Gathina

I have heard about these and am headed out to buy them now. The reviews on them are positive..but you have to eat them, it seems, "not expecting" pasta flavor and let the sauce carry the taste. Hmm..worth a try! Plus, says they have a lot of fiber.

http://www.naturalnews.com/Review_400032_Miracle_Noodle_glucomannan_Konjac.html

Wow that is way cheaper! Better to stick with Atkins!

Parking..I really don't but you could check the S.Florida board. I don't know that I'd even trust a 'secure" hotel with parking thing anywhere in Miami. Where the port is located is kind of the armpit area of Miami and Bayside, though nice is not a great area. Nothing is cheap in Miami. Another thought is you could see how much a one way rental is to Miami with a car and you could maybe stay downtown and see if you could drop the car off there and if there is a shuttle to the port from the hotel.

My favorite hotel in that area is Marriot Bayside, many of the rooms face the port and it's gorgeous. Cheaper hotels are closer to the airport. Therei s a nice Crown Plaza and Holiday Inn near the airport. I wouldn't take a hotel called "Miami Hampton Blue Lagoon" which is popular off 36th street or LaQuinta. You could also check Doral, the community about a 10 minute drive on the outskirts of the city. Nice suburban area and I know Baymont Inn has a shuttle to the port but not sure about parking.

Wish I could be more helpful..fortunately I can just get dropped off! :)

Thanks. I drink the Atkins mocha latte shakes (which have real coffee in them)...it's 15 g of protein and 5 carbs (2 net carbs if you believe "net" carbs...I'm not sure I buy that!) in 11 oz. I usually only drink about 5 oz at a time. They are good and satisfy the chocolate craving for me. They are $5.78 for a four pack at Walmart--cheaper than a latte at Starbucks and so much better for you!!

 

I have to share my son's tweet...I'm signed up for twitter to monitor my kids, but don't go on very often (which kind of defeats the purpose:)). Well, he told me to check his tweets and he had written, "so proud of my mom for losing 50 lbs #yougogirl". It's moments like those that make me so happy to be a mom (which is good to keep in mind as I'm cleaning his room this morning and carrying out 4 empty water bottles and 3 empty mt. dew cans...uh!).

 

Gathina, since you live in south FL, I wondered if you knew of any reputable off-site parking places for the Port of Miami or of any Miami hotels that do packages where you stay the night before the cruise and then leave your car there for the week. In the past, we have sucked it up and paid the $20/day port parking at POM, but I'd love to find a cheaper alternative!

 

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend!!

Yes you defiantly ate enough here, but look at the kinds of foods you ate?

I find it hard to believe 2 cups of mini wheats is the right portion size..is that what the box said? and bread too? I'm not being mean but you wanted accountability :) I thought cereal was to be breakfast by itself on most diets, or eggs and toast by itself as breakfast, etc. How about non stick cooking spray instead of oil? This looks like almost a 500 calorie breakfast??

I'm really not trying to be mean or antagonize you..:) I really am a caring person..I feel bad that your not losing faster and if your posting for everyone's feedback, well, that's mine :)

D: 3 slices of pepperoni pizza about the size of........most pizza hut slices.

 

S: 1/2 of a red velvet cupcake , rice crisp treat, pinch of chips, 1/2cup of a1% milk

 

 

See, told u i def. eat enough. Though Friday's always seem to be worse than most days.

 

 

Bk: 2 CUPS OF FROSTED mini wheats , 1 c 1% milk, 2 slices of low cal. Bread, smear of low fat may, 1 scrambled egg cooked in a bit of oil.

To be honest, it's something I get from the doctor's office..it's about 8 ounces and $3 a box or a 6 pack is $12..he's the one who put me on this "diet"..but I think if you check Atkins, they may have something similar to it and I've seen Atkins in the supermarket.

The other thing is that he has me on a vitamin routine...a daily, calcium, EFA's and a green tea thing for fat burning.

It's not a diet I would typically chose, but after having my own "rude awakening" not to long ago I had no idea a bunch of weight had crept up, and I am probably the cleanest eater around..but was eating too many carbs of even fruits and vegetables though they are good for you..just not the amounts I was eating. Endurance training helps too..I was running a 13.5 minute mile now I am in the 12's.

The weird thing is, things I used to enjoy I can't stand..I guess that's good!

Do you mind sharing the name of the shake and where you purchase it? That sounds like something I'd like to try!

 

Thanks!

Very valid points and lots of good advice everywhere!

For me, my "standard" is 3 pieces of Jenny-O Turkey bacon and 1/4 cup of egg whites, daily for breakfast. Butterball even makes a pre cooked turkey bacon that you can heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. 1/4 egg whites is like 70 calories and the turkey bacon is about 60. Sometimes I add a half cup of strawberries for 5 carbs. I ate all of that this morning at 6 and it's almost 1 and I am no way hungry, but am going to eat anyway.

Lunch I eat a turkey bugger from Jenny-O, about 200 calories and no carbs and a simple lettuce cucumber salad (2 cups-50 calories and 10 carbs). I hate dressing so I forgoe that.

If I feel like a snack, it might be 2 pieces of celery with 1tbp peanut butter (about 25 calories and 5 carbs)

Dinner: usually about 5oz white chicken meat (around 200 calories) and another salad or a cup of cucumbers or asparagus.

In the end, I usually eat about 25 carbs a day while in losing mode, and to maintain my weight I eat about 60. On heavy training days I add another 5 ounces of protein. I found a protein shake with 1 carb and 100 calories that I really like so I add that.

