It's Wednesday weigh ins!

[Sarah in SC]

Ah, RetiredBOP, and I was wanting to say something so very impolite to our helpful friend with his simple math, and you, in your concise and erudite way, did it so much better!

And you have my sympathies on that time spent just south of us at Parris Island--so many mosquitoes, so many sand gnats! WOW! and thanks for being a Marine!

Sarah

[OKLibrarian]

Can one participate in this without weighing themselves? I say this because I just had a week where I lost 3 pounds (to a new low for this weight loss attempt, -10 in about a month), gained 6 in 48 hours, then lost 4 of it again in less than 24. (and no, i did not give birth, my system is just really bad about retaining...um...stuff). As I was recovering from the emotional roller coaster that adventure inspired, I realized that the only time I lost more than 20 pounds and kept it off for a substantial period of time, I had no access to a scale. hence, the scale is getting hid in the closet this afternoon and I'm going to the trusty waist measurement. my goal is to get my waist under 30 inches--that's about where I was in my college days when i was about as slim as my body type and genetics are going to allow. I caught my husband with those measurements, so I think that should work nicely. :-)

[Sarah in SC]

Come on in OK! I like to use the waist measurement as well, but keep the scale around as a torture device! We (DH and I) ditched the dial one for a digital, and it drives us crazy. One, because we are both so competitive, and two, because it doesn't weigh consistently each time you get on it, so we wind up wasting all kinds of time in the morning getting on it, getting off, and basically doing it until we see a number we like! But in my recordkeeping, calorie diary, excel spreadsheet way, I HAVE to know the number every day, so I consent to the torture device.

My waist was 37" when we started this, and is now 32". And yeah, aren't we all trying to get back to that handspan waist that so attracted our menfolk!
That is the only downside to marrying young and staying married, they've seen us at our skinniest already!

And I just found out that rum (Appleton's Dark, to be exact) has only 69 calories per ounce, so if I make a drink with diet ginger ale, well I can have a lot more than when I drink beer....
Sarah

[OKLibrarian]

Fortunately, I've got a guy with good taste--i.e. he doesn't mind me with curves. :-) That said, I want to be around for a nice long FIRE--hence the diet and exercise.

[DangerMouse]

Retiredbop, I agree with your take, I have seen some people who's natural build means it would be impossible for them to get to the desired waist size. However, I am only of a slight build which means I can't blame genetics.

Sarah, that is rather impressive to lose 5" off your waist. How much in total have you lost? Reminds me I must get a tape measure to see how big my waist is as my ruler won't bend around corners. We have a set of those digital scales that measure body fat, water content etc. I conduct all kind of experiements, ie pyjamas off how much less, I will weigh before I go to the bathroom then afterwards just so I can test if the scale is moving. However without doubt the best thing is they let you see the smallest loss.

[LeatherneckPA]

Sarah, impressive re-proportioning. And you are very welcome. I can honestly say that my time in the Corps were the best working years of my life. Too bad it would have been so rough on a family life, which I have always placed formost. And I LOVE the rum calorie count. My kind of thinking!

OKLibrarian, way back somewhere in this thread I offered the tape suggestion as an alternative, since scales and body weight are not universally correct. Welcome to the group. Curves are nice. Some of my fondest memories are of curves. (MY best friend's older sister in her white hip-hugger bell bottomed jeans. Unfortunately, mid-riff shirts were not the vogue back then. I spent the weekend before boot camp saying good bye to her.) When did the "feminine ideal" become emaciated, scrawny, almost amorphic? No thank you!! Now I'm not into "baby got back" either, but women are supposed to have curves.

DangerMouse, I think I surmised your diminutive stature from the nickname. LOL, I too have done the before/after experiment. But it doesn't work on my dial scale, which annoyingly does give me the same reading repeatedly, no matter how many times I get on/off. Perhaps once I can use the wife's digital scale, below 300. But then, I like my dial scale. Old fashioned, solid, dependable, sort of like I like to envision myself.

[Sarah in SC]

Dangermouse,
We work out with a trainer 2 x a week and go to the gym at least another 4 days, every week. My high weight was 204, but I started tracking it at 194lbs and that is when I measured my waist at 37". I pulled the tape out the other night and was shocked at the difference. DH has gone from 40" waist to 34" waist.

I try to do 20 situps on the incline bench and 20 on the exercise ball (while holding a 6lb medicine ball) at least 3 out of the 6 days we go to the gym each week. I am hoping that is helping the waist measurement.

It is weird but I never imagined us as gym rat kind of people, and if you'd told me last summer that I'd be doing this, I'd have said you were crazy. But SecCor 251's weigh-in thread was just the push we needed to become serious about getting in shape! Who knew?

Get one of those old school cloth measuring tapes, mine is my grandmother's! I love your digital scale stories--my boss tries to "game" the body fat reading, by drinking a bunch of water before-hand!

BOP, when we moved from the dial to the digital, it made us a bit obsessive. I wish sometimes we could go back to those more "interpretive readings" that the dial offered!
Sarah (see my cool weight loss ticker below)

[TargaDave]

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.

