Hi everyone!
For the newbies, we are a group of ladies who lose weight and get fit by good old fashioned exercise and monitoring how much we eat-either by counting calories,Weight Watchers points, or Food Mover-all in all about the same thing, just a different way of keeping track.
I started this thread in the spring, and have made some great friends and gained a lot of support. It seems like everywhere you turn you see some sort of quick fix-a pill, a machine-something promising you the body of your dreams...I have tried a lot of gimmicks in the past and wished I'd have saved that money and bought a real nice treadmill!
Pease join us if you want to lose and keep it off for life!

How are you all doing ladies? I jumped on the scale again this morning and it said 196! I kept getting on and off, making sure it was right...I even moved it to a differetn place on the bathroom floor! I cannot beleive I have lost 6 pounds since I have been back on track this last week and a half! I have been working out all over, and it sure feels good.
kd580-I finally found where you post your daily menu on another thread last night. Your weight and your calorie intake looks okay-keep it between 1400-1900-you went to 2000 a little more often than you should if you want to lose a bit quicker. The main problem I see is that you are using quite a bit of your calories on junk food-peanut butter cups,Doritos,cookies, and a lot of cheese-all in one day, and a lot of breads-you are not eating hardly any vegetables or fruits-not even juices, and not much protein. You told me you hate them, so let me know if there is one you like at all-and I will find good ways of preparing them.
I have a major sweet tooth as well, but have to watch it-you are not giving your body as many nutrients as it needs. The types of meats you are eating are good-especially tuna. To give yourself more vitamins and satisfy that sweet tooth, I suggest you try a Chocolate Slim Fast shake for one meal-it also has fiber in it-I don't really care for the other flavors. try to limit your junk intake-and leave your treat for once a day-and try to eat a Hershey kiss or something small like that-or a vanilla wafer or gingersnap in place of a big cookie. It will help you satisfy your sweet tooth, but allow you to have more of your calories for healthier foods.
Tupo,Live in-how are you ladies? Check in with us!
Willbethin-are you still doing well-I hope so...you have done good the past few days.
Well, I will talk soon.
Aphil

hi aphil, and all, i am doing good, ate a little to much yesterday, but alot less then i was eating, so i am still on track, we will see on my weigh in on sat.

you have been doing awesome good for you. you are doing it, you are shrinking. feels great huh???

Willbethin-you will do well. You have been doing a lot better than you were a month ago. You are eating better, and exercising-your weigh-ins will soon reflect that.
Aphil

Hi!
Hope you don't mind me joining in. I've been checking out the board and feel this thread is a good fit for me right now.

A little about me:
I'm a stay home Mom of a 3 yr old son. I have a very supportive husband that loves me thin or fat but I know he would much rather I be closer to the size I was when we met. Until now the most weight I've ever had to deal with losing is 10-15 pounds. I was 117-120 until I miscarried our lst child. It put me in a deep depression and I ate and ate and ate. I think I thought feeling a fat belly would make me still feel pregnant. I was at 175 when I got pregnant with our son and gained up to 240. I got my weight down to 162 when I did a BFL challenge in 2000 but managed to gain most of it back. Right now I'm taking it slow with counting calories and walking and will soon get myself back to the gym. You all seem like a very supportive bunch and I hope 'together' we can all reach our goals. Thanks for listening.

Faith~
222/214/120 -8 lbs Height: 5'6"

hi faith, welcome.

i too had lost one child, however i wanted to drink, i didnt turn into an alcoholic or anything, but i went through a short depression, cause i waited so long to get pregnant. luckily, as soon as the docs said i could try again i got pregnant. and when i lost the first one i wasnt so far along, but it still hurt.


i am 36 yrs old, one girl, i would love to have more, hubby doesnt want one , which is another issue i have to deal with. i am 5'3 and weigh 184. and it is all in my chest, i hate these things, they are so heavy. i am trying to stick with ww points. some days are good and some bad, but i am on my way to mostly good day. i will see at my weigh in on sat.

the main thing that has changed about me is no more yo yo dieting, i have to choose to eat healthy and stick with that, no matter how much i want to try an eating plan that worked for someone else or every new diet that comes out.

i dont beat myself up , get depressed or quit when i have a really bad eating day or weigh in day. sure i still get depressed over the way i look in clothes or when my back hurts , but i will never quit. i have got to lose this weight to be healthy.

we can all do it and cheer each other on, on good days and bad.

