Healthy Weight Loss

[Kelt]

Hey Healthies!

It's been quite a while since I was in. I figured an update was in order.

Fortunately there isn't much to report. I have now been primarily in maintenance going into month 5 now. For a while I was afraid of taking any days off from exercise for fear of possible regaining. After having tried it several times now, I take off a few days every couple of weeks without any problem or gain.

It's great to see how well everyone is doing. I still read the thread regularly and keep up with you all.

Keep up the great work!

[sylvie]

Good Morning Healthies ♥

A day off for me - finally!
And a gym day, for sure.. i am heading there this afternoon.. i have a Body Combat class at 530 and a Zumba class at 630, yaaay!!
Also need to do my running for my running program.. i do this 3 times a week.

Today, i am thinking about taking some progress pictures, it's something i haven't been doing and had it in my head that i would wait until i got to whatever my desired weight would be... However, kind of changing my mind on that..

Last night *this will sound SO silly, LOL* but i was getting changed and i caught sight of my backside in the mirror, and i actually stopped and admired it before pulling on my pants... i actually haven't LOOKED at my backside since 315 lbs, and at 223 (last weigh in) i am amazed at the difference.. And after i got dressed, i had to go back and admire it again - though i feel completely silly saying so, it's more about the fact i was admiring my bare hiney and LIKING what i see.. Such a huge difference, and finally feeling proud of myself for what i have accomplished so far, that felt amazing.. i was teary-eyed and completely thankful no one caught me.. It *must* have been a sight!! heheh...

i still really struggle with looking in the mirror and seeing the 315 lb girl looking back at me, very hard to shake that mentality off (if i ever will) so love that i am finding ways to celebrate my accomplishments! Especially where i still have a ways to go, but it will motivate me to keep going & no worries, NO backside pictures LOL!

Hope you are all too! Go check out your bare backsides!
hehehe...

love to you all - have a healthy day!
And for those of you who have plateau'd, so proud of you for looking at it positively.. and recognizing the changes in your body, because i know it can be so easy to get discouraged, but it's important to see the changes are still happening and eventually you will move off that plateau.. You are either building muscle, or your body needs a little more of a change, whatever the case it *will* happen! i moved off my plateau and i'm sure i'll hit more.. Just keep going!!

♥

[Tawse]

I strongly strongly STRONGLY recommend progress pictures.

There are just days where you don't see it, don't feel it, all your friends will sound "rehearsed" (not their fault) and there's just nothing like hard cold pictures to show the truth.

Even if they're one of the hardest things you'll do at the beginning lol.

[sylvie]

It's true Tawse, it will be one of the hardest things to do..
i was such a hider, at my highest weight, i would take pictures that were face shots only.. and it's been a slow progress in finally allowing pictures of my full body.. That shame and embarrassment i still carry around with me.. (& these things are SO hard to admit, sometimes but i'm a firm believer in hard honesty to work through stuff like this...) helps me forgive myself.

And soooo trying to shake that off still - i am still petrified of how people look at me, and if they'll laugh at me or are judging me - and i know that all comes from the negative mindset i was in (and currently still trying to work through).. Hell, looking in the mirror is progress for me.. i used to look at one certain area at a time, never a full look myself up and down lookover.. But now i can look myself over, and actually admire that image looking back at me, and that feels great!

While i'm SO stinkin' proud of the weight i've lost so far, it's hard to not get caught up in that mumbo jumbo and i need to stop - definitely trying! So it's about taking small steps to win the love for myself back, and trust that i am so deserving of this..

That step feels huge though! But, i'm going to do it, because you are right, the pictures will show the truth and hopefully will help me celebrate my ass off!

[Tawse]

Another thing I recommend - but is very hard due to the idiocity of the medical field...


Getting your blood taken at the beginning of your weight loss. Running a complete blood eval.

Then checking it once a year after.

I know my triglycerides were above 300 before I started my 100 pound weight loss back in 2006... by the end of the first year my triglycerides were down to 35. That's it. Thirty-Freakin-Five.

