Haha! True! No way is starvation maintainable - but it does sound appealing sometimes, along with some other occasional wild flights of fancy I have about faster weight loss. However, none of them would work, and none of them are very fun. :p:dizzy:

Welcome, hepzibah! I agree that the 170s are so much better than the 180s! But the 160s are way better than the 170s. ;)

175.4 today.

You know what I realized today? My sister (3 inches shorter than me and always-thin) wears size 9 (juniors) pants! I mean, she can also wear some 7s and 5s, but she bought two size 9s when we were shopping. That's the size I was at my lowest adult weight (~140-145)! She seems small to me, always has! - I did NOT feel very small.

Just goes to show I have no idea how big I am at any given time. Although now I'm sad I let myself gain back so much weight... But I WILL see those 140s again, and beyond. :yes:

173.8 today! Some movement!

I'll be out of town for the next week, so I may or may not be posting (the wifi is...spotty at best). Have a good week, everyone!

Yay Penny, keep up the good work!

I am here to brag I am officially out of the 170's at 164.24!! see you girls in the 160's thread *hugs*

175.2

Congrats to Penny on movement! And lostkitty, yay!

I am getting really discouraged. Sticking to it, but patience is an issue.

A friend suggested a "liquid fast" for a few days to get out of the 170s and I actually thought, "I wish I could," lol. I don't normally even wish to do those things.

I have a few new clothes I can't wear yet, so looking forward to that and focusing on the positive. Well, trying to. That's the goal! :)

Penny105--Haha. I completely agree. In my mind the 150s and 160s are bunched together, along with the 180s and 190s. The 170s is like the transition.

Hey, all! Still on vacation but I found a corner where I can get a signal. Thought I'd check in. :)

Stripes, I totally feel you. I am getting frustrated and discouraged lingering for so long in the 70s. However, the only way is forward (eventually). We know a quick fix won't work. Not that I don't think brief fasts can't be beneficial. But they won't take away half a decade of weight. We can do this the right way. We will both make it into the 160s - we CAN do this!

174.3

Thanks, Penny. Where are you vacationing? Please say anywhere but Florida so I can have a brief vicarious vacation. ;) (Or if I'm prying, just tell me to MMOB!)

I agree with hepzibah on the 170s as a transition thing. 180s and 190s are still Big Fat Blob territory, but 150s and 160s are Pudgy or A Few Pounds To Lose. 170s are like the Lost Decade of weight loss. For me, anyway.

In the low 160s I will enter a Normal BMI.

All the numbers mean nothing, I guess, but this is a mental game more than anything, so thoughts play a part. :)

I'm currently at 179.2 - can't wait to see 169 on the scale.. maybe in a month? we'll see!

Welcome!

That picture of yours is doing me no good, lol, but welcome!!

Stripes, I am on vacation in South Carolina. It's semi-camping, warm, near the water, and so far very relaxing. :)

I also agree with hepzibah and stripes that some decades seem more "critical" than others. The 170s and 160s feel like 'lost decades' to me now. The 150s (esp the lower half) and 140s feel way more important to me. Although I pass into normal bmi in the upper 140s. It is DEFINITELY a mind game.

Welcome to the thread, cheesecakebrownie! :welcome2:

172.4

Some progress! I bounce around so much.

South Carolina sounds heavenly. Hope you're having a wonderful time.

I've been doing some pool workouts every day. I'm starting to feel the hum of a body that does exercise. Hello, good feeling, I missed you!

171.4

Flukey, but better than bouncing up. I'll take it today!

I just got back today from my trip. It was lovely and relaxing! However, I fully anticipate being up in weight, because while I did not over eat even once (a first for me on vacation!), there was more salt than normal (definitely more salt). No idea what I weight right now, but my guess is around 176 something.

Wow, Stripes! You're almost out of here and into the 160s!

Edit to say that I realized that my scale is busted. I'll need to get a new one soon. Hopefully this weekend!

Still no scale. :(

I'll get one today or tomorrow! I'd like to get the same model.

