Weight Loss/Exercise Updates? Post Yours Here!

[RobiLee]

Grocery shopping went really well. I bought lots of chicken breasts, lots of veggies and tons of fruit and salad. Tonite I am having chicken breasts browned in olive oil and then adding mushrooms, onion, green peppers and will probably just have a salad to go with it. That sounds alright doesn't it? I consider you my diet guru right now so I'll probably be bugging you quite a bit..lol. I wanted to ask you about sweet pickles. Are those something good to snack on. I know they help stop my craving for chocolate somewhat so I was hoping they would be ok to have. I really like fruit and don't know why I don't eat more of it. I bought lots of apples, peaches, grapes and bananas.

Have you got your exercise in yet, Christa?

[jazzcat]

Wow RobiLee - you are doing great. I feel like a slacker! I haven't done more that a light 20-25 minute walk the past two days. I had tendonitis a couple of months ago and I aggrevated it at the gym Monday. We are planning to go to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge this afternoon so I'll be walking all over up there and it's back to the gym tomorrow.

Anon - For me I learned that I have to be at that right place mentally to make any weight loss attempts work. Something just clicked with me last year and I knew it was the right time. Maybe the fact that you posted here is a sign that you may be there. I was feeling very down on myself and had very low self-esteem too. Just losing 20 pounds made world of difference in how I looked at myself and at life. I've lost 78 pounds but I still have 25 to go so I know how overwhelming it can be to look at having to lose 100+ pounds but the key is to make mini goals and take it a little at a time. If you are ready to try a change just start with baby steps, a short walk is a great step. We can be here for you and Christa is a great motivator. She's helped me. I don't know that I would have been brave enough to join a gym without her inspiration. She also has some great recipes. I love her turkey meatloaf. I make it all the time.

[jackie]

Grocery shopping went really well. I bought lots of chicken breasts, lots of veggies and tons of fruit and salad. Tonite I am having chicken breasts browned in olive oil and then adding mushrooms, onion, green peppers and will probably just have a salad to go with it. That sounds alright doesn't it? I consider you my diet guru right now so I'll probably be bugging you quite a bit..lol. I wanted to ask you about sweet pickles. Are those something good to snack on. I know they help stop my craving for chocolate somewhat so I was hoping they would be ok to have. I really like fruit and don't know why I don't eat more of it. I bought lots of apples, peaches, grapes and bananas.

Have you got your exercise in yet, Christa?

That sounds like a great dinner, I would add some brown rice and its YUM! I like to steam my veggies, then squeeze lemon on top.

Fruit is great, but it should be avoided in the evenings because of the sugar content. If you are really having a sugar craving, OF COURSE fruit is much better then a big chocolate bar, but in general, try to eat fruit earlier in the day.


I am having steamed fish, brown rice, and salad tonight!

[CathyBogart]

Oooh, a note for brownie addicts like me: Trader Joe's has a brand of brownies called "No-Pudge Fudge Brownies" that comes in a hot pink box. You make them with vanilla yogurt. I have NEVER had a nonfat brownie that I liked, yet when I made these...well, I only got two because my boyfriend at the rest, but they're AWESOME! Plus, you can make them individually.

[christa]

Have you got your exercise in yet, Christa?

LMAO!!!

Listen to ROBIN!!! *Robin* is being *MY* drill sergeant now! Hey now! It's supposed to be the other way around! LOL . . . I'm so proud of you girl! Just the fact that you are turning things around . . . I can tell by your posts that you feel better about yourself! Don't you all think??? And yes, that dinner sounds YUMMY!!! You'll have to let us know how hubby likes it!

And yes, Robin . . . I've got my workout in for the day . . . It was another leg day for me . . . a light one today, since I was still sore from Tuesday. And about 15 minutes of light walking to try to walk out the soreness.

[christa]

Anon: Everyone has said it so well, but I'll say it again . . . I just hope that you stick around . . . lurk if you must . . . but just stick with us enough to see that *it can be done* We've all done it . . . You just have to get to a point where you decide that you want to make a change in your life . . . and you make it. It's not easy but once you make that decision, and you decide that it's basically a matter of life & death, it will be the best decision you can make for yourself. I know that's harsh but that's basically how I looked at it. I was having health problems at 184 pounds . . . I can only imagine the problems that I would have been having had I let myself get any heavier. Considering my family history and so forth . . .

