Posts by baylily

Okay, here's my first weigh-in and starting weight: 186 lb.  I see some good losses already for you three. Congrats!  I'm glad to be in this challenge.

Confession (already!!): I binged on cookies yesterday and I haven't done that in ages, but once I had one, it set off the avalanche of the rest...grrr. I think because I had eaten so few calories yesterday that I was extra vulnerable.  But, No cookies this week. Gotta manage my intake better...

This is a good question for your doctor. Do you take your blood pressure reading regularly? Many things can cause a change in heart rate. Maybe this is one of the reasons they say to check with a doctor before engaging in a rigorous exercise program (which most of us don't do, of course).

You are obviously a bit concerned about this, so ask your doc just to be safe and set your mind at ease.  (Not to be an alarmist or anything, but don't put yourself in danger as I did, which resulted in my having a stroke at a relatively young age... ) You could be perfectly fine--everyone's different.

Good luck!

agent4hire26,

I loooved your pool story. Good for you for going out to the pool anyway. Sounds like you felt a great deal of freedom when you did it.  Very cool. I wish I were so brave!

For me, I've been going wild trying on clothes that have been sitting in my closet and dresser drawers for years untouched (they were way too small/tight).  I have lost 21 pounds so far and I've felt really proud of my progress.  I've donated all my size 16's and many 14's because now I'm slipping gleefully into my size 12 jeans.  It's almost like going on a shopping spree, as I'm mixing and matching outfits to wear to show off my thinner self!

Thanks for starting this thread... :)

Eating one meal per day is perfectly healthy....for a ROBOT.  Since I assume you are not one of those, you should know that your behavior is potentially very dangerous. 

I agree with others who have recommended that you get some help.  Some people who abuse drugs feel like they get closer to God too, but you wouldn't do that, would you? 

Start by seeing your doctor and he or she can make recommendations for you. Eating disorders can be life-threatening. Nothing to mess around with. I'm sure God has many plans for you right here on Earth... Perhaps you need to take care of yourself in order to best serve Him?

WW Ice Cream

Tell your doctor these things. I think you would really benefit from professional help and it would give you the confidence to tackle this in a healthy way. 

Good luck!

What the heck happened?!!  I happily reported last week that I’d lost 11 lbs so far in this challenge.  By Thursday morning I was down another 1.6 lbs, so I was giddy at the prospect of a 2 lb loss by the end of the week. 

But then the shoe dropped.  Keep in mind that I weigh myself EVERY MORNING. With only a couple of minor exceptions I ALWAYS either lose or stay the same. 

But, on Friday, after consuming a daily average of 1250 calories for the week, I had GAINED almost 6 lbs from the day before. On Saturday, after my Friday total of about 2000 calories (My High cal day) I was up another 1.5 lbs!  I couldn’t believe it. In two days I went from 181.6 to 188 lbs!

So, unhappily, in the last three days of the week I went from a 1.6 lb loss to a 3.6 gain for the week (feeling like an actual 5.2 lb gain for the week).  Maybe it’s a fluke, but I can’t help but take it to heart.

What I did right last week: 

--Avg of  1550 cals per day. (After averaging 1250 the first four days )

--Went to Yoga twice, and walked once. 

--Controlled my protein/carbs/ fat ratio perfectly each day.

What went wrong last week:

--Potato salad (lots of it) on the 4th. Glass of wine on the 4th.

--Didn’t control my water properly.

--Didn’t get enough exercise.

--I fainted at Yoga class and nearly 3-4 times more during the week (probably b/c of lack of water). 

--I was weak, and therefore ate more on the last three days of the week.

Sigh!  Don’t cry for me, Argentina. What goes up, must come down, or, to quote Scarlett O’hara: “Tomorrow is another day”!

This week: Lots of water. Lots of cardio exercise. Avg 1350 cals per day. ===>Back on track for success!

Top ten things I eat regularly (in the last two months, anyway):

1. Peanut butter
2. Oroweat Honey Wheatberry bread (fav for 20+ years)
3. Walnuts
4. Fresh fruit in season (Bananas, Blueberries, Strawberries, Pineapple, Mexican Papaya, Mango, Cherries, Grapes…)
5. Tofu
6. Fruit smoothies w/ GoLean protein powder, w/ frozen and fresh fruit
7. Veggies in season: Lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, artichokes, carrots…)
8. Beans
9. Amy’s Organic Vegetarian Indian entrees (yum!)
10. My current vice: WW  Mint Choc Chip Premium Ice Cream Cups (the *contents* of the cups, that is)

Good question!Maybe it's cheating to group the fruits and veggies into two items, but if I didn't my top ten would likely all be fruits, as I eat at least one big fresh fruit salad every day.

Darcyskywolfe: I so enjoyed your post this morning! It’s great that we can share our successes and challenges. Wow! Approaching 30 lb loss, you must feel fantastic!  I’ve lost 9.4 lbs so far in this challenge; almost fifteen since I started the diet, and  I can really feel the difference. Also I can’t explain it, but somehow I’m CERTAIN that I’m going all the way this time.  It is so exciting.

The potato soup sounds yummy. I haven’t made any for years. It’s a good comfort food; my mom used to make it. I’m all for experimentation with new foods and flavors to keep things interesting.  I’m finding that I have a greater appreciation for some simple foods that are really nutritious as well.

For example:

**I’m “wild” about lightly salted Wild Rice Cakes, or just plain brown rice ones! They are a satisfying snack. A little peanut butter on top is nice too.

**The “candy” I’m craving lately is fresh organic blueberries, slightly chilled.  For 80 calories per cup, they can’t be beat.

