Judy - I was worried about you when I heard about that terrible train crash. I'm sorry to hear your scale isn't cooperating after all your efforts. Give it a swift kick from me! I hope your nutritionist has some ideas. I've also stopped wearing my rings lately due to bloating. I could get my rings off easily even when I was heavier, so I don't think it's related to weight gain. I'm going to try to eat more diuretic foods such as celery, artichokes and asparagus. Here is an interesting article I found on the subject: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4649.asp

Kathy - Congrats on your 2lbs. loss! Yes, it's weird how the scale only shows a loss after the "official" weigh in. It's a conspiracy!!



Auntie G - I'm so pleased to hear your DH's test came back negative. You must be so relieved. It's good that he's getting regular check ups just to be on the safe side.

My DH is in Chicago this week so I'm enjoying some alone time. I've been doing fairly well with exercise and calories so hopefully my scale won't be sneaky like Kathy's! I've been replacing my evening meal with a protein shake. I'm never very hungry in the evenings anyway. My "danger" time is between lunch and 4pm. I'm trying to keep busy during the afternoons so I don't succumb to temptation . I think it's more to do with being tired in the afternoon and eating for an energy boost . I'm doing everything I can to get more sleep. I read a study the other day that women who were sleep deprived gained more weight during the study eating the same food and doing the same exercise as the control group. Well DUH! I think most of us knew this all along!

Hi all, I would love to join your group and have a daily support group. I am in desperate need of some accoutablility I have started and stopped my weight loss so many times and would really love to have someone to talk to that is going through all the sames things as I am .

Hi Mystical - you are very welcome to join our group. The support I've found here has helped me through lots of ups and downs. I'm currently trying to lose the 20 lbs. I regained in the last year or so. My how time flies when you're gaining weight . It seems to have come back overnight, but I won't give up and have recommitted to losing 30 lbs. or so. We're looking forward to getting to know you!

Thank you so much for the welcome. Before I moved last year I was doing Jenny Craig and lost around 60lbs and I have gained most of that back. I am currently trying to just count calories and exercise. I want to find a lifestyle changed for me. I have losts to lose but I would just settle for gettting out of the 200's again. I know it will take some time but I am ready to make that commitment. If you have any tips or suggestions please send them. I look forward to getting to know all of you as well.

Mystical - I can really empathize with you about losing and then gaining again - it's the story of my life! It can be very disheartening, but my motto is "Quitting is NOT an option". So, every time I fall off the wagon, I tell myself I simply just don't have the option of giving up. I had hoped to reach my goal weight by my 60th birthday in August, but that's obviously not going to happen! At least I haven't gained ALL of the weight back, but I remember how hard it was to lose those 20 lbs. I re-gained.

I know what works - for me it's journaling all my foods in Spark People. They have a great database and all kinds of good tips on their site. The problem is, I stopped logging my foods after I lost 40 lbs. and that was when the weight came roaring back. I'm trying to be as consistent as possible with logging my calories and when I don't, I at least try to keep a mental tab of how much I have eaten.

I have a long term (14 months) goal of losing 20-30 lbs. so that I can travel comfortably when my DH and I retire. We've always dreamed of going to New Zealand, and I would want to be a lot slimmer and fitter before going on such a long trip. I'm aiming at losing 1 lb. per week, which I feel is healthier than going on a quick weight loss program.

Hi, Mystical. I'm looking forward to getting to know you, too! Like Penny, about 20 pounds crept back onto me, since the end of last summer. Checking in here helps me remember the big picture when I'm getting frustrated or impatient.

Auntie, that's wonderful news for you and your hubby! You must be feeling such a lift at this point, after so much stress . I think our friend Marie, who posts on other threads, too, has drifted off into another group for a while. I'll PM her and ask her to say hi now and again. I miss hearing from her.

Penny, thanks for the article. It mentioned that "inadequate protein" can lead to water retention. I've cut back a lot on protein the past several days, not intentionally, just opting for more plant-based options instead of meat and chicken. So I'll be sure to track how much protein I eat, which was never a problem before.

Kathy, I hope you weren't too overwhelmed at work this week.

People here are still a little shaky after the Metro crash. They aren't sure yet of why the accident happened. Thousands of people travel safely every day, all over the country, on trains and subways, so I'm not worried.