Those are results that don't lie. Those are results that tell you that you ARE saving your own life... and damn they're fun to brag about lol

[sylvie]

Originally Posted by Tawse

Another thing I recommend - but is very hard due to the idiocity of the medical field...


Getting your blood taken at the beginning of your weight loss. Running a complete blood eval.

Then checking it once a year after.

I know my triglycerides were above 300 before I started my 100 pound weight loss back in 2006... by the end of the first year my triglycerides were down to 35. That's it. Thirty-Freakin-Five.

Those are results that don't lie. Those are results that tell you that you ARE saving your own life... and damn they're fun to brag about lol

i completely love that idea Tawse, thank you! Wish i would have done something like that at the very beginning, though i'm sure my doctor could tell me where i was in the beginning when she was almost begging me to help myself..

i do know being off my high blood pressure medication is such a win.. i'm still beaming from that one, truly..and feeling healthier overall, the end to the aches & pains , the shortness of breath, all the different things i struggled with so much.. i will be seeing the doctor in the next few weeks!

And 35, wow..just wow!
Thank you for the positive encouragement & suggestions.. That is truly why i *LOVE* this thread & checking in with you all..

[deedarino]

Originally Posted by sylvie

Good Morning Healthies ♥

Last night *this will sound SO silly, LOL* but i was getting changed and i caught sight of my backside in the mirror, and i actually stopped and admired it before pulling on my pants... i actually haven't LOOKED at my backside since 315 lbs, and at 223 (last weigh in) i am amazed at the difference.. And after i got dressed, i had to go back and admire it again - though i feel completely silly saying so, it's more about the fact i was admiring my bare hiney and LIKING what i see.. Such a huge difference, and finally feeling proud of myself for what i have accomplished so far, that felt amazing.. i was teary-eyed and completely thankful no one caught me.. It *must* have been a sight!! heheh...

♥

Not silly at all. Doesn't it feel so wonderful to finally have a part of your body feel good? Hot, sexy, dayum good :-) I don't know about you but I had nothing on my body that I felt that way about when I was at my highest weight. In fact, I felt kinda hopeless about ever being sexy again.

About a 6 months ago I moved into an older historical building, upstairs. The stairs are high and steep. Moving in sucked (but that's another story). About a month ago, I just happened to catch a glimpse of my behind and holy crap...was I surprised! The daily stair routine has been doing some great work, all while I wasn't looking. I became extremely motivated to finish the job; I thought if just stairs could do this what about walking? What about working out, what about...? I am back on a plan, and this time have added the workout. For the first time in a very long time, I see results and have more than hope :-)

Admiring your body can help give you the motivation to take better care of it.

[Medusa]

Back on track!!

Feeling ALIVE today and planning to walk after work.

How many calories does chair dancing burn? Lol

[girl_dee]

it's only a couple of pounds i'm sure but my pants felt a LOT better when i put them on today as opposed to just a week ago

when you are short a few pounds makes a BIG difference

i am tracking everything on the Fitness Pal App and wow what a nice way to check in to see if you are on track or not. Everything is listed you just find what you want and hit *add*, even calculates your sugars etc and whether they are within the daily guidelines

[deedarino]

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Crust Recipe

Makes 8 servings

pizza crust

Ingredients
3 cups spaghetti squash, cooked
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded
2 eggs

It really is amazing and I am sure you could lower the amount of cheese. My dad adds parmesan. You could even use a low fat cheese.

[Medusa]

WEE.

So I ate two processed dinners today but sometimes when you're busy you just have to do what you do.

This was my menu today:

Egg "McMuffin" for breakfast made with:
100 calorie Thomas english muffin
Turkey sausage patty
1/4 c egg beaters with black pepper and basil

Snack:
Banana
Spicy V8

Lunch:
Healthy Choice meal
Sugar Free chocolate pudding

Snack:
Fuji Apple

Dinner:
Healthy choice meal


I walked for 25 minutes after work at a brisk pace and my legs are hurting!

[Breathless]

Originally Posted by Medusa

Back on track!!

Feeling ALIVE today and planning to walk after work.

How many calories does chair dancing burn? Lol

depends on if there is someone sitting on the chair underneath you *winks*

[Strappie]

I got off track this past weekend ... I'm back on track today!!

