Weight loss encouragement thread

[rpu3]

That's every Saturday for me - the overindulging part. That was made painfully obvious by the calorie tracking. I do exercise and do a lot of housework which helps offset the calories, but still... it's a lot easier to restrain from eating during the week for me.

Today I've decided that I cannot continue overindulge when I'm just at home. I can indulge a little when I or we go out of town or we meet friends, but not at home - I can rearrange calories to accomodate an occasional craving at home. I can live with a monthly over-indulgence, but not every weekend.

I do have to say I am looking forward for a trip out of town in 3.5 weeks and our vacation in 2 months, though!

[JustAskJulie]

One month in... actually started working out and logging everything around July 7... have lost 5 pounds.

Our trainer also introduced Pet to a website - sparkspeople.com that allows you to track what you eat (calories, carbs, etc) and will provide you with a set plan of what you should be eating... and it's free.

I'm still doing WW. I'm trying something a little different this week. My WW week starts on Monday and I had been trying to stay as close to my daily points goal as possible without dipping into my weekly points (I get 20/day and 35 extra/week to use whenever) and I would save my weekly till the weekend, when I tend to be most likely to over-indulge anyway (as that's when we are most likely to eat out). This week my weekly points have been getting spread out a bit more throughout each day, although I think the bulk will still be left for the weekend. I'll see how it goes.

[jdavisauto]

Ok, I,m in. I am 5'11" I weigh in at 335 lbs back in May. I am down to 295 lbs today. It's has been very hard for me to lose weight. I am a diabetic and was on Actos and Metformin which cause me to gain. My Doctor put me on Januvia back in May and it seems to help. I also have cancer and taking comsoure 3 times a day for 5 days and off for 7 days. High blood pressure and taking HCTZ, Inderal and Benazepril. I run the threadmill 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week. I walk around a two block area of our home once a day and on a strick diet. I have my good days and bad days but force myself to follow through. I need all the help I can get so anyone has any good advice, I'm listening.

[rpu3]

Our trainer also introduced Pet to a website - sparkspeople.com that allows you to track what you eat (calories, carbs, etc) and will provide you with a set plan of what you should be eating... and it's free.

I am using sparkpeople.com as well. I like it and it's helping me with counting fat. I'm good at counting carbs, but hadn't been watching the fat. And it's helped me figure out I'm not eating enough protein.

Working out is going well and I'm happy enough with how things are going.

[rpu3]

Originally Posted by jdavisauto

Ok, I,m in. I am 5'11" I weigh in at 335 lbs back in May. I am down to 295 lbs today. It's has been very hard for me to lose weight. I am a diabetic and was on Actos and Metformin which cause me to gain. My Doctor put me on Januvia back in May and it seems to help. I also have cancer and taking comsoure 3 times a day for 5 days and off for 7 days. High blood pressure and taking HCTZ, Inderal and Benazepril. I run the threadmill 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week. I walk around a two block area of our home once a day and on a strick diet. I have my good days and bad days but force myself to follow through. I need all the help I can get so anyone has any good advice, I'm listening.

Forty pounds in two months? Sounds like you are doing really well, actually!
Exercise? Food choices?

[ktimephoenix]

well things haven't been as strict as they should have been the last week or so. a bit of hectic life, and a bit of worrying about other things. but i still managed to lose 7 pounds last week.

[jdavisauto]

Originally Posted by rpu3

Forty pounds in two months? Sounds like you are doing really well, actually!
Exercise? Food choices?

As soon as I got off the Actos I drop it all so fast. Now I am starting to stablize and feeling better then I felt in a long time.

[rpu3]

I started June 30 with weightlifting, more consistent aerobic exercise and logging every bite I put in my mouth and having my work-mate keep tabs on my exercise (and vice versa - we are pushing each other to get down to the gym).

I'm down 3.5 lbs total. I was down 4 lbs, but somehow I put on two pounds in one day on Saturday, and only 1.5 came off this week. I don't know if its hormonal or from weightlifting, despite trying only to tone, not build muscle.

I'm not terribly worried about it because inch-wise, I seem to be doing okay. I've lost 2.25 inches from my waist, 2 inches off my lower hips, 2.5 off my upper hips, and 1 inch off the mid-hip. Unfortunately, I've lost 1.5 off my bust (band size portion - I've not measured for change in the cup size portion - I'll let Victoria Secret figure that one out when I have to go buy new properly fitting bras).

The weightlifting is going well - I've upped everything (except the deltoid machine) 20 lbs in one month. I have no idea why my delts are not improving weight-wise. I'm still struggling to get my reps in on the lowest machine weight or using dumb bells.

Aerobic exercise is also improving. I've upped the treadmill speed when I run once a week now, and I never do the same aerobic machine two workouts in a row so there's a variety of muscles being used. I've started interval training on these machines - it's supposed to help with fat burning.

I think the exercise is helping. I have issues with getting a decent night's sleep. I've only had maybe 2 nights of sleeplessness as opposed to 4-5 nights a week. And I sleep HARD now. I'm asleep like the dead from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. consistently.

The food tracking has helped. I've stayed within my recommended levels for fat and protein and total calories 6 out of 7 days a week. But Saturday is a problem every week for some reason.

So, it's not a terrible struggle. I know that I'll have a couple days each month where the food and exercise are not going to be in goal range, but you know - it's okay. I'm not going to deprive myself all the time. Everything in moderation, I guess.

[jdavisauto]

Originally Posted by rpu3

Forty pounds in two months? Sounds like you are doing really well, actually!
Exercise? Food choices?

