Ahhh Fru :hug: I worried about your knee too. It's such a downer when we run into these snags with our lifestyle. Are you still competing on Sunday at this point. Well, I guess it is a few days a way yet. But if you can't really bear weight on it, maybe it should be checked out first. :dunno:

Be careful out there girl.

I'm happy today again. So far no calls from the airlines so DH will be boarding soon. Last night I also downloaded the new Lucinda Williams CD West, and the boys are back in school today. All is good with the world today. :sunny:

Well I can bear weight on it, I can squat, do mountain climbers and I even managed to walk to the gym without much pain. I have a niggling feeling that my shoes yesterday didn't help much.

I am being very careful with it (hence the mountain climbers etc! :lol: ) I am very cautious if I do a new movement or something where I think it might hurt like a squat, but it seems to be ok doing them. I managed to walk to the gym ok, either it's getting a bit better (I've been icing it today and yesterday afternoon) or I've found a way to walk without aggravating it. :dunno: I will keep close eye on it tonight (I'm training :eek: ) and I'm going to rest Friday and ALL Saturday. I've told DH to hire a wheelchair so we can go do stuff on Saturday ;)

So the plan is to see what happens tonight. If it's ok by the time I get home then I won't go and see the GP - it takes about 6 months for a physio appt anyway so it'd be healed up by then. I'm thinking it might be a sprain rather than something like ITBS or some horrid sounding thing. :crossed:

Glad DH is coming back ok :hug:

Here's my update: I'm down 7lbs.

I know not everyone agrees with it, but I decided to try Medifast and it's working. My calories average 1000-1200 and I'm never hungry (that says a lot). It's high protein which I believe is why.

By keeping it around that calorie range, I should, according to the docs and nutritionists behind Medifast, avoid "starvation mode". And I eat every 2-3 hours which stokes my metabolism.

FWIW, an example of my nutrition breakdown: 41% protein, 35% fat, 23% carbohydrates. In terms of grams, I'm getting a minimum of 113g protein, 44g fat, 82g carbohydrates. Some days the fat is less and the protein higher, but I've learned my body really needs quality fats, so I keep things like olive oil in.

I did a lot of researching the diet and came to the conclusion that a) it was more important that I got the weight off (300lbs folks!) and b) what I'd been doing wasn't working and c) to counteract potential regain I would be building muscle all the while down so I wouldn't pull an Oprah. I figured I could give it a month and see how things go. Now I'm convinced I'll stick with it. It is very do-able.

I have to say, I'm very pleased with my decision. I feel confident in my ability to finally lose weight. I have no cravings, no hunger, and am seeing results (granted, a lot is water weight to start). I'm not obsessing over my intake or depressed over my inability to lose weight.

I'm feeling so much better, didn't realize how bloated I was! Honestly, that's what was bothering me the most physically, I think.

Anyway, I'm hoping to be down at least 50lbs by end of summer (my conservative goal), but I expect more. We shall see how things go. Hope y'all are doing well.

JerseyGirl, I hope it works for you. I don't know much about Medifast but the most important part is a good plan for when you go off their regimine. I believe they account for that and slowly take you off. Honestly, I like "dumb" eating plans sometimes where you just eat the same things without having to think. Thinking is what generally gets me in trouble :) That is partially why I have basically the same breakfast and lunch every day. The struggle of someone losing weight is difficult but it can seem quite impossible when you are over 300 lbs.

As for me, the extra lbs from my eating escapades of last week are finally gone. I know I'm struggling for many reasons right now. Partially, I'm scared to lose weight. I know that sounds silly but I don't know how it feels to be 250, 240, 230, etc. It is a huge mental barrier and I've broken through a few of them in my weight loss journey. What happens when I no longer have to wear plus sizes? Its already happening in my tops. Am I becoming normal after feeling so abnormal for my entire life? The world sees me as fat anyway, does it matter if I'm where I'm at now or 20 lbs less?