[JoSchmooze]

I have not posted on this thread as of yet....but here I go!

Last month I had a trip from Spokane to Berlin, Germany then home again for three days before I was off to my annual company meeting, which is actually a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.

The trip to Berlin, Germany was for work and included getting into a van with 5 men crammed into a van and me. Surprisingly, I was the smallest of the group. Just from the 9 1/2 hour flight over and the terrible weather both my legs were aching and my knees were just unbearably stiff and sore. It took me the whole 3 days that I was at home before I went on my cruise to be able to get the swelling in my ankles down. But since I had to take another flight from Phoenix, Arizona through Charlotte to Miami there was another 7 hours straight basically sitting still in coach. The whole time I was on the cruise I was uncomfortable with my legs hurting and the swelling in my ankles. Some of you will remember that I had that issue during the reunion.

As soon as I got back to Arizona I looked up the Tucson Medical Weight loss clinic and I went ahead
and made an appointment
to see what this hCG diet was all about.
I am now taking daily hCG tablets and I am down to approximately 500 cal per day. Since February 3, I have lost a total of 23 pounds. I have my 1st follow-up checkup at the end of this week and I am hoping to have lost a couple more pounds by then. Already I am no longer taking Vicodin on a daily basis and my blood pressure has been normal every day since the start of this. I am told that I should hit my goal weight sometime in June of this year if I am vigilant and stay on the diet. My breathing is not so labored, I am actually already doing 45 min. a day on on a recombinant stationary bicycle and every other day I'm doing 30 min. light weights training.

I hope to be posting here periodically to let you know how everything is going. Also I'm trying to give up smoking, but I think I'll lose all the weight first and then give that a go. I am down to 6 to 7 cigarettes a day where I used to smoke at least a pack to a pack and a half a day.

Well done to those of you who are on the road to healthy weight loss! I hope to be counted amongst all of us who have lost weight when we see each other again at the reunion.

[JoSchmooze]

Originally Posted by sylvie

For those of you who don't like drinking water..

i learned a fun 'lil tip.. Fill an ice cube tray with some berries, and then pour lemon juice to fill each one.. Freeze them and drop one into your water for flavoring.. They're kinda cute to look at to, floating around in your water, heh..

i love berry flavors & lemon flavors..
Watched Dr Oz today, neat little trick i thought...

Another trick...
If you can find fresh strawberries,
pick out 6 medium to large strawberries,
chunk 'em up and adda little water and ice cubes,
blend in a blender and you have a wonderful
strawberry slushie as an afternoon snack!

Originally Posted by JustJo

They call it Perfect Meatloaf Pan....but there are generic versions out there now too.

You can find it on the "As Seen on TV.com"
website...Jest saying....

Originally Posted by PrudenceJuris

I am struggling with the whole stress eating situation!!!

I find I have terrible trouble late night/wee hours of morning when I'm trying to focus and read for class. I've tried limiting myself to water or other no calorie drinks, but that doesn't "do it" for me, and very shortly I'm snacking on anything especially the crunchy/salty snacks. I'm also trying to brush my teeth, but when I find myself fighting sleep than I just go to bed then. I know I need more sleep, but it is soooo hard to shut down my brain to relax and rest. Anyway, I'll give it another try tonight here's hoping for a return to sanity.

Melatonin works for me when I can't sleep...
And it is all natural....

[Leigh]

Well tomorrow is the very first day that I go back to gym after being away 3 weeks due to trying to get rid of the bronchitis that I had for awhile and while I'm really nervous I'm also kind of excited too. I have to admit that even those times when I would rather not go and deal with weights and such, those are the days that I need them more than anything. Getting and staying motivated are really hard things for me to do but I just have to keep going and know that I am finally working towards being where I wanna be and that's in a healthier lifestyle that includes losing weight and actually having a life (something that I haven't really ever had before).

