Losing Twenty Pounds While Reading - Page 3

What you should know:
1. Anyone who is a member of the 75 books challenge group for 2013 can join this weight loss challenge at any time.
2. The challenge runs through 12/31/13.
3. You must post* a weight loss ticker on page 1 of this topic. You can get your ticker from tickerfactory.com and copy the HTML.
4. Update your ticker every Monday, if possible. If not, update your ticker at your convenience.
5. Stats (on page 1 of this topic) will be updated at least every Tuesday, but more often, if possible.
6. Books you are reading or have completed reading *while exercising* can be posted on page 1 directly beneath your ticker.
7. You may use this thread to tell us about your weight loss or what you've been reading while exercising.
8. You may use this thread to talk about anything else that has to do with weight loss.
9. Bookmark or favorite your ticker so that it will be easy to find as we move from thread to thread.

*If you're new to this topic/challenge, please post your weight loss ticker to Page 1 or your stats will not be tallied.
..............................................
...........................Slow and steady thins the waist!........................


Leader Board: - last updated 321/13 at 1155am
Morphidae ----------- 16/20 lbs = 80% ---- 1st place
cyderry ----------- 18/25 pounds = 72%--- 2nd place
Samantha_Kathy ------ 6/10 Kg = 60% --- 3rd place

Goal Met:
Names will be added here when your goal is met. You may add a new goal under your old ticker in the same post if you wish (for example, another 20 pounds).

*Updates to the stats are kept on Page #1 only.

Useful Links:
1. Books That Help Weight Loss - to share your recommendations
2. Exercise Dance Music - for exercise dance music
3. Support Thread - for keeping weight off after reaching goal

Our turtle's name is Shelly!

I would like to suggest the name Slim.

Checking in.

Um, I wasn't actually proposing a name, because I couldn't think of something that worked, though; it was more a motto idea.

Fuzzi's suggestion was actually 'slow and steady thins the waist'.



So forbidden grains are only forbidden on special days?

> 2

Cheli, I was also thinking of Slim! :D

...or, if you want to get exotic...Svelte! :D

> 3

Fuzzi's suggestion was actually 'slow and steady thins the waist'.

Oops! Fixed.

So forbidden grains are only forbidden on special days?

Correct. They may not be eaten during the 8 days of Passover.

We can have a motto in addition to a mascot with a name!

Woo! I lost another pound!

Awesome Fuzzi!!

I just started eating Quinoa!! I have yet to try it on my salad. I should just cook some and then bring it with me or just put it on my salad at home. I am not a good cook so I could ruin Quinoa. My son mixed it into one of my mom's old recipes that called for pasta and it was very tasty. He is a better cook then me.

I would love to know the brand of that ready to eat Quinoa cereal.

Well, I lose some of what I gained the previous week but I'm still behind the game. I'm starting a challenge for myself of 30 days under 2500 calories. Yesterday was Day 1!

> 7

Hurray!

> 9

I'm starting a challenge for myself of 30 days under 2500 calories. Yesterday was Day 1!

I like the idea of such mini challenges. I think they break down what seems to be a large task into doable increments. If you'd like to start another ("Calorie Count While Reading") ticker thread here for your and others' calorie count tickers, feel free to do so. Good luck!

> 3

That turtle picture/strawberry is so cute!

No weight loss for me this week :(, but at least I didn't gain anything! I need to move more, that's one of my big issues. I'm keeping on track for calories though, and that's a good thing.

Congrats, fuzzi!

Monday weigh in: I lost 1.3 pounds this week for a total of 4.7 pounds lost since 1/7/13 which is when I joined this challenge. I credit this challenge with this progress. Unlike WW, which is once a week, this is an ongoing source of support and the public nature of reporting your weight loss is motivating to me. I'm especially glad I lost this week because I've been home since Thursday with a bad cold and have gotten zero exercise.

I also love the nickname "Slim" for the turtle.

> 8

Monica, Brit responded to me on the last thread that the name of the ready-to-eat quinoa breakfast cereal is Cocomama (https://www.cocomamafoods.com/). You can order it from Amazon if it's not in a store near you.

> 13

Keep trying, Laura. There's always next week!

> 14

Hurray for Pat!

the public nature of reporting your weight loss is motivating to me

Heh! That's what's working for me as well.

By the way, if anyone is gaining weight, you can also record that. It might end up as a negative number on your ticker, but that will hold you accountable for better progress the following week. I know it's hard! You CAN do this!

Mascot Name: Crush

Shelly Turtle!

FYI, I have a hard time not cleaning my plate, so I have been taking little portions. It seems to be working.

Today we had a lunch meeting at the hospital's physicians' lounge, where the food is really good...and while I took a slice of carrot cake for dessert, I only ate half, and threw out the remainder!!!!

That's a big step for me.

> 19

Lor,
Couldn't you have just taken half of the piece or split the cake in half with another person? I don't like to see (or hear about) food being thrown out. :(

I thought about it, but then I just put it in the trash.

It was symbolic. :)

Next time, I'll share it with you! :)

If I had shared it, it would have been enabling someone else to eat too much. If I'd been dessertless and someone offered me half of their slice of carrot cake, I would have accepted, see?

I'd be glad to share with you, though. :)

I'll be right over! :)

"Inside this shell, there's a thinner me"

I was thinking of Shelley, too.

I like that, humouress!

25> I like that too!

The strawberry turtle is adorable. But I LOVE Samantha_kathy's svelte swimming sea turtle in thread 2! I like either Shelley or Slim for the mascot's name.

Pat thanks for letting me know. I had looked on the thread but couldn't find the response. I did google it and that is what showed up. I still have to see if it is available any where else. Congrats on the weight loss!

Thanks for the encouragement, Madeline and Monica!

And fuzzi, I think that's huge that you were able to throw away half a slice of carrot cake. I'm so used to eating everything on my plate that I often completely overeat when I eat out.

For the turtle names, I also like Shelley and Slim.

I have to say, now that I make sure there's always a variety of fruit in the house, it's much easier to just grabbed a piece of fruit in the evening when I become peckish. It prevents me from turning to unhealthy snacks and candy.

