My beginning weight taken on August 29, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. was 217 lbs. or 98.6 kg. I was wearing just my underwear when I stepped on the scale.

My desired weight is about 185 lbs. or 84 kg. I want to reach this weight by New Years.

For the record (others may add this information or leave it out as they see fit), I’m a 6’3” or 191 cm tall male.

Today, I power walked 2.5 miles or 4 km in about 30 minutes.

Today, I’ve eaten a slice of whole wheat, high protein, dry toast. I had a bowl of low calorie chicken soup, a ½ cup of dried apricots, 2 quarts of unsweetened iced tea, and many glasses of water besides. I will have one more bowl of the chicken soup and some more dried fruit before bed.

I noticed recently that my suits bunch when I have the button done.

I gave up beer and everything but meat, eggs, and cheese as of Saturday.

Good luck Jake.

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought : Good luck to you, too.

I’m in. I’ve lost some weigh since I moved here. Yay! I started at 225… yeah (embarrassed sigh.) and just hit 199. My goal is to get to 150, then once I get there, maintain that for a year, then go from there. I haven’t been 150 since I married the icky ex.

Yesterday I walked 3 miles. Today, nothing. Tomorrow, I plan to hit the gym.

If anyone has a “it worked for me” tip to share, please do!

@linguaphile : You’ve already lost 26 lbs! That’s fantastic! How’d you do it?

@Hawaii_Jake I lost 275 first… (the ex was 275… you do the math :D) That was the first step- caring for myself enough to take care of myself. Being with him was so depressing, draining and exhausting that I didn’t care for myself at all. After “tossing” him, I lost the first 10 easily that way.

Second, I just started moving—not even an exercise program, just moving around. Yard work, walking further, walking around the block, parking further from the stores, etc. I also reduced my portions and told myself no seconds. Also threw out and stopped buying junk food, even if the kids begged. I entitled myself to one bowl of ice cream a week. That’s how I lost the second 15 pounds.

Last week, I started parking 1 mile from my first class and built a 2 mile walk into my schedule with that. Lost 1 pound last week. I’m doing one or two little things at a time, then creating a new habit with each of those little things. That seems to work the best for me than a huge drastic overnight change. My next thing is to start working out at the gym on campus at least twice a week. The gym is right next to my first class, so the visual reminder should help :D

@linguaphile : I love how you lost that first massive amount of weight! :D

Good luck! Hit the gym. We’re all with you.

Are the Jellies that need to gain weight welcome? I am 6’ and 128 pounds. Normally I am 135 but I don’t like to eat when it is warm so I shed some pounds during the summer.

Alright, because of @gailcalled I just went outside and walked my mile. I have a route around my neighborhood that is one mile on my car speedometer. It includes my block, the next block over and two adjacent blocks laid out similar to a maze. One street at about the ½ way mark goes up for the whole length, for a great cardio workout.

I nearly always meet other neighbors out walking, and tonight was no exception. To make it even nicer, this is a blue moon month.

@johnpowell : Sure! Come on in and join the party.

@YARNLADY : I’m glad you’re here and glad you went for a walk.

What a wonderful idea, and thank you @Hawaii_Jake for inviting me!
I don’t have a scale at home, but I’m going to the doctor today so I’ll post my weight later.
I eat vegetarian bordering on vegan, which isn’t automatically a recipe for healthful eating, but I’m trying to be very good about balance and portion control.

For breakfast, I had ¼ cup of soy ‘chorizo’ and onions fried in olive oil, 1 piece of whole grain complete protein bread, and about ¾ cup of fresh pineapple. And lots of coffee.
Lunch is gonna be a sandwich with more complete protein bread, tofurkey and fat free ranch dressing, 2 cups of kale/onions/carrots cooked in olive oil and broth, and an orange.
And dinner will probably be ½–¾ cup of pasta, a whey protein shake in almond milk, and another orange, after I do some stationary bicycle exercise and/or weights.

Something I’m very serious about now is walking more. I lost about 10–15 pounds at least in Paris because of a severely reduced caloric intake and walking tons. Back in the States, I have a car, but I can take a bus or walk to work. So I’ve been either walking the whole way to work (about 2 miles), or getting off the bus 3–4 stops early both ways every time.

Good luck everyone and keep your spirits up !

You could call it Jellie Bellies
My excercise requirements are already well established, but good luck to anyone who partakes.

Hello everyone, I strongly encourage learning more about the process of what protein, carbohydrates, and fat are before engaging deeply into a program you are developing. I will place this link again so that you can read it and learn about the effects of food on the body on a molecular level, but explained sensibly and quite lay.

When I was deployed in Afghanistan in 2010, in August of 2010, I had finished reading the book and began the lifestyle change (do not consider it a diet). I was 185 lbs @ 5’5” and 27 years old. By October, I had lost 20 lbs and several inches along the waist. All this based on the Zone and watching how much I consumed, not what I consumed (necessarily).

By December of 2010, I was down to 145 (another 20 lbs) and at the best shape ever. Since having begun the program, I did not workout with the exception of walking to work, which was a mile away to and from. However, I began doing pushups and situps gradually to improve (for Army purposes); when I got down to the 160’s in October, I began running harder and further to increase my physicality.

So, I lost more weight with that, but sustained the exact amount of consumption until I returned from Afghanistan in July of 2011. Unfortunately, after I got out the Army in October 2011, I became quite sedentary and although I did not eat more at the time; it wasn’t until 2012 that I began gaining fat back because I ate more and exercised less. I gained 10 lbs back and have maintained my weight at 152–155 lbs since March, 2012.

Finally, I want to encourage you that when you eat food, there are some that hinder your motivation because they are made that way. Be careful what you eat. Pizza, burgers, pasta, etc; these are still good foods to eat, it is a matter of temperance in consummation of nutrients. A balance or “middle way” so to speak in deliberating metabolic exertion. I wish the best for everyone here and I want to inform you that in a short period this week, I will be closing my account here. No questions about it please.

If you have any specific questions, please message me. I will do my best to answer them. Good luck!

PS: I was constantly joked on by coworkers for being in “The Zone” and when they saw how I lost weight and improved my stamina and strength in physical training, they were quite astonished and baffled at the same time. Use health and compassion as a motivator to living a healthy life, not what people say or think. Do not use dissatisfaction as an excuse to lose weight, use a positive motivator to produce positive results.

I never tell anyone my weight outside my doctor’s office. NEVER. For the past few years, I’ve been blaming my weight gain on menopause and making jokes to cover up the disgust I sometimes feel in my lack of self-control. (Eating and drinking to be honest.)

Something has flipped in me. I’m going to take this very seriously.

My husband walked with me this morning and a thought hit me. I’m really not hiding how much I weigh from anyone, especially myself or my husband. Everyone can see it plain as day. I’m tired of wondering why I can’t get the weight off when I swim nearly every night and (snack on junk throughout the day).

August 30, 2012
10 a.m. 169.8 pounds
5’2”

That is too much fat for this pretty face.

I’m getting a big glass of water now. This post was actually pretty tough for me to do.

I have already lost 19 lbs. in the last 6 months, just tweaking my diet a little. On and off the food wagon again this last week, might be up a lb. or so again. Slow and steady wins the race! :-)

@bkcunningham I have blamed menopause too, everything changes, and that’s a fact! You can do it!

Sure. I’ve been looking to join a weight loss group. I wish to drop down to about 125 but if I can get to 118 than that would be great. I’ve only lost 5 lbs in 2 months so I’m not sure how long its going to take. But I do want to get to my goal by June of next year. I’ll post my exercise routine later today. I usually don’t hit the gym till mid day.

Okay.

August 30th, 2012
126 lbs
5’2”

I’ve been losing weight for the past several months from eating healthier foods, allowing myself to cheat without feeling guilty, walking in the mornings before it gets too hot, doing yoga, and cutting sodas out of my diet for the most part.

I’m also using Sensa currently, to help drop the rest of the weight that is being stubborn.

@all : Thank you! I feel energized already.

Thank you @Hawaii_Jake I will walk the dogs around the neighborhood two dogs and ¾s of mile loop.

I’m about 95 pounds right now and would love to weigh 110. It’s hard at school because the food isn’t appealing. I know that lifting some weights would help, but I’ve had motivation issues regarding using my free time (which is precious these days) on that. Maybe this thread will help me out! :) Good idea, @Hawaii_Jake.

@Mariah : We are so glad to have you as a part of this thread. We all need encouragement, and you have mine.

@whiteliondreams, thank you for the advice and information. I hope everything is okay with you. I sure hope your departure is only temporary.

Ok, just got back from the gym. Did 17 minutes on the Elliptical and 37 on the bike, for a total of 54 minutes.
Going back tomorrow.
Going to go eat some salad in a few minutes. I’m starving.

Last night, on my walk, I discovered on yard has multi colored yard lights scattered around their wonderful boulder stacked landscaping. They were beautiful.

My diet goes well, I stay with 1200 – 1400 calories a day, but without exercising, I do not lose weight. Tonight: Salmon Salsa with whole wheat herb crackers.

I love all this positive information we’re giving each other.

I just went to the dentist and had my teeth cleaned. I feel like I’m getting a new start on life. I’m exercising. I’m dieting. My teeth are really clean.

There’s so much good happening.

Correction: I lost more than 20 pounds in Paris apparently O_o

Aug. 30 2012
5’5.5 (166 cm)
175.5 pounds after lunch, with my Doc Martens on :-p

I was 196 pounds in May. Wow, the empirical results of being a starving grad student.
I wouldn’t mind losing 5 more pounds but mostly I would like to not gain any more, and trade in some of this fat for more muscle. Good thing I’ve got a prescription for anabolic steroids…

Good luck to all Jellies on here, and @whiteliondreams’ advice is great, “use a positive motivator to produce positive results.” Do the healthy thing because you love yourself and want to be kind to yourself!

As of this afternoon, I weigh about 115 pounds, and I’m about 5’2.5”. Since mid-January of this year I’ve lost about thirty pounds through regular exercise (4–5 days a week) and a very healthy diet (1200–1300 calories a day, try to limit processed foods as much as possible, stay away from white bread/rice/pasta, etc.) I consider it a lifestyle change, not a diet, because I have made good habits and plan to continue following them throughout life.

Lately, within the last couple of weeks or so, I haven’t been doing a whole lot of exercising. I’ve gotten some exercise at least one day a week, but I haven’t been keeping up with my normal schedule at all. It’s really hard to motivate myself to workout at home, since I hate using the treadmill with a passion, and though I’ve asked my dad several times to get me a gym membership, he still hasn’t looked into it. I’d like to lose at most five more pounds (though I’m pretty happy with my current weight) and focus on keeping the weight that I’ve lost off. I’d also like to gain more muscle and lose more fat. I’m hoping to use this thread to motivate myself to get back to my 4–5 times a week workout schedule. This first week back at school has been kicking my butt, so I haven’t had much energy to exercise more than once this week. I plan to change that.

Good luck to everyone!

Thank you everyone for your inspiration. Whether it is a few pounds or a great many you have lost, or a few or many you want to shed, you are an inspiration.

The one thing I realized today is how important it is to have healthy choices available in my house. My husband is a real cookie monster and the temptation is very great. We’ve been making sourdough bread and baked goods from scratch weekly for the past few months. It is going to be a challenge to give it up. I did really good today though.

I’ve made healthy choices all day. It is harder in the evenings when I come home from the pool. I have to get over the feeling of deserving a treat because I exercised. If I get a treat, it is going to have to be a low calorie, healthy choice instead of a high calorie pastry.

I am seriously going at this with a one day at a time attitude.

@YARNLADY, please share more of your observations with us when you walk. I have a feeling you can weave words as beautifully as you do yarn. My dad was a walker. He’s going to be 93, God willing, on September 11. He was always active. Everyone I know who has lived a long and healthy life has been active.

We can do this guys! One day, one bite, one step at a time. We can do this!!

@bkcunningham : Looking at it as one day at a time is exactly the right way to go about it. You only have to make choices for right now. You can make different choices another day.

@mangeons : Hearing that you lost about 30 pounds through making healthier choices in your diet and exercising regularly brings me great hope. Thank you for joining us.

I, personally, do not swim. I hate getting wet, and being in the water makes me dizzy. I enjoy watching other family members, though.

It is a real pleasure to go swimming after dark, with the pool lights and a standing shop lamp that we use. We are not the only ones in our neighborhood to swim at night. On my walks, I pass several houses that have a pool on the street side, and I hear people swimming at all hours.

I don’t have a scale at home. I am afraid that I would become obsessive about it. I have been using regular visits to the doctor to measure weight loss. About two months ago, I found out at the doctor’s office that I was up to 234 pounds. That is the most I have ever had recorded. I decided at that moment that I had to go on a diet. My blood pressure was up and the doctor asked to see me again in six weeks. I put myself on a diet and started back on my elliptical trainer. When I visited the doctor again I had lost 5 pounds and my blood pressure was back to normal. Five pounds in six weeks is a pretty modest rate of weight loss, but it is fine with me. I do not look at it as a diet so much as a permanent change in eating habits. I feel that I can keep this up. I have not been going around feeling hungry. The amount that I would like to lost is too much to think of doing in one lump sum. I would like to first get down to 200 and then get to 180. My only concern is that I may have to eat even less as I lose weight, because it takes fewer calories to maintain weight as total weight loss drops.

@LostInParadise : Losing weight and getting your blood pressure back to normal are huge gains. As was mentioned above, this is a one day at a time deal, so take it as you see fit. Think of it in smaller increments. Whatever works for you is good.

Please, keep checking in with us. We love to be inspired.

@LostInParadise, if I could consistently lose 5 pounds every six weeks and keep the weight off, I’d be thrilled.

As far as being afraid you will have to eat less as you lose weight, I you will need the calories as your strength, endurance and exercise level increases. Which, I think will automatically happen if you continue on the elliptical and whatever other increase in activity you are enjoying.

Keep it up. If you continue with five pounds every six weeks, what will your weight be this time next year? I don’t know your age, @LostInParadise, but as you get older, it seems like a year passes very quickly.

@YARNLADY, thank you. Such beautiful words to read while waking up with my first cup of coffee. Now, I’m going to get moving.

Ooh ooh! I want in!

I’ve been battling a bout of depression for a while, and I tend to eat my feelings. The best thing I have done is suck it up and go back to work.

II have no idea what I weigh, but I know I don’t like it. I’m short, with a fairly small frame, but I have ginormous hips. And my belly, which looks like a deflated balloon even four years after having my son, is holding way too much fat.

The day I got my new job, I decided to go vegetarian – well, pescatarian. I’ve been wanting to for a long time, and have “tried” off and on for three years. This time, the gavel has fallen – I am doing it.

I bring my lunch to work. No more sitting around the house eating oven french fries – it’s rice and fresh vegetables. Coffee with Splenda. Green tea.

I’ve been here two weeks now, and one friend has told me she’s noticed a difference. Her words: “Your belly’s gone DOWN!” Not one to mince words, she. ^_^

The hardest part is my sweet tooth – sometimes I just want to bake a cake and eat it. Sometimes I just need the sugar.
And exercising. I work at a desk, and full time. I’ve got to find a way to get active.

@Seek_Kolinahr It’s easy to find sugar free desserts. I prefer a croissant or biscuit on the bottom of a bowl with diced apples, dates and raisins. Sprinkle some mint and cinnamon on top, drizzle a tiny bit of chocolate (or put one Hersheys Kiss on top) and place in the microwave for about 30 to 40 seconds.

Alternate fruits include peach, apricot, mango, strawberry, cherry or fruit cocktail. You can also sprinkle with crushed nuts of various kinds.

@Seek_Kolinahr : Thank you for joining! The more the merrier. You don’t have to know your weight. You don’t have to give all the information I did. Make this experience fit your schedule.

And speaking of schedules, you’re a busy lady. Even exercising 3 times/week will make an enormous difference over a year. Do what you can. We’re here to support you.

@YARNLADY has already given you some great ideas. Those are great ideas I will try, too.

That sounds delicious. Mmm… croissant.

My daughters and I made a huge pot of vegetarian chili last night. We used vegetable broth, and since I didn’t have simple canned tomatoes of any kind, we substituted plain spaghetti sauce. :-) Then we put in 2 cans of kidney beans with the juice and a bunch of different frozen vegetables. ¼ cup of chili powder, some onion, and other spices including salt and pepper covered up water spaghetti sauce taste there may have been. We ate it over white rice.

I had some more with a slice of bread for lunch today. It’s still just as good.

I added a turkey hot dog to my bowl since I’m not a vegetarian. It was satisfying and kept me full for many hours.

Today for breakfast I had oatmeal with cinnamon and banana slices with a spoonful of almond butter for breakfast. I had a six-inch veggie sub and an apple from subway for lunch, and my dad made grilled chicken with mixed vegetables and cantaloupe for dinner. For “dessert” I had a light rye Wasa cracker topped with some melted almond butter. Yum!

I ran a ton of errands today with my dad and then we went to the gym! I did a straight hour on the elliptical at level 10 resistance while watching Storage Wars. I also picked up a job application and my dad says he might buy an elliptical/get me a gym membership!

@Hawaii_Jake : Chili is the best. A meal in a bowl! And soup is so filling, and so cheap to make at home.

@mangeons: That’s really nice that your dad might either buy you an elliptical or a gym membership. Fingers crossed!

For brunch I had a bowl of cream of wheat, ½ cup of frozen shelled edamame on top, and soy sauce. And then I did some free weights at the gym, rode a recumbent bicycle for 45 minutes, and had a whey protein shake in almond milk when I came back.

For dinner, I had some kung pao tofu from my favorite chinese place in town. Lots of vegetables in there, and the sauce isn’t very sweet. A little brown rice, a bowl of tabbouli, and an orange for dessert.

I find myself more motivated to eat well on days I’ve worked out. Because I don’t want to go through all that time and effort only to waste it all with a bowl of Doritos or a chocolate bar. It’s on days I haven’t worked out that I have to watch myself! :-p

Good luck this weekend jellies!

I forgot to mention I’ve been walking 2.5 miles/4km daily, and I can already tell a difference. I’m not as stiff.

@Hawaii_Jake : Nice! It feels good to get stronger, doesn’t it? I love the way my legs feel after a nice walk. Last night on drunken adventures I walked from one town to another and didn’t even feel tired.

I’ll tell you what I’ve found is fantastic tasting, low calorie and very cheap substitute for pasta or rice. It is spaghetti squash.

You are inspiring me to walk more @Hawaii_Jake. I played shuffleboard this morning and changed up my schedule by swimming after shuffleboard instead of waiting until my normal night swim. I’m not feeling hungry and wanting to snack tonight.

No walking for me tonight, my Mother In Law flew in for the weekend at 4:30, after her plane was delayed three times. I spent all morning and most of the afternoon getting the house cleaned up and the sheets changed.

@YARNLADY : Cleaning and changing sheets all around the house is plenty of a work-out. :)

I went for my power walk today and weighed myself just after. The result was 214 lbs. or 97 kg. I’m going to weigh myself weekly on Sundays from now on.

You are down three pounds, Jake! Way to go! Keep up the fantastic work.

@bkcunningham : Thanks. :-)

Yay @Hawaii_Jake !

I won’t confess to my splurge tonight coming. Hey, I’m having company, sooo, dare I say, break out the expresso ice cream. lol

You suck, @Coloma. And I mean that in a nice way.

I have lost nearly, not quiet, but almost a pound. I need something to kick start my metabolism. But to be honest, I’m still celebrating any loss. My husband has just joined a Monday morning bowling league. One of our friends bowls. His wife and I are going to walk together every Monday morning.

Good luck to you too @bookish1! Keep up the good work. It is easier to stay focused on what you are eating when you put the effort of exercise into your life. Very good point.

@Coloma, whose your company? Your sandwich guy?

I’m going to be honest here and admit that I’m not dieting tonight. Helping my parents move over the weekend was a bitch. I’m eating greasy comfort food right now, I earned it!

Hooray to everyone on the thread! We’ve all done something great. We have started!

@WillWorkForChocolate, enjoy your splurge. Every greasy, finger licking, fried, lard splattered bit of it. THEN get back on track and get that last little bit of weight off! <3

Woohoo! We have started, @Hawaii_Jake. I feel good!

Have a fun and safe Labor Day everyone. Be good. If you can’t be good, be good at it.

So, I went on a binge last night. After writing most of a grant application in one go. A health food binge, but still I ate far more than I should have, and after dinner! Carrot sticks and ranch, tabbouli, light popcorn, one vegetarian spring roll, and some reduced fat wheat thins. Yep. Haha. I’m trying to quit smoking as a birthday present to myself. Yech, been smoking 10 years now.

@bkcunningham : It’s so good to see your cheerful writing. That should be the theme song for this thread.

@bookish1 : That all sounds yummy. I went to a party yesterday and ate sushi. It was all very low fat, but I maybe ate too much. I’m not really sure. It sounds like you did okay, though.

Was filled with all sorts of nervous energy this evening, so I jogged to the gym and lifted weights for the first time in ages. I need to try to feel less self-conscious about it because that’s honestly been the biggest thing holding me back – I hate being there, this tiny, glasses-clad, bony woman among all the big jocks. I guess there’s only one way to get less tiny, though, and it’s gonna require me sucking it up and going on a regular basis.

The only thing I worry is that burning calories might not be a good idea. I know the exercise will make me hungrier, but I don’t know that being hungrier will translate into eating more. Sometimes I go to the dining hall absolutely starving and I still just end up picking at my food because it’s so unappealing to me. It’s not just that the food is that bad…that is how I feel about food, all food, most of the time. I don’t understand why it’s always so repulsive to me. I know it’s not normal. Wish I knew how to change that.

I don’t have access to a scale here at school, which is probably just as well.

@Mariah : You get major kuddos for stepping out of your comfort zone and going to the gym to lift weights. That’s a major accomplishment. To top it all off, you jogged to get there. That’s wonderful.

I know food at school cafeterias is bad. It’s an almost universal truth. I’ve known two exceptions. I wish I had some way to help you over that hurdle you mentioned about disliking food in general. Have you ever found someone you could talk to about it? A counselor or therapist or doctor? It’s a serious subject and deserves the help of a professional. Perhaps the medical office at your school would be able to recommend someone you could talk to.

Keep up the good work of stepping outside your comfort zone.

Is there a trainer at the gym who can help you and motivate you to come back, @Mariah. Like @Hawaii_Jake said, I’m very glad you stepped out of your comfort zone. Please, keep it up. Get someone to go with you and help you feel less intimidated.

You really should talk to someone about your bad feelings about food. That isn’t healthy and I know you want to be healthy.

@Hawaii_Jake @bkcunningham Huh, it never even occurred to me to think that it might be psychological. I know I’ve had issues eating when I was sick because I was so afraid of eating the wrong things and aggravating my gut. You might think that could be the full explanation, but I was like this as a kid too, long before I was ever sick.

The stupidest part is that desserts and carbs have always been the only foods that haven’t had this effect on me, so I’m not eating healthily at all. And these days I’m feeling wary about those foods as well, and mentally marking a food as “dangerous” is a surefire way to make me feel less inclined to eat it.

Anyway, I’m rambling. I can get free counseling through my college, and have in the past. There is a woman there who I really like talking to. So maybe I should consider going to see her. That hadn’t occurred to me at all. Thanks for the advice.

@Mariah If the weight changes are important to you most gym have a set of scales for use by the members. Good for you to jog over and use the weights.

You guys are all awesome.

@bookish1 Congrats on quitting! I honestly can’t gush enough about how cool that is. ^_^

In Alyson news: I GOT MY FAMILY TO GO PESCATARIAN WITH ME!! Now I don’t have the temptation of grilling steaks luring me into cholesterol-induced heart problems or gallstones! I seriously feel like doing a victory dance.

September 4.
167.4 POUNDS!! Yippee!

Good for you AND your family, @Seek_Kolinahr. I’ll do a victory dance for you!!

Tues. Sept. 4, 9:20 am Back on the program after 5 days of hedonism. lol
Off to the grocery store soon to pick up this weeks lite menu items.

@Seek_Kolinahr : Yipee! That’s awesome news.

@bkcunningham : Wonderful! You’re down 2.4 lbs! A victory dance is in order for you, too.

@Coloma : We’re glad you’re part of the group no matter what you’re eating and drinking. :)

Sept. 4, 9:30 p.m.:

I really want to eat a huge chocolate candy bar dipped in mounds of peanut butter, but the thought of my fellow jellies on our quest to a healthier and happier future stopped me.

Thanks, you guys.

I have a somewhat gross question on dieting. Can we use the amount that comes out of us as a rough guide to the amount that we are eating?

^ this. And also, why can a three ounce candy bar make me gain five pounds?

@LostInParadise, I’m not sure how to take your question. You should know how much you are eating. Right? Do you understand how digestion works and what comprises fecal matter?

If you eat more calories than you burn, @Seek_Kolinahr, you will gain weight. The calories in the candy bar are joining with the other calories you are taking into your body.

One of my diet tricks when I am craving something sweet is to have a tootsie pop. I buy them in bags and one Tootsie pop is only 60 calories. It helps to have something to suck on especially during a movie when you want to snack. A couple of Tootsie pops is a great little low cal treat.

I worked out again yesterday, and managed to eat really well. I’m sore today so I’m gonna hold off on more working out until tomorrow at least.

Hooray to our dieting and exercising fluther of wonderful jellies. This is great stuff.

@LostInParadise : I honestly don’t know the answer to your question. My gut—haha!—reaction is to say we eat more than what comes out, because we retain the nutrients.

@Seek_Kolinahr : Again, I don’t know, but those are 3 yummy ounces.

@bkcunningham : You’re right on the money.

@Coloma : That’s a great idea, but right now, I’m terrified to put that kind of sweet in my mouth for fear that I won’t be able to control myself, and I’ll eat the whole bag.

@Mariah : That’s great news! Thank you for sharing. Do you know that you should break up your exercise routines? One day work on upper body, the next lower, etc. Here’s a site I found with a simple Google search. I did not explore the site, but it looks like it may have some ideas to help you plan a regimen.

@Hawaii_Jake LOL Sweets are my weakness, I could care less about junk food but cheesecake, ice cream, chocolate, it’s all over. OMG! It’s almost pie season! haha

Is there a form of dieting where you just put food in your mouth, but then spit it out – no, not the throw up/purge type, but just the harmless taste and spit.

Okay. So someone at work got an Edible Arrangement for her birthday. Complete with giant chocolate covered pineapple slices. seriously, it was like a quarter of a pineapple covered with a half inch of chocolate.

Frakking delicious.

I feel so guilty. Now I’m eating sunflower seeds. I’ll probably skip dinner.

LOL

@YARNLADY : Yes, that’s called torture.

@Seek_Kolinahr : I would have been right there with you. I love pineapple.

I have ONE slice of N.Y. cherry cheesecake left from the party weekend, someone take it please? Who the f—k am I kidding, it’ll be gone tonight.lol

Is it GONE ? ?

Good news—my dad is seriously considering buying an elliptical! We were looking at and testing them in Sears today. I really hope he does, so I can get back to working out! Honestly, forcing myself to run on the treadmill when I hate it just isn’t really doing it for me anymore.

Also, I’m applying to work at the gym near my house, and after 3 months you get a free membership!

I’ve been keeping up with my diet just fine, but I haven’t been working out. Hopefully that changes soon!

Yes it’s gone, my daughter dropped by, but I didn’t offer to share. lolol

@mangeons : That’s awesome! Keep us informed and keep up the great work on your diet.

@mangeons That’s great! I love a good elliptical.

On the advice of one of my workmates, I’ve stopped skipping breakfast entirely (I’ve never been a breakfast person) and am having a hard-boiled egg with my coffee. If I’m home I’ll make a poached egg on toast with a bit of that laughing cow fat free cheese spread stuff, but for workdays a hard boiled egg at my desk is enough.

Apparently the protein is supposed to help the metabolism get running in the morning. Thoughts?

@Seek_Kolinahr I’m with you, I have never been a breakfast person, but yes, protein in the morning gets your brain and everything going. That is why they call it break-fast. You are breaking a 10,12, or longer hour fast. I like a cup of lite Yoplait yogurt ( 110 calories) and a hard boiled egg ( 70–80 calories ) myself. About 15 grams of protein out of the daily 40–45 or so grams needed. :-)

@Coloma You may already know/not care/whatever but Yoplait yogurt isn’t actually very healthy for you. A cup of greek yogurt with or without fruit would be a healthier option, if you like the taste. Just thought I’d throw that out there! Not trying to give unwanted advice, just thought you might not know. :-)

@mangeons Oh yeah, I eat greek Yogurt sometimes, but I do love my Lemon and Key Lime Yoplait.

@Hawaii_Jake, thanks for the tip about breaking up my routines. My legs were aching something awful yesterday, much less today, but still enough that I didn’t want to push it. So I just did upper body today. Probably wouldn’t have considered going today if you hadn’t given me that tip. Probably wouldn’t have thought to work out in general if it weren’t for this thread.

You’ve been so cheerful and encouraging. I love it!

@Coloma Mmmm… key lime Yoplait. Do you get the “whipped” kind? Those seem like they’re very light.

@Mariah Yes, they are deeee-licious!

@Mariah : w00t! Here’s for working out!

I’ve been for a power walk every morning since we started this thread, and it feels great. What’s power walking? This article from “Prevention” magazine explains it. It burns fat as fast as jogging, and it’s easy on my knees.

I honestly can’t stand the taste of greek yogurt, it tastes like I’m eating straight sour cream. I’ve tried it about a million and one different ways, and I just can’t get myself to like it!

Ever tried Stoneyfield’s Oikos? You can get it with caramel or honey mixed in. Obviously not the healthiest way to have it, but I find it delicious, and I also can’t stand plain greek yogurt.

@Mariah Caramel sounds delicious, but the only reason I’d be eating greek yogurt is for the health benefits so that would be kind of counter-productive, haha. Thanks for telling me about it, though!

One of the BEST lowcal snacks is a bowl of blackberries with either vanilla or blackberry yogurt on top. OMG!

Where did the week go? I have been far too busy writing grants and trying to sleep sometimes to go to the gym, but I’m pleased to say I’ve still been eating well.

Even when I can’t go to the gym, I try to work more walking into my day. I get off the bus 3 or 4 stops early if I have time. Yesterday, I walked a good 2–3 miles across town to a volunteer job, when I could have taken the bus the entire way. It felt good.

I just rode a stationary bike for 45 minutes, burned 360 calories, and did free weights. And I had a protein shake, and for dinner I’m going to have a vegan hot dog (only 100 calories, pretty cool) with some salsa, and a savory and spicy kale/carrot/onion mixture I cooked up last night.

I sucked it up and did 30 minutes of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) on the treadmill, or 10 cycles of 1 min running/2 min walking. I was exhausted and super nauseous by the end, but it felt good to get some exercise.

@mangeons: Sounds intense indeed! Be sure you don’t overdo it with that. Be kind to yourself and don’t punish yourself.

@bookish1 Don’t worry, over time I’ve gotten to know my body and know when I need to stop running. Thanks for your concern, though! :-)

@mangeons : Cool, glad to hear that. I just got a little worried because you said that you felt super nauseous afterward! But I’m not a runner, so I didn’t know if that is just something to be expected. Keep on keepin on :)

@all : Yay, team! It’s so good to read all this good stuff. I relish it.

@Hawaii_Jake : Well it’s only fair that you get something out of this wonderful thread that you started ;)

@bookish1 I pretty much always get nauseous when I run for any long-ish period of time. To my knowledge, it’s fairly normal.

Speaking of relishing something. I just gathered fresh avocados fallen from a tree in the neighboring yard of a vacant house. I mashed them up, added some spices and salsa, and wolfed it down with a tortilla. Yum!

@Hawaii_Jake I love avocados! I put them in salads, in wraps, and on toast. My dad just recently got some, but they were kind of a rotten bunch, sadly. They’re so delicious though, and super healthy!

@Hawaii_Jake : Awesome, hell yeah windfalls! I sure miss living in the tropics…

I had Chobani Greek yogurt for breakfast this morning with blueberries. It was excellent. I’ve got to find it on sale somewhere, though. $2 for one serving is too much for my budget.

Yesterday, I found Skinny Cow chocolate ice cream pops on sale, and I bought some. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed chocolate. It was amazing. :-P

@Hawaii_Jake : Oh, that brand of Greek yogurt rules. So much protein in there! They have so many amazing flavors, too. Peach, pineapple, mango… Maybe it’ll cost less per unit if you can buy it in bulk?

The 40 calorie, sugar-free Fudgsicles are really good too, @Hawaii_Jake. The sugar-free variety pack of Popsicles are good and satisfy my sweet tooth.

I have lost a total of five pounds. I had been on track and doing so good. I backslid today though. I have been with a friend in the hospital for the past three days. A 70 year old friend of mine was in an accident and doesn’t have anyone here to help except friends. It was stressful and I used the situation as an excuse to eat poorly today. I even said that I was going to eat junk, I said it out loud to my husband who told me it was okay (I knew he would because he was concerned about me being stressed and he knew I was tired from being at the hospital all day for three days.)

I even ate good at the flipping hospital cafeteria but I cheated today with tootsie rolls and pizza. The lesson to me though is I have had a low grade headache all afternoon and I’ve been really sleepy and grumpy. Since I’d really been sticking to healthier eating I’ve felt so fantastic and not had any headaches.

I am back on track. We all slip up and the main thing is that my friend is home and is going to be all right, by the Grace of God.

@bkcunningham : Let’s hear it for losing 5 pounds! w00t! That is really something to celebrate.

I’m so sorry to hear about your friend in the hospital but glad she’s going to be okay. She’s lucky to have good friends like you.

Don’t berate yourself. You’re doing great! One day is not going to kill your determination. We’re all in this together. You can do it!

And I’m going to look for sugar free Fudgsicles. :-)

Oooh, I forgot all about those fudgesicles. To market, to market to buy a fat box of lowcal fudgesicles. @Hawaii_Jake You lucky dog you, free range avocados for you, all I have around here are grapes, walnuts and blackberries. Of course, most of the grapes come in the form of wine from all the local viineyards. Drink your grapes! lol

Yesterday, as a homework procrastination device, I cut up and steamed a bunch of zucchinis, yellow squash, and broccoli. So I’ll be eating those all week.

Also, I re-discovered one of the best methods for eating more fruit (and consequently not reaching for junk food): leave it out where you can see it, in a bowl. ;)

@bookish1 : D’oh! Why did I think of that?

My weight at 9:10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012: 209 lbs. or 94.8 kg.

I feel great! I think I’ll celebrate by continuing to eat healthy today and exercising. :-)

Is that 18 pounds?? WOW! @Hawaii_Jake, you are amazing!!

@bookish1, I’ve eaten the most delicious apples all week because they were out on the counter in a bowl where I normally kept a candy jar. I have done great today guys. My one slip was just that. A slip. What a great way to start the week. I’d love to lose five more pounds this week.

Thanks for the encouragement. It truly means a LOT to me. More than anyone knows. Love you guys. BK

I lost 5 pounds in a week from one Sunday to the next. I wish it had been 18.

Oh poop. I can’t do math. It is fantastic despite my math. lol @Hawaii_Jake, I just wanted to be the first to congratulate you when you do hit the 18 pound mark!

So much for having to diet this week. Since I’ve been sick, I’ve dropped 8 lbs.

Oh my. My poor @WillWorkForChocolate. Are you feeling better? I sure hope so. (((HUGS)))

@WillWorkForChocolate : I hope you’re feeling better. Being sick is never any fun.

Every weekend Hubby and I take the boys to Sam’s club for the free food and shopping. We park at the far end of the parking lot, in the shade, and walk the block or so to the store. Once inside, we walk around the perimeter of the store, and up or down some of the aisles. We eat all of the free bites of food, buy what we need, take the kids up or down the isles they want to look at (toys and garden), then walk the block or so back to the car.

@YARNLADY : That sounds like a good outing for all of you. I hope you enjoyed it.

@bkcunningham and @Hawaii_Jake Thanks, I am actually feeling better today! Two different illnesses at once, which sucked, but I’m quite tickled to have lost that weight, LOL!

@YARNLADY That sounds fun!

@WillWorkForChocolate : I’m glad to hear you are doing better.

@bkcunningham : That’s great that you replaced your candy jar with apples :) I don’t keep any snacks in my place anymore except for light popcorn, so when I want to snack I tend to reach for fruits and vegetables now because they’re easier :)

Welp, I just drank 2 tall glasses of 2% reduced fat milk and ate a half a Hershey chocolate bar, which adds up to 110 calories, dipped in about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. There goes my splurge for this week.

Wow. 18 pounds! Rock it!

And @Hawaii_Jake That five pounds is awesome! Don’t knock your accomplishment!

I, myself, have lost THREE inches! Two from my waist, one from my ginormous childbirthin’ hips. We celebrated with a weekend lunch at Sweet Tomatoes, my new favourite restaurant. Mmm… salad bar…

Oops, I jsut realised I am totally mistaken. That’s what I get for speed-reading first thing in the morning. Just ignore the top line, there. * white out * there.

I have invented the Alaskan air drop diet. Who’s in?
We all get air dropped on the tundra with only a few survival tools and a pair of quality hiking boots and a rain slicker.
After 3 weeks of running from grizzly bears, eating raw salmon and berries and staying nomadic to avoid predators, it is guaranteed you will lose 25 lbs. in 21 days. lol

@Coloma : Good luck with that. ~

@Coloma I’m in! Please include a shovel in my pack of survival tools, and 1 bar of emergency dark chocolate.

Could we choose some place a bit more hospitable than Alaska, like Yosemite, away from the tourist areas.

I just came across powdered peanut butter at the supermarket. It seems too good to be true, just 45 calories for an amount that ordinarily is over 200 calories. It tastes the same, though less creamy, which is not a problem for me.

Ooh, sprinkle some of that on some nonfat fro-yo, and I’m in heaven. That sounds awesome.

Powdered Peanut Butter! Bizarre!

Just add water and it is just like regular peanut butter, minus most of the fat.

@LostInParadise I’d just like to point out that though higher in calories and fat, peanut butter (and other nut butters for that matter) are actually good for you, when eaten in the recommended serving sizes.

An average serving size of peanut butter is 2 tablespoons (which I think is a pretty generous amount), and typically has about 190 calories and around 16g of fat. However, it’s chock full of the good kind of fat (monounsaturated) and it’s actually really nutritious. As long as you don’t overdo it, nut butters are actually a really good thing to have in a healthy diet.

Not saying there’s anything necessarily wrong with powdered peanut butter, I’m just saying that you shouldn’t feel at all guilty about having the real stuff!

I just bought a bag of shelled Pistachios..oh my, sooo good, just gotta keep it to a little handful. lol

I adore pistachios.

@mangeons: Agreed. Nuts form an important part of my diet! I think people feel guilty about peanut butter because they often think of it as related to desserts. For me, it’s just a source of protein. It sure helped me survive France as a vegetarian this summer!

I just bought 3 huge bags of Diamond Smokehouse almonds on sale. They taste like bacon! I am going to hide the bags in my freezer and just dole out small jar fulls so I don’t eat them too fast ;)

This morning, I had cream of wheat and shelled edamame for breakfast. Did weights and cardio for an hour. Then had a protein shake and spinach salad with chopped egg for lunch. I was famished by about 3 pm from writing furiously, so I resisted the urge to gorge myself on starch, and just had a kiwi and a few almonds :) And dinner is going to be tacos made with spicy soy ‘chorizo’ that I fluffed up with a lot of onions and salsa, and filled with spinach. I’m pretty excited!

@bookish1 : What time did you say dinner started?

@Hawaii_Jake : Whenever my eyes glaze over from writing this paper all day… Come on over, there’s plenty to share ;)

I tend to be more of an almond butter fan myself, but I love peanut butter too! And peanut peanut butter Kashi bars. And dark mocha almond Kashi bars. Yum.

I had my job interview at the gym today. Unfortunately, they want someone to work until 11PM and I can’t legally work past 10. The guy said that if anything came up for weekend work though, he would call me. So that’s good!

Dinner tonight was a piece of tilapia and a lot of steamed broccoli. I’m thinking I might have a pink lady apple or a Wasa cracker spread with melted almond butter for “dessert”. I didn’t work out today, but oh well. Maybe tomorrow.

@mangeons : Congratulations on putting yourself out there, stepping outside your comfort zone and applying for the job. That takes courage. It’s too bad that one didn’t work out. Your dinner sounds really good.

Dear office birthday party coordinators:
If we’re all on a diet, why the HELL do you insist on catering from an Italian restaurant and buy a cookie cake that will feed half of Uganda?
Sincerely, Pass the Milk, Please.

^ LOL

Well…I am plateauing right now, not losing, not gaining, in a holding pattern.
Yesterday was a good day, until a friend dropped by after house hunting and brought deli turkey sandwiches and chinese chicken salad. Not too bad right?
Right.

However….it was the Old Chico Ale that came along too.
3 rich dark beers counteracted the leanness of the meal. haha

My weight:

Sunday, the 16th of September, at 8:00 a.m.

205 lbs. or 93 kg

I am shocked. I’ve lost 4 lbs. this week! Whee!

I think I’ll celebrate by slicing some fresh nectarines in my morning yogurt. :)

Yippee!!

Keep it going friend! I have company and it is NFL Sunday. Pray for me. (I have a fantastic fruit salad.)

@bkcunningham : Stick to that fruit salad. You’ll be fine. I picked up some baked potato chips at the store this week, and I love them. They have little fat and are yummy. I also got some rice cakes. I’m using olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salads, so I know that’s helping, since I would usually prefer bleu cheese dressing.

I’ve never changed my eating habits like this before. This may be a life style change.

Oh! The store had frozen Greek yogurt on sale, so I bought some. It’s delicious. It’s very creamy. What a treat! And it’s loaded with protein.

Mmmmm, fruit salad sounds yummy right now! So do rice cakes, for some strange reason. I like the ranch flavored ones, lol.

After having been so ill for almost two weeks and still going, I look like Death, so I will not be dieting for a while. I’ll be gorging myself on fats and proteins until I’m 100% recovered, then I will resume a healthy diet to lose weight in a normal fashion.

I hope you feel 100 percent soon, @WillWorkForChocolate. Eat healthy and take care of yourself.

Have you tried the BBQ rice cakes? Mmmm Delicious.

Oh, our fruit salad has grapes, peaches and those new hybrids-apricots and plums.

I haven’t tried the barbecue ones yet, but they sound good too. Oooooh, pluots! I love those. A lot of times, I like eating some fresh fruit, and a small bowl of cottage cheese with sunflower seeds and pepper in it. Mostly healthy, and tastes sooooo good!

@WillWorkForChocolate : get well soon. :-) We like having all our jellies at their best.

Yay @Hawaii_Jake You go guy! :-D

I am down 1.5 lbs. from my hedonistic binge last week, and, I have not TOUCHED the frozen garlic bread. I SO wanted it with my salad last night but had a lowfat string cheese and a plum. The 18–19 lbs. I have lost since last Feb. actually all came off by about May, and now I have just been coasting but not really going down significantly anymore. Oh well, I am maintaining and that is good! As long as I don’t get off track for more than a week here and there it should, basically stay off!

In my case I find that my best success is when I pay attention but don’t obsess, then, I am happily surprised to see I have dropped a couple pounds and it hasn’t felt like work.

All RIGHT, @Hawaii_Jake !!

@Coloma You’re doing great!

Tofu taco salad with fat-free cheddar cheese and sour cream. for dinner last night. Hubby didn’t believe me when I told him it was fat-free and meatless. ^_^

@Seek_Kolinahr : OK, I’m a neophyte when it comes to buying nonfat things. Cheese? Really? I must go back to the store.

It’s really not bad! I was hesitant at first, but it’s actually pretty good. I do prefer full fat sour cream, though. I also don’t recommend nonfat ricotta. Part skim is OK though.

@Seek_Kolinahr You are so right. Nonfat ricotta is simply disgusting! Not that I really care for ricotta to begin with, but the nonfat aspect just makes it taste worse, haha! Nonfat cottage cheese is pretty good, as long as you find the right kind. Kraft and Daisy are both gross, but Borden and our local Kroger store brand taste really nice.

I had a doctor’s appointment today; my first access to a scale in a month. I weighed in at 99 pounds! I thought I was probably gaining, but was pleased to see it was so significant. This just multiplies my motivation to continue lifting weights.

@Mariah, that’s wonderful news! Keep up the hard work.

I have discovered a new way to get me out of my seat. I now put my coffee in a 10 oz mug instead of the 12 oz mug my grandkids bought me. It means I have to get up more often to refill it. I also let it sit empty longer before refilling, which cuts back on the amount of coffee I drink.

I have been testing out a new strategy for dieting. I really dislike counting out and measuring how much I eat for a single meal. Instead I have been doing things on a weekly or, in some cases, bi-weekly basis, which living alone makes easier to do. A loaf of bread has to last two weeks, as does a bar of dark chocolate. The supermarket sells nuts in bulk, so I can choose a small amount to cover me for a week. If I run out early, I have to wait to get more. If I eat less of something one day, I can eat a little bit more the next. So far I have been able to stick to the plan. I will have to wait to see how successful it is. If it does not result in weight loss, I can simply readjust the amounts.

@LostInParadise, good plan. I like that approach.

Well….still in a holding pattern over here, but, inspite of a few goodies around the house I am about to spend the rest of the day cleaning my house, raking the yard, blowing the garage, washing my car, cleaning the barn and raking the corral. I figure it’ll be a wrap around dark, sooo, a big day of outdoor exercise. Pushing around a wheelbarrow is hard work, gimme my cold Corona and some chips and salsa please. ;-)

I liked @YARNLADY‘s plan too. Except I think for myself, I’ve had to have an awakening that I’m on the computer too much and I’m weaning my self away from the cyber world.

I went out to lunch with a friend yesterday and “splurged” by ordering some hash browns. Even though I adore savory fried things in general and potatoes in particular, I haven’t had any fried potatoes or potato chips for the past two months, so that’s pretty impressive. They weren’t very good though, so I decided I would rather cook my own “splurges” from now on!

So… I found myself standing in the company breakroom just savoring the aroma of Steven’s bacon pizza.

I don’t even like bacon.

I miss meat, just a little. I’m not going back, but I just miss that smell.

@Seek_Kolinahr: I smell bacon every morning when I’m on campus, because the library is right next to the dining hall. I haven’t eaten meat since I was about 13, but bacon and beef STILL smell good to me :-p

My weight:

Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, at 9:00 a.m.

210 lbs. or 95.25 kg

@Hawaii_Jake Yay!! Congrats on the 7 lb. loss!! :-)

Thank you. blush

How many calories does blushing burn? Congratulations my friend. I’ve been bad this week. I’ve had fun and haven’t lost any weight. I’m so proud of you. So, wh e e n do y o u- suppose you can be skinny enough to have—sex? <<33

LOL. Well, I’m not sure, but soon, I hope.

Congratulations, @Hawaii_Jake !! Keep up the good work ^_^
I don’t have a scale at home, but I’m going to yet another doctor in a couple weeks, so I’ll at least get to see how I’ve been doing on maintaining my weight. About to head to the gym right now to cycle furiously :-p
@bkcunningham , Don’t be hard on yourself or tell yourself you’ve been bad; that serves nothing. Having fun is important as well. Take it one day at a time and see what you can do for yourself today!

Congrats, @Hawaii_Jake !!

Took my little man to a baseball game. Ate nachos and fries, but we parked in a private lot four blocks away. We saved the money we used to buy the nachos and fries, and at least burned off a few calories. Especially since the Noodle was tired and I had to carry his heavy tush back to the car.

2 words for me this weekend.

Cherry Pie. Back to the discipline today.

Today I wore a dress that hasn’t fit me in five years. Since before I had my son.

Shit just got real.

That is really good news, @Seek_Kolinahr. Thank you for sharing that.

I’m wearing pants and shorts that I haven’t been able to fit into in over a year. :-) Slow and steady wins the race, though. I’m trying not to get to excited and stop eating altogether.

You guys ^^^ are on a roll, or actually off a roll. haha

Well….I know I am up a few lbs. again, maybe 3–4 tops I think, but, I am not weighing in for another week to see what goes down. lol
I have maintained a minimum of a 15–18 lb. loss the last 6 months, sooo, still on the far side of positive. Just temporarily stuck. :-)

Now that I’m back to about 95% health, I’m back on my diet.

September 27
123 lbs

A total of 8 pounds for me. You ALL rock! You are such inspiration for me. We’ve had company for the past 10 days and it was tough going as far as eating 100 percent properly. Only one day of drinking alcohol though. I’m extra proud of that. Keep it up everyone. <3 Thanks for the reminder, @bookish1. It is much appreciated.

@WillWorkForChocolate : Glad to hear that you are feeling better. Keep on being kind to yourself as you are recuperating!

@Hawaii_Jake : That’s great news! The same thing happened to me, I feel like I have a whole new wardrobe because I can wear shirts and pants I couldn’t wear for two or three years. :D

@bkcunningham : Woo, keep up the good work! That must have been a real challenge having company over. I only eat properly when I eat by myself, so I’ve been avoiding going out with friends recently!

I am happy to report I weighed in at 171 this morning, and that was with heavy stuff in my pockets and wearing my Doc Martens ;) Oh, so that means I’ve lost about 4 pounds since August 30th! Wow. I haven’t weighed this little since… maybe 9th grade O_O I don’t even think of myself as being on a diet anymore, but my diet has drastically changed for the better. I’m just working on becoming more fit and building muscle now. Three cheers for stimulants, farmer’s markets, and legal steroids, haha.

My weight: 207 lbs. or 94 kg yesterday, Sunday, 30 Sept. 2012 (I forgot to post it.) That means I’ve lost 10 lbs. in a month. I’m on target for my goal. :-)

@bookish1 : Yipee! Yahoo! That’s wonderful news. :-)
@bkcunningham : Eating with other people is so hard. There’s so much pressure to splurge. You deserve a medal for maintaining your composure. You rock!
@WillWorkForChocolate : I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better. I hope that continues.

@Hawaii_Jake, 10 pounds! That is great. I haven’t gotten to the point of wearing something that I hadn’t worn in a while yet. That is a fantastic accomplishment guys. I hope everyone’s health is good and this week is starting out great. Peace.

Okay…weekend at Colomas fat farm. Guaranteed to lose 5 lbs. in 2 days after I put you all to work. Man your wheelbarrows! lol
Doing well over here, was up 2.5 lbs. but have been back on track and kicking some serous behind around the homestead over here. Next weigh in Friday. ;-)

Congrats Jake, have a Pineapple! :-)

I haven’t said much for a while on this thread but have been reading all your responses. I love the inspiration and teamwork here :) Y’all, great, great job and keep it up!!

I plateaued for 2 weeks, then lost 3 pounds—have been way off my diet and exercise, but got back on track last week. I had to buy some new clothes at Goodwill since my old 18’s are falling off my hips now and I don’t really have the money to buy a whole new wardrobe, especially one that I hope I don’t stay in! That’s a “good problem!”

@linguaphile : Great! I love Goodwill. It’s a great resource.

@Hawaii_Jake Me too!!! And a great place to drop off clothes I no longer want to even look at. Whatever they don’t sell, they donate. A total win-win!

I also like to shop at Savers but I don’t donate anything to them—they toss out more than they sell.

^^^ I have a great local thrift and book store that I moonlight at, and love!
Thrift stores are great!

@nooneinparticular: Is there a way to bookmark this page? I have trouble finding it when there’s no new activity, haha…

I just made FOUR QUARTS of tabbouli and I am going to eat it three times a day. That’s my big bout of bachelor cooking for the week. It’s SO MUCH cheaper to make it yourself than to buy it; it’s just labor intensive. But it’s so worth it. I could live on this stuff!

I’ve been kind of depressed and overworked the past few weeks, so I haven’t made it to the gym much. But this morning I woke up feeling great (after not drinking too much Friday night, hooray) and did aerobics and free weights at the gym, then came back to my place to do pushups and crunches.

I’m about to have a dinner of a spinach-salsa omelette, and a huge heap of tabbouli, and an apple. Thank god for being able to buy all this wonderful food.

@bookish1, the only way I know to bookmark a page is to click the “follow question” button in the question details section, and then when someone makes a new post, it will appear in your “activity for you” count. If you want to find it on it’s own and if you’re following it, then it should always appear in your “activity for you” list. You will have to scroll down until you find it, though.

Perhaps someone else has a better way to bookmark it.

@bookish1 Your dinner sounds great!

OMGTABBOULI! So… if someone breaks into your house, and it looks like nothing’s missing, check your fridge.

I really need to buy a scale, because I keep judging my weight loss based on clothing. An inexact science at best.

BUT…

I fit into size 6 jeans today. Two months ago I couldn’t hoist these bad boys over my thighs. Now I have to crate up all my size 11s.

In other news, I went shopping for an inexpensive pair of shorts, because I don’t fit in any I own anymore. Went to Target to check the clearance rack. Found ONE and only one pair of shorts marked down to $2.44. Then I saw the size. 11.

Irony, how I hate thee.

@Seek_Kolinahr : That sounds like nice irony. Congratulations on your new pant size.

My company apparently has negotiated for “health incentives” in order to lower our health insurance premiums.

One of the health incentives includes everyone on staff running a 5K.

The 5K we’ll be running is on Feb 23rd.

Let the training begin.

So, anyone have some good advice about running shoes or Couch to 5K programs?

@Seek_Kolinahr I know there’s an app, if you have a smartphone, called couch to 5k, I think what it does is it advises you on stuff you can do every day to slowly work your way up to being ready. What a motivater – good luck!!

Here is an interesting site. I think it provides info on the app. Good luck, @Seek_Kolinahr.

Hey, forget running but I will hostess a marathon hot tubbing session, bubble your tummy. away. lol
I am still at a stale mate. Lost 18–19 lbs. between last Feb. and May. Now I am up 3.5 lbs. again because I rationalize having company as a way to justify my hedonistic side and cook scads of decadent items. ” Oooh, well, this Hagan Daaz Coconut Macaroon ice cream was just MEANT to go with this pie, and after all, I am having company!”

Everyone knows calories don’t count when you’re hostessing.

@Seek_Kolinahr : Or if the cookie breaks ;)

I’ve had a bit of a setback the past couple of weeks. I was sick in bed all last week, and probably lost some weight unintentionally, but I haven’t been exercising, and this week was absolutely nuts for me trying to catch up at work, I’ve barely had time to sleep. So easy to fall off the exercise wagon! I’ve still been trying to eat well, though. Just bought some beautiful kale, red peppers, and broccoli from my buddy at the farmer’s market yesterday :) This weekend is fall break for me, so I have some time to try to get back into my exercise routine. It’s fine once I get back into it, just such a pain to start, haha.

@bookish1 Aw, hope you’re feeling better! The same kind of happened with me, I got a cold and had some trouble with my appetite, and (because I’m not masochistic) didn’t make myself work out while sick, either. Dropped 3 pounds. It’s so hard to get on but drops off so easily! I’m feeling better though, so I think I can get back into my routine too.

I dropped a bunch of weight at the end of last quarter from a cold, then at the start of this quarter I wasn’t going to the gym faithfully because my school schedule is so busy. But! I’ve made a friend in one of my classes who agreed to be my gym buddy. Now I have a commitment to meet him there three times a week. Also, I thought I didn’t have access to a scale at school but I just learned there are scales in the locker room. Fully clothed (with a sweater, granted) I’m currently 98 pounds, which is actually pretty damn good for me. Now that I know I can track it, I’m going to!

How is everyone doing through the holidays?

One major surgery down, and a total of 20 lbs lost to date. Exploring the functionality of my new digestive system. Apparently spicy food and egg salad are no-nos for the time being. Can’t wait until the hernia risk is gone so I can get back to exercising.

Everyone else?

@Seek_Kolinahr Oh wow, I had no idea, hope you’re doing well!

Me? Well…I am up about 7–8 lbs. bah humbug, and no, I don’t want to talk about it. haha

I have discovered that these old broads that I’ve made friends with are old-school cooks and bakers. From scratch everything. I’m loving it. BUT we are cruising in mid-January and I have to keep fighting the good fight and get some more of this blubber off my short, sweet, cute body.

Much better, thanks. ^_^

I hope everything is good with you, @Seek_Kolinahr. I had no idea either. Twenty pounds is a massive amount of weight. Best wishes.

Just had a gallbladder removed. Unfortunately wasn’t able to hold down food for almost two weeks. So the 10 lost responsibly added to the 10 lost due to being sick… 20 lbs and goal weight! Now I need new clothes.

Yoo halloo? Haven’t followed this thread in a long time. I fell off the wagon at the end of the fall semester. Stress and depression.

This ‘holiday season’ was the first, however, that I didn’t completely stuff myself with starches and sweets. I was on my own, so I ate pretty modestly, although I drank too much.

I was surprised to find out at the doctor’s on Friday that I am still losing weight. I’ve got this positive feedback loop going on with my hormonal transition and diabetes, where my metabolism keeps increasing. It’s pretty cool. I have lost almost 30 pounds total since the summer. Eating a pretty low-carb, high-protein diet with a lot of salad, cooked greens, and yogurt. I am lifting weights every other day and I feel stronger than I’ve ever been. I haven’t weighed under 170 pounds since before high school. The pants I bought in the fall after I had lost so much weight in France don’t even fit me anymore!

@Seek_Kolinahr : I hope you are doing better now, and good luck figuring out your new digestive situation!

@bookish1 Wow! 30 lbs, that’s awesome. Is it getting easier to build muscle? I imagine the natural fats that our girl-hormones make us keep are just melting off, too.

It’s so weird, I’m actually craving different foods than I did before my surgery. It’s so easy to be vegetarian now – I don’t even want meat. I’m craving Asian food more than anything. Miso soup, fried soba noodles, sushi… It’s easy to maintain weight loss when I’m not eating leftover cold steak for breakfast and having pizza for lunch every day.

Thanks for reminding me about this thread, @bookish1! Glad to hear about your progress and @Seek_Kolinahr‘s progress too!

I got to go home for nearly a month recently and get well fed by my mom, haha. Her food always tastes so amazing after eating from the dining hall. Now I’m back to school and back at my workout schedule. It feels oddly great to be sore the day after a hard workout.

I have upped the weight I lift on certain machines. The one that makes me the most happy is that I’m up to 45 pounds on the hip adductor/abductor machine. I can remember a time, not so long ago, when after being released from the hospital I was prescribed physical therapy. The guy had me sit down at that machine, set it to the lowest possible weight – 10 lbs – I couldn’t even make it move. Pectoral fly, at one time I couldn’t budge it at 10 pounds, now I do 30.