I debated about sharing this, but for any reader struggling, I wanted to share because maybe it would help them. There are so many misperceptions about Medifast (it's not shakes only and is not a very low calorie diet, just low calorie--there's a difference). I wanted to break those misperceptions for anyone on the fence about such a program.

To give you an example, I may have 1 protein bar, 1 protein oatmeal, 1 protein pudding, 1 protein chili, 1 protien shake, and 7 oz and 1 1/2 c veggies, 1 tbsp fat in a given day. That's great variety yet simple.

Why is this working for me and not traditional diets--I think it comes down to protein/carb levels and calories. What was otherwise prescribed for me (1700calories plus, simply wasn't working). And like you said Nelie, it does the thinking for me so I'm always getting the right amounts.

I was amazed once I joined to see who lost what, how well they maintained years later, how well it worked.

FYI, yes, they transition you off slowly and give clear guidelines for maintenance.

DH just called. Yep. Flight Canceled. He spoke with Delta from his hotel room. The first flight to Columbus that he could be assured a seat was Saturday. :tantrum:

He let me steam just a bit then said, "But I'm here at the airport booked for a flight to Cincinnati and I lined up a one way rental from Cincy to Columbus!" Ladies and Gentleman, THAT'S why I married THIS MAN! :love: He finds all the angles. :s:

I'm blowing off my workout today. (ducking for cover) I HAVE to get this house in order before DH comes back. We've just had one too many tent city movie nights in this house this week. I also just need some time to meditate quietly in my room for a while. I bought some new lamps for our bedroom. They have RED shades and I'm digging the new "ambiance". Time for the library, lunch, and my room before DS2 comes home to destroy my "balanced" state of mind.

JERSEYGIRL69: :wave: Nice to hear from you. I'm glad to know that you are feeling a sense of satisfaction with the Medifast option. It almost sounds from your message a sense of relief for you too. :hug:

No matter which plan you choose to pursue please keep us updated with how your workouts progress. Oh, and photos of all those great muscles as you grow them too, send them along too!

I'm just so excited for you. Good luck to you. Let me tell you, it's a challenge, but the more you get into it and the closer you get to your goal, the giddier you may become. Just a caution. Look for the thread about Fran cleaning lamp shades. The girl's just got so much ambition and energy now...;)

Right. Now, I have to clean up this place. I have a date this afternoon. :cool:

Lydia, that's so great that he's making it home. My boss was supposed to head out on Tuesday night to Philly and got canceled two days straight. He was TICKED but his wife called me hysterically happy because she didn't want what happened to your DH to happen to him. Enjoy your date and your angles.:o

Jerseygirl please please PLEASE keep us up to date on your progress. We all may not be on the same path but we are all looking for the same destination and we are cheering you on as you work to get to yours.

Fru, that's weird that your knee doesn't like walking but tolerates squats. Be careful.

Nelie, glad you got the last of those pounds off. Your mental struggle is not unusual, I think we all have them to one degree or another. :hug: But, it's not just about appearance, it's about doing all you can to live the longest, healthiest life you can. Good luck re-focusing yourself.

Hi rest of the gang. I'm in a FOUL mood today. I'm still tired from this weekend, my house looks like a tornado ripped through it and then each night it's been one thing or another, snow traffic, gymnastics, goofing off with the dance factory game (okay that's on me ;) ) and I've gotten to bed late, work up tired and didn't work out. DD is out of school tomorrow so I think I'm going to have her spend the night with her latchkey provider so I don't have to drop her off in the AM. With her gone, I can finish unpacking, do some laundry, get to bed at a decent time and then do a Bally's trip in the AM. My food hasn't gone completely to heck in a handbasket (no vending machine or fast food horror stories) but when I'm tired and out of sort, my diet suffers and I already feel that icky stomach feeling from eating one too many girl scout cookies. Thank goodness the box is now gone. I invested in a body building book to get additional ideas on weight lifting so I'll read over that while i eat my healthy lunch that I brought from home.

Tiki

My name is Fran and I am a food addict.

