cafeteria at lunch and got carried away- bacon bits, chick peas, olives, hard boiled eggs, and croutons. I added these to the salad I had brought from home. I also had 3 packs of crackers.
What I learned: I must completely plan , portion and pack my food the night before. This will be crucial for my success. I did slightly better on the water today. Getting ready to make tomorrow's salad right now- good night!
Yep, planning is important! The bars have insanely high amounts of carbs, all things considered, so where one day won't make or break you, continuing that trend will send you to the point of wanting to rip your hair out as you watch the scale stall.
If it helps....make your foods the night before. Whereas they are not "shelf stable" you can make them 12-24 hours in advance and keep them in the fridge or chilled until you need them. When you do that, add about an extra ounce of water to your meals that need to be cooked so that when you reheat, you don't end up with a weird texture.
It helps to always have an extra shake packet or two in your purse in case of an emergency (I keep one soup packet and one vanilla on me.) If you find yourself in a crunch, they give you that protein you need without adding any unnecessary fat, carbs, or calories to your mean.
For example...good for you for having the salad! But remember, that olives at 25 calories per tablespoon...and have a lot of fat and carbs. Bacon has a lot of fat. The serving size for croutons is 5...and they pack a whooping 17 carbs. Eggs have a lot of fat (egg whites are "free" however) and I have no stats on chickpeas
My point is, you started off right, but be mindful of what you add to your salad. A lot of people assume that a salad is the healthiest option when they eat out, say at a restaurant. But many times, the 6 ounce steak with a side of broccoli will only net 400 calories and that salad will net over 1000 because of what is added.
Please, please, please don't take what I am saying as negative. It took me a good 3 months to figure it out. You are already leaps and bounds ahead of me as you are already commenting on better planning! Had that occurred to me way back when, maybe I would have moved a bit more on the scale
Anyways....looking forward to hearing how you are doing and follow your process along the way! And 2 pounds in 2 days? Man! ROCK THAT!!! :five"
Shooting - YEAH!!!!!
Me...day 5 of predisone. Which means I have netted a freaking 7 pound gain. I hate predisone. Sigh. I was SO close to getting to my next mini goal.
Zoesmom thanks for the tips. I don't view them as criticism at all! I welcome the suggestions and feedback. How many bars would you limit yourself to per day? I have found them to be the tastiest thing I've eaten so far plus they are so convenient. It is easy for me to grab a bar versus overeating or going off plan. However, I know I can pre-mix the shakes the night before if necessary. I will also keep in mind your comparisons of protein + veggie versus salad with a lot of add-ins.
I worked 7-3 today. I find I am generally hungrier in the morning. I had my first meal at 6am before I was feeling extremely hungry. That worked out pretty well. I had 2 shakes, 3 bars and a salad with lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, banana peppers, cucumbers, and dressing. I had 48 oz of water. I totally stayed on plan today but definitely hit " the wall" the afternoon/ evening.
Zoesmom- sorry to hear about your weight gain with the predisone. I've been reading back through some old threads. You have ARDS , right? Are you on the predisone because of a flare? How long will you have to take it? I am familiar with ARDS and I know that is a very serious diagnosis. Hopefully, the weight will drop off as soon as you finish the predisone.
Okay, enough fun for one day. I am headed towards bed.
Lark glad you are doing so well. As zoesmom said, watch out with those bars. I tend to stay away from them, because of their higher calorie / carb count.
When I do have them on hand, I limit myself to one bar per day. I do the shakes/puddings. If I make the shake in the morning, I add cold water and ice. I usually do the pudding, afternoon and or evening. I mix the pudding in a mug with diet cream soda or diet root beer.
I went out for dinner a few times last week, gained 2 lbs, but have taken it off over the weekend. I am now back on plan and hoping to break this plateau soon.
Welcome lark haven, you and I had similar starting stats. I haven't had any of the bars so I have no help to offer there, but lately I've been pressed for time and I've been loving making a pudding the night before, and just grabbing it on the way to work. It's quick and a nice change of pace.