#31 I'm also doing my best to substitute fruit for my desserts. Right now it's working pretty well because I'm trying to get rid of a cold and feel like I need to eat healthy food to do it. My downfall is sweets.

Pat & Monica - I hope you guys can try the cereal and let me know what you think. I know Whole Foods has them both. Although the Justin's is much cheaper on-line!

Good news - I lost 1.5 lbs since Thursday! Wooowhhoooo!! Hopefully, the downward trend can continue!

I'm debating about whether or not I should sign up for the Super Bowl 5k happening in our town . . . .

>>#31 & #32

Sigh... :(

If "yes" wins, we'll use the suggestions we have so far for our vote. If "no" wins, I'll ask for more suggestions.

Ready to vote. Polls close next Friday night 12 midnight.

Well, I dragged myself to Weight Watchers this AM, sure I'd be up, due to an attack by chocolate cake, at work. However, I am down either .2 or .6 lbs. So I will take it!

I think it's good to throw away food--better to waste than to waist, as they say. So good for you Fuzzi!

I forgot to weigh in on Friday, will do so tomorrow. Had my very first (this year) sweet treat today: two red velvet cupcakes. The recipe was a first for me, results are over here. I think cupcakes are a great way to do portion control. You can just eat one and call it done. I actually ate two (which, okay, I probably shouldn't have) and just froze the others (unfrosted).

>43 banjo123:: These chocolate cakes are really something, you know. A friend of mine and I dropped off our kids for their first ever gymnastics class without us present, so we decided to treat ourselves and go for a coffee. I was thirsty, so I was going to just have coffee, but then she felt hungry and chose a piece of mud-cake. And then ... and then ... :0(

If the answer is no, please update them - even if it means weight gain instead of loss. Please try to make an entry at least once a week.

If you've decided to stop monitoring your own weight loss, please remove your ticker...but do let us know why! I've noticed some people who've gone through a month with us and have had no weight changes at all. That is hard to believe.

> 45

Sweets are totally my downfall. I've learned to live with that by using portion control. Eating a skinny sliver of a large peiece of cake. No, I don't throw away the rest because it's most likely a cake that I've baked myself.

I'll eat one chocolate kiss (okay, maybe two) instead of a dozen.

Anyway, that seems to work for me. I get the taste of what I like without a lot of excess calories.

> 42

Hey! Congrats to those of you who've lost enough weight to have made your progress noticeable to others!!

>46 SqueakyChu:: OK - I've updated my ticker, mainly because the scales dipped unexpectedly today. I thought we were supposed to do them on Mondays (or a specific day once a week)?

>47 SqueakyChu:: Unfortunately, the cake was pre-cut into large wedges. I suppose I really should have asked if we could share - or, better yet, stuck with the coffee.

> 49

I thought we were supposed to do them on Mondays (or a specific day once a week)?

You can do them whenever you like, but at least once a week. I do them when my scales dip also. Heh!

However, a participant cannot opt to neverupdate his/her ticker. :D

> 49

the cake was pre-cut into large wedges

Excuses, excuses! ;)

Precut wedges can be cut into smaller wedges. :D

P.S. At my house, I pre-cut most cakes I bake. More often than not, at least one person will want "half of a piece". That works for me. I don't want to sabotage anyone's efforts at weight or portion control. I do want them to partake of and appreciate my baked goods, though.

I'm still planning on updating on Mondays although tomorrow I may have to post a gain. We have alot of food in the house for Super Bowl Sunday and I'm not feeling strong.

Madeline, I was in Whole Foods this morning and checked out the almond and peanut butters that you grind yourself. They're roasted (not raw) at least in Boise.

I looked at them myself. Oddly, the one I like (the peanut butter) was roasted. It was the almond butter that was raw! Funny.

The bottom line for me is that the roasted nuts always taste better. :)

I don't remember trying raw almond butter or peanut butter but I was thinking the same thing--that they wouldn't taste as good as the roasted ones.

I weigh myself at work, on one of those "doctors' scales". I'll post any change tomorrow (Monday).

I'm hungry......

#46 - I was bit disappointed by the comment about how "it is hard to believe" that some people have not had a weight change in a month. Sometimes it doesn't happen like that.

I have been busting my a$$ for the last 6 months trying to lose weight and have hit several walls where I won't lose weight for several weeks and then drop several pounds at once. Additionally, I've dealt with sickness most of this month both with myself and my family. If this is truly going to be a supportive group and environment then I'm not sure questioning members motives or amount of weight loss is the way to do that. So while I look to update my ticker once-a-week, sometimes there is nothing to update.

Sorry, weejane, I'm sure nothing negative was intended. We're not like that! :)

> 55

I'm really hungry, too!

I'm waiting to watch the Super Bowl (an American football championship play-off game - an explanation for my overseas friends) and am rooting for my home team of the Baltimore Ravens. I grew up in Baltimore.

My husband just left to get cold cut subs for the game (Yum!) and a bottle of Coke Zero for me. I only had a cup of coffee with a small pastry this morning for breakfast and homemade chicken soup (with meat and veggies in it) for lunch today so the calorie count at the end of today should be just fine! :)

Go Ravens! :D

> 56

I was bit disappointed by the comment about how "it is hard to believe" that some people have not had a weight change in a month.

I apologize, weejane. I didn't realize that I was saying something negative about anyone trying to lose weight. My comment was really directed at tickers that had been posted and never moved. It was my thought that individuals posted them and then simply abandoned them.

It's also possible that, unlike myself, who is constantly jumping on and off the scale, others choose not to weigh very often; hence their tickers would register no change.

I'll not comment about the tickers again because it was not my intention to offend anyone here.

I had a mixed result last week. The weather was bad and my amount of exercise poor as a consequence, but on the other hand it was a good week for the elimination of bad snacking, which is one of my main battles; so overall I feel positive.

