Check this out if you're thinking that you've blown it with the calories.
It explains how you HAVE to eat to keep your bod burning calories and if you go too low everything slows down and stops.
Make sure you sroll all the way down and plug in your current weight.

http://www.naturalphysiques.com/tools.php?itemid=64
After you read this 1600 will sound great.

Only have a minute right now but will be back tonight with alot of 'atta girls.

Miss you chicks...
Diane

Hello Ladies!

I was invited by RalphMarie to check out this thread. Let me introduce myself. My name is Susan (or Sue), I will be 28 years old in June. I currently work at a middle school as an Instructional Assistant and I attend Cal State Univ full time. I live with my fiance and his daughter who have both been very supportive of my attemps at weight loss. I currently weigh 366lbs (as of this morning *big smile*)

When I started getting serious (assuming it wasn’t a false start hehehe) I weighed about 373lbs. Then I bounced around and my highest was 378lbs. I managed to get myself down to 365lbs, but on mothers day weekend I really stuck a fork in my plans and gained about 3-4 lbs back

I’ve guessed that I have been eating over 2500 calories, maybe even closer to 3000 calories a day. So I cut myself back to 2200 calories, and realized after I started keeping track of my caloric intake closer, that I can be happy at 1500-1800 calories. So I’m starting slow and working my way down. It’s working for me I can see it. I just need to exercise more.

Like many of you, I too have had problems sticking to that range, but it’s okie. I’m not going to let it discourage me. Just jump back on the program and do your best. For me, I found that if I go slow and now drop my caloric intake to fast, I will avoid throwing my body into starvation mode or slow down my metabolic rate. It’s slow as it is and I don’t want to risk that.

Well I think that’s a good introducation

Is this thread just like a daily chat thread?

I will catch everyone later.

Sue…

WELCOME SUE.........
yeah it is pretty much a daily chat thread we go to another thread after we hit 5-6 pages...... CONGRATS ON THE 13LBS WEIGHT LOSE THAT WONDERFUL.....
GREAT JOB EVERYONE
SPECIALLY U TARA 4LBS GREAT JOB.....
started my slim in 6 today
Start it up video 25mins it pretty easy however i did get my sweat going and had to take a couple breaks which is cool coz in the video she like u can take a break now or march in place if u feel to tired i liked that a lot.....
Everyone was saying the food guide was hard but i don't find it hard at all.... says to eat between 1200-1500 cals and Im doing 1000-1300 cals a days thats not bad
and i'm also trying the smaller portions thing and eating every 2-3hrs instead of three meals and one snack or two meals and two snack hehe .....

Hi Sue.....Welcome!! I hope everyone had a good weekend. Diane, i have a question about that link on your last post. when you put in your weight it tells you calories and thats how much you are supposed to eat to lose weight effectively??? Cuz it says I should be eating WAY more than I am.
Tara, you crack me up cuz your so much like I am. I also calculate EVERYTHING, including the 5 calories in my diet iced tea..... And at restaurants I am trying to do all these calculations in my head, or I just give up and order a salad, which I know is low cal.....
I am trying to teach myself (with my boyfriend , friends and mom's help) how to be less obsessive. I dont want to fall back into the pattern I lived with when I was in high school, which I may as well admit to myself was pretty much an eating disorder..... I started off healthy and then obsessed so much on calorie counting that I just gave up and would eat things like a certain number of orange segments a day, or grapes......is that crazy or what??? Oh the things we do to our poor bodies..... But now I am on the right track and staying that way.....with all your guys' help. I really appreciate all the support I get here.... Talk to you you all soon....

Whew!!!!
What a weekend, that man wears me out!!!
I always miss coming here and visiting but if I start its harder
to stop and get back to whats going on here, and I really like having
as much time as i can with him.

I'm so happy to see some new healthy losers here,
Welcome to PKWolfie and Sue Marie, I'm so happy you made it, we all love it when
new people come with new ideas, and fresh voices.
Please don't be shy, jump right in with question and comments and let us all know how we can help each other more.

CHERYL...lol yep, I know about ya'll's freak tornadoe mishap.
I love sugar snaps and i love raw snow peas also.
good luck with curves,it's inches that count,that fat to muscle thing can throw that scale obsession way off, making you think you're not losing when all thats really happening is that pesky fat now has a "new" name...muscle.
That was a great pep-talk-#32-So glad your here in our corner.

Quinn- that is soooo great on the inch gone, muscles are toning up.

