It's Wednesday weigh ins! 2007-2022

[shiny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outtahere Dh was gone all last week so his junk food wasn't around to tempt me. I'm down 2.25lbs

See, I have the opposite problem. When DH is gone I don't cook and eat more junky stuff and don't bother to put the ice cream in a bowl, etc. etc.

I've not been participating in the fat losers club, but I'm inspired by you guys!

[lazygood4nothinbum]

currently at 217.5 lbs & 19.5% body fat. down from 219 lbs 20% bf. goal for now is 200 lbs & 12-14% bf.

i started tracking closely my food intake through shopping receipts. i'm such a cookie and nut pig. started juicing again which i actually like very much. it is amazing how much a little package of cookies cost compared to a 5 lb sack of carrots. i walked out of the supermarket the other day with four heavy plastic bags filled with healthy food for only 20something bucks. nice.

i have increased my intake of fiber. i'm using psyllium whole husks in my yogurt/protein shakes & psyllium pills between shakes. definitely keeps me from getting as hungry during the day.

also i have changed my exercise routine. i used to workout first then swim, thinking i'd end with a relaxing swim and a sauna. but now i swim first, then sauna then workout. this gives me much more energy to complete all tasks. after a workout my muscles are too tired to swim well. but when i swim first i swim longer and stronger and then not only doesn't it seem to effect negatively my workout but it actually seems to loosen me up so that i can workout longer.

i'm telling ya, there's a six pack under all this lasagna.

[Nords]

193.

Never mind last week's post at 189. Apparently I'm "back on track"...

[CCdaCE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazygood4nothinbum <snip> started juicing again which i actually like very much. it is amazing how much a little package of cookies cost compared to a 5 lb sack of carrots. i walked out of the supermarket the other day with four heavy plastic bags filled with healthy food for only 20something bucks. nice. <snip>

"I'm juicing! Last week I juiced a ham, some glazed donuts..." - John Pinette.

-CC

[igsoy]

DH and I have come to the end of our 9 week challenge, I think I lost 4 lbs. down to 132. Not sure how DH did, official weigh in is Friday.

We have been running--- got started on the treadmill and have moved outside with the nice weather. Plus we just started weights at the gym twice a week.

I have cut down on Diet Pepsi, and I seem to be snacking less as a result. I'm perplexed, though, it just doesn't seem like you can be losing any weight if you never really feel hungry, but I lost a little. Don't know how that works.?

The challenge we did has offered an additional weight/fat check 8 weeks from now to keep people motivated, so we'll keep looking towards that. We should be able to do better now that our exercise is more on track.

[LeatherneckPA]

Wow, what a wild ride! Last week I was up one pound to 330. Then by Sunday I was up six pounds to 336. But this morning I'm DOWN 8 lbs to 328. What the HECK?

Didn't miss a single workout this week. Feel great. Lovin' the burn. Have been thinking about getting a home set so I can workout listening to my music (classic rock, or "rock-n-roll for adults" as one station calls itself) instead of that head-banging stuff that's always playing in the gym.

[Sarah in SC]

AWESOME, BOP! That is the way it seems to work sometimes, you know! Congrats on the big losses! It is so cool when you get into a workout groove--it has never happened to me before, and now I completely understand.

You need to get a little mp3 player and lightweight earbuds for the gym--it will make huge difference in your motivation when you can listen to what you want! Trust me--my DH fought me on this until I made him a perfect workout mix of all the 80s hard rock stuff he loves--like Ted Nugent, and now he LOVES it!

Going to the gym gives me more motivation than the stuff I have at home--maybe it is just that the machines are way nicer than anything I would buy for home. I also get distracted very easily at home, and I eat more! Not good!

But seriously think about the mp3 player--it isn't just for kids anymore!
Sarah

[LeatherneckPA]

Thanks Sarah. Maybe some of my bike ref money will buy me an MP3 player. Sounds like YH and I have similar tastes in music. I have to tell you, that 336 really angered me. But since it came off so fast I'm just chalking it up to retaining water.