Did my weigh-in two days late, but with good results. I've lost another kilo, meaning that my total weight loss is now 5 kg. I'm half-way there! *does a little dance* And that's with having had two cupcakes this weekend :D

Gained two pounds...I'm not sure how, as I've been good (not eating sweets), and very hungry... :(

I treated myself to a mani-pedi today (mainly because it was the first time in a long time that my nails were all long enough without having broken), and I felt quite uplifted for the rest of the day.

Be good to yourselves, girls and guys.

Speaking of which, do we have any guys left, or has the pace proven too hot for them?

Lost 8 pounds so now I'm back down to where I started!

Monday weigh in: I gained 1 pound this week. I know why. It's a combination of still having this cold and not exercising plus eating too many starchy and sugary foods yesterday.

Congratulations on getting back on track, Morphy!

> 61

Samantha_Kathy, you are in the lead now! Give us a few hints that have helped you toward your weight loss success.

Congrats on being the first person of our little group here to reach your 50% weight loss goal!

By the way, if any of you have chosen a weight loss goal greater than 20 pounds* (or its Kilo equivalent), feel free to change your current ticker to a 20 pound goal (thereby creating weight loss segments rather than a larger amount). This is optional only, so you may continue to list your entire weight loss goal in one ticker.

*I'm just trying to make this easier and more attainable for anyone who is not seeing much progress. Don't get discouraged! We're all in this together.

66 > No candy, fruit as snacks, smaller breakfast and lunch then I was taking before I started losing weight (but enough to feel full!) and no more second helpings at dinner. Of course, for dinner I also try to eat healthy - more vegetables, less meat.

I think, the worst thing you can do when trying to lose weight is to eat so little you feel hungry. When you feel hungry, your body actually starts to hoard everything you put into it - so you might end up gaining weight! (Or at least not losing it.) Better to eat 5-6 small, healthy meals a day, amounting to about 2000 calories a day for women. that way, you don't get hungry, your body doesn't get into hoarding mode, and you're not as tempted to grab an unhealthy snack.

For me, I aim for about 1800 calories a day, since I have a 'sitting down' job and my excercise regime is...well, non-existent at the moment. I don't move enough, I know this, so I take less calories than an average woman needs.

In the morning I take two biscuits (Dutch: beschuit), one with a slice of cheese and the other with strawberry jam. I used to either not eat at all, or eat a slice of bread with something on it. As lunch, I have two slices of bread, one with cheese, one with strawberry jam. It used to be four slices of bread, with cheese, sandwich meat, and chocolate spread. The strawberry jam isn't the most healthy option, but it keeps my sweet tooth satisfied enough that I don't miss the unhealthy snacks so much.

Then, in the afternoon, if I start to feel peckish, I grab a piece of fruit - I don't always, if I'm not hungry I don't eat anything until dinner. As for dinner, aside from trying to eat healthy, I just take one plate. It used to be two plates - unless I didn't like what we were eating very much. In the evenings, around 21.00, I usually get hungry for something. I used to grab something unhealthy: chips, cookies, something like that. Now I grab a piece of fruit.

This "regime" makes sure I never get really hungry. It gets me enough calories, without it being too much. So far, it seems to be working for me.

> 67

Sounds great to me! Thanks.

Samantha, you can also use the 'all fruit/no sugar' jelly, which has fewer calories but is still sweet. It's usually sweetened with fruit juice.

69 > I think the only alternative to normal jelly in the supermarkets here is the "light" version - which has those pesky artificial sweeteners. I just use a thin layer and that's going well. A little sugar isn't bad, as long as you don't overdo it.

Samantha that is a lot of calories. If I ate that much I would put on weight. I eat between 1200 to 1600 calories a day. If I exercise more then I eat more. Last year I was exercising 60 or more minutes a day and lost a total of 50 lbs. I know that if I don't exercise I won't lose any weight. My BMR at my current weight is 1902. So if I eat more then that amount of calories I won't lose any weight. As my weight goes down so does my BMR.

I still enjoy a treat every so often. You are doing a great job and will continue to do great if you keep doing what you are doing. I have a tendency to get bored with things and that can cause problems.

I keep nuts at my desk for the protein. I always bring fruit with me to work and have a snack in the morning and maybe one in the afternoon or with my lunch.

Today I had my protein cereal with fat free milk and a banana for breakfast.

Snack was some whole wheat crackers with peanut butter
Lunch was a salad no dressing, sunflower seeds and 2 cups watermelon and an apple.

I notice that if I avoid the sugar treats and eat the sweet fruits it satisfies my sweet tooth just the same. The problem is chocolate. I am still trying to get a liking for dark chocolate.

Maddie I changed my goal because I put weight back on and seeing the lower weight with a negative was not helping me to lose the weight. I am hoping now that I have it set to my current weight that I will be able to get the last few pounds off. I know that I can do it!!

> 71

I fixed it so it's not negative. Here's hoping it goes in the right direction this time!

I know that I can do it!!

Yes, you can!

Good Morning Friends! No weight loss since the last time I weighed myself, but I'm feeling pretty good about how I'm looking. I made a great recovery food that is also quick - quinoa cookies! They are so good and healthy!

My trainer wants me to eat more protein . . . I will do my best. The good news is that he basically said I can eat a huge breakfast! :) I love breakfast!

I've gotten in the habit of just weighing myself once a week (on Monday as it happens)...I suppose I think of it in the same terms as "the watched pot won't boil"! But, this past week, no loss. The freezing weather and snow has really cut down on my walking since even our puppy doesn't want to be outside, and I've been a bit more lax about watching my diet since developing a sore throat on Saturday. I'm good about drinking water, but somehow, it's so much harder when I have a sore throat! So, I'm overdoing high-salt soups and yogurt and cough drops right now, and just satisfied that I haven't gained anything with all this snow! I'm sure there are healthier soups I'd still enjoy, but between a tight budget and the weather, for right now I'm settling for the soups in the cupboard and trusting that this sore throat will go away sooner than later!

Slow and steady, whitewavedarling. Get better, then worry about the weight. :)

>75 whitewavedarling:: Get better soon. It's no fun being ill, and just wanting comfort foods (or even something you can swallow without feeling worse). What about teas, and Lemsip (lemon flavoured hot drinks for sore throats and colds)?