I Am NOT a meat eater..I hate it to be honest ..and I am slowly going back to a mostly plant based diet..but I had a ton on of inflammation and this is what the doctor put me on for that and the weight loss. When I am back to where I want to be I will be around 60 carbs a day on a plant based diet. Things I used to eat I cannot stand anymore, like even bread or potatoes and rice!

I am not an expert in any sense, but if I just had cereal (especially sweet cereal) and a fruit cup until lunch, I'd be starving. I know the Oprah article talked about having a sweet at breakfast, but the main point I took out of the article was that a heavy protein breakfast is what keeps the hunger pains away.

 

I'd suggest meat, cheese and/or eggs in the morning. I keep hard boiled eggs made, so there is no cooking involved and then I top them with mayo and real bacon bits (from a pkg). I wonder if there is a high protein powder you could use also to make a shake (I'm trying to think of quick foods that involve little or no cooking for the mornings)? Maybe GNC would have something? The other alternative is a European breakfast of just cold meats (ham?) and cheese (not American!) with maybe some high protein greek yogurt. You mentioned eating more at night and snacking at night and I'm just thinking it's due to your protein being too low throughout the day!

 

Everyone is different, but what I've learned for myself is that eating carbs (like cereal and sugar in fruit, even whole fruit with no added sugar) causes me to a: continue to be hungry and start a chain of snacking for which there is no amount of eating that leaves me satisfied, just full and bloated beyond belief; and b: to be hungry 1 hour later.

 

Just my non-medical two cents...it's just what works for me and obviously might not work for everyone!

Ok..going to play devil's advocate and please don't think I'm being antagonistic here because that's not the aim...

How do you know the drowsiness was not due to not eating enough??

Many have suggested you are not eating enough and I am starting to think the same. How many calories do you burn on the bicycle? It seems that this meal plan posted is around 1500 calories, assuming you are eating proper portion sizes. If your burning around. say, 300 calories on the bike then that's about 1200 calories. They say you need about a 500 lb calorie deficit per day for a week to lose 2 lbs a week.

You've posted your weight numerous times, and I think I read somewhere that even if someone your weight and size were eating 2000 calories per day the you'd be losing more on a regular basis. You have the calorie deficit and assuming you are posting everything "verbatim" what you are eating you should be losing weight. I've perused the weight watchers board and it seems they are all losing weigh pretty consistently and it also seems like some of those folks are even exercising less and eating more than you.

I do weigh less than you and recently lost 25 lbs in about 7 weeks and I did that with about 1000 calories a day and burn about 700 calories 4x per week by doing a one hour endurance training workout. If I lost that rapidly and I am smaller, I don't understand how you are not losing as consistently by eating almost as much as I am and exercising on the bike everynight.

That's how I got to my conclusion you are not eating enough. I thought you were supposed to eat 1 gram of protein per day or something for each pound of your weight. So I hope I didn't offend you. Just thinking logically here.

Menina :)

Morning,

 

Boy I didn't feel like exercise yesterday. But I made myself and made it to 60 mins. So at least I made it that far.

 

I had a bought of utter drowseiness yesterday.........like dizzy too. I think my sinuses are messing with me. That and I kinda ignored my hungry signals yesterday and kept working on.......I think I crashed and it took a while for the food to bring me back up. I made sure to bring plenty of food today though.

 

BK: Fiber cereal

 

S: broccoli/dip

 

L: Ham sandwich on low cal bread with cheese stick and cucumber slices and dip

 

S: 1/4 of a protein bar and fruit cup

 

D: Grilled cheese and some mashed cauliflower.

 

w: Lets see if I can manage 100 mins tonight. and some weights.

 

Good Choices.

Chis is absolutely right on that...if you Google belly fat and "dieting" the majority of the programs will tell you cardio..like almost every day..and weights only 2-3 times per week. To really make a difference in the belly fat you need to do a lot of it too..not just 20 minutes 3x per week of something.

Someone asked about the arms..push ups are great for that..there is some website I heard about like a couch to 5k program but it's about doing push ups..will try to find it..

Sit ups will help tone the stomach muscles, but they won't melt away belly fat. That is accomplished through cardio and diet.

 

How many pounds equals a size is dependent on the size of the person. For people that are heavier, it can be 20 pounds; for people that are smaller it can be 8 pounds.

I think another big reason why I'm so turned off by eating out (besides not really doing it growing up) is that I work as a consultant/expert witness for the state child welfare program in our state and I have the lovely (?) opportunity to advise judges and other professionals whether or not to terminate a parent's rights. I interview a LOT of parents over the course of a year and many of them work in restaurants. Between the drug deals that have gone down in kitchens of known restaurants, the homes I've had to visit of some of these people who serve the food, and so forth, well, it kinda takes away my appetite to eat out..LOL. I know it's the only viable job for some and there is nothing wrong with that, but when you know too much about their personal hygiene and other habits, well, you know...

The cotton candy.. reminds me of when I was in grad. school the first time in the midwest, I can remember driving through a snow storm to eat..get this..a whole container of cool whip and cherry pie filling when I was stressed. Oh to have those days again when I could do that and not gain weight!

Dipping the cotton candy in the chocolate...there is a kid with a vision! Never thought of that one! I will have to pass it on to my kids!

 

Glad you enjoy the recipes. I need variety to stay on track!

 

Made a meatloaf this weekend...did my low carb version, which consists of 2-2.5 lbs. of meat: ground beef and ground pork (2/3 beef and 1/3 pork), mixed with 1 egg, 1 pkg. Lipton garlic and herb dry soup mix, about 1/4 cup Hunts tomato sauce (the lowest carb sauce I've seen) and about 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. I top the meat loaf with the remaining can of tomato sauce and more parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour at 350. For the kids, I serve it with pasta. This is also the same mixture I'd use for meatballs, but it's easier to bake as a loaf rather than to make individual balls. It's one meal my kids really appreciate and my DH will eat just about anything!