Originally Posted by TargaDave

1/24/07 194.5#. Yeah :P

Originally Posted by TargaDave

1/31/07 191.5#

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)

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)

Originally Posted by TargaDave

2/21/07 182.5#

Originally Posted by TargaDave

2/28/07 180.5#

Originally Posted by TargaDave

3/4/07 179#

Originally Posted by TargaDave

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

Originally Posted by TargaDave

4/04/07 173.5#

4/18/07 172# (trying to stay between 171 and 174) Switching back from light beer to real beer to up the calories a bit

[LeatherneckPA]

Down 3lbs to 325. Finally moving again. My bench press has nearly tripled, from just the 45 lb bar to 120 pounds now, and my rotator cuff has adapted nicely. I believe that as I work harder the cuff will strengthen accordingly and won't be a problem.

Sarah, love the ticker. Another nice motivational tool. I would guess that you have to go in and reset it each week, right?

TargaDave, that is great. Personally, I have refused to give up real beer for that watery stuff. So I guess I'll just go a little slower. Of course, I restrict myself to no more than two beers a week. Usually one on each of my days off.

[simple girl]

Originally Posted by simple girl

Well, I missed a week because we were out of town on vacation. You know what that means...yep, gained 2#, back up to 131 Too many beers and oh so many lunches and dinners out...YUM! Oh well, paying the price now, back on the diet and exercise plan!

Uggh. Not doing so well here. I missed last week due to being out of town again. I'm up another pound to 132. However, my tape measurements are all still the same. I've still been working out, and I've increased my arm weights.

I'm trying not to get too discouraged here. I have to remember that I'm not overweight (I'm 5'4" and my weight range is supposed to be between 116 and 140). My goal is to get in great shape, but it sure is hard to "lose those last 10 pounds" as they say (especially when that's where you are starting out from). Geeze, I sound like I am making excuses. LOL. Anyways, I am going to keep doing what I am doing and just try to be satisfied if I maintain between 130 and 132.

Great job everyone else!!!

[LeatherneckPA]

OH!! I forgot the big news. I have wanted to buy a pair of overpants for commuting on my motorcycle. They are both warmer than chaps, and waterproof. But of course, nobody makes them for really fat guys (378 lbs). Now, at 325, I can finally wear a pair of 48's and I got my pants the other day! I just extended my motorcycle season by at least a month on each end!!

[Sarah in SC]

Woo Hoo, isn't that great, BOP! It is so exciting to be able to fit into stuff you couldn't before--great work this week--3 lbs down is a lot! And be careful on that motorcycle!

I'm UNDER 160! Today, for the first time in I don't know when, I am under 160! Yep 159 lbs (I just click on the ticker and update it with a password, easy).

Simple Girl, I was looking around the gym last night and saw how few women lift weights or use the resistance machines. They line up for the treadmill and the recumbent bike, but won't/can't work at building muscle. The ones I do see, are either working with a trainer (like I do) or with a boyfriend who lifts. I think it is just a really foreign enviroment for most of us. I don't use anything in that "area" but the incline bench for situps when we aren't with the trainer, it is just too "jocky" and I'm afraid of looking like an idiot or dropping something on my foot!

So I think that the getting in shape is a great goal, and congrats that you don't have hardly any weight to lose, Simple Girl! Keep up the toning efforts!

Going to celebrate this latest milestone with, what else, more new clothes! I'm down to just a pair of jeans that fit, and I really can't wear those to work every day!

Sarah

[ESRBob]

This morning's trip to the scale says I'm rid of the same 4 pounds that I put back on last week. (which is why I didn't post -- I'm going to have to learn to share the good news and the bad news here) Still don't know why or how they come and go. Have been trying to skip meals and see if that helps. Maybe it's just winter in New England that makes it pile on, or the whipping cream and pound cake could have something to do with it.

Hoping that Spring brings me back to my ideal fighting trim, 175. 4 down, (at least for today) 9 more to go!

[OKLibrarian]

Down about 3/4". Lost 2 pounds as well, but as i mentioned the other day, I'm not getting as antsy over that anymore. I haven't dropped a size (yet), but the pants are getting pretty loose. May try the next size down the next time I'm @ the store. Workout plan is going good, I've settled into 2 45 minute walks at 70-80% heart rate, 3 60 minute walks at 60-70%, 1 long (90-120 min) stroll on sundays (no HR checking), and a few trips out to the driving range (though that barely feels like exercise!). Next week I'm going to get back into weight training--not sure if I'm going to shoot for 2 or 3 sessions a week, I'll probably play it by ear (or bicep, as the case may be ).

[REWahoo]

Originally Posted by OKLibrarian

Down about 3/4".

How short do you want to get?

[ESRBob]

PS -- no way will I ever have a 34" waist - I don't want to be a naysayer, but It has been 30 years since I was there, and if I go that far back I might have to go through adolescence again, too!

[OKLibrarian]

Originally Posted by REWahoo!

How short do you want to get?

:P OK, in about 3/4 inch. I'd like to lose about another 8-10" around the middle.

[DangerMouse]

Retiredbop, must feel good to be able to finally fit into those pants. Congrats on the loss.

SimpleGirl, we are the same height but I am a lot heavier than you. The main thing is even though the scale said you gained you did not gain inches, and personally I think your measurements are more important than the number.

Sarah, congrats on that milestone. So what are you going to do to celebrate?

bob, don't you hate it when those same 4lbs keep revisiting your waistline? Hopefully you can break the 5lb barrier and it will all fall off after that.

OKL, where did you lose the inches from? Did you measure all over before you started?

I had no weight loss this week which was disappointing. However, on the positive side I did not gain. I am slightly disappointed but I'm determined to break through to a new weight next week. I have come to realise that I do enjoy working out, I just wish I had a fully equipped home gym.