Hi Jump ,

I "started" on 8/29/02 (my 30th birthday). By 8/29/03, I was down to 160 lbs. So I lost the first 29 lbs at a rate of about 1/2 a week. I then moved to the UK, and took an "unintended" break for 18 months , during which time I neither gained nor lost any actual "weight." However, when I left the States, I was 160 lbs & a loose size 12, and when I came back I was 160 lbs & a solid size 14 -- so obviously I did gain FAT, and lost muscle (I did very little weight training while I was there). I moved back the to States in late January of this year and headed back to the gym in the beginning of March. And again, since then I've lost an average of about 1/2 lb a week.

I know 1/2 lb a week probably seems super low to a lot of people (and may sound depressing to someone who is just starting out), but I'm happy with my rate of loss because I know this is a lifestyle change and not a "diet." I'll be eating like this and exercising regularly for the rest of my life, so I'm much more concerned with making this a 100% ingrained HABIT than getting to 139 as fast as humanly possible. I want to maintain this weight loss for the rest of my life -- I refuse to ever be fat again -- so I know I have to do it safely, sensibly, and sanely. I know not everyone could do it this way and still be happy, but it works very well for me .

And there ARE a few other factors involved. First, during my initial year (8/02 - 8/03) I DID NOT DO A SINGLE SECOND OF CARDIO. None. Zilch. I weight trained for an hour 3 days a week and began eating healthier foods with lots of protein, and that's it. If I HAD been doing cardio, I would have lost a significantly larger amount of weight in that 1 year (I'm guessing probably about 45+ lbs) I AM doing cardio now -- 30 - 45 minutes on the elliptical 3 days a week. The other thing to remember is that during the (total) 1 year + 8 months or so that I've been 100% "on plan," I've weight trained 3 times a week for 30 - 60 minutes. I do this absolutely religiously. And what this means is, that WHILE I've been losing fat, I've also been gaining muscle -- which means the numbers on the scale don't accurately represent how much actual FAT I've lost, if that makes sense.

For my actual fat-loss information, I rely on lots of other indicators. For example my body fat percentage started out at 20.94% in 2002 and is now down to 15.97%. I've gone from a Body Mass Index of 33 (which is "obese") to a BMI of nearly 25 (which is the top end of "normal.") I've also lost 5.75 inches in my bust (YAY!), 4 inches in my hips, and 6 inches in my waist. But the MOST IMPORTANT thing is that I've gone from a very tight size 18 to a relatively comfortable size 8.

So there are many other ways to "judge" your weight loss success -- and I think it's important for you to remember that, especially because you are just starting out. I've seen SOOOO many people on 3FC who get all wrapped up in a .2 lb gain or the lack of a 2 lb loss in a week. These people seem so demoralized, and I just hate to see them get discouraged by a number when there are tons of different ways to measure your weight loss successes. I don't even OWN a scale! I only weigh-in with my trainer every 6 - 8 weeks....well, I did only weigh-in every 6 - 8 weeks until I started getting a little obsessed with the (annoying ) little ticker thing in my signature. But my trainer HATES scales -- she believes that the very best indicator of weight loss is how your clothes fit. So lately I've actually been sneaking into her office and weighing myself behind her back . But I think my recent (unhealthy) neurosis about my "pounds" is due to the fact that I'm getting SO CLOSE to meeting all of my goals (loose size 8, 24.9 BMI, and 139 lbs) -- so I find myself getting a little over-eager!

ANYWAY....now I am BABBLING. So the whole point is, I lose at a rate of 1/2 lb a week. And I'm happy with that. But you (and probably most of humanity) may not be happy with that. The maximum rate for HEALTHY weight loss is 2 lbs a week. Any more than that, and you start eating away at your own muscles. Which we DON'T want, right?

Sorry..I tend to ramble on and on...

You're doing great, Jump!!! Keep it up!!

Editing now to add: I also highly recommend the book "Thin For Life: 10 Keys to Success From People Who Have Lost Weight & Kept it Off" by Anne Fletcher. They talk about it a lot over on the Maintainers Forum. I got it from Amazon (used) for around $4 and read it in about 2 hours on Saturday morning. I'm not normally all that interested in "self-help" or "diet" books, but it is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!! You can't HELP but be motivated by the stories in this book!