There, I've said it. Forget lampshades ladies, I am (scratch, WAS) on a total self-destruction path. As I suffered from my 7th irritated stomach issue this morning, I realized that an addict is indeed what I am. It's just like drugs or alcohol. For what OTHER reason would I have had 3.5 slices of pizza (cheese at least, already learned the greasy meat lesson), a 1/2 bag of buttered popcorn (grocery store bag kind, not microwave, so yeah, that's alot), 1 liter of coke (the real stuff guys) and about 20 oreo cookies (shoot me) last nite.

I thought I was better than this now, I have certainly done enough bathroom prayer sessions in the past to learn not to repeat this activity, and yet I did. I think it's boredom of eating on plan or something. What sane person would intentionally sabatage this way when she's doing so well??? (nelie, perhaps you and I need to have a talk about this). I'm so mad at myself, but happy that my body punished me with illness, sweats & clammies, headache, racing pulse and dizziness and lethargy. (your basic hangover symptoms, hmmm?) I'm still in bed, basically made the dd's some breakfast, but had to sit and lay my head on the counter while I waited for it to cook. No one else who ate the pizza is sick, so while I'd like to think this was food poisoning, it appears it was just more self-poisoning. What a total dohdoh.

I need to go back to living my life on auto-pilot and eating what I know works without thinking about it and allowing "choices" (common theme?). I haven't eaten yet today bc I'm just ill, but am up FOUR pounds despite all the pounds of sickness removed from my body. ugh

So why do we do this to ourselves? Is this just a setback that everyone goes thru, or am I truly mental?

Congrats JG on ending your torture and starting a plan you believe in. You probably don't know this about me unless you've read some really OLD threads, but back in Sept at 240, I started for the first month or so on homemade protein smoothie meal replacements 2x/day. I ate a healthy dinner with the kids. But I just felt like I lacked so much willpower (or whatever it is), there were too many choices, and I needed to do something that didn't require much thought. It worked for me and gave me a ton of healthy protein in my diet and gave me a good kick start. I knew that I needed to see big numbers the first 2-3 weeks to stick with it and make myself feel better. I did pretty well, even while lifting and building muscle, so there's something to be said for what you feel you need to do. I'm sure you'll do great with it, but please stick around bc you are still a LWL - we are all on different kinds of eating plans anyway.

Take care of yourself!

JerseyGirl - I too am happy for you. Not just because you lost a bit of weight, but because you sound so much happier and in control. Different things work for different people and if you're getting the right nutrition, you're not hungry and you're losing weight, then that's great! Feeling in control and like your efforts are getting you somewhere is so important. Good for you!!

I know people could comment on my eating habits too if they wanted to but it's my business not anyone elses.

Ah, the struggles of losing weight and seeing yourself in a different light is, I think, something we all have in common. And for those of us who occasionally fall off the wagon (and who doesn't) the key is how quickly you get yourself back on.

And I've beaten myself up many times for silly indulgences (Fran, I feel your pain). I think I spent a day on my last vacation worrying about this cheeseburger and fries that I didn't really need to eat late at night one day. It was so hard to let it go.

And Fran? Food addict? Me? Check! Stomach issues? Check. Closet eater? Yup! Even today, trying to eat healthy, I'm still obsessed with food...good or bad. What am I going to eat? What did I eat? etc. etc. I'm not sure I'll ever get completely "cured".

As for the good stuff - I did my power class last night after recovering from my weights session on Monday and tonight I'm going for a run after work. Tomorrow? Step class, I hope.

And I can't remember who suggested it, but I did pick up the new Oxygen magazine today. Maybe it will give me some new ideas and motivation.

I hope everyone is feeling good (or better ;) ) soon.

:D

Thanks all. Will always be a LWL because, well, I do. That's my intent so as to prevent regain, build muscle to handle the metabolic work for me, LOL.

Yes, feeling much more in control because it's doing what it should do. I'm pretty pleased with the nutrition and variety. I also have a standby--when a craving hits, I make an egg white veggie omelet and for the <100 calories, I forget what I was craving anyway.