I made an appointment with the nutritionist; I'll see her in a few weeks. I'm on the verge of scheduling time with the personal trainer. It's a lot of money, but so is buying new clothes...I've been on program today. No time for a workout this morning, but I walked back and forth from my lunch meeting today, so a brisk (and sweaty) 35 minutes so far, with time for something else this evening.

judy

Whew, a long week is finally over Along with too much work, feeling tired and bloated, and the shock of the Metro crash, Michael Jackson's sudden death was a totally "Off the Wall" thing to process. His music was a big part of my childhood, so I've been thinking a lot about past times.

I hope everyone did well today! I haven't worked out yet, but I have been eating on program today. I think I'll take a long walk this evening. Tomorrow is a group orientation at the gym, so I'll plan to work out there on Saturday.

Have a great weekend!

judy

Judy - I hope you'll share some of the good info you get when you visit the nutritionist. I also thought it was interesting that lack of protein could cause water retention. Sometimes it's hard to get enough protein when you are carefully counting calories. I've also been eating more fruit and veggies but I think that's a good thing generally except I tend to eat less protein as the fruit and veggies are very filling.

I just read about Kirstie Alley's weight gain (83 lbs.) since she lost all the weight on Jenny Craig a couple of years ago. She fell into the old trap of thinking "I've met my goal so now I can ease up and eat more of what I like". She also said she has been eating a lot of butter now instead of just a lot of carbs she originally gained weight eating before Jenny Craig. It will be interesting to see whether she can lose it again. I'm also rooting for Oprah in her ongoing battle with the scale. It's encouraging when people don't give up no matter how daunting a challenge it seems.

After reading about Kirstie's "butter addiction" I decided to measure a tablespoon of butter (100 calories) with a measuring spoon and really carefully look at how much (or little) it is. I know I use about that much on my toast for breakfast and supper and could probably live without it. I also use a little butter in cooking and on veggies and it all adds up. Sometimes I "forget" to log the butter in my food journal as it doesn't seem like much, but it is easy to underestimate by a couple of hundred calories or more. When I do log it I usually log a "pat" of butter but now I really have to admit it's sometimes more than just a little "pat"! When I add to that the other nibbles of cheese or a slice of ham. I can see where I may be eating quite a bit more fat than I'm admitting.

I hope your gym orientation goes well. I'm starting my new yoga class at the on Monday morning.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Well I have been really busy with our upcoming move and trying to get my boys registered in the new school district before the end of school. So needless to say I haven't worked out yet and my eating has been so-so today but I have been good all week and I am going to workout before I go to bed tonight. My first training session will be on Tuesday.

Hi, Mystical! You have a lot going on. Moving will certainly burn calories Good luck with your training session on Tuesday.

Penny, good luck with your yoga class! I didn't go to a yoga or pilates class today, but I did an hour of cardio, and really got my heart rate up to where it needs to be in a workout. I like my videos, but I don't get 'puffed' by them the way I used to. And you're right about sneaky calories. I have to be careful with salad dressing, especially!

Yesterday I went shopping for clothes on sale, and found a few inexpensive summer things. I have plenty of clothes already, I'm just 10 lbs too big for most of them Nothing like trying on clothes in front of three mirrors in a little dressing room to get you firmly on the wagon. This past week I've been spotty with logging my foods, so I will focus on that.

Today I'm cooking and prepping food for the week. I've got a green chili stew in the crockpot int he frig, ready to be plugged in tomorrow. This evening I'm cooking oatmeal, brown rice and quinoa, so I can just grab some when I'm ready. I don't normally buy big hunks of beef, but a few weeks ago I bought a $12 cut of London broil for less than $4 and put it in the freezer, so I've got that in a ginger marinade.

Time to put in a movie ("Benjamin Button," finally), read the rest of the paper and get ready for a new week.

I had to cancel my Training session for this week, I have to go and do some things with our new house so it won't be until next week but I am planning on doing my treadmill every morning and I have a schedule of full body workouts on tuesday and wednesday.

Judydc cand you help me out I am wanting to take Sunday and prepare foods for the week but I am not sure where to start if you could give me some suggestions that would be terrific.

Hi Everyone!

