I'm sitting here with jelly legs. I switched days around so that I could do something other than legs with my once a week trainer, and near killed myself in the gym this afternoon. My food timing was really off, and I was practically hysterical from low blood sugar by the time I got home and into the chicken and oatmeal. Did lots of different exercises, so I'm sure I'll be walking funny tomorrow.
Revely- For salad dressing, when I used it at all, I make a vinagraitte with udo's or flax oil and red wine vinegar. You'll be surprised at how quickly you can get used to "naked" foods and how different they taste when not covered in dressings, sauces, etc. Love your friend's response to nasty comments, I'm more tempted to key the car. Or just stand there, mouth gaping, wondering what to say.
MrsJim- As an Ansel Adams fan, that is my favorite tree in the world. I was devasted that it was no longer standing when we were there last month. BTW, the Ahwahnee was not nearly as formal or as good as I expected. I wore a casual dress, Jon wore khaki's and a shirt. The prices were horrendous, but it's location, location, location! Our absolute best meal in Yosemite was the grilled chicken-pesto pizza and pitcher of beer from the pizza place in Yosemite Village after finishing the falls hike. Had to re-hydrate, ya know
Hi Colleen! Glad you enjoyed your trip and missed the hurricane fun. So you didn't try the haggis? I don't blame you; I've seen it, but never swallowed.
Back to the "mothers" discussion: My mother and I are just about the same size and I weigh almost 30 pounds MORE than she does. Part of it is bone density. About 8 years ago, she discovered much to her dismay, that she had advanced osteoporosis. Drugs and exercise have helped some. She exercises and lifts, but not to failure, and can't seem to pack on the muscle like I can. The part that makes her really mad is that although I weigh so much more, she can't fit into my jeans. One of the reasons that I lift so heavy is that I never want to be in my mother's shoes.
Perfectly clean day so far, and I swear I'm going to bed if I get the urge to eat, even if it's 7:30!
Meg: I don’t know about perfect but they will do for me! Um no Ilene is borrowing my menu for a little while to give it a try. As for the strength issue THAT reminds me of something I was disgusted with recently. When I was at the airport waiting to check in last week this little old lady in front of me couldn’t get her bag on the belt. As soon as I noticed it I started walking towards her to help her. I took 3 steps and was pushed out of the way by the guy behind me in the queue. He went and helped her and just looked me up and down on his way back. He obviously thought that I wouldn’t be strong enough to help her – I couldn’t believe it!
Colleen: great goal.
Karen: sounds like you had an awesome trip.
Jenn: I watched Alias last night and I like Jennifer’s back actually but her arms are thin. Angelina Jolie isn’t too bad in Tomb raider but she is still quite thin – it’s her frame though. I don’t think she could get very muscular even if she tried.
Revely: I eat my salad plain or with a tablespoon of Udo’s mixed with a tablespoon of FF Italian dressing. I usually like it plain though – but I have never been a big fan of dressings.
Mel: sounds like a great workout! That is one of the reasons I weight train as well – to stop the body from deteriorating on itself especially bone density and arthritis.
This week is going well so far. I had cravings last night but I resisted them. I ran out of chicken as well so I cooked up some fish for my last meal (I will edit the other post) and today I have run out of everything so I have scrambled my meals together but I am determined to keep it clean. I will post my meals separately. Yesterday was a rest day and today I have chest & abs. I may throw in some cardio as well if I feel like it. I don’t get too hung up on cardio at this stage because my diet does most of the work for me in combination with my lifting. I was going to go to the hospital to see my neighbour (she just had a baby) but apparently the C-section was very traumatic for her so we are leaving it for a few days so she can recover. My other neighbour is having twins in 10 days and she is really suffering at the moment. I feel very ‘lean’ around those 2!
~Hey Sista, Whale Sista.... dah dah dah dah..... ~ Got the tune too funny Meg!! When I tell my mom that I will still be exercising at 95 she says ..."wait and see when you're my age! (75) And see if that holds true......I won't be around to see you, when you're 75, you'll see things will change yadda-yadda-yadda..." I agree things will change but I WILL be exercising even if it kills me...
~ Jennifa ~ Cat's name can't be Miss Rosa Nose, unfortunately it's a Bob!! She is a He I am used to female cats, I hope this one is nice... Even the secretary at the vets had to take a second look he doesn't show much luggage .. He is a cutie tho.. Our other cat IS having a cow... the hissing is down a bit tho, but she's tense all the time, you can feel it in her neck... We laughed the other day, the big cat was barricading the door so as to not let the kitty go by, and the kitty was meowing so loudly... Too cute...