Hi Fran,

Sorry you feel so lousy today but you are not alone. We all have done just what you did to ourselves at some point in time or another. Two years ago, the binge that got me off track started with something simple and before I knew it, I had eaten pretty much every type of junk imaginable and also drank some Mrs. Butterworth syrup as a chaser. It makes me so mad sometimes to think that my brother can eat pretty much anything on God's green earth and maintain a killer body, without even hitting a gym whereas I gain five pounds just spelling McDonald's (there goes the da*n scale again).

BUT the good thing and the first step is acknowlegement. By owning up to the problem / weakness / sickness whatever we call it, we can then make change. I'm sure you are suffering today but from this second onward, you can do better. Don't let lethargy today and tomorrow (if you still feel down) keep you from moving, exercising and getting back on track. I think it's Mel's signature that says something about failure isn't falling down but staying down.

Tiki

Yep, that's my signature and I've fallen enough times to have a LOT of scar tissue on my knees and elbows.

Fran, I think we've all been there or we wouldn't be posting here. Even reading how awful you felt, when I read what you ate, I seriously had to talk myself out of going and doing the same thing :crazy: The particular foods would have been different, but the effect and how angry and disappointed I'd be with myself would be the same.

JerseyGirl, whatever plan works for you is what you should do. If medifast is what works for you now and gives you a sense of control and the satisfaction of seeing those pounds come off, go for it! The nutritional percentages are very close to what I eat. I ate low calorie (verging on very low) while I was losing and I'm not sure I would have stuck out a plan that didn't give me constant scale and body size gratification. It's not what I'd advocate for most people NOW, but it worked for me and was the way I needed to do it also. You're right- stay with the lifting and pay attention to the maintenance transition! It might be a good idea to take "maintenance breaks" at regularly planned intervals just to re-adjust your body to healthy real food eating patterns.

Lydia- Glad DH is getting home. Tent city would drive me batty after two days. Hope you enjoy those RED lampshades and maintain your balance :yoga:

Today I did :ebike: first thing in the morning, then :strong: a back workout, then :tread:, trying to get rid of 1.5 mystery pounds that appeared while I slept. They really are a mystery and not one I'm happy about :( Clients are canceling left and right due to school delays and missed appointments and meetings from yesterday. I'm not going to make my numbers this month...I'm just glad I don't own a restaurant or a florist! Also did some much needed vacuuming cardio. I would sooooo love a one story house!

Mel

Knee and more about tractors
 

Just popping in before bedtime. You've all been so chatty! I can't keep up with you all. It's a roller-coaster, isn't it?

2F: didn't you race last weekend after not running for months? Perhaps your knee is in delayed shock and just needs RICE or TLC.

See you all in the morning!

EDITED to add this from sarahgrace on the UK forum: "If weight loss is a journey I'm stuck behind a tractor!!" :lol:

You are indeed right as always my dear :) I am thinking that perhaps not training for that 10K was one of the stupidest things I've done in a while :crazy: Maybe the next stupid thing will be competing with injured knee? :?: :rolleyes:

FWIW it's feeling completley fine this morning but I know it might come back again after I've been sitting a while. I've done some deep-tissue massage and I plan to get out a 2L pop bottle for some roller massage tonight and I'm RICING and I will be doing complete FA all weekend, so :crossed: that it's a sprain that will heal. I'm also planning on taking next week off kickboxing if it's still bad.

I've also been stretching out my ITB and I don't really know if that's helping or not since it doesn't feel to be doing anything. I think the reason I can squat pain-free is because I squat with toes pointing out but walking my toes point in more :dunno: It's a complete mystery and you must all be sick of hearing about my dodgy knee!!! But just be reasurred that I am looking after it and not being a complete doofus (well not too much anyway!).

I did some great stuff in the gym yesterday - pull-ups, dips, single OHDBP (I LOVE those things :love: ) and double OHDBP, then I did that 7 minute circuit, which, while not being killer, was quite cool for my abs and obliques (spesh after the single OHDBP). Then of course Mr Kickbox had us do about a million press-ups, which I did and now my upper body is nicely sore :)