No scale yet, but I haven't bought one because I think I can fix my old one. No need to drop cash on a new item if the old one is salvageable. With luck, I'll know what I weigh tomorrow. :)

How is everyone else's week going?

Meh, I'm at a stall. But had a crazy work schedule week and some worsening health issues. So at least it's just a stall and not a gain. :)
I'm sorta ok because once I hit the 160s I'm probably just going to be in maintenance. And the journey is over, it's just figuring out the balance of eating the right amount every day. I was sort of enjoying the challenge.

I finally fixed my scale and can weigh again. I figured I'd be up from being on vacation for a bit over a week. I am 174.8 this morning, which isn't too bad - just one pound up from before my vacation. Hopefully it comes off soon (and more with it!).

nickilaughs, I hear you on the stall. I've been in one for... well, way too long now. Hopefully it gets moving soon for both of us. :)
How exciting that you're so close to maintenance! :yay:

Yeah I'm excited. It will probably take me 3 months to lose those last 9 # tho. There's a lot of bounce right now. Yesterday I was 175. Today I'm 177.4. It'll happen, just got to keep it up.

Well, still in my Bermuda triangle range of ~174-176. I'm 175 today.

It sometimes gets frustrating to be on plan, exercising, and doing everything 'right' and still see consecutive gains on the scale. I know it's just water fluctuation; I need to look at the big picture rather than the now. And normally it wouldn't bother me (that's my loss pattern in general), but I've been freaking 174-176 for at least a month with no variation. I am ready to MOVE ON DOWN.

174.8.

174.8.

175, I can relate.the 170s is my slowest decade. But the weight comes off slower as there is less to lose. Im also eating closer to maintenance this week because I got sort of burnt out and I was told by my gi doc to actually cut out a lot of veggies. Hoping by my anniversary end of august I can claim 160s status

The thing is for me, the 170s isn't even close to normal weight for me, nor is it near the lowest decade I have gotten to before (that was the low 140s, and it wasn't that hard to get there or maintain there at all). There's no reason for me to be stuck here. Well, obviously there is, but I don't know what it is. However, I want the 160s too bad to give up. My body is playing prison rules with this weight thing, but so am I!

Also, I've felt pretty bloated the past few days. Don't know what that's about. Hopefully that'll clear up and take some weight with it.

Movement! I'm 172.2 today!

Woohoo - Way to go Penny! We'll start warming up a spot for you in the 160s thread.

Stalling is hard. I was just stuck for a few weeks in the low 180s! It was so frustrating, especially because I was just starting, which is when you normally see the most changes.

I was on this site with a different user name a few years ago (lost my pw and my email pw so I had to make a new acct) & was reading my old posts when I was maintaining. I was posting that I was worried that I was up to 139! Haha. I wish now! I didn't find it hard to maintain 135ish for years at all, so I guess that might have made my stall a little more annoying.

Scale is down to 176.0. Hopefully I'll be on the right side of the 170s soon and see the 160s within a few weeks!

Glad you saw some movement too Penny! you'll be in the 160s very soon! :)

I hope to be joining ya'll soon!! 183.2 here! :)

171.8 today!

Thanks, Chubabub! I want to get to the 160s SO BAD (mostly so I can move through those and keep on going).

Hello, HIheart! I agree that stalls are no fun at all. But if I keep my head and keep on plan through it, eventually they break. Thankfully.

Nicholsfamily, you're very close to the 170s! Can't wait to see you here!

Beware, a bit of venting is ahead.

So, I have someone I care very much about who several years ago lost a chunk of weight. She was very happy about it. Since then she regained some, maybe 15 lbs very slowly. I found out recently that she wears bras that cut into the skin of her ribs, so she puts a swatch of fabric there to make it hurt less.

I was concerned because I don't want her in pain. I didn't let on that I was concerned because she is very stubborn sometimes and refuses to acknowledge that she gained some weight and her bras are too small. If I brought that up, she would never listen. So I tried to be subtle and chatted about how old bras with old elastic can get uncomfortable, and that I had something that might give them a bit extra elastic until she could buy newer bras (she hates bra shopping). So I bought her some bra extenders and emphasized that they were for elasticity.