 

 

 

Ok, well, I guess it will be another 10 years or so before I go back to the Golden Corral, lol. But, I'm sure the same can be said for other chain restaurants. We parked behind Chili's one day and saw the cooking staff standing outside on their smoke breaks. It kind of ruined our appetites to see who was preparing the food! We really eat out very little and when we do, we try to make sure it's decent food. We like the restaurants at Disney because I feel like their cleanliness standards are pretty high. There is also a Brazilian steak house we love where they come and carve the meat right at the table. It's a carb counters dream...all that meat!! If you are ever in Orlando pre- or post- cruise, I highly recommend Texas de Brazil on International Drive!

I don't sew, but I envy all of you who do! I was with a friend recently looking at patterns and saw so many fabulous pieces. If I did know how, I would go nuts with it!

I don't eat out often, and if I do, I want it to be decent quality food. There is an "all you can eat" sushi place here I like but I try to limit that to every couple of months. On the cruises I've been on, the buffet is never appealing to me. I just don't like people pawing over the food, kids at it unattended grabbing things, and I don't want to eat something at a buffet I could easily get at home. And maybe it's judgmental, but I hate it when you see people with loads and loads of food that they don't finish on their plates, and then they go back for more. That's wasteful.

Oddly enough..............I don't find myself at buffets too often........at least I don't think so. Most of the time we choose 1 serving restaurants (I mean they over load the plate at it is). I used to it buffets ALOT when I was younger. I think it was b/c it was cheaper for my parents in the long run. They used to have a Golden Coral in our town too. It closed down though and the nearest buffet of any kind is at least 30 mins-50 mins away.

I had to chuckle at your story. My friend calls Golden Corral , "The Golden Trough"..my mother in law likes to eat there on occasion and it's not too bad if your careful. However, what really keeps me eating there is that I have two psychiatric patients that, to their credit, have made some good changes in their life and they got their jobs through a vocational rehabilitation program which is admirable. However, I know way too much about their lifestyles and hygiene habits which is more than enough to make me stay away!:rolleyes:

Glad you have power and hope it stays on! That's great that you lost 2 lbs!! Hope the ankle is feeling better. If you can go 30 minutes on the bike, you are better than me! I do 3.20 miles, which takes 18 minutes on average, but it is a struggle. I thought about doing it twice a day instead of just once a day...maybe I'll work up to that! I also have been doing the hand weights and actually thought I noticed a bit of definition in my upper arm today. Hopefully something is working!!

 

I saw the ad on TV for Golden Corral and how they now have cotton candy. Well, my kids love cotton candy and although it had been a good 10 years since I had set foot in a Golden Corral (and after that, I swore I'd never go back!), we gave it a try. The steak was seasoned pretty well and I just ate steak along with a salad made of romaine, blue cheese crumbles, chopped egg and bacon with a little blue cheese dressing. It was actually pretty good! I don't know that I need to go back for a while, but it was nice to be able to go to a buffet and zero in on what I knew I could eat and be satisfied with that, while the rest of my family indulged in the yeast rolls, pasta, chocolate fountain, etc. The worse I can say is I probably overate, but since it was pretty low carb fare, I don't feel too badly!

 

And, for those who visit Disney, we had dinner at Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge last week and their dinner buffet was filled with lots of low carb options...carved meats, a lamb curry, and salad offerings. All of it was seasoned so well...I do like my spices!! They have a crab soup that is the closest I have found to she crab soup in FL! I definitely recommend it if you are at Disney!

 

Happy 4th to everyone. We have thunderstorms today! Not sure what that will mean in terms of the theme park fireworks tonight!!

I found this article about the weight watchers plan..I'm not on it but thought it made a lot of sense as seems several here are.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=108911&sc=4300

Hope those without electricity are back on..

That's horrible..thank goodness your trainer lived nearby and was on standby!

As someone who NEVER thought she'd get married (enjoyed being single too much?), I did last Nov. and we're having our church wedding on July 28. All I can say is, when I gave up it happened and it ended up being the brother of a very close friend. He and I had been friends for over 2 years, we all went traveling together overseas in 2009 and bam..suddenly we were in love. And I have a couple of years up on you..and I can honestly say it was worth every tear ever shed while waiting...and I'd had a couple of chances to get married before, too..When my husband asked me to marry him he did it in a church..yep..we were hiking in Central America and came upon a beautiful old church and he said he wanted to go in and ask me to marry him because he wanted the whole thing private 'between God, he, and me". And I had no doubts, there were no "weird situations" that needed to be worked out, and it just was so easy. So hang on! It can happen!

Ugh...I so hear you on the guy thing. I'm a bit older than you (35), and I don't even know where to meet a guy any more. You'd think in a city as big as Chicago that there would be tons of guys...not so. I did Match.com for a while and had an absolutely horrendous experience. I had to call my trainer (who is a big guy and lived a block from where I was) to come help me. It was horrible, and really turned me off/scared me from online dating.

 

My hip flexor is still hurting :( I hate not being able to spin. I joined a master swim class at my gym, though, and I love it! My gym pool has zero entry in the main pool area, but there are no steps whatsoever in the lap area. I never would have thought of that, but I can see how that would be frustrating and scary...but you did it!

I don't like Salami or lunch meat but I do like the look of that pepper! Now you've got me thinking of making some type of vegetarian stuffed peppers to eat for meals this week..there are many different types of fillings you can make using brown rice, beans, quinona and other grains.

Have you ever had roasted red peppers? They sell them in jars but they are very easy to make at home either on the grill or in the oven, and it only takes a few minutes to 'scorch" them..when the skins turn dark then you take them out and the skins slip right off. Somehow the roasting part makes them sweeter. I've also discovered water chestnuts..yep..they have next to no calories and I love the crunch..plus only like .50 a can sometimes.

