Singles Supporting Singles
 

This is a thread for singles who need support in a world that seems to be filled with couples.

To borrower from LA: This is not to say that married people are not welcome. I'm hoping this will provide support, friendship and most of all a sense of belonging for single people trying to make it in a "happy couple" world

I am 34 and living outside of Boston. I'm new to my area and having a hard time making friends and getting into a routine that will help me lose weight. Loneliness and weight loss don't go together very well.

Welcome to all!

Yeah! A new home!!!

I've lost a grand total of 4 pounds in the last 2 weeks!! WOOHOO!!! Yeah me!!!! I'm now down 10.5 over my highest weight of 205 (January).

My roommate won a VIP party at a local club at the end of the month and I'm almost dreading it. I don't like to dance unless I've consumed a large quantity of alcohol and on my diet I don't have enough calories to get me to that "happy" state. :( I know she wants me to go and it would be good for me to get out, but I just don't know if I can face the club scene.

I can't tell you the last time I went to an actual CLUB, the few times I do go out it is more of a bar/hangout than a dance club. I have almost 2 weeks before the party so I can loose another 4-5 pounds which will help with the self confidance, but what's a girl to do???

i found you!
 

hey singles! i found you! i think this is a much better place to be. i just thought i'd check in between jobs. for anyone checking us out, i am single, 38, and no people children. i have my baby girl, molly, a lab/shepard of 11 years. i own my own home in corning, ny and work a lot to avoid being alone all the time.

iwmft2-congrats on those lost lbs, gone into the universe 4ever!!! :p as far as going out, go 4 it! let your hair down! if it were me i would try to drink something like rum and diet soda! that won't do too much damage. stay away from the sweet and pre-mixed (ex. white russians, dacquiris, etc), and beer because of the sugar in it. yes, beer has got maltose in it, a form of sugar, hence the "beer belly" for big beer drinkers. :lol: i just read that last tidbit a week ago. i can't advise on the confidence thing, because i am not good in that department but good luck and most of all have fun!!!!

shyangel - thanks for moving us!

btw - i am having one of those binge days, that i have to nip in the bud. had a blt sub for lunch with a new m-azing candy bar for a kicker. of course, the girls at the store had to show me the new product and i just had to try it. no willpower what so ever! :(

well, have to get ready for 2nd round of work! i will check back tonite!
kathy

IWMFT - 4 pounds in two weeks is super. :bravo: You are doing great and losing at a good rate. I wish I was doing so well. You should be proud of yourself for what you have accomplished so far. I also think that you should go to the party. I would also say to try and have a good time without a lot of alcohol. I can totally understand where you are coming from, but you don't need the calories and you don't need to hide behind the alcohol. You deserve to have a good time - just worry about that and not the strangers in the club. Go for yourself and your friend (who I'm sure doesn't care what you weigh). Keep us updated and good luck losing more before the party - every pound counts.

Kathy - if they sold willpower then I would be dirt poor and someone would be very rich. :lol: I hope you can make good choices at dinner time. You needn't have a totally 'bad' day just because of one meal. Hmmm...maybe I should take my own advice.

Have great evenings everyone.

Hello people, I've found you over here and I pasted in a link on the old thread so people could jump over easily. Well, I got to the gym again yesterday. Just did some back (I work out with heavy weights, am in a gym full of competing bodybuilders, a lot of them friends from way back). I've never gone into a contest because I could never get the fat off. My training is top level though (at least among women here).

I was going to call it quits after the weights because my foot hurts from too much walking/running/prancing barefoot to the Cindy Crawford tape! but I decided to ride a bike instead. Found one of those spin type ones and gave it 15 mins. Not bad. Really worked up a sweat.

Walked home and ate too much. Bad planning, nothing with me, a string of about 8 conveniences stores on the way home and then last one caught me with a Snickers bar! Darn. Tallied up the calories and found I probably was close to 3,000 for the day and I thought I'd been good. The exercise is preventing gains but I want to lose. No way at that rate!

Ok, nuff of me there. Have I bored you all totally?

I see some new names, well, one, actually, FairyTale, hello! Great going on the 4 lb loss. I totally understand your alcohol/calorie dilemma. I am the same way, am not going to get out on the floor and shake my booty without mega amounts of Dutch courage flowing through my veins, but those mega amounts are keeping me from losing weight. Here in Japan, drinking is a major social event. Even if you don't drink you go out and eat. But for me, going out means I start knocking back the mugs of beer. I just don't stop when I'm having a good time. So I try not to go out too much but there's the dilemma. No going out, no fun, no socializing. I'm trying to cut back on the unfun times out and just try to talk more instead of waiting for the alcohol to take over and run my mouth. (Right now caffeine is running it!)

corning -- have you nipped that binge?! what's the amazing candy bar? no, I shouldn't ask. I read about the maltose in the beer. I've got to switch to something else as beer has been my drink of choice for years now. I used to drink a type of Japanese vodka called shochu mixed with water and lemon or grapefruit. If you have it made with fresh lemon or grapefruit (you squeeze it right there at your table) it's great, vitamin C, lots of water and not much alcohol. I think I should switch to that when I go out for a session. Thanks for the reminder, beer belly, beer gut, well I don't have one now but I did. Yuck!!

shyangel -- How are you? Thanks for making this new thread!

pumpkin hour
 

hey everyone! well, it's a little past pumpkin hour! nothing to do, tv is boring, already caught up on the soap. i tape it everyday and that is the first thing i do when i get home. oprah has been all repeats, so no catching up there.