I just hope that you stick with us . . . stay *anon* if you wish but just stick with us.

[ramanth]

Hey Ladies,

Here is that article that Andy gave me.

It was pulled out of the April 2006 issue of Good HouseKeeping.

It's a PDF file. I hope it's readable.

[ILoveMyAbbyGirl]

Thanks Sara.

I haven't eaten much today... I rarely eat breakfast, so I wake up, don't eat anything until about 1, and on days like today, something at 1 ties me over until I have to work at 5. Tonight I work 5-11pm, so I figure I won't be able to eat anything until 8 or 9ish.

Work was awful last night. Nearly ALL of my customers were crabby and I had to work until MIDNIGHT. It was so dead, until some guy decided to come in at 11:58 and shop around for twenty minutes.

I've also been dealing with a lot of stress lately. My mom is seeing John again, even ditched her two sisters' birthday party for dinner with John. I can't stand being around her or even talking to her because she just humiliates me. She is so selfish and self-centered, it literally makes me sick thinking of her and her actions.

Mike decided enough was enough and completely ignored me Thursday night at work. He ignored me with ALL that he had, avoiding me whenever I made eye contact or approached him. Friday, he actually had the nerve to fricking CALL me and ask me to WORK for him on Saturday. I said no (I was going up north, but I would have said no anyway, there is no way that he deserves the time off) and I ended up seeing him at the grocery store a few minutes later. Even then, he had the nerve to completely ignore me AGAIN.

I finally talked to him last night. I asked him WHY he deemed it necessary to avoid me, and you know what he said??

"I'm just done wasting my time with you, that's all."

EXCUSE ME??!?? He's done wasting HIS time? He was the one who wasted my time. I tried SOO hard for us to work, but he is a sexually deprived 16-year-old that only wants some action. THAT'S why he was done wasting his time. He wanted it and I wouldn't give it to him. I made him wait too long. Good for him, he deserves nothing from me.

*sigh* I'm sorry, this completely turned into a rant post. And to make matters worse, I do believe I am falling for an older, married man... lmao. What am I thinking?? Oh well, he's nice and he always makes me laugh. He treats me like an adult and not a child... and he makes MEAN snowcones.

Thanks again for the encouragement Sara. I haven't biked since those few days ago, but I've been busy with work and errand running.

[christa]

Well, I am disappointed to see that NO ONE posted yesterday! I go out of town for one day and this thread gets lost on PAGE TWO???



Megan: I'm so glad that you've joined us!!! Please stick with us & keep us updated! I really think that a motivational support group mentality is what a lot of people need! And like Sara said, there are plenty on here that have been in your shoes, not long ago . . . you stick with us and you never know what could happen to your body, your health, your LIFE!

You mentioned you rarely eat BREAKFAST . . . this is something I don't think we've discussed on here. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It boosts your energy and kickstarts your metabolism. You go without breakfast and your body slows down, you're going to store energy instead of burn energy.

I would never recommend that you skip a meal. Actually I would recommend that you eat smaller meals more frequently (as Sara suggested) . . . but if you're going to eat less calories - do that later in the evening, like at dinner.



Sara: you're such an awesome cheerleader!!! Your story & your experiences could bring so much to so many! Which is exactly what I want from this thread.

Let's not let it get lost again!!! How's it going, everyone??? How about some updates??? Working out? Cooking??? Let me have some feedback!

[mruffruff]

Ok, OK! I didn't have anything to report! Actually, I've been too busy counting calories and exercising

My math is improving even if my waistline doesn't seem to be. Kinda early for results.

I love breakfast, but not when I'm off to work. So I count my 3 cups of coffee during the morning and 3 cheese peanut butter cracker as breakfast every day. 200 calories, including creamer & sugar.

Frozen Healthy Choice dinner for lunch, (microwaveable, eat-at-your-desk) for around 350 calories.

Dinner is harder. Example: 2C. cooked noodles, 1-1/2C. mixed vegetables, 1/2C. bottled Alfredo sauce, 1/4C. onion mixed together and an 8 oz. glass of milk. Daily total around 1400 calories.