Biggest changes I've made so far were (1) stop eating at the prison, (2) consistently working out, and (3) no more McD's. Now I bring my own dinners, and I've broken the day down into five manageable meals for my weirdo schedule.

Tonight I'm experimenting, making an herbed pork roast for DW. Leftovers will become dinners later this week. Can not tell you how much I am looking forward to being a SAHH.

I have also found this weekly posting to be very motivational. Between being at least 100 lbs heavier than anyboedy else here, and not wanting to get left in the dust, it's a bonus source of motivation.

[LeatherneckPA]

Down 2 lbs to 326. But I had to take the week off from working out. I've caught that darned cold that's going around the staff. And I have a bicycle race to ref on Sat/Sun so I know I'll be out in the cold all day both days. Didn't make sense to get all sweated up in the gym and then come outside in 20 degree temps until the truck warmed up.

DW might buy me my own weight set, so I could workout before work instead of getting home at 1230am. Cool, huh?

[TargaDave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TargaDave Joining late but better late than never 48, 6', 200.5# after the holiday splurge and way too much business travel. My start date is 1/14/07. I live in a house with 3 skinny females that keep the cupboards full of fat and sugar. Nothing like a challenge. I'll weigh in next week.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TargaDave 1/24/07 194.5#. Yeah :P

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Originally Posted by TargaDave 1/31/07 191.5#

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Originally Posted by TargaDave 2/07/07 189# (3 day splurge in the Yucatan but worth it; next 10# are the tough ones for me)

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Originally Posted by TargaDave 2/14/07 185.5# (caught a bug from DD so 3 days sick in bed; not a fun way to loose weight)

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Originally Posted by TargaDave 2/21/07 182.5#

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Originally Posted by TargaDave 2/28/07 180.5#

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Originally Posted by TargaDave 3/4/07 179#

3/21/07 176# (my college "jockish" weight)

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by simple girl Down another pound to 130...can't wait til I break into the 120's again! It's been quite a while since I've been in the 120's. I'm now down 5# over an 8 week time period. It's slow, but I'm getting there. Half way to my goal (125#)!!!

Wow, the last 2 days I was back up to 131...imagine my surprise to get on the scale and see 129 this morning!!! Yee-haa! Into the 120's again...at least for a day! I have to laugh at myself...I kept rechecking my weight 3 or 4 times just to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

I also have been taking measurements and over the last 2 weeks I've lost 1/2" off of my hips and 1/4" off of my thighs.

Retired bop, you are on a roll! We have our own weight set at home. I find it very convenient.

And TargaDave, I'm really impressed with your weight loss, too. Very consistent!

[Zoocat]

I'm stepping up to the scale. My goal (short term) is to lose five pounds. Today I weigh 172, which has been my weight since 1995 when I gained 30 pounds from taking Zoloft. I have not been able to lose it. But nothing ventured, nothing "lost", right? I am sick of carrying around this extra weight. I also need to lower my cholesterol.

So I'm doing the Fat Flush plan for two weeks. Then I'll reevaluate what the next step will be.

Today,
Breakfast: smoothie with spinich, orange and whey.
30 min cardio at the gym
Lunch: spinich, romaine, chicken, parmesan salad with balsamic vinegar.
For snack I'll have fruit and whey smoothie
Dinner will be chicken and veges.

I need to go to the store to get more veges and some flax seed oil. This plan requires eating tons of veges.

I will check in each Wed with my report. Thanks to whoever started this thread. It'll be a good motivator to report the losses.

[Caroline]

I just looked at TargaDave's results, : and I'm in, if enrollment is still open.

I'm 50 yrs old, 5'6", 155 lbs. as of this morning. BMI is 25.2 using the waist-size method. Goal is 130.

[Sarah in SC]

Hey y'all...we're recruiting even more losers! Come on in Caroline!

I'm down another pound, to 166, despite the LIVIN' LARGE we did for St. Patrick's Day--what a party! 60 people make a huge mess of your house! I think I really don't need any more Irish Car bombs for another year, and if I NEVER take another shot of Chartreuse, it will be too soon!