red balloon - that is the name "m-azing", it is a new m&m bar, in 2 flavors. i've never heard of that vodka. when i was a younger vodka drinker it was always the cheap stuff. too poor for anything else. :lol: now i might have absolut in a white russian now and then. i don't drink much anymore, but i do love those white russians. the only problem is they taste like a milkshake and can sneak up on you fast. :dizzy: i also wanted to add i have that cindy crawford tape. it might be old but it has always been a favorite. now that you mentioned it i might have to dust it off. i just got core secrets today. i have a bad back and physical therapist said something like that would be good for me to stablize my back. i will give an update after i try it. :smug:

can someone tell me how to get to the other smilies besides the one to the left. i click on more and nothing happens????

well, tomorrow is a new day to start fresh. i'm glad this bad binge day is over. i'm going to hit the hay and think new in the morning. nite!!!
kathy

corning, when you click on more on the smilies make sure you have your screen reduced. The other smilies pop up in another small window so that window may be hidden. If not, I can send you the codes by pm or the actual file by email if you like. Let me know.

by the way, shochu isn't vodka, I just meant it was like vodka. It's usually made from rice. There are also kinds made from wheat and potato. So, it's like distilled sake.

gotta run. had another great workout at the gym. the cc tape was her second one. do you have that too? i also have the first one which I really like too. The second one is tough!

Good morning!
 

Redballoon - thanks for putting in the link so it is easier for people to find us here. Sounds like you have a great workout program. I wish I had someone to lift weights with to learn the right way and have the incentive and motivation to actually do it. I have dumbbells at home but can't even look at them let alone pick them up. Sometimes I just don't know what is wrong with me.

Can you pick one aspect of your eating to try and modify to help you bring down your calories? For instance, I evaluated breakfast for myself and came up with some healthy options. I also decided to add in a protein bar/snack at about 4:30pm so I am not so hungry at dinner and have less of a risk of overeating. With your muscles and exercise you should be able to reap the rewards of weight loss too.

Kathy - how is your new day going? Do you have any idea what caused your binge yesterday?

I made it to my track workout last night and in total ran about 4 miles. I know that if I could just keep up regular running and maybe some biking (4 days a week - but it's tough) I would lose weight. If I could add in the weights just think what I could do. Why do we consciously make choices that are not good for us? Sometimes life is just too frustrating. Tonight I'm going to work on my farm and hopefully get a little activity in even though I should run instead. Oh well, need and want to pick veggies and don't have enough sunlight to do everything.

Hello again! Sorry I haven't been around lately.

Thank you to shyangel for starting this thread here and to redballoon for linking it to the other thread so I could find my way here (I still don't know the site very well so I wasn't sure where to look!).

To recap, my name is Sheri, I am a single/never married woman, age 51, who lives in the Washington, DC area. After a lifetime of dieting (yo-yoing up and down in weight), I began eating healthy and exercising regularly on July 1 last year. I have lost 35 pounds, lowered my cholesterol substantially, and better managed my blood pressure.

I am about halfway to my weight loss goal, though I am not certain what my goal will be because I haven't been thin in three decades! I figure I have about another 35 pounds to lose. I no longer believe that diets are the answer (in fact the word isn't even in my vocabulary anymore) and it is my goal to eat healthy (the majority of the time) for the rest of my life.

hi
 

hey singles! hi sheriva! nice of you to come back! you are doing so well. 35 lbs is a wonderful start. my question is how did you get yourself in to the right frame of mind? i'm always "dieting"

red balloon - i know what sake is ,though i've never tried it. somehow i got to that page of smilies last nite after i wrote that message. i probably couldn't do it again.:dunno: i printed it out so i always have a copy in front of me. thanks for the help and the pm. i think i must have the 1st cc video because it's not that hard. one of the things i liked about it was the music.

shyangel - i am having a better day today. i don't know what really set that off . lack of willpower maybe. :?: the veggies are as important as running for your health. they can't go to waste. i miss having a big garden with squash and cherry tomatoes. i am trying a couple of tomotoe plants, but i might have planted them too late.

sounds like we all had a very active day which is great for us.:cp: i went for my 20 minute dog walk, did a few minutes each on the lateral thigh trainer and hula hoop, then i did my new core secrets fundamental video. that was about a 1/2 hour just teaching the basics, but boy do i feel the after effects now. it's a sore but good kind of feeling. tomorrow i work both jobs (tues & thurs), so it is hard those days. not much time. weather permitting i try to at least get in the dog walk in between. it is good for her and it gives me a little energy to go to the 2nd job.

well, i am getting tired. :tired: have a great day!
kathy

p.s. i just love all those smilies, i hope they are working. tee hee!!

Hello all. I see we have some more new names (new to me, that is) here and action seems to be picking up. Well, I'm back from yet another good workout. Did shoulders and arms and then, though I was going to call it quits, got on the spin bike for 15" and worked up a nice sweat that must have been good for something. Now I'm home and made a big salad and have eaten that. One of my four cats is trying to walk on the keyboard. Her name is Nozomi, which means hope or desire because when I found her starving I figured that is all she had and that is what kept her going enough to have let me find her. She's all black with a tail. (two of mine don't have tails. I guess they're what you'd call Japanese bobtails!)

shyangel -- You're right, it is so great that I have people around me lifting weights. And though I work out at a Gold's gym now it's filled with people from a hardcore bodybuilding gym that they bought out and all those members got free Gold's memberships. It makes all the difference. The people are serious yet very friendly. I would have to say that the majority of my socializing is now done in the gym. That's not as pathetic as it may sound because I am 1) using calories not consuming them 2) spending no extra money AND 3) I get to look at some of the best bodies around and can act like I'm merely commenting on their muscle development and degree of "rippedness" when actually I may just be drooling and . . . well, I'll leave the rest to your imaginations!