I just discovered Firefly Skinny Tea Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka (found at Total Wine). No carbs, as it's sweetened with truvia. I can probably count the number of drinks I've had on one had since I began this thing last August, but I do miss the occasional cocktail. Not that I intend to indulge every day or even every week, but for the occasional cocktail, this seems like a good option. I mixed it with crystal light lemonade last night and found it a bit sweet, so switched to crystal light margarita mix (I like really tart drinks). I might try mixing it with the crystal light green tea honey and lemon flavor next time. I know that even with no carbs, the alcohol is not great for weight loss, but like I said, for an occasional drink, it's got to be better than some of the other options out there. Even a glass of wine is something like 4-5 carbs.

 

On the positive note, I am now well below 200! I have not seen this weight in about 6 years, so I am elated. Of course, I delivered twins at 198 lbs., so it's not a great weight for me (at 5'2"), but it's the lowest I've been in a while, so I will take it.

 

Still trucking along...made fajitas last night and had mine without a tortilla and without sour cream...just chicken, some chopped up red and yellow pepper, onion, and seasonings. Lunch was sandwich without bread...salami and cheese. I did see a cute option though for a "sandwich". You cut a green pepper (or red or yellow) so you have two relatively flat ends and then fill with meat and cheese. I bet it would be nice grilled too!

 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Central FL is a wetland...I think we've had rain every day since school has been out. I'm tempted to turn off my sprinkler system this month and save on the water bill since Mother Nature is taking care of watering the lawn!! The pool overflows daily with all the rain water...not a great summer!:D

I echo the thoughts about the house...but sometimes if it's getting too complicated then it's maybe better that it didn't work out.

Being a homeowner is a great thing but it's a lot of work..sometimes I wish I just had a little apartment. The foreclosure thing was so horrible in Florida that you can buy a home here for a song. My friend paid nearly $500k for her gigantic home a few years ago and now you could get if for around $160k. unreal. Last week they were advertising waterfront townhomes on the intracoastal at50% off..for like 150k. Rents are dirt cheap here now too

The right one is out there!

Not to rain on the McDonald's parade, but I had to look this up out of curiosity..a grilled chicken sandwich has 880 grams of sodium...half a days worth..and 8 grams of sugar which is close to a teaspoon..and 9 grams of saturated fat..and the sandwich is under 400 calories which isn't that bad...but the rest of it isn't really healthy even without the bun.

Seriously...a teaspoon of sugar in a chicken sandwich? Maybe it's in the bread part, but still..bread doesn't have that much sodium so it has to come from how they made the chicken ..the fat..maybe that's from the mayo..but still even the chicken by itself doesn't sound so healthy and this would be something better for maybe once a month in a food emergency!

Wishing you good luck, Brooke, both with your house and with your weigh in. I must admit I don't understand those BMR calculations or WW points at all! For me, it's all about the carbs and I have been sugar free since I started this thing last August. For me, once you give up the carbs, the craving just goes away and let me tell you, doing these college tours 50+ lbs. lighter made a world of difference! No more was I the last one in the group huffing and puffing up hills. It was soooo worth all the "sacrifices", which really don't seem like sacrifices. I'm kind of a meat and veggie type person anyway, so if I can have some chicken and a green veggie or salad, I'm happy. The almonds curb my salt craving (I used to eat loads of goldfish and cheddar cheese rice cakes). It's all about changing what tastes good to you. Eating out is also not really a problem...I just have protein and veggies instead of a potato. I watch my salad dressings...there is often hidden sugar in vinaigrette...blue cheese seems lowest in carbs. Cobb salad is always a good choice for me...I love hard boiled eggs, bacon, cheese and some protein with the greens. I have them hold the tomatoes and avocado (if it's included).

 

I know McD has been getting a bad wrap lately, but what is wrong with a grilled chicken salad or with getting a grilled chicken sandwich and just eating the chicken? Many times I have gone through the drive-through and ordered a sandwich (either grilled chicken or burger) and just eaten the meat (I order mustard only...no carbs there). It's quick and easy and often my "go to" lunch when I'm working.

 

Hoping you see some results!:)

My husband introduced me to Chia seeds a few years ago..in his country they are mostly "eaten" by soaking them in water for 30 minutes so they become like gelatin,then they are mixed in with natural juice and consumed that way. By themselves they are pretty tasteless but when you soak them they sorta remind me of the pearls in Bubble Tea.

Very common in central and south america..like usual, the states is the last to catch on to something healthy LOL

6 reasons to eat chia seeds: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4353/6-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Eat-Chia.html

 

I've been putting flax seed in my greek yogurt, but am going to pick up some chia seeds at Whole Foods. The benefits sound wonderful!!

Was re-reading this though it was a few days ago..after reading so many posts on these boards I've come to the conclusion that how you might have been raised affects how you eat today. I've shared my weight challenges but I was actually raised eating only fresh, NEVER eating out, cooking at home all the time, etc.We ate out MAYBE once a month if it was that much, and it was usually some kind of take out like a pizza or Chinese.

My weight issues happened as an adult and giving into convenience instead of practicing what I was taught. And as kids we had a stay at home mom, so we had homemade cookies, breads, pies almost every day..and none of us had weight issues. But we also had to use our bikes everywhere, even our after school jobs, or we had to walk.

