Hi,
I am Aphil and originally started this thread in the spring after the birth of my second child. We have a great group of ladies here full of support and kind words to help you on your journey to being fit.
We are mostly calorie counters or Weight Watchers points counter here, losing by eating a variety of foods in moderation and committing ourselves to exercise-the oldest way in the book to lose, but the only proven way of losing and keeping it off!
No quick diet pills, crash diets, or anything marketed by Igia here! ha ha ha!
We have a great system here and it is working.
Welcome,
Aphil

Hi all!

Aphil, thanks for starting another thread.

From your post, you seem to have everything under control. My remarks came from a place of caring and not criticism; I really admire all the progress you've made. Plateaus are maddening but, as you say, it's how your body works.

I took belly dance for a good long while and also really enjoyed it! It sure does make those abs and legs work hard!!

have a great afternoon, everyone!

Hi all,
Thanks Waterbaby-I admire you also-just for being here and making the effort to better yourself. This is the first step-to educate yourself and want a better life for yourself.
I got a little more information from Kayla earlier-her friend was only 13 and died from cancer. She is pretty upset about it and I emailed her to tell her I am thinking of her. Let's pray for her and her friends' family during this time.
I hope everyone else is having an okay day-I have, and my eating has been realy good the past couple days-it really helps being sick and not being able to taste anything! ha ha!
Well, I will check in in the morning!
Aphil

Morning everyone,

That is so sad about Kayla's friend. My younger brother had cancer when he was a toddler, so I know what a terrible thing it can be.

I ate a lot more than I should have yesterday - around 1800 calories or so. I was just so hungry after my run! I went with my friend for 30 mins plus a 1/4 warmup and 1/4 mile cool-down. It actually was GREAT and I can't wait till the next one. The key here is that we are running for 3 mins. walking for 1 min. This was recommended to us by some friends who run marathons - to train AND run the race like this. We probably didn't do much over 2 miles last night but it actually makes the 10-miler seem do-able.

I am also kind of excited that my roommate asked me to help design a diet pan for her. She has been on a CRAZY no-carb diet since the end of July - she limits herself to fewer than 20 carbs a day. She has lost about 35 lbs, and she says she's only a 3rd of the way there (there's no way she has 60 more lbs to lose). I know there's lots of debate about low carb, but she will never get used to healthy eating if she's having KFC, pepperoni and cheese 24/7. I could recommend some low-glycemic carbs though. The problem is she is extremely picky and if she doesn't really like the taste of something, she won't eat it. I on the other hand, eat stuff I don't necesarily love because it is good for me! So we'll see how that goes.

This was my tip for today
Balance is the key to success. Some diets recommend increasing protein and fat, while cutting out carbohydrates. While this may sounds appealing at first, these diets limit you to very few foods and they can be hazardous to your health. Follow the guidelines of the USDA when planning your diet: 55-65% carbohydrate, 10-15% protein, and 20-30% fat. By following a diet with this nutritional breakdown, you will be able to include a variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables."

Good morning everyone!
Where is everybody? I know where Kayla is-so far she is the only one with a good excuse!
You all better be too busy moving those buns!
I am in great spirits this morning and plan to have a good day today...I hope you all do the same.
Faith-keep on keepin' on and we'll do the 199 dance with you!
Wilbethin-I hope you haven't given up and that everything is okay with you.
Tupo-hope you are alright and doing okay.
Nasus-Hope you found the new thread-haha!
Kayla-I am thinking of you in your time of need...
Lexxy-hope your workouts are going allright.
Felingblue-haven't heard from you in a while-hope we can still be of help to you.
It is still January ladies-let's not give up on our goals to be fitter, healthier, and more attractive to our men...and the men that aren't ours...to those of us that are married....we're not dead right? ha ha! Nothin brighten's your day like a strange man giving you a little flirt in the store!
Well girls, I'll check in later...hope you all do the same.
Aphil

Hi all!

I'm here and still trying to wake up!

Good advice on the carbs. I've been on so many wacky diets and lost weight on them all, until I went back to quasi-normal eating. The pounds always came back and brought friends!

Today is cardio day for me. I'll do it, too! I'm keeping my goals in front of me and broke them into doable pieces. A friend reminds me "you have to eat an elephant one bite at a time." My elephant happens to be 160 pounds of fat, so it will be a lengthy challenge. But I want to lose this fat more than anything, so I keep pushing onward and developing better habits and lifestyle changes!

After all, I'm in the weight-loss business. I plan to look good in a bathing suit by my birthday (Halloween) and I want to compete in a fitness or bodybuilding competition of some sort in three years. That is my mission statement.

Have a fab-o day, everyone!

Claire,
That's funny you mention the bodybuilding competition...I always wanted to compete in something like that also...My stepfather still has all of his pictures of his competitions and all-funny seeing him in those little skivvies and all of his leg hair shaved off-but he looked spectacular! He's even bigger now than when he used to compete! He just thinks he's too old to compete with all the young men-he's in his 40's-a bit younger than my mom-she has herself a hottie, kudos to her!
Maybe that's something we can look into together when we get our weight down-I would like that.
Aphil

Hi everyone.
Thanks for all the support! i just wanted to say hello and let you all know that im doing ok so far. Its been really tough and today there is a crisis team coming in to our school so im going to go with some friends and talk to them for awhile. but anyways.....
i gotta leave for school soon. Thanks again everyone!
luv
Kayla

Hi, all!

Aphil -- you have access to an honest-to-goodness bodybuilder? And he's also a relative? I am so jealous! I think a lot of the older guys look better than some of the younger ones.

I'm also in my 40's and am positive that I can achieve that look to the best of my ability and gene pool.