On the basis that exercise should be fun, and I'm not a fan of treadmills (unless there's a TV on the end of it) and gyms, I went to the gymnasium last night, and had my first gymnastics class. I did some very basic stuff (cartwheels and handstands) as a kid, but never had the opportunity to go further. It was fun. There are, apparently, competition winning gymnasts who train at this gymnasium (obviously I'm not planning to emulate them!); but this was a class for adult beginners, and there are other ladies who are in the same boat as me. I found that I'm OK with basic floor work, and I can balance nicely on a beam - but I have no muscles when it comes to the bars! But as others have the same problems, they'll do some core work and strength exercises next week.

I blame it on the kids. ;0)

Good Morning Friends! I have been waking up in the middle of the night (thanks to my boys, who seem to be conspiring against their mommies!) and realizing I'm starving! I have some casein protein that I keep meaning to take, so we'll see if that helps.

This weekend I made quinoa cookies and had one of those last night. That seemed to help for a bit.

Hoping to get in a run today!

>76 fuzzi: & 77, thanks for the well-wishes! I've been drinking tons of herbal tea, just not water, but I'm feeling much better today, so we'll see what happens. Thankfully, I still feel like eating bananas, which are the particular filling snack I've been migrating toward of late!

Great going, everyone!

Notice that cyderry has inched up into a three way tie for third place on our leader board.

For those of you (me, too!) who find it hard to keep up the momentum, what seems to be the hardest part of this effort?

It looks as if Shelly or Shelley is going to end up as our mascot's name.

I've updated my ticker on the first thread. I gained two pounds since I last weighed in. I'm not that surprised, because I had a big loss while I was sick and I've found those losses are hard to sustain once I'm well and eating normally again. So a net two-pound loss comes out to 1 pound a week, which is what I'm shooting for anyway.

I've still not lost any weight this year and seem to be staying steady. Not sure if I should drop out of the group so I don't screw up everyone else's totals. Just feeling really stuck and bummed about it - I'm within 100 calories of my daily goal every day, and I'm starting to wonder if my medical stuff has a hand in this too. I know it's going to take me a lot of effort to make the smallest movement re: weight loss, but it's so frustrating at the same time. Blerg.

So, you've only lost one pound, and are discouraged?

This is one pound of fat:



Think about that missing from your body!

I hope you don't drop out, Laura! I don't think your losing or not losing can mess up anyone else, so please stay if you find it useful or motivating. For me, it helps to know I am publicly accountable (OK, to people who don't really know me, but still). And as fuzzi said, one pound is NOT nothing!

Have you consulted a doctor to see if there might be a medical reason for your metabolism to be askew? There might be a very good reason and maybe it's fixable.

Thanks for the encouragement. :) I have hypothyroidism, and ALL of my hormone levels are way out of whack. I'm getting better all of the time, but this kind of stuff is so slow-moving, and when one thing gets in balance it throws something else off, so it's a constantly-in-motion situation. Sometimes it feels like one step forward, two steps back, but compared to where I was 5 years ago I'm a totally new person. Things are still very screwed up, but it's so much better than it was. If I had a different endocrine and lymphatic system I'd be hunky-dory! But, I don't, so I'm happy with the progress that my doctors and I have made and know that I could easily be in a much worse position. It's just so difficult to lose weight that I get disheartened after a few weeks. *shrug*

But, it could be worse! And, I do like reading about what everyone else is doing/not doing that helps them.

>86 fuzzi:: BLEUGH! I'm so glad that's missing from my body. Ick!

I've managed to break through a kilo barrier, going downwards, though I'm still not back to where I was before December.

Laura, I have hypothyroidism, too, so I know how you feel. I assume you're on thyroid tablets? Hang in there, and keep thinking positively!

Staying on target:
I've allowed a year to reach our target weight. If you are on target, you've reached at least 10% of your weight loss goal.Since there are many factors which either cause us to regain lost weight or keep from losing as much as we want (or even losing any weight), any hints you can give to others for what works for you will be most appreciated. I did mention this earlier, but encouraging words can be very helpful.

I only weigh myself once a week, same day, same way. It helps me because I don't get frustrated watching the scale fluctuate over the course of the week!

Just had my weigh-in for this week - 0.5 kg lost. I've been feeling ill this week, so I'm not surprised to see some weight loss. On the other hand, my eating habits during this week were not the best.

Now that I've lost 50 % of my target weight - or 5 kg - in almost two months, I'm not surprised to find the weight loss slowing down a bit. Instead of 1 kg down per weigh-in, I'm likely looking at 0.5 kg down per weigh in. That's normal for the women in my family. I don't mind, as long as the scale keeps going down instead of up!

Everyone here is doing great, even those for whom the scale is not reflecting the brightest picture yet. With the intentions of weight loss...and good health..., we forge ahead together. Ever onward!

What is your favorite low calorie snack?
Tell us!

94> Fruit!

Yes, fruit. Also:

Triscuits and Light Laughing Cow
Target has these turkey snack jerky bites. MrMorphy calls them my "Snausages."
1/2 ham or turkey sandwich on wheat

I usually grab an apple or a piece of string cheese.

Fruit. String cheese. Grape Nuts with skim milk.

I had a doctor's appointment today (just a checkup) and she was very pleased with the progress I've made since last June (a total of 32 pounds). I'm hopeful that if I can keep it up, when I go back in 3 months we can start talking about the possibility of a hip replacement, which would finally allow me to be more physically active. Extra motivation!

cereal

Rosalita! Woo! A hip replacement! Been there, had it done, and it's wonderful!

I felt like celebrating when I discovered that I could roll over in bed, a couple weeks after the surgery.

If you've not been in the situation, you can't imagine how good it feels to be able to change position in bed...ahhh!

