It's Wednesday weigh ins!

[Alan]

176 this morning, up a couple and a pound over the top end of my target range.

[simple girl]

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC

Even doing 3 sets of lunges and high kicks every day--it is not too early to think of swimsuit season, ladies! Simple Girl, you are already there, please disregard the admonishment to do lunges! Congrats--that is awesome!

LOL, definitely not too early to think of swimsuit season, especially since I am going on a short weekend cruise to the Bahamas with my very skinny girlfriends in just 3 weeks! So I do indeed have extra motivation.

And Sarah I see you have lost 3# this week, too - you go girl!

Twinkle Toes, keep on walking! I think being consistent is key...tough to do when the scale doesn't budge but it will eventually!

I'm thinking I need to schedule trips to sunny places every winter so that I'll be more motivated to avoid the extra indulgences over the holidays. Good excuse to plan a great vacation every year!

The way I have been eating is slightly different this time. Still counting calories and weighing/measuring things (an absolute must for me, I tend to way over-estimate), but the new component is eliminating carbs from the evening meal and increasing the overall protein. I'm amazed I'm able to do this since I absolutely love carbs, but I guess since it's in moderation I don't feel deprived this time (I allow myself carbs - whole grain - at breakfast and lunch). I'm also being much more careful about making sure I have an afternoon and evening snack. These are just some things I am doing differently this time that are helping me tolerate the diet much better. I actually feel like I can maintain this type of diet and be happy on it. Except for limiting the beer

The other thing that seemed to work better for me so far this time is starting to work out a month or two before I started dieting. In the past, I've tried to start both at the same time, and ended up feeling really deprived and hungry and irritable!

Good luck to everyone this coming week!

[Rambler]

Well, had the annual chat with the doctor about losing weight physical today. Most of my numbers are good, some good and flat or going in the right direction (cholesterol) and others going in the wrong direction but still in the safe zone (fasting glucose), and others yet badly in need of reversal (weight - up about 15# in the past 13 months). He was pretty stern with me this time and told me that if I wished to see my 50s, I better get on the stick, lose some weight and get in shape.

So, its time for a bit of rearrangement of priorities. I'm going to have to figure out how to get out of the 70-80 hour workweek pattern, make some time to exercise, and MAKE myself exercise. The biggest problem will be the working time, given the position I hold and the responsibilities I have. I think a major look at delegation of authorities will be necessary, as well as simplification.

Any advice from the gallery?

R

PS: one of the reasons for the heavy work schedule is to prepare for FIRE in a couple years (including preparing my replacement), but if I don't live that long, what's the use...

[xyz]

PS: one of the reasons for the heavy work schedule is to prepare for FIRE in a couple years (including preparing my replacement), but if I don't live that long, what's the use...


Rambler, That is exactly the point! I decided about a year ago I was going to take care of my health and it has meant setting priorities of health over work. Since then I have lost about 55 pounds and feel fantastic. Many days when I am at work (I have an upper management position in a large corporation) and I get really caught up in the day I say to myself.. What is my top priority ? I then leave to work out for an hour. I come back refreshed and really ready to go. On days that meetings force me to be in the office all day then I go at a diffrent time... The key is to get out the door and do it. By the way, my work has not suffered since I started my exercise program.. In some ways I think it has helped. I have found that the people that work with and for me, schedule around my workouts and don't mind at all. Good luck with your program and keep us updated on your progress !!

[FinanceDude]

Originally Posted by Nords

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...3&postcount=31

I haven't contributed to this thread in a while, but a couple months ago I noticed that I was eating nearly a half-gallon of ice cream a week. That worked out to about 1500-2000 calories/week, depending on the quantity of chocolate involved. In what I assumed was an unrelated event, my weight had moved up to 195 pounds.

Asking myself to get through the day without ice cream seems grossly unfair. However deciding not to eat a half-gallon a week isn't so unreasonable, and I just stopped cruising the ice cream aisle at the grocery store last December. Apparently I haven't replaced it with anything else and I haven't really missed it that much.

And in an apparently unrelated coincidence, my weight is back down to 187. We'll have to see where this ends up...

As part of my taking more interest in my diet, I noticed that I used to "snack" before bedtime, usually after 9:00pm. I would justify it by eating cereal like Total 19 and Raisin Bran, thinking that because it wasn;t chips or ice cream it was good. Turns out all those carbs before bed are not appreciated by your body, they just turn them into excess weight. Plus, I wasn't sleeping well. Now I drink a large glass of water about half an hour before bed, and don't feel hungry, and sleep better..........

[HFWR]

Originally Posted by Nords

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...3&postcount=31

I haven't contributed to this thread in a while, but a couple months ago I noticed that I was eating nearly a half-gallon of ice cream a week. That worked out to about 1500-2000 calories/week, depending on the quantity of chocolate involved. In what I assumed was an unrelated event, my weight had moved up to 195 pounds.

