hi everyone!
i had a pretty good weekend. hope everyone else did too!

FM,
thanks for the advice on the earring. i think it is getting better. I think it was just extra sensitive those first few days. i am just going to leave it be. my friend tried to change hers (we got them both on the same day) and it was a disaster!

i am happy to report that i completed all of my workout goals for last week!!!! I feel really good about that. i am going to start going to the weight class on monday & wednesday at 5:30, even if i am going to be a little late. it is a good workout for me & it keeps me closer to my goal of 3x a week.

i looked at the food pyramid, and is it just me, or does it seem like that is a lot of food??? something like 6-11 servings of breads? that's a lot!
I've resolved to cut down on processed foods. i'm going to have at least 3 fruits and 2 veggies a day. also, no soda, kool aid, etc. i am going to try to do this for the rest of the year. I think this will make me feel a lot better without really trying!

anyway i better get going!

happy monday!

Happy Monday everyone.

It is not a happy one for me, partly because of a crappy weekend, partly because of work.

It was also a weekend of not sticking to my plan 100%. It started with DH wanting pizza on Friday, rather than Saturday. They messed up my order, so I was starved by the time the veggie pizza came and ate quite a bit.

I finished off the pizza on Saturday, and then probably ate within the 1200-1400 calorie range Sunday, however I didn't get enough fruits and veggies.

I wish I was in a better state emotionally right now to tackle getting back on track, but I guess you never really go "off-track" when you're feeling your best, so I might as well take this as a good learning experience and stick to it!

I did take my vitamin both days, and got enough water on Sunday. I'm not sure about Saturday. And I did get my 8 minutes done Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. So, I guess the weekend wasn't as bad as it could have been. I think I am just getting a stricter sense of what I consider "bad" - which is good for my long-term maintenance.

I also had some vulnerable moments on Sunday discussing my weight loss with two friends. Although they did not come out-right and say anything, I got the distinct impression they were thinking 1, perhaps 2, things. 1) I am starving myself with 1200 calories. And 2 ) I am losing too much weight.

These girls are very fit (thin) and athletic. I do not exercise with the frequency, duration, and intensity as they do. I have previously in my life (would love to get back there!) and I can tell you right now that if I were that active, 1200 calories wouldn't even start to fill me.

My personal opinion is that a very active woman should be eating 1400-1600 at a minimum. But it was obvious for weight loss that wasn't going to work for me.

As far as losing too much weight, these girls have never seen me this thin before. The first one I met I am betting I was around 150. The second, perhaps 150 but probably more. And again, if I could be physical active and put on some more muscle, I'd have no problem weighing more. The numbers honestly don't mean that much to me. But I know I was at my goal weight at one time, and I was very healthy; exercising a lot and eating a lot.

This conversation just made me feel a bit awkward. The other thing was like a slap in the face. When I told one of them that I was putting forth a lot of effort right now so that I could ease up a bit over the holidays and just maintain. She immediately responded with, "Oh, I don't think you'll stay the same [weight], do you??" She thinks I will gain weight over the holidays.

I mean, OK, in the deepest darkest recess of my heart, I think I'm going to gain as well. But for the love of cheesecake, couldn't you be a LITTLE supportive???

Has anyone had this problem with friends/family? It's very uncomfortable to know that they believe I am being unhealthy; when I feel I am healthier than ever. It's also a very stereotypical response: People think person is dieting too much, person thinks they aren't. It's a very hard side of the fence to be on.

Again, perhaps if I were feeling 100% (I'd settle for 85%) these things wouldn't bother me as much.

Monique - I'm glad you are feeling so positive! I felt like I was on a high for the past three weeks, it's wonderful!

I have a beet question. I would like to cook raw beets (rather than serve canned) for Thanksgiving, but I've never cooked them before. Do you have any tips? Specifically, I am interested in cooking them ahead of time (and possibly making the sauce ahead of time). Would that be possible? My father becomes a tornado in the kitchen and we just try to stay out of the path of destruction.