Thanks for the encouragement, fuzzi. It sounds wonderful. The orthopedic surgeon I consulted a few years ago had two strikes against the hip replacement: I was too heavy and I was too young (at the time I was 45). He kept saying an artificial hip only lasts 10 years, which meant I would have to have a second one around age 55 and that never works as well, blah blah blah. At that point, I tried to convince him that having survived cancer I no longer measured my life in 10-year spans and what good was living 10 years in pain now versus maybe being in worse shape if I ever got to 55. He won that argument. I suspect orthopedic surgeons don't lose many arguments. :-)

rosalita, I had the same problem: we have ONE orthopedic group here in town, and they told me I was too young...even though I was on a cane and getting to the point where a wheelchair was a possibility.

I asked around, got a recommendation for a surgeon about 75 minutes' drive away, and am SO glad I did! He did want me to try to lose weight before the surgery, but when I told him how the other doctor told me I was too young, he said "I treat the individual, not the age!"

He did a superb job, and I highly recommend him to anyone and everyone.

Don't delay, GET that second opinion...and NEVER let them give you a cortisone shot in the hip: it makes it degenerate faster!

Good advice! I've never had the cortisone shots and now I know to say no if it's ever suggested. There is no cartilage at all in my left hip; it's just bone on bone. I use a cane as well, and the little scooter at the grocery store. That and Vicodin for the pain — and wouldn't I love to be able to get rid of that even if it doesn't seem to be habit-forming for me, thankfully.

You have convinced me that I am going to press for a second opinion at my next checkup in May. I was never super physically active, but I am at the point where I have dreams about walking. Not walking anyplace in particular; just walking, easily and without pain. When I wake up I almost want to cry at the reality.

Oh, I so relate to crying about it. I was riding in the car with a friend, when I started crying...why? Because I thought I'd never be able to walk in the woods again.

Wow! So much good encouragement here!

I'm still stuck! I've only lost 2 lbs which is just shy of 10%. :( BUT!! I'm getting much more tone in arms and abs. So I guess that's good. My trainer wants me to take a picture of myself. I took a pic when I first started seeing him in June and he wants to put the comparison up on his website. I guess that's a good sign!

Since basketball is done, I'm hoping that I can start back on a regular running schedule. I'm thisclose to signing up for a half marathon.

My favorite snacks? I'll post the recipes, but I'm digging my quinoa cookies. I'm also a fan of the luna protein bars.

As far as motivation, not sure I've mentioned it here, but I use the nike fuelband. They have these "games" called "missions" you can do and that really helps me. But I'm a huge competitor, so anything that can kick those instincts in helps.

Caution:

I'm posting this to make you aware of a problem with quick weight loss:

"Weight-loss dieting increases the risk of developing gallstones. People who lose a large amount of weight quickly are at greater risk than those who lose weight at a slower pace. Rapid weight loss may also cause silent gallstones (painless gallstones) to become symptomatic. Studies have shown that people who lose more than 3 pounds per week may have a greater risk of developing gallstones than those who lose weight at slower rates."*

Sadly, my older son, who was working on weight loss with an exercise program has now developed gall bladder symptoms which persist and is facing the prospect of gall bladder surgery. He was just diagnosed by his doctor this week.

Keep this in mind as you proceed with your weight loss. Do it s-l-o-w-l-y- and with the intent not to yo-yo back and forth between weight loss and weight gain.

*Source: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gallstones.htm

Yeah, I've noticed when I lose larger amounts of weight, my gallstone (my tech called it a gall "boulder") tends to act up.

Down .8 lb today, so I am inching toward my goal.

Favorite snack = chocolate, but I am trying to pretend it's fruit!

My favourite snacks are not really low calorie ones. :0)

What works for me, though, is a variation on portion control. I've discovered brownies I like at a certain coffee shop, so I'll pick one up if I'm at that particular shop, and take it home. But I don't eat it all in one go, because it's only the first few bites that are yummy, and then I'd just be eating it to finish it. I'll just take a small piece when I need a treat, or as dessert. That way, I get to savour it for longer, too.

A bit embarrassing; but that's how I have my cake, and eat it.

(Or a square of chocolate. Or a small palmful of nuts.)

Announcement:
Shelly, the turtle, is our new mascot!

We'll soon be voting on our new logo and then our motto.

109 > Great idea! Sometimes the brownies or muffins at my favorite coffee shop look great, but I don't want to eat it entirely in one go. I might try it your way :D.

Voting closes this coming Friday night at midnight.

"Ran" my first 5K on the treadmill the other night (alternating run/walk between running 5mph and walking 4mph) - did it in just over 41 minutes. Getting ready for my first race in March (a 7K).

David - Congrats! That's awesome!!! Keep it up!

Well done, David!

Lost 6 pounds this week! This 30 Days under 2500 calories challenge is really working for me.

> 115, 118

Keep up the momentum, you two. Great achievements!

Let's do this for fun...

When you reach your first weight loss goal (whatever that is), I'll post your name on the leader board along with the book you're currently reading at the time. I want to get some kind of tie-in with books and reading! :D

My plans:

I am planning to end this thread at the end of 2013. If anyone else would like to continue this themed idea (weight loss for readers) as a separate thread in 2014, please feel free to do so at that time.

121> And I thought I was a planner! We're only in the second month of 2013 :D.

I'm only planning ahead because I'm feeling overwhelmed by everything I've chosen to do this year. TIOLI stays. This thread will eventually end for me. :)

Blah - no weight loss again today. But I'm feeling great and have seen some noticeable changes . . . .

Gained a pound, bummer. :(

> 112, 113, 114

I think we'll close our vote early. This logo is pretty heavily favored at this time.

By the way, Shelly has already brisk-walked to the top of our three weight loss pages! :D

I'm too late to join the challenge.. but I have lost close to 50 pounds since last June :)
Still 6 pounds from first goal. I will revise that when I reach it.

128 > It's never too late to join! Just make a ticker and stick it in the ticker thread (see first post of this thread) and join in on the fun!

I don't check this thread regularly because if I do I won't get any exercise in. I noticed Laura mentioned that she has hypothyroidism. I have that too. I believe I was diagnosed over 15 years ago. It took them awhile to figure out what I had because I was also anemic at the same time and the symptoms for both are very similar. I notice for myself that if I don't exercise regularly I will not have as much energy. I hope they are able to get you regulated with medicine.

