My head was buried in my hands on the floor ... to stifle the moaning. And yes, I was hidden away from the unsuspecting public. My abs? They're there but nothing exciting. My shoulders feel good.

I need to get my act together and a bag packed. At noon (weather permitting) I'm off to take care of DD who had her gall bladder out late last night. What'll I do when she's sleeping? I know she has some dumbells because they're mine and she took them home! And I guess I can walk to find her some clear fluids ;)

I wanted to respond to the points above and a few of your questions.

Re: "eating like everybody else", I don't mean eating junk. I mean, eating something as simple as a regular meal, not a treat. I find the only way I lose is when I go no/very low carb, and I also find that hard to maintain. I'm not desiring to have the examples you gave, like let's say Starbucks every morning (I am astonished at those who do when the "coffee" they drink can be a 600 calorie "dessert"). I'm not even saying about overeating. I just feel like I can't eat normal. I can't have what many would consider a real meal. I have to have 1/4 of that to lose weight.

Example. Here I am 300lbs and I have a coworker who is 190 and on Weight Watchers. She eats within her points and is able to eat in the company cafeteria. But I really can't. There's no way to make the salad bar as light as I need it unless I go for something truly plain, and boring; no way I can have that sandwich, or that cooked meal because it's way too much. And I am not strong enough to order a meal and only have a nibble.

I feel like I am the one who has to live on egg whites when someone else can have an egg sandwich and potatoes. I have to have a light salad when someone else can have a meal. I have to snack of fruits and veggies and quick proteins, and they can go grab M&M's.

Every morning I walk my dog and on garbage day, I pass this one family's garbage can. Since they lost their top to it, I can walk by and see their garbage, the empty containers of junk food--and yet this family, while the mother is overweight, weighs 100lbs less than me and I don't allow that junk food but once a month, if that.

It does a number on me mentally, that's all.

As for the injury, it happened last Saturday, and I think is starting to heal, I think I "strained" my hip flexor/area, and I've decided to take the weak to heal and then get back to my routine. If it doesn't heal, I will go to the doctor.

JerseyGirl - I can completely empathize because I have been there and continue to be there until this day.

To be honest, that's why I started to workout recently. Not necessarily to lose weight (although that would be nice) but to increase my metabolism by building muscle.

When people ask how I lost weight (i.e. my doctor that I mentioned the other day), I say that I totally changed how/what I ate and how much. If I'm being honest I do admit that by some standards I am sure that I ate/eat too little. My doctor asked me if I'm hungry a lot and I had to say yes. This is not great and I'm working on finding foods that will fill me up and give me energy without increasing my calories (i.e. my questions to everyone about what eating clean means to them).

I'm always trying to learn more and do better but I have to admit that I have the reputation around my office to be the "crazy eater". I simply cannot eat what my co-workers eat and I rarely join in on any eating out. I have had to drastically reduce calories to lose weight.

Again, not recommended for everyone and I definitely don't mean that I starved myself but, like you, I can't even eat what other people consider to be "diet quantities". I simply will not lose weight. I accepted it and still found ways to satisfy myself.

So, my point is first, that you're not alone and second, that you can do it with the right foods. And (unlike me) you don't have to be hungry!

I am also constantly looking at other people and wonder "how do they eat that and look like that?". Like Lydia said, for some people it's a rare treat but I know I work with people who can regularly have Mc Donald's and are quite thin. So some people are luckier than others when it comes to food and metabolsim. Nothing we can do about that! Except hit the gym!!

:D

JerseyGirl - I have a suggestion for you to try. I too, am a person who as a rule, can only lose weight if I eat very low carb. Which for me used to mean absolutely no bread, no ww crackers, no white potatoes, nothing processed in anyway.

Howerver, I recently read YOU: On a Diet, by Drs. Oz and Roizen, as featured on Discovery Health and Oprah. One of the things they stress is the elimination of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from your diet. I decided to try that plan, and I've been delighted to find that if I have whole wheat/grain bread and crackers that do not contain HFCS, I CAN eat them and still lose weight! This has made life SO much easier for me - I feel like I'm splurging all the time because I went so long without these things.

Now, they are not easy to find - especially bread products, but if you look hard enough, they are out there. I still can't really eat potatoes, but I can have sweet potatoes, so that's not too bad. Brown rice is fine as well.

So, maybe trying to eat this way might help you to feel better about the things you can eat? It's worth a shot, if you ask me.

I know, it doesn't seem fair that we can't eat the stuff that others can, but it's just the genetic/heredity hand we were dealt. But, I try to look at the positive aspects of that same heredity - I'm healthy as a horse, I have big muscles that respond quickly to training, I have never been "frail" - I have great bone density,... the list goes on. But the bottom line is that I'm never going to weigh 130 pounds, no matter how hard I try. But I can look darned good at 170 and that's what I intend to do.

I guess I'm trying to encourage you to embrace the body/metabolism/genetics you were given, and accept it for what it is. Thinking this is all unfair won't help you in any way to achieve your goals. I read that in a Dr. Phil book about 5 years ago, and it really stuck with me. I learned that I just needed to accept my situation for what it was/is and do the best I can with it.

Do you like to cook? If so, I can help you with recipes - I have a ton for things that can be used for both dinners and lunches (it's best if you always bring your healthy, on-plan lunch to work). PM me and I can share.

Cindy

PS - I also think you may be eating too few calories - have you tried increasing across the board and/or zig-zagging them from day to day? With all the activity you do, you need to fuel your body, or else it will go into starvation and hang onto it's weight for survial!