**I love, love, Mexican papaya in the morning, chilled, cut up, and with a generous squeeze of Key lime on top. Sliced bananas with it make it the perfect breakfast “trifecta”. The enzymes in papaya are great for digestion and many other things. Mexican papayas are the really large ones. The “meat” is redder than the Hawaiian type. I’ve developed a taste for them ever since I stayed in Jerry Jeff Walker’s house in Belize years ago and the cook sliced them up fresh for us every day. They are also one-third to one quarter of the price of their Hawaiian relatives!

**Not to feel deprived, I treat myself to some luxury items too. Like fresh organic home-style butter. Just cream and sea salt; no extra junk.  I use 1 tsp on a slice of Oroweat Honey Wheatberry bread, my absolute favorite. (I don’t use fat-free salad dressing either. I love a vinaigrette made with high-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar.)

**I’m also making my own fresh yogurt that is so delicious. I use really fresh Clover Organic fat-free milk (pasture-raised cows, & no hormones) and use a starter of plain organic yogurt, then add a bit of organic agave syrup, and vanilla.  Great with cut-up bananas or other fruit! Yogurt, they say, aids in weight loss.

Well, I’m making myself hungry just writing this, so I’ll end here. 

I’d love to hear about which healthy foods you all are enjoying or discovering that help keep you satisfied on this challenge!

organic Russian Rye.

In answer to your original question about the delusional women, my informed opinion is that they don't know "squat"!

And I can't beleeeieve I actually read through this entire thread! Could we be that starved for intellectual stimulation? Perhaps due to diet-induced delirium...

One more post! But this one is the most important of the three I have done today!

You guys are doing so GREAT!

Cteen-Awesome job in maintaining these past weeks. I know from personal experience that this is a true accomplishment! (I was bed-ridden for months during a pregnancy and I ballooned!) Keep it up. We’re with you!

Musicalfish- YOU ROCK! Whatever you’re doing you’re hitting the right note! Congrats on your loss.

Solemnleaf2- Way to go! It looks like you are definitely on track to meet your goal. You must be excited!

Darcyskywolfe- You’re doing so well. I’m inspired! I like the idea of the 10 lb rewards (as long is the reward isn’t food, lol).  How are you planning to award yourself?  Might be fun for all of us to come up with a mid-challenge reward…BTW, I’m following your lead on keeping track of water & getting at least 64oz per day, so I’ve started logging it in my CC food log, and it helps!

Kaydawson- You’re doing great so far. Your SW and GW are similar to mine, so we’re among those who have more to lose. Keep with it, girl!!

Mooselegs—I know how you feel. This week will be better, right? Are you logging every single thing you eat? That helps me a lot. Keep your eyes on the prize and if you stumble, get back up and defiantly dust yourselves off! We’re with you!

Txtina—I know what you mean by the in-law challenge. My mother-in-law came to stay with us when I was off my feet for almost three months. She made a lot of rich entres and desserts and I was ill-equipped to say no. I gained a lot of weight.  But overall, you are doing fantastic! 6.2 lbs since Memorial day? Awesome.

Kieslings2501—You are so close to your ultimate goal. You must be jazzed. I’m with you: gotta get enough water and keep up the motivation. I think that being in this challenge has done a lot toward that end.

Ladychach- You must have danced off that scale this week! I bet you can feel the difference too. You go, girl!

kjeremiason—Congrats on losing wt this week in the face of all the social challenges.  Partying with friends and family can be the ultimate test of your willpower, especially with the abundance of yummy foods that usually accompany wedding receptions. At least you could probably dance off some of those indulgences?! I’d be interested to know what you did to resist the temptations.

Akasharaine--You still have twelve weeks to go on the challenge, so it looks to me like you ARE on track!  If you’re not losing at the rate you’d like, try looking for a way to change what you’re doing and implement that in the coming weeks. I think that accomplishing even small behavioral changes can be very motivating ways to challenge ourselves.  Do you walk for exercise? Why not add an extra day of walking for 30 minutes. It has helped me a lot.

Goaltogo—Congrats on surviving your birthday and STILL losing a pound. Yeah! Good thing birthdays don’t come that often…

Scalebeater—Way to go getting a trainer to help you with your wt loss program! That’s a great commitment. My daughter is forcing me to start coming to Bikram yoga with her. Gulp. No turning back-I made a pinky promise, which she says is binding.   So I will fork out the cash for thirty days of Bikram yoga and we’ll see how that goes.  Wish me luck…

Sorry about the late weigh-in. My daughters came home from college for the summer and I’ve had to stand in line for the computer!  (my router is broken) 

Anyway, I have to say that I had a great week last week and lost .2 lbs. Now, ordinarily I would be bummed out about this b/c my eating habits were practically impeccable and I averaged less than 1400 calories per day! (And the last two weeks I lost 2.6 and 3.4) I did exercise last week, but only twice, and I was sure each day that I was getting the right balance of protein (10-35%), fat (20-35%), and carbs (45-65%). 

Yet for three consecutive days last week my weight went up and not just a little! This is about the time in a diet I get discouraged and say “screw it” b/c I “feed” on that instant gratification of fast weight loss. But not this time. I’m in it for the long haul and I know I’m eating right, so the weight will follow. I could probably drink more water and exercise more, so I’m concentrating on those things this week.

Ht: 5' 6"
Challenge Goal Wt: 165 lbs

Challenge Start Wt: 194.4 lbs
Last week Wt: 188.4 lbs
Current Wt: 188.2 lbs
Ultimate Goal Wt: 136

and perching precariously

"Perhaps he knew, as I did not, that the Earth was made round so that we would not see too far down the road."

Meryl Streep as Karen Blixen, Out of Africa (1985)