HI,
Faith-I am so glad You are joining us!
I too have a great husband who loves me thin or heavy-my problem is he doesn't like it when I am too thin-hence my first goal of 160, rather than 120 or 130. I have an hourglass figure,hippy and chesty, and that is what he likes.
I had told you about my gain after my first child, losing it, and getting pregnant again-and now starting over. My daughter is 3, and my son is 8 months.
I am feeling really good this past couple weeks, I had some setbacks, but am back on track now.
I started out after my son at 202, and am now 196. I am 5-7, and I like to be between 130-160-because of my height and frame, at 130 I wear a 5/6 and at 160 I wear a 12.
I chose 160 to get to first, because I can do it with a fair amount of work by summer. After that I really have to work out and the loss really slows down a lot-it is usually the point I really plateau.
Willbethin-glad to know you are chesty also-I wear a 38DD, and can hardly stand to be in the shower or tub without my bra for long periods of time. It is a pain to find a sports bra that really fits, and most bras in stores in 38's stop at D, and DD's usually start at 40-so unless I order them I can hardly find a bra that fits well. I was a 36C when I met my husband, and they were perky and perfect! Tehy look awful as of now! ha ha

They blew up a size after each child, and after I lose all the weight, they will probably only go down 1 cup size! I suggest you try Olga bras if you haven't already for the support-they have nice wider straps-but are still pretty. They have them at nicer department stores.
Well, I will check in tonite and tell you how I did today-so far so good.
Aphil

Do you mind if I join in? I have just started counting calories this week. It is one of the few things that I really haven't given a shot before. It seems like I've tried every other "plan" out there. I am using dietwatch (and lots of measuring cups and spoons!) to keep track of everything. I also hit the gym most mornings before work and have just gotten the go-ahead from my Dr. to begin using light weights again. I have had ongoing trouble with my thyroid and fatigue and other small medical problems. I am 27 and need to lose about 30lbs. It seems like it takes FOREVER for me to lose even 1 lb and then it's such a struggle to keep it off. I guess you guys must know what that feels like.

I have a ?? I am 5'4 160lbs. From your experience, should I be eating 1500 or 1800 calories a day? From what I've read, most sites recommend 1200, but I don't think I could stick to that forever. This week I've been doing 1500 and seem to be able to handle that most days, but I don't want to make my metabolism any worse than it already is..... Whadd'ya think?

I'm looking forward to learning from you guys. Jeesh! You'd think I could be my own nutritionist after all of the books I've read! Hopefully I can contribute something that will be helpful for you too. Have a great night!

Take Care,
Katy

hi katyD, welcome, yes unfortunatly i know how you feel, aphil is really good at giving advice and support. i , feel like you, i should know everything there is you need to know to lose weight, i have been on everything. i can offer support, but i have been struggling the last couple of weeks, so i am not in a position to give advice yet.

as a matter of fact, i had another setback last night, a situation came up unexpectedly, that delayed my dinner, and was very aggrevating, and i handled it all wrong. (aphil , i know, excucses, excuses), but if i was able to handle this in the pass i wouldnt be overweight. i am working on it.

new day , new attitude. i dont even know how many calories i should be eating. i am just trying to count ww points.

glad you joined us, if we stick together, we can do it.

oh aphil, thanks for the info on bras, i dont even know exactily what size i am. i have all different sizes and some fit and some dont. it is very frustrating.

Hi,
Katy-welcome! Why don't you try about 1600, see how you do for a couple weeks, and go from there. I don't recommend starting out at 1200-that is the lowest anyone should go, especially since you are exercising. If you don't have one-go to a bookstore and get a book the lists all the calories of foods. If there is a certain fast food place you eat at often, go to their website and find their nutrition information and you can see what you can eat . I copy them off and keep them with my book so I don't have to keep looking them up on the computer.
Willbethin-It will really help your back if you are wearing the correct size bra. Most women wear too large a band size and too small a cup size. If it is riding up in the back, try a smaller band size-it should fit snug-that is where the support base of the bra is. Check the center between your breasts, and it should be to your chest when you are standing straight, not gapping out away from you-if it is you need a larger cup size. You also need a larger cup if it is bulging a bit at the top-unless it is a Wonderbra type,your boobs shouldn't be coming out the top!
Hope that helps! Also look for non stretch straps if you are chesty-the best are Olga, Bali, Just My Size, etc.
Katy-another bit of advice-if you are making something that has a few different ingredients, like lasagna, add up the whole total of everything you put into it-like a jar of sauce for example-70 calories a serving,4 in a jar=280, and add them all together. Divide the total by how many pieces you cut it into and you get your calories per peice-that is how I cook for my family and eat what they eat. A calculator is recommended!
Aphil
202/196/160
lost :6