Now for some low cal treats:

Apple with peanuts or peanut butter
Clementine, grapes, oranges, carrots, celery, radishes etc.
I also will enjoy a Fiber One 90 Calorie Chocolate Brownie
Frozen Yogurt
Smoothie that I make with Frozen yogurt and frozen or fresh fruits
Sugar Free Chocolate sauce to mix with the Frozen Yogurt
Whole Wheat Bread or Crackers with some peanut butter

Those are just a few.

I am down about 6 oz today. My official WI is on Wednesday so hopefully this will be the beginning of losing my last 30 lbs to go. I can't see the pictures of the turtles so I will try to remember to look at them tonight.

Congrats to all who have lost weight this week!!

Hi Everyone,

I'm terribly late to this challenge, but just posted my ticker to page 1. I would like to lose about 44 pounds and was doing quite well on my weight lost journey until my last semester of grad school occurred (Sept. - Dec., 2012) and I gained 15 or so pounds back. : (

My exercise of choice is cycling, which I took up last summer. However, due to that last semester (and Chicago weather) I haven't been on the bike since September. I've been trying to motivate myself to get on the elliptical machine, but am looking forward to spring when I can get back on the bike. I also passionately hate doing strength training, but know it's very important, so if anyone has any DVD, YouTube video, or whatever suggestions, I would welcome them. I do have The 30-day Shred DVD and that's good, but variety might be nice.

Good luck to you all!

#105 - Brit - I'm terribly interested in this quinoa cookie recipe that you speak of.

I'm very happy to report that I lost the two pounds I gained last week. It's great to feel back on track! I've updated my ticker on the first thread.

Well, I've been dragging my feet reporting in because I gained 3.5 pounds last week. I blame it on multiple day birthday celebrations over the weekend and not being back to my regular exercise levels. Unfortunately, I don't expect good news next Monday either. We're headed to Arizona for a 4 day vacation tomorrow and I'm never good at watching what I eat on vacation. I will go update my ticker now as much as it pains me. :( I think when I get back from AZ, I'm going to try a challenge like Morphy is doing--posting each day on my thread about how many days I journal what I eat. I find if I write it down, I eat less.

Writing it down is so key for me, too!

Way to go, rosalita!

Hang in there, phebj. I'm having 'gain' issues, too.

I had a success moment that I have to share, and hope maybe it will help someone with the same issue.... So, I'm on an odd schedule because of my crazy rescue hounddog, and it makes it absolutely impossible for me to give up my daily cup and a half of coffee. That said, I also tend to get high blood sugar if I'm not careful to balance out my eating over the course of a day (my doctor told me I'd be diabetic by 30--I'm now 32, and not, but only because I got MUCH better about watching my diet and not skipping meals). And, I've been doing weightwatchers points... Well, the problem lately has been that I either eat too much in a day to keep within my points, or my bloodsugar goes high. Today, I seem to finally have gotten on track. I had my normal cereal followed by coffee, and then around lunchtime I had a banana, a special k cereal bar, and a naked juice smoothie. I thought the juice would drive up my bloodsugar and/or I'd be hungry long before dinner, but work was so busy that I didn't have any time go grab a sandwich as I'd originally planned, so I ate what was handy. And, the end result? No blood sugar issues, no hunger issues, and I'm still within my weightwatchers points for the day! So, I'm very proud of myself, even if the success was an accident! And, I discovered that the Naked Juices aren't so high in sugar OR weightwatchers points as a lot of other juices, which is worth the bit of extra expense for me...at least on workdays! I hope everyone else has at least one ah-ha moment this week like I did today!

>137 whitewavedarling:: Yay!! Thanks for sharing; it's always good to know, especially the successes.

Unfortunately, I broke that kilo barrier I boasted about before, but going the other way (I thought at the time I might jinx it, but on the other hand, I wanted to put it on record); exercise has been a bit slow this week. It's not too bad; it's only just over the mark. It'll go back down. Think positive.

#137 > Well done! I love the Naked Juices. I do wish they were a little less costly but I think they are much better for you than lots of other stuff.

Stood on the scale today, but nothing has changed since last week. Guess this is the signal that I need to start excercising more if I want to continue losing weight!

Vote for your favorite tag line...

After not getting to my official WW weigh in for 3 weeks due to various work and health emergencies, I finally went this morning and I have lost 5.5 pounds in the past 3 weeks! I've updated my ticker.

144 > Go you! That's great.

> 144

Well done!

Awesome progress, Genny!

I've finally gotten some pounds off! I'm still waiting for Monday to update anything though, just in case I lose something over the weekend. :)

Great success stories, everyone, and a big welcome to all of our recent additions!!!

Woo, gennyt!

>144 gennyt:: Yay Genny!

>148 LauraBrook:: I update whenever I lose weight (just in case the scales go the other way on Monday) ;0)

I am so impressed with people's success! I have had a bad couple of days, lots of stress eating, and today--up 2 lbs. It's so not fair--I am good for a week, I lose 1/2 a pound. Bad for 3 days--up 2.

Grrrrrrr!

I have made a new commitment to myself to avoid processed sugar and desserts for one week. Hopefully that will get me back on a losing track.

I have made a new commitment to myself to avoid processed sugar and desserts for one week.

Be sure to have something on hand that makes a good substitute for those sweet things you like. I'd suggest cutting up fresh fruit ahead of time. Make them into a fruit salad so you have something to grab when that sweet tooth hits. Eat these in small portion sizes.

Slow and steady thins the waist!

...is our new motto!

Great motto! I have gone a whole day without dessert; working on day two.

No change this week. :(

:(

You did rather well last week, though! Chin up.

Hi Everyone! Congrats on the successes!

I don't know if this matters to the person keeping track of the tickers, but mine now says I want to lose 43 pounds, rather than 44. I purchased a new scale and it's a pound off from my old one. If I kept the same ticker, it would have said I lost two pounds this week when I really only lost one (I couldn't figure out how to adjust my starting weight). I hope that makes sense.

