It's Wednesday weigh ins!

[RetiredGypsy]

Well, nothing like getting a running jump on a train that's already speeding along, but I think this is a great way to keep track and motivate myself even more to get back down to fighting weight, which has ranged anywhere between 190-215, between summer and winter.

Dec 31st 2007:
Weight: 286

April 23rd 2008:
Weight: 270

It's been slow going, and hard, but I'm still going through physical and occupational therapy to try to get back to running and lifting heavier weights. Diet for the last year and a half was atrocious - I wasn't the type who loses weight during depression. January 1st of 2008 was a huge turning point and I'm back on track.

My goal for next Wednesday is to be at 268.

[Alan]

Welcome to the thread Gypsy. Sounds like you are making good progress already. Slow and steady is the best way to ensure long term weight loss.

[Puzzley]

Well, I missed a couple of weeks due to vacation and being on the road for business, but I do have some figures:


April 2, 207.5 BMI 32.5
April 9, 205.0 BMI 32.1
April 16, 203.5 BMI 31.9
April 23, 204.5 BMI 32.0 (Went backwards a little)
April 30, 206.5 BMI 32.3 (backwards some more)

I'm really pleased that I didn't gain any more than three pounds after two weeks of vacations and on the road business meetings eating. These time periods have always been what ended my efforts in the past, but not this time. I'm home and back on track. I'll be back to the April 16 weight by next week, then down from there!

[Sarah in SC]

Alright Alan, that is just what the package said, but now that you think about it...where exactly are the hips on a haddock? haha!

151 today, but after the grim week of both my finals and our client seminar (as you might imagine I am much less friendly in person than online) where I had 80 people talking at me for 3 days, I am back to the gym every day and staying out of the beer section of the grocery store!

Summer is tough, as you have the twin goals of looking decent in less clothes combined with ample opportunities for drinking and socializing. I wish there was some secret besides becoming a hermit to not gaining weight while still getting to see your friends and have fun.

[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%
2/27: 192.0 16.6%
3/05: 190.0 16.3%
3/12: 192.8 16.2%
3/19: 191.2 15.8%
3/26: 193.2 16.4%
4/02: 192.6 15.6%
4/09: 193.6 15.8%
4/16: 187.4 16.2%
4/23: 193.6 15.4%
4/30: 188.8 15.9%

Goal: 185.0 15.3%

Alternating high and low weeks here, depending on the previous night's meal. Not much to eat last night and a good Jiu Jitsu workout, so the weight was low.

[RetiredGypsy]

April 30th, 2008:
Weight: 270.5 (+0.5 Lbs)

When I first started lifting weights I became interested in the workouts made popular by Vince Gironda (he may have even started them, for all I know). The most popular was 8 sets of 8 reps, with about 10-20 seconds of rest between each set. With using a light weight, it made it mixed some of the best qualities of weightlifting without having to worry about getting injured. I liked to pick two or three exercises per body part, and do one body part a day. For me, it was very fast, very effective, and took only 20-25 minutes a day. I would run or do kickboxing for cardio.

When I was in school for the Navy, I was in class 13(90%)-17(10%) hours a day on the weekdays, so I would only lift weights on the weekends. Having developed a strong base using Vince Gironda's method, I moved onto a more advanced workout made popular by Skip La Cour, a champion steroid-free bodybuilder. This one was also one-2 body parts a day, but you could do however many exercises you wanted until you reached 9 sets. Each set was only 4-6 reps, but used a very heavy weight, and you rested 3-5 minutes between sets. The amount of fat lost and muscle gained was tremendous, and being able to run 3-4 days a week in the morning before breakfast helped even more.

Now, due to health reasons, I'm back to higher volume sets and reps with lower weights, and running is out of the question. Cardio now is mostly a mix of kickboxing and an exercise bike. When summer hits full swing, I'll be out in the ocean swimming again.

Speaking of summer, and in response to Sarah's post, summer is a great month to mingle, and it's easy to do and stay healthy. Hey, I almost wrote that with a straight face! What I would do when it was time to go out and have a 12-pack, bottle of rum, a keg of cheap beer couple of drinks, I would drink heavily, especially on nights before tests or fitness runs and then make fun of everyone who did worse than me the next morning order one drink and then sip on it through the day or night. When it got warm, I'd toss it and get another one and do the same thing. It costs twice as much to drink less, but you're still not spending what your friends are, and you're not consuming as much.

[simple girl]

Originally Posted by simple girl

125#. Yippee!

I've been watching the intake closer this week and also kicking my own butt working out. I took an hour step class (with the step on the second level) and then did my dance workout for 30 minutes after that. My legs were screamin' that night! Felt fine the next day, though.

I think aerobically I am in the best shape I have ever been, even though I've weighed less in the past. That sure does feel good to say that at 40 years old! And one of my friends commented on me losing weight the other day, which felt great!

128# again So much for staying at my new low, LOL! Sarah, I so agree - so tough to socialize and not put on weight! I sure did have a fun weekend though! Drinks and appetizers with DH Friday night, Sat went out for Thai for lunch, and Sunday went to a potluck picnic. Lots of drinking and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Back to salads for dinner and no alcohol during the week. I think I just have to be very good all week to undo all the damage from being "bad" on the weekend. My problem in the past is I used to let the weekend bad eating/drinking habits continue into the week. I'm hoping I've found a way to "have my cake and eat it, too", LOL. We'll see.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC

Alright Alan, that is just what the package said, but now that you think about it...where exactly are the hips on a haddock? haha!