Zoesmom, I'm sorry that your medicine gave you a bad week, but I love how positive and helpful you always are no matter what's going on. I don't know how long you have to take it, but it won't hold you back for long.
Lark - The rule of thumb is, if it has more than 10g of net carbs, keep it to no more than one a day. I am pulling the number from my head, but I THINK most of the bars house between 15-18 net carbs. If you are hungrier in the morning, switch things up and have dinner for breakfast Make a southwestern omelet, or have ham and eggs with rutabaga hashbrowns (rutabaga is a GOD send for potato cravings!) or cauliflower "potato" rounds. Or...lean sirloin steak and eggs with zucchini muffins. Options are endless!
And the first 3-5 days are the hardest. After that, it gets super easy! To the point you are never really all that hungry and dread the thought of "having to eat". Imagine that!
Yes, I have ARDS. Was diagnosed last August after my O2 sats dropped to 42 and I spent a good chunk of time in ICU. My daughter had Strep B and had given it to me. Being an asthmatic, things like to go all crazy when they get to me and it quickly turned to streptococcus pneumoniae. I ended up with severe blockages in my lungs and scarred the majority of my left lung. I had no air movement in both upper and middle lobes and in the left lower lobe. I was told I had carbon dioxide posioning due to the blockages. I later developed a fungal infection and viral infection while in the hospital. My then 3 year old found me more or less in a coma and somehow had managed to drag my then 293 pound frame out of the bed. By the time she managed to wake me, she had been bawling her eyes out for who knows how long. To this day, she still gets scared if I fall asleep. I came home sometime in late August, early September and remained on an O2 tank up until November. I was told that the majority of people with ARDS make a full recovery and the first year is the time frame to know if you will be one of those people. I am not one of those. My doctors tired to push for me to file disability. I was told that I would likely not have any real quality of life. And I was told I would likely be on the O2 tank the rest of my life. I was 29 at the time and REFUSED to hear that my life was over and REFUSED to let my kid find me like that again, so I started making changes. My asthma went from moderate to severe because of how sick I was. I now cough up castings more often that not, something I never did pre-August 2012. I still have an O2 tank in my house. I have flair ups probably once every 8-12 weeks. And those flair ups tend to last about 3-4 weeks before I return to "normal". But I refuse to let it rule my life. When I am feeling well, I run. I lift weights. I play with my kid. I do everything I can to live my life to the fullest. Predisone ALWAYS sets me back. I usually end up with a 5-10 pound gain and I am ALWAYS on the junk for at least 2 weeks, sometimes longer. SO, my weight loss is fun trying to explain to people. First, I exercise, so that slows me down. Second, I take medications on ocassion that makes weightloss hard, if not impossible at times. But, I AM losing. Even if it IS slower than what many people would like. I go back to the doctor Thursday to find out if I have to stay on this junk past this week. I hope not. So far, I've been on it 6 days. Hoping I only have 8 more to go
It's rare finding someone who has heard of ARDS, much less knows of the complications that come with it. I usually just tell people it is like COPD, just not progressive. I know that isn't the case really, but they seem to understand a bit better when I say that Would I be safe to assume you are either a nurse or know someone with it?
irish - Oh how I hope you can get past this plateau! Don't they just suck!? Here's rooting for you!
Tiff - Thank you for the kind words. I try to stay positive. I find if I slip in a negative thought, it ruins me for a whole month and I just don't feel like dealing with that! I got too much on my plate to let negativity in! If you make the pudding the day before, have you tried making it making it the morning of for dessert after dinner? Stick that puppy in the freezer, once it is nice and frozen, drizzle some WF chocolate or caramel on top...YUM! Ice cream!
Woo hoo - finally broke that two pounds off for a total of 25! Working on the next five.