When I eat out now occasionally, almost nothing tastes good to me. I look at the menu ahead of time to see what might be the most healthy and it's sad that they even kill salads now with the calories contents..without the dressing even! I cook my own food, and take a few hours to prep on the weekend. I like reading what others are eating, but after reading the lists think "how boring. I wouldn't stay on a diet if I ate like that every day too". I like to cook Ethnic dishes a lot as they use a lot of legumes, veggies, and spices and tend to be more healthy and lower fat. You rarely see an overweight Indian, Japanese, or Chinese person.

I also go to a butcher or Whole Foods and if I buy a package of chicken breasts I ask them to portion out each one and wrap it separately..it goes home in to the freezer then I can just grab it and cook it. Veggies I cut up ahead of time, and I plan my snacks. I take my lunch from home and for every meal it's just a matter of grabbing from my piles. For breakfast I eat 1/4 cup of eggwhites..and I buy Butter Ball pre-cooked turkey bacon..all the fat is out of it..and for 3 slices for 60 calories it takes 5 minutes or less to make breakfast as the eggwhites are already in a pour container.

My point: You have to really plan and consciously make choices. If you have things ready to go, there is less chance for failure. I work anywhere between 8-12 hours a day, drive a lot, have a new husband, and I still force myself to work out an hour a day. If I can't get to the gym or a class, I ride my bike to the store nearby if I need something..spend less money, too.

You would be shocked to see how much stuff has sugar in it. If I can't read a label it dos'nt go in my mouth. There are spice mixes with suger in them.Even dressings for your salads. I use drews no sugar.

Other than being hungry and craving wheat for the frist 3 or 4 days. This has been pretty easy for me.

It helps that I always cook fresh. And we stopped eating fast food about 12 years ago. Just the thought of eating something from Mc D makes me sick..I know people say oh I don't have time to cook..I say BS I work nights and still come home and make dinner when I get home doesnt matter what time I get home. Could be 9 could be 12. Work nights its alway either chicken, shrimp, ground turkey, Something thats not going to take more that 30 min from stove to plate.

Glad your receptive to the feedback..we might all be different weights and in different places in the journey but we all know what it's like to feel frustrated when the scale doesn't move.

Sometimes when we hear advice it kinda hurts because we know it's true so it's easy to push it aside untli we feel we're ready to do it. Sometimes that day never comes for some. Not saying this is you but it's true of many.

I will self disclose. I mentioned this diet thing I'm on ..I really thought I was about 15 lbs overweight..when I saw the scale a couple of weeks ago I was horrified, embarrassed, and even cried in front of the doctor. I couldn't beleive it. How did I put on 30 lbs? I was depressed the entire day and cried quite a bit. Now that might not be a big deal for some, but keep in mind I also ran 3 half marathons last year and have been an athlete my entire life. It might as well have been 100lbs. After I cried a little I finally rallied and just made up my mind I was going to do exactly what the doctor told me to do for the weight loss and I did.

I've had a lot of temptations..I have been invited out to dinner and I just said "no, love to, but can't". Had a few opportunities to eat something offered that I wanted, just said "No thanks" and no reasons why. Nobody's business why I don't want it. In your case, if it was McDonalds, I would either take my food from home so I know what I was eating, or I'd eat before and have a diet soda. If I had someone pressure me to take something I didn't want, I'd say "Sorry, not in the mood for it today though it looks yummy". I learned to not care about hurting people's feelings if I don't eat something. Or I take it home and give it to my neighbor or once I even left it at the curb for a homeless man.

For me, it's the mind tricks that work. And I keep focusing on the clothes that I loved waiting for me in the closet. Today I put on something I haven't been able to wear in 3 years. I really believe if you totally abstained from things like McDonalds and other things you like, you'd find in a month or so you'll hate the taste of them. Nobody said you can't ever eat at those places again, or eat the treats you like, but the thing is, and the reality is, you will NEVER be able to eat them again the way you are accustomed to. Maybe 1-3x per month but never 1-3x per week.

I think you made a valid point here..you have to find a way and be consistent with it, not "tweak" it to your liking. Nobody said it was easy. I read somewhere recently that said every diet will work if it's followed consistently, which I think is true. If you read ALL of the boards in this forum you see a lot of tweaking , and then people wonder why they don't lose.

Good advice..follow it 100% for a month and see what happens.

Gathina gave you excellent advice. Here's what I see, and I am not trying to be mean, snotty, rude, etc. You keep doing what you think is right. You are making valiant efforts. However, it's not working. You are not taking the doctor's advice (completely), but you are combining programs, making modifications to programs, etc. You need to pick a method and stick with it. Give it time to get results. Follow it 100% for a month and then judge it. Don't judge after a week with 3 "exception" days.

 

Which WW program are you following? In the old program 1 point is approximately 50 calories. In the new points plus program, it's more like 35 calories per point.

 

In the past I've questioned if you're eating enough. You said that you eat more than you list here. Are you tracking everything that goes in your mouth? If not, you need to do so, whether or not you post it on here, though I think it would be helpful to post it here.

 

As for fruits and veggies, yes, the recommendation is 5 servings per day, but at your weight, you should be consuming closer to 9 servings. You need more veggies than fruit.

 

Good luck with your appointment. I think you need to probe more at your appointment. If the doctor tells you to cut back on carbs, find out what that means. Don't come up with your own hybrid version. If the doctor tells you to increase exercise, find out what that means in terms of time, days per week, etc. Don't assume anything. Don't let the doctor rush you.

 

When you get good, solid advice such as Gathina's, don't rationalize why it won't work for you. Figure out how to make it work.

 

Fingers crossed for a good appointment. I know you're trying and the desire is there. If we all knew what to do, there would be no need for programs like WW, Jenny Craig, etc, and we'd all be a healthy weight.

Well, only you know what works..if this isn't working then try something else.