Yes, the one aspect of my eating that I should modify is the simply that once I start I tend to just keep going and going and going. Planning meals, snacks would be a big help because it means I would be planning an END to the meal/snack. As it is, it's too easy to have a little of this and that and a little more of this and that and that's how the calories add up. People at the gym all say they think I should be able to lose fat really easily and I think it's because they see the way I work out, which is really gung-ho, but eating has always been a stress reliever, a boredom reliever, you name it, it's everything but just calories and protein, carbs and fat. Well, I think you all understand, that's why we're here.

SheriaVa -- Hello, there. Congratulations on your weight loss! You have done so well. You must be really proud of yourself! I know how you feel about not really knowing your goal. I'm the same way. I don't have a number. I just have a look that I want to have and when I'm there I'll be able to say I've reached goal. Of course, bodies being what they are and I'm not young, it doesn't mean I'll like everything I see, oh my!, but I'm going to get the fat off for one thing. I just want to be able to look lean and tuck my shirt in and look like I spend all the time in the gym that I do! Good luck on your continued loss!

corning -- You sure had a great exercise day! Yes, those core exercises are tough. I have pilates tapes but just can't bear to do them. They seemed so boring. Also the tapes are so unattractive. Yes, both the Cindy Crawford tapes have great music. Why can't they make a pilates tape like those? What kind of dog do you have?


Take care everyone! Hope to hear from you soon! Ciao for now. :wave:

Welcome back SheriaVa. Has everything been ok?

Kathy - your smiles look great. What is the core video? Does it concentrate on the abs or something, like Pilates? I have been getting more interested in finding a good video or two so when the bad weather hits I can workout at home and not just pack on the pounds like I did last winter. :(

redballoon - 15 minutes spinning is great. Keep it up. In the future if you want/can maybe you'll increase to 20 but don't sell yourself short on the 15, particularly if you are working hard at it. I really need to meet people and was considering using the gym for that reason (besides the obvious reason of working out). I'm not sure I can afford it, but if it is really beneficial I would make the room in my budget. Can you comment more on how good you think the gym would be for meeting people, socializing, and making friends? Remember that I am not at the level you are so I wouldn't be able to have deep conversations about lifting.

Isn't it strange/funny that so many people have the same weight loss goal to be able to tuck in your shirt. :lol: Before I moved I had just starting tucking in and now, after gaining 10-13 pounds and being in a different life, I don't tuck in and know that I would look better if I did (more professional and put together - not less fat).

Have a great day everyone. I took the day off to wait for the repair man. Feeling really guilty about not being at work and not really enjoying the time at home (except for being able to catch up on posting :D ).

Alright... It's Thursday, one more day until Friday... I know I can do this. This week has lasted forever. I need my weekend lazy time!!!!

I can tell my stomach has shrinked, I am not absolutely starving now when I get home. I'm still hungry, but not so hungry that I want to eat the first thing I lay eyes on.

Monday I finally made it to the gym after telling myself I would go for the past 2 weeks. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill at a brisk walk/slow jog, then I lifted weights for another 30 minutes or so. Tuesday was my "off" day and I meant to go back yesterday, but I had a job interview out of town, so by the time I got back I was stressed and tired and couldn't stand the thought of leaving my house again. LOL So I have my bag packed and I'm going tonight after work. I'll just do my third workout on Saturday... :)

Tomorrow I'm taking my measurements... I'm very curious to see what kind of progress I have made with those. I've never taken measurements before and I took them last Friday morning after my first week on plan. I've lost 4.5 pounds, but I'm just not sure what that will equate to in inches over my body. I'm not expecting much, I know the bigger losses will take longer.

I have 3.5 more pound to go for my first unofficial "mini-goal". That will put me at 190, 15 pounds down from my highest weight. Even though I have only lost 4.5 pounds this go around, I keep having to remind myself that I've lost a TOTAL of 11 pounds... Those numbers sound so much better to my ears, and they aren't a lie... :) 15 pounds down sounds like magic to me right now...

I think that this new plan is going to work for me this time. No Super Bowl Parties, birthday's or any other "eating" holiday until Thanksgiving... Then, yes, it is Christmas, but all of my family are in Ohio while I'm in North Carolina, so I won't be tempted by the Christmas goodies... LOL I'm starting back at the gym 3 times a week with cardio and weight training, a good balance without burning myself out. I'm staying under 1500 calories a day (no less than 1300 though) and I don't feel as deprived as I did on a 1300 caloried diet.

So I guess in a nutshell I just wanted to share that everythinig is good here in my corner of the Singles world. :wave:

The gym totally kicked my butt today...

I got up early this morning to go to a Step Aerobics class at my gym. I've never been before and I thought it would be a good change from the treadmill and weights. WOW... About 20 minutes in and I couldn't move anymore. I consider myself fairly coordinated, but the instructor chick kept changing the steps mid-stride and before I even got the current step down. :mad:

I felt (and looked) like a complete and utter fool... So when she gave us a second to get a drink I left and went and cooled down a little. I was nausous and dizzy and I didn't like the feeling at all. Once I got cooled down a little I walked on the treadmill for another 10 minutes and called it a day.

I really wanted to do my weight training today, but I just couldn't take it this morning. I feel like a failure for not finishing that class... I know I'm not, because 1/2 of that class and more time on the treadmill is more than I would have done a few weeks ago, but I feel like I should have stuck it out. :cry:

Thanks for letting me vent like the drama queen I sometimes am... I hope everyone else's Saturday is off to a better start than mine...