I will start a thread of "What's Working" when I get a minute.

one_sweetchick - you are doing great! I hope you're feeling better. How was your weekend?

Jenn - I agree that the food pyramid sounds like a lot of food. I personally eat about 4 servings of grains a day. But it sounds like you are setting some goals to ensure that your eating is well-balanced, which is kind of what I was thinking about with the pyramid.

I'm glad the earring is feeling better. They can be tricky. I accidently got the cart. pierce the same week as the second pierce on the other ear - I couldn't turn my head either way while sleeping!

I hope everyone else gets a minute to report in, it's getting to "that time of year" and I know I am going to need everyone's support even more in the coming month!

Take care!

FM - First congrats on making to the 130s. That is awesome and you should be very very proud of yourself.
You seem to be doing all the right things. You are right about the more active you are.. the more energy (aka calories) you need. So sure 1200 might not be enough for some people.. but if you are not hungry, and you do not feel tired all the time then you probably are eating enough. And the vitamins are very good.. I always forget to take mine.
So ignore those girls. I've noticed that the most unsupportive people in regards to my weight loss have been very close female friends. I mean they are happy for me.. but there will always been this tinge of jealousy. And its probably a subconcious thing. And then they say things that they probably do not really mean. Or (for me) evne worse.. they do not say anything at all.. and just sorta ignore me when I talk about how excited I am about losing weight and how I have never weighed this little in so long.
As for family. they are excited and happy for me.. but then they say "you are going to waste away." Its like you can not win. First I was too fat.. now I am wasting away. Its an endless cycle.

So no worries FM. You are doing awesome. Your friends are most likely very very happy for you.. because they are your friends and they care about you. But like a lot of women they compare themselves to other women (aka you). So just take what they say with a grain of salt.. and remember you are only doing this for yourself and who the heck cares what they think or say.

As for the beets.. I know my mom cooks them in the microwave (adds some water and covers.. so its kinda like steaming). Its very quick and they taste good in my opinion. Not sure what sauce you are using though. You could always cook them almost all the way and then do the last few minutes the day of so they are not overcooked.

Jenn, Monique, one_sweetchick: I've been reading your posts.. sorry I did not reply individually.. its been crazy. But you are all doing so well!!

I'm really busy and I am trying to get everything done before Saturday (when I fly home for thanksgiving.. first time in 9 months). I am also sick (cold.. pretty bad). So anyways.. I miss ya all and just wanted to let you know that I am still alive.

Oh I have lost a couple of pounds and I am down to 153. I think its cause I have been sick and have had no appetite and no energy to work out.. so thats kinda bad. But the semester is almost over thank god.

-Tanya

Well...i have had a bad weekend

oh well..it happens...I am doing a Body for life ...and on my day off i ate too damn much...i felt really terrible and guilty....i am not sure what that's about.....but it was really hard...i think i ate as many calories in one day then i ate my entire week...honestly...stupid pizza...stuipd day off




one_sweetchick

I think that my november challenge has been good so far...although i am slacking off on the water part which is brutal....


I know that I shouldn't feel bad about one day....one day in 30 isn't too bad...i am on day 30 of my diet...and i haven't screwed up except for this sunday..


one_sweetchick

okay this is kind of a weird question but I wanted to ask

it seems like everytime i exercise, i get so bloated! does anyone else experience this? Yesterday I went to the gym, feeling a little thinner than normal, and as soon as I was done exercising, i felt like I gained 5 pounds. It is so annoying. to work so hard at the gym and come home & feel like that. I wondered if it was just me or what.

most times I don't eat before exercising, but if i do it is something like an Apple or nutrigrain bar.

Jenn

WARNING: I am a bundle of nervous energy right now. This will be long, babbling, and probably have tons of typo/grammatical errors.

Proceed at your own risk.

Why am I a bundle of nervous energy? Lack of sleep + deadline looming. I worked 14 hours yesterday.

14 hours.

