Love that phrase - I remember hearing it continually as I sat in church as a child.
So, good news is: I can officially say my plateau is over [for now]! I have consistently weighed 156 this past week. I was able to wear one of my tightest pairs of jeans out for the first time in YEARS (2.5 years to be exact), and I didn't even pop a button!
That said, I changed my goal weight to "??" because I simply love the act of calorie counting (how it makes me feel) and I want my body to settle in on its own ideal weight. I would rather work actively toward other fitness goals than lower weights. If, with calorie counting (which for me includes cycling, and IF), I end up lighter, then groovy.
One time, sometime in the past 7 years, I do remember doing a very extreme low cal diet for quite some time. I vaguely remember, even then, having a heckuva time getting to 149. And then it kicked my butt to get to 137. I was barely eating. It was stupid - of course I gained it back.
So, I am thrilled that I have been able to lose weight, cycling from 14-1800 a day (I try to hit close to a weekly amount). Again, with regular exercise and continuing my CCing, I want to see where my weight levels out at.
On the downside: I made homemade pizza last night. I only had one large piece in the evening, so there was 1/2 a cold, yummy pizza in the fridge calling my name over and over again. I kept nibbling, I thought I had broke the habit - I thought I was getting used to not being Ms. Snacky. I mean, I am even able to keep peanut butter in the house without swooning over it and flirting with it every time I go into the kitchen.
But oh no, not the cold [yet still healthy] pizza. I had to throw it away. It wouldn't leave me alone.
Congratulations! I think your approach is great. After all, why not focus on behaviors that you feel comfortable with and see where you end up? That's really what I did. I wasn't even aiming to fit into a size 6 again; in fact, even a month or so into my weight loss, I gave away a lot of good size 6 clothes that had been languishing in my closet for 5-6 years. I was convinced that it would take too much effort to get to that size, and frankly, I didn't want to put in the effort. No one is more surprised than I am that just focusing on behaviors I can live with actually eventually got me to the size I wanted. Maybe you'll discover the same.
Oh, and btw, I can definitely relate to your point about being disappointed that you haven't conquered all your snack demons. I baked a pecan pie a couple of months ago, thinking I could eat it in moderation even though it is my all-time favorite dessert. Well, two days later, the entire pie was gone (and it was all me---my husband doesn't even like pecan pie). I guess that's a battle I'll have to save for another day; for now, I'm going to try to stay away from those "red-light" foods.
I think its great that you're just focusing on calorie counting. That's what I'm trying to do...although I still have a goal weight and weigh myself once a week I'm trying to mainly focus on my nutrition goals and trying to get myself started on fitness goals.
Really, in the end, health and fitness are the main things. I mean, I want to lose this weight, but there will come a time when I don't have any more weight to lose...but the health and fitness goals can't stop when I reach that point.
First off, congratulations on breaking through that plateau!
For a while "???" was my goal weight too. Then as I lost more I set it to 135 because I could see that I was getting to the weight I'd like to stop at.
Somehow I've stopped snacking and picking. Don't even ask me how because I don't know. I used to snack a lot... Now I plan my snacks into my day.
lin43: your journey - with moderate calorie counting, a treadmill, staying busy, not weighing yourself often, is actually what has inspired me to do the right things and just chill out a bit.
And I was not severely overweight when I started (not yet), but even I feel the benefits from restricting calories and sticking to whole foods diet. Before I was still eating a mostly healthy whole foods diet, but I was still eating too many calories. It would make me feel fatigued and depressed. I thought I had a more serious health problem. Now I realize the extra healthy calories were really weighing me down.
ArtyKay: That would be funny if we were roommates - with cold pizza in the fridge...... both of us trying to hold out long enough until the other caves and scarfs it down!!
No - worse yet, if we were roommates, we would probably be enablers, "Actually since you only ate 1500 calories so far today and worked out, you can totally eat that half of the pizza today without feeling guilty at all right now!"
I'm still thinking about fitness goals. I love jogging, but I don't want to run a marathon. I'm thinking of focusing my attention on strengthening my arms. Right now they have a Gumbi-like consistency and can wave like Dumbo ears (try to imagine).
Congrats! I totally conqured peanut butter too! I never used to be able to keep it in the house and I can. I also switched to natural...which isn't as good to binge on! I have tons of chocolate and cookies in the house right now and i'm not eating then. Pizza and chips are another story...
Ps, I've also recently started IF and calorie cycling, I love them both.
[QUOTE=Unna;4143619] I can officially say my plateau is over [for now]! I have consistently weighed 156 this past week. [EDITED OUT] I changed my goal weight to "??" because I simply love the act of calorie counting (how it makes me feel) and I want my body to settle in on its own ideal weight. I would rather work actively toward other fitness goals than lower weights. If, with calorie counting (which for me includes cycling, and IF), I end up lighter, then groovy. [/QUOTE
BRAVO Now, you know what your body is capable of and that a great effort will produce a great result.
I am happy that you have decided to give yourself a break from a particular lower weight goal. I have been writing for a while that at your [prior] current weight/height, you were most likely FANTASTIC! I stick by that.
You know what it takes to lose it, you know what it takes to maintain it, and beween the two of those you can find your happiness. With your level of exercise/fitness you definitely are trading muscle for fat and should never be angry at yourself over a number on the scale.
I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!
I noticed it on your stats earlier but didn't want to overwhelm you by mentioning it. Good for you. You did it. You know your body can do it. You're going to stress less over it. to you my friend.
Thanks for the vote of confidence Donna, I really appreciate it. I am going to continue to keep my calories around 1700 - as I did in the beginning - and work more on fitness goals. Hopefully exchanging fat for muscle. Regardless, I do want this to be my new lifestyle and cutting the calories even more would be uncomfotable.
One thing is: Ever since joining this website I've had a burning desire to put my before and after shots up! So, I'm going to work on overall body toning and hopefully, after awhile I can add my pictures to the "goal" hall of fame.
I'd give up almost everything else for cold pizza. At my job, we get fed during busy season (tax season - coming up soon!) and Monday is pizza night. So Tuesdays, I have cold pizza for breakfast. I'm hoping to maintain my new not-crazy eating even during tax season, but I'm going to have to figure out how to fit a cold slice into my plan. Resistance is futile!
Trials and Tribulations
I used to snack a lot... Now I plan my snacks into my day.
Now, you know what your body is capable of and that a great effort will produce a great result. 
to you my friend.
That is all.