Even went to Red Lobster Friday. Grilled Shrimp, baked potato, sour cream, brocolli, and one cheddar biscuit. Lunch was a salad with mostly lettuce so the days count was 1463 calories.

I'm not aiming for 1200; If I stay under 1500 I will lose. I was eating an average of 2500-3000 a day by my calculations. I didn't realize it until I started cutting back.

I even went for an hour's walk with Samson last night. Not a speedy walk, but I got off my blubber for a change. And I've discovered flavored waters. Walmart brand at 50 cents tastes pretty good. I can't handle diet drinks, but these actually taste like real fruit without a single calorie.

The hunger pangs are less severe. But it ain't no PHUN!

[My Peanuts]

I went to the gym last night and worked my legs a lot. I don't get it though, I'm not sore. Not sure if I can make it there tonight. I have other stuff to do, but I'm going to try. I figure if 45 minutes is all the time I have to get to the gym then it's better than nothing.

Today for lunch I brought a turkey sandwich (no cheese) and apple sauce. I'm saving so much money and calories by not eating out at lunch everyday. My coworkers commented that I have good will power when I walked in work and turned down what they were getting. Yeah right! Will power! My boyfriend's birthday was this past weekend and I really pigged out, but now I'm back on track and feeling good!

[My Peanuts]

Christa, I was going to ask you since you seem like you know a lot about this stuff (but anyone can chime in) As far as cardio goes I'm a champ. I can go for a long time, but when I walk on the treadmill I get a lot of pain in the shin area. Sometimes I use the incline, sometimes I walk faster or slower, but it seems to always happen. I stretch and I drink water. I can't tell if it's cramping up or what. Is there anything I'm doing wrong? Or should I work through the pain and eventually it will get better?

[MomToThree]

I guess it is my turn to come in here and join the party. I am 24 years old, I thought I was at my biggest when I got married. I swore to never get that big again. Well 3 years later I was that big again plus some.

I have been trying to battle my depression with medication. It has worked wonders on me. My doctor told me that I will probably gain a few pounds with the pill I am on, but once I get use to them I will shed it off. I weighed 209 at that appointment.

So I started taking my pills. I have so much more energy, I found that I wasn't making time to eat anymore. Which really isn't good for a diabetic. So after a co worker of mine shoved gloucose tablets down my mouth I told her I would make time to eat. So every morning I go into work (I work at BK) we open up the kitchen, then I make a sandwhich. I eat maybe half, and drink a bottle of water. For lunch I eat a salad with a small cup of coke. I know that is the wrong thing to do, but it has worked for me. I figured it was something to keep my sugar up, and to keep it stable since I was eating a salad. Trust me I know how stupid that sounds. I have been yelled at by my mom for doing this already. I would go home and start doing house work. Laundry, sweeping, mopping, you name it I was doing it. I figured it was something light and easy and always needed to be done. My husband would get home and get the grill going. We would have chicken, and potatoes baked mashed or what ever.

Now I go to work eat 1/2 my sandwhich in the morning with a bottle of water, for lunch, I eat a salad and something small more like a snack. For dinner we are still having chicken most night.

So far I have lost almost 30 pounds.

I am one of those people that refuse to give up the good stuff. I was raised with all the full fat foods and I was still between 115 and 134 until I was 16. So I know I can lose the weight doing what I was raised doing. It will just take me a lot longer to do it.

[jazzcat]

I can go for a long time, but when I walk on the treadmill I get a lot of pain in the shin area. Sometimes I use the incline, sometimes I walk faster or slower, but it seems to always happen.

I'm a little late getting in on this but you sound like me except the pain starts in my knee and goes down my shin. It would only happen on the treadmill, when I'd walk the hills in my neighborhood or when I stood or walked on concrete too long. I was in so much pain about 2 months ago I went to the dr. and he said it was tendonitis. He gave me anti-inflammatory meds and told me to rest my leg for a couple of weeks, wrap it and when I did start back to avoid incline and the hard impact of the treadmill. I stuck with elliptical only and it got better but a week ago Monday I re-injured it and I'm back to a lot of pain and limping. This is so frustrating!

I agree with the others, the right kind of shoes are very important.