I made a couple of recipes from the American Heart Assn Low-Calorie cookbook this week, just to add some variety. The skillet squash casserole was awesome--cook squash, peppers, (they had carrots, but I used cherry tomatoes cut in half) in a skillet, then add oregano and pepper. Sprinkle on some fat-free cheddar and 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and put it under the broiler for a minute. Very good!

BOP, I'm looking hard at the elliptical machines my gym just put out for sale when they upgraded, but I think it is better for me to have to go to the gym--but I'm not working your weird schedule! You might really do better at home working out. But whatever you are doing--keep it up--you are doing great! I agree on the motivation, this is a great place to track my progress, but I do get depressed around the skinny people--into the 120s Simple Girl? You rock!

Oldbabe, we started on the fat flush diet, and it helped me a lot with learning portion size. We now keep a food diary and stay at about 1200 calories a day, mostly veggies and good protein, but we've added a few slices of bread here and there! I also add the flax meal to our smoothies, nice texture with the frozen peaches and whey protein (I also use a half-tablespoon of quality peanut butter in the morning smoothie).

Targa-hottie! is all I can say! Damn!

Sarah

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclesters I'm down another pound, to 166, despite the LIVIN' LARGE we did for St. Patrick's Day--what a party! 60 people make a huge mess of your house! I think I really don't need any more Irish Car bombs for another year, and if I NEVER take another shot of Chartreuse, it will be too soon! .... I agree on the motivation, this is a great place to track my progress, but I do get depressed around the skinny people--into the 120s Simple Girl? You rock! Oldbabe, we started on the fat flush diet, and it helped me a lot with learning portion size. We now keep a food diary and stay at about 1200 calories a day, mostly veggies and good protein, but we've added a few slices of bread here and there! I also add the flax meal to our smoothies, nice texture with the frozen peaches and whey protein (I also use a half-tablespoon of quality peanut butter in the morning smoothie). Sarah

Hey Sarah, what a party! 60 people! HOLY COW! Sounds like a very fun time!

Hey, thanks for the kudo's on getting into the 120's...but remember, I'm only 5' 3 1/2. And I have extra motivation. Spending next weekend in Sarasota in a bathing suit with my girlfriends who are like 5'8 and I think in the 120's...egads! So I understand completely about getting depressed being around skinny people...it's all relative!

OH, and it was in the 120's for just one day...back up to 131 this morning. That is so strange how you can fluctuate 2 pounds in one day. Water weight, I suppose.

Another interesting thing...remember I was restricting my calories to 1300? I read on one site about how I might have actually been putting my body into starvation mode. I used some calculators there and figured out that with my activity level I really should be on about 1550 to 1650 cal per day. It was hard to increase my intake at first, but I did as an experiment...and I'm still losing weight (slowly, but surely). Just food for thought. It sure is nice to not be starving all the time.

[LeatherneckPA]

Targa, you're not my type, but to be within 5 lbs of your college jock weight is FANTASTIC. Me, I'll be happy to lose 100 more lbs and get to my heaviest USMC weight of 225. After all, you can't be overweight in the Corps. All of you will have finished long before me, so don't forget me.

Caroline, welcome to the group. Everyone here will tell you, slow and steady will prevail. A pound a week is success.

Oldbabe, I think 30 minutes cardio right off is pressing it a little. If you go too hard to start you might fall off the program. I started my cardio with only 10 minutes three times a week. Then I went to 12½ for a week, then 15, then 17½, then finally 20. Once I hit 20 minutes (after 5 weeks) then I went to four days a week, and the next week to 5 days a week. Now I'm using 24 - 25 minutes a day, depending on which machine I am on for the cardio. That is followed by a 30 - 45 minutes weight workout five days a week. Rowing and upper body on my Mon/Wed/Fri, Lifecycle and lower body on my Tue/Thu.

Simplegirl, 120's rock. Where are you trying to get to again?

Sarah, the key here is that the same things don't work for everybody. If the gym is your motivation, by all means, pass on the elliptical and continue going. In my case, getting the weights for home means I can get home around 1130pm insteadof 100am. And I get to listen to music I like instead of that head-banging stuff the "kids" listen to. See, I'm an average of 15 years older than any of the kids I supervise.