IWMFT - good job with the working out. You are doing great and losing weight. The fact that you went to the gym and tried the class is a great accomplishment. Not only did you do 1/2 the class but you did TM afterwards! If you felt bad at the break I don't think you should have stuck out the class. You can always try another class another time and you will probably do even more. I find aerobics classes very difficult at the beginning because you spend more energy learning the moves. Focus on the glass being half full. :) btw - how did you measurements go?

It is raining here so all my plans (all outdoors) are shot and I am really not happy about it. I wanted to ride my bike and get in some exercise but now I don't know what to do. I really don't want to be unproductive, unhappy and eat but that is the direction I am going. :(

hi
 

hey everyone! it's raining here too. :rain: i feel like i could just stay in bed all day. yesterday was a long day. i worked 12 hours at my full-time job and it kicked my butt. i only have to work 4hrs later at my part time job which is not so bad. it is cold and miserable and i have absolutely no motivation. as far as exercise, i was so sore from that big day the other day i could barely move the day after. i guess maybe i did too much. :shrug:

iwmft - don't feel like you've failed. those step aerobic classes are for brain surgeons. they are way too confusing. and you made up for it on the treadmill. so feel good about yourself because you got a workout in today. :D

well, i will check back later after work. i don't have anything to do tonite and i can't afford another 2hour trip to wallyworld. :lol: i think maybe i will work on cleaning up the house. how exciting!!!!
kathy

fairytale,

I just wanted to pop in to say, those aerobic classes are horrible! Don't feel like a failure. You are anything but!! I exercise a ton and I cannot do those classes. I don't see the purpose of making the moves so hard either. There is no reason for it other than to alleviate the boredom I suppose. Be proud of yourself for giving it a try and for your treadmill work. You're listening to your body and that's what's important! Good for you! :cp:

I'll be back later to write more. Take care all!

What is it with rain that it is so hard to stay motivated. I barely got anything done today (no exercise) and eat like a pig. I think the water wets my brain and short circuits it. :)

Kathy - I hope your muscles feel better soon. We are supposed to have sun tomorrow and I plan to run in the a.m. to make up for not biking today. Maybe you'll be able to get out and do something too.

Hi to all who are sitting at home alone, like me, on a Saturday night.

shyangel, has the rain stopped? I'm wrapping up Sunday here. Good day, and bad. Major binge but I stopped it midtrack and I'm disgusted and proud of myself at the same time!

shy, must realize you gotta make plans for rainy days too. I know how you feel though. When I'm rained out of riding it ruins my day, even if I do other stuff.

Hope to see some more action on the thread while I'm in slumber land. Night!

The rain did stop last night and today was beautiful. Unfortunately I did not get any running or biking done, but I did work in the garden for at least 4 hours so hopefully that counts for something. My eating has been terrible too - hopefully tomorrow will be a new and better day. I need to go grocery shopping so I can start off the week on a good eating note.

redballoon - I think it's great that you stopped your binge. Do you have any idea why it even started?

hey
 

hi everyone! i never did get back here last nite, nor did i ever clean my house. i ended up working an extra hour, then i stopped for a movie and then i pooped out. i was so tired yesterday. today when i got up it was sunny and beautiful. it felt like fall. i think we are skipping right over summer. i didn't have time to even get a walk in today. i had to go to a retirement party before work. this week is going to be hard in the exercise area because i have to work a lot of hours at both jobs. people are on vacation. i need the $ so i volunteered.

i had a very stressfull mind this weekend. my parents and i decided i was going to take over their house. they are in florida most of the year. i knew this was coming, just not so soon. it is a beautiful house and they are still going to pay the taxes for a few years to help me get out of my credit debt. now i have to think about selling the house i just bought last year. :dizzy:
so much to think about. however, i did decide to wait to do all this next spring/summer.

well, i'm tuckered out. have a good week singles! :D
kathy

Good Monday Morning Singles! :D

I have fully recovered from my step aerobic debacle on Saturday morning (with the exception of some sore calf muscles). I can now see through the embarrasement and see that just because I did not complete the course I am NOT a failure. I am a success because I TRIED!! I was talking to one of my friends on Saturday night and she told me that she couldn't do step aerobics either, which made me feel a ton better. We had both been in marching band in high school/college and we consider ourselves pretty coordinated people, but neither one of us can make it through a step class without triping over everything in sight. :lol: So I will continue to blame the EVIL :devil: instructor.... ;)

I did well with my diet this weekend. I had a 2 pound fluid gain on Saturday morning but it is all gone as of this morning... I took my measurements on Frdiay, not one milimeter of change... I wasn't really expecting one though, so I wasn't too dissapointed.

I went to the grocery store last night and got some fruit and a few veggies. I'm not a big veggie person, so this was a big step for me. I got a head of lettuce to make salads and a small bag of baby carrots that I could snack on. I also got grapes, apples, and a few slices of watermelon. I LOVE WATERMELON!!! And this is good watermelon, I had some last night after dinner...

Weekends are still my most difficult times when it comes to sticking to my diet. I'm a "boredom" eater, so when I'm watching tv or reading I am used to snacking on something... I also tend to eat bigger meals on the weekend because I have time to fix three meals a day. But I stayed under my calorie limit each day, and every weekend it gets a little easier. While I was at the grocery store I bought some snack foods that I can keep around the house for when I just can't resist the munchies... All weekend I have been craving ice cream so bad I could taste it in my mouth, so I also got some fat-free neopolitan ice cream that is only 90 calories a serving. Then I ended up eating watermelon for dessert instead! But it is nice to know that when that sweet tooth really hits there is something in the house that will do less damage to my calorie limit than a candy bar. :)

I have my bag all packed for the gym tonight... After work I'll go do my "normal" treadmill/weight lifting workout... I think Saturday really cured me of the boredom. :lol:

CorningKat: Don't you just love the look and smell of early fall??? I hate winter so in some ways I hate fall because that means winter is just around the corner... But I just can't hate it. LOL The weather is just too beautiful and the trees changing colors are just like magic. :) It always reminds me of being in the marching band and having football games and competitions on the weekends... I miss my band days...