HI,
Wow! Everyone must be busy today!
I had a good day today-I went to my husband's little cousin's 3rd birthday party-and totally avoided the cake, ice cream, and punch!
It was at my mother-in-laws' and she had Chritmas M&M's all over the house in dishes, and I didn't have one! My reward is a Hostess Light cupcake I will have in a couple hours. I know how many calories is in it-and it is individually packaged, so I can't just keep eating it like I could if I started at the birthday party.
I feel really well, I am holding steady at 196, I will probably drop another pound in a day or two-I am not in a hurry. I am focusing on taking it one day at a time.
Aphil

Hello Everyone!

aphil, Good goin on staying away from all the birthday party goodies! I can't really say what I'd do at this present time and hope I don't have to find out anytime soon. You are so right about Olga bras being the best. They have discontinued the style I wear (Olga-style 344 no seam body silk) so I'm searching for another. I'm only a 38-C up from a 32-A at my previous weight.

willbethin, Don't let the setback get you down. All of last year was one big setback for me. We CAN do it!

KatyDes, How are doing? I know what you mean about having tried every other "plan" out there. I think I've tried them all and then some. I keep coming back to the basics of counting calories and good old exercise.

How are all of you coping with making Christmas cookies, candy, etc.? My son keeps wanting us to make cookies and I keep postponing it. In the past I haven't been able to handle it without going on an all out binge. Cookies, candy, cakes & pastries have been part of my "daily" diet until I got back on track recently. I am so afraid of even getting close to any cookies much less making them. He had a fit for Krispy Kreme Doughnuts the other day and I caved in and let him have two and it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. We were having them no less than twice a month and I never left the store with less than 2-dozen. He still loves vegetables and fruit more than anything else, but he's got one heck of a sweet tooth. Unlike me, a little bit will satisfy him.

Well off to wrap more presents.

Faith~
220/212/120 10 down 92 to go

Hi Aphil, we talked in the chatroom last night. I was just browsing the message boards when I ran across your thread. You seem very knowledgeable and give wonderful advice. I just wanted to let you know that you are doing a great job. I hope to see you again in the chat room.

short & sassy

Hi,
Short-thanks for stopping by-it is nice to hear from you. I hope to see you too in the chat room!
Faith, the best holiday advice I can give is to find a low fat or Weight Watchers cookbook and find some goodies in there to make. You can even go online and find healthy recipes. You will know how many calories are in each one, and your kid will be happy.
Faith, you can do this, I know you can.
Willbethin-to properly fit yourself for a bra-get a measuring tape-the flexible kind like a seamstress uses-and have someone measure you at your chest snugly, but not too tight-right above your breasts, under your armpits-that is your band size. Then have them measure around the fullest part of your breasts while wearing a bra that the cups fit well. If the measurement is the same-AA, 1"more-A,2" more-B,3-c,4-D,5-DDorE,6-DDD or F,7-G.
Some bras go in E,F,G..others go in D,DD,DDD. I hope that helps you.
I am still holding at 196, I pushed myself a bit this morning and did 40 minutes instead of 30 on the bike. I feel good. I hope to hear from you soon.
Aphil

hi aphil, thanks for the bra info. i stayed the same, but it is ok, i know why i did bad last week and i am on my 3 rd day of making great choices.

the cookies situation; i handled it like this. my daughter likes to bake too, and she wanted to decorate ginger people, so this year i agreed, cause i hate gingerbread. do you believe, i actually talked her into getting choc. chip last year, just so i could eat some of the batter, well ok alot of the batter.

i had a light breakfast, and am skipping lunch, cause i have a birthday dinner to go to. and it will be angelhair pasta, salad and chicken cutlets and birtday cake, so that is a good meal, but i will just have average size portions of each.

hope everyone is having a great day.