Diet wise, the biggest change I made was switching to six "meals" a day. This supposedly keeps the "metabolic fires" burning all day. That and some relearning portion control. Wake up around 830am, feed the dogs, let them out, and take my meds.

Breakfast (9am) - ½ cup of rolled oats, 2 Tbsp chopped nuts, 3 Tbsp raisins, 1 tsp honey and 1 c water, plus a cup of tea.
Snack (1130am - 12pm) - Somedays I'll even have serving of casserole and 1 cup of frozen veggies, if I have the time before I leave for work. If I'm running late it's a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread and 16 ozs milk. Drive for 1½ hours to get to work. On-duty between 130pm and 200pm. 200pm is official start time.
Snack (330 - 4pm) - 8 oz yogurt mixed with a 1/2 cup of granola.
Supper (630pm or so) - A serving of lasagna or about 8 oz of meat, and a cup of frozen veggies. Started using raw carrots last week. They microwave well if you cut them up into pennies. I'm thiking broccoli and beans might do the same.
Snack (900pm) - A CLIF Builder's bar. Best tasting and best texture of any that I have tried. Decent size is very filling, all organic, and HIGH protein, low carb. Great pre-workout snack. Off-duty at 1000pm. Head to the gym.
Post-workout (1115pm -1130pm) - Edge Agvantage protein shake. 17 grams of protein and only 1 carb. Drive 1½ hours to get home. In bed by 1am, I hope.

[LeatherneckPA]

Simplegirl, you are absolutely correct. Starvation is never going to work.

Funny thing, knowledge. I took 13 semester hours of dietetics and nutrition in college. And there aren't many people who know more about physical fitness than Marines. I never really applied any of that knowledge during all my weight loss struggles over the years, but it was all still stored right where I left it. Plus, being a diet addict I have owned and read most of the diet plan books that have come out in the last 20 years. I haven't been south of 300 pounds since at least 1988. I have made all of my intermediate goals this time, and plan to make the others. First is 300 by 5/15 (6/1 at the lastest). Then 275 by Labor day. And finally 250 by New Year's Day.

Anyway, what I started to say was this. If you really want a good guide for your caloric intake, SG, take your goal weight (let's say 110 just for the heck of it) and multiply that by 15. That's the number of kcal it takes to maintain a moderately active person at any given body weight. In this case that would be 1650 kcal per day. Moderately active is defined as a person who achieves aerobic levels of exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week.

Since you are very close to your 110 lb goal you should take in less than the 1650 kcal. But it is not recommended that you go any fewer than 10% less. In this case 1500 kcal per day. This is where DW just doesn't think it's fair. She's aiming for that 110 lb mark, so she only gets 1500 kcal per day. Me, I'm aiming for 225, so I get 3375 kcal per day. She just doesn't understand how I can eat twice as much as her and still lose weight. Of course, she has zero biology or biochemistry in her background. (I've never met a person who knew less about how their body works!)

Now, please also note that this is an average figure. It is completely acceptable to allow yourself ONE 2000kcal cheat day every two weeks or so. Or, if you are exercising more often (like my five days a week) then you can have your 2000 kcal day every week and not have to reduce your caloric intake at all. And cheat days are important. Success in weight loss is about consistent effort, not self-depravation. All you do by constantly denying your desire for "bad" foods is guarantee that when you do finally break weak (and you will) that you will go way overboard.

The phenomenon you were referring to is part of the gentic make-up of every human being. See, our land of plenty is actually a VERY recent development in terms of human history. As recently as 5000 years ago we were still dependant upon "binge eating". Humans would gorge during times of plenty and starve in the off times. This led to a defense bio-mechanism wherein our bodies perceive severe calorie reduction as starvation times and shut down parts of the metabolic processes. Thereby preserving fat stores in your body. By maintaining only a 1200 calorie diet you were effectively forcing your body to protect itself by lowering your metabolic rate and preserving stored fats. That 1200 kcal per day is only sufficient to maintain an 80 lb body. Hence your body was effectively screaming PRESERVE FAT!!