~ Laural ~ Did I miss sending you balloons? Dang!! I must stop skimming the posts so much... here they are hun...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
~ Revely ~ I could never say that without being sweet, so I just shut my mouth, actually I think my mouth dropped open!! I use only 1 tsp of Ranch or other flavorful dressing with 1 tsp of Udo's oil... Udo's is very oily and spreads the thicker dressing quite far...OMG Revely!! I almost forgot to give you the LWL welcome!!
HI and WELCOME Revel., we at LWL LUVS NEWBIES...
Meg why didn't you remind me?
Food wise I feel off the wagon a tad, well maybe alot late in the afternoon... Here's my story, I worked at a school today that I have never worked at and there is a bowl of hard candies in front of me!!!!!!!! I know it's not at excuse, I thought I could have ONE but NOOOOOOO I ate quite a few... THEN when I got home I was famished and at some crackers at least 10 when I was preping supper.... grrrrrr.... I'm ANNOYED with myself ... I had chicken and salad for supper... But on the UP side my workout was good today, I hope I'm sore tomorrow, my g/f didn't like the workout at all, I personally think she doesn't work hard enough...but not much I can do about that, I WILL work hard... A second up side is that the scale was down this morning by 2#, but don't have a parade over it, I fluctuate so much, I don't get excited about 2# one week, because the next it could be gone...
~ Mel ~ I’ve had the blood sugar thing happen to me too it’s an awful feeling...
Well later girls, have a good evening...
Last edited by 3fcuser1058250; 09-29-2003 at 07:27 PM.
Well.. I had a crazy week and managed to stay on track with the eating and workouts....
This week is on track so far too! yay!! I sure miss posting regularly with you girls!
Slow and steady loss... It has been a year long journey for me now and a scale loss of 8 kgs (about 18 lbs) but the key is that I have kept it off and it feels awesome to do that!
My Sunday was spent on the motorbike, I did a training day with the men who train the Victorian police bike units. Very intensive and long day, I was soooo tired when I got home. I had to improvise for lunch and meals yesterday because Sunday is my day to get ready for the week... well.... I was asleep about 20 mins after having a shower immediately after walking in the door. Hubby went on his motorbike for the day with the boys down the Great Ocean Road. So he was not even at home to help me out! Good think I keep a stock of frozen emergency meals!
Moms... well mine is in a different hemisphere and she still manages to drive me crazy! I love her to pieces and miss her so much, but every week when we talk on the phone, she drills me about my exercise and weight. She lost alot of weight about 10 years ago and has worked to keep it off, she is a walk-a-holic even when it reaches -30C in the winters in Northern Alberta!! She does not lift weights at all, but has been told by her doctor she should, she has a tough time with getting her blood taken. My mom had a non-cancerous brain tumour 3 years ago and has had to go for extensive testing throughout the last few years, so she has had some tough experiences with getting her blood taken. I told her to get the BFL book and go to Wal-Mart to buy some weights... or she could lift some hay bales.... if Dad ever made the small ones instead of the big big round ones!! Now that would be STRONG!!!
Well... it is Tuesday morning here, my boss is out of the office today, so I best be digging into the pile of papers because this is my only chance to get ahead until he goes away in November.
OMG.... I almost forgot the BEST news!!! I have a friend over from Canada and she is backpacking all over Australia for 4 months, we are meeting up in Sydney on Oct 25-27!!!! I have not done a 'tourist' trip to Sydney yet (2 years here!!!) so I am really really excited. I already plan to do the bridge climb!! I might have to ask for some advice on accommodation, we want to stay in a hotel in the city (my friend is staying in hostels for 90% of her trip) so I need to get organised this weekend when she gets back to Melbourne from Adelaide!!! Very exciting!
Revely - re salads: I actually (tsk, tsk) use any regular old dressing that's low in sugar. I put just a tablespoon onit, and shake it in a tupperware container (ala McDonalds salad shakers) - it coats all of the lettuce pretty well, and I end up using a lot less dressing than I would if I were to just pour it over the top of my salad. If I'm feeling especially BFL diligent, I'll just use a little bit of lemon juice as a dressing, just to avoid eating a dry salad (And I am SO jealous you went to college in London! My bro is at the Strathclyde University - at least I think that's the name of it... it's in Glascow).
Ilene: I hear ya on sparing the weight loss parades. I can fluctutate by as much as 5 pounds in a day. I don't even know why I bother weighing in anymore - it's really just curiosity more than anything else, I suppose.