Add 1 ½ hours for the commute. And ½ hour for lunch (my walk).

Add 1 ½ hours for me to take a bath, make coffee, make lunch, (last night) and then have my coffee, do my exercises, and get dressed (this morning).

That would mean that absolute MOST sleep I could get was 6.5 hours. I'd say I managed to get 5.

The nervous energy also stems from the nature of my work right now. 1) Wait for test to build 2) Run test 3) Find small error 4) Fix error 5) repeat.

The test takes 3-5 minutes to build. And I am at a delicate point where I will probably just screw myself over if I try to dink with the code while it's building. That means 3-5 minute lulls where all I do is zip around the internet, look at my huge to-do list, look at my Christmas shopping list, look at my grocery shopping list, look at my "what to pack for Thanksgiving" list (only 6 days until I see my parents, whoo hoo!)…you get the idea. Basically I have 3-5 minute intervals where I can go crazy over my life, then back to focusing on work.

On the up side, remember how one of my goals is to "MOVE!"? Well, I'm doing that like crazy. I'm jiggling my feet, thumping my fingers, etc. I have also figured out that no one really walks the back hallway, so I have done a few laps there as well.

And it was Sooo tempting to cheat last night. I ended up having dinner at 10:30! I was so hungry. I had asked DH to cook fahitas for me when I thought I was getting home earlier, and I am so glad I did! If I hadn't known that he had slaved over a meal for me, I would have definitely stopped for fast food on the way home!

I don't think I will get my walk in today. I am going to work through lunch. I also am starting to feel the affects of no sleep and I don't want to start my walk, feel like crap, and have to walk back. I will get some more laps in on the back hallway.

Besides not walking, everything else is on track! Water, 8 minutes, food…I was really happy I could pull myself back together after the weekend. I just really need a good plan for this upcoming one!

BEGIN SNAKE RANT

The snake is going for surgery tomorrow. I think.

I came home Saturday afternoon to find her looking like she swallowed the guinea pig (she hadn't, BTW!). She was extremely bloated. A trip to the emergency vet resulted in X-rays, but nothing more because the exotic specialist never came to see her (I am mad at myself because it was my panic that cause the emergency visit. I completely forgot her regular vet is open on Saturdays!).

So, I talk to her vet Monday. He decides it is time for surgery. I drop the X-rays off to him just minutes before they close Monday night. He won't be in until Thursday, but said to call and schedule a surgery appointment if she isn't doing better.

So, I am cool with this. They open really early, so I can just drop her off Thursday and get to work only an hour or so late.

But last night DH decides we need to talk to the Dr. about the surgery and how it might effect her (i.e. how likely will she come out of it OK? What will her quality of life be like afterwards?). Basically, is the surgery worth the risk/cost. It's very frustrating that 1) he brings this up NOW and 2) the questions are HIS idea, but I will be the one who has to talk to the vet and decide on the surgery.

Since the vet isn't back in until tomorrow, now I have to wait until 9a.m. to bring her in. Then I can ask him the questions DH wants, try to figure out if the answers are acceptable for DH, and decide to go ahead or not with the surgery in a matter of minutes.

AND come into work 3+ hours later than usual the week of my deadline. (OK, I have Monday to work on it as well, but I am NOT canceling my vacation).

END SNAKE RANT

Tanya - Thank you so much for your support. You are probably right about my friends' feelings. One of them (the one who thinks I will definitely gain over the holidays) works with a group of very snobby women and she often tries to "keep up with Joneses" (although she is a sweetie at heart). I think she is likely to categorize people and probably is wrestling with me "shrinking" out of whatever stereotype she might have labeled me with my size.

I am sorry you have been sick. Please try to remember to take your multi-vitamin! I hope you feel better by Saturday, it is horrible to fly sick. When will you be back? I leave on Tuesday, and will return on Friday, although I probably won't return here until Monday.

one_sweetchick - I'm sorry you had a bad weekend. I know how icky it feels when you eat too much. But if it's your "day-off", then shouldn't you really not feel guilty for what you eat? I was on BFL a few times (love the exercise routine!) and I remember that you can literally eat whatever isn't nailed to the floor on your day-off.