Pleased to hear you find it funny as well.

170lb today - a 3lb loss and right at the bottom of my target range. I lost the weight as a result of the double colonoscopy I had on Friday, but it has stayed off now for 5 days, so may be I'll be lucky.

[Notmuchlonger]

Originally Posted by Alan

Pleased to hear you find it funny as well.

170lb today - a 3lb loss and right at the bottom of my target range. I lost the weight as a result of the double colonoscopy I had on Friday, but it has stayed off now for 5 days, so may be I'll be lucky.

Damn thats a rough 3lb to lose!

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Notmuchlonger

Damn thats a rough 3lb to lose!

Yes, I don't recommend it. Got the results today - the polyp they removed was benign, so it was a healthy weight loss

[Rambler]

Originally Posted by Alan

Yes, I don't recommend it. Got the results today - the polyp they removed was benign, so it was a healthy weight loss

Good to hear it was benign. I had mine a couple weeks ago, and on the guy before me, you could hear the cauterizing loop being used...about 8 or 10 times...to stop the bleeding when they cut out the polyps (the nurse prepping me explained it). Felt sorry for him, wondering if he was going to come out with a cancerous diagnosis.

I just got back from the doc on a follow-up to my problems of a few weeks ago. Blood work was good, nothing seems to be coming back, and I have felt better in the past 3-4 days than I have in weeks. Doc says its OK to go back to the gym now, so I think I'll start back tomorrow or Friday. Maybe I can get a little of this weight off now.

R

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Rambler

I just got back from the doc on a follow-up to my problems of a few weeks ago. Blood work was good, nothing seems to be coming back, and I have felt better in the past 3-4 days than I have in weeks. Doc says its OK to go back to the gym now, so I think I'll start back tomorrow or Friday. Maybe I can get a little of this weight off now.

R

Good spirit - I think it's great that you are determined to get back to the gymn. So pleased you are feeling so much better

[Calgary_Girl]

Back on track last week with my exercise ...

End of week 7: down 2.2 lbs
Total Lost: 16.8 lbs

[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%
2/27: 192.0 16.6%
3/05: 190.0 16.3%
3/12: 192.8 16.2%
3/19: 191.2 15.8%
3/26: 193.2 16.4%
4/02: 192.6 15.6%
4/09: 193.6 15.8%
4/16: 187.4 16.2%
4/23: 193.6 15.4%
4/30: 188.8 15.9%
5/07: 190.0 15.7%

Goal: 185.0 15.3%

I think next week will be on the high side -- a group of black belts from my school are flying out to Oregon on Friday for a weekend Hapkido seminar. That will mean a whole lot of eating out...

[Puzzley]

OK... So I'm back on track, now....

April 2, 207.5 BMI 32.5
April 9, 205.0 BMI 32.1
April 16, 203.5 BMI 31.9
April 23, 204.5 BMI 32.0 (Went backwards a little)
April 30, 206.5 BMI 32.3 (backwards some more)
May 6, 204.0 BMI 31.9

I'm hoping I can be below 200 in the next two weeks, but it moght be hard, as I'm on the road again, and that's never easy controlled eating, and intermittent exercise...

[RetiredGypsy]

May 6: 269
May 7: 271

A sign that I'm improving while the weight is staying fairly constant at the moment is that my clothes are fitting better. This is never a bad thing.

[Calgary_Girl]

End of week 8: down 2.0 lbs
Total Lost: 18.8 lbs

[Sarah in SC]

Good job Calgary Girl--that rocks! Is it swimsuit season yet?

Got a big Mexican fiesta party this weekend up in Charlotte for a friend's 45th birthday. Trying to just have the one meal/event be a diet blowoff instead of the whole weekend. Hope that works!

Still up from where I want to be: 151 today, trying to get back to the magic 145. Went to the gym every day this week, though. Our CSA started this week, and I have fresh local vegetables coming every week for the next 14 weeks, so I'll have to eat healthy or risk wasting that lovely fresh produce!

Puzzley, that must be so hard to eat right and get exercise when traveling like you do--what are your best tips not to fall off the wagon when out of town?

[Insanity]

I haven't been on ER for a while, but thought I'd update my Wednesday weigh ins. I wouldn't want you to think I'd given up!

Life is keeping me very busy, so instead of working out five times a week, I'm working out just once or twice on top of my generally pretty active lifestyle. That's enough to keep my weight pretty stable, but not loose weight unless I adopt a "diet" mentallity. It's hard to beat the weight-loss advantage four or five 90 minute, mixed strength/weights and cardio, 800 calorie workouts a week provide!

So I'm stable at something around 172 lbs, plus or minus a pound or less. I'm hoping to get back on the wagon to 164 pounds at the end of the month.

May-07-08: At 171.5 lbs, BMI of 26.1, Hips/Waist: 36-3/4"/34-1/2" (94%)
Apr-02-08: At 171.5 lbs, BMI of 26.1
Mar-12-08: At 169.5 lbs, BMI of 25.8
Mar-05-08: At 170.0 lbs, BMI of 25.8
Feb-27-08: At 170.5 lbs, BMI of 25.9
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 under 90%. At 5'8" with hips measuting 37" that makes target weight 164.5 lbs and target waist measurement 33.25". 10.5 lbs and 1.75" to go.

[Calgary_Girl]

End of week 9: down 1.0 lb
Total Lost: 19.8 lbs