You would probably do well on this program I am on, it's a medically supervised program and I see a doctor every week otherwise there's no way I'd do it. I am not a meat eater so it's funny but this is my challenge is not eating a lot of fruit and vegetables at first. I am eating more now and like what I see. I also get a b12 shot and have other vitamins. I have always been an athlete and was shocked to find out that what I thought was my "normal" weight really wasn't. I am 20 lbs heavier than the 15 I only thought I had to lose. I was lucky that I got in through a radio show promotion. I was only chosen as a runner up but I still got the program for around $200..the whole program in itself is about $500. But I'm already seeing the improvements in my athletic performance (I run) so I imagine that when and if I lose all they think I should I will decrease my time by a couple minutes per mile. But it's funny, a lot of people go off the wagon by sweets, etc..and here I am trying to not go off the wagon by eating too much fruit..LOL

I see your points. But I have been eating lean hamburger, venison, chicken, and turkey. I haven't had bacon in about a month. My veggies/fruits are lacking. I get about 3 a day on avg. I need five to make the min. requirement. I tend to go towards fruit more b/c its sweet. But I have been eating a serving of fruit or veggies for lunch and dinner. If I added some fruit in for breakfast, I could probably do better. If I replaced sweets for fruit I'd do better too. It is VERY hard when mom brings home cin. rolls............but that's my problem not hers.

 

Here is why i think I still need to decrease my calories: Even if I'm eating some bad things, but keeping with calories, I should see some results even if it is small weight loss. But I'm not really seeing any, just holding steady. So, I changed up my exercise to double and yet I'm probably still gonna see the same weight on the scale.

 

I think I'm gonna do a test run. Knowing what I weighed last night, I can guess what a morning weight would be. So, I'm going to decrease my points to the 44 mark for the next 3 days. I SHOULD see a result from that by Friday if I keep the exercise up. And barring that I don't feel like I'm starving myself, then I think that might give me an answer. BUT I will make it a point to increase my veggie and fruit intake and decrease my sweets.

 

All in all........I think this might so much easier if I lived on my own. I might actually have to not eat if I can't afford it :rolleyes:

 

forgot to say thanks!

Well, you asked for thoughts..here's mine.

1. I think it's the kinds of foods you are eating. You might be eating the right number of calories , but 200 calories of vegetables and fruits is going to help your body burn fat more efficiently then 200 calories of starch. Who ever heard of someone gaining weight from 200 calories of celery? Celery has a high, high, water content so a lot goes out through sweat and pee.

2. Meat: Not lean enough. Bacon is not lean. Turkey bacon is better. Hamburger is not really lean even if it says it is.

3. Carbs: Did a little google search, to really be "low carb" and burn you should be around 100 or so a day. I will confess I have been on a low carb diet for 2 weeks as I have to fit into a wedding dress by the end of July (got married in November overseas but having church wedding in July). I went to a doctor supevised program, had ZERO carbs for one week..500 calories per day in protein..and was given phentramine. Hard as hell as I am NOT a meat eater. I lost 13 lbs the first week mostly water weight but the second week lost 3 lbs of fat (they measured it through this thing on the scale) I am slowly adding carbs back in, am allowed 20 per day BUT through certain fruits/vegetables.

4. Given your medical issues, I still am convinced that inflammation is part of your problem.

5. I don't think the exercise thing is your issue..but it seems to me somehow your gaining back whatever your burning from the exercise.

6. Please don't be offended by this comment: But even a few small slip ups add up over time. It's one thing if you have a slip up once a week, it's different if it's three times a week.

7. I think you somehow need to get over your fruits and vegetables texture thing and eat more of them (again, don't be offended, I mean well :) )

My thoughts..I could be totally wrong, but these things jump out of me. I think your motivation is there, no doubt and you always persevere..but these things just don't add up to me.:)

Morning,

 

BK: Oatmeal

 

L: homemade spaghetti with homemade sauce and deer meatballs, green beans, fruit cup

 

S: I didn't really plan for these.

 

W: Hopefully the ellpt.

 

D: I'm at the point I'm having to use what I have around the house, I've spent too much money. So, I will figure something out.

 

So, now I have to get the perk test......well.....permit. $425 :rolleyes:. But I don't know yet if the house will appraise at the value I need. But my contract didn't allow for that, so no matter if it does or not......I have to buy the land, unless it does not perk. Which it should b/c we found an old permit on record. We are gonna see if we can just get it updated since the Health department did it in the first place. So maybe that will cut my cost a little bit, but not by much I'm sure. Then the appraisal will come in around $400 too. There goes most of my savings.........sigh. Hopefully, I will have a few more months of pay without a house payment to put it back while they get everything set. I figure worst case, I end up having to pay my grandad back and wait on the house for a bit.

 

Okay, so I'm going to confess that I looked at the scale last night. My anxiety was getting too high and I thought if I just peeked last night it would not bring such a difficult situation on Friday. I'm not going to tell you what it said. It does make me nervous though, but I know weighing at night is night the smartest thing either, so I'm not going to worry about it at this point.

 

But speaking of: Might as well have a plan of attack should the results not be good. First let me take in the factors:

 

1. There was Memorial Day weekend where I let loose too much though I kept up with exercise.

 

2. Second week I was getting back on track in a more normal range with food.

 

3. Third week, mother nature showed up and though I had one-two days of eating that weren't that great, i still didn't do as bad as Memorial Day weekend.

 

4. I have consistently kept up with 60 cardio sessions and 5 min. of planks or weights for about 6 days a week for the last three weeks.

 

5. When I up'd my WW points to their level, I started gaining weight.

 

6. I don't go hungry, that is for sure, never felt like I ended the day unsatisfied.

 

7. Actually, with me lowering my points manually, I do tend to eat into my weekly points enough each day to equal WW recommended point intake.