I am glad you are feeling better. And you have the right attitude - one day out of 30 is pretty good! I am just trying to make it 1 day out of 6!

Monique - I am so happy for you and your good attitude! You have accomplished so much, I am glad you are appreciating it!

It is the week for people to really notice my weight, it seems. I also started work around 150 lbs, and Monday a co-worker said that he would have thought I'd be finished losing weight. I think you are right that I just have to let them get used to the "new" me. I guess it's kinda funny because I have NEVER had anyone EVER tell me that I was getting too skinny before - even when I was 10 lbs lighter than now. It really makes me glad I finally got on the ball and started losing. I must have looked much worse than I thought I did!


Jenn - I know EXACTLY what you are talking about. Not so much that I've felt it, but I've seen it!

The locker room wall at the gym is mirrored. I would come straight from a workout and think that I looked pretty good. But after a shower (5 minutes maybe?) I would think I was a different person in the mirror! I would look all flabby. Maybe your muscles take a big sigh of relief and "let it all hang out" after you push them??? I don't know, I just kinda stopped looking in the mirror after my shower!

Well guys, I'm going to go pound my head on the wall. Want to hear the sick thing? This is the part of the work that I like the most!

Take care!

Oh my god!!

I am so excited......so....b/c i am nuts i decided to try on some pants that i have been hanging on to that are in my closet....and there is one pair of tommy jeans that i have not been able to get into for about 3 yrs....so i tried them on...to see how far i had to go before i have ever fit in them again....guess what...

i slipped them on with ease!!! it was amazing....there was room...everywhere...and my thighs fit into the jeans!!!


ok...that's all of now..

one_sweetchick

I am not sure if i can say it enough....but dropping bf% is a great great thing...

I have gone from 40.5 to 29.6% body fat in 34 days...wow...


that's all...

one_sweetchick

one_sweetchick
it sounds like u are making a lot of progress! good for you! you must feel great. all of your hard work is paying off. I am so happy for you.

just out of curiousity, how are you measuring your body fat %. i would be really curious to know mine. i have tried the calculators online but i don't know if they are reallly accurate.

i think my weight is in a healthy range by my body fat is high.

Jenn

Hey

it seems that my weight loss has come to a screeching hault. I haven't lost more than a pound in a week. My total weight loss is about 20lbs in 6 weeks so that's not bad and my body fat percentage has really dropped..

I need to drink more water!! and i know it. oh well.
one_sweetchick takes a huge gulp from her bottle of water

so i am trying...and i just started eating egg whites...omg i love them....

one_sweetchick

hey everyone what's up?
monique i guess because it is thanksgiving weekend here in the US, everyone is out shopping & eating leftover turkey.
sorry to hear about your binge, but try not to feel too bad about it. i know exactly how you feel. this morning i was like "okay i am going to eat better because christmas is coming & i'd like to feel a little better about myself by then." read: lose weight. well what was the first thing i did this morning? ate three cookies. totally mindless eating. even though i still weigh the same, some of my size 10's are getting way too tight, and with christmas coming i just want to feel comfortable in my clothes...and i know i'm going to get new clothes for christmas & i don't want to have to return them for larger sizes....

i am working with this book right now (on the advice of my therapist-yes i've started seeing a therapist) called "the self-esteem workbook" the first part of it is basically a physical preparation-because you have to take care of your body for your mind to work right. so the first fourteen days i am supposed to keep track of eating & exercising, and then proceed with the rest of the book. so in a way i am sort of dieting again because it involves meal planning & such.....i guess none of us can think of it as "dieting", we just have to think of it as healthy eating....anyway, i have done okay w/exercise this week, although i have skipped it today. but food wise-ugh, i don't know if i'll ever do that right. i am eating more fruits & veggies though, so i am happy about that. but i still feel really fat, even though i STILL weigh the same as before....and people are always telling me I look like i lost weight...i just can't believe them and accept their compliments. what is wrong with me? i guess that is part of the reason i am going to see a therapist now.