Ok that didn't sound right so I went back and check. I said May but that was not right it was back in last part of February first part of March that I was taken off the actos.

[JustMrJ]

My wife and I have been on the Adkins diet for over five years and have been able to maintain our weight. (Check with your doctor before starting ANY diet!!!)

We started two weeks before our Honeymoon which was about six months after we were married (scheduling issues)... anyway. We lost about 10 to 15 pounds in the first two weeks which I was expecting as I had been on the Adkins diet before.

Our Honeymoon was a 14 day cruise... well as you would expect we were tempted to over indulge, but we didn't. We stayed away from lots of breads and had sugarless desserts they had for after dinner. We stayed away from sugared drinks of any kind (except the occasional alcoholic mixed drink).

Dancing every night until the wee hours of the morning didn't hurt either.

After the 14 day cruise was over and we returned home, we had gained NO weight at all. We then lost another 20 pounds over the next few months and nearly reached our goal.

We started more toward the maintenance diet at that time and slowly lost another 5 to 10 pounds.

During the last 5 years, we fluctuate only about 5 or 10 pounds around our target weight.

The only spots on our bodies we are still a bit unhappy with are our bellies. We both need to tone them up as well as the rest of our muscles... just a bit. We aren't looking to be movie stars here...

I applaud everyone who is doing their best and sticking to their plans. Motivation is the hardest part. My wife and I motivate each other and it REALLY helps.

*HUGS* to you all...

[rpu3]

My wife and I have been on the Adkins diet for over five years and have been able to maintain our weight. (Check with your doctor before starting ANY diet!!!)

I lost around 80 lbs on Atkins and have kept it off for about 5 years as well, with the same 10 lb fluctuation.

I'm still South Beach/Atkins and likely always will be. Flour and sugar are not my friends.

Good for you about your loss and for keeping it off... and glad to see there's another Atkins/South Beach follower out there!

[Bama0468]

A word of caution, do not lose to rapidly about 2 lbs a week is optimal,

don't stop eating, eat small meals ( some would call them snacks) several times a day, ( you know the types that always seem to be eating something and never gain a pound? they are keeping their matabolism up through eating)

if you have cut way back on food start eating, if you don't feed the body the nutrition it needs it enters a starvation mode and stores what little you are eating.

Capsium about a table spoon or two can increase your matabolism in a matter of 15 minutes ( those capsules you might see should measure in BTUs the higher the better, I prefer mine in my hot sauce and salsas)

if you can get with a trainer that can give you a resting metabolic rate test, this will give you the exact amount of calories you need a day if you were just sitting on a couch all day to survive ( about 60% of your daily) they can help you with your proprt target for calorie consumption.

lean muscle burns fat more efficiently so pick up some weights and use the treadmill for a warm up and cool down, Ladies if you lift properly you will not get large muscles ( unless on steroids) with a proper routine you can get the lean sexy figure you want.


Everyone keep up the good work, am proud of you all, I myself have lost about 20 pounds in the last 2 months, and I was/am anerexic and still have issue if I look at a scale, I stay away from them and go by how my cloths fit, I have weighed as little as 145 and I am 5'11" Jules can tell you I was looking pretty ill, I had to learn to eat litterally, working my way to 3 meals a day and now that i am "snacking" all day I am seeing the weight come off that I put on as I moved through starvation mode. now if I only had time for the gym again...

[rpu3]

Originally Posted by jdavisauto

Ok that didn't sound right so I went back and check. I said May but that was not right it was back in last part of February first part of March that I was taken off the actos.

Still, it's a couple pounds a week, which still sounds like you are doing well! Good for you!

[slevin]

Some great advancements here for a number of people! Way to go and good job with sticking with it.

My bit of advice is to not just go to a trainer or use a website to give a good idea of diet and meal plans; seek out a qualified nutritionist (preferably one that focuses also on holistic health) and have them help you with how to eat to achieve your goals of health and weight loss. Combining that with help from your trainer and information from your doctor (if required) will give you everything that you need. A good nutritionist can have an incredible impact on your health and on your success in losing weight. How to eat, what to eat, when to eat it are all things that are unique to each person and definitely something to seek some professional assistance with.

Doctors and personal trainers are notoriously bad at diet plans, what to eat and when to eat it. I've been to multiple doctors, talked with multiple trainers and have only had major improvements in my health (nothing serious wrong with me to begin with though) when seeing a nutritionist.

[beachguyz]

Folks, it's never easy to lose weight if you use it as a crutch. I did for a very long time. Don't think about losing weight as Oh I have to lose 50 lbs. Look at it as, if I make better choices with my food and make it a point to exercise I will live healthier. The weight will come off and it will be a healthier weight loss. I've lost almost 50 lbs in just about 14 months. The weight loss is about 3.5 lbs a month. I workout 3-4 times a week.
The most important part is the exercise. It changes your image of you. As you shed the weight you see better muscle tone and it just gets better. The best way to take control of your life is to journal what you eat and drink. It helps you to see where your improving but also where you may be falling down on the job.

When you begin a weight loss program, invest in seeing a registered dietician. Doctors know squat about weight loss unless they specialize. If you happen to have diabetes
pay close attention to your sugar levels as well as cholesterol levels. Make sure you get
regular blood tests.

Whatever you do stay away from the quick fixes. They may work in the short term but will screw up your body long term.

Today, at 56, I am more aware of my health than ever before. I should have started sooner but the important thing is when everyone is sliding down that slope, hopefully, I can walk down it.