Shyangel: Gardening is WORK!!!! And if you did 4 hours of it that is GREAT!!! The last time I did 4 hours of gardening I could barely stand up straight for 3 days because my back was so sore from bending over planting those darn flowers... :lol:

Redballoon: Too bad about your binge, but at least you were able to put a stop to it! So many others would just continue eating... So look at it as a step in the right direction!

hi
 

i guess i should say good morning! it is almost 2am and i still wide awake. i really should be getting to sleep, but it does no good to lay in the dark with my eyes wide open:yikes:

today went well, i got my dog walk in then did my fundamental core secrets tape. that is the beginner one of the set and only does 10 basic ball exercises. it usually takes me a couple of days to get over the soreness. i can't even begin to imagine the full body workout. i wouldn't be able to move for a week. :lol: i guess i will have to build up the stamina slow and steady.

iwmft- i absolutely love the fall. it is my favorite season. i love the crispness. i like summer time but i'm not one for heat so the fall is perfect for me. i'm glad to hear you got over the step aerobic thing. i actually don't know anyone who can do those classes. you do so well on your treadmill routine so stick with it until you get bored. just try something you think will be fun. for example, i bought that hula hoop just for the fun i had as a young girl with them. it brings out the kid in me. i hula while watching tv. it is what they call a wave hoop so it is quiet. it must have water in it instead of those noisy beads of old time. that is a nice picture of you. you are very photogenic.

well, i guess i'll try to lie my head down again. have a good tuesday!
kathy

I just wanted to say hello. Kathy and IWMFT - you seemed to be doing so well. I don't know how you stick to it. I am having a very hard time these days. I was doing well and then totally undid all my good this past weekend and now I am depressed about it. It's just hard to keep going when I never seem to make any progress. Life in general just isn't fun. I don't want to be a drag so I'll keep this short. I just wanted to check-in and let you know I was reading along and proud of all of you.

shyangel: One binge WILL NOT undo everything you have done. Any weight you might have put on following the slip-up is due to the weight of the food and fluid retention. It is IMPOSSIBLE to put on pounds of fat overnight. Remember, it takes 3500 EXCESS calories to add one pound of fat to your body, so to put on 2 pounds (for example) overnight you would have to eat somewhere around 9000 calories in one day depending on what your break-even basal metabolism is.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!! If losing weight was easy everyone would do it, and the diet industry would go bankrupt! We are all in the same boat here, we didn't put the weight on overnight and it isn't going to disappear overnight.

Keep track of your small successes... You did stop the binge, right? Before you probably wouldn't have. That is a success right there! There is more to a "diet" than the scale... Think positive!

corningkat: Thanks for the compliment about the picture... I cropped it out of a family portrait that was taken the day after Christmas. Seeing the proofs from the shoot is what made me originally decide to start losing weight. My double chin had to go, not to mention the size 18 jeans that I had to buy because my 16's were just too small. I'm nowhere near my goal weight, but when I compare the picture to what I see in the mirror I can tell I've lost 10 pounds. My face is thinner, I still have a little bit of a double chin, but it is not nearly as evident now. When I look back at my high school pictures (where I thought I was fat) I would give anything to get back down to that weight. It is really amazing how high school really screws with your self-esteem.

This was one of my senior pictures, taken in August of 1998 when I was 17. I think I was a size 12/14 then... I want to get back down to that weight so bad. LOL You would think the size 12 was actually a size 4 in my mind...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/10...lseniorpic.jpg

Yesterday was a pretty good day for me. I stayed under 1500 calories (although barely, the butter popcorn snack did me in.... LOL) and I made it to the gym. I did 25 minutes on the treadmill at 3.2 mph and then I lifted weights. I am doing 3 sets of 15 reps on all of the machines, 15 pounds for my bicep curls and the tricep thingy, 30 pounds for a shoulder machine, 115 pounds for a seated squat (works my thighs great...) 15 pounds for the calf machine and I think 45 for my hamstring curls.

I'm surprised I'm not sore this morning, my arms and legs felt a little like jello when I left the gym last night. LOL I'm sure I'll feel it a little more later today... Tuesday's and Thursday's are my "rest" days from lifting and cardio. I'm going to try to do cardio at least once during the weekend, but only lift 3 times a week. I want strength, not bulk... LOL

I had a one pound gain this morning, I'm sure it is water retention from the bag of popcorn I had last night but I was hoping for a loss. I know that as long as I stay under my calorie limits that there is NO WAY I can be gaining weight. Heck, maybe it is a pound of muscle! LOL As long as my body shrinks I won't be too upset with what the scales say!

IWMFT - thanks for the encouragement but it wasn't just one day. I ate terribly from Thursday night through....I guess even last night (but not as bad as through Sunday night). It's not going away whatever it is. Maybe I never really lost the 3 pounds. I agree with you that the scale doesn't mean everything, but all my clothes are still just as tight as ever too. I'm just not sure why I bother when I think I could maintain and eat 'normally' and be happier. Maybe I should just try that for a while and see what happens. Maybe it would at least be less stressful. Something's gotta give.

P.S. You are very photogenic - very nice senior picture. :)

Shyangel, when you stay "on plan" how many calories to you eat each day? Maybe you should play around with it for a week or so, some days more, some days less, to jump start your metabolism. As you lose weight your body becomes used to the fewer amount of calories, and your metabolism slows down which of course affects how much weight you lose.