I am here! Good morning all! I got in TWO HOURS of cardio yesterday!!! wow

I did one hour in the morning and then one hour last nite, a little bit of making up for some time on Mon & Tuesday when I was fighting off something and decided to use my energy for that instead of working out. But I feel better and I'm back on track now!

I have been able to find w/w bread in the regular grocery that uses brown sugar instead of ultra-processed hfcs. Only 1 gm sugar per serving. It's good too! It's Nature's Own 100% ww if anyone wants to look for it.

Have a good day everyone.

Hello!

I'm here! I'm kinda snowed in and haven't been to work. I'm feeling really sleepy with a bit of a headache - we had a slight late night last night since we went to see Rocky Balboa. It was really great but I'm quite annoyed (or maybe I'm getting old) that the film was really noisy! I think the sound was turned up too high or something, or maybe we are just getting old! :lol:

I was thinking about doing some shoulder work today but I'm still a bit tired even after a nap. I think maybe I do need to get moving though! I went to the supermarket in the snow this morning but apart from that I've put 3 loads of washing in and not a lot else!

Oh I've been playing around with my ipod! I managed to get songs onto it, and it's charging now so I can take it to the gym tomorrow. :D

Hi all,

I'm still in an evil mood :mad: but am trying hard to shake it. Good job on three hours of cardio HRBabe. Very impressive.

JerseyGirl, I feel you.

Fru, can you do 3 loads of my laundry too? I'll even pay.

Nelie, where ya at? I haven't seen you over here in a few days or either i'm nuts and missing your posts. maybe both. who knows?

Lydia, good luck with last years suit. If DS2 can't stay, I feel sorry for you cause he really is going to be one unhappy camper.

Hi ere body else. Oh well, I bought an audio book today to listen to while I work to help keep my mind from wandering. We will see how it goes. It's just so QUIET in here it drives me bananas.

Tiki.

Oh about swimsuits - I seem to do quite well with Speedo ones, with a racer/crossover back type thing. The legs are quite low and the neck is high enough so that you don't fall out (happened once :o )

Tiki, I'm here! I read but don't always post. I've been majorly slacking in exercise too... bad bad me. Work and school have been busy so I need to figure out how to work around those.

I'm back, and would you believe - no one cleaned up all my work while I was gone! :lol: And to add to that, I have heating and IT guys pulling wire all around me....

Lydia, I think you'd better wear that suit as long as you can get it on! :) I currently have 2 - both of which I have "issues" with. One is just too small - sigh - and the other, while it fits, is a Wal-Mart special and I hate the print! Fortunately, except for vacations, I have very little occasion to wear one.

We have weather in the mid-20's, and light snow today. Not expected to amount to any thing "they" say. We'll see. My car is having new brake pads installed, so I'm wheel-less today. I have a haircut appt at noon, but it's close enough to walk.

:wave: Have a great day.

Okay so I have a little better idea why I am so evil. I looked at my average caloric intake for the last month and its a whopping 829 calories, percentages being 48;33;19 P;C;F. Perhaps I need to make sure I eat more?

Tiki

Hi JerseyGirl69 :wave:

I'm so glad that you responded! :hug: My reference to the frozen mocha drink was a bit extreme. I'm sure there out there though. :s: :rofl:

Listen, I just wanted you to know that I do know how difficult it is to eat differently than everyone around us. The mind games are horrible. Hence, my reference to anyone leaving the coffee shop with a shake and bagel story. (It was one of my favorite guilty pleasures, here comes the food porn Nelie, mmm Mocha coffee cooler with a salt bagel and plain lowfat cream cheese :drool:) Okay, maybe not everyone's thing. It was one of my poisons.

Again, it wasn't until I could take my focus and thus power from the food I was eating or wanted to eat and placed that focus upon the workouts did I make any real changes. One of the things I realized along the way was that I workout differently than others so in exchange I must eat differently too. Now when I have to "special order" something in a restaurant and everyone is "looking" :rolleyes: at me I just think. "Yeah, well you aren't going out for a run later this afternoon or having to my UBWO in a couple of hours." If I were to eat the way I would have in the past I would get cramps like crazy or worse :barf: half way through the workout.

I wish that I could make it easier or share a "secret" of some kind with you, but I can't and there isn't one. I know you probably aren't looking for that either. But if you just keep trying consistently we will hang in there with you and applaud your efforts along the way. Please just don't give up! Maybe play with the caloric levels by zigzagging them but please don't go as low as 1200 just yet. You have already done a fantastic job of changing your measurements. This took effort and you must feel proud of that change.

Good Luck JerseyGirl69 and keep us posted.

TIKI: Geez girl. Eat something will ya. Like right now. :kickbutt:

B4LCat, I know a lot about eating clean and eliminated HFCS from my diet long ago. However, I find even eating complex carbs, like Ezekiel Bread or yams, I hold and hold and hold the weight.

I feel like all I can eat is greens and fish and chicken and that's friggin' boring, no matter how much you try to jazz it up.

I've done the faux mashed potatoes using cauliflower. I've got more seasonings than I could ever use.

Just at the end of the proverbial rope.

Hey JG --

How about going to see an RD (reg. dietician) to see what's up with your metabolism and eating plan? I would give it one professional try (skip the dr, they don't have enough time to spend with you) before you try something drastic. There's got to be an answer that those of us not close by you just can't figure out. If you're in an HMO, your primary may even be able to give you a referral to get the visit covered w/just a copay. I would try to find a RD who talks about being aware of fitness and working out as well, if possible. Do you think that would be helpful?