Asking myself to get through the day without ice cream seems grossly unfair. However deciding not to eat a half-gallon a week isn't so unreasonable, and I just stopped cruising the ice cream aisle at the grocery store last December. Apparently I haven't replaced it with anything else and I haven't really missed it that much.

And in an apparently unrelated coincidence, my weight is back down to 187. We'll have to see where this ends up...

Mmmm, Cherry Garcia!

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Rambler

Well, had the annual chat with the doctor about losing weight physical today. Most of my numbers are good, some good and flat or going in the right direction (cholesterol) and others going in the wrong direction but still in the safe zone (fasting glucose), and others yet badly in need of reversal (weight - up about 15# in the past 13 months). He was pretty stern with me this time and told me that if I wished to see my 50s, I better get on the stick, lose some weight and get in shape.

So, its time for a bit of rearrangement of priorities. I'm going to have to figure out how to get out of the 70-80 hour workweek pattern, make some time to exercise, and MAKE myself exercise. The biggest problem will be the working time, given the position I hold and the responsibilities I have. I think a major look at delegation of authorities will be necessary, as well as simplification.

Any advice from the gallery?

R

PS: one of the reasons for the heavy work schedule is to prepare for FIRE in a couple years (including preparing my replacement), but if I don't live that long, what's the use...

One of Steven Covey's 7 habits of succesful people is "sharpening the saw" and he is very keen on exercising to keep sharp and fit both physical and at work. I got into the habit of setting a fixed time to go exercise, and if you can arrange to actually meet someone, all the better to make that appointment. Folks at work will get the message when you make it a regular thing, and if you start losing weight and inches they will become envious.

a few years back when I really strated to practice this exercise and eating right I lost 45lbs from one annual physical to the next and Doc was so impressed as the weight loss was intentional and part of an exercise and nutritional program sponsored at work. However, 45 was the low and within a couple of months I'd come up 10 lbs and stayed there (am still there now). However, next physical, he admonished me 'cos I'd put on 10lb since the previous year and didn't let up until the ekg when my resting heart rate was in the 40's due obviously tomy continued exercise routine - not bad for a 49 year old he conceded. I haven't had an annual physical with him for 4 years because I relocated, but I'm back now and have my next physical with him next week. (I was 53 on Sunday gone)

[simple girl]

So I'm going out of town for the day tomorrow. I thought I'd try and plan out my lunch by looking up how much my typical lunch at Panera Bread would "cost" me in terms of calories...

I love the Sierra Turkey sandwich...it's 840 calories! I used to eat that and a small bag of chips for lunch or dinner. Wow! No wonder the weight creeps back on so easy. I know prepared foods are much more caloric but had not thought it would be to this extent.

My other favorite was the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad. Guess how many calories...450. Ok, not so bad, but it comes with a small piece of bread and that adds somewhere around 140 or 150 cal. So 600 cal.

I currently limit my lunch to around 400 cal. So I've decided upon 1/2 serving of the Asian Sesame Salad (225 cal) and Lo Fat Black Bean Soup (160 cal). Hold the bread. I'll have a few calories left over which I'm sure I will consume just by inhaling all the yummy smells of the desserts, etc.

Next time you think about eating one of your "favorites", check it out on line first. You might be in for an eye-opening experience!

[Kronk]

1/23: 196.8 17.1% body fat.
1/30: 196.0 16.6%
2/06: 198.2 16.9%
2/13: 194.8 16.4%
2/20: 191.8 16.5%

Goal: 192.0 15.3%

Heh. Well, last night I ended up not having a real dinner after I came home from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at 9:30. I had an apple and a slice of toast with a butter-type spread. And I was still a bit dehydrated this morning, so I haven't really hit my weight goal (and I was 195.2 yesterday).

The body fat percentage will be fairly hard to hit... that means I'd be converting 2.2 pounds of fat into muscle. I really dislike weight training, and I can't really do upper body lifting right now anyway -- my dorsal scapular nerve isn't working, which means my serratus anterior isn't firing, which means my right shoulder blade doesn't move correctly, which means that lifting my right arm in certain directions even without weight is tough enough as it is.

[Sarah in SC]

Kronk, we take the numbers on the scales as is--even if you are dehydrated! Congrats on making the goal, even if after a glass of water you might have gone back up!
You might try doing bodyweight squats and if you can hold a bar across the back of your shoulders, that will add a few lb. Also do lunges and high kicks--sometimes just using the weight you are toting around on your bones is good for strength training.