[Zoocat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclesters Oldbabe, we started on the fat flush diet, and it helped me a lot with learning portion size. We now keep a food diary and stay at about 1200 calories a day, mostly veggies and good protein, but we've added a few slices of bread here and there! I also add the flax meal to our smoothies, nice texture with the frozen peaches and whey protein (I also use a half-tablespoon of quality peanut butter in the morning smoothie). Targa-hottie! is all I can say! Damn! Sarah

Sarah, Glad to hear someone else found the FF plan valuable. I plan to go to step 2 after two weeks and add in the healthy carbs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredbop Oldbabe, I think 30 minutes cardio right off is pressing it a little. If you go too hard to start you might fall off the program. I started my cardio with only 10 minutes three times a week. Then I went to 12½ for a week, then 15, then 17½, then finally 20. Once I hit 20 minutes (after 5 weeks) then I went to four days a week, and the next week to 5 days a week. Now I'm using 24 - 25 minutes a day, depending on which machine I am on for the cardio. That is followed by a 30 - 45 minutes weight workout five days a week. Rowing and upper body on my Mon/Wed/Fri, Lifecycle and lower body on my Tue/Thu.

Hi Bop, I'm not new to exercise at all. Thirty minutes of hiking or elliptical is all I'm going to do and that's a lot less than I usually do. Usually, I hike for 1 1/2 hours on the mountain trail nearby, or I do 30 min cardio then 30 min of weight training at the gym. So I'm cutting back. But I plan to watch out for fatigue. I'm on a very different diet now and may have to rest for a while so my body can adjust. Thanks for the input!

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredbop Anyway, what I started to say was this. If you really want a good guide for your caloric intake, SG, take your goal weight (let's say 110 just for the heck of it) and multiply that by 15. That's the number of kcal it takes to maintain a moderately active person at any given body weight. In this case that would be 1650 kcal per day. Moderately active is defined as a person who achieves aerobic levels of exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week. Since you are very close to your 110 lb goal you should take in less than the 1650 kcal. But it is not recommended that you go any fewer than 10% less. In this case 1500 kcal per day. This is where DW just doesn't think it's fair. She's aiming for that 110 lb mark, so she only gets 1500 kcal per day. Me, I'm aiming for 225, so I get 3375 kcal per day. She just doesn't understand how I can eat twice as much as her and still lose weight. Of course, she has zero biology or biochemistry in her background. (I've never met a person who knew less about how their body works!)

My target goal weight is 125# (although I wouldn't be upset to get down to 121#, my college weight). So 125*15= 1875 cal to maintain. Less 10% is 1688 cal to lose weight. Not too far off from my estimate of 1550 to 1650. That is a nice quick way to estimate calories - thanks!

I feel for your wife. It stinks to watch how much more my DH can eat than me and still lose weight. Oh well, that's reality! I think one of the reasons I've put on weight is my portion size has gradually increased to match his over the years, plus he has a habit of having a beer or two every night. That beer or two is what has really put the weight on me! So now it is just retraining my eating (and drinking) habits back to what they were. It's all his fault you know!

[Sarah in SC]

Yeah, that creeping effect of eating over the years has been the killer for us. We weighed 135 and 140 when we got married 14 years ago, and it has gone up by about 5 lbs a year....every year!

So we've been dieting now for 16 weeks, and have lost 30 lbs. That is 1.875 lbs a week. For the past month or so we've been losing at the rate of 1 lb a week, which is more like what I expected. I figured that my maintenance calories (goal weight of 145) are about 2200. So if I'm aiming for 1200 calories, that is a 1000 calorie a day deficit, causing the 1 lb a week drop we've seen most weeks. But, my weekly average is a bit higher than 1200 a day, I must admit--a few beers here and there do sneak in!

The slow and steady loss has been gratifying, and I think what we've learned about calorie counting and portion control will make it possible to keep this weight off forever. I found a new podcast, called the Eating Well podcast and it is very interesting--I've learned a lot about nutrition and been reminded of the stuff I already knew but wasn't using!

Sarah