Like your mom, I also got a "hottie" younger than me

I like your idea very much.

Most of my department is out today with the flu -- I feel great, probably because I've been eating healthy instead of eating junk. Those with the flu have been on Atkins, except one who is an unhealthy vegetarian (by that, I mean she doesn't eat meat, which is fine, but she doesn't get a balanced diet, either) -- so maybe there is a link to unbalanced diet and illness??

Have a great day, all!

Waterbaby,
yes-he is an honest to goodness ex-bodybuilder! He is rather handsome also-I would have to say all around I have a very good looking mother, father, and stepparents!
When I was working as manager of a hair salon a few years ago, I was in the back room with a couple co-workers and one of them looked out the door and saw a man come to the front desk, and she was like-"Ooh, I want to do his hair!" I looked out to catch a peek and it was my dad!!! I just rolled my eyes at her and went out to see him...
You are so right about a lot of men getting better looking as they get older-I am in my 20's and can't stand a lot of the new young actors...especially a certain star of Titanic...give me Al Pacino, Tommy Lee Jones, and Anthony Hopkins any day of the week over these new young ones...And Sean Connery is the only James Bond! The only young actor I think is attractive is Ryan Phillippe-and I think the only reason is because he looks almost identical to a guy I dated in high school.

Well, enough talk about men for now...btu it was a nice change from thinking about bills, grocery lists, and dusting the living room!
Aphil
ps-I am serious-we will look into it when we are closer to goal weight!

199 !

YES! I’m doing the Happy Dance!

Hello ALL!

GeTtInG_ThErE2, I’m so sorry. Don’t stop posting, this is a time when you really need to talk. We are all here for you. Maybe your workouts will help you release some of your feeling about this.

I feel bad feeling so happy about achieving my lst goal after something so tragic has happened to someone so young. Forgive me.

aphil, Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. You don’t realize how much you’ve helped me.

Nasua, My e-mail notifications still aren't working either. Don’t get depressed over the scale reading. Let’s get it lowered ASAP. We Can Do It!

waterbaby, Halloween here we come. I want to wear one of those playboy bunny costumes I know quite a few who have Halloween birthdays and they are all awesome people! Have you been keeping up with MrsJim on the BFL thread? She’s competing in a contest in May!

lexxy2,Love your tips! I’m so happy you’re keeping up with and enjoying your running. The more people you can get involved the easier and more fun it’s going to be.

willbethin, How was ww last night? Please check in with us.

Hope everyone is having a Great Day!


Faith~
222/199/120 ~ start Dec. 6, 2001 ~ 23 down . . . 79 to go
next mini goal 189

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

" Accomplishing a goal is not as important
As the person you become accomplishing it."
--- Author Unknown ---

I am ready to join in! I posted a few weeks ago, but the eating got out of control and I was too embarassed to post! I am going to start counting my WW points today. I can't stand feeling out of control with my eating so I HAVE to get on the ball! It's still January and if I can get with the program, hopefully will be looking and feeling much better by summer! Any encouragement or advise would be greatly appreciated!!!

190/190/130

All this talk about hottie men - I want one too!

I'm eating the yummy salad and apple I brought for lunch today - look how healthy I am, No, it's just so I can eat a regular dinner tonight and still get in enough nutrients, etc. I have these breaded eggplant pieces that I like to mix with pasta and marinara. Not the lowest cal choice, I know, but if I eat well during the day I can fit it in. What makes it especially yummy is that I take a string cheese and pull it apart and melt it all together. I can't believe I hadn't thought of that sooner - the string cheese I usually have as snacks, and they're about 80 calories depending on what brand you get. It's like pre-portioned mozzarella, and I definitely have problems with portion size. If I stick to what I've planned, I'll eat just over 1400 calories today, which I'll be very happy with. I was eating 1300-1400 before the holidays and I need to get back to that point.

Aphil, my workouts are going great so far. I'm starting a Pilates class this Saturday, so hopefully that will help with some stretching and toning. I have a feeling it's going to be a lot harder than I'm expecting!

Waterbaby, what type of career do you have in the weight loss business? That would be great to combine my job with what I obssess about in my free time

Kayla, I hope you are hanging in there ok. It sounds like you have a lot of resources to go to to talk about what happened and what you're feeling.

Faith, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That is awesome! Promise yourself that you'll never see the other side of 200 again.

Lisare, welcome back

ok, enough of my babbling, back to work for me.

Hi all!

Faith, I read the BFL thread and also post at www.leanandstrong.com I use the BFL challenges for my workouts and am beginning to feel a little better. MrsJim is one among many amazing women who are transforming their physiques and entering contests. I applaud that! She's done very, very well and stayed the course. She's extremely helpful with questions and is certainly living proof that lifestyle changes and "sticking to it" work.

I'm also doing the "199" dance for you! How thrilling!!!

Aphil, I'm serious too. it's nice to work toward a common goal.

lexxy, I taught weight training for a long time. Once I put on way too much weight, well, the credibility went out the window. Even with great traps and hip flexors, everything was obscured by fat, so I lost a lot of business. In other words, I stopped "walking the walk" and am now at a point where I'm getting rid of the "rumpled" appearance my body has. The exercise for me is not the problem; keeping the diet balanced with foods that help me rather than hinder me. And trust me, kiddo, men adore women who are in shape and look like they care about themselves. You want a hottie? Keep on your program and I guarantee the hotties will find YOU!

Oh, yes. I meant to mention that my daily calorie intake varies between 1500 and 1800 quality calories and I seem to be losing about 3 pounds per week. I had a first week loss of 5 pounds, but most of that was water...

More later. You all are the greatest. We are all too to be fat!