i am just not in the mood to exercise today. an uncle of mine passed away on wednesday so i have to go to my parent's house today & stay over for the funeral.

anyway i hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Hi Everyone! I am back from my week with the family.. it was good. I got a lot of compliments and a lot of concerns (people thinking I lost the weight by not eating right.. oh well). And then a lot of questions about how I did it. It felt really good though.. and I got some new clothes and a new haircut. So i am pretty happy.
But now I have a mad dash to the finish in regards to this semester. I hope to post more once I am done with finals.. but I just wanted to drop in and say hi.
Monique - I see you lost another pound.. congrats! No worries about falling off plan.. just as long as you get back on. You can not beat yourself up about it because whats done is done.
Jenn - So sorry to hear about your uncle. If there is anything I can do.. please let me know *hugz*
one_sweetchick: So how are you measuring your body fat? Sounds like you are doing good.. keep up the good work!

-Tanya

hi everyone,

monique to answer your question, i think the therapy will help me. basically i have very low self-esteem/self confidence. i know a lot of people get down on themselves from time to time but for me it is an every day thing, and it often affects my relationships with others. at any rate, i've only seen the therapist 2 times & i go back on Dec 6. but the two times i've been there I feel have been productive.

as far as eating goes I am going back to journaling all my foods & trying to stay in a specific calorie range, i guess around 1500? I don't know yet. Most importantly though I am concentrating on getting more fruits & veggies. Today i've had an orange & two servings of veggies in my lunch.

tonight i'll hit the gym for the 1 hour of weights & probably 30 min of cardio.

i got all my christmas shopping done yesterday. i was determined to finish it yetsterday. but when i got home, i was sooooo tired & my feet hurt so bad. but at least it is done & now all i have to do is wrap.

anyway i will summarize november

exercise goals-i would say i was at about 75%.
water-100%
new shoes-yes got those 100%
pampering myself-yes i did this-went to visit a friend, coffee, shopping, etc.
less caffeine-did this too although towards the end of the month it kind of went out the window!

see you in the december challenge!

Jenn

Hello everyone. I had a quite enjoyable Thanksgiving with my family. And I took a long walk every day with my parents. I brought 5 lb. weights to do my morning routine, and got enough water (but just the bare minimum!) every day.

I ate a bit more than I would have liked on Friday (relaxing from the drive home with all that leftover stuffing), and over did pizza on Saturday. But since Sunday I've been getting a bare minimum of calories because I seem to have caught the flu.

I had a pretty high temperature on Sunday, and starting yesterday morning I am suffering from "lower-intestinal distress". I stayed home from work yesterday, but I am out of personal time off (I took a lot when I was having all the back problems) so I had to drag myself here today.

Here is my summary of my November goals:

1) Follow the 8 minutes in the morning (6x a week) - Did this 100%

2) Walk 30-60 minutes a day, 5x a week. - I missed 2 walks that I can remember.

3) Take my vitamin every day. - Again, my downfall was the weekends. I also started getting leery of taking my new vitamins because they seemed to cause stomach cramps.

4) Drink 8+ glasses (16oz.) water during the day, and at least 2 glasses at night. - Did this 99%. I got lenient on what was considered a "glass" over the weekends and the holiday, but since a regular glass of water is usually 8oz. (not 16), I think I did pretty well.

5) Follow my eating plan with only one meal off a week. - Did this 99%. I might have slipped a little here or there, but I have definitely been more focused on eating well than I have in a long time.

And my ultimate goal of under 140? I was 137.5 (naked) before Thanksgiving, and this morning I was 138.5 (wearing PJs). Of course, this flu is causing some unintentional "flushing" so to speak, but I hope I can keep any gains to a minimum for December.

Speaking of, I'm off to the new thread!