While I don't think she brought my story totally, she didn't get mad at me, so it softened the message from what I could tell. She even tried one and said it was nice because it relieved the pressure/pain. However, I found out since then that she won't wear them. She still refuses to wear things that fit well because she won't admit she's not the same size she was. While I can empathize with that (I've been through it), eventually I own up to it and put on bigger clothes, including bras. For me, comfort is huge, and it's a big reason I lose weight to begin with.

She has had cuts in her skin before from wearing too-tight bras, and I was kind of hoping she would have learned from that. I know there's nothing I can do if she won't do something, but I don't like seeing her in pain. She's a very good friend of mine.

Hi Nicholsfamily, cant wait until you're here too!

Penny, you sound so nice. I'm sorry your friend is so uncomfortable. Hopefully she'll become more aware soon :( it's hard to watch people we care about do things that cause them pain

So..... I officially had to retire my old pair of size 16 jeans!!! I bought them before a big family vacation 6 months ago and they're falling off and way too baggy. I've never had to buy a pair of jeans that big before except after just having a baby. I was just shocked. I'm now in a 14 and can't wait to be in a 12. One of my biggest milestones will be met when I slide into a 10, even though id like to maintain an 8. I'm so happy!!

Goodbye size 16/ XL!!! I won't miss you!

171.4 today. Still moving. :D

HIHeart, I have a very hard time watching her be in pain because she doesn't think she should be her current size. I want to shake her or hug her or something and tell her that doesn't really matter, and can be changed with time. But she would not take that well. I've thought about being weight loss buddies with her before, but I don't do so well with RL weight loss buddies historically. :/

And wow, HIHeart! Congrats on retiring your size 16s! It must be so exciting to be a size down! You'll be a 12 in no time! I agree that single digit pants look amazing. It took me until the low 140s to be a 10, so it'll be quite some time for me (my body loses weight last around the waist). Hopefully I'll be joining you in moving down to 14s soon!

175.2 at last weigh in... inching my way closer to 169.99999999

I weigh in again on Friday. I don't think I've been in the 160's for at least 20 years. It will be a huge accomplishment for me. Good luck to everyone!! you can do it!

171.8. This had better not be another Vortex of Standstill. >:(
I'm hoping to be in the 160s sometime next week. Fingers crossed! I also have to fight off slightly increased cravings (I usually get PMS-like symptoms around when I ovulate, which is now). But I can and will do it.

Cheesecakebrownie, you're halfway through the 170s! And aw, thanks! You can do it, too! We all can!

172.6 today. Still 100% on plan, so it's just normal water fluctuations. I don't love the end (or middle) of decade dance.

I always wonder on The Biggest Loser and shows like that how the women stay in the competition. I always seem to gain both when I ovulate and during TOM. And it's not just for a day, it sticks around! I'm guessing that they must take water pills?

Haha. I had to take off my size 14 pants after about 4 hrs yesterday lol. They weren't as comfortable after a few hours. But my 16s are definitely too big. I'm still happy! :D

Still above 175.... Sigh. But I've gone up on my calories sorta on purpose. I was a bit burned out. I'm not that much focused on a scale number, it's more fat loss percentage at this point. My gym has reward points for showing up and I have enough points to get a free hydrostatic body fat analysis. I wanted to lose a few more lbs to see how close I was to 20%. I know I'm somewhere in the high 20s at this point.
Hiheart that's great! The biggest problem with dropping is the need to spend money. I bought a bunch of new scrubs when I was in the 180s, I was down from XL to an L and then a month later they were all too big and now I'm a medium, even a small in some tops.
I sorta gave up on regular clothes til I'm at goal. Mostly just stay in yoga pants.

Inching my way along... weighing in at 174.2 last night! Keep going everyone... 169.999999 is just a little more effort away...

174.2 today! The calorie increase took a couple weeks but it paid off! 160s here we come! Just think, this time next month we can all be chatting it up in the 160s!

woooo nickilaughs... we are weight twins today!