I think that slow weight loss stays off better. I like to see 1-2 pounds a month. That way I know that I'll keep it off easier for me. This is only my personal opinion and experience. When I've lost big hunks of weight in the past relatively quickly, I always put it back on just as quickly plus 5 pounds.

With slow weight loss, you can tackle the reasons why you are eating what you are eating-what's actually behind the weight gain. Once I figured out the emotional aspects of what made me fat I was able to tackle the getting rid of the fat much easier.

I lost my 40 pounds in about 8 months a good solid year ago. I know what I need to do to lose the last 20 pounds but haven't gotten around to it yet. But the good thing about this last year is that I've not regained, I've maintained +/- 3 pounds. I'm not having the problems with maintaining that I've had so many times before.

Keep planning, you'll make it eventually. You didn't put the weight on overnight and it's not going to come off overnight either.

Sarah

I agree with the slow weight loss - I have lost me weight since January, so it is slow going. But I am also aware that this is not a temporary thing - I am making lifestyle changes - and I weightlift two or three times a week in addition to the cardio. I was pushing the limits of a size 16 when I started, and now 12's are starting to get too loose.

I know you all are right...I am a bit anxious & I need to calm down & start making lifestyle changes. I already have to some degree. I cut out soda on August 1...I have only had 3 since then (1 at the movies & then 2 at a party where the water was awful-no bottled- & I had already had a cocktail.). By the way...I don't drink ofetn but when I do it is usually a mixed drink...I have been using Crystal Light Pineapple Orange with a little Malibu Rum.....OMG to die for!!

I am trying to incorporate working out a few days a week...but no real set structured times & days of the week. I really do enjoy the water too. And...since our office has a water cooler, I am saving a ton of $ not going to the vending machines.

Thank you all again.

I think it's really important to take baby steps. And Jump...I KNOW -- boy, do I KNOW -- how it feels to just want all the weight gone NOW. That's one of the first mental challenges I had to conquer -- I had to learn to accept slow (but steady) progress.

And, like Sarah said so brilliantly, there's an extra "bonus" to losing weight slowly. It gives you the chance to figure out why you have an "issue" with food to begin with. What is it about your relationship with food that has caused you to gain weight? Do you use it to relieve stress or loneliness? Are you a "boredom" eater? Or is there some other issue going on? I think that once you figure that out and address it, you have tackled a huge part of the problem.

My food issues are the result of growing up with an anorexic mother and a compulsive-eating father. I won't go into (too many ) gory details, but what it boils down to is the fact that I never learned what "normal" was/is. I didn't know what a normal weight was because Mom hovered around 100 lbs at 5'8, and Dad was (essentially) obese. I didn't know what a normal serving size was because Mom ate 2 ounces of tofu for lunch, and Dad ate a big bag of potato chips. And other than Mom's "off-limits-to-everyone-but-her" food (lettuce, tofu, grapefruit) and Dad's "secret stash" (Doritos, chips, and Oreos) all we had in the fridge on any given day was a few lemons, an empty jar of pickles, and a carton of curdled milk. And that IS NOT an exaggeration.

I was extremely close to my Dad -- he was my very best friend. And given the two extremes, which parent would ANY kid choose to learn his or her eating habits from? Basically, it was either eat lemons or drink pickle juice from the jar (which I did occasionally) or be like Dad. I chose to be like Dad -- who, incidentally, died of an aortic anuerism (due to high BP + artertial sclerosis according to the autopsy) a month shy of his 50th birthday. It came out of the clear blue sky -- no one knew the damage his eating habits had done to his body until he just dropped dead one day.

So now I choose not to be like Dad. OR Mom. But despite the shock of my Dad's death and the fairly OBVIOUS link to food, it still wasn't until nearly 12 years later that I said to myself "I think I have a problem with food." Since then, I've had to reprogram my entire being and develop an entirely new relationship with food. And that takes TIME. ALOT of time, and ALOT of patience. But it's WELL worth the wait!

So Sarah's right (like she usually/always is ), and I'm really glad she brought that point up.