It is up to you whether you decide to maintain for awhile or not, but you've come so far, it seems a shame to put your goals on hold for awhile. :(

I know you have it in you!!!

Hi everyone,
I'm singel, 23, and I live in Springfield, Va. I'm 5'3 and I weigh 180. Today is my frist day working toward a healthy lifestyle. I've tried all the low carb diets and they don't work for me so I'm working out and eating healthy. This morning I ate a healthy breakfast and went for a 30 minuet jog on my treadmill. It felt so good to be moving again.

Hope to get to know each and every one of you.

IWMFT - I think you hit the nail on the head. I don't really have a plan. I know I want to lose weight and be healthy but I can't get rid of food as a crutch. For now I try to exercise as much as possible and try to eat as sensibly as possible. I have tried to count calories but with 'concoction' type meals it is very difficult. I also get VERY hungry when I try to eat below 1500 calories a day. Over a year ago I had my diet (3 days) analyzed and they told me I wasn't eating enough (~1200 calories). I am an extreme person (black/white) and have a very hard time finding a good balance. I think that's why I either do really well or really badly, each part of the cycle lasting for a few days maybe. Thanks for the support, but after trying for 34 years I'm not sure I have it in me. Sometimes I think I am so knowledgeable and then other times I realize I don't have a clue. It's just so frustrating. How many calories would you recommend? How do you count calories for things that are not packaged or in a book? I just don't have the time or energy to spend hours a week figuring out what to buy, what to eat, how many calories, etc. Maybe that just means I'm not truly ready to lose weight. I don't know.

Welcome Butterfly! It seems like you are off to a great start. Sorry you're catching me during a bad time. I don't think I'm always like this and look forward to getting to know you too. :)

1500 calories is a perfectly normal, healthy amount. Especially if you are an active person. Most people lose 1-2 pounds a week on a 1500 calorie diet.

There shouldn't be that many foods out there that don't have the nutrition information easily available. Most food you buy (unless it is fresh produce or meat) should have the information on the package. Wal-Mart (and most bookstores) has a great book that is about $7-8 and has the nutrition information for just about every food you can imagine. It is the size of a thick romance novel, so it is easy to carry around. It has fast food, restraunt meals, fruit, veggies, meat, everything is in the book. You might not always be able to get the exact calorie count (depending on the food/brand), but you can come darn close.

By simply restricting your calories, not your food choices, it gives you a lot more flexibility to eat what your friends are eating, or to eat out with family. You just need to watch your portion sizes. You won't always know what the total calorie count is for a meal, but you can look up individual components and make an educated guess.

You are the only one that can say what is best for you, but I would give it a few more weeks on a 1500 diet before you make your final decision.

:grouphug:

Kathy and all...sorry I'm so late getting back here but I have been out of town for almost a week for my family reunion in Ohio.

As for your question, I think it was a combination of wanting to improve my health (especially my high cholesterol and blood pressure) and having dieted all my life and just ended up fatter. I mean, I'd "been there, done that" with the dieting thing and knew it didn't work. There is no way that you can go on a diet, lose weight, and then expect to be able to go back to eating "the old way" and not gain weight. Not gonna happen. So I knew it was time to do the lifestyle change thing and that's what I did. I armed myself with a lot of information and support (boards like this are great for both!) and started to change my ways.

I was already drinking a lot of water and almost no sodas, so that wasn't a problem for me. I changed from eating white rice/pasta/bread/tortillas to eating brown rice, whole wheat pasta and wholegrain bread and tortillas. I increased my intake of vegetables and fruits. I started exercising regularly. All of these changes together started to work...and continue to work.

I still treat myself with a burger and fries or something else I really want once a month or so, and I have 1 bite-size piece of dark chocolate a day, since chocolate just isn't something I'm willing to give up. I eat healthy the majority of the time and treat myself often enough to keep my motivation for going on. I've learned (the hard way) that depriving myself of all the foods I love all the time only leads, at the least, to falling off the wagon and, at worst, binging behavior.

So far, it's working well for me! And because I've lost my weight slowly, I really don't think that my eating in maintenance will be all that different for me (if and when I reach my goal weight) than it is now as I'm losing.

Thank you so much! I can relate to what you said. I am already starting to be able to tuck in my shirts and what a difference it makes. I have lived for so long in those long tunic tops (trying to cover it all up, ya know!) that it feels so freeing to show that I have a waist. For a long time when I started losing weight, I continued wearing my "fat" clothes to work...I wear suits and such and it was just too expensive to buy new clothes for every size lost! It wasn't until I started buying clothes that fit that my coworkers started noticing and going "WOW! Look at that waistline!" I wanted to tell them I always had a waistline...I was just covering it up because I had a big belly and butt around the waistline! LOL

I don't know what I want to weigh, but I just want to not FEEL fat anymore. I'm getting to the point now where I can wear more size 14s and that feels fantastic! But I still have a long way to go. I would love to be a size 8 but if I had to "make do" with a size 10, I could live with that! ;)

IWMFT2...I played flute in high school too! :) I have a copy of my flute portrait somewhere (mine's in band uniform, though). I will have to find it and scan it in and see if I can figure out how to load it here.