Well another issue has come up: sleep apnea. I told the doctor how sleepy and tired I am, EVERY DAY, no matter how much sleep I get I'm always sleepy and dragging it around in the mornings. To the point it's affecting my work. She scheduled a sleep study for Sunday and then I'll know for sure, but the initial consult suggests sleep apnea. At this point I'll do anything for relief. My DH wore a CPAP to bed so I know what that's like. This supposedly affects my weight loss, metabolism, my blood sugar, and everything else. I am hoping something this simple is all it is.
Glad to have everybody posting so much! I've just finished 12 weeks of WS and "only" lost 25; was hoping for a lot more when I started but this is a realistic plan, and I admit I'm not as strict now as I was in the beginning. I know what I have to do, I just sometimes fail to do it. It really helps to hear from everyone else.
I still live by my shakes and pudding, a bar a day, and a cereal every day. I could probably switch to regular cereal and just portion it out now that I'm used to just that amount. I love my yogurt every day too. The L & G is where I vary, I tend to have regular LF dressings on my salad, and I don't weigh my protein, just eat a healthy portion.
But I am ordering salads at restaurants or else meat and broccoli, and that's worlds away from what I was doing three months ago. It's become a habit, for sure. I just don't even think about it. So the good habits are happening and the shakes really keep me on track. I would recommend WS to anyone. If feel like I can very realistically stay on WS for as long as it takes to lose all the rest of this weight, down to goal. That's my plan: long term!!
BTW, the POD has been picked up, photos of the house taken, and the listing appears today! I'm officially on the market! Wish me luck!
Hey, all! I'm doing well. 4 days on and 2.8 pounds gone. I didn't strictly follow things this weekend; it's easier when I'm at work and have everything with me and nothing else to tempt me.
Tomorrow could be a challenge. A group of us go out for lunch on Tuesdays and I'm going to a baseball game (with a meal included) with the family. I've decided that I'm going to skip the lunch out and then do the best that I can with the "tailgate" buffet. No bun on the burger, etc.
I've just finished 12 weeks of WS and "only" lost 25; was hoping for a lot more when I started
Look at it this way, that averages out to be about 2lbs lost per week or 25lbs gone in 3 months. Congratulations !!
Good luck with the house, I have my fingers crossed for you!
zoesmom Yep, this 3-1/2 month plateau is a bummer. I gained those 2 lbs last week, but was able to take it off over the weekend. Hopefully, I will start losing some of the "stuck on pounds". :smile:
goddessmeg Hurray for being down 2.8 lbs in 4 days.
SW 198.5
CW 194.5
Total Lost 4.0
Days w/out bingeing 4
Irish-
"When I do have them on hand, I limit myself to one bar per day. I do the shakes/puddings. If I make the shake in the morning, I add cold water and ice. I usually do the pudding, afternoon and or evening. I mix the pudding in a mug with diet cream soda or diet root beer."
When you make the pudding which flavors do you mix with the diet sods?
Zoesmom-
Thanks for the info concerning the net 10 grams of carbs. That is good info /guidelines for me
"To the point you are never really all that hungry and dread the thought of "having to eat". Imagine that! " I am hopeful that day will come and I am looking forward to it."
I am not a nurse. I am a radiologic technologist. I work in a large medical center in the SE US in the CT Scan department. I know it is difficult to have a chronic medical condition. I love your determination and positive attitude. Your ticker says you have lost 64 lbs and that is impressive to me given all the challenges you face.
My oldest child is mentally/ physically challenged. Even though my life and his can be a little more difficult at times. I choose to focus on what we can do which is a lot and not on what can't be changed. I get that vibe from you too. Life is a precious gift- KWIM?
Nimblegranny- thanks for the reminder about habits. I need work on that front and
Goddess- I hope you were successful today.