Kanola: as much as I try to take the same work attitude when my boss is away, I just can't fight the urge to play! actually though, I get a ton of work done these days since I've started hiding behind a closed office door. What a splendid invention, those doors
Say it aint so... my mom is talking about doing Atkins... she said to me on vacation, "Do you see how little I eat? How is it possible that I'm getting bigger?" tsk, tsk... you would think the fact that I've lost 90 pounds would be evidence enough to back up my "you gotta eat!" rant... of course, i get the "well, but you work out a lot" response. true, but even on non-workout days, I can easily consume in excess of 2,000 calories and not see fat gains... I give up. I'll just continue doing what i'm doing, and try to serve as an example. My words aren't doing the trick! :P
Well thanks for the wishes, everyone, but it's not my birthday, actually! My birthday was on the 17th, so I'm not quite sure how and why... but it's very nice of everyone anyway!
I had a great workout this morning at the gym after dragging myself out of bed at 6am(unlike some people, I am not a morning person!) I've had yogurt and tuna for breakfast, chicken-vegetable soup for lunch and will have fish and vegetables for dinner. Sugar-free jelly and lean cold cuts for snacks.
I am turning a little green hearing about everyone's vacations! I haven't had one in ages, not even a weekend at a country resort. Oh well, summer is coming up soon...
I have a question. You ladies on this board seem very happy, healthy and well-adjusted. I know that some of you have had problems with eating disorders, but obviously you've overcome it to a large extent and that's great! Personally, I've been on a diet since I was 12, and have been eating disordered for just about as long. I'm in my second year of university now, and I'm really sick of this, really tired of food having control over me. I guess the question is, how did you manage to regain control? I'm currently seeing a counsellor, but not for ED. I'm considering seeing a psychiatrist for ED, but I'm not certain if it will really help. Any thoughts?
Laurel: Yeah, I'm happy, but to this day, food continues to be a huge factor in my life - and I don't think that I ever really stop thinking about it. I *do* like to think I have some control over it, but I slip all the time. The difference is that I can see a slip-up for what it really is - a temporary loss of control... not a reason to feel bad about myself or a chance to say, "hey, I've already blown today - I may as well live it up and eat some more!" If you think that you need to see a counselor about it, I say do it - but I just wanted you to know that at least one happy person on this board isn't as far removed from the "food control" mentality as you might think. I do think that the fact that you realize your problem for what it is is a huge thing. Personally, it wasn't until I really started seeing some weight loss success that I started to gain control - even the smallest successes were enough to convince me that I can control my body, my health, and ultimately, my life. When I was fat (well, fatter), there was an extreme victim mentality present on my part. I always felt victimized - by my relationship with food, by other people's reactions to my weight, by my OWN reactions to my weight... I don't feel that way anymore. If I overeat at a meal, it's because I was hungry, and gosh darn it, I deserve to enjoy good food every now and then. You may find that your relationship with food changes on its' own over time, but if you feel that you need to speak to a professional about it, then you do what you have to do - you're happiness is worth the time & cost, right? Just my .02
Good advice as always from JC!! I spent a fair bit of time this morning on hold trying to book 'budget' rooms in the CBD!! We are paying a small fortune for a room at the YWCA!! Sheesh! I am so happy we used our frequent flyer points for the flights! I did not realise it was Rugby time..... ooppss. Oh well... how often do you have overseas friends here? Not that often for me! he he he
Food will Always be a big factor for me, as soon as I slip and go into fast food mode, junk food, soft drinks, take away meals, I instantly stack on the pounds. Fact of life for me. If I stop exercising the weight comes back as well. So my choice is to eat healthy, exercise, stay motivated and then I slowly move towards my goals.
Back to work again..... It is becoming a 'slack' day!!
Colleen, that was a terrific answer to Laural’s question about food and control issues! I agree with so much of what you said.
For me also, it’s all about control — controlling the food rather than letting it control me. I think that most of us who are or were significantly overweight have an “eating disorder” and, for me at least, that never goes away. Whatever issues I had with food at 257 pounds, I still have today. But I’ve learned the one Great Truth: my hand is what puts the food in my mouth. I have total control over and total responsibility for what I eat. That was a huge revelation to me and still is the cornerstone of my weight maintenance.
So regardless of how disordered my THOUGHTS may be about food, I don’t have to ACT on them. Sure, I may think about eating a dozen chocolate chip cookies but the thought doesn’t mean that I have to do it. Colleen brought up a very good point — just a little bit of success is tremendously motivating because it shows you that you have the strength to overcome the destructive thought patterns and habits of a lifetime.
I doubt that you’ll meet a happier person than me — and I still struggle with my food demons, on a daily basis. But it’s a battle I know that I can win — I've built up a track record of success that I can draw strength from when I’m plagued with food cravings. I look back on how far I’ve come and ask myself if I really want to give it all up for some stupid cookie that’s gone in 15 seconds.