I've also already made an appointment with my disability worker next week so that I can start getting ready to hopefully find a job, because I really just need to get the ball rolling. I will be turning 32 years old next month and I don't have anything to show for it, so I figure its time to show the world that there is someone who wants to be part of everyday life and that I will no longer use my past excuses to stay hidden in the shadows. I have an opinion, I have a right to be in the moment and I certainly have every right to have a life of my own ~ I'm reaching for the stars and I will not stop until I have succeeded in everything I set my mind out to do :-)

[PrudenceJuris]

Hey Healthies!!!

I got a diagnosis today of borderline diabetic. It didn't strike me as hard to hear or even serious. I thought well this isn't so terrible right? It isn't cancer, and its not a terminal disease so what's the big deal? As the day went on I kept coming back to ask myself the question why doesn't this diagnosis concern me? Others see it as a serious situation to the point that they are worried about my health... how is that possible?? I'm not sick... or am I? Isn't my body trying to tell me to pay attention? What will it take for me to choose me?? In recovery they say the first step to healing is to acknowledge there is a problem.

Well folks I'm here to say I have a problem. I am on the verge of diabetes and all the side-effects of that disease. I need to recognize this is a serious life threatening condition. I have 3 months to make positive lifestyle changes before I go back for blood tests again. I know I've made a great beginning by coming to this thread and seeking the love/support/encouragement each of you offer. The next thing is to join Weight Watchers to get on a consistent food plan. I have a good start on working out, but I am eager to find a buddy for real time workouts in the East Bay of Northern California. If you know anyone and can make a connection please do that... really I need a workout buddy!!!

Thank you all for being here and all that you do for me, and each other.

[Tawse]

Couple of things - up to 18.5 pounds lost now. Yay!


And for those interested, the mushroom lasagna caps mentioned above - nuke VERY well for left over lunches.


That is all!


Hope everyone has a great and healthy day!!

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by JoSchmooze

I have not posted on this thread as of yet....but here I go!

Last month I had a trip from Spokane to Berlin, Germany then home again for three days before I was off to my annual company meeting, which is actually a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.

The trip to Berlin, Germany was for work and included getting into a van with 5 men crammed into a van and me. Surprisingly, I was the smallest of the group. Just from the 9 1/2 hour flight over and the terrible weather both my legs were aching and my knees were just unbearably stiff and sore. It took me the whole 3 days that I was at home before I went on my cruise to be able to get the swelling in my ankles down. But since I had to take another flight from Phoenix, Arizona through Charlotte to Miami there was another 7 hours straight basically sitting still in coach. The whole time I was on the cruise I was uncomfortable with my legs hurting and the swelling in my ankles. Some of you will remember that I had that issue during the reunion.

As soon as I got back to Arizona I looked up the Tucson Medical Weight loss clinic and I went ahead
and made an appointment
to see what this hCG diet was all about.
I am now taking daily hCG tablets and I am down to approximately 500 cal per day. Since February 3, I have lost a total of 23 pounds. I have my 1st follow-up checkup at the end of this week and I am hoping to have lost a couple more pounds by then. Already I am no longer taking Vicodin on a daily basis and my blood pressure has been normal every day since the start of this. I am told that I should hit my goal weight sometime in June of this year if I am vigilant and stay on the diet. My breathing is not so labored, I am actually already doing 45 min. a day on on a recombinant stationary bicycle and every other day I'm doing 30 min. light weights training.

I hope to be posting here periodically to let you know how everything is going. Also I'm trying to give up smoking, but I think I'll lose all the weight first and then give that a go. I am down to 6 to 7 cigarettes a day where I used to smoke at least a pack to a pack and a half a day.

Well done to those of you who are on the road to healthy weight loss! I hope to be counted amongst all of us who have lost weight when we see each other again at the reunion.

Hey, Jo, and congrats on your road to better health!

I have one question and maybe I'm reading it wrong, but did you say you are only consuming 500 calories a day? Or do you mean that you're taking in 500 calories LESS per day?

Thanks!

[Deborah]

Originally Posted by Gemme

Hey, Jo, and congrats on your road to better health!

I have one question and maybe I'm reading it wrong, but did you say you are only consuming 500 calories a day? Or do you mean that you're taking in 500 calories LESS per day?

Thanks!

Gemme I have known a few people on the Hcg diet and it is 500 calories a day....which to me isnt healthy or realistic to keep up.