I had 2 shakes and 2 bars today. I will try to get down to 1 bar/ day from now on. I need to carry my food with me so I'm eating at 2 hr intervals. I took the kids to the pool this afternoon and didn't have access to food. After the pool we ran by the grocery store and I forgot to buy lettuce which was one on the reasons I went there in the first place! Definitely feeling the brain fog over here. At that point I needed to fix dinner because my 11 yr old dd goes to Young Marines on Monday nights. I was in a bind because I was planning on another salad. I was starving. I typically go to a coffee shop while she's at Young Marines and hang out. The meeting are usually from 6:30-8:30. I was afraid if I waited to eat I would go crazy. I ended up measuring and eating 1/2 cup of chicken casserole and 1 cup of steamed veggies. I decided to forgo the last WS meal because the casserole was loaded with carbs. It's the casserole with shredded chicken and dressing. This is a big trigger meal for me. I totally had to white knuckle it but I made it. I was surprised that 1/2 cup + veggies did satisfy my physical hunger because I usually 2-3 times that amount.
What I learned: 1)I need to keep planning and being proactive. I'm not there yet but I am committed. 2) I have the determination to make it through uncomfortable situations at least for a little while.
It is so nice to read so many new people here on this forum. I have been gone for a while due to the fact that I had no access to a computer or IPhone or the internet. My elderly aunt was in the hospital and I took care of her for several days while she was recuperating. She is on the mend and I had to go back to work.
Now that I am home and my routine is back to "normal" I am back to the WS plan. I am in the habit of eating one too many bars though and it is getting hard to kick that habit. I think to myself at least it isn't a candy bar i am eating.
As far as losing only 25 lbs think of it as lugging 5 5 pound bags of sugar around with you all day. Now you don't have to do that anymore. 25lbs is great!!
Hi everyone! I haven't been on 3FC in forever! Back in 2002 I was down to 215 on WW but have slowly crept up over the years. I just can't seem to stay on WW. Ugh.
Today is day one of Wonderslim for me. I got into the products while trying to do the MF program and just LOVE their stuff, so am switching and starting over. I'd like to lose 80 lbs more but am going to take it one day/one meal at a time.
Let's see, I am a 40 yo wife, mother and nurse. Kinda boring otherwise!
So, I guess what's throwing me is that on WS you can have some fruit, dairy, and starch? Do you guys really have a small potato with dinner? I am so stuck in the MF mindset right now that I have a hard time wrapping my head around the plan.
Any tips for my just starting out? Thanks everyone--going to go read through the thread and hope I learn something!
Amy
288/267/180
Last edited by allthingsbright; 07-30-2013 at 08:53 AM.
I love the positive vibe on this thread! We're all strangers to each other, yet we are cheering each other on, offering support and advice. Wonderful!!
I'm down another .6 today, for a total of 3.4 pounds so far and it hasn't even been a week! I'm back in the 160's. I have been stuck in the 170's forever until I tried WS the first time. Then when I fell off the wagon, I hit a high of 178 just before I started the research study (of course I ate everything in sight, knowing that I'd be dieting soon). So it's a great thing to be going down again. I haven't seen the 150's in decades!!!
I use loseit.com to keep track of my food/calorie count each day. If you have a smart phone, you can get the app (for free) and scan bar codes of foods and it has all of the nutritional info right there. So cool!
Baseball game tonight. Let's hope the rain stops!!
I have found that I had to completely eliminate the dairy, fruit, and starch. Some people need it. I am not one of those. I just added extra veggies to make up the lost calories.
The tips for starting out are the basic "first few days are the worse," "drink your water," and "hang in there". But really, most importantly, be prepared to be human. Whereas this stuff is crazy expensive to have tons of slips, know that a slip is not the end of the world. I have found, that counting calories while on WS has helped me start weaning off...while still having losses. Of course, right now that doesn't matter, thanks to predisone, but none the less, it has helped! Measure and weigh everything. When you guess, you will miss the mark 9 times out of 10 and I have found, for me, 50 calories can make a huge difference in whether I lose weight or not.
But...welcome! And I am stoked we have some many people on this thread!
Lark
I am now back on plan and hoping to break this plateau soon.
I haven't had any of the bars so I have no help to offer there, but lately I've been pressed for time and I've been loving making a pudding the night before, and just grabbing it on the way to work. It's quick and a nice change of pace.
Working on the next five. 