> 157

I keep track from the tickers. If the ticker is wrong, delete it and create a new ticker. I'd rather not be searching elsewhere for the information or have addenda I have to constantly find. Thanks!

#158 - Oh yes, I did delete and replace it. That wasn't very clear in my message - sorry.

Great! I already copied/updated the information from that new ticker then. :)

Woo! I'm down a pound and a half.

I'll take that half, I earned it!!!

This week I lost 3 pounds! I don't think the new job has had that much of a change yet, but perhaps all of my calorie counting, etc, has paid off a little?!? Doesn't matter, I'll take it!

Well done everyone. #161 Fuzzi, those half pounds may not seem much, but they add up to a real difference!

Hey everybody!

I haven't been on LT much for the past two weeks, mostly because I've been in a play. I have to tell you that the play has been very motivating (recently) in terms of weight loss, for two main reasons. One, we've had photos taken during - my headshot isn't bad, but shots during the action of the play reveal I have more of a double chin than I like! Second, I actually appear in what is basically an embellished bra and skirt (bare midriff) and do a pseudo belly dance in the second act. Fortunately, my character doesn't have to be particularly gorgeous or talented - just confident and enthusiastic - but I can't help wishing I had the body I had when I was in my 20s!

Now I'm off to figure out how to update my ticker to reflect that I've lost two pounds.

I gained back the 2 pounds I lost last week, which is annoying. My ticker's updated on the first thread.

How about this...

Pinterest presents "The Biggest Loser Recipes!

I updated my ticker. I lost a pound this week. Happy dance!

0.5 kg gained this week - time to up my excercise!

I lost 1.8 lb--hurray! Since I had a big gain last week, that puts me at a wash, weight loss-wise.
I think the no-sugar diet helped with my weight loss, and I am happy that I did it for a week. However, I am not going to try to keep it up. In the past, when I've been too restrictive, I feel deprived, then I end up giving in and eating still more. But I am going to limit my sweets to no more than one small treat a day, and after dinner.

Anyway, congratulations to our weight loss leaders, Morphidae and Samantha_Kathy! And even if you didn't lose this week, your overall progress looks good.

Hello Friends! I'm back up to my starting weight. I plan the prednisone an ENT put me on for an ear problem. That was weigh-in from Thursday. :(

I'm running in a 5k on 3/10 so I hope that my training will help me start dropping weight again. My trainer is great. He's really positive and is keeping me from getting too down on myself.

Down 4 pounds for a total of 14!

Hurray, Morphy!

Woohoo, Morphy!

No change for me, which is a better result than I thought I'd have.

No measurable change here...

updated my tracker. I am down 1.4 lbs this week for a total of 3 lbs.

It's now the end of the second month of our year-long challenge. You can see your percentages on page 1.

If your answer was no, what has been preventing you from keeping up to your goal?

Well, I think I might have been on track to lose two pounds last week, but my husband's grandmother passed away that/last Friday. Between the travel eating and then eating at his parents' house and related get-togethers...I ended up having gained a pound by the time we got back into town and I "weighed in" on Wednesday. He told me I needn't go (and actually mentioned, in telling me, that he knew how I'd regret all of the unhealthy eating we'd have to do while away since his family simply eats differently than I do at home!), but I wanted to support him and had the time off work already, and I'm glad I did since he needed me there. I just wish I'd had (A) some healthier options at times, and (B) a bit more self control at other times... The low-point re. A was being told we were having fried chick and macaroni & cheese for lunch at his brother's, and then the brother (who's not too overweight!) choosing McDonald's for dinner when we were in a rush. The lowpoint re. B was my having a brownie...and then a large piece of carrot cake an hour later!

Ah well, at least there's a reasonable explanation and I don't feel particularly guilty about it. Back on track as of yesterday, so I'm hoping to at least lose the pound I gained come Monday...

I had a great week! I lost 2.5 kg - that is to say, I lost the 0.5 I gained again last week plus 2 extra kg. I'm super happy with this result, as I've now lost 7 kg in total since I started. And I've been getting compliments that I look so good :D.

> 178

Jennifer, there's always next week.

> 179

Samantha_kathy, people are noticing. Woo hoo!!

I've been having a rather erratic time. I posted previously that I'd lost 5.5 pounds - hooray!
But the following week I'd put back 5 pounds! - not so much hooray...
This week I'd lost 2 - so that brings my total lost to 2.5 - moderate hooray!

I have updated my ticker, and am hoping to be more focused in the next few weeks (there is a lot of stuff going on my life at present so it is not an easy time to concentrate on this goal).

I have been on this lifestyle change for about 3 years or so. I don't think of this as just losing weight I am making changes in my life to last a lifetime. I am not perfect. The number on the scale does not necessarily mean that I am not making progress. I look at the whole picture. Before losing the weight that I have I was not as active. I didn't have energy. I always felt like I needed sleep. Since I have lost almost 50 lbs I am able to play with my dog. I find myself wanting to work out and be active. I enjoy doing things that I used to dread doing before. So even though I haven't reached the 16% of my weight loss goal I am happy with my progress.

So even though I haven't reached the 16% of my weight loss goal I am happy with my progress.

Sounds good to me!

>178 whitewavedarling:: Sympathies to your husband. It's good that you could be there for him. Don't feel guilty.

>179 Samantha_kathy:: Yay!

>181 gennyt:: That sounds like one scene of the pantomime we're doing. But Yay!

>182 crazy4reading:: And another Yay! That's sort of the way I'm looking at it, too. I don't want to 'crash diet' and lose weight, and then come off it and put it on again. Most of it's from my pregnancies which I didn't work at getting off again (my youngest turned 4 two months ago). Besides which, I don't like diets, anyway. A lot of meals are so unsatisfying (either in taste or not filling) that they just make me want to eat a biscuit or something to finish off - which is a bit counter-productive.

I posted a couple of weeks ago that I crossed below a kilo mark; since when I've been see-sawing around that mark. (Last night, I just slipped under it again, again.) I had a suspicion I would jinx it by posting - but I wanted it to go on record. (ETA : still almost 2kg away from my lowest point last year; more effort, then.)