You both bring up VERY GOOD points. I grew up in a house where you never put anything on your plate unless you ate it. I think, also, food has become so much of our social life....what do we all say when we see a friend we have not seen for a while..."Let's do lunch?" or "Let's go to the movies?" both end up with me eating out of control. Other than that....I think that food has become a hobby of mine. I love to shop for it (one of the few shopping trips I can have as a single Mom & not feel guilty about), I love to prepare it, I love to serve it (food presentation has always been fun), I love to eat it & watch the people I prepared the food for enjoy it. Let's face it...in the US (And other places, I'm sure) food has become part of our lives...in more ways than just survival...it is a past time, so to speak. We have parties that include insane amounts of food. Many activities we attend & participate in have food at them...movies, PTA (my son's PTA serves dinner at every meeting), little league, bowling, even my grocery store has a little eatery. We use food as an award...we take friends/family out to dinner to celebrate.

In addition, my Mom has always stayed small, despite what she ate...and my Dad does not really have a great metabolism, but his job required him to walk a lot & since he is retired, he decided to buy a few more horses & take care of them on his own. Nutrition & weight loss was never really an issue. When Mom & dad split, we move in with my Grandma & ate what she had to make for my Grandfather, since he had a heart condition. But, they both cheated, DAILY.

Now, I need to retrain my thinking about food. Shop for better things, not say to myself "Well, I will have the double quarter pounder with cheese because having lunch with the friend I have not seen in a year is a special occasion."....because truthfully, that was just an excuse...it would be just as much fun to spend time with her if I has a salad instead. I's kind of like Christmas, it is not about what you presents you opened (or in this case the food you ate), but about the people you have around you & those that you love & love you back.

Yes, that was one of my problems! When my dh and I got married years ago we were on a very tight budget, I was always spending money on silly things and dh would get so irratated because he was trying to save for the future and I came from the "I got paid today, let's go have fun. Who cares about tomorrow" mindset, with lots of credit cards and that horrible trap. DH finally got me broke of spending money carelessly to the point where I feel guilty to buy anything for myself now because he never splurges on his self.

I could always buy food and not feel guilty about it. I would do the same thing, invite friends over, cook all day for them. Be excited when they oohed and aahed over it. For me, I discovered that I was using food as a way to connect to people and in the process eating way too much.

I've learned that I can still connect with people with a simple healthy meal. Previously a meal would consisit of how much fat I could squeeze into it. Making cream soups with real cream, mashed potatoes with butter, cream and sour cream, and the list goes on.

Somehow I had in my twisted mind equated love with fat, if you love someone you use the very best ingredients which were butter and cream.

I've actually lost a friend because I decided to stop having dinner dates with her. Everything we did revolved around food-mostly desserts, and after a sugar high we would laugh and talk like we were drunk or something. I started suggesting other things we could, "Let's go to the park and walk around the lake, we can watch the ducks play in the water." After a few times of this, she said, "You aren't any fun anymore." and stopped calling me.

You are doing a great job at seeing the whole picture. Yeah!

Sarah

Instead of the sweetened tea you should try Wyler's Peach flavored tea...its sugar free and so good. Crystal light makes it too, I buy whichever is on sale (I have a nasty diet coke addiction) I use Stevia too, its aweome, and its even great for baking

Ok...so I was bad this morning. Had a Spinach & Egg Soufle from Panera...the office ordered & I could not resist. But...I did loose 4 lbs this week. Part of that just had to do with weighing myself at the wrong time of the month(last week). I feel so much better about the whole "diet" thing....it does not feel like a "diet" where I am starving. It feels more like dietary changes rather than a "diet" that you do for weeks or months & then go back to the way you used to eat. My goal is to never have to diet again. I know the loss will be gradual like this...but I will stick to it much better than I usually stick to suff like this.

Woo-hoo!!!



GREAT GOAL, Jump!!!!!

And don't worry about the spinach & egg soufle too much....lol, it had SPINACH and EGG so it couldn't have been THAT bad!!!

as far as the pizza... try this use a whole wheat pita and put your toppings and FF cheese right on top... it bakes up nice and crispy on the edges and is sooooo much easier and better for you!! and your son will get a kick outta making his own little pizza!!


dont say i cant ever have_________ figure out a way to change it and make it healthy...

sugar free cherry jello.. with a FF cream cheese topping... tastes just as good as cherry cheesecake...


when we have parties at work.. i just fill my plate with veggies and things i know are good for me... as time goes by u wont even have a taste for the fat filled sugary foods!

Hiya Jump

How's everything going?