Simple girl, I spend a depressing amount of time online realizing there are very few things I can eat at most fast casual restaurants! For example, one of my fave treats used to be a Chikfila milkshake, which has 800 calories or the Moe's Homewrecker burrito at 900 calories. sigh.

I'm at 147 again today, and it has been a sort-of yo-yo week, with a few "bad for me" meals thrown in. I'm going to Myrtle Beach with 2 high school chums I haven't seen in years and am looking forward to hitting the outlet malls now that I can find stuff to fit! It will be good inspiration, but I'll probably gain weight from the beer--I just hope gossip burn calories!

[SecondCor521]

184.8 Monday morning, a new PR for me, down from a high sometime last year of 205.6. Still another 10.8 pounds to go.

2Cor521

[dlhanson]

Current 195.5 lbs - BMI 28.0 (down .7 lbs since last week)
Goal by August 31, 2008 170 lbs - BMI 24.4

[FinanceDude]

235............plateauing,and now hurt from basketball with the kids.........

[Art G]

I guess I'm 30 pages late on here, but what the hey....
I'm 6'0", currently 203 and according to the body fat scale someone posted I guess I'm overweight (didn't really need the scale to tell me though).
About 3 1/2 years ago I started on the Atkins diet. I weighed about 260 then. I dropped down as low as about 195, but couldn't seem to drop any more. I used to be quite active, and once fought at 155 at my lightest. Anyway, since I've got so many arm and back injuries, I've found it very painful to stay active even though I do my best to keep up with my teenage son. Getting ready to rejoin a health club after many years and I guess I'll see if that helps me to get rid of the last 18 lbs. I'd like to shed.
While I consider myself still on Atkins, I do cheat within reason and it hasn't seemed to affect me much. I've found it a very easy diet to adapt to, although finding low carb stuff has gotten much tougher recently.

[Twinkle Toes]

139 today...dang valentine's day chocolate...promise to do better next week

Always feel more inspired after I read your posts...maybe I need to read it several times everyday!

[Insanity]

This was a good week. My belt is one notch tighter and even my snug-fitting pants are getting loose, and for the first time in a decade I got on the scale and it read 160-something (169.5) pounds. I also had a an hour's wait time for a smog-check station to open this week and was looking for something to pass time, so I grabbed a Starbucks and headed next door to the super-dooper-type market next door and tried on the next jeans size down (32 waist, 30 inseam) . . . They fit, but would be too snug if they shrank much in the wash.

A good week.

Feb-20-08: At 170.5 lbs, BMI of 25.9, Hips/Waist: 36-3/4"/34-1/4" (93%)
Feb-13-08: At 172.0 lbs, BMI of 26.1
Feb-06-08: At 174.0 lbs, BMI of 26.5
Jan-30-08: At 172.0 lbs, BMI of 26.1
Jan-23-08: At 173.5 lbs, BMI of 26.4
Jan-16-08: At 174.0 lbs, BMI of 26.5
Jan-09-08: At 175.0 lbs, BMI of 26.6, Hips/Waist: 37"/35" (95%)

Originally Posted by Insanity

At 175 lbs this morning with a waist measurement of 35 inches, BMI of 26.6 and waist-to-hip ratio of 95%. My goal is to get into the healthy weight range again by getting my BMI under 25 or my waist-to-hip ratio waist under 90%.

At 5'8" with hips measuring 37" that makes target weight 164.5 lbs and target waist measurement 33.25". 10.5 lbs and 1.75" to go.

[simple girl]

Originally Posted by simple girl

Hooray, I'm in the 120's! Haven't been there since 2005. Officially 128# today.

Holding steady at 128, and pretty happy with that. The scale "flickered" 127...128, so I know I've lost a little. I'd like to get to 125 and would be thrilled to get to 121 (my weight at college graduation), but I'm feeling pretty good at 128. I guess that's the top range of my goal weight.

Originally Posted by Insanity

This was a good week. My belt is one notch tighter and even my snug-fitting pants are getting loose, and for the first time in a decade I got on the scale and it read 160-something (169.5) pounds.

Congratulations! That is such an exciting feeling, isn't it?

Originally Posted by Art G

I guess I'm 30 pages late on here, but what the hey....
I used to be quite active, and once fought at 155 at my lightest. Anyway, since I've got so many arm and back injuries, I've found it very painful to stay active even though I do my best to keep up with my teenage son. Getting ready to rejoin a health club after many years and I guess I'll see if that helps me to get rid of the last 18 lbs.

Welcome Art! People join at any and all times here, and some of us "rejoin" after falling off the wagon for a while, LOL.

If you like water, lots of people with injuries tolerate water aerobics pretty well.

[Alan]

175 again. Right on the top edge of my range.

I had a physical today with the same Doc at work I last went to 4 years ago. He commented that I weighed in at exactly the same as the last time in 2004.