Tara- I too am home all week by myself...HAVE to find other things to do to stay occupied,thats how I started painting last year, and now I have sold 6 of them online. Maybe you could search around at the library for a book on something you always wanted to try.Larry got me a nice sewing machine so now I am also making quilts for people in the family...keeps my hands busy.
Thats great on the 4 lbs lost.
About that link...Yes you could eat alot more and still lose...the loss may be a little slower if you're not really active.
If you weigh X amount of weight it takes X amount of calories per week to maintain that weight, any amount of calories less and you will lose weight, as soon as your body realizes that you have dropped down in calories a reajustment will occur and it will stop losingas fast and go into a "famine" mode thus thinking that times are lean and it needs to hold on to the fat it has...thus you raise the calories slightly the following week and you start losing again. This is called "zig-zagging".
You never go back up to the full starting X amount to maintain your previous weight.
This is why if you're going to start at 1200 a day,you should occasionally eat over this amount,especially if you hit a plateu.
1200 is on the low end and you need the nutrients that are provided by eating at or above this amount. Also its VERY important to do strength training to prevent lean muscle mass loss while losing weight.
This is why although I don't always take advantage of the 2 "free" meals a week on my plan I always do for 1 meal,I go over in calories,but don't eat any white junk.

Lisa-great speech on "expecting too much from ourselves, and creating extra stress", stress is actually related to weight gain,and its proven those who make it a lifestyle instead of a "diet", and take it at a slow steady pace keep it off.
I too had to stop the jumping on the scale 2-3 times a day, it drove me nuts,my weight fluctuated that many times a day (teasin' me I'm sure).
Once a week or less is far better. Especially around TOM's visit.

PEGGGGGG!!!!!We all have to face it...there will be times we are going to gain, and it may not be 1/2 a lb. heck you may have alreadt lost it again by now, that fluctuating thing again...stick with it, you will be fine,I have faith in ALL of us.

Nancy drew...hey you...I saw post #27..are you PLANNING a binge???/
If you are..plan it well and before you start come here first...ok???
I eat ALOT of rice, thats the mainstay of my plan...whole grains,rice,non-fat dairy,veggies,fruits,then I totally watch the fat and get PLENTY of fiber.
I eat potatoes about 2-3 times a week, I put no fat sour cream,or yogurt or nofat salad dressing on them. Or I have oven fries.

PK mentioned Frappucino's...I LOVE MY COFFEE..but am cutting back,but I found these and plan to try them...

FROSTY MOCHA

1/2 cup double strength coffee or
2 tsp. instant dissolved in 4oz warm water
(regular or decafe)
1/4 cup + 1 Tbl. non-fat half and half
3 Tbl. Splenda
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup crushed ice

Pour the coffee, half and half,splenda and cocoa poder in a blender.
Blend to mix.
Add half of the ice and blend briefly (bout 15 sec.) till ice is
incorporated.
addd the rest of the ice and blend a few seconds more.
Pour into a 12 oz. glass. One serving.

Calories:61
Carbs.10
Fat:0.5

CREAMY ICED COFFEE

1/2 cup Dbl. stregnth coffee or 2 tsp. instant dissolved in 4 oz. warm water
(regular or decafe)
1/4 cup non-fat half and half
2 TbLS. Splenda
1/2 cup crushed ice

Pour first 3 ing. into blender. Blend 5 seconds. Add
ice and blend briefly, about 15 seconds.
Pour into 8 oz. glass. 1 seving.

Calories:48
Carbs, 8 grams
Fat: 0.5

REALLY MISSED YOU CHICKS!!!

as always ur recipes sound yummmyyyyyy.....

Scorch...I also had something to say to you but i wrote my notes so small and I don't have my glasses on...I'm sorry, I certainly could never forget you.

Wanted to ask about those Slim6 video's...who and what is it...comon share....lol

Thanks for the coffee recipes - maybe I'll get to treat myself, yet! FitDay has been mentioned several times...there is also CalorieKing.com, it has more foods and restaurants listed, but you pay to use the logs etc (you can get nutrition info for free) - I sometimes use it to find a food I can't find on fit day - and keep it as a custom food on fitday. Have a good week ladies & take care of yourselves!!!

Good morning yall,
I had a good weekend, went to lots of yard sales and an estate sale on Sat. then walked my dog 30 minutes.Sunday me, hubby and dog went to the park for a long walk and came home and went rollerblading for 45 minutes. All that energy is not normal for me, maybe, just maybe, I have stumbled into a new lifestyle of healthy eating and living and my body likes it.
RalphMarie, no, I didn't binge all weekend, I didn't even want to, maybe b/c I was so busy. Lots of times I eat out of boredom. I ate chicken, fish, rice, fruit and sweetpotato this weekend. I did not drink all of my required water, it is so much easier to remember to drink it while it sits in front of me on my desk all day than if I am around the house. I must remember to drink water....I only lost 1/2 pound since Friday.
Also, RalphMarie, I sew too and two years ago I inherited tons of old funky fabric from my grandmother and have been meaning to begin a quilt. I refuse to make clothes for myself until I get to goalweight. So, you just rekindled my old idea, thanks! Do you sell your paintings on ebay? I can't paint a lick.