For now, anyone who wants to see what I look like can visit the "About Me" page of my website here. The pic on that page is from May 2004 and if you scroll down to the bottom and click on the link for 2002 vacation pix, you will see me at what was probably my highest weight or close to it.

hi
 

hey singles! welcome butterfly! glad you can join us :D

ang - i am not a good one for giving advice, but listen to iwmft because she seems to be making the most sense. and even though it was directed at you it helped me. i feel the same way you do so you are not alone. yet everyday i get up and say today i'm gonna do it. we have to keep trying. i look at it this way also, if i didn't at least try i would be the size of a house. i might not be losing but i am not gaining. i stay within the same 5lbs or so. i think we need something to focus on other than food. what can we do?? maybe we can put our heads together. maybe we can all do baby steps together, like agreeing to a 20 minute walk 4 days this week, no chocolate another week, etc...any ideas??? we can beat this together. there is strength in numbers. anyone game???

sheriava- i hope you had a good time at your reunion. it sounds like you are off to a great start. congrats on your successes and thanks for setting a good example! :cp:

my head is spinning from all the plans i am making for what i am going to refer to for now as the big takeover (BT for short) of my parents house. i have so much to do. i guess it's good because it is giving me something to look forward to and relieving some boredom.:dance:

well, getting tired. happy humpday to all!
kathy

ang- hang in there!! :grouphug:

Thanks for all of the support. I think I hav erealized that the biggest obstacle right now is that I am not dealing with my life (personal and professional) very well so trying to control eating is just too difficult. Although this is not logical, sometimes letting myself eat is all I can do to be good to myself. I know that I need to get my life in order (not sure how) and then I should be able to put more energy into controlling my eating.

Kathy - I am game for trying little things though - especially together. I am very black/white and good with tasks and goals so if we picked one thing I could concentrate on (a little thing) then I think I could do it. Please don't take away my chocolate though. :lol:

Kathy - I can't believe you just bought a house and now you are going to have to sell it. Do you like your parent's house better? Was this your choice? I just bought a house this spring and can't even imagine going through that stress again. Good luck.

SheriVa - you seem to have a lot of will power. Great job! Can you share the secret? :D It is nice to have people notice that you have lost weight though, huh?

Gotta get to work. Another hump day is here. I don't know if that is good or bad. ;)

Ouch... My arms hurt... :(

Actually, I'm surprised that my arms are the only things that are sore from my Monday evening workout. I really pushed myself... Tonight I'm going back, and I'm dreading working my arms, but maybe it will work the soreness out.

I've been staying on plan with my food and exercise. I'm getting a little frusterate because the scales haven't moved in a few days and I was really expecting a loss this morning when I got on the scales. I know it isn't a big deal, but with every loss (even 1/2 a pound) I get so motivated to keep going. I know that I won't lose everyday, but that doesn't seem to stop part of my brain from being disappointed.

I'm not dreading my workouts anymore. I almost enjoy lifting the weights... The treadmill however is another story... :p I've tried reading while walking, but that doesn't seem to help me because my vision "bounces" too much to read when I prop a magazine on the machine and I'm not coordinated enough to hold a book and walk fast, let alone jog. :lol:

I'm thinking of adding one more day to my workouts, Monday and Thursday do treadmill/cardio and arms, Tuesday and Friday do treadmill/cardio and legs. That way I could do longer cardio and weights and still get out of the gym in under an hour. We'll see how I feel next week.

I hope everyone is having a good Wednesday!

IWMFT - I think your plan to go 4 times a week to the gym is a good one. I hopeyour arms feel well enough to lift - be careful not to injure yourself. Do you listen to music while you jog? Are there televisions available? When I'm outside I don't want anything interrupting my thoughts (unless I'm running with another person) but in the gym the treadmill gets sooooo boring. Is there an indoor track at the gym or a path outside?

I was wondering how often everyone weighed themself? I agree that losses give you great motivation, but I get so down when there is no lose or a gain that I sometimes I think I should throw my scale out.

why the binges, why the sabotage???
 

Hello everyone. I hope you're all doing well or better with your weight loss. I'm certainly not. In fact, I've been pigging on sugar for the last few days. Today, I was clean until now but I went out to get some hard candies to end the day with and came back with them plus some chocolate covered almonds.

I don't know. I do so very, very well and then something happens that seems to say to me, "you're life is a joke, who cares about losing weight, nothing will change really." And then I'm back eating and eating and gain it all back.

I did better today than I had been though by saying, stop connecting things, stop feeling that a seeming kick in the teeth work-related should relate somehow to what you stick in your mouth. I mean, if I felt putting this in my mouth was going to benefit me someway then I could understand it but how is it benefiting me? Only a few minutes of a nice taste and then hate, disgust, all directed at myself for once again keeping myself stuck with the fat on me.

What to do? I mean life is always going to be full of nasty things, right? How to disconnect those and eating? Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I just need to change my life and the eating will change with it.

Oh, people, I hate to moan but I'm feeling so disgusted with everything and so utterly ignored and powerless at work. That is what is fueling this overeating.

What do you all think fuels your own when you overeat? Often by hearing what others do I can see how to help them and in doing so help myself.

***

shyangel -- you asked about weighing. For a long time I weighed every morning and marked it on a chart. But I found that I was much too affected by the numbers. Even when I knew I was losing fat if the scale didn't drop I would get upset. I've stopped weighing now for a couple weeks and it feels very relieving. However, I'm thinking I better start again because I'm afraid I will let things slip to where I've packed on the weight again.