 

8. I checked my BMR and the math looks like this:

 

BMR - 2200

 

WW Points calorie equals- (47 points a day) 2,350

 

Avg. use of Weekly points per week- (20 points) 1000 calories

 

Avg use of Weekly points per day- (5-7pts) 350 calories (high end)

 

Avg. daily calorie intake:

 

2,700

 

That's 500 calories over my BMR, which will let me lose weight.

 

Okay, so by this math (God knows I'm bad at math, but I think I'm right here)

 

I actually need to take my WW points (btw, I did research and found that most websites conclude that WW points equal about 50 calories per point) down to about 44 points a day to eat 2200 calories. However, if I'm still eating an avg. of 5 points of weeklys, then I need to decrease that. But I think that is too drastic at this point.

 

What do you guys think. I honestly believe my problem is my food intake. I know my choices aren't always the best, but if basic science is correct then I just need to put out more than I take in. I don't think my exercise is the problem at all. I think the way I've been going I should have lost weight by now, but if I'm still eating above what I should (to lose weight) then that won't happen will it?

 

Just something I'm thinking about for a game plan should Friday not go the way I want. I've really thought about it and it seems really obvious, now. I also feel that if Friday doesn't turn out well that having a plan now, will help me not get into a funk.

 

Good Choices

Hormonal eating: been there, done that, got the Tshirt! LOL

Question: Did you seriously enjoy what you ate? Curious. If I was going to blow 800 calories I'd rather blow it on a giant piece of fine, fine, chocolate or homemade cake and enjoy every morsel. The stuff you listed is too "ordinary" for me (anyway) to spend the calories and I'd want to make it worth my calories I'm going to blow.

Mindfulness...Onward we all go ! :)

Morning,

 

BK: Oatmeal

 

S: 1/2 protein drink

 

L: roasted/baked potato slices with low sodium turkey sausage. I need to cook the potatoes a bit more in the microwave b/c they didn't cook too well. Not sure what I did wrong and they seem a bit grainy. Oh well.....I only used half the potato.

 

S: strawberries and other half of the protein drink

 

W: well, I don't think it will happen. I remembered last night that I'm going to my friend's twins little pre-k graduation tonight.

 

D: Depends on if I can get home to cook or if I just head to on in for the graduation, its about 45 mins. drive.

 

I didn't get to the ellpt. yesterday. I had to make a choice. And though I was dying to get on that ellpt and off that bike for a while.......I had to go back to the bike. The gym hours are 5-7:30pm. Well, I needed to get off work at 4:30 b/c I had to go see my grandfather.

 

Yep, it came down to if I really wanted this modular or not. So I had to find a way to get the land. The only thing I could think of that would get us to the point of getting the house on the land as a package was to ask my grandfather to buy the land for me. Once he had the land, then he could give permission for my aunt to go ahead and set the house up on it and do the package deal. This meant I had to go ask him for help/money. My grandad is a smart business man and built a little small town empire, lol. He also owns half of the business my aunt has with the homes. But this of course makes him a target for people to come calling when their pockets are low on cash. And he has a giving nature too. I hate asking him for money for that reason. I don't want him to think I'm just like everybody else. Though my brother says he actually kinda enjoys that people need him. In any case, he did say yes and I think he and my agent will be working out details to make an offer on the land today. Now, if they accept the offer, then that will get me past that part of things. I'm not gonna think about if they don't :o.

 

The only reason I talk about these things is that they are kinda relevant to getting healthy. Life factors play a big part on health. The only thing that makes me feel good about having to get him to front the money (per say) is that I pretty much know that in no more than probably 60 days, he will get his money back when my loan comes through. AND if this for some reason doesn't happen, I have a back up plan to kinda "rent-to-own" the land eventually. Always gotta have a back up plan and its important to me when dealing with money and family to make sure I keep my end of the deal, somehow.

 

Anyway, the property is bank owned, so I'm hoping that a low offer, since its been on the market for a while, will be taken. I'm not sure if my grandfather will offer cash or not, so that may be a factor.

 

So lets talk food and hormones. OMG! It was like something exploded inside me and left me like a crazy person just wanting to eat, eat, eat. I tried to curve it the best I could, but still. Thank God for weekly points that I didn't devour over the weekend. I will confess my sins now:

 

M&Ms

1/2 of a giant Rice crispy bar (about one reg.)

1 slice of pound cake

serving of corn chips/salsa

large bowl of ice cream

1 fudge round

 

Yep..............

 

But I feel better today and in more control. I def. planned better today too. I brought that protein drink b/c it is chocolate flavored :p AND filling. Strawberries for sweetness and the potatoes should cover the carbs. I guess I just didn't see that irrational hormone reaction coming.......I guess I forget how intense it can be after 3 months. Anyway...............moving on :rolleyes:.

 

Here is to more control.

 

Good choices.

I think it's really great your getting insight into what your doing..like your stopping and thinking about your choices for food and exercise and not being as impulsive (sorry to sound like a psych. here..LOL)

Like you said, planning is the key. If you plan, then it's easier to not fail.

And the bike..I don't know if it's the intensity you want to build up so much as the endurance. You shouldn't push yourself if you have an injury. 60 minutes at a pace you can handle is better than 60 minutes at a pace that you have to really struggle esp. if you have an injury.

Ask your doctor about inflammation..there is a LOT of good medical research that deals with inflammation from injuries as causing numbers to go up on the scale, even if you are eating right and excercising right.

Morning,

 

BK: Oatmeal (YAY for getting to the store.....well mom did)

 

L: Idk, I think I'm leaving work early, so I might grab something (grilled of course)

 

D: Well, I'm going to the grocery store when I leave work.