6 ft tall
5/10/04 (start) 195.5
5/17/04 189.5
Goal 165

Nancy Drew....
Wow you ROLL girllllll.
That is great that you're getting in so much exercise,having a dog helps me get out there more.
To get my water everyday when I go in the kitchen to eat a snack or cook I MUST pour a glass of water before I touch any food...my rule. I keep a cup out on the counter for this. So I never forget.

That is so cool about the material,and a lovely idea for quilts, I have a dress that my daughter wore when she was 4 and i'm putting that in hers.

I've sold 6 paintings on e-bay and 3 to friends, I am getting ready to do more...my chicken avatar is one small one I sold online.

Also don't get discouraged about the small loss, some of your fat is probably converting to some muscle with all that activity.
Till next time,
Diane

Hi! Hi! Hi to all April chickies!!!

just wanted to let you all know that I do still read this thread and you all have such great tips and tricks that i've really nothing to add.

Oh, but about counting calories -- I've found that just trying to keep my meals at or around a certain number (right now it's 600) works pretty well. I don't sweat it if the number is a bit higher because at the next meal the number most likely will be lower and it all evens out. This mostly works if you keep yourself to three meals a day plus maybe one afternoon snack. otherwise keeping track of the calories gets just too complicated. Well, for me it does.

See ya!!!

Quinn just you being here adds so much, alot of us just need to know that the continual support is there, please stick around and jump in where you can
Diane

morning ladies! I hope everyone is having a good Monday!
Ralphmarie-It's funny that you mentioned painting...that is definately one of my hobbies, I love to paint but I have yet to attempt to sell any...congratulations on your sells! I haven't painted for a while because I'm the type who needs some kind of inspiration and it comes in spurts. I won't paint for a month or 2, then i get a burst of creativity and I paint wildly for about a month etc...but thanks for the suggestion, maybe I'll get out my paints today!

Welcome Sue, hope you stick around! These chicks are really nice and supportive (as I'm sure you read)...

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions and input on the calorie thing... I know 1200 is a little on the low side, so I decided to "kick it up" a bit, and alternate days between 1200-1400 calories. since I am not really excersising right now (I know, I know) I figure the lower calorie range suits me better...when I kick up my excersise I'm sure I'll up my caloric intake a bit too...yesterday I ate exactly 1320 calories so I am still on track!
I also drink my weight in water daily, so the only thing left to do is get off my big ol' butt and do some excersise---I do some moderate walking, but no real "cardio" as much as I should...oh well, though, at least I am taking the first couple positive steps!

Have a great day gals!
Tara

267--5/11/04
263--5/15/04
140--someday!

mini goal--250

Thank you all who recommended fitday.com to me, it is so great. If you haven't checked it out you should.

RalphMarie, that is cool about your daughters dress, she will love that. My grandmother made me 2 quilts back in the 70 or 80's and all of the patches were from clothes that she and my grandfather wore. I really like your chicken painting and I am so jealous of those of you who can paint

So far today's food intake is going great and I am just a tad bit hungry, but it will pass. These evil women that I work with brought a walnut maple coffee cake and I looked at it about 4 times already (my water is in the kitchen) but I have not even really wanted it. I am looking forward to going to the gym after work.

I have already decided when my "reward" day is going to be this week so that is going to help me moderate all week. I won't go too far overboard though, just planning on eating red meat on Saturday.

Hope you all are having a great day.

I too have sometimes blockage on the creativity...but then I will go to the library or online and just look around...sometimes going for my walk helps clear my head.

Thats great about alternating the calories, and the reward.

tara your doing great.

Nancy drew,If I worked with the evil women I would find the yummyest, gooiest lowfat recipe I could and make it then take it into work and not tell them till after they ate it.
Then I would say what it had in it and tell them I'm so happy I can eat like that and still be healthy...maybe get 'em thinkin'.
You are being so strong....resisting temptation...good for you!!

I have a habit of finding something that works then just wanting to share it with the world.
Now when I notice overweight women in town I want to go put my arm around them and say"APRIL CHICKS ROCK, wanna join up"????
I'd probably get some good swift kicks in the u know what....lol