I had used a pair of pants to assess my progress and still think that may be the best way. Especially because I've been doing a lot of weight training. I often feel so hulky, so strong and gross even when I realize that my pants are fitting better, that they're loose where they used to be tight. It's strange. I guess it has to do with feeling heavy or something. I think if you've not putting on too much muscle, not changing your body composition too much then it's a good thing to weigh often. When you weigh often and write it down you can see how weight naturally fluctuates by at least 2-3 lbs, times nearly 5! I don't really like the idea of weighing just once a week because if it happens to be an "up" day you're going to be very disappointed, thinking you should have lost something over an entire week and you probably have but it just didn't show on that one particular day.

shyangel, I hope you're having a better time dealing with life. This is my problem too. But think, you're here, you're making positive steps. Don't be so down on yourself. This is your masterpiece. Take your time.

fairytale -- good going on your workouts. it really sounds like you've been moving that booty! good for you! Don't be frustrated about the scale. How has your eating been? Do you count calories or stick to a plan? If you do and you've been on plan you'll definitely be losing fat and inches. I can't read while I'm doing cardio and I don't think you get much of a workout if you can. It does get super boring though so I usually listen to real hard rock music that gets me moving fast. The other thing that is fun is to invest in a heartrate monitor, the kind like a wristwatch with a strap that fits around your chest. There are no wires. It just picks up the signal form the chestband and you can do all sorts of things with the watch. Polar ones are good and they real cheap ones that don't do much but show you your pulse to real expensive ones that you can feed the data into your computer with. I'd look into them. They're great for recording your heartrate, training your heart and seeing how different intensities, durations, etc. affect your pulse.

By the way, fairytale, you are gorgeous! I wish I had a pretty face like yours. It would help me work on getting my body into shape I think. As it is, I look at my face and think, oh heck, what's the use? :rofl:

corning -- hi there. wow, two houses! sounds like a lot of hassle. yes, which one do you like better? was your parents' house the one you grew up in? how is your eating, weight loss going? I'm so behind here with the thread. Please forgive me for not being more personalized.

sheriava -- a waistline, huh? you lucky dog, you. I have never had a waistline, even when I was a kid. Can you believe it? The fat just seems to always have been there. It's one of my biggest body laments. I do so want it. It's because of this that I can't tuck in my shirts. I know some people who are a lot heavier than me and they have great waistlines. Oh, well. moan, moan, moan. . . .such are my petty laments. how tall are you, by the way?

Heh, I just checked out your pix. I saw the highest weight one and the latest and you look fantastic! You look like a different person and at least 20 years younger. In the high weight one you do look rather matronly. Now, not at all. Great going, kid! I love it. You're an inspiration. Now, if only I could do the same. . .

butterfly -- where did you go already? come back and chat with us, please!

I'm very short! 4' 6" tall to be exact. Makes buying clothes an extra SPECIAL challenge, believe me! Short AND fat. Every piece of clothing has to go to a tailor to have the arms or legs sawed off before I can wear it. :(

Thank you for the compliments on my pictures. Granted, it's not a gigantic difference but I feel and look better. Heck, it's a joy just not to have to look at the multiple chins I had in those older pix. YUCK! :dizzy:

As for looking matronly (OUCH! hehe), well I guess that will tend to happen when one gets over age 50. Some things in life are unavoidable and getting old is one of them. heh Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it! :lol:

Shyangel, in response to your question about how often we weigh, I used to weigh weekly (either at the gym or at work, both have a doctor type balance scale) until I bought my Tanita body fat scale at home. Now I weigh daily. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help myself. Actually, I find it illuminating because I immediately see the impact of what I'm eating. It has helped me make some adjustments to my menu and has certainly shown me how huge an impact that water retention from eating too much sodium can have!

Also, regarding willpower...it's funny you say that I have it! Because, my whole life I beat myself up emotionally for NOT having it. I would look at my mother and think "If only I had her willpower, I could lose this weight." Well, guess what? It was there all along. All it took was for me to believe in myself. I have coined this phrase of late that goes "Strength is a bottomless well...you need only believe to access it." The harder I worked at eating healthy and the more success I had (not JUST on the scale, but in cardiovascular endurance, lowering cholesterol, etc.), the more I believed in myself. The more I believed in myself, the stronger I got. The more willpower I could access. I really do think that's the secret!!! It may sound like bunk, but it has proven to be SO TRUE for me this past year!

Kathy--the reunion went fine but boy there wasn't a grain of healthy food to be seen there! LOL No salad, not even pasta salad. Lots of cheesy, gooey casseroles and that was about it! So I did my best. I actually did pretty well but did feel on the verge of going out of control on desserts because, man, that dessert table was like heaven!! hehe

Well... I'm finally back down to 193.5 after playing with a pound of water gain all week.... :mad: Maybe it is the weight training more than the salt... Who knows... Now tomorrow maybe I'll have a REAL loss.

My arms feel much better today, I think I worked the soreness out of them last night. :lol: I did 25 minutes at a brisk walk (3.2-3.4 mph) and lifted for about another 40 minutes. My gym in an interesting place to people watch... All shapes and sizes, including the "buff guys" who are trying to show off for anyone who will look at them. :rofl:

I'm so, so, so, SOOOOOOOO happy tomorrow is Friday!!!! And even happier that NEXT weekend is a long weekend! I love government holidays!!!! :D Three day weekends remind me of being in school... Ahhh... Back when there was nothing to worry about other than deciding if I should actually go to class. ;) I'd love to go back and do college over... I'd do a few things different.

******
Shyangel: I weigh myself everyday and take my measurements on Fridays. I know I shouldn't weigh everyday, but it helps me stay on track. I know that if I have a gain (even if it is just fluid) I have more work to do. It works for me, at least most of the time. I sometimes get frustrated if the scales don't go down as fast as I think they should, or if I have a fluid gain, but I just keep telling myself that everyone's weight fluctuates from day to day.


Redballoon: I'm moving my booty a lot more than I was before!!! I still haven't decided if I'm going to up my workouts to 4 days a week. LOL I'm still working on kicking the laziness habit... :lol:

:thanks: for the compliment! My family tells me that all the time, but well... They're family! They're supposed to tell me that. :lol: