Healthy Weight Loss

[Cowboi]

1st day back at the gym with my trainer. Crossfit day......OMFG! that is all.

[ahk]

Originally Posted by Gemme

This morning, I stepped on the scale to find myself at the lowest weight I've been at since maybe a year ago if not longer.

155.0

Sweet! Now, I'm thinking that it's definitely time to get back into exercising. My gym membership is getting dusty and, while my clothes are fitting a little better, I'm still quite jiggly. I hate the jiggle.

Ahk, I'd love to give you pointers, but even in my most exercise-driven days, I can't really say I was motivated by exercise itself. What motivated me was the results, the compliments from said results (because I'm vain like that) and challenging myself to go harder and farther than the previous session/week/month.

I also enjoyed the cuter clothes. What's up with that? You can only have super cute workout clothes if you are a size itty bitty? Bah. Anywho......my point is maybe focus on the results end of it instead of the exercise part of it? So many days, I didn't want to go to the gym....it was cold/rainy/early/annoying....but I did and I got results. When I didn't go, I got less results.

*shrug*

Maybe engaging in sports that you enjoy? That way, you'll have positive movement and enjoy what you are doing, so it feels less like working out and more like recess. I never liked sports, so this mentality really never helped me.

Thank you, Gemme.

a.

PS. Congrats on your new weight--

[JustJo]

Hi Healthies

So glad to see you all in here supporting each other!

I'm still chugging away at the world's slowest weight loss. The good news is that it's still going down. I can look back and remember my high weight of 230...the incredible struggle I had to break the 200 mark....and now know that on any given day I can hop on the scale and see something near 195. This morning it was 194.

Part of me thinks my loss is slow because of the diabetes meds I'm on....my cousin thinks I should get my thyroid checked since evidently the whole family has thyroid issues...and personally I think it's just because I'm making "baby step" changes rather than dieting, so that I can live like this for the rest of my life.

I'm still doing the Curves thing 3 times a week, although I've missed a few when traveling for work the last couple months. My body is reshaping and firming up in a way that makes me happy. I'm back in my size 14 skirt suit for client visits, and am buying off the rack size 16 shorts (although those are getting lose now....think I need to head for the 14s) and size large shirts.

Still have that annoying lower belly "thing" that I got after having my son and has never left...but everything else is looking and feeling pretty good.

[*Anya*]

I don't really like to focus on pounds or sizes but how I feel-however, I tried on my size 12 jeans today thinking that no way in hell they would fit but they did.

They had fit me about 14 months ago and then I porked myself out of them, much to my dismay.

Since my 1st surgery in March, I have lost 15 pounds but more important, I have gained most of my stamina and energy back.

In the end, health truly is all that matters.

[Andrea]

The last two days have had an eating out component and I am very happy with my food selection and portion control.

The downside is I was up so late last night that I will miss yoga this morning, because I will be returning to bed in a few. (Why I can't just sleep in like normal people......)

My motivation is purely health. I wish I had rewards to look forward to but there isn't anything I can think of that has a strong enough appeal.

What are some of your milestone rewards?

[Rockinonahigh]

A couple of months ago I changed my primary care Doctor,I told her how I had been watching my food plan along with working out three to five times a week but didnt think I was loseing enough weight.She orderd a thyroid/hormone check and found I was low on all counts by 10 to 15% so now in on pills to help it get back to normal numbers slowly but stedly they are getting better.I weighed yesterday at 254 so I am now loseing it again at the rate of a pound to a pound and a half a week more or less.For a long time I was just stuck at 265 gain cause I had started gaining but I had no idea why.I had all the probs that come with such low thyroids and hormones even some I didnt think could be part of it.Lack of sleep,restlesness,some bad irritablity,dry itchy skin even some hair loss and just general not feeling good day after day didnt help.

[PinkieLee]

Hey y'all

I know, I know... long time, no hear! Even in my absence, I was still a faithful reader of this thread, cheering each and every one of you on.

As most of y'all know, 2012 has been rough as hell for me (and for many others). I totally let my focus on being healthy to be pushed to the back burner. I can blame stress, depression, & mass chaos all I want, but ultimately it was me.

I have gained back the 30 pounds I lost and added another 4 pounds to it.

Yesterday, I went to the store and loaded up on fruits, veggies & lean meats. I'm not doing WW right now, but am focusing on portion control, water intake, less processed food and trying to cut out fast food (except for Subway) and sodas. D and I both have acknowledged that we need to focus on our health. We are gonna do it together... even if she kicks & screams along the way

Luckily, the weather has cooled off here to a gorgeous 60 degrees... so we have plans to start walking at the park by our house in the evenings after work. We still have our gym memberships, that have been collecting dust since January, so we have no excuses.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for showing up each & everyday... sharing & celebrating with us all every step of the way.

Game ON!

[Heavenleahangel]

Originally Posted by Rockinonahigh

A couple of months ago I changed my primary care Doctor,I told her how I had been watching my food plan along with working out three to five times a week but didnt think I was loseing enough weight.She orderd a thyroid/hormone check and found I was low on all counts by 10 to 15% so now in on pills to help it get back to normal numbers slowly but stedly they are getting better.I weighed yesterday at 254 so I am now loseing it again at the rate of a pound to a pound and a half a week more or less.For a long time I was just stuck at 265 gain cause I had started gaining but I had no idea why.I had all the probs that come with such low thyroids and hormones even some I didnt think could be part of it.Lack of sleep,restlesness,some bad irritablity,dry itchy skin even some hair loss and just general not feeling good day after day didnt help.

Your post made me wonder about my thyroid as well. I have all the symptoms as you and no matter what, I can't lose anything significatly. I am diabetic as well.
I havn't had a complete work up since I quit chemo, so maybe I should get mine checked. At my highest, I literally tipped the scales st the hospital and lost over 200 pounds NATURALLY. Steroids with chemo and the high calorie "smoothies" I was on caused me to gain back about 60 pounds. Now that I want to get it off, I can't lose over 2 pounds, then bam it's back! I think a check-up is in order. Wish me luck!!!

[JustJo]

Good morning healthies

I just did my periodic check on how I'm doing with my two favorite clothing items that don't yet fit. You know....we all have those, right?

I am SO FREAKIN CLOSE to getting into my favorite Apple Bottom jeans.....arrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!

Can't wait...cuz...frankly, my rear view is much improved with 9-1/2 months of exercise.

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by PinkieLee

Hey y'all

I know, I know... long time, no hear! Even in my absence, I was still a faithful reader of this thread, cheering each and every one of you on.

As most of y'all know, 2012 has been rough as hell for me (and for many others). I totally let my focus on being healthy to be pushed to the back burner. I can blame stress, depression, & mass chaos all I want, but ultimately it was me.

I have gained back the 30 pounds I lost and added another 4 pounds to it.

Yesterday, I went to the store and loaded up on fruits, veggies & lean meats. I'm not doing WW right now, but am focusing on portion control, water intake, less processed food and trying to cut out fast food (except for Subway) and sodas. D and I both have acknowledged that we need to focus on our health. We are gonna do it together... even if she kicks & screams along the way

Luckily, the weather has cooled off here to a gorgeous 60 degrees... so we have plans to start walking at the park by our house in the evenings after work. We still have our gym memberships, that have been collecting dust since January, so we have no excuses.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for showing up each & everyday... sharing & celebrating with us all every step of the way.

Game ON!

So glad to see you back PinkieLee!

Don't be too rough on yourself about gaining the weight back....it's incredibly hard to keep it off, let alone keep losing, when we're going through intense stress and emotional stuff.

The good news.....you did this before, and you can do it again. We have faith in you!

[Andrea]

Good morning! I have to share.....

Yesterday on both the treadmill and the elliptical (or torture machine, as I call it), I was able to go twice as long as I have since restarting my health program. While not a great length of time (20 minutes and 10 minutes), it is a big deal for me.

I had encouraged myself not to focus on the discomfort of what I was doing but to challenge myself into going as far as I could. That made all the difference.

Keep up the good work, everyone.

[JoSchmooze]

Originally Posted by Andrea

The last two days have had an eating out component and I am very happy with my food selection and portion control.

The downside is I was up so late last night that I will miss yoga this morning, because I will be returning to bed in a few. (Why I can't just sleep in like normal people......)

My motivation is purely health. I wish I had rewards to look forward to but there isn't anything I can think of that has a strong enough appeal.

What are some of your milestone rewards?

A reward for me is looking in the mirror....
and not recognizing the person I see....

A reward for me is pulling out that new pair of shorts
I bought 6 months ago and now they fit!

A reward for me is seeing people I had not seen in over
6 months and they see the difference!

A reward for me...looking at the "before" and
"after" pics and seeing the difference.....

Keep on truckin' y'all.....I see the doc on Friday
and we'll see how far I've gone and much further I need
to go.......

[Cowboi]

Just finished a killer back, and chest workout!!! I love the bustin at the seams kinda feel!!!

[Rockinonahigh]

My reward is feeling better plus being able to get up and do the things I like,the bestthing is watching my chubby santa belly shrink.I know lots of my weight gain is because of steroids I have taken over the years for my back problem and sinus probs.I finaly got my Doc to realise im not standing at the fridge at 2:a.m. raiding the thing,it only took months of hunting ALL my medical records from over the years.

[*Anya*]

One thing I did that not everyone may be able to do, is to move my full-length mirror into the kitchen.

I have it right next to my refrigerator.

That's an appetite killer, I will tell you that.

Makes me think two and three times about whether or not I am really hungry and secondly, if I really am, if what I am planning on eating is the best choice for myself.

Still totally off sweets. This week alone at work, I said no to coconut macaroons and a chocolate baby shower sheet cake. Two favorites, too.

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by *Anya*

Still totally off sweets. This week alone at work, I said no to coconut macaroons and a chocolate baby shower sheet cake. Two favorites, too.

Bravo my friend! It's hard to turn down the goodies, especially our favorites.

I know that it would be much harder for me if I worked in our headquarters offices instead of at home. Every time I go there, people are constantly bringing in treats, inviting people to come finish off the luncheon from whatever meeting went on, and going on Starbuck's runs.

I salute all of you who deal with those challenges at work.

I'm still plugging away....no gain or loss for this week. Did miss a workout at Curves...just too sore from overdoing physical work in the house and yard...so figuring it probably all works out. I am planning on taking the dogs for a nice, long beach walk tomorrow....and having a swim this afternoon.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[ruffryder]

Hello and happy weekend healthies !!

I found this article at Shape and thought I'd share it here. It says 7 Foods A Nutritionist Would Never Eat .. so maybe you shouldn't either!

1. Rice Cakes - They are the ultimate diet food for low-fat/no-fat, but don’t be fooled. Rice cakes can have a glycemic index rating as high as 91 (pure glucose has a rating of 100), making it the kind of carbohydrate that will send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride. This is bad for weight loss and for your health.

2. Fat Free Salad Dressing - It's a good food gone bad. Salad dressing is the perfect combination of vinegar (which helps control blood sugar) and plant oils (full of essential fatty acids and sometimes antioxidants). But the result of fat-free salad dressings is sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients not so good.

3. Seitan - Originally from Asia, is a common meat substitute for vegetarian dishes. Unlike many meat substitutes, seitan is not soy derived but made entirely of wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is a highly allergenic protein that is naturally found only in small amounts in wheat-based products. While there is no research linking seitan intake to increased prevalence of gluten allergies or intolerances, but perhaps eating a lot of this allergenic protein may trigger development of a more severe gluten allergy or intolerance.

4. Shark - The risk/benefit ratio of eating fish (the benefits of omega-3 fats vs. the risk of mercury) typically falls in favor of the omega-3 fats and their incredible health effects. Shark is one of the exceptions. Despite having an omega-3 fat content similar to tuna, shark contains almost three times the amount of mercury. Tilefish is another high mercury/low omega-3 fish that should be avoided. Salmon is your best bet for maximizing omega-3 fats while minimizing mercury levels.

5. Refined and Refortified Grains - Unfortunately this rules out a majority of the carbohydrates found on supermarket shelves. Refined and re-fortified grains are grain-based foods like certain breakfast cereals, pastas, and rice products that have been refined such that the naturally occurring fiber, vitamins, and minerals have been removed. Companies then replace the fiber and synthetic versions of the vitamins and minerals that were initially removed.

6. Sugar Sweetened Beverages - If you stop eating only one thing on this list, it should be sugar-sweetened beverages. The empty calories help pad your waistline without offering any sense of satiety or fullness. Plus, simple sugars do an excellent job of lowering your good cholesterol and increasing your triglyceride levels (two risk factors for heart disease). Drinking sugary beverages also promotes disturbances in your body’s inflammatory balance, making it harder to recover from exercise and increasing your risk of numerous chronic diseases.

7. Grits - Another hyper-refined carbohydrate. Nutritionally speaking, grits lack significant amounts of vitamins or minerals. They contain a minute amount of fiber and no essential fats. Their flavor is lacking and thus butter or heavy cream is used to make them palatable, bringing together the blood-vessel-destroying, unholy marriage of simple carbohydrates and saturated fat.

I know for me I need to check the fat free dressings I have! I think some of you have offered recipes and alternatives here for dressings. I also need to get away from sodas, whether they are no calorie or otherwise. I had lost some lbs and gained them back and I know where they came from, sugar and carbs! I'm gonna focus on 10 lbs for now, losing 10 lbs and I'm gonna go for this by end of the year and see where I stand. That's a good goal for me.

I start my new position at work tonight and I don't plan on eating all night or early morning while I'm working. I need to plan accordingly and eat dinner before I go to work and take a snack or two that is good for me. I'll also be drinking black coffee and tea. On the plus side, I'll be getting off my arse and moving more for this job!

[Zimmeh]

I found a cool app for my iPhone..It is called Yoga Builder and I am going to start out with the semi easy poses until I work up to the harder ones...I have been emotionally stressed out at work and I have been munching and less than a month ago I could get into my size 11 Junior skinny jeans and now my work pants are a little snug..Time to get rid of the extra weight!

Zimmeh

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by ruffryder

Hello and happy weekend healthies !!

I found this article at Shape and thought I'd share it here. It says 7 Foods A Nutritionist Would Never Eat .. so maybe you shouldn't either!

1. Rice Cakes - They are the ultimate diet food for low-fat/no-fat, but don’t be fooled. Rice cakes can have a glycemic index rating as high as 91 (pure glucose has a rating of 100), making it the kind of carbohydrate that will send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride. This is bad for weight loss and for your health.

2. Fat Free Salad Dressing - It's a good food gone bad. Salad dressing is the perfect combination of vinegar (which helps control blood sugar) and plant oils (full of essential fatty acids and sometimes antioxidants). But the result of fat-free salad dressings is sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients not so good.

3. Seitan - Originally from Asia, is a common meat substitute for vegetarian dishes. Unlike many meat substitutes, seitan is not soy derived but made entirely of wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is a highly allergenic protein that is naturally found only in small amounts in wheat-based products. While there is no research linking seitan intake to increased prevalence of gluten allergies or intolerances, but perhaps eating a lot of this allergenic protein may trigger development of a more severe gluten allergy or intolerance.

4. Shark - The risk/benefit ratio of eating fish (the benefits of omega-3 fats vs. the risk of mercury) typically falls in favor of the omega-3 fats and their incredible health effects. Shark is one of the exceptions. Despite having an omega-3 fat content similar to tuna, shark contains almost three times the amount of mercury. Tilefish is another high mercury/low omega-3 fish that should be avoided. Salmon is your best bet for maximizing omega-3 fats while minimizing mercury levels.

5. Refined and Refortified Grains - Unfortunately this rules out a majority of the carbohydrates found on supermarket shelves. Refined and re-fortified grains are grain-based foods like certain breakfast cereals, pastas, and rice products that have been refined such that the naturally occurring fiber, vitamins, and minerals have been removed. Companies then replace the fiber and synthetic versions of the vitamins and minerals that were initially removed.

6. Sugar Sweetened Beverages - If you stop eating only one thing on this list, it should be sugar-sweetened beverages. The empty calories help pad your waistline without offering any sense of satiety or fullness. Plus, simple sugars do an excellent job of lowering your good cholesterol and increasing your triglyceride levels (two risk factors for heart disease). Drinking sugary beverages also promotes disturbances in your body’s inflammatory balance, making it harder to recover from exercise and increasing your risk of numerous chronic diseases.

7. Grits - Another hyper-refined carbohydrate. Nutritionally speaking, grits lack significant amounts of vitamins or minerals. They contain a minute amount of fiber and no essential fats. Their flavor is lacking and thus butter or heavy cream is used to make them palatable, bringing together the blood-vessel-destroying, unholy marriage of simple carbohydrates and saturated fat.

I know for me I need to check the fat free dressings I have! I think some of you have offered recipes and alternatives here for dressings. I also need to get away from sodas, whether they are no calorie or otherwise. I had lost some lbs and gained them back and I know where they came from, sugar and carbs! I'm gonna focus on 10 lbs for now, losing 10 lbs and I'm gonna go for this by end of the year and see where I stand. That's a good goal for me.

I start my new position at work tonight and I don't plan on eating all night or early morning while I'm working. I need to plan accordingly and eat dinner before I go to work and take a snack or two that is good for me. I'll also be drinking black coffee and tea. On the plus side, I'll be getting off my arse and moving more for this job!

NO GRITS?????????

[Gráinne]

Hi, all!

I too can blame a terrible year for getting way out of control with eating well and movement (as in: none). The kicker is, I can eat even when great things happen, too. Bottom line: No one opens my mouth and stuffs food in but me. And Tahiti cookies and cheesecake don't make problems go away or add anything to good experiences. They're just ingredients.

Yesterday I went to the exercise room at my complex and did a mile in 25 minutes and some seconds. I did get up to a 22 minute mile, but can't sustain that for any length. 25 minutes is about it. Therefore, my first goal is to get down to an 18 minute mile, 15 if I'm really ambitious. Then I'll go on to the couch-5K program.

I too have an inexpensive gym membership that also has access to another gym offering spinning, Zumba, and kickboxing. There's just no excuse. I also realized I've been paying along my WeightWatchers online membership and not using it. That needs to change, but moving consistently is the first step.

I'm grateful for both this thread and the fat positive thread. It's OK and a good thing to want to be healthy at whatever weight that is.

Good week, everyone

It feels good to test myself, to feel that hum and feel the sweat.