I believe that Dr. Phil once said something like you aren’t ready to lose weight until the pain of being overweight outweighs the pleasure of eating. That’s pretty much how I look at it now when I get the inevitable thoughts about binging or eating the wrong foods — it’s an analysis of the pleasure versus the pain. The pleasure of out-of-control eating (the taste of the food) is completely outweighed by the pain it causes (the weight gain, negative thoughts, loss of control). I have to remind myself that food tastes good for what? — 30 seconds? but the results stick around for much longer!
Here at LWL, we’ve talked before how 98% of weight loss happens in your head — so much of it is mental. I had to come up with strategies and self-talk to deal with the inevitable temptations that come along every day. We live in a world of food, most of it junk, so isolating myself from bad food choices was impossible. Living this lifestyle every day continues to teach me about when my tough times are, what the difficult situations are, how to plan for them, what works, what doesn’t. I am constantly learning something new about myself and coming up with new strategies. It’s a lifelong process — there’s no endpoint and I doubt that there’s a “cure” for whatever eating disorders I have.
Laural, I completely understand what you’re saying and perhaps seeing a professional would be an important step for you in regaining control over eating. Ultimately, though, the power lies within us. We aren’t passive victims with no control over what and how much we eat. We make choices about what we put in our mouths — and we’re strong enough to make good choices and responsible enough to acknowledge when we make bad choices, learn from them, and move on.
Meg and Colleen ~~ Great posts....as of today when I read great posts like that I have decided to cut and paste them to a document... So Meg if you do not wish to start a book at least I will have something to go back on.....
I did some cardio this morning...yuck...it wasn't a 10 but I walked fast and ran for a half hour... Linda my w/o partner was talking to me so it was difficult to get some 10's in... I am NOT the cardio ...
I feel good today and I will not fall off the wagon...
Laural- While I agree 100% with what Collen and Meg have said about disordered eating, I think whether or not you can control it on your own depends on what kind of disorder you are facing. Just plain eating too much is not the same as out of control binges in a zombie like state, followed by purging, or anorexia. Having been through both, I can tell you, you don't just snap out of it. I wish I had seen a counselor at your age, because I'm still fighting those demons at twice your age. I think true eating disorders are very closely linked to clinical depression (and yes, we can appear quite happy and well adjusted to the rest of the world). For me, as Colleen and Meg also experienced, having success losing weight by controlling what I ate rather than after the fact (don't want to get too graphic here), was a huge step. But I really don't think it's ever cured. I think I've just substituted a different form of eating disorder. Logging every morsel that goes in my mouth, exercising frantically, and still living a life that revolves around meals is really not very normal. It is a whole lot healthier than the disorders it replaced, tho. One of the things that keeps me from slipping back to my old ways is having really educated myself about the physical dangers of long-term disorder cycles. It's not pretty.
Another thing I've discovered the hard wasy is that being too strict in dieting (like comp dieting) can really bring back any demons you think you've buried. I've seen this happed with others as well. My advice to anyone contemplating competing or even doing comp diets to lean out more quickly, is if you've ever struggled with true eating disorders, stay as far away as possible from the comp world!
I hope you can get help if you feel you need it. I know I should have. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to talk less publically.
Mel, you made some really important points that I overlooked.
First, you’re right — there is a distinction between kinds of eating disorders — ones like anorexia and purging are extremely destructive and potentially deadly. I agree that anyone suffering from those would be wise to seek professional help.
Second, I’ve also read that there’s a biochemical link between certain eating disorders, like anorexia, and depression. It would be insulting and ignorant to tell someone with either of those to just “snap out of it”. There are medications that tremendously relieve those burdens and again, professional help is needed.
Third, about the substituting one eating disorder for another — maybe true. I agree we’re never “cured” and maybe that’s what we are doing with all our planning and tracking and exercising. But I prefer to think of it as “ordered eating” rather than disordered—-ordered in the sense that it’s healthy and I control it. My analogy is it’s like having a disease like asthma or diabetes — you do what you need to do in order to control it. All my planning, weighing, measuring etc. efforts are my way to control my “disease” of obesity.
Last, you brought up a really good point about too strict of dieting, like competition dieting. That, in itself, borders on an eating disorder because it is such an extreme manifestation of food control. Perhaps that’s why so many competitors suffer huge weight rebounds when the competition is over and their focus is gone. Without the extremely strict parameters of a comp diet, they can’t control their eating.
I’d love to hear others’ thoughts on these issues. So glad you brought this up, Laural!
Morning sunshines!
I am used to female cats, I hope this one is nice... Even the secretary at the vets had to take a second look he doesn't show much luggage 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! 
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