Once again it has been awhile since I posted. I haven't gotten on the computer much since I'm on it all day at work. I've also been doing a lot of outside work. On Wednesday we thought our computer was down because DH couldn't get it to boot up. Come to find out the power strip we had it plugged into somehow got shut off. I think the cat probably got on it because it is behind the couch and no one else gets back there.

This week was not good for me. I am having some kind of funky thing going on. I want to sleep all the time and I'm crying almost every day for no reason. I'm not sure if it's because I'm in the pre-menopause phase or if it's my thyroid. I have a thyroid checkup on July 13th so I'm hoping that will tell something.

Trust you all are doing well. My friend was up from Florida to see her dad who is dying with cancer. We did get to spend this past Monday and Saturday together for a few hours. It was nice seeing her again. I just wished she lived closer.

Tomorrow is WI and I'm scared. I've done a lot of emotional eating this week so tomorrow could be a disaster.

Have a great week!

Kathy

Hello all, I am new and I would like to join your group. I need people to keep me motivated and on track. I have a 72lb journey ahead of me that I started last week. I have a tendency to get about 20 lbs into a diet goal then give up at the first major plateau. I'm hoping with your support I can change that habit, and develop healthier ones.

Mystical - Sounds like you have a good exercise plan. You were asking for food tips. Well, here is a tip I've found in preparing foods ahead for the week: I buy a whole roasted chicken from the market (or you could roast one yourself). When it's cool I remove all the meat, chop it up into bite sized pieces and discard the skin. I freeze the meat into meal sized portions. That way I have chicken ready to use in various recipes or soups.

Judy - Your cook-ahead meals sound yummy! I'm fortunate that I work at home, so it's a lot easier for me, although being near the fridge and pantry all day is a challenge! Way to go with your exercise routine .

Kathy - I'm sorry you're going through such a rough time. There's so much stress for everyone these days and it makes it very hard to deny ourselves "nurturing" foods. I hope you get some answers from your doctor at your check up. I know sometimes problems seem insurmountable, but as a cancer survivor, I can say that there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow. If you need a smile - take a look at my kitty photos on Spark http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_ph...id=%7EPENNY%7E. Hang in there .

Welcome Marbear I'm looking forward to getting to know you. I have always been a yo-yo dieter too and there are many of us in that club! I lost 40 lbs. and regained 20 lbs. last year. I'm now finally getting my act together again and have started losing. I'm aiming at 1 lb. per week.

I'm trying to change my "treats" to tiny portions of the "bad" foods or healthy fruit and yogurt snacks. My current favorite is a little fruit salad topped with a small blob of vanilla yogurt and sprinkled with a couple of teaspoons of granola - creamy and crunchy - my favorite food textures!

I'm pleased to report I lost 1.5 lbs. last week, so I can finally adjust my ticker lower! .

Today was the first lesson in my new yoga class. I almost didn't go because my arthritis has been worse than ever - I can hardly walk when I first get up due to the osteoarthritis in my spine ankles and can only walk on my heels (kind of like a penguin) for about 15 min. when I first get up. I also only got about 5 hrs. sleep last night. I dragged myself to the class as it was registration day and figured I could always wimp out if it got unbearable. Well, it was a wonderful class with a fantastic instructor - way better than any of the other yoga classes I've attended in the past. She is much more thorough in explaining the moves and the poses are not held for too long. I had to make some adjustments, but I felt reborn after the class - both physically and mentally. I'm now trying to get my DH to come along - I know it would do his bad back the world of good.

Have a great week everyone!

Hi, Marbear! It's good to meet you. Your pattern of losing some, then getting stuck, sounds awfully familiar. The ladies who've participated in this thread have kept me pointed in the right direction when I would rather give it all up and dive into a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

Kathy, I'm sorry that you've been feeling teary. Maybe you've been walking around with a low level of stress for while, and it's starting to catch up with you. Even if you didn't lose much this past week, no single weigh-in is a disaster. It just provides you with some information, then you can move on to the next weigh-in

Penny, hooray for the good weigh-in! Good for you, going to your yoga class, even though you were hobbling.

Mystical, I have been single for the past few years, and I travel a lot, so that affects some of my cooking habits. I like to make a big batch of soup, stew or chili every week or two, and freeze most of it in 1- and 2-cup portions, for future lunches and dinners over the next few weeks. When I'm good about my plan, I plan the next day's menu the night before, and post it on the frig on a dry-erase board.

judy