Good work, folks. Good luck with the rest of it.

Still staying about the same...

Happy Dance! I lost 3 lbs. this week! Cutting back on sugar seems to have really helped me--I am going to try to stick to it for another week.

Wow! Congratulations :)

Total loss is five pounds!

(it might not seem like much, but I've worked hard)

Sounds like a lot to me! :)

Take some time to visit the "debt reduction" ticker posted by humouress on thread #1. We have collectively lost 79.6 pounds as of today! :)

That's 13.6% of our goal. We're a little bit behind, but I think that's because of some "drop-outs". I'm wondering if those "drop-outs" are really no longer with us, or if they have simply not been able to lose any weight yet.

Thanks to everyone who has been posting weekly weight changes here. I'm going back each time you post to update the count. I like having the leaders out front as an inspiration to everyone else.

Continue your hard work!

Oh drat - I'm up .8lbs. I'd like to think that it's added muscle mass, but I doubt it!

>190 SqueakyChu:: I've just updated the ticker (as of now), and we've sneaked ahead slightly to 85.9.

(It's actually pounds and kilos combined; I just used whatever figures everyone posted, as it's just a visual thing.)

Keep it up, folks!

I lost another pound, woo!

::happy dance::

I've been see-sawing a bit, but managed to lose 0.1kg since I last updated my ticker (well, a tiny bit more, but it came back again).

I suppose I really ought to, but I can't jog or do gym work; I'd rather play sports. I started social badminton on Sundays about 6 months ago (but there was a long break over Christmas / New Year). I just started (re-started after a year, having hurt my foot last year) tennis clinic this morning, which looks like it will have me on my toes (literally!), and I'm hoping to do (adult beginner) gymnastics on a regular basis. Hopefully these will all kick in to help the weight come off, and get my metabolism burning, too.

But my silhouette isn't it's most attractive, so I may have to meander down to the gym for some toning exercises.

You need to have fun when you exercise, it's what helps motivate you to continue!

I lost a lot of weight about 20 years ago, doing martial arts. I got so into it, I was taking or leading classes every day!

I've lost two more this week. Up to 16 lost of 20.

Woo, way to GO, Morphy!

Awesome job Morphy. I am not expecting a loss but will check tomorrow when I officially weigh myself.

Yay Morphy!

I've just got back from rehearsal. Our choreographer has been away for a couple of weeks, so we were sort of milling around uncertainly for the dance sequences, but she was back today, and we really got a work out. (I'm still milling, but more confusedly).

The opening sequence has some of us only onstage for a bit, so while she was working on the choreography for everyone else, we took it easy. Suddenly the music would start up, and we'd dash backstage, go on-stage for our bit and then come off and dash madly down the back stairs to the front (to do the next bit of the scene). And then we'd repeat the whole thing (including the wild dash to get back in time.) That got the blood pumping!

Then we did the next dance, which is rather energetic and certainly gave us a work-out! and we had to repeat it over and over to get it right.

I was in the last musical production, for which I had to learn a tap sequence (fun, but I'd never tapped before), and after our run in October, I felt decidedly trimmer; hoping that happens this time, too. It gives the old brain a work-out, too, trying to remember what on earth, and where, your supposed to do next.

Fun stuff, humouress!

The only 'stage' production I was a part of was in 5th grade, as "Dame Van Winkle". I had a blast.

Obviously. Nina, I need to stop doing straight plays and get myself in a musical!

Down 1 more pound this week. Only 4 pounds total that I've lost, but it's 4 that I wouldn't have otherwise!

Gained 1 pound last week. Not surprising, as the weather has been terrible and my energy levels are in the basement. But spring is coming!*

* Not a guarantee. Your mileage may vary. Offer not valid in Canada, Alaska, or Greenland.

LOL at rosalita!

No loss for me this week. Great to see people losing the weight. My co-worker asked me yesterday how much I have lost total since I started working here. I told her I know I have lost 50 lbs. She says she swears I have lost more then that. I don't know what I weighed when I first started working in this office 5 years ago. It was nice hearing that I look that much slimmer.

Happy Reading all!!

50 pounds is wonderful! Congratulations, crazy4reading.

50lbs? Good going! It's always nice to be told you look slimmer, especially when you've been working hard at it.

Last week, I had one of those frozen low calorie dinners, but I found, after all the mash potato dumplings, that I was rather full. So yesterday, I had a frozen low-cal spaghetti bolognese, and divided it between lunch and dinner. (My weight went down 0.2kg, but I'm probably still on that see-saw.)

Today, hoping to keep the weight on the down side, I munched my way through a (bought) Asian salad, which was saved by a sweet tangy lime dressing and crispy noodles to scatter on top. I find if I eat a salad that is all cellulose and water but no taste, I reach for the nearest carbohydrate (loaded with sugar and chocolate, preferably) afterwards; which rather counteracts the point of the salad.

The scales are dropping ever-so-slowly, but my waist still feels ... baggy.

(I hope, by the way, you all don't mind my ramblings. Too much)

> 207

I personally avoid processed food so I don't eat low calorie frozen food.

What I told my son to do earlier this year is to make casseroles he loves when he has time...on the weekend usually...and then freeze lunch-size portions. Those can make many meals! :)

I find that, if I eat a salad for a meal, it doesn't make me feel full. Over the past few weeks, I've been taking small (1 cup servings) of dinner leftovers for lunch to work. That works for me as I have a desk job.

don't mind my ramblings

We love your ramblings. This is all about how each of us copes (or has a more difficult time coping) with weight loss. It's not all roses...

The scales are dropping ever-so-slowly

Hooray!

but my waist still feels ... baggy

I think this is where exercise should enter the picture. I am sooooooooooooooo bad at exercise! :)

Here are some links from the National Institute of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) web site that might be of use to all of us. I thought I'd put them here. Bookmark this message, if you like.

Aim for a Healthy Weight Web Site
Body Mass Index Calculator
Menu Planner
Portion Distortion Quiz (2)