 

W: 60-bike-pushed the tension up by one for the first 30 and then take it back down for the next 30 and I'm trying to get through the whole 60 mins without a break. I've also been good about the sets of hand weights with my upper body. About five ways at 30 sets, 10 at a time.

 

I think someone asked if I knew how to properly use weights.......and yes, I do. I did workout with a trainer for a summer and we used weights and resistance bands in my workouts. He taught me how to hold myself and keep a tight core to keep from hurting myself.

 

I almost talked myself out of exercise last night. I was having a relaxing day and my SI joint was hurting all day and I thought, "Hmm, maybe I should just rest today?" Well, I also was thinking that I normally don't workout on Friday, but managed to squeeze in 30 mins, weights, planks after my nephews went home. I normally get one day off a week (normally Friday), so that was my rationing. But, something in me said, "What's the real excuse?" So, I went upstairs and did 50 mins straight on the bike. I didn't do 60 full, but I did more than what I was planning and I did it without a break. I forewent the weights and planks until I started watching that weightloss show on ABC and decided I could get up and do some reps before bed. I did hold off on the planks though b/c of my SI joint. I thought I might hurt myself if I my back was already feeling weak. I did do some major stretching though and my back feels much better this morning.

 

I did 80% better with food this weekend than last weekend. I'm wondering how MN will effect me this week, but hopefully I will just stay strong.

 

MN will be out of the way by Sunday, I think, she has been a little off lately. In any case, once she goes away, I will get on the scale again. I don't know if it has been more stressful to not look at the scale and be doing all this work and to worry that when I look at the scale it won't show any or very little difference............worse case........a gain. I think its stressful both ways, but I think I've dealt better, so far, with keeping an eye on the scale. But I'm gonna stick with this, like I said I would.

 

I guess I will hold on to the fact that I have lost some inches, if my bad thoughts come true. Gotta find a positive somewhere.:p

 

Anyway, I know I'm the worst at planning for my food and though I may have gotten like 3% better at it, I'm still slacking in that area. Since I will have some time this afternoon. I'm planning on sitting down and looking for some recipes and putting together a list for the store. Then I'll plan somethings out for food and maybe do some pre-cooking on a few things.

 

Good choices

I am not a conservative politically but think Bloomberg is a left wing loon. Seriously..it's nobody's business how you choose to eat or drink. The stupid thing about it as that wouldn't stop someone from buying 4 8 ounce drinks if they really wanted a 32 ounce cup. That's about as hypocritic as Michelle Obama being a food and exercise guru and then there's a picture of her shoveling a cheeseburger in her mouth all over the media. Putting label information is helpful and needed on some food, but a lot of people still aren't going to read it or heed it. How are they going to make people read the labels?

Everything boils down to personal responsibility. Only you are the one who puts the fork in your mouth. Nobody makes you do anything, eat anything, drink anything except for you. Granted there are temptations but in the end you are the only one who controls what you do.

Now..back on topic..exercise..have you ever thought about getting a bicycle? I found one at a pawn shop for $30 and brought it to a bike shop and got a quick tune up. You could ride in the evenings toward sunset when it's cooler in the summer. Or walking is always free. Calisthenics are something you can do on your own too or maybe see if there is a community center or church that offers some type of class. Maybe summer could be your chance to try "new" exercise challenges so the bike doesn't get old.

Keep up the good work!

Morning,

 

BK: Mini pancakes

 

L: breadless ham sandwich, natural fruit cup

 

S: Cheese/crackers (the pre-packaged ones to control intake, made for kids)

 

D: Hmm, the nephew is over this evening.........so I don't know yet.

 

W: I'm gonna try and get in 60 mins. today if I can do it while my nephews are around and depending on how late they stay.

 

So, I found out yesterday, b/c I called, that the gym may not be open for the rest of the summer b/c of the construction that will take place to help us get ready for the YMCA. Understandable, and such is the life of a gym that is free.

 

I also asked about the pool being open. He did say maybe in a couple of weeks b/c he has to get people certified to be lifeguards. So, though the bike may get old for a while, for right now it is what I have and what I will work with.

 

I would love to do like a workout dvd. All these people doing p90x, and insanity........etc. But unfortunately, my parent's house is not conducive to exercise videos. Its an old farm house so its broken up into smaller rooms and there are no "open" floor spaces that also have tvs for me to have the space to workout to a dvd. The WW dvd I have does have hand weight workout on it and it doesn't require space to move, so that is okay.

 

I did do some upper body work last night with the hand weights. I feel like it will add to my workouts. I think the bike and ellpt. def. work on my cardio, but also help build my leg muscles. I use the planks to build my core, so the only thing left was my upper body. Now, I can work on that too.

 

On another topic. Was just wondering thoughts on about the drink size controversial topic from Mayor Bloomberg?

 

Another blog I read brought it up and at first I was like, "who cares?" Then I was like, well.......who needs a 32oz soda? But then my thinking cap came on.

 

First of all..............he would have to banish free refills :rolleyes:

 

Second, people who like food and drink, don't often let spending an extra $4 to get two Mocha chocolate.........whatever.

 

Third, this is such an enabler move. When you start taking away basic choices from people, then you are just creating a dumb down society.

 

Fourth, Why do you want to force people to choose better choices? Emotionally/psyh. it is better if people, who are capable (and most are), make this decision on their own........less you want relapses.

 

Fifth, No one could tell me, want me, make me want to lose weight. It didn't matter that I faced all kinds of diseases and problems from my weight. It took ME to say, "Yes, I'm ready and willing to do this."

 

I like the things that the government is doing like having food places have nutritional information available and updating food labels, offering programs and information.

 

But, the old saying is correct,

 

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

 

Good choices