Last time I got on a scale I was 98.6 with a tank top on, which is more than I was with a sweater on before I left for break. Those elusive triple digits are so close I can just smell them. My boyfriend has already told me that we’re throwing a party once I break 100.

I had an awful experience this weekend. I could seriously use some lurve.

OK… so this is a little personal.

I went bra shopping this weekend. Since I’ve had a huge kid, nursed him for two years, gained 40 lbs, lost 20+ lbs, and had abdominal surgery, I’m a little uncomfortable with my body. I have surgical scars, pockets of loose skin, and stretch marks all over my stomach. The discomfort is enough that for three years I stopped wearing a bra, just because it was too distressing to try one on and have to look at myself in a mirror.

Still, I sucked it up, and asked for help in the lingerie shop to be properly fitted for a bra. I had a girl who was supposed to be one of their best fitters helping me.

It was a little difficult going, and I was having a hard time finding something that fit right and gave the appearance of normality. I became a bit emotional.

As I’m standing there in tears, looking at myself in a 360-degree full length mirror, the girl says while gesturing to my abdomen:.

“It’s okay, I’ve worked with lots of women who’ve had botched liposuction”.

@Seek_Kolinahr Awww….silly ass-umptive girl. Did you call 911 when your foot got stuck in her mouth? lol
Yes, I too had a huge baby for my size, she was 8.4 lbs. and giving birth just about killed me, literally. If I was a pioneer woman we’d both, quite possibly, not have made it.

I also gained 40 lbs.and it took me several years to get in shape again and even then the baby kangaroo pouch never went away.
Try to not feel too self conscious, shit, bodies do what bodies do and not every woman is blessed with the bounce back factor. I mean WTF!
You’re “normal”...for every woman that gives birth and looks like her pre-baby self in 2 fucking weeks, there are dozens of us that don’t.

You’re a beautiful person, ALL of you, and even more beautiful now that you’re a mommy!

@Coloma Same here, 10 lbs 5 oz, and I haemorrhaged, bad.

And thank you. I know it shouldn’t matter to me what some idiot allows to come out of their nonthinking brain, but the idea that, no it’s not just me, I really do look like a plastic surgery fuck-up… it hurts.

OMG, 10.5!!! Shit, we better not breed our kids we will create a race of giants. lol
My daughter towers over me now. haha

@Seek_Kolinahr That’s awful. The presumption and stupidity that some people display boggles the mind. {{{HUGS}}}

Awww, she was just trying to be comforting. It’s not her fault she got it wrong. In case it helps, I weigh more now that I did when I was pregnant, and it looks like I am carrying twins.

Somehow I just can’t get myself worked up about my looks. I would like to lose weight for my health, but looks mean nothing to me.

@Seek_Kolinahr, I thought of what you said on this thread when I saw this (that link itself is SFW, but the link within the link is NSFW). I find the project that this photographer has undertaken to be very beautiful. A lot of women in the thread commented that they would like to see more women with scars and other consequences from surgeries or other medical situations. I feel that airing it out will help everybody realize that it’s not uncommon and plenty of women struggle with these things while still being beautiful.

As for personal news, I am just .8 pounds away from finally hitting triple digits without the aid of appetite stimulating drugs for the first time. Having it so close is great motivation to eat better and exercise even more! My boyfriend and I have already agreed that we’re throwing a party once it happens.

Guys guys guys! Today when I stepped on the scale it said 100.

@Mariah : Congratulations! That is some wonderful work you’ve done!

* squee * Good for you! Three Digits!

Whoo hoo!! Way to go. Congratulations, @Mariah.

@Mariah Good for you!
Please have a pint of Ben & Jerrys for me.
Pistachio Pistachio please, with extra Pistachios.
If I am going to indulge I do it right! lol :-)

Well…I started a new part time job at a local florist last week. OMG!
We are getting truckloads of roses and every flower imaginable and are working our little behinds off processing them, which involves unpacking, trimming, setting them into containers of flower food and storing them in the walk in coolers. Great fun and bonus, I am moving at light speed, running from processing the flowers, to checking out customers to taking orders and I even did a couple of deliveries today.

My new fun job is great exercise and I bet I’ll drop 10 lbs. in the nest few weeks. :-)
Valentines day is going to be insane!

Have fun, @Coloma.

Aloha, jellies!

I’m headed to Honolulu tomorrow morning bright and early to start the second week of my job training to become a Certified Peer Specialist in mental health. The hotel has an exercise room and I’m going to use it.

I need to.

You see, I’ve gained 20 ugly pounds. I now weigh about 221 lbs. in my BVDs. I can’t stand it, but I had to stop walking some months ago due to plantar faciitis in my right foot. :-(

My goal for the week of eating hotel food is to gain no weight. If I can manage that, I’ll be pleased. Losing weight will be saved for the weeks I’m cooking my own meals.

Aloha, jelly friends!

Week 2 of job training was a success on the weight front. I maintained without gaining.

During week 3, however, which I just completed, I gained 2 pounds. Maintaining weight while eating food in hotels is very difficult. I’m confined to eat usually pastries for breakfast, although they occasionally vary it with yogurt. The lunches are also provided and are not weight-loss friendly. It’s at dinner I can choose a salad topped with a chicken breast or fish. That helps.

I have just one more week of job training to go, and then I plan to seriously watch what I put in my body. I have no specific plan. I’m simply going to shoot for losing a pound or two each week until I can fit into my clothes more comfortably.

Congrats @Hawaii_Jake !

I’m a patsy for pastries, oh my! haha
I think the best methodology to weight loss is to just pay attention but not obsess, than, one day you have just magically dropped a few lbs. and it hasn;t felt like a big effort of deprivation. Good luck with your new work!

I ran into quite the hiccup. In the same week that I finally hit 100 pounds, I went to the hospital with a small bowel obstruction. I was fine after three days…of fasting. I’m down at least 2 or 3 pounds now, which doesn’t sound like much, but it takes me forever to gain even such small amounts. Grrrr!

Well, I’m starting a new quarter tomorrow, and I’m taking a gym class called women’s weight training. So I don’t even have to rely on intrinsic motivation to go to the gym, it’s built right into my schedule, twice weekly. That’ll help me out for sure.

Aloha all,

My studies, which took me to Oahu and forced me to eat hotel food for 4 weeks, finished, but I’m very proud of myself. I maintained my weight of 221 lbs. in my BVDs.

My other bit of good news is that I got a pair of shoes with extra arch support to correct my plantar faciitis, and they work. I am walking again and expect to lose weight. My goal is to lose 35 or 40 lbs. I have no timetable. I don’t really care how long it takes.

I hope you are all happy and healthy.

I couldn’t find this thread. I looked and looked and then, poof. You appeared. I asked about your diet and health on another thread. I’m happy for you, @Hawaii_Jake. It means so much to your mental health when you feel good physically. I am genuinely happy that your training is working out. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD!

We’ve, the hubby and I, really changed our eating habits and our lifestyle and are losing weight. Finally. It feels good to feel good again. Thanks for the inspiration and support.

Hooray for you, too, @bkcunningham ! That’s good news.

Thank you, @Hawaii_Jake. I think about you quit often. You remind me of one of my brothers. I am getting a good vibe from you from your words and I hope you have much health and happiness. I really do.

Ah, @bkcunningham, now you’re making me blush. :-) All good health and happiness to you and yours.

This spring I spent many weeks in a hotel on Oahu training for a new job. I am happy to report that despite all the hotel food I have maintained my weight of about 221#.

Next, I’m off to a family reunion and to spend some time with my parents. My dad is a great Southern cook, so I will undoubtedly come back with some extra pounds, but I’m not worried about it. It will come off.

I wish I’d seen this post earlier. I would have followed since I’m on a routine myself.

@dxs Welcome! Jump in! The water’s fine.

Well okay. I’m looking to gain weight.
I first started dieting and exercising three years ago but wasn’t really doing it right until about 6 months ago. Since December to March, I gained about 10lbs. I am currently at 141¼lbs according to a doctor visit five days ago. Before that visit, the last time I saw my doctor was three years ago and I was in the 2nd percentile for BMI. Now I am in the 20th percentile. I’m seventeen. I go to the gym three times a week, but I am looking to go more now that I have some more free time.

@dxs It sounds like you’re doing the right things. We all wish you the very best of luck.

Good for you, @dxs. Establishing good habits to take with you throughout life is a good thing.